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According to a new study led by Alexandra Martiniuk of the George Institute for Global Health, young drivers between the ages of 17 and 24 who slept six hour or less per night had a 21% increased risk of being in a car collision when compared with young drivers who had over six hours of sleep. The study was based on information collected from over 20 000 drivers.
According to the study, 86% of fatigue-related accidents involving young drivers occurred at night, between 8 pm and 6 am. Young drivers who did not catch up on sleep during the weekends fared even worse; they had a 55% of being in a single-car accident.

Experts agree with the findings, noting that fatigue slows response times and makes any driver more likely to crash. In some cases, fatigue can also cause a motorist to fall asleep while driving. Although it has not been studied extensively, some experts believe that teens and younger drivers may be even more at risk when it comes to fatigued driving. Some believe that this is due to the fact that teens and younger drivers have less experience with driving, so fatigued driving puts them more at risk of a car accident in Coral Gables and other communities.

In the US, about 20% of all car accidents are thought to be caused by fatigued driving. This means that about 8000 fatalities, 1 million car accidents, and 50 000 injuries can be attributed to fatigued drivers.
According to many experts, parents play a key role in helping young drivers avoid fatigue-related accidents and injuries. Parents can help by:

•Setting a good example by driving only when fully alert and focused.

•Setting firm rules about drinking and driving, distracted driving, and fatigued driving. Rules with consequences can help prevent a young driver from taking risks that can result in a car or truck accident in Coral Gables.

•Explaining to teens what distracted driving, fatigued driving, and drunk driving are. In some cases, teens may assume that having one drink is ok or may think that driving when tired are okay as long as they are not “too” tired.

•Helping your child with time management. According to many experts, teens and college students face long days of studies, social activities, and extracurricular activities. Juggling too many tasks at once and not managing time well can lead to sleepless nights.

•Getting help in situations where a child is overwhelmed or seems to be having trouble sleeping. Sleep disorders and other health issues can exacerbate the problem.

•Offering drives home late at night or encouraging tired drivers to take an alternate route home. These options can help prevent a traffic accident in Coral Gables or your community.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Teen drivers may be more at risk when it comes to car collisions in Pembroke Pines and other communities, according to researchers. The culprit, according to many experts, is that young drivers have less driving experience than older drivers and may not yet have honed the skills necessary to avoid traffic collisions in Pembroke Pines or their communities. This may be one reason why teen drivers have higher accident rates.

There are many ways that experts claim parents can help their teen drivers stay safer while they develop their driving skills:

• Get extra lessons for teens with driving instructors
• Limit teen driver’s driving privileges and only gradually add privileges as the teen develops their driving skills
• Set firm rules about no cell phone use, no passengers, and no additional distractions that can lead to road accidents

The University of North Carolina has an additional idea. The university has developed an app, Time to Drive, for teen users. The iPhone app allows teens and parents to set goals in order to gain specific driving experience and driving skills. Teens and parents can track progress as young drivers gain experience with bad weather, interstate driving, nigh driving, and other skills. The app is not intended to be used when driving; drivers open it after driving to log experience and the app works in the background as someone drives. According to senior research associate Arthur Goodwin, Time to Drive encourages teens to get driving experience in a range of situations.

There are other apps and devices on the market aimed at teen drivers, too. A free distracted-driving app for teen drivers is available from Esurance and Cellcontrol. The app prevents drivers from getting or sending texts while the car is in motion. OrigoSafe is a device that prevents a driver from starting their car until their phones are docked. The system is an ignition interlock system and does not require a monthly cost.

DriveCam is similar to a nanny cam and allows parents to keep an eye – literally – on their teen drivers. The camera sends out alerts if a teen drives beyond a certain area or swerves or speeds. The cam service is offered by Sprint. Sprint also offers a pay-per-month Sprint Drive First service. This service disables a driver’s ability to text when their car is moving more than 10 mph.

Do these devices and apps help to prevent car and pedestrian accidents in Pembroke Pines and other communities? In some cases, it may be useful for drivers to get a reminder to turn their cell phones off when driving. In the end, however, it may be more useful for teens to learn to turn their own cell phones off behind the wheel. For parents, these apps and devices, however, can help provide some peace of mind and can be another tool in helping to prevent distracted driving.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Most insurance companies charge young drivers higher insurance premiums because statistics show that young drivers do have higher rates of accidents. Over the past two decades, a number of initiatives have been launched to help prevent Florida car accidents involving young drivers. For example, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) have created education campaigns to alert young drivers about the dangers of Florida drunk driving accidents. As well, legislators have passed laws requiring more training and placing additional restrictions on new drivers. Graduated licensing ensures that teens cannot

However, most experts agree that the way to prevent car accidents among young drivers is to include more training. There are many suggestions about adding more training for young drivers:

1) Defensive driver training. Defensive driving courses go one step further than basic driver education, by helping new drivers learn how to anticipate and avoid car collisions. Many parents already send their teens to defensive driving courses or even to racing school – which also teaches additional defensive driving skills. Insurance companies often encourage parents to pay for this type of additional training by offering insurance discounts to teen drivers with additional defensive driver training.

2) Decision training. Some experts believe that teens may be more likely to make poor decisions – such as the decision to drive while talking on a cell phone or the decision to overload a car with passengers – which older and more experienced drivers can resist. Teaching teens to make good decisions behind the wheel can help prevent Florida pedestrian accidents and traffic accidents, according to some experts.

3) Night driving training. Most driver education classes and all driver tests for licensing take place during the day, which means that most teens learn night driving through practice. Taking private night driving lessons with a trained driving instructor can help close the gap, but currently this additional training is not required.

4) Additional restrictions for new drivers. Young drivers are not allowed to have any alcohol in their system and may face additional restrictions. Some legislators have suggested additional restrictions for young drivers – such as banning young drivers only from using mobile devices while driving.

5) Increasing the age for new drivers. Some Florida residents in years past have suggested that 16 years old is too young to be behind a wheel. In fact, across the country there have been campaigns to increase the driving age to 18. However, this is considered a very controversial suggestion.

6) Winter driving training. Most Florida residents do not need to worry about whiteout conditions, black ice, and other dangers of winter driving. However, some argue that winter driving skills should also be taught in Florida, since eventually Florida drivers may move or travel to other states where winter driving is a very different experience.

7) Longer in-car training hours. Most basic driver education courses require only a limited amount of in-car training. Some argue that these hours are not adequate to really teach teens to drive safely. Some Florida parents pay for additional private lessons for their children, to ensure one-on-one attention from a driving instructor and more supervised driving.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

If your teen is a new driver this fall and is looking forward to driving to school, work, or after-school activities, you will of course want to ensure that your teen is driving safely. There are many ways you can help your teen avoid a Florida car accident or truck accident:

1) Help your teen find a safe car. Whether your teen is saving up for their first car or whether you will be gifting a car to your child, make sure that the car is safe. Have it inspected by a trusted mechanic and consider adding some safety features – such as a security system that lets your teen get in touch with a live operator in the event of a problem. Alternatively, make sure your teen has a cell phone so that they can call for help if needed.

2) Establish rules about drinking and driving and distracted driving. Your teen has already heard the message in driver education, but this is one message that needs to be stressed again and again. Make sure that your teen has several options for getting home safely without drinking and driving. This may mean that you need to agree that your teen can always call you for a ride with no questions asked and no lectures or punishment for underage drinking. An agreement like that can help prevent one more Florida drunk driving accident, however. As well, review the types of activities that constitute distracted driving and ensure that your teen agrees never to engage in those activities.

3) Limit the number of passengers your teen can have in the car – at first. Even if your teen promises never to drive distracted, passengers are one of the most distracting things for a new driver – and, inevitably, once your teen has a license many unlicensed friends will want a ride. At first, limiting the number of passengers your teen is allowed to take can ensure that distractions are kept to a minimum. As your teen gains confidence and experience behind the wheel, you can consider relaxing the restrictions.

4) Consider additional training. Private lessons, defensive driving courses, and even racing school, can help address any bad driving habits before they set. Additional training with a qualified instructor can also give your teen additional guided experience on the road – an important factor in preventing car collisions.

5) Take frequent drives with your teen. Being a passenger when your teen drives can reassure you about your teen’s driving. It can also help you to see whether additional training and restrictions are needed.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Although the link between texting and driving and Florida car accidents has been well established, Florida has not yet passed a texting and driving ban. In the state, it is still legal for drivers to use mobile devices while driving, even though other states have banned the dangerous practice. However, a new bill has been proposed which would make it illegal for young drivers to drive distracted.

There is already a precedent for special rules for minor drivers. Young drivers are not allowed to have any alcohol while driving, are not allowed to have an excess of passengers in the car, and must obey graduated licensing laws where they exist. The idea behind such rules is that young drivers have less experience and are therefore more at risk of being in a car accident.

The Minor Traffic Safety Act bill would make it illegal for Florida drivers under the age of majority to use a cell phone while driving. Those who violate the law will receive a ticket. As well, if the act passes, it would require Florida drivers under the age of 18 to display a tag identifying them as minors. The bill would also make it illegal for school bus drivers to use mobile devices while driving.

Currently, there is a national texting ban for truck drivers and school bus drivers. Many states have passed laws which make texting and driving illegal for all drivers in that state. A few states have also banned the use of cell-phones while driving, although hands-free sets are still allowed.

Although Florida has attempted to pass similar rules, these bills have not been able to pass into law. Although these bills have wide-spread support, many people are so reliant on mobile devices that they do not want to see a text ban passed. As well, some law enforcement agencies have stated that enforcing any such laws would be very difficult as drivers tend to text below the level of the windshield or the car windows, making the activity hard to notice. The Minor Traffic Safety Act may be a step towards a more wide-spread ban, if it passes.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A survey of 11th- and 12th-grade students finds that 90 percent believe that their peers are more likely to drink and drive on prom night, but few think that the behavior carries a high degree of risk, USA Today reported April 9.

The survey of more than 2,500 students, conducted by Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), found that 79 percent of students expected their classmates to drink and drive on graduation night. More than one in three students also said their parents had let them attend a party knowing that alcohol would be served.

“Newspapers, television, YouTube and Facebook are rife with tales of tragedy from reckless driving on prom and graduation nights, yet an ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude continues to be so pervasive among our teens,” said Dave Melton of the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety. “Add to the alcohol factor distractions like texting or talking on the cellphone while driving, or the greater likelihood of multiple people in the car, and the crash potential is very real.”

 
Young Female Drinkers More Likely to Develop Breast Disease, Researchers Say

Risk of developing benign breast disease increases five-fold among women who drank alcohol six or seven days a week during their teens and early 20s, according to research from the National Cancer Institute.

Benign breast disease is a known risk factor for breast cancer, researchers noted. Symptoms include hard lumps in the breasts, irregular cysts, breast discomfort, sensitive nipples, and itching.

Reuters reported April 12 that researcher Catherine Berkey of Harvard Medical School and colleagues drew their conclusions from a study of about 6,900 women ages 16-23. About one percent of the women reported having benign breast disease in a followup study at ages 18-27.

“Our study results give older girls and adolescents another reason to avoid alcohol,” said Berkey.

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Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Orange County)

Brain changes caused by drinking before age 15 could predispose adolescents to a lifetime of alcohol dependency, HealthDay News reported Sept. 18.

Researcher Arpana Agrawal of the Washington University School of Medicine, who studied alcohol use among twins, said that early drinking “may induce changes in the highly sensitive adolescent brain, which may also modify an individual’s subsequent genetic vulnerability” to addiction.

Agrawal found that age of first alcohol use corresponded with a greater number of alcohol dependency symptoms. Those who started drinking later in life were less likely to be dependent even if they were genetically predisposed to addiction, the study found.

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Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Orange County)