Minneapolis Personal Injury Blog

The April, 2011 death of Audrey Hull who was riding her bicycle near the intersection of 15th Avenue SE and 4th Street SE when she was struck by a dump truck has helped lead to bike lane changes along a two block length from 15th Avenue, which connects the University of Minnesota’s East campus with Dinkytown.  The City of Minneapolis estimates that this area averages approximately 3500 bicycle rides and 12,000 car and truck trips daily.  The bike lanes in this area are now marked green in the middle of the intersections.  The goal of the colored lanes in the middle of the intersection is to make drivers turning at the corners to be more vigilant of bicycle traffic and to make bikers have a better idea where to ride.

A study release on October 21, 2010 by the Centers for Disease Control (http//www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDR/wk/mm594.pdf) reports that fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States involving 16 and 17 year old drivers decreased by 36 percent from 2004 to 2008.  In Minnesota the percentage change was even greater in that the decrease was 53 percent; 47 fatalities in 2004 compared to 22 in 2008.  Authorities believe that changing social attitudes and education emphasizing the dangers of drinking alcohol and driving as well as the importance of wearing seat belts are significant factors behind the reduction in fatal car accidents.

A recent Minnesota State Patrol survey determined that 58 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal vehicle accidents were not wearing seat belts and 66 percent of teen passengers killed in car accidents were not wearing seat belts.

The CDC study was published in conjunction with National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 17-23).   The CDC emphasizes that continuing youth education needs to be emphasized because one out of every three teen deaths involves motor vehicle accidents.  The “Parents Are the Key” campaign (http://www.cdc.gov/parentsarethekey) points to the role that parents play in protecting their children.

An August 2009, report published by the American Association of Justice based on data obtained from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has concluded that as of April 2007, there were at least 28,000 trucking businesses, owning over 200,000 trucks that were operating in violation of safety standards.  These violations included overloading trucks, unmaintained tires and brakes, unqualified or untrained truck drivers and truck driver compensation formulas that encouraged drivers to drive faster than posted speed limits and to exceed maximum driving hours.  Over one-half of the violations were for defective brakes.  Companies in Minnesota that have received either conditional or unsatisfactory safety ratings can be found at www.justice.org/trucksafetyviolations.

Current statistics reveal that over 4,000 people are killed on US roads every year in truck accidents and 80,000 people suffer serious injuries.  In Minnesota alone, there were 84 deaths involving large trucks in 2007.  The large majority of people killed in these collisions with trucks are drivers

Truck accidents injure over 100,000 people each year and result in over 100,000.00 personal injuries and 5,000 fatalities in the United States a year. A leading reason for truck accidents is truck driver sleep deprivation. Recent studies have confirmed that sleep apnea is a major source for health problems for truckers, including falling asleep at the wheel. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31066019.

Research has shown that there is a strong connection between overweight truck drivers and sleep apnea. A recent Harvard University study on sleep apnea recommends that federal government require testing for obese truck drivers in order to reduce the frequency and danger of unnecessary truck accidents. For the past several years, officials at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have discussed implementing new rules require screenings for overweight truck drivers, but it has not been put in place yet.

Studies have shown that sleep apnea increases this risk of car accidents and trucks accidents by two to seven times. Up to twenty percent of truck accidents are caused by truckers who have fallen asleep.

If you or your family members have been injured in a car or truck accident, contact a car accident or truck accident lawyer at Howard W. Sussman & Associates. You cant contact us at 612-332-4830 by contacting us through our website at www.sussmanlaw.com.

Howard W. Sussman & Associates have offices in Plymouth, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Burnsville, Minnesota. Arrangements can be made for hospital, home or office visits for a free consultation.