Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

Helping Teen Drivers Avoid Car Collisions

Published on: October 28, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), teen drivers are over-represented in serious car crashes, especially fatal collisions. To help combat teen car accidents, the NHTSA has introduced their 5 to Drive, which are five rules to help teens stay safer on the roads:

1) Enforce a “no cellphones” rule.

New drivers need to focus fully on driving, especially since they are still developing their driving skills. Using mobile devices in any way – whether to talk to text – can be a big distraction that can lead to car collisions in Homestead and other communities. Studies have even shown that hands-free devices can cause distraction, so the best solution is to have a “no mobile device” rule in the car. There are apps and car technologies that automatically incapacitate cell phones while a car is moving, which can take away any temptation to check messages. According to the NHTSA, driver distraction contributes to about 10 percent of fatal teen driver collisions, so enforcing this rule is vital to keep your child safe.

Continue reading →

Will Your Teen Be Driving to School This Year? Help Them Avoid a Collision

Published on: August 15, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

If you have a new driver in your home this year, your teen may well want to drive to school when classes start next month. It can be intimidating to consider your child taking on the morning commute, but there are a few ways to keep your teen safe:

1) Make sure that your teen’s driving skills are up to the task.

If your child has gotten their driving license recently, they may not have developed the skills and experience needed to face driving to school each day. In that case, consider getting your teen some extra classes with a driving instructor or practice driving together. In-class practice is a good way to build skills and confidence, although you may also improve your child’s skills by signing them up for defensive driving classes or even racing school. Both will further hone driving ability and will make sure your teen works with a qualified instructor.

2) Take a look at your child’s car.

Is the car your teen will be driving to schools safe? All too often, teens buy their first used car with their savings, and in some cases these older cars may have maintenance issues or trouble with major systems (such as brakes or tires). A car that is in good repair may help your child avoid a motor vehicle collision in Homestead or your community, so take your child’s car to the mechanic for a full tune up.

Continue reading →

Recent Study Suggests Car Accidents are a Leading Cause of Child Fatalities and Child Injury

Published on: July 22, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Safe Kids Worldwide has released a new study showing that car accidents cause more teen fatalities than any other cause. In fact, the organization reported that about 2,500 teens die across the country each year in car collisions. In about 56% of fatality cases, the teen victims are drivers. About 44% of teen car deaths are passenger fatalities. In Miami and other cities, lack of seat belt use is a major cause of fatal injuries to teens.

So how can parents and others prevent teens from being injured in car accidents? There are a few solutions:

1) Encourage teens to buckle up.

According to the Safe Kids Worldwide study, teens who didn’t wear seat belts said they did so because the devices were uncomfortable or because the teens felt the trip was not long enough to warrant a seat belt. In some cases, teens said they simply forgot to wear their seat belt.

Child Injuries

Continue reading →

Just How At Risk are Teen Drivers in Florida?

Published on: July 10, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

A great deal has been written about the dangers that face teen drivers in Homestead and across Florida. Statistically, new drivers tend to have higher car accident rates and risks for a few reasons. Lack of driving experience is obviously a big consideration, although some studies have suggested that in young drivers the brain functions differently, affecting decision-making processes. Studies have shown that young make drivers, especially, may have a higher risk of car crashes in Homestead and other cities when compared with young female drivers.

Now, new statistics from WalletHub.com suggest that not all teen drivers face the same risks. According to the website’s recent study, New York is the state that has the best track record, statistically, when it comes to teen drivers while teens in South Dakota may face more risks and inconveniences. The study compared the total number of fatalities involving teen drivers, the costs of car repairs, and DUI laws in each state. Using these and other factors, the study ranked states according to which states were the best and worst for young drivers.

Florida ranked 34th on the list of 50, meaning that while the state was not in the ten worst states for young drivers, there is still much that needs to be done to make driving a better experience for new motorists. The state has already discouraged texting and driving with a ban this year and graduated licensing aims to give teens some additional experience before they get behind the wheel. What else can be done to make the roads of Florida safer for teens? There are a few things that may help:

1) Make roadways safer for all road users. Teen drivers are not only not used to driving, but they may have limited experience dealing with trucks, pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and other road users. Improving safety for everyone makes roads safer overall and can help prevent pedestrian accidents in Homestead as well as other traffic collisions across Florida.

2) Fix known road design issues in Homestead and other cities. Some roadways, ramps, and intersections are known to have high rates of accidents. If regular drivers are struggling with road design issues in these areas, of course teen drivers and new drivers may be at even greater risk.

3) Provide more driver training for new drivers. Even with graduated licensing, teen drivers can get their license with only limited in-car practical experience, and very often that experience happens in groups, so each teen does not get much individual instructor attention. Making it easier for teens to get more in-car training – including night driving training – would help new motorists gain confidence and driving skill. Financial incentives for teens to take additional instruction and affordable driver instruction options would help.

4) Provide more options for transportation. Unfortunately, many Florida suburbs and communities were designed for cars and without a lot of focus on pedestrian safety or public transportation options. Providing more public transportation options may help curb DUI crashes in Homestead and other communities and can also take care of traffic congestion that can contribute to collisions.

Continue reading →

Teen Drivers At Risk of Summer Car Collisions in Homestead and Florida

Published on: June 17, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

According to Auto Club Group, teen drivers are most at risk for fatal collisions during the summer, especially the 100 days following Memorial Day. During this part of the year, the group reports, fatalities caused by motor vehicle crashes rise by about a third for teen drivers, when compared with other times of the year. During the summer, about 261 teen drivers lose their lives in car accidents, although steps can be taken now to prevent your teen from being involved in a car crash in Homestead or your community.

One part of the problem, of course, is that teen drivers are learning to drive during the summer and spending more time on the road without classes to take up their time. According to safety experts, though, there are a few things families can do to prevent teen drivers from being injured in traffic accidents in Homestead or their communities this year:

1) Encourage your teen to drive within their skill level. Teen drivers may be very confident in their driving, but that does not necessarily mean that they are ready for night driving, road trips, and other more demanding driving activities. While your teen is still learning and new to driving, encourage your teen to drive during the day and to avoid longer trips in unknown areas.

2) Give teens plenty of time to practice driving in a controlled environment. New drivers may not have much experience on the road, and lack of experience can be deadly. If possible, get your teen additional driving classes or driving instruction. If that is not feasible, at least have your teen practice driving with you or with another adult. Keep practice to quiet residential areas at first, where new drivers can hone their skills without much risk of a broadside collision or other crash.

3) Explain the dangers of distracted driving. Studies have shown that many teen drivers feel that they can text and drive without risk, but TextingThumbBands.com and other groups have found that the risk of a collision can increase up to 23 times when texting. If you have a teen driver at home, it is important to review the dangers of texting and driving.

4) Give your teen good options to avoid drinking and driving. Make sure your teen knows that they can always call you for a ride home, no questions asked. Drunk driving in Homestead and other Florida cities claims far too many lives and a frank discussion now could encourage your child to make a safe decision after drinking.

5) Limit the number of passengers in your teen’s car. According to the Auto Club Group, accident rates for teen drivers increase with every passenger a teen allows in their car. With two or more passengers, teen drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 have a five-fold increase in accident risk when compared with drivers who drive without passengers.

6) Make sure your teen has a safe car to drive. Teens often have older, used cars due to budget constraints and while these can be safe it is important that teens don’t scrimp on maintenance or safety in order to save money.

Continue reading →

Could New Laws for Teen Drivers Slash Car Collision Rates in Hollywood and Other Cities?

Published on: February 4, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

New study out of Connecticut has found that car accidents and injuries involving young drivers dropped by about 60% after the introduction of graduated licensing and stricter rules for younger drivers. In addition to graduated licensing, in 2004 Connecticut set a curfew for teen drivers and also banned passengers for teen drivers who had their license for less than a year.

This study may be from another state, but it can mean good news for car accident rates in Hollywood and across Florida. Florida was in fact one of the first states to introduced graduated licensing and increased restrictions for younger drivers. The state passed its new licensing laws in 1996. According to a 2000 study published in Accident Analysis Prevention journal, in the first full year of graduated licensing Florida saw a 9% reduction of injuries and accidents among 16 and 17-year old motorists.

Under current laws, a 15-year old Florida resident can get a learner license. To get the license, teen drivers must pass a written exam and eye exam, among other requirements, and must show that they have passed a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course. With a learner license, teen drivers must drive only during daylight hours in the first three months and must always be accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years of age.

At 16, teen drivers can apply for an intermediate license. To do this, they must show that they have 50 hours of behind-the-wheel experience, with at least 10 hours of night driving experience. To get the license, teens must pass a road test. Once licensed, teen drivers who are 16 years old must limit driving hours between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., unless a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old is sitting in the front passenger seat with them or unless the teen driver is driving to or from work. At 17, drivers can drive between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. unless a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old is sitting in the front passenger seat with them or unless the teen driver is driving to or from work. At 18, teen drivers can apply for full license privileges.

While this system may be helping prevent car and truck accidents in Hollywood and other cities, some experts say that there is still more room for improvement and would like to see laws that:

1) Limit passengers for teen drivers. Currently, Florida is one of only a handful of states to place no restrictions on the number of passengers that teen drivers are allowed to have. Research, however, has shown that teens with passengers in the car may have an elevated risk of accidents.

2) Require behind-the-wheel instruction from a driving professional. To get an intermediate license, teen drivers in Florida must get parent or guardian certification that they have driven at least 50 hours. Some safety experts believe that requiring the road experience to take place with a driving instructor in the car would prevent some traffic collisions in Hollywood</a4 and Florida since professional instructors could ensure that teens received at least 50 hours of professional instruction.

What laws do you believe would help reduce car accidents among teen drivers?

Continue reading →

Is Your Teen Driving Around Homestead? Their Biggest Risk of an Accident May be in the First Month Behind the Wheel

Published on: January 16, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

According to a new study released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, teenage drivers are at an increased risk of a car crash in the first month that they are on the road unsupervised. In fact, researchers concluded that new teen drivers are 50% more likely to be in an accident in the first month behind the when compared with their risk after a year of unsupervised driving. When compared with the crash risk after two years of driving, teens are twice as likely to be in an accident in the first month.

The study was conducted by using in-car video cameras in the cars of 38 new teen drivers. The cameras remained in the car during driver training and during the first six months the teens were driving solo. Researchers found that of the car crashes that occurred in the first month of driving, 57% were caused by just three factors: inattention, speeding, and failure to yield. In the first few months of driving, teens were also more likely to be in a left-hand turn collision.

Researchers concluded that teens need more training to learn certain maneuvers (such as left-hand turns) and more instruction about right of way. The study’s researchers also found that part of the problem seemed to be that teen drivers drove differently when they were supervised than they did when they drove alone. When driving with parents, teens tended to drive in simpler driving conditions, along streets they knew, and the new drivers were also more likely to use caution. When driving alone, though, teens were more likely to talk with passengers and engage in other risky behaviors – such as texting and driving or running red lights. They also tended to drive along unfamiliar routes when driving alone or with friends.

According to the AAA Foundation and other safety experts, there are several things that parents can do if they have new drivers at home and want to reduce the risk of their child being in a car collision in Homestead or any community:

1) Limit the number of passengers your teen is allowed to take in the car. A few studies have shown that teens who drive with teen passengers may be more distracted and may take more risks than teens who drive alone or with adults. The more young passengers in the car, the greater the risk of a car or truck accident in Homestead or your city.

2) Limit night driving. Many car and pedestrian accidents in Homestead occur due to poor lighting and poor visibility at night. You may want to limit night driving until your teen shows that they have mastered driving in better lighting conditions.

3) Encourage more supervised driving. This will discourage risky behavior and will ensure your teen builds driving skills before heading out solo.

4) Get more training for your teen driver. Additional training with a professional instructor is a great way to build skills and confidence. It is a smart investment in your child’s safety.

Continue reading →

Teen Passengers Could Be Increasing Your Teen’s Risk of a Car Crash

Published on: October 22, 2013 | By Flaxman Law Group

There are a number of rules and regulations in place to ensure that teen drivers stay safer on the roads. For example, teen drivers are banned by law to drink and drive. All teen drivers must have a 0 blood alcohol level when driving. Teens must also take drivers education classes and pass driver’s tests in order to get their licenses.

According to some experts, however, it is possible to reduce teen fatalities even more by imposing more restrictions on young drivers – and research seems to back this up. A study from Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has found that drivers who are 17 years of age or younger have an eight times increased risk of fatalities if they have at least two teenaged passengers in the car.

The research study, headed by Russell Henk, examined 10 years of national traffic information to reveal that there is a 30% increase in teen fatalities in cases where other teens are in the car. According to Henk, the increase in fatalities coincides also with the time that text messaging became extremely popular. While Henk notes that his study does not confirm that texting is the culprit, the research does seem to suggest that distracted driving – whether that distraction is just from teen passengers or a combination of teen passengers and texting – is a concern.

It is especially a concern since car accidents are a leading cause of injuries to children and minors in Hollywood and across the country. In fact, drivers under the age of 20 are three times as likely to die in traffic collisions when compared with other age groups, statistics show. Traffic accidents are also the leading cause of death for teens.

Some of the news is positive. According to government agencies, the number of teen drivers involved in fatal accidents declined by 60% between 2002 and 2011. However, according to the new study, the number of fatalities that take place when teen passengers are in the care rise annually.

According to the TTI study, there are a number of reasons why teen drivers may be more at risk in a traffic accident in Hollywood and other communities. New drivers may not have the driving skills and experience they need yet to avoid a car accident in Hollywood or their community. According to researchers, teens may also be more likely to take risks when their peers are in the car.

Another reason for the increased risk for car and truck accident in Hollywood may have to do with how the brain develops. According to the TTI researchers, the last part of the brain to develop is the prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain that considers risky behavior and its consequences. Teens may simply not have this part of the brain fully developed yet, and this can make it harder for them to evaluate the consequences of their own risky behavior?

Continue reading →

Will Your Teen be Driving to School in Hollywood This Year? How to Make the Morning and Afternoon Commute Safe

Published on: September 2, 2013 | By Flaxman Law Group

If this is the first year your teen will be driving to school, it is only natural to be worried about car accidents in Hollywood or your community. After all, research has shown that morning and evening commutes are higher-risk times for car and truck accidents in Hollywood and other Florida cities, simply because more people are on the roads. There are several things you can do to help your child get to school safely:

1) Make sure your teen has a safe car. A reliable car will respond correctly if your teen has to move quickly to avoid a crash. As a back-to-school gift, you may want to offer your teen driver a tune-up of their car. In addition, make sure that your teen has an accident kit in the car. This kit should consist of a disposable camera, blankets, a first aid kit, a notebook and pen, insurance company contact information, and a flashlight, at minimum.

2) Set some ground rules about distracted driving and passengers. Studies have shown that teens are more likely to be in a collision if they have multiple peers in their car. In fact, the risk of a crash increases with every teen passenger in the car. Quite simply, these passengers pose a distraction and can lead to an accident. On the other hand, the same studies have shown that having an adult in the car can cause teen drivers to take fewer risks and drive more safely. If you want to prevent your teen from being in a traffic accident in Hollywood or your community, limit the number of teen passengers in the car and ensure your teen does not use their cell phone or mobile devices while driving.

3) Ensure your teen has a safe route and a good parking spot. Review routes to school and consider taking the route yourself to and from school during rush hour to determine what your teen’s commute will be like. Make sure that your teen has a safe parking spot once they are at school – one that lets them get to school along a safe pedestrian route.

4) Get your teen some extra lessons during rush hour. One-on-one lessons from a professional driving instructor can help a lot. Get the instructor to drive with your teen to and from school during the times your teen will be driving. This can help the instructor review the skills your teen will need on their specific route.

5) Supervise at first. If your teen has not driven to and from school before, ask about their experiences the first few days of school. If the route and experience seem overwhelming, consider suggesting an alternative way to get to and from school.

Continue reading →

Showing Teens the Dangers of Drinking and Driving in Homestead and Other Communities

Published on: August 31, 2013 | By Flaxman Law Group

While all car accidents in Homestead and Florida are tragic, there is something especially galling about drunk driving accidents. It is maybe because these accidents are so preventable. Even though everyone is aware of the risks of drinking and driving, some drivers still make the poor choice to drink and drive. Their thoughtlessness and recklessness leads to many serious drunk driving accidents in Homestead and other communities.

Parents who have young drivers want to help their teens make the right decisions when it comes to drinking and driving. Here’s how families can help:

1) Give your teens another choice. Teens who have been drinking often are worried about their parents’ reaction. In these situations, teens may choose to drive rather than calling parents for a ride. It is important for parents to tell their children that they can always call for a safe ride home – no questions asked. If teens take advantage of this offer, it is important for parents to honor the promise by not punishing the teen for drinking. Another option is to have a family friend as an emergency contact for your teen driver. Your teen may be more comfortable calling a friend or family member for help if they have been drinking. Having multiple options is also a good idea, since you may be unavailable when your teen does call.

2) Don’t shy away from showing the risks of drunk driving. There are many good online resources that very dramatically and graphically show the effects of drinking and driving. Many teens do not have any experience with car or truck accidents in Homestead or their community and many shows and movies glamorize the reality. Show teens the effects of these types of accidents.

3) Get specific. Many teens have heard untrue rumors about drinking and driving. They may believe that drinking a coffee can get rid of the effects of alcohol or that one drink will not impair their judgment. It is important that teens know that Florida has a zero-tolerance limit for young drivers. Teen drivers are not allowed to have any alcohol in their system, so even one drink is enough for teens to be over the legal limit.

4) Get your teen’s peer group on board. Often, teens will listen to an older family friend or to college students before they will listen to their parents. Talk to your local college or MADD chapter – they may have speakers who are willing to come to your child’s school to speak about the dangers of drunk driving.

5) Get your teen involved in the no drinking and driving message. It is one thing when your teens hear the “don’t drink and drive” message. It is completely different when they become advocates for spreading the word. If your teen volunteers with MADD or another group dedicated to preventing drinking and driving, the message is more likely to really seep in.

Continue reading →