I witnessed a staged car crash last Friday in downtown Louisville! The Kentucky Justice Association put on a phenomenal seminar on Auto Damages which I had the privilege of going to. I normally don’t say that because seminars can be boring. Accident reconstruction experts Sonny Cease and Rob Miller planned and stage the car crash as part of the day long seminar.

I was taken by bus from the Marriot to a parking lot on River Road to watch a staged car crash. This was a lot more than a bunch of lawyers who were kids at heart crashing cars. The accident was set up to demonstrate the dynamics of a car accident, how to determine speed from the crush of the vehicles, how to obtain information from the black box ( all cars will be required to have this after 2010) , how to use that information obtained and how the occupant of the bullet vehicle reacted to the impact. This was a fascinating event to say the least. There were cameras and monitors set up every where. Cameras were on top of adjacent buildings and on the inside of the bullet car. The safety of the driver of the bullet car was a concern. A protective vest, gloves, helmet and knee pads were worn. This is not a job I would want, no matter how many precautions are taken. The Louisville Fire Department and the Louisville Metro Police Department were also on hand.

I have witnessed automobile accidents before. I have been in minor car accidents myself. I have been to the scene of many motor vehicle accidents. It is totally different when you know it is going to happen. The anticipation is odd. The violent nature of the impact was more severe than I imagined it would be. I was surprised when I found out the speed of the bullet vehicle at impact with the parked car was 27 mph. It seemed a whole lot faster. Needless to say, this experience has given me a new perspective on what accident victims go through. The violent nature of the crash is something you can not explain without being there. Check out the video I took and see for yourself.

Running a red light is dangerous for everyone on the road. I drive in downtown Louisville every day and there isn’t one single day that goes by that I don’t witness a red light being run by a car that either isn’t paying attention or is in a hurry. Whether it is texting and driving or being late for work, to a majority of the population in Louisville, Kentucky a yellow light seems to mean to press the right foot hard on the accelerator. If you have a green light you had better check to make sure that the coast is clear in the other direction or you could be broad sided and find yourself an auto accident victim.  People are in a hurry and they are disregarding this simple traffic control device more and more often.

A few years I was waiting at the corner of Muhammad Ali Blvd. and 5^th Street to cross. The white walker began flashing and I took one step from the curb into the crosswalk. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something and jumped back. This was just in time to see a bus miss my nose by about six inches. Once I started breathing again I thanked God for sparing me and said a few choice words about the bus driver. My point is you should assume that there will be a car running a red light. Whether you are a pedestrian, bicyclist, riding a motorcycle or in a car you are in danger anytime you go through an intersection.

Napa Valley, California has installed cameras at several intersections and has been recording violations and issuing warnings by mail to the violators for the last 30 days. Starting this past Saturday violators are getting a ticket for $435 and photographic evidence that they ran a red light.  This evidence includes a color photo of the driver, the license plate, the traffic light changing to red before they entered the intersection and a final picture of the car in the intersection. Although I can see some due process violations I believe that these cameras would have a deterrent effect on those thinking of pressing hard on the accelerator and attempting to beat the light. There are warnings of the existence of the cameras before the intersection. I believe these cameras will save lives. It will be interesting to see the statistics after ninety days to see if this is the case.

Maybe it is time for Louisville to think about buying cameras for some of the busier intersections. I believe it can do nothing but make our Kentucky roads safer and help prevent many tragic auto accidents.

It is springtime in Kentucky and more and more children will be riding their bikes on and off our neighborhood streets. Many of these will be first time riders that do not yet have the knowledge and ability to observe the rules of the road.  Parents should buy and require their children to wear bicycle helmets while riding their bike.  I know it is a different world (to quote country singer Bucky Covington) from when I grew up. We may road bikes without wearing a helmet or even wearing shoes when we were kids. I know we are here and turned out pretty well, but there are more cars on the road that can injure our children. Children, especially those under the age of 12, should never ride their bikes on or near city streets after dark. 

As a parent it is your job and I believe duty to teach your children the rules of bicycle riding. Doing this will help your children avoid bicycle accidents. Seattle attorney Chris Davis listed several rules that parents should speak to their children about in his blog on Children and Bicycle Accients. These rules should include the following advice:

·        Avoid riding on busy streets.

·        Never cross busy intersections while riding the bike, a child or anyone should dismount and walk the bike across the street in a crossing zone.

·        Teach children to understand and obey all traffic control signals and signs, like Stop and Yield signs. As well as lights and crossing signs.

·        Children should wear bright clothing so they are visible to motorists. Make sure they have reflectors on the bike.

·        Teach children to assume a driver cannot see the child riding the bike, so the child should always make eye contact with the driver when approaching.

·        Try to locate a safe area for your child to ride, like a park or culdesac where there is no traffic. School parking lots are sometimes a great place on the weekend

Bicycle accidents increase when the weather in Kentucky gets warmer and school is out for summer vacation.  Parents need to take responsibility and teach their children safe habits while they are riding their bicycle. Locally there is an organization called Bicycling for Louisville which is funded by the Bike Louisville  progrsm of Louisville Metro Government. The classes are taught by League Cycling Instructors that have been certified by League of American Cyclists. Go to http://www.bicyclingforlouisville.org/classes/ to get additional information, the schedule and to register for this free program.

I urge every parent to be proactive in teaching safety and the rules of the road as their children learn to ride bikes and to re-enforce these rulews as they grow. This will help prevent tragic bicycle accidents. Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend.