In a couple weeks, we will have daylight savings once again, which means we will be seeing the sun go down one hour sooner. Having less sunlight on the road can be dangerous. Driving with a good view of your surroundings is essential for defensive driving. Naturally, driving at night limits your field of view. According to the NHTSA, fatal accidents are three times more likely to occur at night
Beyond having less light, there are a few other factors that contribute to making nighttime driving more dangerous. Here are twelve tips on how to be safe when driving at night.
To prevent drowsy driving, there are a few circumstances to be aware of and to prepare for. If you are driving very late at night, you are at a higher risk of getting drowsy. Even if you’ve had an extra cup of coffee, our body has a circadian rhythm (an internal clock) that tells us when it’s time to sleep. With daylight savings, our internal clock is already off by an hour, so it’s something to keep in mind.
Having said that, the best things to do to prevent drowsiness is:
Just after daylight savings, the sun glare tends to be at its strongest during peak driving hours for Long Islanders heading to and from work. This is especially the case for those driving eastbound in the morning and westbound at night, since the sun will be directly beaming on their vehicles during the entire commute.
To be safe as the sun goes down, follow these tips
When the sun is going down, it is not the time to be cutting people off or tailgating. Not only is your visibility and reaction time worsened, but so are the other drivers. Do not count on them for seeing or anticipating what you are doing, because their vision may be impaired as well. Therefore, be patient, slow down, and leave space between you and the car in front of you. Maybe your commute is a little slower, but it would be much slower if you got into a car accident for driving recklessly.
Speeding-related crashes account for 37 percent of nighttime-driving fatalities, compared with 21 percent of those during daylight hours—due to lower visibility and shorter reaction times. Adjust your speed and take the low visibility into account. You also never know when something unexpected, like a deer, will show up on the road; so driving slower means a safer commute.
High beams are underutilized, but can be very helpful on open roads where there are few cars. Driving on roads in eastern suffolk or on the north shore can be especially dark since some of those roads don’t have many street lamps, and high beams can be really helpful. Additionally, the further east you are on Long Island, the greater chance you have of facing a deer on the highway. Just remember to dim them when you’re within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, because you can temporarily blind other drivers. Especially don’t use them if you’re following another vehicle.
While you should always keep your eyes on the road, avoid a fixed gaze and never stare at oncoming headlights. When approaching an oncoming vehicle, avoid being blinded by its headlights by shifting your eyes down and to the right, using the right edge of the road or lane markings as a guide to stay on track. Lift your gaze back up when you’ve passed the oncoming vehicle.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.
Halloween is just around the corner. With the effectiveness of the covid-19 vaccine, we are in a much better position this coming holiday season when compared to last year. However, this year we have the extremely contagious Delta variant that is giving this virus longevity. While we await upcoming booster shots to further give immunity for these mutating variants, there is still some caution that is needed for this upcoming Halloween. Here are some safety tips for Halloween 2021.
Fortunately, the large majority of vaccinated people are not contracting the virus, and the majority of those who have gotten sick have not become seriously ill. However, many kids are still not vaccinated. The vaccine is only currently available for children over 12 years of age. Even if your child is vaccinated, it is possible that he or she can spread it to someone else who isn’t. Each family has to personally decide for the safety of their family. Some have chosen to have a scavenger-style hunt in their backyard giving kids clues leading to candy. This could be a safer alternative to prevent interacting with those outside of the household.
Otherwise, it is encouraged to maintain the current social distancing practices by the CDC. For those who are fully vaccinated, you can read about what this means for you on the CDCs website for those who are vaccinated.
If your children are going trick-or-treating in any way, it’s important to discuss the dangers. Trick or treat expeditions are for the most part nothing more than harmless fun. However, the festivities have been shown to precipitate a variety of dangers, especially when the kids get to go out alone.
The association between Halloween and kidnapping might not be prevalent but it is definitely worth nothing. With kids out unsupervised and at odd hours, there is always the risk of abduction incidents. Typically, crowded and active communities make this less of a risk. But as a parent you can never really be too careful so this is a risk you cannot afford to ignore, be precautious and talk to your kids about avoiding long conversations with strangers or giving too much information to people they don’t know.
When you’re planning for your child’s Halloween costume, make sure that the costume doesn’t make it difficult for you or anyone else to see them in the dark. Bright colors on the costume are a good idea, or even reflective wear. Cars are still on the road during Halloween, and others are out and about, energized and running around. It’s crucial that you and others can see your child in the dark.
Children just can’t help but get lost whether it is at a new school or an old mall. During Halloween, this risk is increased by the fact that they are out in unfamiliar surroundings often at night. This is a nightmare not only for you as the parent but also for the kid.
It’s important that if you are not going with your kid, that you go over their trick or treating route so they know exactly where they will be going. If your child has a phone or smart device, many parents use apps that will give parents their location at all times.
Before we get into this one, here is a statistic that will shock you. The risk of your child getting hit by a car doubles on Halloween. Letting your children go out unsupervised means they have to do things like crossing the road all by themselves. This is dangerous whether it is at night or during the day. It is important to talk to your child about distractions and the importance of pedestrian safety.
Walking around in the dark also increases chances of smaller accidents. These include things like tripping, falling into ditches, attacks by guard dogs and getting trampled by massive crowds. Fortunately, these cases are few and far between, especially if you take precautions as will be discussed before.
Halloween is all about fun. But safety is priority #1. These tips can come in handy for everyone on Halloween night. This holiday should be pure fun for your kids. So keep them safe and plan ahead. That way everyone will have an enjoyable Halloween.
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.
Summer is over, school is back, and flannels will abound. Fall Time is here and families are no doubt looking forward to spending time for some fall activities. Long Island is doing much better than last year with the spread of the virus, as the vaccine has been effective to greatly reduce the risk for those who are fully vaccinated from getting seriously sick and spreading it to others. However there are many who remain unvaccinated, which contributes to extending the lifespan of this pandemic. As the virus mutates and new variants emerge, the vaccine has started to lose some effectiveness.
Because of this, we encourage families to still have some caution, especially when it comes to spending time in large crowds indoors. We also encourage all who haven’t done so yet, to get the vaccine and do your part in ending this global health crisis.
Eastern Long Island has always been a popular spot for the family during fall. The abundance of farms and vineyards present plenty of outdoor activities. Here are some ideas of places you can go during the fall in Suffolk County Long Island.
What better way to spend outside with your family than to teach your children about the importance of taking care of the environment. September 19 is a day dedicated to cleaning up some of the immense amount of debris plaguing our oceans. Join Group for the East End, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society and Hallock State Park as they participate in this year’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC).
You can download the Marine Debris Tracker app to help record and track the trash you pick up. You must choose a time slot and come with a face mask. All tools will be provided and cleaned in between sessions. This is a free, socially distanced event.
Starting at $98, this 13.5 mile bike tour takes you to exclusive farms and vineyards. After selecting your bike, a professional guide will tour you around the best of Long Island wine country. In addition to tasting award-winning wines, you will also sample fresh olive oils and vinegars and visit many local farm stands. You will also be able to enjoy live music and entertainment. This event is for people 21 and over.
The Carmans River in Brookhaven is a great place to go kayaking or canoeing. This guided tour allows you to rent a kayak or canoe (or bring your own if you have) to cruise down the Carmans River at sunset. A snack and drink are provided and you can reserve your tickets here.
At this organic farm on the East End, kids can interact with chickens, sheep, and other animals. Offering contactless checkout, advance tickets online (not required), and curbside pickup of pre-orders. Friendly farm hands often take animals out for kids to pet and help feed. Also, there is a large children’s play area with a wooden castle and a giant spider web. Many special events are hosted here, including children’s birthday parties, baby animal weekends, an annual tulip festival, and a Mother’s Day brunch. Be sure to stop by the organic market for delicious groceries. The farm is open through Halloween.
Although this year, the 19 historic buildings are not open to the public but guided, masked tours are available by appointment. Explore this original farmstead to learn what farming life was like 250 years ago. Visitors to the 19-building facility can experience cooking in the historic kitchen or even grinding corn to feed the resident animals. In addition, kids can interact with cows and chickens to learn about their importance to the farm.
Even though traffic is slightly better with the increased number of people working from home, Long Island traffic is pretty much back to normal on the weekend. If you and your family plan on getting to Riverhead, give yourself plenty of time to get out there. Don’t put yourself in a stressful situation by not taking into account the traffic. You may look at a GPS ahead of time to get a good idea of how long it will take. Keep in mind also that oftentimes there is traffic just before arriving, due to the parking lot being backed up. If you feel rushed, you are more likely to do something unsafe. Check the traffic conditions and leave early.
While adhering to basic driving fundamentals is always important, it is especially important in heavy traffic situations to always let other drivers be aware of what your vehicle is doing. Long Islanders sometimes have a habit of turning on their directional after they have begun changing lanes. This is not helpful for anyone to anticipate what you are doing, and New York State law requires at least a 100 foot warning via turn signal before you turn, merge or change lanes.
Further, it is even more important to check your blind spot before changing lanes. Although it isn’t safe, many cars like to tailgate in heavy traffic so changing lanes can be especially hazardous and only do so if there is a safe amount of space. Avoid cutting people off, it saves you little to no time.
The parking at many of the Riverhead orchards and farms can be very hectic. Parking lots always have the potential of causing a car accident. More than 50000 car accidents occur in a parking lot every year. These parking lots may be more busy than most, so the cars will be coming in and out.
It is very important that you pay lots of attention to your surroundings. Look out for cars backing up, and be careful at intersections. A lot of the parking lots at farms and vineyards aren’t paved, so be really careful when parking, and give yourself and other cars adequate space. Anticipate the actions of other drivers and be prepared to use your horn if another car does not seem to see you, especially if they are backing up and getting too close. It is also important to drive slow as there are families walking all over the place. You do not want to be liable for a pedestrian accident
Additionally, do not use your phone while you are driving in a parking lot; you are still driving and it is still a distraction. This is important to mention because studies show that 66% of drivers nationwide said they would make phone calls while driving in a parking lot.
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.
A slip and fall or trip and fall accident can happen in all types of workplaces. Whether it be from office buildings or a construction site; debris, misplaced equipment, and uneven flooring can all cause trip and fall accidents. If you make sure to take the appropriate steps following your trip and fall accident, you can increase your legal protection and help prevent yourself from missing out on compensation for your injuries.
When you do fall at work, you might think to brush it off and immediately return to your job responsibilities. After all, you have work to do, and you don’t want to get in trouble for seeming lazy or falling behind on your job duties. If you tripped and fell at work, however, making sure to take the right steps can help increase the odds that you will receive compensation for the full cost of your injuries.
Any time you suffer workplace injuries, even if you think they are minor, you need to seek medical attention. Many companies have policies that require injured employees to immediately seek medical attention. Immediate evaluation of your injuries can protect both you and your company. If you suffered serious injuries, you may require ambulance transport immediately to the emergency room. Minor injuries may result in a trip to urgent care at the end of your business day. When you do seek medical attention, keep track of any documentation of your injuries, which may include:
It’s also super important to record any and all information that gives insight into the cause of your injury. Many things can contribute to trip and fall accidents, ranging from things that your employer should have taken care of to circumstances that no one could have controlled. If you know the cause of your fall, document it. Use your camera phone to snap a quick picture. Take plenty of pictures and even a video of the scene of the accident. If there were any witnesses, get their information as they can confirm what caused the accident to occur. Take an up-close shot of whatever caused you to trip and fall, then take a wider-angle shot of the area as a whole. Your picture of the wider area can help prove a lack of signs or other warnings about potential hazards in the area.
Your next step should be to report your accident to your superior as soon as possible. Many companies have protocols when injuries occur; it is important that you follow them. In some restaurants, for example, even minor burns may require medical attention and a report. Avoid implicating yourself in your trip and fall or accepting fault. Try to avoid making statements like “I’m fine” or “I’m not hurt,” especially if you have not yet seen a medical professional.
Any time you suffer life-changing injuries in a trip and fall accident at work, you should consider contacting an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you decide how best to proceed. A lawyer can help you navigate the difficult world of workers’ compensation and provide vital information about protecting your rights throughout your recovery. Not only that, working with a lawyer can help prevent you from making critical errors that may decrease the settlement or compensation that you receive.
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.
Car accidents can vary widely in terms of their severity. A fender bender at low speed might not leave a scratch, but a collision with a truck can completely total a car. While some collisions can leave both vehicles damaged beyond repair, others can cause only minor damage that has no impact on a car’s safety or drivability.
Sometimes a car doesn’t have much external physical damage, but still resulted in one or more of the passengers getting injured. So when is an accident considered “minor” and why is this important? The Amount of Damage Determines Your Reporting Obligations
In New York, the extent of the damage caused by an accident can impact your obligation to report the accident to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Under New York law, a driver must report an accident to the DMV if the accident results in serious injury, death, and/or more than $1,000 in damage to any vehicle.
Less than $1,000 in damage can generally be considered “minor,” though there is not a precise definition of “minor” vehicle damage under New York law. But how do you know if the damage to your vehicle will cost more than $1,000 to repair? While you can get an estimate for your vehicle promptly, you won’t necessarily know what repair bills the other driver will incur. Repairs can be surprisingly expensive, and even seemingly minor damage can easily require thousands of dollars worth of repairs.
Additionally, even if a vehicle appears to have suffered only minor exterior damage, there could be internal damage that requires extensive – and expensive – repairs. For example, in a front-end collision, the car’s radiator and various other components behind the front bumper may need to be replaced even if the visible damage is minimal.
In addition to reporting the accident to the DMV, there are further options a person can pursue if they have been injured as a result of the accident. While no-fault insurance will cover some medical bills and lost wages following an accident, a person might pursue a personal injury claim to try and receive further compensation. This is only the case though if New York deems the injury as “serious”.
While any injury from an accident can be devastating, New York has a statute called the “Serious Injury” Threshold that determines whether or not a person is able to file a personal injury claim. Here is what the State of New York considers to be a serious injury:
When you read these categories, especially the last few, it might not seem so straightforward. This is one of those areas where it is best to consult with an experienced attorney to see if your injuries can be compensated in the state of New York. Most personal injury attorneys offer a free consultation, so it wouldn’t hurt to give them a call and see if you can get help for your injuries.
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.
