Until recently, SUVs and pickups were more likely than cars or minivans of the same weight to be involved in crashes that killed occupants of other cars or minivans. That’s no longer the case for SUVs, and for pickups the higher risk is much less pronounced than it had been.

For example, among 1-4-year-old vehicles weighing 3,000-3,499 pounds, SUVs were involved in crashes that killed car/minivan occupants at a rate of 44 deaths per million registered vehicle years in 2000-01. That rate dropped by nearly two-thirds to 16 in 2008-09. In comparison, cars and minivans in the same weight category were involved in the deaths of other car/minivan occupants at a slightly higher rate of 17 per million in 2008-09.

The researchers attribute much of the change to two things: improved crash protection in the cars and minivans, thanks to side airbags and stronger structures, and newer designs of SUVs and pickups that align their front-end energy-absorbing structures with those of cars.

The more compatible designs are the result of efforts by automakers, the government, and the Institute to address the problem of mismatched vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked automakers to address the compatibility issue amid concern about the changing vehicle mix on U.S. roads. Participating automakers included BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

The companies agreed to build the front ends of SUVs and pickups so that their energy-absorbing structures would line up better with those of cars, reducing the likelihood that an SUV or pickup would override a car in a collision. Better alignment allows both vehicles’ front ends to manage the crash energy, helping to keep it away from the occupant compartments.

The automakers also pledged to strengthen head protection in all vehicles in order to improve outcomes when an SUV or pickup strikes another vehicle in the side. They accomplished this by installing more head-protecting side airbags.

“By working together, the automakers got life-saving changes done quickly,” says Joe Nolan, the Institute’s chief administrative officer and a co-author of the new study. “The new designs have made a big difference on the road.”

Institute researchers looked at 1-4-year-old SUVs, pickups, and cars/minivans in 2000-01 and 2008-09 and compared the number of car and minivan occupants killed in 2-vehicle crashes with those models per million registered vehicle years. (A registered vehicle year is 1 vehicle registered for 1 year, 2 for 6 months, etc.) The cars or minivans in which people were killed, known as crash partner vehicles, could be of any age, size, and weight.

Data on crash deaths came from the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System, and registration information came from R.L. Polk & Co.

In both 2000-01 and 2008-09, the number of crash partner deaths generally went up as vehicle weight increased. This isn’t surprising since vehicle weight is a key factor in the outcome of crashes.

However, in the first period, SUVs were more deadly to people in other vehicles than cars of the same weight, and pickups were more deadly than SUVs.

Between 2000-01 and 2008-09, the rate of crash partner deaths declined for all weight categories of all 3 types of vehicles, except the relatively small group of cars and minivans weighing 4,500-4,999 pounds.

Improvements in occupant protection in the crash partner cars and minivans helped lower the number of deaths. The spread of Electronic Stability Control or ESC, as well as changes in travel patterns due to the sluggish economy and high gas prices, likely also contributed to this decline.

Crash partner death rates for pickups, SUVs, and cars/minivans in 2008-09 weren’t as far apart as they were in 2000-01. Among 1-4-year-old vehicles in a given weight category, an SUV usually posed no more risk to people in a car or minivan than another car or minivan. Pickups still fatally injured people in cars and minivans at a higher rate, particularly in frontal crashes.

“Pickups lagged behind other vehicles in getting ESC, and designs of some top-selling models were slow to change. Those facts help explain why the numbers didn’t improve as much for pickups as for SUVs,” Nolan says. “Also, pickups often carry loads, so the trucks in these crashes could be a good deal heavier than their curb weights.”

In general, SUVs and pickups are heavier than cars, so in that sense different types of vehicles always will be mismatched. But the study shows that, beyond weight, differences in vehicle styles don’t have to be a safety problem.

The study of car/minivan crash partner deaths is the latest piece of Institute research showing that SUVs aren’t the safety concern they once were. Recently calculated driver death rates for 2005-08 models show that drivers of SUVs are among the least likely to die in a crash. That change is due largely to ESC.

“Whether you’re in an SUV or just sharing the road with one,” Nolan says, “recent improvements to these vehicles are making you safer.”

For more on traffic safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident attorney.

As driving increases with the kick-off of the summer travel season, such an advisory couldn’t be more important or timely.

“As the weather warms up, it’s especially important for drivers to ensure their tires are properly inflated,” said Secretary Ray LaHood in a press release. “For your safety and the safety of others on the road, inspect your tires regularly and maintain the proper inflation.”

The latest data from the Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that over the five-year period from 2005 to 2009, nearly 3,400 people died, and an estimated 116,000 were injured, in tire-related crashes.

“While it’s true improperly maintained tires can contribute to a crash at any time of year, it is particularly critical for motorists to check tires during hot weather, when families and luggage often overload vehicles for long vacation trips,” NHTSA Administrator David Strickland warned. “Underinflated tires spinning on hot asphalt for extended periods of time can be a recipe for disaster.”

The Department urges motorists to check their tire pressure before long trips and to inspect tires periodically. Motorists should also be aware that aging tires and hot weather can be a potentially deadly combination, as older tires are more susceptible to heat stress, especially if they are not properly inflated.

Motorists should check the tire sidewall to see how old their tires are, and to check with the tire manufacturer or the vehicle owner’s manual for recommendations on how often to change tires.

Properly inflated tires will also improve a vehicle’s fuel economy and help stretch the family dollar at the gas station. According to the Department of Energy’s fueleconomy.gov Web site, under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent for every 1 PSI (pound per square inch) drop in pressure of all four tires.

For example, for a vehicle with a fuel-economy rating of 30 miles per gallon and a 35 PSI tire pressure recommendation, a drop of 25 percent in tire pressure would equate to a loss of 8.8 percent in fuel economy, or a drop of 2.6 miles per gallon.

For more on traffic safety, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident attorney.

This can be one of the most scariest times for a parent as statistics show 10 teens died each day in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2009. That’s why the National Safety Council suggests parents take a very active role in their teen’s driver’s education.

Here are 5 tips for parents from the National Safety Council.

•Experience, Experience, Experience: While supervising a new teen driver, parents should give teens plenty of experience behind the wheel in a variety of situations, including night driving and different weather conditions. If you want to spend time with your kids, spend it in the car.

•Eliminate the distractions: Ban any cell phone use in your teen’s car and prohibit your teen from taking other teen passengers along for the ride. These are the safest steps to prevent crashes.

•Set firm penalties for alcohol use and lack of seatbelt use: Teens get into more crashes than other people, yet they wear seat belts less frequently than other people. So, as a parent – set strong rules.

•Communicate: Parents should work with teens in an open dialogue. Try using a written parent/teen agreement which allows clear communication between parents and new teen drivers. Research shows that one problem is, parents and teens hear and believe different things when discussing driving limits, penalties and expectations. Creating a written agreement together helps avoid this. Enforce the agreement consistently.

•General advice: Your teen could also a passenger of another new teen driver, a risky situation for both. Know whether your teen’s friends are following the state law on nighttime driving limits and passenger limits. If your teen is driving alone, you should drive with them in advance. Make sure he or she has traveled the road before in the same conditions.

For more on safe driving issues, see the car accidenty library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident lawyer

While seat belt use has now become the norm for people in most states, the recent study shows that 1 in 7 adults still do not buckle up on each trip. Every 14 seconds, according to the CDC, an adult in the United States is treated in an emergency department for crash-related injuries. And wearing a seat belt reduces by 50 percent your chance of being seriously injured or killed in an accident.

The study, released earlier this month, found that states with primary seat belt enforcement laws, where police officers can pull cars over and issue tickets solely because drivers and passengers are unbelted, have higher rates of seat belt use than states with secondary enforcement laws, which only allow officers to issue tickets to drivers who have been pulled over for violating another law.

That is why the CDC is encouraging more states to make a difference by adopting primary enforcement laws, like Florida did in 2009.

And drivers are encouraged to take the following steps:

• Use a seat belt on every trip, no matter how short.
• Encourage everyone in the car to buckle up, including those in the back seat.
• Make sure children are properly buckled up in a seat belt, booster seat, or car seat, whichever is age- and size-appropriate.
• Have all children ages 12 and under sit in the back seat.

For more safety tips and information on car accidents check out the Frequently Asked Question section by this Daytona Beach car accident attorney.

Most types of auto insurance covers more than just the person who purchased the coverage.  In Florida, there is a resident relative coverage provision that applies to PIP, Bodily Injury and Uninsured Motorist coverage.  This means that coverage is extended to the insured’s relatives residing in the same residence at the time of the accident.  Relative is defined by most policies as “kinship by blood or marriage but not to relationships terminated by divorce.”  So if you have not purchased your own auto insurance check to see if any of your family members living in the same residence have.   At the same time, it is important to check and see if the person who caused the accident has any resident relatives who have purchased a policy that could cover your injuries.

Another detail for injured clients to look at is whether or not the insurance company can provide a signed uninsured motorist rejection form.  If the insurance company cannot provide documentation of uninsured motorist rejection, then it is obligated to provide uninsured motorist coverage in the same limits as the Bodily Injury coverage on the policy.

There are many other ways to find coverage when you may think that no coverage exists.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call me.

Ron Zimmet Jr

Florida law does not require motorists to buy insurance to pay for the damage they cause.

There are common exclusions that allow insurance companies to deny coverage if the motor vehicle is being used to carry persons for a charge, if the motor vehicle is being used in the automobile business, is the parties are in a fellow employee status at the time of the accident, if the party filing the claim is an employee of the insured or if the person injured and filing the claim is either a member of the insured’s family.  This is not meant to be an exhaustive list but rather examples of some common exclusions. 

There are many other ways that insurance companies deny coverage.  This Daytona Beach Personal Injury Lawyer believes that if you are involved in an accident it is important to become informed and not trust that your insurance adjuster is acting in your best interest.

If the minor is operating a motor vehicle owned and insured by the parent, liability coverage will extend to both the parent and the minor unless the minor at the time of the accident, the child does not reside with the parent.   Therefore,  if a parent signs the drivers license application on behalf of a minor child who does not live in their household, then the parent can be liable for the negligent acts of the minor and not have any coverage under their automobile insurance policy to pay for it.

Parents should also know that after the child reaches 18 then the parents are no longer responsible for the child’s negligent operation of a motor vehicle unless the parent owns the vehicle or is listed as a co-owner.

So make sure that the parent who lives with the child is the one who signs the application so that if the child causes an accident then at least there will be insurance to cover it.  Also, it is a good practice to make sure that the child owns the vehicle that he or she drives individually and in his or her own name.

As a result of the accident, the reckless driver lost his license.  During the course of my represention, the reckless driver believed that I had the power to help him get his license back by signing a particular document.   He came to my office with a story about how he had a young child and he needed to have a license to get to work.  I could not sign the document because what was stated on the ducument was not true.   Therefore, it is my belief that he was an unlicensed, uninsured motorist when he caused a crash months later in which he killed himself and two passengers.  

He was driving late at night and challenged another vehicle to race.  The vehicles drove in excess of 100 mph and the reckless driver ran into a concrete telephone pole.   This person had no respect for his own life or the lives of anyone else on the road.  He left a young child without a father.   These people are driving right next to you on the road.  Be careful,  pay attention and buy uninsured motorist coverage to protect yourself.