Loose Lug Nut Season: When Tires Take Flight

Loose Lug Nut Season: When Tires Take Flight

In Tennessee, some accidents are caused by tires separating from vehicles on the highways that then crash into other cars. While these types of accidents are rare, some motorists are seriously injured or killed when their vehicles are struck by flying tires. Tires may separate from vehicles because their lug nuts have not been tightened enough by tire mechanics when they change the tires on the vehicle. They may also separate when the mechanics apply too much torque when they are replacing the tires, weakening the lug nuts and causing them to fail.

Dangers of Tire Separations

When tires fall off of vehicles while they are traveling on the highways, they may fly through the air and collide into other vehicles. These car accidents are sometimes deadly. In a recent case in Nevada, two cousins were killed when a tire separated from an SUV that was traveling in the opposite direction on Interstate 95. The tire crashed through the windshield of the vehicle in which they were passengers, killing them both. An engineer with MFA Forensics states that there are around 50,000 tire separations each year, and the incidents are underreported. This makes it difficult to determine the pervasiveness of the problem.

What Causes Tires to Separate?

Tires may separate from vehicles because of several maintenance issues. In 643 cases that happened between 2000 and 2003, 65 percent were caused by loose lug nuts, and 26 percent were caused by wheel bearing failures. Nearly all of the cases could have been prevented by proper maintenance. In a Canadian study, 83 percent of the reported wheel separations happened soon after the vehicles’ tires had been serviced.

Tires may separate when their lug nuts are tightened too much or not tightened enough. Mechanics that do not use the proper torque or calibrated tools when they change the tires may cause too much pressure to be applied to the lug nuts, causing them to sheer off while the vehicles are being driven. This may then lead to the tires flying off of the vehicles and striking other motorists who are traveling nearby. The mechanic shops that performed the improper maintenance may be liable to pay damages if people are killed or injured when the tires separate and fly off the vehicles.

Hand-Free Systems Are Still a Distraction for Truckers

Hand-Free Systems Are Still a Distraction for Truckers

In Tennessee, truck drivers are prohibited from using their cell phones with their hands, but hands-free systems, which are also distracting, are allowed. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration prohibits the use of handheld cell phones while truck drivers are driving. The drivers are also forbidden from using hands-free phones if they must press more than one button to make a call. While the FMCSA recognizes the dangers of texting while driving and has moved to make doing so illegal, using a hands-free system is also distracting and may lead to truck accidents.

FMCSA Rules About Cell Phones

The FMCSA has rules in place about the use of cell phones while truck drivers are driving. They are prohibited from using phones that require them to hold the phones in their hands when they make calls. They are also prohibited from using phones that require them to push more than a single button to make a call. Finally, they cannot have their phones positioned in such a way that they are forced to reach for their phones, making them lean over and out of a seated position.

Why Hands-free Systems Are Distracting

Dialing on a hand-held cell phone, reading text messages or typing messages cause three different types of distraction, including visual, manual and cognitive distraction. Hands-free systems take away the problems of visual distraction and manual distraction because the drivers can keep their eyes on the roads and their hands on the wheel. However, when their cognitive attention is divided between responding to a message or talking and concentrating on the road, they are still cognitively distracted.

In addition, while hands-free system manufacturers claim that visual distraction is eliminated, most drivers who use hands-free systems still tend to glance at their phones when they are sending voice texts. Most people check to see if what they say is being translated accurately because the translators are known for making mistakes.

Because people tend to think that they are being safe when they use hands-free systems, this may give them a false sense of security when they are driving. Truck drivers may be distracted while they are sending text messages by voice or when they are talking on the phone over their hands-free systems, and these issues may result in accidents.

Voice Command Helps Older Drivers Stay Focused on the Road Ahead

Voice Command Helps Older Drivers Stay Focused on the Road Ahead

Infotainment systems that use single-voice commands help older drivers keep their attention focused on the roads much better than multi-step systems or manipulating knobs on the dashboard. Single-step voice command systems help drivers by reducing the amount of visual distraction. With multi-step voice command systems, researchers have found that as age increases, the systems become more distracting to the drivers. However, they found that single-command systems do not show a correlation between age and increased distraction.

Single-Command Voice Systems Safer

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, voice command systems are less distracting for drivers than infotainment systems that require people to glance at them or manually manipulate them. Researchers evaluated the effects that the characteristics of various interfaces had on drivers’ ability to focus and determined that those that used single-step voice commands impacted driver focus less than those that required multiple-step commands.

The researchers studied 80 drivers on Boston-area interstates between the ages of 20 and 66 while they made phone calls. Half of the drivers drove vehicles that were equipped with single-command systems while the other half drove vehicles that were equipped with multiple-step command systems. After the drivers were trained on how to use the infotainment systems, cameras were used to analyze the effects of using the systems.

The researchers found that for each 10-year increase in age, 3.7 more seconds were required for drivers to complete their calls with the multiple-step systems. Long glances away from the road lasting two seconds or more also increased by 0.4 percentage points. In the single-voice command vehicles, there was no corresponding increase in distraction with increasing age. Regardless of how old they were, the drivers that used single-voice command systems were able to keep their eyes on the road 85 percent of the time while they were making phone calls.

The findings indicate that installing single-voice command systems in vehicles that are owned by older drivers may help them to keep their attention focused on the roads. These systems may help older drivers avoid accidents that are caused by distracted driving.

Is Your Local Water Park Making You Sick?

Is Your Local Water Park Making You Sick?

When Tennesseans swim in pools and waterparks, they could become sick due to waste byproducts called chloramines and disease-causing pathogens that are present in the water if disinfection efforts are performed incorrectly. Many pools are disinfected with chlorine, but chlorine can form chemical byproducts with urine, sweat, and other organic waste that people leave in the water. These byproducts can leave a layer in the water and in the air, irritating people’s respiratory tracts. There may also be a number of disease-causing pathogens that remain behind in the water, causing swimmers to contract a variety of illnesses.

Chloramines in the Water and Air

Swimming pools may be disinfected using several different approaches, including UV light and others, but the most popular disinfection method is using chlorine because it is cheap. While chlorine can do a good job of killing most pathogens, it reacts with organic waste, such as urine, sweat, feces, and sunscreen, that is introduced by people when they swim. When chlorine reacts with these different types of waste, they can form irritants called chloramines and nitrosamines. These irritants give off gases that are heavier than the air, and they can settle around the swimming pool in the air while also settling in a thin layer on the water’s surface. These irritants have been shown to cause irritation to the eyes, nasal passageways, and respiratory illnesses, and they have been linked to certain types of cancer. Swimming pools can use ventilation systems to remove chloramines from the pool area and prevent personal injuries. If the pool owner does not have a ventilation system installed or has it installed improperly, people may become ill.

Disease-Causing Pathogens Remaining Behind

While chlorine kills many pathogens, some only die after being exposed to the chemical for 20 or more minutes. This means that people who are present in the pool when a baby in a swim diaper defecates may contract illnesses despite the presence of chlorine. Guests at swimming pools and water parks should always take showers before they enter the pool, and parents should be aware that swim diapers are ineffective for preventing contamination. Public pools should have ventilation systems installed that are working properly and they should post signs telling people to shower.

The Most Dangerous Times, Days and Months to Drive in Tennessee

The Most Dangerous Times, Days and Months to Drive in Tennessee

While there is always a risk of being involved in a car accident in Tennessee, there are certain times, days and months that carry much higher risks. When people know when the most dangerous times to drive are during the year, they can take added precautions to reduce the likelihood that they will be involved in automobile accidents.

The Most Dangerous Times to Drive

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, there was a total of 37,150 automobile accidents that happened on Fridays in the state in 2017, making it the most dangerous day of the week to drive. During the first quarter of 2018, there were 8,482 accidents that occurred on Fridays. In 2017, the most dangerous time of the day to drive was between 3 pm and 6 pm with 52,457 accidents occurring during those times. The greatest number of accidents happened in November in 2017, which had 19,043 collisions. Other months that also saw increased numbers of automobile accidents included December, October, May, and August. Each of these months had a little more than 18,000 accidents.

Why Are These Times More Dangerous?

There are several factors that make these times more dangerous for drivers. On Fridays, more people may be on the road to start their weekends. An increasing number of accidents may occur between 3 pm and 6 pm because of schools letting out and people commuting home from work. During the holidays, there is an increased number of people who are out shopping. The added congestion can result in more accidents.

Reducing Accident Risks

People can do several things to reduce their chances of accidents during periods of increased risks. They can always follow the traffic laws and remain alert. They should avoid engaging in distracting activities while they drive, and they should watch the behaviors of other drivers so that they can anticipate when they might suddenly do something unexpected. When there is ice or snow on the ground, people should drive slowly. Wet pavement should also lead people to slow down so that they can minimize the risk that they will hydroplane. People should never drive after drinking. While not all motor vehicle accidents can be avoided, following these basic steps may help to lessen the chances of injuries.

Are Large Truck Regulations Enough to Keep Our Roadways Safe?

Are Large Truck Regulations Enough to Keep Our Roadways Safe?

The American trucking industry is heavily regulated, but regulations may not be enough to keep Tennessee roadways safe. Although other motorists and pedestrians depend on trucking companies and drivers to comply with the laws, it’s not uncommon for truckers and the companies they work for to blatantly ignore regulations, operating under the influence, without the proper licenses and insurance, and while in violation of hours of service regulations. When they fail to abide by the law, catastrophic accidents that injure or kill others often result.

Important Trucking Regulations

Because commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than other vehicles, they are particularly dangerous in accidents. As a result, there are regulations that limit the number of hours that drivers may work per day and per week and mandatory rest periods during which truckers are not supposed to perform any work. There are also regulations that limit the total allowed length of the trucks and their maximum weights. Drivers are not supposed to drive while impaired, and they are not allowed to text on their cell phones. Trucking companies are supposed to keep their fleets in good working condition and promptly repair any parts that might be failing. All of these regulations are meant to enhance the safety of large trucks so other motorists may be protected.

When Drivers and Companies Skirt Rules

Despite the existence of the regulations, some drivers and trucking carriers regularly skirt the rules. For example, one Georgia owner-operator trucking company was shut down by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration after a co-owner/driver was found to have violated multiple regulations when he caused a fatal accident. The driver failed to slow when he approached a construction zone and struck a slow-moving Jeep while traveling at 63 mph. The Jeep’s driver was killed, and the passenger was seriously injured. The FMSCA found that the truck driver was driving with a suspended license and that the truck was uninsured. In addition, it found that the company failed to follow regulations for driver qualifications and it failed to carry adequate insurance, along with multiple other regulatory violations.

While regulations are important, it is equally important to ensure that companies and drivers follow them. Increased enforcement efforts could help get unsafe drivers and companies off of the roads.