Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

Preventing Back to School Truck Accidents

Published on: September 15, 2010 | By Flaxman Law Group

While many people associate Florida truck accidents with high-speed highway accidents, some tragic Florida pedestrian accidents involve trucks in urban areas – and these accidents often include small children. Pickup trucks, delivery trucks, and other types of trucks which are common in urban areas and residential areas pose a high risk of fatalities and injury to children and minors. These trucks make unexpected stops and often fascinate youngsters.

Waste management trucks, for example, are a common risk to children, because they are prevalent in residential areas and often back up or stop unexpectedly. There are more than 700 such trucks servicing the South Florida area alone and now that the children are in school, these trucks are often in residential areas during the morning rush, when children are preparing for and heading out to school. Waste management truck drivers get training to ensure that they are safe drivers. However, there are many things that parents can do to help prevent this tragic type of Florida trucking accident:

1) Set some rules. Talk to your children about trucks and other vehicles. Especially, make sure that your children know how dangerous it is to approach a waste management truck or climb on it. Emphasize that the truck is dangerous, even when it is parked or stopped. Teach your children to recognize the back-up alarm and lights, which indicate that a truck is backing up.

Continue reading →

SAFE Hopes to Prevent Florida Truck Accidents and Car Accidents With Detailed Presentations

Published on: September 10, 2010 | By Flaxman Law Group

The NAS Jax Safety Department has been offering hands-on workshops to audiences to teach them about the dangers of Florida truck accidents, car accidents, and other accidents. Most recently, the department sponsored their “Street Smart” presentation over the Labor Day weekend. The presentation involved two Orlando paramedics who are part of Florida SAFE (Stay Alive From Education) Inc.

The presentations include audience participation, a clear description of cases where paramedics arrive at the scene of an accident and graphic depictions of accident scenes. According to SAFE, many trauma calls to local paramedics involve Florida drunk driving accidents. In many cases, drivers and passengers involved in these accidents are not wearing seat belts.

According to Orlando Firefighter and Paramedic Scott Neusch, who is also a part of SAFE, when a driver in a Florida truck accident or car accident is not wearing a seat belt, the chest hits the steering wheel. The impact of there crash causes the head of the driver to collide with the windshield and causes the thigh femur bones to be pushed into the abdomen.

Continue reading →

Florida Law Hones in On Drowsy Drivers to Prevent Florida Truck Accidents and Car Accidents

Published on: September 8, 2010 | By Flaxman Law Group

In 2008, 8-year-old Ronshay Dugans was killed when a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and caused a Florida bus accident involving the school bus on which Dugans was traveling. Dugans’ family lobbied to change legislation in Florida to help prevent drowsy driving. Working with Florida state representative Alan Williams, the Dugans family has helped pass the Ronshay Dugans Act to combat fatigued driving.

As part of the act, the first week of every September will be designated as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week in Florida. The bill was passed by Florida legislature and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Crist in June. Morton Plant Mease Hospital, the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles have joined together to help promote Drowsy Driving Prevention Week.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 50% of drivers admit to fatigued driving in the past year. About a third of drivers admit that they drive while fatigued at least once a month. Another 30% of drivers admit they have fallen asleep at the wheel and 1% of drivers have been in an accident or a near accident while driving drowsy.

Continue reading →

Avoiding a Florida Truck Accident

Published on: September 6, 2010 | By Flaxman Law Group

Although there are many regulations at the state and federal levels regulating truck drivers, truck companies, and the truck industry, car drivers still have an obligation to help prevent Florida car accidents involving trucks. Florida trucking accidents involving cars are often especially tragic for passenger vehicles and their occupants, simply because of the disadvantageous difference in size between a truck and a car. There are many things that Florida car drivers can do, however, in order to help prevent tragedy:

1) Stay alert. Avoid a Florida drunk driving accident as well as trucking accidents and other types of traffic accidents by driving sober. Even one drink can impair your judgment. In addition to drinking, carefully consider any medications – including over-the-counter medications – that you may be taking. These may also cause you to become drowsy and unfit to operate a vehicle.

2) Stay focused. Distracted driving is a major contribution factor to Florida truck accidents and traffic accidents of all types. Avoid using your cell phone, mobile device, or headphones while driving. Focus on the road rather than on conversations or on entertainment.

Continue reading →

Preventing Florida Drunk Driving Accidents and Truck Accidents This Holiday Weekend

Published on: September 2, 2010 | By Flaxman Law Group

More than 40 agencies and many officers launched their “Hand Across the Border” campaign recently at the Florida and Alabama border. The campaign aims to increase the presence of law enforcement authorities on Florida’s roads during this holiday weekend in order to help prevent Florida car accidents and truck accidents.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the past year that the campaign was in place, there were fewer Florida drunk driving accidents and traffic accidents during the long weekend. According to law enforcement agencies, drunk driving is an especially severe problem during the last holiday weekend of the summer. As motorists hope to enjoy the final weekend of summer, they sometimes indulge in alcohol and get behind the wheel of a car. Unfortunately, that decision can easily lead to a Florida pedestrian accident, car accident, or other serious accident. When cars and trucks collide, the results tend to be even more dangerous and fatal. Trucks cannot stop as quickly as cars can, so an erratic motorist or truck driver can be an especial danger.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the message to motorists this holiday weekend is simple:

Continue reading →

Avoiding Florida Truck Accidents When You Own a Small Business

Published on: August 30, 2010 | By Flaxman Law Group

Many small businesses rely on light company trucks or even large trucking companies for business. If you own a small business, you may rely on trucks in order to get your product to customers or in order to have materials delivered to your offices. While trucks can make things convenient for your business, they can also create liability issues. If a truck your company owns causes a Florida pedestrian accident or a Florida trucking accident, the legal ramifications could affect your business. Such an accident can even push your business towards bankruptcy. Even if you work with a trucking company, if a company truck is in an accident while delivering your goods, you could face legal problems as well. That is why it is important to:

1) Carefully consider before getting trucks for your own business. If you want to have a truck for your business, consider who will drive the truck. How will you screen drivers? Can the drivers be trusted to remain safe?

2) If you do decide to get trucks for your business, use a little extra caution. Draw up a list of regulations for your truck drivers and delivery personnel. Insist on a driver’s log and check to make sure that your driver is qualified.

Continue reading →

New Program Could Make Florida Truck Stops Safer

Published on: August 18, 2010 | By Flaxman Law Group

A new program partly funded by an EPA State Grant Program will give Florida truck stops a new look – and will possibly help to prevent Florida car accidents and truck accidents. The program is being administered by the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and will provide different services at some of the truck stops on the Florida Turnpike.

Specifically, the program will allow truckers to enjoy in-cab electricity in order to fuel air conditioning, heating, and gadgets in the cab when truckers stop for a rest. Currently, many truck stops require truckers to idle their engines in order to run electricity to fuel many amenities in their sleeper cabs. The current system wastes fuel and produces more exhaust. Advocates of the new program say that the program will help in many ways:

1) It will reduce fuel use of big trucks. Not only is this environmentally friendly, but it will save the trucking industry money, which could mean less pressure on truck companies to push drivers to drive longer than is safe.

Continue reading →

Can Bluetooth Help Prevent Florida Trucking Accidents?

Published on: August 12, 2010 | By Flaxman Law Group

Now that awareness about the dangers of distracted driving is growing, Bluetooth and many other technology manufacturers are touting hands-free technology as the way to make cell phone calls and even texting safer. Devices designed for drivers read text messages and allow drivers to dictate messages – all while keeping their eyes on the road. While hands-free technology can help prevent a driver from taking their eyes off the road, however, there are many reasons why this technology is not necessarily safer or better at preventing Florida car accidents and truck accidents:

1) Hands-free technology does not help prevent a driver from being absorbed by a conversation. The problem with cell phone calls is not just that the driver has to dial a number. Rather, while a driver is talking on the phone, he or she becomes absorbed in a conversation or discussion, and this causes less focus on the road. This will not be prevented by hands-free phones.

2) Hands-free technology can affect what a driver hears. A truck driver using Bluetooth or other hands-free technology is often wearing a device that can affect their ability to hear. This can allow drivers to miss important auditory clues – which can easily lead to a Florida pedestrian accident or other terrific accident.

Continue reading →

CVSA Targets Young Drivers to Help Prevent Florida Truck Accidents and Truck Accidents Nationwide

Published on: August 10, 2010 | By Flaxman Law Group

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has launched a “Teens & Trucks” awareness campaign, which aims to reduce truck accidents by focusing on the driving habits of young drivers. Teens are involved in 12% of fatal car accidents across the nation, even though teens only account for about 6% of licensed motorists. Many Florida car accidents and traffic fatalities are caused by teen drivers. In some cases, simple inexperience leads to car accidents among teen drivers. In other cases, teen speeding, distracted driving, and aggressive driving contribute to Florida car accidents and truck accidents.

CVSA’s Interim Executive Director, Stephen A. Keppler, announced the launch of the “Teens & Trucks” campaign by noting that teens and younger drivers between 16 and 24 years old do not recognize that larger commercial trucks are different than other vehicles on the roads. This, as well as unsafe behaviors lead to truck accidents. In fact, according to the CVSA, 5390 teen causalities between 2003 and 2007 involving trucks can be directly attributed to this failure to recognize the difference between trucks and passenger vehicles.

The “Teens & Trucks” campaign is partnered with American Trucking Associations, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and state industry groups to help teens learn about driving skills near commercial trucks. Groups hope that by teaching teens the importance of commercial trucks and driving skills, many truck accidents can be prevented. The program aims to help reach teens before bad driving habits develop. The campaign will strive to teach teen drivers about the larger blind spots that trucks have and teach teens that trucks take longer to stop. The hope is that once teens understand the need to drive differently around commercial trucks, the rates of truck accidents will drop.

Continue reading →

Could a Contest Prevent Florida Truck Accidents?

Published on: August 6, 2010 | By Flaxman Law Group

Between August 2 and 8, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC) will take place in Columbus, Ohio. CVSA-certified inspectors – usually charged with ensuring that buses and trucks are safe – will travel from all over the country to compete. CVSA is responsible for ensuring that trucks and buses are safe by inspecting commercial trucks and by making recommendations for best safe practices.

CVSA-certified inspectors in Florida check driver’s logs, truck brakes, tiedowns, tires, and other parts of a truck or bus when a truck or bus pulls in for inspection. By providing these inspections, CVSA-certified inspectors can help remove unsafe trucks and buses from the roads before those vehicles cause Florida bus accidents or truck accidents. Inspectors can also make recommendations for maintenance to ensure that trucks and buses are road-worthy.

The North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC) includes candidates from all over the continent. The theme for the 2010 competition – the 18th hosted by the CVSA — is ‘Education, Performance, Uniformity, and Partnerships.’ Each candidate is evaluated based on seven criteria:

Continue reading →