Abels & Annes, P.C. Personal Injury Blog

If you own a motorcycle or if you ride on one on occasion, you may find yourself wondering about what steps you can take to improve your safety. The basic rules that apply to all drivers apply to motorists so those are a good place to start: obey all traffic signals, yield the right-of-way, and make sure you obey speed limits. However, unlike drivers or passengers in cars, another big step can be taken by bikers to improve their safety, and that is wearing an appropriate helmet. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that motorcycle helmets are about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries and about 37 percent effective in preventing death when they are used properly and a biker is involved in a crash. But despite these significant numbers, only about 60 percent of riders across the country wear helmets that are compliant with Department of Transportation guidelines, and the number of riders in Arizona using approved helmets is believed to be much lower.

Recently, a lot of attention has been focused on safety issues related to sports played by young children. Whether it is football, soccer, wrestling, basketball, or baseball, injuries can happen in almost any sporting event, leading many parents to worry about their children when playing these games and other parents to forego sports altogether. In fact, the number of participants in several youth sports has plummeted in recent years in what is believed to be a response to safety issues. But the fact remains that children between the ages of five and 14 are more likely to be hurt in a bicycle accident than they are in a sports accident which means that parents who are concerned about safety should not overlook bicycling, especially if their kids ride in Phoenix.

Uber has been making waves in the transportation industry across the country, and many in the Phoenix area have enjoyed its services as of late. Based on a network of independent drivers who answer requests of consumers, Uber allows passengers to get anywhere they want within a designated service area without some of the restrictions of other forms of transit. Importantly, compared to other options, Uber is often less expensive and more responsive to the users, meaning that its popularity is soaring right now. This week, to make itself even more attractive, Uber announced on its website that it was lowering its fees in more than 100 US and Canadian markets. In some areas, using Uber in January with these lowered fees may make it cheaper to grab a ride with Uber than to pay for your own gas, endure the wear and tear on your personal vehicle, and pay for parking. The price cut is a limited time discount in most cities and is designed to combat the “winter slump,” according to a statement on Uber’s website. As consumers do less traveling after the holidays, the demand for rideshares like Uber decreases and the business experiences lower revenues as a result. These price drops are designed to make travel more appealing and therefore to increase the traffic that Uber experiences in its markets.

Phoenix is a sprawling area with numerous surrounding cities rounding out the Valley of the Sun. With all that space comes the need to drive and that means that countless residents are on the streets every day of the year. All of those vehicles will end up parking somewhere, at some time, so it is a good thing that many of Phoenix’s stores, restaurants, and shops have parking lots. Parking lots are a necessary part of driving in the area but unfortunately, there are some negatives associated with these lots. The biggest safety issue is the prevalence of parking lot accidents, a problem that shows itself every week in Arizona and that causes substantial economic harm. Parking lot crashes can happen between multiple cars, between a car and a fixed object like a pole, or a car and a pedestrian. All of these situations can be serious and can lead to injuries on the part of the victims involved.

Collisions. Crashes. Accidents. No matter what you call them, you should be aware of their risks if you drive in the Phoenix area. With our swelling population, sprawling Valley, and stop-and-go traffic conditions, a typical driver in the area is unlikely to go many days in a row without witnessing the fallout from a car accident. If you are lucky, you will not be a victim of a crash and will only experience slowed driving times or congestion due to these accidents. If you are unlucky, you may suffer from the actions of another driver and may sustain personal injuries as a result of a collision. Experts agree that distraction is the leading cause of car accidents across the nation and the Phoenix area is no exception. Eliminating distraction among drivers would prevent thousands of accidents, eliminate hundreds of injuries, and save many lives in Arizona alone. Most motorists agree that distracted driving is a problem but fewer appreciate just how often they are distracted behind the wheel, creating an issue where a typical driver engages in activities she would describe as unsafe if another person drove in that manner.

To many people in Phoenix, it is comforting to know that they drive a new, top-of-the line vehicle with all the safety features one can imagine. After all, the better the technology inside a car, the more likely they are to avoid a car accident – or so they like to believe. In truth, the presence or absence of safety devices and advanced technology is not likely to be the sole factor in whether a collision takes place. Instead, it is usually the contentious or negligent conduct of a motorist that determines the likelihood of a collision, and not technology on its own. This is true even where technology seems to take complete control over a routine driving task. Currently, a number of vehicles offer park assist technology as a standard or an optional feature on newer cars and some that have been manufactured in the last decade. This type of technology allows a driver to parallel park her vehicle without controlling the car. Instead, when the feature is activated, a series of sensors around the front, rear, and side of the vehicle will turn on and will detect how far a vehicle is from other obstacles, including other parked cars. The vehicle will then back up as necessary and move into a parking space by coordinating the view from the sensors with the car’s steering capabilities and gas and brake pedals.

Today marks the end of 2015 and all that it brought to those who call Phoenix home. Whether it was a banner year for you or one you’d rather forget, this year is ending no matter what. And with the closing of the year comes a celebration for many as they look forward to the promise of 2016. Tonight, many will gather with friends and family members to partake in traditional New Year’s Eve events. Many of the cities in and around Maricopa County also will have public festivities for those wishing to take part and some local establishments are advertising a family-friendly way to celebrate. Regardless of your plans, know that there are certain risks for injuries associated with a typical New Year’s Eve and that your conduct tonight may go a long way toward determining whether you and your family remain safe or whether you may become an accident victim.

For fans of college football, the days surrounding January 1st of any year can be some of the best of the season. With the current post season structure and the four team playoff system, some of the biggest bowl games will happen between New Year’s Eve and January 2nd of this year with two of those games taking place in the Phoenix area. Fans are excitedly anticipating the Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale and the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix. The Fiesta Bowl will feature Notre Dame taking on Ohio State in a matchup of two of the nation’s premier football programs. Set for Friday, January 1, 2016, the event will also have a number of official and unofficial associated events surrounding the game including pregame parties, a parade, receptions, and designated gatherings for fans from out of state. Tens of thousands of spectators are expected in the area around the stadium with many others anticipated in area restaurants and bars, setting up for a potentially busy day in Glendale on Friday. The University of Phoenix Stadium normally hosts home football games for the Arizona Cardinals at this time of year so officials are prepared in much of the same way they would be if the NFL were playing. However, the addition of other activities like the parade and pregames means that the Fiesta Bowl will have a different spin on it than a standard Cardinals game and there could be complications to traffic flow and pedestrian safety as a result.

When most people hear “Phoenix,” they think of our brutally hot summers or our desert-like dryness. But if you have stepped outside this morning, you know that there is another side of Phoenix that can show itself at this time of year. Currently, Phoenix and many of the surrounding areas are seeing temperatures in the low to mid 30s, causing a freeze warning for all of the metro Phoenix area and much of the rest of Arizona. Fortunately, precipitation is not expected this morning while temperatures remain low so the chances of icy roads are limited. However, officials have warned that the presence of freezing temperatures may cause unprotected pipes to burst, which in turn could lead to running or standing water on roadways. If this happens, ice is a possibility and it may lead to a very real risk of car accidents.

Drunk driving is a popular topic in the media in Phoenix. In fact, Arizona has some of the strictest laws against drunk driving in the nation which lead to many arrests, charges, and sentences related to driving under the influence of alcohol. But with all the attention and with all the legislation related to this activity, it still surprises many that thousands take to the roads in our state each and every year after they have been drinking, contrary to an in violation of the law and against all indications related to public safety. There are many costs to drunk driving. There is the cost of a traffic ticket should a driver be caught in the act. There is also the cost of a lawyer if that drunk driver needs one for criminal charges. There may be court costs, fines, and fees associated with an act of driving under the influence. A convicted motorist may have to pay to have an ignition interlock device installed in her car. He may have to pay a higher automobile insurance premium once points are assessed against his license. And he may have to pay the price of public embarrassment and shame if it becomes known to family and friend that he drove while drunk. But the biggest price that is paid for drunk driving is one that cannot be reduced to a monetary value: the price of life. Tragically, a person loses her life every hour of every day in this country due to the actions of drunk drivers. In 2013 alone, more than 10,000 people lost their lives needlessly because a motorist opted to drive after drinking.