Myths about Driving Dangers in Kansas City

How often are you in a hurry to run a quick errand that you jump in your car sans shoes?  Believe it or not, people do it all the time.  What you may not realize is that driving bare foot isn’t exactly…illegal but Kansas City police would rather see you driving with shoes than without.  The reason being that a barefoot is more likely to slip and in case an emergency stop is necessary, then having traction on your brake foot is in everyone’s best interest.

Another myth of safe driving is wearing head phones.  A lot of motorists like driving around listening to their iPods or Mp3 players but this can create several dangers the most obvious being that it negates you being able to hear an approaching emergency vehicle and that could lead to an accident.  According to police in Kansas and Missouri, this is also NOT illegal just highly advised against.

Finally, how old should your child be when they stop riding in a car or booster seat?  This tends to vary depending on the parent.  Most people have their kids out of booster seats long before the age of 12.  Police feel that even though it’s not required that keeping

Our experienced Kansas City Auto Injury Lawyers are rightfully concerned about these statistics.  While we are happy to see the the state wide numbers are down– the increase in Kansas City car accidents as well as the cause of this increase is what really has us concerned.  It’s no secret that Drunk Driving has become a serious problem, not only in Kansas and Missouri, but across the United States.

If you or someone you love has suffered a serious injury in an auto accident in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation.  Call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney James Roswold.  With over 15 years of experience in Auto Injury Accidents, we may be able to help you and your family through this difficult time.

Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim.  You can get started today by downloading our free book, “10 Essential Steps to Protecting Your Injury Claim“.  We want you to know your rights.

Posted by author on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 3:22 pm 
Filed under Auto Accidents, distracted driving, Driving Dangers · Tagged with child car seats, distracted driving, driving dangers, driving with headphones, driving without shoes, Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, Kansas city car accident attorneys, kansas city personal injury lawyers, safety seats, serious injury

Kansas City Auto Accident Blog

Myths about Driving Dangers in Kansas City

How often are you in a hurry to run a quick errand that you jump in your car sans shoes?  Believe it or not, people do it all the time.  What you may not realize is that driving bare foot isn’t exactly…illegal but Kansas City police would rather see you driving with shoes than without.  The reason being that a barefoot is more likely to slip and in case an emergency stop is necessary, then having traction on your brake foot is in everyone’s best interest.

Another myth of safe driving is wearing head phones.  A lot of motorists like driving around listening to their iPods or Mp3 players but this can create several dangers the most obvious being that it negates you being able to hear an approaching emergency vehicle and that could lead to an accident.  According to police in Kansas and Missouri, this is also NOT illegal just highly advised against.

Finally, how old should your child be when they stop riding in a car or booster seat?  This tends to vary depending on the parent.  Most people have their kids out of booster seats long before the age of 12.  Police feel that even though it’s not required that keeping

Our experienced Kansas City Auto Injury Lawyers are rightfully concerned about these statistics.  While we are happy to see the the state wide numbers are down– the increase in Kansas City car accidents as well as the cause of this increase is what really has us concerned.  It’s no secret that Drunk Driving has become a serious problem, not only in Kansas and Missouri, but across the United States.

If you or someone you love has suffered a serious injury in an auto accident in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation.  Call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney James Roswold.  With over 15 years of experience in Auto Injury Accidents, we may be able to help you and your family through this difficult time.

Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim.  You can get started today by downloading our free book, “10 Essential Steps to Protecting Your Injury Claim“.  We want you to know your rights.

Posted by author on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 3:22 pm 
Filed under Auto Accidents, distracted driving, Driving Dangers · Tagged with child car seats, distracted driving, driving dangers, driving with headphones, driving without shoes, Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, Kansas city car accident attorneys, kansas city personal injury lawyers, safety seats, serious injury

Kansas City Auto Accident Blog

Response to biker comment about car drivers causing motorcycle accidents

I received this comment below from Arlin after my blog: Saving lives is more important – keep Michigan’s motorcycle helmet law. According to Arlin, it’s distracted drivers of cars and trucks who cause most motorcycle accidents, not bikers themselves.

Here’s what Arlin had to say:

“Let me ask you this Mr. Lawyer, why don’t the auto-drivers pay more for when they cause the motorcyclist to crash? I’m not sure of the percentages, but isn’t the person who is driving a car at fault most of the time? Why should we pay extra for them? We (bikers) aren’t texting, or on the phone or eating while we are riding! We are on the lookout for the average dumbaa@$ to run us over, watching out for obstacles in the road, and other distracting things the drivers of cars are doing. I have over a million and a half miles under my (belt) from being a commercial driver, and a motorcycle enthusiast… I‘ve seen a lot of stupid things on the road out there, and if I was a cop, I could have written hundreds of tickets a month. Bottom line is cars are the real hazard, and they should pay if they are at fault, just like the motorcyclist should pay if he is at fault. What’s fair is fair.”

Arlin: I agree with you that many motorcycle accidents are caused by distracted drivers of automobiles and trucks. I even addressed this in my blog, How to drive safely around motorcycles in Michigan.  The point I’m always trying to make is how important motorcycle helmet use is, especially with the recent push to repeal Michigan’s motorcycle helmet requirement law. With the increase in motorcycle accident fatalities in Michigan,  I was writing on safety and prevention of accidents.  Certainly car drivers need to be aware of motorcyclists, and part of the problem is many drivers don’t’ “see” a biker who is on the road to begin with.

But as you write, even if you are a very safe rider, accidents can still happen, which is why I’ve been writing about the need to wear a helmet. Studies by NHTSA clearly show that helmet use can prevent traumatic brain injury, catastrophic personal injury, and even death from serious motorcycle accident crashes.

So bikers, why wouldn’t you wear a helmet?!

As to your suggestion about who should pay… If the driver of a car causes the motorcycle accident, the first person responsible for the motorcyclist’s No-Fault benefits would be the auto insurance company of the owner of the automobile involved in the accident with the motorcycle.

So to answer Arlin’s question, when a car causes a motorcycle accident, it is the at-fault driver who is responsible for the biker’s insurance benefits.

Here’s a blog I wrote on the subject: I was in a motorcycle accident in Michigan: How do I get No-Fault benefits?

Arlin, thank you for reading my safety blog. I respect your opinion. I think we both would like to  keep motorcyclists safe, and to help prevent motorcycle crashes from ever occurring by pushing for stronger safety standards and laws.  And when they do occur, we would both like to reduce the likelihood of a totally catastrophic outcome, which is why I’ve been writing about the need to save the Michigan motorcycle  helmet law.

I believe motorcyclists and auto drivers need to share the road and protect each other. However, I’d like to remind drivers to respect the space of bikers by paying extra attention when you’re driving around them, and trying to stay as far away from them as possible. This will further help to keep motorcyclists safe.

Share the road.

- Steven M. Gursten heads Michigan Auto Law and is recognized as one of the nation’s top motorcycle lawyers. He received the highest motorcycle accident settlement in Michigan last year, according to Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Steve has spoken at trial seminars on motorcycle lawsuits, and is available for comment.

Related information to protect yourself:

How long do I have to file a motorcycle accident lawsuit?

Michigan’s current motorcycle helmet law

Choosing a safe motorcycle helmet

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with one of our motorcycle lawyers.

Michigan Auto Lawyers

Chicago Heights concerned about increase in car accidents caused by distracted driving

Home Posted On: April 5, 2011 by Dave Abels

An increasing number of Chicago Heights car accidents are being caused by distracted drivers, according to The Patch.

Our Chicago injury lawyers continue to report on the dangers of distracted driving, particularly text messaging and hand-held cell phone use behind the wheel.


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Warm Weather Is Coming So If You Are A Motorcyclists And About To Take That First Ride Of The Season, Make Sure You Check Your Tires

Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog Published by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyers, Reiff & Bily Smart, Tough, Experienced Lawyers
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Huntsville Car Accident Raises Questions About Elderly Drivers

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A car wreck in Huntsville, AL involving an 82 year old driver raises questions about how states should regulate elderly drivers. A 3 car accident at the intersection of Blue Spring Rd and Winchester Rd was the result of an elderly driver running a red light. According to the Huntsville Times, Eddie Elliott, ran a stop light and struck another vehicle which collided with another vehicle. Sadly, Mr. Elliott died in the wreck and the driver and passenger of another vehicle were injured. The article does not mention what caused this wreck; however, it does raises questions as to how we monitor elderly drivers.

As we get older, our reflexes, flexibility, visual acuity, memory and the ability to focus all decline. Medicines that treat various ailments also make it more difficult to focus and make snap decisions. According to a 2007 USA Today Article by Robert Davis and Anthony DeBarros entitled "Older, dangerous drivers a growing problem" "Twenty-three states require licensed drivers of a certain age to appear periodically at a department of motor vehicles office to renew their license. In 16 states, older drivers must prove that they can see well enough to drive. Some states have tried other ways to identify drivers who, because of age-related health problems, put themselves or others at risk." While we all want to keep our sense of independence as we get older, it is imperative that we closely monitor our elderly family and friends to make sure they are physically and mentally capable to be safe drivers. There is no question, that states need to come up with an effective and efficient way to monitor the driving capabilities of elderly drivers.

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