Turning down your music may save your life
Thanks to an aggressive South Carolina Department of Transportation campaign, most Palmetto State motorists recognize the risks of distracted driving. Maintaining focus, though, is about more than stashing your smartphone until you reach your destination. Researchers have found a link between music volume and car wreck risk. To boost your...
Continue ReadingCar wrecks and back injuries
Were you injured in an auto wreck? You are not alone. Approximately 3 million Americans each year are seriously injured in car crashes. Some of the most severe injuries involve the neck and back. Spinal cord injuries may result in partial loss of nerve or motor function, even paralysis. The...
Continue ReadingTips for making your motorcycle more visible
Riding a motorcycle comes with a fair share of risks. One of these dangers is the fact that drivers often do not see you. Motorists tend to only look out for other cars or bigger trucks. Many times, they do not notice motorcycles. This can easily lead to collisions, which...
Continue ReadingWhen you’re driving, don’t think about anything else
Have you ever gotten home in the car with no memory of the drive there? Have you ever zoned out behind the wheel and then suddenly realized that you passed your exit and you don’t know where you are? It happens all the time. You’re supposed to think about driving,...
Continue ReadingStudy links car color and accident risks
Your odds of getting into an accident may all come back to the color of car that you buy. A study found that specific colors saw higher or lower accident rates, indicating that drivers may be unknowingly putting themselves at risk when they pick out their next vehicle. The study...
Continue ReadingExamples of disabilities after a car accident
When they get involved in a serious car accident, the first thing that many people ask the medical professionals is how long it will take them to recover. They want to know when they can get out of the hospital, when they’ll feel like normal again and when they can...
Continue ReadingWhat is ‘microsleep?’
When a driver dozes off for even a second, catastrophic consequences can ensue. They can swerve into another lane or fail to stop when the vehicle ahead of them does. They may not see a pedestrian or bicyclist entering their path. There’s a term for brief episodes of dozing off,...
Continue Reading4 infants injured when car crashes into day care facility
Not all car accidents involve a collision between vehicles or even with a pedestrian. People going about their day at home, work or elsewhere can become the victim of a careless or reckless driver. Earlier this month, a woman ran her car through the wall of a Columbia day care...
Continue ReadingWhat are ‘social host liability’ laws?
If you’re involved in a car crash with a drunk driver who’s returning from a holiday party, can you hold the hosts of the party responsible along with the drunk driver? Fortunately, South Carolina has “social host liability” laws that apply to both adults and minors. This means if someone...
Continue Reading13 injured when South Carolina school bus goes down embankment
A field trip ended in multiple injuries on Oct. 19 when a school bus went off the road as it was headed southbound on U.S. 25, about 4 miles from Ware Shoals. The bus reportedly struck a fence and utility pole and then fell down an embankment. Twenty-nine children were...
Continue ReadingTips for driving in a school zone
Drivers always need to be cautious in school zones. However, now that the school year has started again, it’s particularly crucial not just to obey all posted signs and crossing guards, but to keep your eye out for kids who might run into the street unexpectedly. According to Safe Kids...
Continue ReadingThings you can do to avoid becoming a pedestrian statistic
Pedestrians rarely come out on the winning end of a pedestrian-versus-vehicle encounter. As pedestrians, we can’t control drivers who are reckless or negligent. You may have been taught that pedestrians always have the right of way. However, don’t count on drivers always giving you that. Nonetheless, there are a number...
Continue ReadingHow parents can reduce distracted driving among teens
All new teen drivers know that using their phones to text, talk, check social media or post photos or videos is dangerous. They need to keep their attention on their driving and their eyes on the road. However, many of them use their phones while driving anyway. In fact, in...
Continue ReadingSummer driving: The risks you face each day
Summer is a great time to go out and have fun with family and friends, but it’s also a threat to those on the road. Summer driving isn’t just dangerous because there are more people on the roads. The addition of teens with new licensing, the possibility of dehydration and...
Continue ReadingIs distracted driving very dangerous?
You may not believe that distracted driving is very dangerous, but it can become a life-threatening risk in just moments. As of April 1, 2018, 189 people have been killed as a result of distracted driving in South Carolina. The good news about this is that it’s 59 fewer deaths...
Continue ReadingAmtrak will likely pay out for latest crash
If you recall the recent news, you may remember an Amtrak train that collided with a freight train parked on the tracks in South Carolina in early February. This train crashed as a result of being routed incorrectly, but still, Amtrak is facing scrutiny. According to the news from Feb....
Continue ReadingDrivers: Beware of pedestrians to prevent injuries and deaths
Pedestrians are in a difficult position. When they’re on the roads, they typically have the right of way. They also have no protection against vehicles. As a result, even if they are in the right, a traffic accident can cause serious or fatal injuries. In 2013, there were 4,735 people...
Continue Reading22-year-old man killed in highway accident on Interstate 85
Traffic accidents are common, and it’s not unusual to see vehicles on the side of the road with rescue workers working hard at the scene. It’s a tragedy that people focus on things other than the drive when they’re behind the wheel; it puts them and others at danger. Many...
Continue ReadingMultiple people hurt when pickup hits local hayride
Imagine going out on Halloween night to enjoy a local hayride. You and your kids pile into the ride, not worried about a thing. Then, out of nowhere, a vehicle collides with you. Everyone is thrown from the trailer, and now the once enjoyable night has become the scene of...
Continue Reading2 accused in crash that resulted in 2 deaths
Imagine driving down the road. You’re minding your own business, but that doesn’t stop a crash from taking place. Before you can move out of the way, a person on the opposite side of the road attempts to pass too closely to your vehicle. He hits you head on, causing...
Continue ReadingThe deadliest days of summer are upon us in 2017
Once school’s out for summer, plenty of teens get behind the wheel and learn to drive or continue on their adventure learning what it means to hold a license. After Memorial Day, parents need to recognize and talk to their kids about the 100 deadly days of summer, the days...
Continue ReadingWhat to do if you have an accident during Memorial Day weekend
Memorial Day weekend is the first big summer holiday (even though summer hasn’t begun yet). Nevertheless, it is ubiquitous for road trips. AAA estimates that nearly 40 million people will travel at least 50 miles away from home over the weekend. With more cars on the road, drivers have to...
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