With over seven million motorcycles on the road it is clear that Americans love to ride. However although motorcycles make up around one percent of the vehicles in the country, they count for ten percent of traffic fatalities.

Motorcycling can be dangerous as there is little to protect the rider and passenger. In order to stay safe it is important to understand where most accidents happen. One of the most dangerous situations for motorcyclists is at intersections as often other drivers do not see the motorcycle and turn in front of them or right into them. If you are on a motorcycle be very careful going through an intersection and look at every part. Even if a car is indicating that it will turn, it may not, so be prepared to take evasive action.

When riding a motorcycle it is vital to practice defensive riding and assume that everyone else on the road may not see you or may make and unexpected maneuver.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500 or contact us online today for a free consultation.

Tailgating is not only dangerous but is a contributing factor in one third of all crashes.

Tailgating literally means riding on the car in front’s “tail” by following too closely. Drivers tailgate because they are impatient, running late, or are uneducated as to the dangers involved in not keeping a proper distance. Drivers increase their risk of rear-ending the vehicle in front when following at less than two seconds and it is no surprise that when the vehicle in front has to stop suddenly tailgaters are left with no time to brake.

If you are a victim of tailgating there are some steps you can take to avoid being involved in an accident. As hard as this may be, resist the urge to tap your brakes (just enough to light up your brake lights), in the hope that this will get the tailgater to back off, as this can cause the very crash you are trying to avoid. Instead, if possible, move to another lane and let the tailgater pass, or stay in the right hand land so that other drivers can use the left lane to safely pass. If is not possible use another lane, try to maintain the speed limit and leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500 or contact us online today for a free consultation.

This week the legislative session approved House Bill 80 allowing the Utah Department of Transportation to implement a speed increase on some Utah Freeways.

The speed limit is increasing from 65 mph to 70 mph and crews have already started changing the speed limit signs along Interstate 80.

According to the Utah Department of Transportation, who carried out a study, 85% of drivers are already going at 70 mph so they do not think that the actual speed people are driving will change.

The new speeds will include sections of I-80, I-215, and I-15 from Spanish Fork to Ogden. However Utah Highway Patrol is concerned that accidents will become more severe as going too fast is a major contributor to crashes. In addition they are asking people to use common sense as to the weather conditions as just because the speed limit is 70 it doesn’t mean people should drive at that speed.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500 or contact us online today for a free consultation.

United States authorities are sounding the alarm regarding a startling uptick in the number of drugged driving fatalities over the past decade. According to a study released by Columbia University, the number of people killed in drugged driving automobile accidents over the past 10 years has tripled when compared to the previous 10 years. Younger drivers seem to be the most susceptible to being involved in fatal drugged driving car accidents.

According to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report one out of every four people killed in a drugged driving car accident is under the age of 25. This statistic correlates with another finding of the report, which indicates that over 10% of high school seniors report having smoked marijuana and then operated an automobile. These findings seem to indicate that younger drivers, who traditionally are the highest risk driving group, are particularly susceptible to driving under the influence of drugs and further increasing their risk of a serious automobile accident.

In order to combat this dangerous trend parents should speak frankly with their children about the dangerous consequences of driving under the influence of drugs including automobile accident, loss of driving privileges, and even potential jail time or other legal penalties.

If you have been injured as a result of major automobile accident involving a drugged driver, including car, motorcycle, truck, or pedestrian, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

Salt Lake County has announced that it will invest eight million dollars toward road safety projects this summer. The investments are meant to help prevent fatal automobile accidents, including those in which pedestrians are struck by vehicles. The investment was spurred by the Thanksgiving death of Linda Olson, who was exercising at 3300 South, and was struck by a truck in a crosswalk at 2940 East.

In the aftermath of the accident Office of Townships Executive Director Patrick Leary contacted the Utah Department of Transportation in order to expedite funding for a traffic signal in the area. The efforts succeeded, and as a result local officials decided to use the eight million dollars, which was provided by the legislature through HB377, to meet similar important infrastructure needs. The money will be used in all six unincorporated-area townships.

The funds will be used for various expenditures including constructing an overpass at 8400 West at 3680 South, to building sidewalks and improving bike safety Lanes.

If you have been injured as a result of major automobile accident, including car, motorcycle, truck, or pedestrian, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

If you were riding on an area road near Sandy, Utah and suddenly one of your tires blew out, would you know what to do? Many people would panic in such a situation and would probably swerve violently while attempting to regain control of their cars. Of course, this kind of action would probably only exacerbate the problem, and not do much to bring the car to a safe stop. In an effort to help you learn how to best handle a tire blowout, we present the following video:

One important thing to remember as it relates to tire blowouts is that often times they are caused not merely by road conditions, but because the tire itself was defective. Tire manufacturers have issued numerous recalls over the past decade, but all of the recalled tires have not been removed from the nation’s roads. In fact, recent investigative reports have found that even major tire vendors and servicers routinely sell and service recalled tires without notifying the consumer.

If you are ever in an accident involving a tire blowout, be sure to keep the tire. Give our offices a call and we will help you determine whether or not your accident was the result of a defective tire. Contact us at (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

Sandy’s scenic terrain makes it a great place to go biking. There may be no better place in the country than Sandy to take to the roads or the trails on a warm spring or autumn day for a nice relaxing bike ride. But, while biking and helmets were not associated in years past, in modern times experts have begun to caution bike riders that helmet use is essential to the safe operation of these two-wheeled vehicles.

Many people continue to believe that helmets are primarily the domain of motorcycle riders. But nothing could be further from the truth. With approximately 700 to 800 bicycle deaths per year, bicyclists should take heed and give themselves the best possible chances of surviving a potentially deadly bicycling accident. In the following video, you will see some pointers on how to best select the right bicycle helmet for you.

If you have suffered serious injuries a bicycling accident involving a vehicle in the state of Nevada, please contact us at (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.Approximately 48,000 bicyclists are injured in bicycling accidents every year, with the vast majority of these accidents occuring in on U.S. roads. We recommend that all bicyclists in Sandy ride with extreme caution always wear a bicycle helmet when out and about your bike.

Seat belt use is one of the best ways to protect you and your family from devastating injury in the event of car crash.  Seat belts have been proven to save lives, a fact which is now common knowledge.  But among teens seatbelt use is at the lowest rates of any age range.  Here are some reasons teens and young adults give for not wanting to wear their seatbelts:

• It doesn’t look cool
• They’re just going a short distance
• The seat belt is too restrictive
• In the case of a car accident, seat belts can actually cause injury
• I forgot

As parents it is important to underscore the importance of seatbelt use to teens and young adults.  Considering the 18-24 age group suffers the highest rate of auto accident, they are also the most likely to be seriously injured in a car crash.  This is why it is important to stress that teen passengers should  buckle up as well.  Especially when it comes to young adult males, who have a 10 percent less likelihood of wearing a seat belt than young females, the message of buckling up is especially important to get across.