Car Crashes Rise at Start of School Year
As the school year opens, Oklahoma’s Emergency Medical Services Authority is warning of the risk of traffic collisions as inexperienced drivers take to the road and traffic in general increases. During the first three weeks of school, the Tulsa EMSA receives five times the average number of calls related to car crashes involving teenagers.
Tulsa Public Schools opened on August 22, and authorities are reminding students and others to buckle up, put down the cellphone, get auto tune-ups and avoid distracted driving. Teenage drivers are three times more likely to get into a fatal car crash than drivers over the age of 19, despite the fact that teens drive less than all other age groups except the elderly.
Oklahoma is one of many states that issue graduated driver licenses for teens. New drivers have restricted privileges until they are 21 and are also subject to tougher anti-distraction laws. A fourth of 16-year-old drivers get a traffic ticket or cause a car wreck during their first year behind the wheel.
Graduated licenses and other driver safety measures have helped reduce teen car crashes. Between 1975 and 2011, there was a 65% decline in teen auto fatalities. Some of this can be chalked up to improved safety technology, in spite of new distractions like smart phones, MP3 players and navigation systems.
The Oklahoma EMSA is extending its in-person response time from 8:59 minutes to 10:59 minutes for the most urgent 911 calls. This means ambulances will take longer to arrive on the scene of serious auto accidents. EMSA states that allowing medics more time to get to a crash will reduce ambulance-related traffic hazards, and the agency plans to focus on giving life-saving instructions to 911 callers.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto collision, tractor-trailer crash, motorcycle wreck or other traffic accident, remember that the personal injury attorneys at Burch, George & Germany, P.C., are here to help you.
The law firm of Burch, George & Germany, P.C., serves clients in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Norman and nearby communities. If you have been in accident, you need to know your rights. Our top-notch legal team takes great pride in providing personalized, passionate representation for our clients so that when the unthinkable happens, you have an advocate on your side.
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