Texas Motor Vehicle Accidents
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Study Finds One in 24 Americans Driving While Drowsy
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 23, 2013
A report on drowsy driving by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as one in 24 Americans has driven while drowsy or fatigued. The report suggests to Houston car accident lawyers that drowsy driving is a much more serious problem than the federal administration has estimated. The Centers for Disease Control and ...
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In Spite Of Rise in Distracted Driving Accidents, Dallas Police Fail to Act
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 22, 2013
Investigations have found that over a period of 2 years, Dallas police officers were involved in as many as 162 preventable accidents. In spite of this, the Dallas police has failed to implement policies that expressly prevent officers from typing while they're driving. An investigation by NBC 5 Investigates found that over a period of 2 years,...
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Alerts Could Help Control Speeding on Texas Roads
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 20, 2013
A 45-mile stretch of road southeast of Austin, Texas recently became the road with the highest speed limit in the country after the speed limit was increased to 85 mph. Houston car accident lawyers and others concerned about the implications of such high speed limits on motorist safety could look at the continent of Europe, where regulators are ...
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Study: Alcohol May Help Prevent Injuries in an Accident
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 15, 2013
People who are driving under the influence of alcohol are much more likely to be involved in an accident. That is not exactly news to any Houston car accident attorney. However, according to a new study, alcohol in the system could actually help prevent injuries to the intoxicated person. That information comes from a study conducted by researc...
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Company Denies Driver Fatigue Involved in Fatal Bus Accident
by Arthur L. Schechter on May 14, 2013
Even as investigators probe the possibility that driver fatigue was linked to a fatal bus accident in Oregon that killed 9 people, the company denies that the driver was working beyond the maximum hours allowed, and was fatigued at the time. Investigations are going on into the accident near Pendleton, Oregon, that killed 9 people, and injured ...
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Obese People at Higher Fatality Risk in Accidents
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 07, 2013
The overweight, the obese and the morbidly obese are much more likely to die in accidents, compared to people of normal weight. According to new research, obese drivers, or those who have a body mass index of between 30 and 35 are approximately 20% more likely to suffer fatal injuries during a car accident, compared to persons of normal weight...
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Distracted Drivers Not Necessarily Good at Multitasking
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 07, 2013
One of the most frequent reasons distracted motorists who frequently use cell phones while driving cite for these practices, is that they are very good at multitasking. A new study finds that that may not be true after all. Many motorists, who claim to be good at multitasking, are likely not very good at devoting their attention to more than one...
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New Technology Promises to Reduce Risk of Accidents from External Distractions
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 02, 2013
Distracted driving seems to be the new focus for many automakers and related companies that are busy developing technologies that can be used to reduce the risk of accidents caused by distracted and inattentive drivers. The challenge is severe, because of the various forms of distractions that can take a person’s attention away from the road. Th...
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Texas’ Poor Highway Safety Record Is Worrying
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 01, 2013
No blanket ban on texting while driving for all motorists, poor laws against drunk driving - these are just 2 of the reasons why a national safety group has ranked Texas at the bottom of the pile for highway safety. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety conducts an annual review of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, based on whether th...
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Bicyclist Airbags Help Prevent Injuries
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 30, 2013
It's a given that that in any accident involving an automobile and a bicycle, it's the person riding the bicycle who is at a much higher risk of suffering serious or even fatal injuries. That is even more so in the case of a city in Texas, where bicycle safety measures are all too few and inadequate. In fact, bicycling safety is not much of a pr...
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Slight Drop in Texas Teen Driver Fatalities Last Year
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 29, 2013
Texas reported a slight drop in the number of teen drivers killed in accidents during the first half of 2012, compared to the same period of time the previous year. During the first 6 months of 2012, there were 14 car accident fatalities involving teenage motorists in the state of Texas. That was a drop from 17 fatalities during the first 6 mont...
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Budgetary Cuts to Affect Highway Safety
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 22, 2013
American lawmakers recently approved a plan that would cut as much as $50 million in highway safety grants made by the federal administration to states. That translates into significantly reduced funds for important highway safety campaigns, including those targeting drunk driving, motorcycle safety as well as distracted driving. The National H...
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Bus Crash Victim Files Lawsuit Against Company
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 16, 2013
A passenger who suffered several broken ribs in the fatal Irving, Texas, bus crash has filed a negligence lawsuit against the company operating the vehicle. The lawsuit, filed Monday, names Cardinal Coach Lines Inc., of Mansfield. The accident Thursday killed two passengers and injured more than 40. The charter bus was on its way to an Oklahoma...
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2 Killed In Irving Bus Crash
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 11, 2013
At least two were killed and dozens injured today when a charter bus crashed in Irving, Texas. The Cardinal Coach bus was traveling east of Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport on State Highway 161, carrying 45 passengers, retired people on a gambling outing to a Choctaw casino in Oklahoma. The bus weaved across the highway, struck a concret...
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Truck Driver Shortage Could Impact Safety
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 11, 2013
The American Trucking Associations estimates that there is currently a demand for up to 25,000 drivers around the country. Just a few decades ago, those positions would have been snapped up quickly. In 2012, however, it does not seem like there are many takers for the job of a truck driver. The American Trucking Associations blames that situatio...
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AAA Drowsy Driving Study Should Be Wake-Up Call for Teen Drivers
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 09, 2013
A new study released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has sobering news for Texas parents. The study finds that one out of every 7 motorists between the age of 16 and 24 has admitted to dozing off or falling asleep at the wheel while driving at least once over the past year. Among drivers of other age groups, approximately one out of eve...
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Increase in Traffic Accident Fatalities in 2012
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 01, 2013
It appears to Houston car accident lawyers that the steady progress that has been made in reducing car accident fatalities over the past few years is on the reverse. Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council find that auto accident fatalities rose 5% last year, compared to the previous year. That is the first time auto accident fata...
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Most Americans Support Ban on Texting, Cell Phone Use at the Wheel
by Jonathan S. Harris on March 28, 2013
Texas remains one of the few states in the country that have no bans on cell phone use or texting while driving. In fact, as many as 39 states and the District of Columbia have already passed legislation that prohibits motorists from using cell phones to have conversations or text message while driving. In fact, 10 states have also banned the us...
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Texas DOT Partners with Schools in Teen Seatbelt Campaign
by Jonathan S. Harris on March 27, 2013
Teenage motorists are notoriously averse to seatbelt usage, and seatbelt rates in this category of motorists are at unacceptably low levels. The Texas Department of Transportation wants to change that. Every year, the agency makes a concerted effort to increase seat belt use among teenage drivers, and collaborates with schools across Texas to ...
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Low Cognitive Skills Linked to Higher Risk of Brain Injury
by Jonathan S. Harris on March 25, 2013
Young men who score low on cognitive tests, and have a low social economic status, have a much higher risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury, than those who perform high on such tests. A new study firmly links cognitive function, social status, problems with alcohol, and other factors with a much higher risk of suffering a brain injury. The...
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Two Houston Pedestrian Accidents Reported In Recent Weeks
by Jonathan S. Harris on March 06, 2013
Texas auto pedestrian accident lawyers know that auto-pedestrian injuries can be catastrophic. In recent weeks, there have been several accidents of this type in the Houston area, including a 67-year-old woman who was killed when struck by a car while walking her dogs. The woman struck by the car was walking down D’Amico street when she was str...
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TxDOT Aims To Stop Trucks With High Loads From Hitting Bridges
by Jonathan S. Harris on January 29, 2013
On Houston freeways alone, there were seven incidents last year involving a truck hitting a bridge because their load was too high. The most recent incident, on Dec. 2 on a connector ramp between the Southwest Freeway and 610 West Loop, cause damage to a bridge beam. Danny Perez of TxDOT said that when extensive repairs are required in incident...
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Texas Lacking In Key Traffic Laws, According To National Report
by Jonathan S. Harris on January 25, 2013
In an annual national road safety report released Tuesday, Texas is amongst the worst states in passing highway safety laws. The report graded all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 15 basic traffic safety laws, and Texas joined about a dozen other states in the bottom tier of rankings. With 80,000 miles of state-run roadways, Texa...
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Trooper’s Widow Sues Trucking Company
by Jonathan S. Harris on January 10, 2013
The widow of an Illinois State Police trooper who was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer during a traffic stop in November has filed a lawsuit against the company and the driver. Kyle Deatherage, 32, was standing along an interstate when he was hit. He died instantly. The wrongful death and misconduct lawsuit claims the driver should never ...
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Louisiana Trucking Company Shut Down For Safety Violations
by Jonathan S. Harris on December 10, 2012
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, shut down a Louisiana trucking company Friday as a result of multiple safety violations. Gordon’s Tree Service was instructed to halt all transportation services immediately because of serious safety violations that pose an imminent hazard to pu...
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Child Deaths Drop After Car Booster Seat Laws Enacted
by Jonathan S. Harris on December 03, 2012
Research reported Monday shows a drop in child car accident deaths, particularly among 6- and 7-year-olds, as most U.S. states have enacted laws requiring booster seats for children who have outgrown traditional carseats. The booster seats position older children correctly so that seatbelts go across the shoulder (not the neck) and the lapbelt ...
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Many Truckers Say They’ll Avoid New High-Speed Tollway
by Jonathan S. Harris on October 24, 2012
A new toll road designed to relieve traffic congestion between Austin and San Antonio opens today, with the highest speed limit in the nation at 85 mph. Many Texas truck drivers, though, say they’ll avoid the road due to expense and a too-high speed limit. Texas 130 will stretch from I-10 in Seguin to I-35 in Georgetown when it’s finished late...
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Texas Approves New Maximum Speed Limit
by Jonathan S. Harris on September 20, 2012
The Texas Transportation Commission recently approved a maximum speed limit of 85 mph for a new, 41-mile toll road from Austin to Seguin, making Texas the first in the nation to have a speed limit that high. The roadway opens in November. Most U.S. highways top out at 75 mph speed limits. A few rural highways in Texas and Utah already have 80 m...
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LA Crash Putting Spotlight On Driving And Age
by Jonathan S. Harris on September 07, 2012
An accident in front of a Los Angeles elementary school is once again bringing the debate about driving age to the forefront. A 100-year-old man backing his Cadillac out of a grocery store parking lot struck and injured 11 people, including nine children. The incident has rekindled a debate: How old is too old to keep driving? Some states requi...
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Federal Officials Encouraging States To Crack Down On Drunken Driving
by Jonathan S. Harris on August 16, 2012
Federal officials are finishing plans to give states incentive to toughen up drunken-driving laws, six weeks after Virginia joined 17 other states in implementing a law requiring interlock devices for first-time offenders. Interlock systems prevent a vehicle from starting if the driver has consumed too much alcohol. Federal data shows that drun...
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Texting Accident Victim in Texas Will Share His Story to End Texting While Driving
by Jonathan S. Harris on August 06, 2012
Twenty-one year old Texas college student, Chance Bothe, was just released from the hospital after 6 months of recovering from a horrible car accident. While texting with his friend, his car plunged into a ravine and landed in a creek. He broke nearly every bone in his body. He spent months recovering in a hospital in Houston and even had to ...
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Dangerous Distractions For Driving Teens
by Jonathan S. Harris on July 11, 2012
It’s no secret to Houston car accident lawyers that teens are among the biggest group at risk for being distracted while driving. Before letting your teenager hit the highways, review this list of the most dangerous driving distractions. 1. Cell phones, navigation systems and other communications devices2. Adjusting radio system3. Other vehicle...
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Bus Safety Bill Clears U.S. Senate
by Jonathan S. Harris on June 07, 2012
The U.S. Senate has approved a key piece of bus safety legislation that would tighten requirements for bus drivers as well as motor coach companies. The bill had been introduced after a deadly bus crash in Atlanta in 2007 that killed seven people. The bill is the brainchild of Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Democrat Senator Sherrod Bro...
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Minivan Driver Dies In Crash With Big Rig
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 16, 2012
An accident involving a minivan and a U.S. Postal Service 18-wheeler left one woman dead Friday afternoon. The woman was driving a Mercury Villager minivan south on Misty Willow near Willowbrook Mall around 3:45 p.m. when she failed to yield at a stop sign, a Houston Police Department spokeswoman said. The 18-wheeler, which was heading northbou...
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Heavier Trucks on Texas Roads Could Increase Accident Risks
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 09, 2012
If lobbying efforts by the trucking industry and shipping groups are successful, highways in several states, including Texas, could see heavier tractor-trailers plying their roads. A piece of legislation that is being supported heavily by the trucking industry would increase the weight limits on commercial trucks, making for bulkier and heavier ...
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Study Finds Texas Teenagers Some of Worst Drivers in Country
by Jonathan S. Harris on May 03, 2012
It is not the kind of news that should comfort any Houston car accident lawyer. A new study finds that there has been an increase in the number of teenage drivers being killed in accidents. That increase was seen in 23 states, including Texas. In our state, there was a four percent increase in the number of 16 and 17-year-olds killed in accident...
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Feds Delay Rearview Camera Rules to Prevent Accidents
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 26, 2012
Victims’ families, child safety groups, and Houston car accident lawyers, who have been waiting for a rule that would require automakers to install rearview cameras to prevent collisions with child pedestrians, are very disappointed with the delay in finalizing the rule. The Department of Transportation has announced that it requires more time t...
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Texas Teens Could Benefit from Cell Phone Blocking Technologies
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 19, 2012
Texas continues to lag behind the rest of the country in implementing laws against cell phone use and texting while driving. However, if you are a parent who wants to ensure that your teenage child is not texting while driving or using cell phones at the wheel, there are a number of technologies that can help you do so. Most such technologies i...
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Psychologists Design Marriage Counseling Targeted at Victims of Brain Injury
by Jonathan S. Harris on April 18, 2012
Living with a brain injury, as any Houston car accident lawyer can tell you, can be devastating not just for the victims, but also the people in their lives. Brain injury takes the highest toll on the spouse, who is now the caregiver of the person with a brain injury. Even a marriage with a strong foundation can give way when one of the spouses ...
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Good Prognosis for Children with Brain Injury
by Jonathan S. Harris on March 27, 2012
A number of earlier studies had indicated that children who suffer from a traumatic brain injury may suffer from increasing impairment levels as the child gets older. That may not necessarily be true. According to new research, children with a brain injury who are exposed to a healthy home environment and professional rehabilitation and therapy...
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Drivers Who Smoke Pot and Drive Have Increased Risk of Accidents
by Jonathan S. Harris on March 20, 2012
Much of the debate on impaired driving tends to center on persons driving under the influence of alcohol. However, a person who smokes marijuana before driving can have his accident risks double. Moreover, persons who smoke marijuana before driving tend to be less aware of their impaired driving compared to drunk drivers. Researchers at Dalhou...
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More Drivers Ignoring Car Repairs and Maintenance During Recession
by Jonathan S. Harris on February 28, 2012
The poor economy is causing more and more American drivers to postpone essential maintenance and repairs of their automobiles. This information, which comes from a survey by Consumer Reports, is alarming to Houston car accident lawyers, because lack of automotive maintenance and repairs increases the risks of an accident. The poll by Consumer R...
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Teen Risk of DUI Increases If Parents Drive Drunk
by Jonathan S. Harris on February 21, 2012
According to a new federal study, teenagers whose parents drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be more likely to emulate these dangerous practices themselves. That is not exactly what Houston car accident attorneys would call a shocker, but the study does confirm that good parental influence is probably one of the foremost factors ...
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Motorcycle and Trucking Accident Fatalities on the Rise
by Jonathan S. Harris on January 30, 2012
This month, federal agencies released data on accident fatality numbers for 2010. The good news for Texas car accident lawyers was that overall traffic accident fatalities across the country, and especially in Texas, are down. The bad news, however, is that pedestrian, trucking, and motorcycle accident fatalities have increased. In Texas, 2,99...
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Avoiding Accidents in Winter Weather
by A.J. Rosenfeld on January 18, 2012
The following is a guest post from Console & Hollawell PC in Philadelphia, PA. Mother Nature seems to be particularly cruel in the winter months. With snow and ice covering the roadways there is a significant increase in the probability of an accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a consumer advisory this month re...
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Aggressive Driving Linked to Motorist’s Perception of Car
by Jonathan S. Harris on December 29, 2011
Aggressive driving contributes to at least one third of accidents and injuries, and up to two thirds of fatal accidents every year. Now, a new study finds that drivers who perceive their car as an extension of themselves have a strong tendency towards aggressive driving. There has been little research conducted into the psychology of aggressive...
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Curbside Carriers Have Poor Bus Safety Record
by Jonathan S. Harris on December 20, 2011
Intercity bus companies that provide low-cost bus services, and pick up or drop passengers curbside instead of at terminals, may have a much higher likelihood of being involved in accidents. That information comes from a report by the National Transportation Safety Board. The report finds that these curbside bus companies have a likelihood of b...
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Hybrid Vehicles More Likely to Be Involved in Pedestrian Accidents
by Jonathan S. Harris on December 12, 2011
That hybrid vehicles are more likely to be involved in pedestrian accidents is something every Houston car accident lawyer knows. Yet another study confirms this fact. The Insurance Industry for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute has conducted an analysis of hybrid vehicles and pedestrian safety. The researchers examined the frequency...
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Approximately Half of All Booster Seats Unsafe for Children
by Jonathan S. Harris on November 22, 2011
Booster seats substantially reduce children's risk of injuries in a car accident. However, those risks may not be affected at all if the seat does not come with a proper safety belt fit. According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, close to 50% of children's car booster seats available in the market do not come with a good...
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Teen Drivers Have Highest Accident Risk in First Month after Getting License
by Jonathan S. Harris on November 07, 2011
This week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is marking Teen Driver Safety Week in order to impress the importance of preventing accidents involving this group of drivers. To coincide with the commemoration of the week from October 17 to October 22, the American Auto Association has released the results of a study into the safe...
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