Simple Things Every Driver Should Know

Driving is important as it helps people to travel from one place to another. Every individual who drives has the sole responsibility of controlling his/her vehicle during the course of the travel. Enough care should be taken while driving a car or a truck. Safe driving is essential as it ensures the safety of the individual driving the vehicle as well as the fellow mates who use the road. The drivers should be always attentive towards the drive without any deviations. There are certain things which every driver using the road should be aware of. These things are pertaining to the road safety and help avoid accidents. It helps in a safe yet pleasant journey for the drivers. In the following sections, these simple things are discussed.

Most of the vehicle accidents can be prevented or its impact can be reduced if the vehicle is driven under controlled speed. 'Speed thrills but kills' is very true in the case of driving. Every road has an assigned speed limit and it is important that every vehicle follows this limit. Statistics says about one-third of the accidents could have been avoided if the speed limit was followed properly. The next thing is to drive cautiously. There can surprises anytime during the travel. These include sudden lane changes, un-signalled turns, sudden stops, tailgating, etc. The drivers should anticipate such sudden anomalies that can happen on the roads. Some of them may be intentional but most of the times, they are unintentional and unavoidable. The drivers should be capable of managing such instances so that any undesirable incidents can be avoided. The drivers should also take care about not getting distracted or deviated from the road. Any sort of disturbances, even in terms of seconds, can bring devastating effects and injuries resulting from an auto accident. 

The drivers should be able to judge themselves about their ability to drive. They need to ensure that they are not drowsy while driving. Drowsy driving is emerging as a major contributing factor for the fatal accidents in the recent times. The drivers making long travels on the highways are prone to drowsiness. There can also be cases where drivers may consume sedative substances unintentionally. Such carelessness can affect their driving capacity. They should take steps to avoid the drowsy driving. Some of the strategies include taking frequent breaks, getting a sound sleep the day before long trips, having a companion to converse, taking turns when there are two drivers in the vehicle, etc.

The roadways are vulnerable to accidents at some defined time, according to the statistical data. It is from midnight to 3 a.m on Saturdays and Sundays and about 66% of the fatal incidents are reported to occur on these days in the mentioned time period. So unless it is very important, it is better for the drivers to avoid travels in these days. It can largely impact the number of accidents and it is in our hands to bring down the count of the fatal incidents. 

All these simple things can make a difference in everyone’s life. The drivers should understand their importance of safe driving and implement them each time they drive on the roads. It makes life easy and safe for all the road users.

Does Michigan Really Need No-Fault Reform?

There's been a lot of talk recently regarding the current state of automobile insurance in the State of Michigan.  I was listening to Rick Snyder's State of the State Address, and you could tell he is going try something new with no-fault reform.

In typical political fashion, he is supporting the billion dollar auto insurance industry at the expense of the very people that voted him into office.  As of now, when someone is injured seriously resulting from a car accident, the injured has no cap on medical expenses that will be needed for medical treatment and recovery.  If you haven't noticed, the United States has some high medical costs compared to the rest of the world and these costs add up very quickly.......especially for someone seriously in a car accident.  You probably get charged 5k before they even do anything to help you....obviously that's an exaggeration, but just an office visit can be well over $100 for an ear, nose, and throat doctor let alone a specialized surgeon.  

My ranting aside, there is absolutely no proof or evidence supporting the reform and gutting of Michigan no-fault law, and that's exactly what this will be...a gutting.  Many different groups have requested information from the insurance companies that claim that profits are diminishing and our current system is unsustainable into the future.  In order for any of their claims to hold any merit they need to back it up with data.  They have denied access and have been appealing a court decision which would make their meetings (MCCA) public.

To understand just how bad this will be, you need to know a little about no-fault in the first place.  Michigan is one of only a few states that utilize this system.  The premise of this law is that you give up some of your rights to sue the other driver, but in return you are able to easily collect your 1st party benefits which is essentially your medical bills.  The only way to gain 3rd party benefits(which is your sacrifice) is to prove that your injury passed a certain "injury threshold".  In other states which don't have no fault, there is no "threshold" so you are more easily able to collect those third party benefits.   For more information on how No-Fault Law works in Michigan, visit our auto accident page on our main website.

If we put a cap of $50,000 for injury protection, essentially the lawmakers are getting the best of both worlds at your expense!  They have severely limited your ability to file a 3rd party lawsuit while also limiting your ability to recover your once easily recoverable medical benefits or 1st party benefits.  If you're going to cap the unlimited personal injury protection, you are essentially dealing with something other than no-fault entirely, but the insurance companies don't want to know that.  Let's make them open up their books and let the truth dictate which way the State of Michigan should go with it's auto insurance policies....