Wisconsin law requires that children under 4 to be in a car seat and children 4 -8 to be in a booster seat. The specifics are as follows:

• Children less than 1 year old OR under 20 pounds must be in a rear facing child seat in the back seat (if there is a back seat)
• Children from 1 – 3 OR under 40 pounds must be in a forward-facing child seat in the back seat (if there is a back seat)
• Children from 4 – 7 OR between 40 – 80 pounds OR 4′ 9″ or less must be in a booster seat
• Children 8 and older OR 80 pounds or greater OR 4’9″ or taller must be in a seatbelt

While parents that fail to meet the above requirements can face serious fines and penalties, more importantly they may be endangering their children’s safety.

For more information regarding child seats visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Child Safety Seat Site. Also, September 24, 2011, is the National Seat Check Saturday.

While the number of fatalities may seem high for such a small state population-wise, but one gains a much better perspective by looking at the two highest fatality months in Wisconsin traffic death history. In both July of 1966 and July of 1971, 140 people died as a result of Wisconsin traffic crashes.

The number of Wisconsin traffic fatalities are also down as a whole for the year of 2010. So far, through July 31, there have been 303 deaths attributable to traffic crashes in Wisconsin. The five year average of traffic fatalities from January 1 – July 31 is 375.

Wisconsin car accidents resulted in the largest percentage of fatalities. Wisconsin motorcycle accidents were a distant second at 62 deaths of motorcycle drivers and passengers in the first seven months of 2010. There were also 24 fatalities involving Wisconsin pedestrian accidents and 4 fatalities resulting from Wisconsin bicycle accidents.

A Wisconsin Department of Transportation spokesman attributed this decrease in Wisconsin traffic fatalities to seatbelt usage among Wisconsin residents. The use of seatbelts by Wisconsin drivers has reached an all-time high of 79 percent. However, that is still lower than the national average of 84 percent and significantly lower than our neighboring states, all of which are over 90 percent.

While these statistics may seem to offer little benefit to the friends and family members that have already lost loved ones as a result of Wisconsin traffic crashes, the DOT numbers do show hope for the future reduction in the number of traffic fatalities through the proper use of seatbelts. We urge friends and family members to get the word out in their community about the importance of proper seatbelt use. Letters to the editor of their local paper, speeches to civic groups and local high schools and even just speaking with other loved ones, Wisconsin should strive to increase our relatively low 79 percent rate of seatbelt usage.

According to a National Highway Traffic Administration study, distracted driving accounts for 80% of all car accidents.

The Top 7 most distracting tasks that should be avoided while driving include:

• Reaching for a moving object
• Reading and Writing
• Applying Makeup
• Dialing a Hand Held Cell Phone
• Eating, and Drinking
• Texting, Talking and Listening on a cell phone
• Adjusting the Radio or CD Player

The most common distraction that causes the most car accidents involves dropping one’s cell phone while trying to dial or text and then trying to pick it up while driving. Reaching for dropped objects is twice as dangerous as other non-driving tasks including reading and changing the radio channel.

Not paying attention when driving can result in relatively minor car accidents such as collisions in parking lots; however, many times it results in serious crashes causing extensive damages, injuries, and fatalities. The good news is that distracted driving is avoidable.

According to the Wisconsin AAA, the average driver makes approximately 200 driving decisions per mile. As the number of activities increase so so the chances of an accident. And today, more than ever, we have so many opportunities to be distracted, changing songs on your iPod, glancing at the DVD your child is watching, entering an address into your navigation system, and texting a friend. A study done by the Virgina Tech Transportation Institute found that for every 6 seconds of drive time, a driver sending or receiving a text spends 4.6 of those seconds with their eyes off the road.

To reduce distractions, plan ahead. Map out your route before entering the vehicle. Eat before you leave the house. Shut off your cell phone and put it out of site. Once in the car, make a point to concentrate on keeping your hands on the wheel.

Many individuals do not believe that anyone will know if they are texting or talking on the cell phone and happen to be in an accident. It is important to understand that even if you are in a car accident caused by another driver, the insurance company will request your phone bill, review it, and determine if you were talking or texting at the time of the accident. If you were injured in the accident and are pursuing the other driver’s insurance for medical bill payment, you may loose your case based on your phone records.

Now before the Wisconsin State Assembly is a bill that was passed by the Wisconsin Senate banning texting while driving. This ban is proposed to help keep our roads safe. To assist with getting this bill approved, visit legis.wi.gov to contact your local legislator and request the passage of this bill.

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For more information on Wisconsin Car Accidents or to speak with a Wisconsin Car Accident Attorney about an accident that involved distracted driving.

1. Slow Down: Speed is a contributing factor in nearly all fatal snowmobile accidents. Moderate speed is urged to allow for adequate reaction time in any situation.

2. Always Carry a First Aid Kit: The kit should include a flashlight, knife, compass, map and waterproof matches. And a cell phone (turned on for emergencies-  but never in use while driving.

3. Dress Appropriately: Always wear a helmet! Also wear goggles or some form of a face shield to prevent eye injuries from twigs or flying debris. Wear layers, water proof material, and make sure there are no loose strings or materials to catch on things you drive by.

4. Avoid Water and Ice: The thickness of ice is always tricky to judge. Wisconsin weather changes rapidly and water movement tends to be unpredictable by the eye alone. Snow cover can also trick people into thinking the ice is solid and it also can prevent the ice from solidly forming.

5. Stay On Marked Trails: Always be on the alert for fences, tree stumps, and other ground impediments. If there is not a marked trail, stay on the right shoulder of the road.

6. Travel In Pairs: Most snow mobile accidents result in personal injury. The most dangerous situation occurs when a person is injured alone. If you have to travel alone, please tell someone your destination, planned route, and approximate time that you will be returning.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a snowmobile accident and needs advise, contact an experienced Wisconsin Snowmobile Personal Injury Attorney to help you understand your rights.

High tech industries such as Google see great profit in linking up with automakers to provide the latest and greatest technology. At this years Consumer Electronic Show, the new “infotainment systems” were revealed. These systems comprise of various electronic devices that are set within an automobile’s dashboard. They display information such as 3-D maps/driving directions, high definition video, and web pages. The items will hit the market this year and will soon become standard equipment offered in new vehicles.

Safety advocates believe this could prove to be very dangerous. Research has proven that mobile device usage while driving is an increasing cause of accidents and injuries for both drivers and pedestrians. Unlike Ford’s new system which only will work when the car is in park, Audi’s new system lets drivers pull up websites as they are in motion.

Automakers claim safety is their top priority, however, most of the new infotainment systems leave the driver as the responsible party for limiting their own use.

The industry giants state they are just giving consumers what they want and the things that I-Phones and the Internet have trained them to expect. Safety advocates believe these new options will increase the already alarming statistics of accidents and injuries on the road.

For more information on Safety and Car Accidents.