Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
AT&T and the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) are joining together to fund the 2011 Distracted Driving Summit. On October 17th, the event is scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., to raise awareness about distraction-related incidents such as teen car accidents in Delray Beach and elsewhere. This has been a popular topic of discussion among many safety experts as the number of distraction-related accidents continues to climb.
Our Tamarac car accident attorneys understand how beneficial this event can be. Teens are more likely than any other drivers to be involved in a distracted-driving car accident. With the new school year in full swing, this is a good time to bring up the importance of safe driving skills among newly-licensed drivers. It is important to keep safe driving skills as a frequent topic of conversation in your household because let’s face it, driving skills aren’t on the top of our teen’s priority list.
According to distraction.gov, there were more than 5,000 individuals killed on U.S. roadways because of distraction-related car accidents in 2009. Approximately 448,000 additional injuries were sustained because of distracted drivers on our roadways. About 20 percent of all accidents nowadays involve a distracted driver. Cell phones were the most commonly reported source of distraction in fatal accidents. Cell phone-using drivers contributed to nearly 1,000 roadway fatalities in 2009. Teens under the age of 21-years-old are most likely to be involved in a fatal accident with reports of distracted driving.
Recent studies have concluded that drivers who use a cell phone behind the wheel have the same reaction time as a driver who is legally drunk with a blood alcohol concentration of .08. Drivers who use a hand-held device while driving are four times more likely to get into an accident resulting in a serious injury.
The 2011 Distracted Driving Summit will include the following:
-The commencement of the new NOYS Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Team (TDDPT). This team will consist of 10 advisers and 40 youth members.
-Numerous sponsorship opportunities.
-Presentations from national organizations including the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
-TDDPT training sessions and workshops will be conducted by some of the top safety companies and organizations.
-Opportunities for companies and organizations to showcase products, programs and resources related to distracted driving.
Through this seminar, teens will also be taught important tips to keep their vehicle running smoothly. These tips include:
-Keep your coolant, transmission, brake, engine and power steering fluids fresh and filled. All of this information can be found in the vehicle’s owner’s manual.
-How to properly check and maintain the vehicle’s battery.
-How to properly change a tire.
-How to check the tire’s air pressure.
The car accident lawyers at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC represent victims of car accidents in Wellington, Margate, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie and Fort Lauderdale. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, call 1-800-561-7777 today for a free consultation to discuss your rights.
More Blog Entries:
Fatal Car Accident in Lake Worth Urges Officials to Push Distracted Driving Regulations, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, September 11, 2011
Florida Ranks 37th Nationwide in Driving Skills, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, June 11, 2011