Category Archives: Driving Safety

Big Rig Accidents – What Every Trucker Should Know

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Although trucking companies may try to ensure driver safety, trucking accidents are nonetheless commonplace in and around Las Vegas. Commercial Driving while fatigued or under the influence of alcohol or drugs often results in collisions with passenger automobiles, thereby causing devastating injuries or even death. The investigations into such accidents are often complex because there are unique rules that govern trucker safety while on the road.

Accidents between truck drivers and other motorists do not always result solely from negligence on the part of the trucker. Automobile operators sometimes follow too closely or pull out in front of a trucker, thereby resulting in an accident. Even though a trucker is not solely at fault, an investigation must nonetheless take place and could result in a temporary suspension of that individual’s commercial driver’s license.

Truck drivers also stand to lose a great deal financially if accident victims are awarded a cash settlement to compensate for their injuries.

Talking with a personal injury attorney is one way to find out what legal rights injured drivers may have against commercial drivers in trucking accident cases in the Las Vegas area.

Distracted Driving Increases Risks for Accidents in Las Vegas

Avoiding Auto Accidents by Limiting Driving Distractions

Distracted driving is a serious concern, and while it is becoming more recognized in light of rampant cell phone use, it’s important to recognize that there are many types of distractions that can lead to auto accidents. Avoiding distractions isn’t always possible, but there are many precautions that you can take in order to limit your risk of injury in a crash. Staying safe on the road means driving defensively, and limiting your distractions is one of the best defensive driving measures that you can take.

Cell phone use is one of today’s top safety issues. Distractions range from text messaging to holding a phone in one hand while driving with the other. While Nevada law requires that any cell phone activity be hands free, there are still challenges in enforcing the policies and restrictions. Your responsibility in avoiding accidents is to commit to not using your cell phone while driving. It’s tempting to check that text message or to listen to a voice mail, but even at stop lights this can divert your attention from road conditions.

Maps can be very distracting to drivers. Whether you are checking your GPS or looking at a paper map, you should pull to the side of the road in order to do so. Trying to focus on a map while still moving is dangerous to both you and to other motorists

Food and drinks can be unexpectedly distracting. While many motorists consume both while driving, a slight slip can create havoc. It’s wise to do your eating and drinking while not driving.

If you are a victim of a collision due to someone not paying attention to these warnings, you may qualify for financial compensation. Call Edward M Bernstein and Associates for a free consultation.

5 Most Dangerous Intersections in Las Vegas

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As you may have seen on our new commercial the five most dangerous intersections in Las Vegas were recently named. This data was compiled over a six month period (September 2011 to March 2012) from Metro police records and examined traffic collisions with injuries at these specific intersections.

1. Lamb Boulevard and Charleston Boulevard
2. Maryland Parkway and Sahara Avenue
3. Tropicana Avenue and Paradise Road
4. Sahara Avenue and Rainbow Boulevard
5. Tropicana Avenue and Koval Lane

While it is always recommended that you drive defensively, Metro is suggesting that you pay extra attention when driving near any of these identified intersections. The amount of accidents in the Valley seems to spike each summer but I am hopeful that recently enacted laws to eliminate distracted driving will go a long way towards reducing these numbers. What do you think of this list? Are there any other dangerous intersections you’re aware of?

Spring Break Safety Reminder

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With Spring Break in full swing around the Valley it is a good time to remind everyone to be safe on the roads. The weather has been cool and mild leading to more pedestrians out on the streets at all times of day. With the rash of recent accidents between pedestrians and motorists there has never been a better time to share these Spring Break driving tips provided by AAA.

• Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods
• Take extra time to look for pedestrians at intersections, on medians and on curbs
• Enter and exit any alley, driveway, parking space etc. slowly and carefully
• Watch for children in and around the street especially during daytime hours
• Remember that pedestrians (especially children) may move in unpredictable ways
• Reduce any distractions in your vehicle so you can pay attention to the road and surroundings

Let’s work together to make this spring break safe and enjoyable for everyone. Have a great weekend!

New Bus System Aims to Make Streets Safer

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After seemingly endless reports of accidents involving pedestrians and motor vehicles I was happy to read about a new system recently unveiled by the The Clark County School District. The district is in the middle of rolling out a sophisticated software system to manage the 36,000 stops its 1,500 school buses make daily. Officials are optimistic that the system could better manage drivers, create more efficient routes, save money and most importantly save lives. This fall, district officials plan to have all standard bus routes avoid taking unnecessary trips into residential neighborhoods, keeping them on main thoroughfares instead.

Preventing buses from going into private neighborhoods is just one benefit of the new $875,000 system, called Compass, by U.S. Computing, Inc. Officials say the new system will allow them to integrate traffic information, avoid accident-prone intersections and monitor whether drivers are adhering to their assigned routes. I see this as a win-win for the people of Las Vegas as the schools will be able to divert some of the money saved to other areas and the streets will be safer for our children and families. What are your thoughts?

-Edward M Bernstein and Associates

New bus routing system aims to keep kids safer
The Associated Press
Las Vegas Review Journal
April 3, 2012

The Clark County School District is in the middle of rolling out a sophisticated software system to manage the 36,000 stops its 1,500 school buses make daily.

Read the rest of the article HERE

2 Juveniles Injured in Separate Pedestrian Accidents

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After a few relatively quiet months we have another wave of accidents involving pedestrians and motor vehicles. In the past week alone I have read about half a dozen tragic accidents and as a father today’s breaking news really spoke to me. In separate incidents in less than 24 hours two juveniles were hit and injured (but expected to recover) by vehicles. Officer Laura Meltzer said a green pickup truck struck a juvenile just after 7:15 a.m. Thursday at Sahara Avenue east of the Desert Rose Golf Course. Meltzer added a black sedan hit a child about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday night at Decatur Boulevard near the Sahara Pavilion South shopping center.

While it has not yet been determined if the children were using the crosswalk when they were hit I want to caution all drivers to pay extra attention when driving (especially anywhere near children). With the weather warming up and increased daylight hours there will be more people out on and about while we ramp up to the summer months. Take your time and keep your eyes peeled and let’s work to make Nevada accident free.

-Edward M Bernstein and Associates

Two children hurt in separate Las Vegas pedestrian accidents
The Associated Press
Las Vegas Review Journal
March 15, 2012

Two children are hurt but are expected to recover after being hit by vehicles in separate crashes Thursday morning.

Read the rest of the article HERE

16 Year Old Girl Hit By School Bus

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It seems like every time I read the local news there is yet another accident altering the lives of an innocent victim in Las Vegas. Just last week I blogged about the efforts various law enforcement agencies throughout Las Vegas are undertaking to make the streets safer for drivers and pedestrians. I was especially saddened yesterday when I read that a 16 year old girl was struck and pinned by a school bus while walking in a marked crosswalk. According to North Las Vegas police spokeswoman Chrissie Coon, the driver a 51-year-old Las Vegas resident, failed to yield at a crosswalk and struck the girl, a North Las Vegas resident. Coon said the bus driver was at fault and should have stopped short of the crosswalk.

North Las Vegas police Sgt. Tim Bedwell said the bus which is about 60 percent the length of a standard school bus, was carrying only the driver and one student when it hit the teen. Thursday’s collision continued the recent spike in the number of Las Vegas Valley vehicles hitting pedestrians especially in North Las Vegas. On Oct, 21, three girls were injured about 6:45 p.m. when they were struck by a vehicle in a North Las Vegas crosswalk at Camino Eldorado and Bent Arrow Drive. One six-year-old female died from injuries suffered in the crash while another six-year-old female was treated for a fractured skull and released from the hospital. I would like to close with the quote given by Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Richard Strader when asked about how to make the streets safer “The public needs to use common sense both the pedestrians and the drivers because It’s all our responsibility to keep our community safe.”
-Edward M Bernstein and Associates

School bus runs over teen in North Las Vegas
Antonio Planas
Las Vegas Review Journal
November 3, 2011

A Clark County School District bus driver rolled through a stop sign Thursday afternoon, striking a 16-year-old girl in a crosswalk and pinning her under the vehicle’s wheels, North Las Vegas police said. The unidentified girl was at University Medical Center in serious condition Thursday night.
Read the rest of the article HERE

Another Tragic Accident Claims Life of 6 Year Old

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Fatal accidents between pedestrians and drivers are an all too common occurrence here in Las Vegas and despite efforts to improve pedestrian safety in the Valley there was yet another fatal accident last week. Three small children walking in a crosswalk were struck by a 78-year-old woman who failed to yield as three other vehicles had. Six-year-old Amelia “Mia” Decker died from her injuries while another six-year old remains hospitalized. With the number of pedestrian fatalities in Nevada nearly double the national average, traffic experts have become more aggressive in their attempts to improve not only crosswalk markings but the relationship between pedestrians and motorists. According to UNLV Safe Partnership Community member Erin Breen, accidents involving pedestrians are a problem across the Southwest due to straight, wide streets which all too often invite motorists to exceed the speed limit and lose focus.

Law enforcement agencies throughout the Las Vegas Valley join together several times a year to target problem areas and cite motorists who blow through crosswalks. North Las Vegas is the only city in the valley that applied for grant money to perform additional crosswalk stings and host educational programs. The department received $60,000 from the Nevada Department of Public Safety to hold pedestrian safety events. Part of the program includes sending undercover officers across the street and nabbing motorists who fail to obey the law. Please exercise caution when walking on Las Vegas streets and if you are driver I would like to remind you not to drive distracted and to give yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going.

-Edward M Bernstein and Associates

Officials lament loss of girl hit by car despite safety project
Adrienne Packer
Las Vegas Review Journal
October 28, 2011

With the number of pedestrian fatalities in Nevada nearly double the national average, traffic experts became more aggressive in their attempts to improve not only crosswalk markings but the contentious relationship between pedestrians and motorists.

Read the rest of the article HERE

New Cellphone Law Goes Into Effect Saturday

I have blogged about it before but starting October 1st Nevada will be the 31st state ban driving while using a handheld cellphone. The new law is aimed at reducing accidents associated with distracted driving. Police can pull over and cite a driver they see using a hand-held phone. Distracted driving has become a hot topic over the last few years as drivers have become increasingly distracted with in dash mp3 players, navigation systems, in-car video players, gaming systems and more.

When drivers become distracted, things can turn ugly quickly as studies have shown that taking one’s eyes off of the road for just two seconds doubles the likelihood of being in a crash. This increased risk of accidents because of driver inattention is associated with drivers of all ages, including younger drivers who may pride themselves on their ability to multitask. Fines are set at $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense and $250 for third and subsequent offenses. While the law goes into effect on October 1st the police will be citing and not fining offenders through December 31st. Please remember to drive safely and pay attention because the life you save could be your own.

-Edward M Bernstein and Associates

Police giving drivers chance to adjust to new cellphone law
Las Vegas Review Journal
September 25, 2011

The combination of a cellphone and a car are as vital to Kolleen Kelley’s profession as a purseful of well-designed business cards and an extroverted personality. But, in June, Kelley, a Realtor for 25 years, realized that she would have to revise her carefully choreographed ballet of telecommunication and transportation when Gov. Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 140, which prohibits motorists from talking on hand-held cellphones or texting while driving.

Read the rest of the article HERE

Construction Zone Crash Leaves 1 Dead

I want to take a minute to remind everyone about the importance of wearing your seat belt and also to please slow down when driving in or around a construction zone. A tragic accident occurred this weekend in Pahrump that left three people injured and one dead. According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, 29 year old driver Abelardo Garcia died at the scene of the crash on State Route 160 near Winery Road in Pahrump. Troopers went on to report that Garcia was driving a Toyota Camry near a construction zone early Sunday morning before striking traffic cones and colliding with an oncoming truck. Two passengers in Garcia’s vehicle were airlifted in serious condition to a Las Vegas hospital while Garcia (who was not wearing a seat belt) was pronounced dead at the scene. My thoughts go out to the family and friends of everyone involved in this accident.

-Edward M Bernstein and Associates

Crash in construction zone kills one, hurts three in Pahrump
Las Vegas Review Journal
September 6, 2011

A man is dead and three others injured after a weekend head-on collision in a Southern Nevada road construction zone. Nevada Highway Patrol officers say Abelardo Garcia, 29, died at the scene of the crash on State Route 160 near Winery Road in Pahrump.

Read the rest of the article HERE