Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

In good news for safety advocates and the well-being of Texans generally, I'm happy to report that the state house of representatives recently passed a bill which would ban text messages and e-mails while driving.

The statewide ban on driving and texting would help solve the significant distracted driver problem Texas faces. Many cities and municipalities have passed their own version of distracted driving statutes and those very in their makeup. Having a statewide law coupled with education of the new statute will help make our Texas highways much safer.

The bill known as House Bill 243 passed overwhelmingly and will amend the Texas transportation code if it is enacted into law. A companion piece of legislation has been presented in the Senate.

Let us hope that the statute becomes the law of the land and we couple the new law within educational push to implement it. Some studies have indicated that distracted driving can be as dangerous as drunken-driving.

Continue reading "Texting Ban in Texas?" »

Not mentioned often enough - either in this blog or other forums - is the inherent danger associated with driving drowsy or driving fatigued.

A number of highly publicized accidents have traced their causes to persons who have fallen asleep behind the wheel of their car while driving.

Consider the following accidents.

Recently a semi truck driver fell asleep at the wheel of his rig as it was motoring down an interstate highway. His truck drifted across several lanes of the highway running headlong into a grove of trees where it finally came to rest partially turned over. Fortunately no one was injured and the cargo was reloaded over several hours. The driver got a motel room after he was cited.

A car full of young kids was returning from a vacation - attempting to make it home in record time by driving through the night. The only problem was that the young man who was driving fell asleep at the wheel. The car crossed the center line and before the accident was over several of his friends were dead. Oh but for the cost of a hotel room and a few extra hours...

Some estimates state that up to twenty percent of wrongful death accidents are caused by drowsy drivers who may actually fall asleep behind the wheel or whose reaction time is slowed and who are not fully aware of their driving surroundings.

In addition, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration believes that drowsy drivers cause up to 100,000 auto accidents as well.

Coffee and energy drinks are no replacement for a good night's sleep. Drive safely.

Continue reading "Drowsy Driving Kills" »

While we all may have our suspicions about what is the leading cause of automobile and truck accidents - I decided to search for and share reliable statistics on the topic. When one considers the fact that there are upwards of fifty thousand deaths annually in the United States attributable to vehicle collisions - and 1.2 million (yes, I said MILLION) vehicle fatalities across the world's roadways - let me say, simply, that the information should have some relevance to all of us.

The NUMBER 1 reason for deaths caused by car and 18 wheeler accidents is something that has gained the attention of the national conscious more and more in recent years - distracted driving. This takes many forms but - amazingly - texting and rubbernecking (slowing down to observe another car crash) are the leading causes. When queried - one policeman noted that often there are multiple vehicle collisions in one area because people stop to look - and stop looking at the road in front of them.

The second most common culprit of vehicle fatalities is driver fatigue - a more common occurrence between the hours of 11 p.m. and 8. a.m. Unfortunately, people are often unable to gauge the extent of their fatigue until they have fallen asleep at the wheel and lost control of the car or 18 wheeler.

The third most common cause of driver deaths is driving while intoxicated - a ranking I would have thought was too low at first. In all, there is an average of one drunk driving death every 30 minutes across America, day in and day out.

Finally, speeding is fourth, aggressive driving is fifth and poor weather conditions are the sixth reason for highway deaths - in the order given.

Continue reading "Top 6 Reasons for Car and Truck Accidents" »

Distracted driving is a major focus of a variety of organizations around the country. In a recent year 6000 highway deaths were attributed to car and truck accidents caused by distracted driving.

The greatest culprit is the driver who attempts to receive and send text messages while driving. This single act has been found to have the same potential for deadly consequences as driving while intoxicated.

No single subset of the population is more at fault than another. On any given day one can observe teens to 'middle-agers' looking away from the road to read or send a message - which, by the way, is becoming an increasingly illegal activity in many areas of the country because it is so deadly.

It is imperative that parents lead by example when teaching their children the consequences of their choices. If you hope your teenage driver will not text and drive, put your cell phone up when you drive.

One of the most important things we can teach our children and also recall ourselves is it sometimes in life there are no do over's. An accident typically happens in fractions of a second. Studies have shown that texting takes up the equivalent of three car lengths of safety margin. That margin can be the difference between life and death.

Many will recall the feeling of invincibility you had in your later teens. Life was good, not many responsibilities, and the realities of life sometimes had not yet been shown to us.

I urge everyone to lead your children by example, which may require some work and hard choices on your part.

Continue reading "Sometimes There Are No Do Over's" »