St. Louis Injury Lawyer Blog

A pickup truck overturned on Highway A just west of White Road, when an 18-year-old driver fell asleep at the wheel, according to authorities. The Missouri car accident happened after the drive dozed off, drove off the right side of the road, over-corrected, traveled off the left side of the road, hit an embankment and then flipped. The 7:15 p.m. accident left the man injured in the St. Joseph West Hospital, according to Hannibal Courier-Post.

Our St. Louis car accident attorney would like to warn motorists about the dangers of drowsy driving. The problem is not that motorists don't realize they are drowsy behind the wheel -- the problem is that they ignore or attempt to push through the symptoms. Research shows you can fall asleep and not even realize it. The truth is, it's a dangerous way to drive and motorists should take all the preventative measures to avoid driving while drowsy.

We recently recognized Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, which is part of a national campaign that aims to raise public awareness about this dangerous driving condition and to find ways to educate motorists about the dangers of falling asleep at the wheel. The campaign is coordinated by the National Sleep Foundation.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that roughly one in six fatal accidents involves a drowsy driver. One in eight of these accidents results in hospitalization and another one in fourteen results in a vehicle being towed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that drowsy drivers contribute to approximately 1,550 traffic accident fatalities every year. The government also estimates that drowsy drivers contribute to another 71,000 injuries in more than 100,000 accidents.

Those who are ages 16- to 24-years-old are about twice as likely to be involved in a drowsy driving accident than a driver in any other age group.

A recently study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that:

-Drivers of motor vehicles that had one or more passengers were half as likely to be involved in a drowsy-driving accident.

-Approximately 55 percent of drowsy driving accidents that happened over the last year occurred on high-speed divided highways.

-Most drivers who have fallen asleep at the wheel during the last year reported that they were driving for less than 60 minutes before they fell asleep.

-About a fourth of all drivers that reported to have had fallen asleep behind the wheel at least once in the last year reported that it happened sometime between 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

-Men are more likely to fall asleep at the wheel than women.

-Drivers under the age of 25 are most likely to report having fallen asleep at the wheel.

Here are some signs that you may be engaging in drowsy driving:

-Having a hard time focusing.

-Noticing that you have heavy eyelids or that you're blinking a lot.

-Difficulty keeping your head up.

-Erratic driving.

-Frequent swerving.

-Missing exits.

-Ignoring traffic signals.

-Frequent yawning.

-Experiencing a feeling of aggression, irritability or restlessness.

Being sleepy or drowsy while driving can impair your vision, alter your judgment and slow your reactions. A number of studies have concluded that staying awake for approximately 20 hours gives you the same abilities as a person who is legally drunk.

Continue reading "Sleepy Driver Crashes in Missouri Car Accident on Highway A" »

Missouri State Patrol recently conducted a number of school bus inspections to help prevent child injury in St. Louis and elsewhere throughout the state this school year. The results conclude that nearly 90 percent of the school buses in St. Louis have passed the rigorous inspection. Cpl. Jeff Wilson says that he and his force have looked over roughly 12,000 buses. The ones that didn't pass the test were taken off the road immediately, according to CBS St. Louis.

"We give [school districts] a little time to make those corrections on those buses," said Wilson. "Even though they got put out of service at the time those inspections were done, we re-inspected those buses and got them up to standards."

Our St. Louis personal injury attorneys understand that equipping our schools with safe buses is only half the battle. The other half is in the hands of motorists. We ask that all drivers be extra cautious on our roadways during this time of year to help prevent accidents with children who may be waiting for the bus to pick them up or those who have been dropped off and are heading home.

Wilson says that they will be conducting spot checks throughout the course of the year as well to make sure that these safe conditions are maintained.

The mechanics that lead these inspections have all been certifies through State Patrol. Each safety inspection is done within the two months of the first day of school.

The National Safety Council reports that approximately 25 million students ride the big, yellow bus to and from school every year. In 2005 alone, there were 134 people killed because of traffic accidents that involved a school bus. Another 11,000 people were injured in these accidents.

The St. Louis County Police would like to focus on the safety of our students as well. There are some safety tips that parents are urged to discuss with their children to help ensure that their trips to and from school are safe.

Tips for walking to school or walking to the bus stop:

-Be aware of the routes that your child takes to school or the bus.

-Require them to walk with a group. Never let them walk alone.

-Tell your child to keep away from and never talk to strangers.

-Go over these rules periodically with your child.

-Instruct them to walk on a sidewalk.

-If there are no sidewalks available on their trip, make sure they know to walk in a single-file line on the far-right side of the road.

-Children are to only cross the street at an intersection.

-Make sure that your child knows to follow the directions of the school crossing guard.

-Never walk within 10 feet of the bus unless you're entering or exiting it.

Continue reading "Missouri State Patrol Examines 12,000 School Buses to Help Prevent Child Injury in St. Louis" »

A St. Louis County car accident on Interstate 64 recently landed two people in the hospital, according to KMOV 4. The late-night accident happened when a wrong-way driver, headed west in the eastbound lanes of I-64, collided with another vehicle. A semi-truck was also forced off the road during the incident.

The wrong-way driver, a Chesterfield woman, has been cited for driving while under the influence. The Missouri Highway Patrol says that the woman has also been cited on suspicion of second-degree assault. They also report that the two injured drivers were taken to St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur. Formal charges against the wrong-way driver are currently pending, according to Fox 2.

St. Louis car accident attorneys understand that we can expect to see a bunch of car accidents during the month of August as it has repeatedly been cited as the deadliest month on our roadways, according to MSN Money.

According to statistics dating back to 1994 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more people are killed in car accidents in the month of August than during any other month out of the year.

These findings are through statistics that calculate death rates per 100 million miles traveled. August ranks as the deadliest with a death rate of 1.09 per million miles traveled. September comes in at a close second with a death rate of 1.08 followed by July with a death rate of 1.08. March is your safest month on our roadways with a death rate of 0.94.

In 2009, there were approximately 93 deaths on U.S. roadways every day because of traffic accidents. This means that someone died every 16 minutes.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety at least seven of the 25 deadliest days of the year on our roadways happened in the month of August from 2005 through 2009.

"A large proportion of crashes happen in late afternoon and early evening in general, but especially in August," says Russ Rader of the IIHS.

Some days are are deadly than others. According to research, there are more traffic-accident fatalities on Saturdays than during any other day of the week. Saturdays averaged about 123 deaths. Sundays followed close behind with an average of 107 fatalities. Fridays ranked in at third place with 102 deaths.

The rest of the daily death rates were as follows:

-Mondays had an average of 79 deaths.

-Wednesdays averaged 78 deaths.

-Thursdays had an average of 84 deaths.

Those between the ages 25- and 49-years old are most likely to die in a motor-vehicle accident as they made up about 23 percent of all recorded traffic fatalities during this time of the year.

We ask that you enjoy the rest of your summer, but to please do so safely. Be cautious on our roadways and be on the lookout for road hazards that could result in a fatal accident.

Continue reading "Motorists Most Likely to Die in a Car Accident in St. Louis in August" »

Federal safety officials are looking at whether seat belts could have helped save lives and prevent injuries in the recent Missouri school bus accident on I-44, St. Louis Public Radio reported.

As we reported on our St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer Blog, two students were killed and more than 50 were injured when two school buses collided with a semi while en route to a Six Flags amusement park.

The accident has renewed the debate over seat belts on school buses, which were first suggested by a safety task force in 2005 after two dozen students were hurt in a school bus accident near Kansas City.

The Missourian reported that the busing industry contends that buses are safe without seat belts because the tall padded seats are designed to protect children in the event of an accident -- much the way eggs are protected in a carton. However, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services advocates installation of seat belts at an estimated cost of $10,000 per bus.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has just proposed a new rule requiring all new motorcoaches and commercial buses to have shoulder and lap belts by 2013. However, the new rules would not apply to school buses.

The federal government reports seat belts could reduce fatalities in rollover crashes by 77 percent. It's a critical safety issue because an estimated 750 million people travel by bus each year, making it the most popular form of mass transportation. The government estimates the cost of installing the belts in new buses at about $13,000. However, the belts would not be required in the 30,000 motorcoaches already on the road.

Continue reading "Seat belts could reduce risk of serious or fatal injuries in Missouri bus accidents" »