Baton Rouge Personal Injury Blog

What exactly is a "safe" distance behind another vehicle on the road?

You may remember being told that you should find a fixed object somewhere ahead and count the seconds between the moment the vehicle in front of you passes that object and the moment when you pass that object. Ideally, drivers were usually told there should be three to five seconds of space between the vehicles at all time in order to have a safe following interval.

A winter landscape is beautiful to behold -- unless you're stuck driving in it. With much of the United States expecting snow in the coming weeks, it seems like an ideal time to review the tips that can keep you safe on the road.

Here are the things you need to remember as you head out into the snowy weather:

• Prep your vehicle: Properly inflated tires with a good tread are essential for safety. Turn your cruise control off for the season and make sure that your brakes have been checked recently. Finally, make sure your lights (head and tail) are working properly.
• Prep yourself: Don't head out in bad weather if you aren't feeling alert. Fatigued driving is deadly driving at any time of the year -- but it's worse when the roads are slippery and wet. If you're just struggling to wake up, grab a cup of coffee before you head out.
• Drive slowly: This is the number one tip to remember on snow and ice. You need to give yourself twice the normal travel time so that you aren't rushing. Accelerate slowly, brake slowly and keep double the usual distance between your vehicle and other vehicles on the road.
• Don't stop: If you can slow down enough to avoid fully stopping at a traffic signal, do it. You run a bigger risk of spinning out by stopping, and it's much harder to get moving again.
• Brake carefully: If you have antilock brakes (and you probably do), you don't need to pump your brakes in the snow. Just press slowly and evenly with the ball of your foot to avoid spins.

The Louisiana Department of Insurance is investigating the possibility of fraud involving at least one accident at a Gentilly truck stop -- although other accidents are also raising questions.

Louisiana has some of the most painfully high automobile insurance rates in the country. In fact, the average annual insurance auto insurance premium in Louisiana is $1,900 -- which is $600 more than the national average. Only Michigan residents pay more.

When you go to your doctor because you are suffering adverse health symptoms, you understand that he or she is a human being, capable of error. However, it is reasonable for you to expect that a licensed medical doctor is skilled enough to correctly diagnose your condition or to know where to seek additional support if your situation is outside his or her scope of expertise.  

Sadly, many Louisiana medical patients have suffered serious infections, illnesses and, in worst cases, even death when doctors failed to properly diagnose their conditions. You are always free to seek a second opinion if you are unsure about your doctor's initial diagnosis. Doing so could save your life. It's also a good idea to know what types of options are available to seek legal accountability against a medical doctor whose negligence has caused you injury.