Gainesville, Ocala & Daytona Beach Personal Injury Lawyer - Driving

Help Tony Save Lives and Keep America’s Roads Safer.

Jeffrey Meldon — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:47:53 GMT

More of us do it every day than we’d like to admit. We know we shouldn’t; we’ve heard it’s dangerous but, we still do it. Meanwhile, one man is out to spread the word, town by town, and encourage us all to put the cell phone down while we drive. As an accident attorney and father, I applaud his efforts and want to help spread Tony's message. Here is his story:

Tony Anshutz, a former Los Angeles police officer (who now teaches SCUBA diving in Cozumel, Mexico,) is riding his motorcycle 16,000 miles in an attempt to raise awareness about the dangers associated with cell phone use while behind the wheel.

Tony became involved in the cause after meeting Dave Teater whose 12-year-old son was killed in a collision involving a driver using a cell phone. Tony is calling his adventure “Ride the Americas”, he set off on August 17 and will be stopping in small and big cities throughout North America. His goal is to promote the National Safety Council’s initiative to ban all cell phone use nationwide while driving.

Using a cell phone or smart phone while driving, in any capacity, is dangerous, and the task falls to people to self-police. Studies have shown that a driver’s level of distraction while talking on a cell phone can rival that of a person who is intoxicated. Furthermore, when we text and drive, the problem is even worse because now our eyes are not even on the road. Cell phone use while driving is the cause of 636,000 crashes and 2600 deaths annually.

Tony will be sharing stories and statistics about cell phone use including the fact that drivers using cell phones are 4 times more likely than other drives to be in a crash. Tony does not think that technology itself or cell phones in general are bad or dangerous but he says “as we become dependent on it, we must also adapt our behavior to its dangers.”

While Tony is traveling the roads of North America, he will be uploading images and logging his progress. To follow Tony’s progress as he rides across the Americas, visit http://www.ridetheamericas.com/ or join his Facebook group.

The websites include action items you can take to promote safety and the cell phone ban initiative through your own behavior, urging others to change or even by making a donation. Help Tony save lives and keep America’s roads safer.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon

Texting while driving… it should be illegal in Florida!

Jeffrey Meldon — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:57:41 GMT

Yet another study has been released showing that texting while driving is dangerous! I say, how many studies do we need to prove the obvious and for this dangerous activity to become illegal in Florida?

This latest and startling study was done by mounting a video camera inside the cab of long-haul semi trucks and was conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, one of the world’s largest vehicle safety research organizations. According to Rich Hanowski, the overseer of the project, “texting is in its own universe of risk,” when you compare it to the risk of other multitasking activities that are available to drivers of all kinds while behind the wheel.

The Institute concluded that texting while driving a car, pick-up, or any vehicle, even a semi, increases your risk of causing or being in an accident by 23 times! The study also found that typically drivers when texting, sending or receiving, take their eyes off the road for 5 seconds, which is enough time to go the length of a football field, and then some, when traveling at average highway speeds.

Tom Dingus, director of the Institute, was quoted saying that the study’s message was clear: “You should never do this,” he said of texting while driving. “It should be illegal.”

Yet, it remains a legal activity in the state of Florida; all drivers, even bus drivers with a bus full of school children, and tractor-trailer drivers hauling a double load down I-75, can text at will and still be within the law.

The Florida Legislature had a chance to do something about it this year with several proposed bills that would have changed the law, but failed to, despite the National Safety Council (the Group that got us to buckle up and not drive after drinking) calling for a nationwide ban on cell phone use while driving.

How many studies and deaths will it take for the Florida Legislature to do something about this proven deadly driving distraction and join the ranks of 14 other states plus DC that have a ban on texting while driving?

Some argue, and understandably so, even if Florida should step up to the plate and make our roadways safer by banning texting while driving, that it would be nearly impossible to enforce and may even make the problem worse, as drivers hide their texting activity well below the line of vision of law enforcement officers, making detection nearly impossible and at the same time, driving while texting even more unsafe.

However, as an accident attorney, I believe making texting illegal while driving is a start and a needed statement and law that Floridians deserve from their lawmakers in Tallahassee.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon

A multitasker’s admission of guilt… Rehab?...sign me up!

Jeffrey Meldon — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:41:27 GMT

What is all the buzz about multitasking while driving? I do it and it is even legal, at least in Florida!

I am a multitasking king; it is a gift of mine. I can do a quick 3 miles on the treadmill while reading the NY Times on my Kindle, talking on my cell phone, responding to emails on my Blackberry, watching the news on TV, talking to the person next to me, and drinking water all at the same time, and I haven’t injured myself or anyone else.

I am an experienced driver and can drive while looking up a phone number on my Blackberry and then chat away as I maneuver through traffic, (it is a hands-free set up, so hey!), I can even send a quick message, and I have never caused an accident... so, what is the problem with multitasking while driving? I can do it.

The answer is, plenty is wrong with driving and multitasking! In fact, more and more research is proving it to be a dangerous activity that is plaguing our society today.

We know the risks, yet we continue to do it, even me. Even being an accident attorney for over 30 years and:

knowing the risks and dangers of distracted driving, of which cell phone use is the #1 culprit,
having blogged about the risks of chatting and texting for many months now,
being aware of the news of accidents a caused by this dangerous activity,
even having represented clients that have been injured by distracted drivers,

Yet, I still do it… I admit it, I am guilty!

Obviously, we all want to believe that we can do it all; multitask away and also be a safe driver on the road, but, it is just not the case! Here are the facts:

Driving while celling (hand-held or hands-free) is as dangerous as driving drunk,
Cell chatting drivers are 4 to 5 times more likely to cause an accident,
Texting raises a driver’s crash risk by 23 times!

It really does not take a Zen Master to know how important it is to be in the moment when you drive, to not be distracted, but to just drive. We all know driving is a potentially dangerous activity that requires our full attention and doing so might save a life that could be our own or one of a loved one, yet most of us still don’t do it, and we drive distracted, ignoring the basic rules of driving:

Both hands on the wheel,
Both eyes on the road and
Our full attention and mind on the road.

Facts are Facts; we all have to admit it, including me, multitasking while driving is a dangerous risky undertaking, no matter our age, experience or how good we are at it in other areas of our life.

The reality is that we need to turn off the cell while driving and give the road our full attention that it requires and save multitasking for the treadmill, before we get on the road, at a rest stop, or when we reach our destination.

Maybe there needs to be a Rehab course for driving multitaskers? If so, sign me up!

For more information on this important topic:

Bad news for Floridians on the road, texting and celling behind the wheel remains legal

Driving Distractions 101

Today Show Video; Texting While Driving Caught on Tape

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon

Red Bull + Driving = Bad Idea… Heads Up!

Jeffrey Meldon — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:45:17 GMT

Highly caffeinated drinks such as Red Bull and Rockstar have begun to replace a good night’s sleep in many teen and young adult lives. Filling schedules with school, extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs, and maintaining a social life has led teens and college students to decide between studying and sleeping. These high powered energy drinks help young adults do both, keeping them awake in order to study and then taking short, two or three hour “naps” before beginning their next day, rather than getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep.

These drinks contain so much caffeine as compared to sodas and coffee, that the FDA has required warning levels indicating that the regulated amount of caffeine is greatly exceeded in Red Bull and products like it. With 160 mg of caffeine in Red Bull, as compared to 17 mgs in a normal 12 ounce soda, or 100 mg in an average cup of coffee, two or more of these high powered energy drinks can lead to what researchers are calling “caffeine intoxication”, which causes similar symptoms to alcohol intoxication.

Caffeine intoxication causes everything from nervousness to excitement, disorientation to judgment impairment, muscle spasms to hallucinations. The anxiety associated with high amounts of these caffeinated drinks can also lead to a variety of problems that could require medical attention.

The National Safety Commission (NSC) has issued an alert for those driving under caffeine intoxication, similar to warnings associated with drinking alcohol and driving. Although drinking a cup or two of coffee or a soda can cause a driver to be more alert and focused on the road, caffeine intoxication from consuming two or more highly caffeinated energy drinks can lead to restlessness in drivers and irritability that can make them dangerous on the road.

The NSC finds that the lack of sleep associated with high consumption of these drinks is the biggest issue. Without sleep, disorientation can occur and thus driving can be impaired. According to the NSC, “studies show that approximately one hour after drinking a highly caffeinated and sugared drink, a sleep deprived person can experience lapses in concentration and tends to have slower reactions.”

The problem increases when the caffeine begins to wear off. The lack of sleep can hit the driver quickly, causing the driver to fall asleep at the wheel. Studies have shown that drinking energy drinks frequently over a long period of time can cause “caffeine induced sleep disorder,” which poses even more problems to the drinker’s body and sleep patterns, making them an even bigger danger as a driver on the road.

The NSC also warns that when a person decides to stop drinking energy drinks on a regular basis, withdrawals will occur, leading to headaches and concentration issues. The Commission warns that those experiencing these symptoms from attempting to stop drinking highly caffeinated drinks should not drive until the symptoms diminish.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon

Asleep at the Wheel?

Jeffrey Meldon — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:14:52 GMT

A big rig driver battles drowsiness on a 40-hour haul, a cell phone distracts him, and a school bus is stopped directly ahead on a busy highway in afternoon traffic.

Such was the horrifying scene in September 2008 when an 18-wheel tractor trailer slammed into the rear of a school bus that was safely stopped on U.S. 301 near Citra, Marion County, Florida leaving one 8^th grade student dead and a school bus in flames.

As an experienced accident attorney (personal injury lawyer) proudly serving Ocala and the surounding area I strongly urge legislative reform to:

Create a zero tolerance policy for truck drivers and cell phone use while driving
Reduce the number of hours truckers can consecutively and cumulatively drive;
Force trucking companies to take responsibility for their drivers; and
Move school bus stops away from highways.

Florida Highway Patrol’s (FHP) final analysis of the tragedy highlights many troubling facts. FHP issued a statement this week, naming sleeplessness as the main culprit. One witness reported that the driver may have been asleep because the truck did not even attempt to swerve to avoid the school bus.

Disturbingly, however, it is reported that only moments before the truck smashed into the school bus, the trucker had finished a cell phone call and placed the phone in the cup holder. FHP’s analysis seemingly discounts the cell phone as a contributing factor, even though it is widely accepted that cell phone use while driving is as bad as driving drunk with a .08 blood alcohol level. Studies show that motorists who are distracted by cell phones are about five times more likely to get in a car accident than undistracted drivers. Plus, drivers who use their cell phones are about 9 times slower to hit their brakes. Big rigs and cell phones don’t mix!

Also alarming is Comtrak, the trucking company, and its lack of oversight of the trucker’s travel log and federal sleep requirements. According to Comtrak’s website, it has more than 650 18-wheel tractor trailers in the Southeast. That is 650 potential accidents waiting to happen because of driver drowsiness. A greater oversight regarding the drivers’ travel logs may reduce the number of fatalities caused by overwork and sleeplessness. It’s time for trucking companies to take responsibility!

More concerning is the failure of Rep. Chuck Chestnut’s bill, filed in February 2009, to prohibit school districts from locating school bus stops on busy highways. Motivated by the death of the 8^th grade student, Rep. Chestnut, Gainesville, lobbied to remove all bus stops from highways by 2011. Tragically, the bill was opposed by school officials and failed in the Legislature this year. How many more lives will we lose before the Legislature takes action to protect Florida’s school children on busy roads? School busses stopped on high-speed highways are sitting targets for semis!

Are truckers the only ones asleep at the wheel?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon