Schools across South Carolina will begin their new year in the next couple of weeks. That means schools busses will be picking up and dropping off children before and after school. Here are six rules on when to stop and when to go when approaching a stopped school bus.
Flashing Red Lights. You only have to stop for a school bus if it is flashing its red lights. Additionally, if a school bus is flashing its amber lights, you can't pass it.
Approaching From Behind. Always stop for a school bus flashing its red lights if you are approaching the bus from behind.
Approaching From Opposite Direction. Always stop for a school bus that is flashing its red lights if you are driving in the opposite direction on any road less than four lanes.
Four Lanes or More. When approaching a school bus that is flashing its red lights in the opposite direction, do not stop if you are on a road that is four lanes or larger.
Begin Moving. You can begin moving again once the bus begins moving or when the bus turns off its flashing lights.
Median or Middle Lanes. Always stop when approaching a school bus that is flashing its red lights in the opposite direction when driving on a two-lane road, even if a median or middle lane divides the road.
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If you have been injured in a car accident, you need a Battle Plan.
Car Crashes are the #1 killer of teens. Remember that Safety is not an accident; it is a process of good decisions.
With the privilege of driving comes the responsibility to make safe choices. Safe choices include paying attention to the road. 58% of teens involved in traffic collisions are distracted. Summer is the most deadly season for teens.
Good driving decisions for teenagers include putting their mobile phones down, limiting the number of passengers, and keeping their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.
Talk with your teen about safe driving decisions. Make the above rules mandatory for them to keep the privilege of driving.
For more information, please visit the National Organization for Youth Safety at www.noys.org. If you have been injured in a crash, please visit my website at www.brianmurphylawyer.com.
Car Crashes are the #1 killer of teens. Remember that Safety is not an accident; it is a process of good decisions. One of those good decisions is using your seat belt.
Did you know that 53% of teenage drivers who died in crashes were not wearing seat belts? Additionally, a recent survey found that 25% of teens said they don’t wear their seat belts.
Explain these statistics to your teenage drivers. Tell them that seat belts are an important piece of the vehicle’s safety systems. Tell them you expect them to wear them along with any passengers. After all, it’s the law in South Carolina.
For more information, please visit the National Organization for Youth Safety at www.noys.org. If you have been injured in a crash, please visit my website at www.brianmurphylawyer.com.
I know you have heard me say that speed kills, and it does. However, driving too slowly causes car accidents also. The South Carolina Driver’s License Manual reminds us that driving too slowly can also be dangerous.
The reason is this: When you drive to slowly, traffic backs up behind you. When traffic backs up behind you, some motorists may make dangerous moves to get around you. South Carolina has minimum speed laws in addition to maximum speed limits.
Remember to maintain the speed of the traffic around you No, that doesn’t give you a license to speed. You should go with the flow of traffic as long as you are not speeding.
Did you know that thousands of Americans will be injured and hundreds will die in the next two weeks? USA Today reports that the end of the year holidays will bring bloodshed and carnage to our streets and highways. As most of us celebrate with office parties, family gatherings, and spirited shopping, some Americans won’t see the New Year. The National Safety Council estimates that over 40% of the traffic fatalities during the New Year’s period were caused from drinking and driving. How can you help? The only foolproof way to avoid causing an alcohol related fatality is to avoid alcohol before driving. Make a commitment today to stop the bloodshed by abstaining from alcohol before driving. If you would like to talk to me about your car accident, please call me at 888-510-9359 or visit my website at www.brianmurphylawyer.com. Also read, 3 Things to Know Before Talking to Anyone About Your Car Accident Case or request my free South Carolina Car Accident Claims Guide in Plain English.
Don’t Drink and Drive. The holidays are times for celebration. However, the best way to avoid an accident or any involvement with law enforcement is to avoid all alcohol if you have to drive.
Prepare Your Car. Make sure your tires are properly inflated and all of your fluids are topped off. It’s also a good idea to take along some drinking water.
Avoid Blind Spots. Don’t travel in another vehicle’s blind spot. If you find yourself in one, either slow down or speed up to get out of the danger zone. Also remember that large trucks have larger blind spots.
Be Careful Around Large Trucks. Remember that large trucks can’t stop as quickly, so avoid cutting them off.
Don’t Speed. Speed is one of the top causes of traffic collisions.
Follow Safely. Follow another vehicle at a safe distance. Following too closely is another one of the top causes of traffic collisions.
Inspect Child Seats. Before a long trip, make sure those child safety seats are secured properly.
Parents are the most important and effective roll models for children. Children understand when their parents drive too fast, cut someone off, or don’t completely stop for a traffic signal. They pay much more attention to the things their parents do. Following the traffic safety rules gives children a good example of how to drive safely. When it is their time to start driving, they will rely on the example their parents set for them.
2. Start Teaching Safety Young
A child may place special emphasis on lessons learned when they are young. While you are driving your children around, explain why you are driving the way you are. Point out that you stop completely for stop signs. Tell them why you are slowing down while driving in the rain. Explain to them why you are increasing the distance between your car and the car in front of you during bad weather. Follow up with them the next time the situation comes up by asking them why they think you are driving a certain way. Children will learn quickly and remember these lessons when they start driving.
3. Get Involved with Pre-License Education
Take a driver education course with your teenage driver. Many parents may not know the best ways to teach their teenage drivers. With education, a parent can help young drivers fully recognize and appreciate dangerous situations. Taking the course together will allow a parent to re-enforce the training in real-life situations.
4. Enter Into a Safety Contract and Continue Education
Have your teenage driver enter into a safety contract with you. The safety contract can detail the expectations you have for your young driver’s continued driving privilege. You can even include continued education as one of the contract’s items. For some examples, check out Driving Skills for Life, developed by Ford and the Governors Highway Safety Association or Checkpoints developed by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
5. Enforce Driver’s License Restrictions
One of the most effective safety initiatives in recent years is the graduated driver’s license program. While these programs restrict the situations that newly licensed driver’s can drive in, parents must enforce those restrictions. Although there is a risk that a driver will be caught by law enforcement, the most effective method of making sure teens follow the restrictions is for parents to enforce them.
6. Reward Good Driving
Anytime you witness good driving from your teen driver, reward them. Rewards can be praise, extra allowance, or later curfew. Use your imagination and reinforce good driving behavior.
7. Monitor
Finally, monitor your teen’s driving. You can monitor with a GPS device, smartphone, or plug in hardware. Do a search for “monitor teenage driver” for more resources.
If you have been hurt in a car accident:
Please read why I don’t believe it was an accident, here;
Request my Free Guide, South Carolina Car Accident Claims Guide in Plain English, by clicking here.
Call at 888-510-9359 or contact me for a free consultation. There is no obligation.
I see it all the time in my neighborhood. Drivers approach a stop sign, slow, and then round off the turn without completely stopping. It’s illegal and everyone knows it. For some reason, we just won’t take the time to follow certain traffic safety rules. Here are five reasons you should always completely stop at stop signs.
1. It’s the law and you could get a ticket
I know you know its illegal. Everyone knows that rolling through stop signs is illegal. You most likely won’t get caught in your neighborhood. However, stopping at stop signs in your neighborhood may be the most important place you should always completely stop.
2. You could cause a collision or run over a pedestrian causing horrible injuries
Once you get in a habit of rolling through the neighborhood stop sign, you begin to pay less attention to what you are doing. You glance in both directions, but you miss the car coming toward you. Perhaps you miss the soccer ball rolling down the street and child following behind. No one ever intends to cause harm to another, but your choice to roll through that stop sign can lead to horrible consequences.
3. Your behavior sets an example for our children
Children don’t do what we tell them to do, children do what we do. If we roll through stop signs, our children will when they start driving. Worse, our behavior teaches children not to follow some safety rules if there is a time saving benefit.
4. Children depend on you stopping
Our children know that cars must stop at stop signs. The decisions they make are dependent on how the world works around them. Children may cross the road, counting on you obeying the safety rules and stopping at the stop sign. Children may continue after the soccer ball rolling down the street, because they are depending on you following the safety rules.
5. You set an example for your community
Ultimately, we all set the safety rules for our community. If more of us set an example and obey the rules, others will follow as well. As our community places more importance on following the safety rules, the safer our community will be.
The extra few seconds you stay at the stop sign will be well worth the cost.
If you have been hurt in a car accident:
Please read why I don’t believe it was an accident, here;
Request my Free Guide, South Carolina Car Accident Claims Guide in Plain English, by clicking here.
Call at 888-510-9359 or contact me for a free consultation. There is no obligation.
Traffic Tip Tuesday: I’m On A Boat! Don’t Get a DUI?
Its summer time and that means being on a boat. Please remember that boating safety means being responsible. Being responsible means using alcohol safely.
Here is your fool-proof way to avoid getting an alcohol related ticket out on the water! Don’t drink alcohol if you are operating a boat.
Otherwise, South Carolina Law says that an operator of a boat must not use so much alcohol (or any other drug) so that their ability to operate the boat is “materially and appreciably impaired.” Don’t believe me, look it up here.
So how does law enforcement determine if you are “materially and appreciably impaired?” Law enforcement investigates boating alcohol violations the same way law enforcement investigates driving under the influence. However, the field sobriety tests are modified so that law enforcement can give the tests on a boat.
If you have been hurt in an accident:
Please read why I don’t believe it was an accident, here;
Request my Free Guide, South Carolina Car Accident Claims Guide in Plain English, by clicking here.
Call at 888-510-9359 or contact me for a free consultation. There is no obligation.
