Personal Injury Law

Safety Tips: Daylight Savings Time and Increased Traffic Accidents

By LaBovick Law

Driver and Pedestrian Risks Increase As Daylight Saving Time Ends
 
On Sunday, November 7, 2010 , we gain an hour as clocks are turned back and daylight saving time ends. We encourage all drivers and pedestrians to be more attentive on the highways. Also change your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm batteries. It  can help save your life.

As a Florida Law firm we handle many personal injury accidents involving motor vehicles including car accidents, truck accidents and pedestrian accidents. Each year we notice that in November, personal injuries sustained in auto accidents increase. This could be attributed to several factors, such as time change, holiday celebrations, increased holiday shopping traffic, or school and businesses closing for the holidays. 

According to the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2009, approximately 59,000 people sustained injuries in traffic accidents. This was in addition to 4,092 pedestrians that died in traffic accidents.  The time of the most traffic accidents occurred between 4 pm and 8pm and between 4 am and 8an.  The NHTSA suggests that drivers adjusting to the new time change, the change in the light and distracted driving increases the risk of death and injuries on the roads.

The NHTSA makes the following suggestions to Motorists and Pedestrians:

• Pedestrians should carry a flashlight or wearing reflective gear or to make sure they're visible to drivers at greater distances. Here are additional pointers.
•  Drivers should slow down, especially during evening hours.
• Drivers should be aware that pedestrians who are wearing headphones or earphones may not hear vehicles.
• Drivers should keep the windshield, windows, and mirrors clean. Make sure that defrosters and windshield wipers are serviced regularly.
• Pedestrians should not depend on the traffic signals. Use common sense when on the road. Look both ways and watch the traffic closely.
• Pedestrians should avoid jaywalking and crossing between parked vehicles.
• Pedestrians should walk on sidewalks whenever possible. If you must walk on the street, face traffic.

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

• Residents of Arizona and Hawaii do not observe Daylight Savings Time
•  U.S. Territories of  Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands do not observe Daylight Savings Time
•  There is no federal rule that mandates that states or observe Daylight Savings Time

Attorney Paul Napoli, brings out important fact in his New York InjuryBoard blog post How Daylight Savings Time Could Save Your Life This Winter.  He provides the following consumer safety message:

"As we turn back the clocks this weekend, it is a great time to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors because winter is the most dangerous season for residential fires and CO poisoning caused by heating systems."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminded consumers to change the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries this weekend and test these alarms monthly for proper operation. According to the CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum,

'Properly working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms can save lives by alerting you to a fire or to poisonous carbon monoxide in your home.'

South Florida CBS4 also shares helpful advice for Consumers on How a Daylight Savings Time Act Can Save Your Life.  Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths occurred in homes without a smoke alarm or properly working smoke alarm, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).  Non-working smoke alarms contribute to as many 36 hundred deaths and 19 thousand injuries each year from fires in the home.This is a staggering number of lives that could potentially be saved with one simple step - Periodically checking the smoke alarm.

In our family, we change our smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries twice a year, once when we spring forward and once when we fall back. The CPSC and the NFPA both make excellent pointers about monthly smoke alarm checks. It is always better to be safe

Enjoy your extra hour of sleep tonight. Don't forget to set the clocks before you go to bed.

Pleasant Dreams…

Full post as published by LaBovick Injury Law Blog on November 06, 2010 (boomark / email).