While we all know that tax time can be a stressful time, a new study shows that it can also be a dangerous time on the roadways.  According to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association the odds of getting into a fatal crash increase by 6% on tax filing day.  The study looked at the 6,783 people who died in car crashes in the United States over the last 30 years on April 15th, compared to the same day week before and week after.  The results show a 6% increase in the number of fatal auto accidents.

This is no surprise to Norfolk Auto Accident Attorney Brother Rutter.  "Stress leads to distraction, which ultimately leads to unfortunate accidents.  Whether it is taxes, or a cell phone a driver who is not focused is a dangerous driver."  Dr. Donald Redelmeier who wrote the study adds "One explanation is that stressful deadlines lead to driver distraction and worsen short-term human error."

Because we all share the roadways, this heightened risk does not just apply to late filers but to everyone on the road.   Stay focused on the roadways this tax season and be aware of the possibility of heightened danger in the cars around you.

As many of us know, distracted driving is becoming more and more of a problem on our roadways.  The National Safety Council has an urgent request for all drivers: Make April the month you ditch the cell phone behind the wheel.  

Thousands of fatal crashes each year involve drivers using cell phones, and the number is growing every year.

While most people understand that distracted driving is a major danger, they continue to use their cell phones when they drive, thinking they are an exception to the rule.  The idea behind distracted driving awareness month is to put this issue center stage and encourage people to think and talk about it, and ultimately understand that distracted driving affects all of us - even those of us who refrain from using the phone on the roadway.  The truth of the matter is that we all share our roadways, and distracted driving is a very real danger for all of us.

As auto accident lawyers in the state of Virginia, we see our fair share of tragedy caused by distracted driving.  Not a week goes by without a new case involving one of our clients being hit by a driver distracted by a cell phone.  If you or someone you know has been injured by the negligence of others, contact the auto accident attorneys of Rutter Mills today for a free, no obligation consultation of your legal rights.

As Auto Accident lawyers, we see our fair share of accidents caused by distracted drivers.  The majority of these distracted situation come as a result of cell phone usage and texting, but a recent accident in the news takes this to another level.  A recent auto accident that resulted in a woman hitting and ultimately killing a 70-year-old man is said to have been caused by a driver updating her Facebook status from her cell phone.  

Though the cause of this accident will still need to be played out in court, it serves as a warning to the perils of distractive driving as a result of in car technology.  Things happen fast, and no one ever expects this to happen to them but distracted driving is a very real problem.  No status update is worth taking a life.  

If you or someone you know has been in an auto accident caused by a distracted driver, contact the personal care attorneys of Rutter Mills today for a free, no obligation consutlation of your legal rights.

As auto accident lawyers in the state of Virginia, we see first hand the damage and injuries that come along with texting while driving.  Distracted driving seems to be causing more and more auto accidents as the proliferation of smart phones grows, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is looking to do something about it.  He is urging Congress to enact a national law against texting and driving.  "We have to be able to get people to understand that this is very, very dangerous behavior," Lahood says.  
The National Highway Traffic Safety Authority reported 3,092 distraction-affected crash deaths in 2010.  Making the decision not to text while you drive is an important one, and not something to be taken lightly or followed when convenient.  The road can be a dangerous place when it is covered with distracted drivers.  Please do your part to stay focused on the road, and help keep the highways safe for everyone.
If you or someone you know is injured by a distracted driver, don't hesitate to call the Virginia auto accident attorneys of Rutter Mills for a free, no obligation consultation.

To parents of teenagers it should come as no surprise that today's youth are doing a great deal of texting. As these teens get older and get their drivers license, this can become a huge and extremely dangerous problem if it is not addressed.
The FCC provides a few guidelines for dealing with teen drivers that can help parents communicate the gravity of distracted driving.
What You Can Do:
Give Clear Instructions - Give teen drivers simple, clear instructions not to use their phones wihile driving.  According to Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, the easiest way to say it is: "On the road, off the phone."  Before new drivers get their licenses, discuss the fact that taking their eyes off the road - even for a few seconds - could cost someone injury or death.
Lead by Example - Children learn from their paren't behavior.  No one should text and drive.  Be an example for your children and if you need to text or talk on the phone, pull over to a safe place.
The sooner we can express the seriousness of distracted driving to your teens, the safer the roadways will be for all of us.  

As auto accident injury lawyers, we see our fair share of serious accidents caused by distracted drivers. Both talking on a cell phone while driving and texting while driving can distract a driver, and result in serious accidents and injuries.  Last month in England, a case was reported where a driver was seen doing both - at the same time.   A man was seen talking on one cell phone, and texting on another - leaving no hands on the steering wheel while driving 70 MPH on the highway.  The man was banned from driving for a full year by the British court system.

While this is an extreme case of negligence behind the wheel, smaller cases occur thousands of times a day causing devastating accidents along the way.  Please be careful behind the wheel, and understand how serious of an issue distracted driving really is.  If you or someone you know is involved in an accident due to the negligence of a distracted driver, contact the auto accident lawyers of Rutter Mills today for a free consultation of your legal rights.

Why texting drivers can't be stopped: wavy.com

Last week, Norfolk VA news station Wavy TV 10 rode along with State Troopers to observe the effects of distracted driving in action. The results are quite frightening, as just about everywhere the cameras looked they the prevalence of distracted driving.  

This is just one example of the effects of distracted driving in action.  Distracted driving is said to account for more than half of the accidents on our roadways.  As this story points out, texting and driving is a secondary offense in Virginia, and not a ticketable offense on it's own.  Because of this, most drivers in the 757 aren't taking it very seriously, and texting while driving is rampant on our roadways.  As safe drivers, we need to understand that we are sharing the road with others that are not so safe - and become aware of our surroundings at all times.

If you or someone you know is injured in an auto accident due to someone elses negligence, the personal care attorneys of Rutter Mills are here to help.

Distracted driving killed nearly 5,500 people last year and injured 500,000 more.  While these disturbing statistics alone should help people think twice about picking up a cell phone on the road, the stories behind the statistics are much more moving.  Distraction.gov, the official U.S. Government website for distracted driving has an ongoing video series called "Faces of Distracted Driving", that is quite moving.  Below are a few of the latest stories.  These stories may seem far off, but they are very real.  They, just like the rest of us, didn't think they were going to be involved in an auto accident.  Please think twice before using a cell phone on the road, and try to be as aware as possible of the drivers around you.

One of the most dangerous problems on America's roads today is the act of distracted driving.  In 2009 5,474 people were killed and 450,000 were injured because of a distracted driver on the road.  That's 16% of all fatal crashes and 20% of all injury crashes for the year.  One in five of those deaths involved reports of the driver using a cell phone.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has developed an official government website to serve as a campaign against distracted driving, http://www.distraction.gov There is a great deal of information and statistics on the subject, hopefully they can make a real difference.

At Rutter Mills, we see the devastating effects of distracted driving on an almost daily basis.  We have seen countless numbers of our clients injured in an auto accident by another driver who was using a cell phone when they are supposed to be focused on the road.  If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident at the fault of someone else, call the personal care attorneys of Rutter Mills.