Distracted Driving

Tips for avoiding distracted driving

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It can be hard to ignore a ringing phone or the ding of a text message. Unfortunately, too many people in Kentucky and across the U.S. try to handle multiple tasks at once, including cellphone use while driving, causing catastrophic car accidents.

How big is the distracted driving problem?

According to Kentucky State Police, the Bluegrass State saw 6,455 motor vehicle accidents in 2019 caused by distracted driving. This led to 14 deaths and over 1,719 injuries. Across the entire U.S., almost 3,000 individuals lost their lives in distracted driving collisions annually. As this shows, distractions such as cellphone use should be avoided while driving. Even hands-free cellphone use is not entirely safe, as a person is still distracted cognitively.

What can I do to avoid distracted driving?

It is important to make sure you are avoiding all distractions while driving. First, prepare for your trip ahead of time. Give yourself enough time to get ready for the day, set the GPS, adjust your seat and mirrors and set the radio and climate control before driving.

Second, do not drive “intexicated.” Just like drunk driving, texting and driving leads to car accidents. Put down your cellphone when driving. Put it in your purse or bag in the back seat where it is out of reach and activate call/text blocking features. Make sure there is nothing that will keep you from paying attention to the road, visually, manually and cognitively.

Always be safe while driving

Distracted drivers cause car crashes every day. No phone call or text message is worth a human life. Avoiding distracted driving at all times can save lives. If you were injured in a distracted driving crash in Kentucky, you may be able to pursue compensation for the damages you suffered.

 

injured In A Truck Crash

What to know about driving near semi-trucks

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Commercial trucks weigh thousands of pounds more than passenger vehicles, which can spell disaster for the smaller vehicle if the two crash. While there are preventive measures a truck driver can take to keep the road safe, there are also things that drivers of passenger vehicles can do.

Because the rate of truck accidents is at a 30-year high, everyone needs to do their part in staying safe on the roads. Here are some tips passenger vehicle drivers can use to stay safe.

Do not crowd a truck

Because trucks are massive and heavy, they need considerably more distance to come to a complete stop. This means truckers need much more space in front of them to avoid dangerous situations. Staying too close can be fatal if the truck cannot stop in time.

Avoid blind spots

All vehicles have blind spots. Semi-trucks have blind spots that are much larger than passenger vehicles. Truck drivers typically cannot see a vehicle within 30 feet of the front or back of them and half of the front half of the left side and most of the right side of the vehicle. If you cannot see the truck driver directly or through their mirrors, they cannot see you.

Take extra time

Trucks need more time to do anything, from changing lanes to turning. What can really slow truckers down is when other cars speed around them. From cutting trucks off in a lane to trying to speed past them while they are changing lanes, all of these actions can create dangerous situations.

To ensure that any truck driver you are near can see you, give them the space and time they need to maneuver properly. Crowding or rushing a truck can result in catastrophic injuries.

Asbestos ban currently held up in U.S. Senate

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Asbestos exposure causes more than 40,000 deaths each year in this country, according to the chair of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. But a recent bill to ban most uses of asbestos has stalled in the U.S. Senate.      

Asbestos use has not stopped

Asbestos is still being used in this country in an unexpectedly high number of products, especially in the automotive industry. Asbestos has been blamed for causing serious and potentially fatal diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.

Legislation stalled

The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act would prohibit the production, use and importing of asbestos. If enacted, this bill would implement a ban on asbestos within one year from Congressional passage. Some limited exceptions would be allowed, however.

This bill made progress in Congress after the Environmental Protection Agency took steps last year to restrict asbestos but did not impose an outright ban. The Senate Energy and Commerce Committee approved the bill with only one negative vote.

But the measure then hit an obstacle. Senate Republicans objected to language in the bill that was intended to allow for the continuation of ongoing lawsuits alleging harm from cosmetic talcum powder. Many women have successfully sued over claims that the use of asbestos contaminated baby powder was linked to their ovarian cancer.

Republicans claim that this language would increase litigation by creating questions about the bill’s intent. This, according to GOP lawmakers, would cause uncertainty with interpreting and implementing this measure. Republicans said they would support this bill if the clause was removed.

This bill however would amend the federal Toxic Substances Control Act, which not deal with the cosmetic uses of asbestos.

These legislative delays will allow the dangers and risks of asbestos exposure to continue.