Posts Tagged ‘emergency situation’

Prescription Drugs and Driving Are A Bad Combination

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

When most of us hear the term “driving under the influence”, we immediately picture someone that has been drinking alcohol to the point of intoxication. While that is certainly one form of driving under the influence, there are others as well. You may even realize that someone is considered to be driving under the influence if they have been using marijuana or other illegal drugs as well. What you may not know though is that you can be considered to be driving under the influence if you are using prescription drugs as well. Even if the laws of your particular state are lagging behind on this issue, it is still a huge public health concern across the nation. Most drivers are under the misperception that if a physician has prescribed something for them then they are safe to drive while using it. Not true.

The problem with prescription drugs is essentially the same problem as illegal drugs. Any drug that enters your blood stream and acts on your brain can impair your motor skills, reaction time and your judgment. Studies have shown that the average person must acknowledge and react to an emergency situation on the road within two seconds if they hope to avoid an accident. If your reaction time has been slowed down due to prescription drugs in your system, then you may lose your chance to react and prevent an accident. A 2007 survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 16 percent of week-end, nighttime drivers tested positive for illegal, prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Of that 16 percent, a full 30 percent tested positive for prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Despite warnings on prescription drug bottles warning against driving or operating machinery while taking the drugs, people continue to operate vehicles.

Prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines and opiate analgesics act on your brain and produce a sedative effect. They are frequently prescribed to treat anxiety or panic attacks. Pain relievers and muscle relaxants can also impair your driving ability. Pain relievers slow down your mental reaction time and muscle relaxants can slow down your physical reaction time. Alone, these prescription drugs can be taken safely. Taken by someone operating a vehicle they can be deadly. Anything that lessens your ability to react to an emergency on the road or that clouds your judgment is a danger to you and everyone else on the road. Even over-the-counter drugs such as antihistamines or cough syrup can make you drowsy and less able to react to changing road conditions. The bottom line is that the next time your doctor prescribes you a medication, it is imperative that you actually read the warnings that come with the medication. If the bottle says not to drive while taking the medication, then don’t drive. You may be saving not just your own life, but someone else’s life that is out on the road with you.

If you have been the victim of a car accident and believe that impaired driving played a part in the accident, contact personal injury attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates for an evaluation of your case at his toll-free number 1-800-300-0001 or online at www.ledgerlaw.com

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Why Do Teenage Drivers Cause More Accidents?

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

As more and more statistics are being released about the dangers of teenage drivers, states have begun to debate at what age, and under what conditions, teenagers should be allowed to obtain a drivers license.  If you’ve ever lived in the house with a teenager, you know how scary it can be when they first begin to drive.  There is a reason that we are hesitant to turn over the keys to the family car to a 16 year old.  According to the CDC, in 2008 about 3,500 teens in the United States ages 15-19 were killed and over 350,000 were injured as a result of motor vehicle accidents. While that age a group represents about 14% of the U.S. population, they account for about 30% of the total cost of motor vehicle injuries. Even more disturbing is that teenagers are more likely to be at fault in the accidents that they are involved in.  Why are teenage drivers so dangerous?

For starters, they simply lack experience. Driving is a skill that we acquire over time.  As with many things in life, the more we drive, the better we get at it. Many teenagers have very little actual time behind the wheel when they receive their driver’s license.  Teenagers are more easily distracted than experienced drivers.  Whether they are texting, talking on the phone, talking to other passengers or looking for a good place to eat, they are significantly more likely to be distracted than an adult driver.  Additionally, they may be driving while fatigued or under emotional stress. Teenagers also lack the life skills to handle emotional stress while doing something as important as driving.

Furthermore, if an emergency situation arises, teenagers are less likely to know how to effectively handle the situation and/or avoid an accident.  For example, a teenager is far less likely to know what to do when road conditions turn dangerous suddenly.  That same teenager may panic if someone pulls out in front of them or may not know how to handle problems with his vehicle while driving.

So what can we do to help limit the risk of being in an accident with a teen driver?  Many states have enacted graduated license programs.  These laws allow teenagers to gradually obtain an unrestricted license after they have spent some time driving under a restricted license.  This way, they gain experience driving during the day, without passengers before they are allowed out on the roadways unhindered.  Many of these teenagers will make excellent drivers some day – they just need the experience to be able to handle themselves on the road.  If you have been the victim in an accident involving a teenage driver, you should consult with a California accident attorney immediately.  Your California accident attorney can evaluate your situation and let you know what options you may have to be compensated for any injuries you have suffered.

If you would like an experienced attorney to evaluate your case, contact the law offices of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or visit us at www.ledgerlaw.com.

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