Back to School Safety Tips
- Posted by Taylor Ernst on
- September 26, 2018
It’s that time of year again: the kids are back in school. While there are no doubt a lot of relieved parents, there are also increased safety issues with the kids on the road to and from school. Every year, at least 100 children are killed in collisions while to and from school. In California, the speed limit in school zones when children are present is 25 MPH.
Many of us drive our kids to and from school. Here are some safety tips to follow to make sure the school zone stays safe.
If You’re Dropping Off
Schools often have very specific drop-off procedures for the school year. Make sure you know them for the safety of all kids. The following apply to all school zones:
- Don’t double park; doing so blocks visibility for other children and vehicles.
- Don’t load or unload children across the street from the school.
- Carpool to reduce the number of vehicles at the school.
Sharing the Road with Young Pedestrians
Some of our kids walk to and from school, which creates different safety risks.
According to research by the National Safety Council, most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4 to 7 years old, and they’re walking. They are hit by the bus, or by a motorist illegally passing a stopped bus.
A few precautions go a long way toward keeping children safe:
- Don’t block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic.
- In a school zone when flashers are blinking, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection.
- Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign.
- Take extra care to look out for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas.
- Don’t honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way
- Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians.
- Always use extreme caution to avoid striking pedestrians wherever they may be, no matter who has the right of way.
Sharing the Road with School Buses
If you’re driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing. It’s illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.
- Never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction, if you’re on an undivided road – if it’s stopped to load or unload children.
- If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop.
- The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus.
- Be alert; children often are unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks.
Sharing the Road with Bicyclists
On most roads, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as vehicles, but bikes can be hard to see. Children riding bikes create special problems for drivers because usually they are not able to properly determine traffic conditions. The most common cause of collision is a driver turning left in front of a bicyclist.
- When passing a bicyclist, proceed in the same direction slowly, and leave 3 feet between your car and the cyclist.
- When turning left and a bicyclist is approaching in the opposite direction, wait for the rider to pass.
- If you’re turning right and a bicyclists is approaching from behind on the right, let the rider go through the intersection first, and always use your turn signals.
- Watch for bike riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling; children especially have a tendency to do this.
- Be extra vigilant in school zones and residential neighborhoods.
- Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars.
- Check side mirrors before opening your door.
By exercising a little extra care and caution, drivers and pedestrians can co-exist safely in school zones.
Speak to a San Luis Obispo Attorney Today
If you or your child has been injured in an accident in a school zone, you have legal rights. Contact the San Luis Obispo personal injury attorneys at Ernst Law Group today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Car Seat Safety for Young Passengers
- Posted by Taylor Ernst on
- September 19, 2018
September 23 – 29 is Child Passenger Safety Week. Hopefully, we all know that it is important to use an approved car seat for our young children, but the laws regarding the use of car seats require car seats for older children as well.
Children under 2 years old must ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless the child weighs 40 pounds or more, or is taller than 40 inches. Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat, or booster seat in the back seat of the vehicle.
Children who are at least 8 years old or are 4 ft. 9 inches tall may be secured in a booster seat, but at minimum must be secured by a safety belt.
Putting your child in an appropriate car seat or booster is the single most important thing you can do to increase the chances your child will survive a car crash. Still, car crashes are the leading cause of death for children 1 to 13. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2015 in the United State 663 children ages 12 years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes and 121,350 were injured.
One CDC study found that at least 618,000 children ages 0 – 12 rode without a car seat at least some of the time. Of the children ages 0 – 12 who died in car crashes in 2015, 35% were not buckled.
Car seat usage reduces the risk for death to infants under 1 by a staggering 71%, and by 54% for children aged 1 – 4. Booster seat usage reduces the risk of serious injury by 45% for children ages 4 – 8. For older children, the proper use of a seat belt reduces the risk by half.
These statistics should make every parent insist that a car seat is used every time their child rides in a car.
But, the use of a seat is not enough. The seat must be properly installed. Using a booster seat is easy. Just place the child in the seat, secure the latches and use a regular car seatbelt. But, installing a car seat can be very difficult. Many times, one must kneel in the seat to be able to secure the latches to the anchors under the back seat. Sometimes in can be difficult to even get an adult into the back seat to properly install the car seat.
Fortunately, there are many resources available to help anyone install a car seat free of charge.
In our experience, you can go to any CHP office and just ask for help. A trained officer will come out to your car and make sure your seat is installed properly. This is certainly worth 15 minutes of your time.
Many agencies and cities hold Car Seat Safety Checks, also free of charge. This list below, while certainly not comprehensive, will give you an abundance of resources and information concerning car seat usage and installation.
Above all else, please secure your child in a car seat.
If you or your child is injured in a car accident, you have legal options. Contact the San Luis Obispo personal injury lawyers at Ernst Law Group today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
RESOURCES
What You Need to Know About Fatal Amusement Park Injuries in California
- Posted by Taylor Ernst on
- July 3, 2018
There are seemingly two camps when it comes to amusement park rides in California: Those who ride them for the thrill, and those who don’t, finding them too risky. No matter which side of the fence you find yourself on when it comes to water slides, spinning rides, roller coasters and other adrenaline-fueled rides, the truth is that they can be dangerous. In the most severe cases, the aftermath requires the assistance of a wrongful death lawyer in San Luis Obispo.
Are Amusement Park Accidents in California Common?
Tens of thousands of people are injured on amusement park rides every year. Injuries range from minor ones that require no medical attention to accidents that prove fatal. About half of all people injured on these rides are children, with those between 10 and 14-years-old sustaining the most injuries of any age group. Children, due to their size, make up three-quarters of victims who have been thrown or have fallen from a ride.
The Most Common Amusement Park Ride Injuries
Almost any injury can be sustained on an amusement park ride that malfunctions, but some are more common than others. These include:
- Back, neck and head injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Lacerations
- Torn ligaments
- Broken bones
- Stroke
- Fatal injuries
What Causes Amusement Park Ride Accidents?
According to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there are several common causes for amusement park ride accidents. These include mechanical failure, improper operation, passenger misuse and the nature of the ride.
When an accident is caused by mechanical failure or improper operation, the person who designed the ride, the park or the person operating it may be held accountable. When a death is the result of an amusement park accident, a wrongful death lawsuit may be pursued.
How a San Luis Obispo Wrongful Death Attorney Can Help
There are different avenues that may be pursued when someone is injured as the result of an amusement park accident. A person may pursue a personal injury claim if negligence led to the accident. For example, the operator may have failed to provide instructions to riders or the park may have neglected to post signs.
Another person may be able to file a product liability claim. This would happen if the ride malfunctioned during operation. In the case of fatality, the victim’s family could possibly pursue a wrongful death claim.
If you or a loved one have been injured on an amusement park ride and are interested in seeking compensation, reach out to our office. A wrongful death lawyer in San Luis Obispo from Ernst Law Group can assist your family in seeking the compensation you deserve. Call our office today to schedule a free case evaluation and learn more about your rights.
Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities on the Rise
- Posted by Taylor Ernst on
- May 7, 2018
A recent study conducted by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) shows that pedestrian fatalities in traffic accidents are on the rise. According to the GHSA, 6,000 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2017. Two factors have been examined for their potential impact on these statistics.
Possible Factors of Increased Pedestrian Fatalities
The consistently increasing use of cell phones and legalization of marijuana are considered possible factors for the increased death rate of pedestrians. While cell phone use is obviously not new, every day we become more dependent upon our phone for nearly every aspect of our lives. Calls, texts, emails, social media, photos, maps and directions are among the reasons one might be looking at a phone when walking on the street.
According to the National Safety Council, we are most vulnerable when walking in urban areas, crossing a busy street and negotiating traffic. When we do these things while looking down at a phone, the risk is far greater. Pedestrian-vehicle injuries are the fifth leading cause of death for children ages 5 to 19. Safe Kids.Org offers the following tips for safe walking:
Top Tips For Safe Walking Habits
- Teach kids at an early age to look left, right and left again before crossing the street. Then remind them to continue looking until safely across.
- Teach kids to put phones, headphones and devices down when crossing the street. It is particularly important to reinforce this message with teenagers.
- It’s always best to walk on sidewalks or paths and cross at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
- Children under 10 need to cross the street with an adult. Every child is different, but developmentally, most kids are unable to judge the speed and distance of oncoming cars until age 10.
- Be a good role model. Set a good example by putting your phone, headphones and devices down when walking around cars.
Is Marijuana Legalization A Factor Causing Increased Pedestrian Accidents?
States that legalized marijuana between 2012 and 2016 had a collective 16.4% increase in pedestrian fatalities in the first 6 months of 2017 compared to the prior year. It’s important to not misinterpret these statistics. These numbers don’t tell us who is at fault for these increased collisions, or even that drug use was a factor at all. However, it is more than just an anomaly. Too many people are being killed in pedestrian crashes.
Here in San Luis Obispo, police are reporting an increase in accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles. According to the San Luis Obispo Police Department, San Luis Obispo has seen 237 such collisions in the past three years. According to Capt. Chris Staley, many of these wrecks involved pedestrians not following the law. Regardless of whether the pedestrian is following the law or not, a driver still owes a duty to take reasonable actions to avoid a wreck.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident in San Luis Obispo, please feel free to call one of the experienced pedestrian accident attorneys at Ernst Law Group for a free no-cost consultation today. We will work tirelessly to ensure that you and your family get the financial compensation you deserve.
