It seems to be almost commonplace to hear something in the news about an accident caused by texting and driving, in New York and throughout the US. The fact is that texting while operating a vehicle is a major form of “distracted” driving, which is a term used to describe any activity that diverts attention away from driving, which needs to be the primary task at hand and the primary focus. Other examples of distracted driving include talking on the phone, viewing social media, eating or drinking, grooming, loud music, drugs or alcohol and many others. In fact, the distractions caused by texting has been compared to the threat of a driver under the influence of alcohol.
When a driver cannot devote his or her full attention to controlling the car, the result is a safety hazard and an increased risk of a motor vehicle accident. Texting while driving is a particularly scary type of distraction because sending or reading a message takes the eyes off the road for an average of five seconds. To put that in perspective, if a person was moving at 60mph and had their eyes off the road for 5 seconds, they have traveled 440 feet without looking at the road. The distracted driver has traveled a distance farther than a football field without looking at the road.
Nationwide statistics bear out how risky texting while can be, as well as how dangerous it actually is in accidents:
Getting a driver’s license is probably the most anticipated milestone in a teenager’s life, and many parents even look forward to the moment when their children can get behind the wheel. However, the riskiest time period for a teen driver is within the first few months after obtaining their license. The biggest factors for teen drivers include lack of experience, risk taking, and impaired driving. However, driving while distracted by texting is at the top of the list. Peer pressure can play a big factor too, so it is important that parents explain to their children the true dangers of texting and driving.
Here are some age-specific statistics that show the alarming incidence of teens who text while driving.
While these statistics are alarming, there are preventative ways parents can improve safety behind the wheel for their teens. Children will naturally imitate their parents, so start them off on the right foot by being a good example behind the wheel yourself. Wear your seatbelt, stick to the speed limit, and most importantly, never look at your phone while driving. Be the motorist you want your young driver to be by eliminating distractions.
It’s also smart to consider a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, that lays out your expectations for your child’s use of the car. A written contract allows you to outline rules and penalties before an accident occurs. Additional resources for parents include AAA’s Keys 2 Drive as well as on the CDC’s site, Parents are the Key to Safe Teen Driving.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
Driving on Long Island is not always easy. Suffolk County is so diverse that the conditions of the road can vary greatly. You have old New England communities mixed with new developments and construction, resulting in an interesting environment for drivers. You may find windy, hilly roads in the north shore,and densely populated roads on the south shore. In addition you’ll find narrow highways, potholes, and heavy traffic. Add to that an island full of aggressive New York drivers and you will notice the need to drive defensively to stay safe. Here are the top 5 biggest road hazards when driving in Suffolk County.
Narrow Roads
If you live or drive on the north shore of Long Island, you may encounter some very narrow roads. Some roads in older towns such as Northport or Huntington, are so narrow that two way traffic is barely possible without one car pulling over to make room. The best advice in handling these roads is to drive slowly and be observant. The only time to take your eyes off the road is to check your mirrors. Otherwise pay special attention at intersections and when an oncoming car is approaching.
Potholes are everywhere on Long Island. They seem to appear in great numbers in the winter, are repaired in the summer, and then reemerge on our roads in the winter. Therefore, drivers need to be constantly looking out for them. Not only do potholes damage tires, but they can cause cars to swerve or momentarily lose control. The best thing to do is to try to avoid them at all cost. If you can safely maneuver around a pothole it is in your best interest to do so. Additionally, regardless of whether or not you are able to maneuver around a pothole, you should always slow down if you see one in your lane. Make sure your tires are properly inflated and be careful when driving through puddles as they could hide potholes.
Aggressive drivers on Long Island are unavoidable. The only thing you can do to protect yourself is to drive defensively. When you encounter an aggressive driver on the road, it is important to stay calm. Staying calm will keep you alert so that you can safely anticipate what the other drivers are trying to do. If an aggressive driver challenges you, just be courteous and let them by. It is better to be safe than to try and teach them a lesson on the road.
Especially in New York, we have a tendency to always feel we are in a rush. Traffic can be so frustrating especially when it is unexpected. The best thing to do is to be patient. Getting upset or trying to make unsafe driving maneuvers is not going to make the traffic go away. It will only increase your chance of getting into an accident; which is a way more inconvenient situation. It’s also important to not let bumper to bumper traffic tempt you into getting distracted on the road. This isn’t a time to try and eat your food or to look at your phone. Staying patient and alert is essential to staying safe during traffic.
After a certain point in the year, a snowstorm could happen at any given moment. Driving in the snow or on black ice can be extremely dangerous. When the weather is especially bad, we recommend just staying home. If that is not an option, remember to drive as slow and as cautious as possible. Drastically increase your braking distance at intersections and stay a good 5 second distance behind cars. If someone in your family has a car with four-wheel drive, see if you can use that one if you are the only one driving.
About the Author
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
The weather is getting nicer and nicer, and with the majority of New Yorkers being quarantined in their houses, many are spending a small part of their day going outside for a walk to get some fresh air. In fact, in some areas, it seems there are more pedestrians on the streets than before the pandemic. Additionally, many are walking their dogs at various times throughout the day rather than before and after work. While it is good to be outside, and to get some physical activity, it is very important to still be cautious. It would be wrong to assume that since most people are home, that there is no reason to be careful when walking around the neighborhood. Here are some safety tips for pedestrians this Spring.
We have stressed this before and we will stress this again, we all need to do our part to prevent the spread of the virus. As time goes on, we can’t allow ourselves to be more lenient with these, as the virus is still spreading especially here in New York. If you are going out for a walk, remember to stay far away from everyone else. Six feet is the recommendation, but if you can distance yourself further, that is in your best interest. Wearing a mask is also recommended, especially if you think you will run into other pedestrians.
Use Sidewalks. Always walk on sidewalks if available. If possible, only walk on streets with sidewalks. If there is no sidewalk present, walk against the flow of traffic so that you are visible to drivers. Stay as far off the road as possible in these instances.
Use crosswalks when crossing the streets. If there is a crossing light, follow its instructions. When you do cross, even if the crossing light says it is safe to cross, keep your eyes on the road as you do so.
Avoid Distractions. Avoid looking at your phone, especially when walking in parking lots or crossing the street. Refrain from wearing headphones so you can hear when cars are present. Avoiding distractions also allows you to stay a safe distance away from other pedestrians.
Drivers are especially responsible for being observant of pedestrians. They should not think that just because there is less traffic, that there are less reasons to drive defensively.
Be observant. Look out for pedestrians throughout the day, remembering that everyone is home. Take extra caution when around residential areas. Always slow down when approaching a crosswalk.
Observe the Speed Limit. It is the driver’s responsibility to follow these posted speed limits. If a pedestrian unexpectedly crosses the street and you are speeding, you do not have the time to react and prevent a pedestrian accident. Many crosswalks in Long Island do not have a crossing guard or light, so it is up to the driver to follow the laws of the road.
Do Not Rush. It is much easier to drive defensively when you aren’t running late. If you are still going to work, there is likely less traffic on your commute. Use that extra time to be a safe and defensive driver. If you are going out to run an errand for your family, there is no reason to rush either.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
As the weather gets nicer on Long Island, more will look forward to going outside. This includes motorcyclists, who will take advantage of the nicer temperatures and the longer hours of sunlight. On Long Island especially where our roads can be busy and unpredictable, motorcyclists always face a measure of risk when sharing the road with New York drivers. An astounding 98% of motorcycle accidents result in injury. And unlike cars, which have built in safety mechanisms (air bags, seat belts), motorcycle accident injuries are often severe due to the lack of such safety mechanisms. Therefore, whether or not you drive a motorcyclist, here’s how you can be safe when sharing the road with motorcycles.
Every time you go out on the road, you are potentially sharing the road with a motorcyclist. Many drivers do not know how to properly share the road with them, and can cause serious injury if they are not careful. Here are factors that result in a driver making the road unsafe for a motorcyclist.
Negligence from an automobile driver is very hard for a motorcyclist to account for. While driving negligently makes the roads unsafe for any driver, it makes it especially difficult for a motorcyclist to anticipate. If there is an accident with a motorcycle and the driver was disobeying traffic laws, the driver is at fault. Therefore, it is important to obey all traffic laws, you would not want to cause a motorcycle injury.
Additionally, being predictable is the best way to avoid accidents with a motorcycle. Using your directionals and following the speed limit make it easier for a motorcycle to safely be able to drive defensively as well. Remember, if you get in an accident with a motorcycle, they will most likely get injured, but you will most likely be fine. So being predictable is a courtesy to them to not be a danger to their life
Every driver should be checking their blind spots before they switch lanes. However, motorcycles are even harder to see since they are small vehicles. What can help is the fact that motorcycles are also louder than most cars. If you are a driver and hear a motorcycle nearby, pay special attention to your blind spots when switching lanes.
Oftentimes, a motorcycle accident is not the fault of the motorcyclist. However, it is not uncommon for motorcyclists to get into unsafe driving habits that greatly increase the risk of an accident and serious injury. Here’s how you can reduce the risk of an accident.
Just like motorists, motorcyclists should be careful about blind spots. Understand that drivers can have a hard time seeing you at their blind spots. Therefore, if you are operating a motorcycle be aware that a motor vehicle operator may not see you. Try and steer clear of any possible blind spots.
Traffic can be unbearable on Long Island, we all know this. But there is no reason to risk your life to try and skip traffic by lane splitting. This is a maneuver that motorcyclists use to pass traffic by going along the space between lanes to pass cars. This practice is not only dangerous, but is illegal in the state of New York. Motorcyclists should avoid this practice to prevent a serious accident.
A motorcycle is on only two wheels which makes it even harder to control or slow down when a defensive maneuver needs to be made. Speeding on a motorcycle would be no problem if it was guaranteed that there are no other hazardous drivers or roads. However, on Long Island, that will never be the case. Sharp turns, potholes and quick stops are always possible and can easily result in a motorcycle accident if the driver is going too fast.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
The unfortunate reality is that most car and truck accident victims do everything they’re supposed to do; their seatbelts are fastened, they’re attentive to other drivers and their surroundings, and they’re following the posted speed limit, or even commonly stopped at a traffic light or signal. Excessive speeding, texting, poorly maintained brakes, inattentiveness or over-aggression on behalf of another motorist rather than any fault of your own could have disastrous consequences.
The vast majority of car accident victims and their families have many questions in the aftermath of their or their loved one’s accident. Who pays for the outstanding hospital bills? How do I get compensation from the responsible party? How is liability even determined? What can I recover? First and foremost, seek treatment for any injuries, no matter how minor. While the most important factor in the aftermath of any accident is someone’s health, this will also ensure that you have documentation of your injury at the time of the accident for your insurance company. As part of their own investigation, and as a factor in determining how they’re going to evaluate your injury, the responsible parties’ insurance company will examine any medical records related to your accident.
Next, it is important that you select an experienced personal injury attorney that you feel will best represent you and ensure your rights are protected. As most insurance companies require 24-hour notice of any accident, and will usually want a statement, it would be wise to have a discussion regarding your situation with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Additionally, while your focus should and will be on ensuring your health, there are deadlines such as a no-fault application deadline a mere thirty (30) days after your incident that you should be able to lean on your attorneys firm to handle while you’re on the mend.
Regarding any sort of cost incurred with initially contacting a personal injury attorney, most attorneys, including the attorneys at Palermo Law offer free consultations. This free and initial consultation is the best opportunity for you to make a determination as to who you will retain to represent your legal rights and interests, and it is very important you provide as much information regarding the facts and circumstances of your case as accurately as you can. Some information you’ll be asked to provide at the initial consultation include any medical records or police accident reports you may have associated with your injury, and you should also be asked to describe your accident in as detailed a fashion as possible. Some of the details you should be asked include the location of the accident, direction of travel of both you and the responsible party, whether or not there were any eyewitnesses, and whether or not you’ve been treating your injury or have sought medical attention to that point. This will help any attorney you’re discussing your case with provide you the information you need to make an informed decision.
As the initial consultation will be likely set the tone of the relationship between yourself and the attorney you’re discussing your case with, don’t hesitate or be afraid to ask questions and seek clarification for any concern you have.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
