High schoolers often view the summer as the most free and fun time of the year. Being out of class for the summer means having a lot of leisure time. Teenagers sometimes get part-time jobs during the summer or spend as much time as possible with their friends.

That freedom begins to disappear when young adults achieve legal adulthood, so parents often let teenage children pursue leisure activities and spend much of their summers socializing. Unfortunately, being away from school and having a greater degree of personal freedom could put a teen at risk of a major motor vehicle collision. According to a review of collision statistics, the summer months are when it is most dangerous for teenagers to be out on the road.

Read the rest of this entry »

Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) resulting from car crashes are traumatic events with potentially devastating consequences. The impact of the injury largely depends on the location of the damage along the spinal cord

Understanding a bit about SCIs, how they affect the victim and what determines the long-term outcome may help those who are dealing with this situation. 

Read the rest of this entry »

Missouri is one of six states in the United States that does not have open container laws that apply to everyone in the vehicle. These laws are in place to prevent drivers and passengers from carrying open containers of alcohol inside their vehicles.

One might think it is shocking that a state allows people to carry open bottles of liquor in their cars while driving, and in many cases, it is.

Read the rest of this entry »

Motorcyclists are gearing up and getting ready to ride now that warmer weather is coming. Soon, thousands of motorcycles will be sharing the road with other motorists throughout the Kansas City area and across the Midwest.

As such, rather than waiting for May and Motorcycle Awareness Month, now is the perfect time for everyone to remember that sharing the road requires mutual respect.

Read the rest of this entry »

The color of your vehicle might not be the first factor that you pay much thought to. However, it can significantly impact your safety on the road. The visibility of a vehicle primarily depends on its color contrast with the surrounding environment. Bright colors such as yellow, white and orange tend to stand out more against most backgrounds, making them more visible during daylight hours. This increased visibility can help other drivers and pedestrians notice a vehicle sooner, reducing the risk of accidents.

Read the rest of this entry »

Picture this: you are driving home after a fruitful day at the office when, out of nowhere, you hear a bang! An accident has happened, and you are the victim. Your car has been hit from behind.

Rear-end crashes account for nearly 30 percent of all car accidents. This makes them one of the leading causes of car wrecks. How exactly do these accidents happen? The leading causes of rear-end collisions include the following.

Read the rest of this entry »

Distracted driving has become one of the most common traffic-related safety concerns in the U.S. Motorists who don’t pay proper attention to their surroundings can cause preventable collisions that produce massive property damage losses or severe injuries.

Unfortunately, those at fault for distraction-related collisions often try to avoid taking personal responsibility for an incident. How can someone harmed by a distraction-related crash prove that the other driver didn’t have their focus on the road?

Read the rest of this entry »

Missouri experiences plenty of precipitation during the winter and spring months. When discussing road hazards, the focus is often on freezing precipitation. People operate under the assumption that snow and ice are the most dangerous road conditions possible.

While there is little question that snowy and icy streets are dangerous for drivers, federal crash statistics show that snow, sleet and ice are only responsible for a minority of the weather-related collisions that occur every year. While rainy weather is banal and commonplace, it can be a major safety concern for drivers and vehicle occupants in Missouri.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ensuring safety in vehicles, especially when children are present, is a critical responsibility for parents. One of the significant challenges faced by driving parents is managing distractions caused by their children. Minimizing these distractions enhances the safety of everyone in the vehicle and contributes to safer roadways for all users.

Parents can adopt several effective strategies to reduce the likelihood of being distracted by their children while driving.

Read the rest of this entry »

Liability insurance is often the only thing protecting people from financial devastation after a car crash. In Missouri, drivers typically need proof of insurance to register their vehicles. However, the driver at fault for a crash may not have enough income or personal savings to pay for everything out of pocket.

The people impacted by a crash can typically file a claim against their liability insurance coverage to help pay for their costs. Unfortunately, just like plenty of people drive in unsafe manners, there are also people who don’t carry proper insurance.

What protects someone’s financial well-being from the consequences of being struck by an uninsured driver?

Read the rest of this entry »