St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer Blog

The plan, called Project Safe School Year, was implemented this week across five Fort Zumwalt District high schools. The goal, a multi-layered campaign that hopes to raise safe driver awareness and track the number of teens involved in St. Louis car accidents between homecoming and prom seasons.

Aside from tracking teen crashes, police will also be monitoring seat belt use with random high school parking lot checks and reminding students to turn off their cell phones when behind the wheel. Drunk driving concerns will also be addressed, St. Louis Today reports.

Results from collected data will be analyzed before the end of the school year. Schools will be evaluated based on the number of car accidents, seat belt usage, drinking and driving data and what kids do with their cell phones. The school determined to have the safest teen drivers will receive tickets to a pro-sporting event.

October, December, November and May are the most dangerous months of the year for Missouri drivers. In 2009, there were 7,477 Missouri car accidents reported in October, 7,308 in December, 6,762 in November and 6,548 in May, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Drivers aged 16-20 represent the second highest fatality group among statewide motorists, reporting 89 fatalities and 4,993 injury car accidents last year. Overall, this age group was responsible for 13.6 percent of all reported car accidents, or more than 18,000 crashes.

Project Safe School Year is the brainchild of a former St. Charles County deputy who told St. Louis Today that he started the program, which is funded by corporate donations and a state grant, because he "didn't like doing death notifications as an officer." He hopes to expand the program throughout the St. Louis-area schools.

Continue reading "New safety program aims to reduce St. Louis car accidents involving teenagers" »

Looking after a child is no simple task. Sure the rewards are plenty, but overseeing every aspect of a child's life - from education to diet to character development - can be a daunting task for even the most seasoned caregiver. Perhaps one of the most loving things a parent can do is the simple act of keeping a child safe.

In an effort to help families protect their child passengers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is once again sponsoring their annual Child Passenger Safety Week. This program targets behind-the-wheel awareness for keeping kids safe from St. Louis car accidents. Aside from safety tips and precautions, the NHTSA website also offers a link so caregivers can monitor child restraint recalls.

According to St. Louis Today, it takes about 30 hours of training to become qualified to certify whether a child car seat - be it infant or booster - is properly installed in a vehicle. As part of the NHTSA campaign, St. Louis law enforcement will be stopping motorists to check for child restraint violations. In tandem with this effort, a handful of local social service and charitable agencies will be hosting free child safety seat inspections throughout the greater St. Louis area.

But, infants aren't the only pint-sized passengers who need special accommodations when it comes to riding in a car. In Missouri, according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, state law requires that children aged 3 or younger, or who weigh less than 40-lbs., must use a car seat and child restraint. For children ages 4-7, or those who weigh between 40-80 pounds and are shorter than 4'9", a booster seat and child restraint is required. If a child is under age 16, weighs more than 80-lbs., and is at least 4'9" tall, they must wear a seat belt.

Continue reading "Child Passenger Safety Week emphasizes risk of St. Louis car accidents involving children" »