Beware of Dangers posed by Numerous Drunk Drivers on Thanksgiving Weekend

Although Thanksgiving weekend is thought of as a special family time, it is statistically the most dangerous holiday weekend due to the high volume of people on the road and 4-day-length of overindulgence that always begins on a Thursday.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's report on motor vehicle deaths, Thanksgiving weekend is number one and July 4th weekend is number two as the most dangerous holidays for drivers.  The other long weekends of Memorial Day and Labor Day come in fourth and fifth most dangerous.  New Years is number six because it often does not not fall on a weekend or near the weekend.

Most people don't realize that for the average person, each drink adds 0.02% to the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) per hour and in that hour only about 0.01% is removed by the body's metabolic processing. This is why blood alcohol concentrations build steadily throughout a long day of holiday celebration causing levels to often rise beyond the legal driving limit (0.08% BAC in Michigan).  Be aware that you cannot speed your body's processing of alcohol with coffee or other urban-myth-remedies. 

Be a safe driver and do all you can to prevent a serious auto accident or death related to drunk driving!

Bike lanes on the rise on Michigan

"Bicyclists have a right to be on the road."  This comes from Josh DeBruyn during a recent interview on Michigan public radio, where the bike and pedestrian coordinator for Michigan Department of Transportation explained the rise in bike lanes.  He says that according to state and national laws, bikes are as much a part of the road as motor vehicles.

Recent additions to the number of bike lanes in numerous cities across the state, including Detroit and Grand Rapids, have drivers of motor vehicles anxious and angry about bicyclists.  It is a two-way road; while bicyclists must follow the same road laws that a car must follow, cars have to allow bicyclists the proper space and attention.  DeBruyn says that the two biggest mistakes cars make are not giving enough space when passing a bike and cutting in front of bicyclists.

The data is premature on whether or not bike lanes decrease accidents.  Nevertheless, there is no doubt that both motorists and bicyclists must follow road laws no matter the circumstance, it will reduce accidents and boost vehicle cooperation.

 

Proposed Crosswalk City Advisory Committee

 

Following the death of Sharita Williams in August who passed away from injuries sustained when she was hit by a car on Plymouth road, the city of Ann Arbor and its residents have raised concerns about the efficacy of crosswalks and their notification systems.  Two different Ann Arbor city council members are proposing a City Advisory Committee.  The committee would spend six to nine months studying crosswalks, ways to make them safer, and ideas to make vehicles more aware of their existence.

A recent article in the Ann Arbor News highlights the current debate about keeping or getting rid of the recent changes to the crosswalk law.  Those against the changes argue that the new wording confuses drivers, puts pressure on them, and causes automobile accidents.  However; those who are in favor of the change suggest that it ensures the safety of children and people with disabilities.

The new wording, enacted in Ann Arbor two years ago, requires cars to stop when a pedestrian is at the crosswalk, it does not matter if the pedestrian is stepping off the curb or waiting at the curb.

The proposed City Advisory Committee would be a group of city officials as well as city residents who are interested in the matter.  Those citizens who wish to take part in the committee can download the standard application form for city boards from the city clerk's website.

Included in those who favor keeping the new wording is The Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition.  According to the Ann Arbor News article, they have "launched a petition urging the City Council not to repeal the ordinance."  

This coalition has also recorded and produced facts about the effectiveness of the new ordinance. The WBWC claims that after observing a crosswalk on Plymouth road, they claim that in 2010, cars stopped 1.7 percent of the time, 9.5 percent in 2011, and 63.5 in 2012.  These figures cover the time period before and after the city ordinance was passed and put into place.  These facts cannot be ignored.  There is always more that can be done, but these statistics shed light on how far the city has come since revising the language of the local crosswalk law.

Does Your Auto Insurance Policy Fully Protect You and Your Family?

Across the country, auto insurance premiums are up 23% over the last five years for the average driver.  A 40-year-old-male typically pays between $1,510 to $2,700 per year in premiums.  Due to these increased costs you may be thinking of ways to reduce your annual premium costs; however,  be careful not to cut corners so much that you fail to protect yourself and/or your family.  In regards to policy liability limits, insurance analysts recommend at least $100,000 per person / $300,000 per incident.  The state of Michigan only requires drivers to get $20,000 in coverage but this is far too low to protect your assets from a personal injury lawsuit.  If your insurance policy limit does not cover all the pain and suffering damages awarded in a lawsuit then Michigan law allows the injured party to collect from your personal assets. 

                           

Additionally, be sure to have a policy that has Uninsured Motorist (UM) and Under-insured Motorist (UIM) riders to protect you and your family.  Studies show that one in seven drivers drive without any insurance coverage.  Oftentimes, these uninsured drivers get insurance for only a few months or weeks so they can get their state registration and then they allow their insurance to lapse and continue to drive uninsured for 10 months or more of the year.  With around 14% of drivers being uninsured, you really need to have UM and it is relatively inexpensive.  Additionally, many other drivers will get the minimum $20,000 liability coverage.  If you or your family member are seriously injured by a driver with inadequate limits and that driver also has no assets that can be collected against, then this can lead to serious damages being uncompensated.  It makes sense to also get the UIM coverage.  Insurance analyst recommend $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident in UM / UIM coverage.  These insurance specialists find that these policy limits will cover additional damages in all but 5% of accidents.  

Crosswalk Safety and Distracted Driving

The recent incident in Ann Arbor, where a University of Michigan student was struck by a car while walking in a crosswalk on Plymouth road, has sparked new conversation about pedestrian safety. How much caution do flashing lights provide?  Is distracted driving more often than not the cause of fatal accidents? The disastrous accident in which Sharita Williams was killed is a clear reminder of two notable things: that pedestrians must always use caution when crossing streets and that distracted driving should be eliminated at all costs.

In the city of Ann Arbor, the crosswalk laws were re-worded two years ago.  A press release from the City of Ann Arbor explains that the prior ordinance required "a vehicle to stop for a pedestrian 'approaching or within' a marked crosswalk...." while the new ordinance requires "a vehicle to stop for a pedestrian standing 'at the curb' as well as 'within the crosswalk."  In addition, as an article from annarbor.com titled "Number of pedestrian-vehicle crashes up in Ann Arbor since adoption of crosswalk ordinance" states, the city's ordinance requires vehicles to stop for pedestrians standing at the curb, while the state's MichiganTraffic Code requires cars yield to pedestrians.  

While this changes the wording of the law, attempting to make it safer for pedestrians crossing the street, it is important for people to not let their guard down and to use caution.  There is no evidence yet to suggest that the change in wording has increased or decreased the number of pedestrian-vehicle crashes.  In the tragic case of Sharita Williams' death, just because there is a crosswalk and flashing lights to notify drivers, these efforts at improved safety are on no consequence if drivers are still distracted from their driving.  According to a recent article from annarbor.com the most dangerous intersection for walkers and bikers are in downtown Ann Arbor along Huron street; however, other places such as Plymouth Road can be very risky.

At all times, cautious pedestrians should be paired with safe, non-distracted drivers.  The incident on Plymouth Road is a reminder that even when the City takes action to prevent harmful accidents, people are still responsible for driving safely with as little distractions as possible.  Every added element that is not the steering wheel or gas peddle counts as a distraction.  Tracy Samilton from NPR says that even being late is an added distraction that impedes safe driving.

All of this means that crossing the street can be deadly, especially on busy streets such as Plymouth and Huron in Ann Arbor.  It also means that it is part pedestrian, part driver to ensure the safety of people in cross-walks. Driving distracted is risky and unsafe.  Walking and talking on a cell phone, listening to music, or texting while walking can also be a major distraction for pedestrians who need to be alert, free of distractions, and always cautious when crossing streets. 

Bicycle Safety

All too often, bicyclists and motorcyclists do not wear helmets.  The recent change to the Michigan Motorcycle Law, which now allows motorcyclists to choose for the themselves if they want to wear a helmet, has only increased the community's acceptance of helmet-less riders being simply an expression of freedom of choice.  But what riders forget is that there are many elements out of their own control.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 677 bicyclists died in 2011 in the United States.  Wearing a helmet can significantly reduce this number, as can other precautions.  When a bike is on the road, it is considered by law to be a moving vehicle.  As suggested by the Michigan Department of State, this means that there are a number of measures a rider should take:

• Always ride with other vehicles (contrary to walking or running on a road.)
• Obey the rules of the road as any other vehicle operator; this means stop at stop signs and lights and use hand signals to indicate turns
• Wear a helmet and reflective clothing
• Yield to pedestrians
• Never ride drunk or distracted
• Ride as far to the right as possible
• Attach a red and white reflector when riding at night

Following these suggestions does not guarantee the absence of an accident; however, the precautions are proven to decrease the risk of a fatality.  If no other measures are taken, at least, wear a helmet.

Jackson County's Most Dangerous Intersections

The Michigan State Police Office of Highway Safety Planning identifies Jackson County's most dangerous intersections.  Unfortunately, between 2003 and 2007, the intersection of West and West Michigan Avenues was the county's most accident prone area; it was home to 139 crashes according to an MLive article.

Provocatively, even though this and a few other intersections in Jackson County see a frequent number of crashes, the accidents are rarely serious.  Because 18,200 vehicles flow daily on West Michigan Avenue, across West Avenue, John Holda, Jackson County's Police Deputy Chief, says that the high volume of traffic causes the accidents.

Next, the intersection of N. West Avenue and West North Street has the second highest number of crashes, at 135.  However, just because an intersection has a high number of crashes, does not mean that it needs to be re-engineered.  Often, these intersections are engineered correctly, but it is the volume of cars traveling through them which raises the probability of an accident.

This data suggests that in order to avoid an accident, avoid these two intersections all together.  Secondly, if you must travel through these intersections, do so with more caution than you otherwise would.