Light Rail officials told ABC15 they are starting to re-focus their efforts on safety now that the official grand opening ceremony is complete.

Four minor collisions have impacted the new train system since December, including one that occurred during the practice phase.

“They’re all unfortunate,” said Hillary Foose, a Light Rail spokesperson. “If there is any silver lining it gives us the opportunity to talk more publicly about safety and how to be safe, reinforcing the message about obeying the traffic signals,” she said.

Foose said all of the collisions are under investigation, but it appears as if most of the independent drivers involved in these cases failed to obey all of the traffic laws.

Currently, Tempe Police are reviewing the surveillance tapes from the trains.

According to Foose, each train car contains sixteen cameras, including ten that monitor the exterior of the train in several different angles.

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Each year thousands of people suffer personal injury from slip and fall accidents, as the result of another person’s negligence. Slip and falls are one of the leading causes of accidental deaths in the United States.

The term slip and fall, or trip and fall, refers to a situation in which a person suffers aninjury from a fall due to an unsafe, hazardous condition. Slip and fall accidents can occur inside or outside and can be caused by various conditions, including water on the ground, poorly lit stairs, rugs that seem to be lose, holes in the sidewalk, etc. If you are injured in a slip and fall accident due to a dangerous condition that the owner knew, or should have known, about he or she can be held legally liable.

In these instances, get the names and numbers of any witnesses to the accident, as well as people who were there after the accident occurred. It is also helpful to take photographs of the dangerous conditions, before the property owner has a chance to fix it. Slip and fall cases can be hard to prove, so it is important to have knowledgeable representation that can help you gather the essential evidence as soon as possible.

If you or a loved one suffers from severe injuries or death from a slip and fall accident, the Phoenix personal injury lawyers of Phillips and Lyon will help you get the money you deserve. Contact us now.

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A few tips and suggestion on how to be safe when riding your motorcycle!

1. Take a basic riding class to learn better riding techniques and helpful hints. More than 90% of riders involved in accidents had no formal training.
2. Make sure you have a motorcycle license! Nearly half of all motorcycle riders involved in accidents are unlicensed or improperly licensed.
3. Prepare for your ride. Wear appropriate gear for comfort and protection including proper shoes and most importantly a helmet!
4. Make sure you can be seen by the other drivers on the road. Stand out and wear bright clothing and use retro reflective material.
5. Make sure you are alert while riding. Fatigue or drowsiness can impair a motorcyclist’s ability to react.
6. Have a plan when riding in a group, determine your route in advance and coordinate it with the other riders.
7. Make sure your motorcycle is safe to ride. If something fails on a motorcycle it can be very dangerous.
8. Ride sober. Alcohol and other drugs affect judgment and do not mix with motorcycling.
9. Don’t speed. Speeding increases the risk of a serious injury accident by 60%.
10. Be considerate on the road; show courtesy and respect to other drivers.

The attorneys at Phillips & Lyon have a well-earned reputation for protecting the rights of motorcycle accident victims. Unlike other firms in the Phoenix area, our senior partners are involved in every case and Greg Lyon, a senior partner, is an avid motorcycle rider! Our steadfast commitment to our injured clients along with our wealth of experience has lead to consistent results for our clients.

http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/mcyc-tip.htm

An airbag, or supplemental restraint, is designed to protect drivers from making a hard impact during a car accident. Being a “supplemental restraint” gives the general idea that both seatbelts and airbags need to be used together, not just one or the other. If the airbag inflates, the seat belt will act by providing body support and preventing occupant ejection. The airbag can be said to bear similar texture to a soft cushion, and this cushion is what separates the driver from other hard surfaces in the car like the steering wheel, windshield, and dashboard and prevent severe injuries.

Furthermore, it is called a “passive” safety component, because it only inflates after an accident has occurred, it doesn’t prevent accidents from occurring. Airbags help avoid or lessen the risk of severe head and chest injuries in collisions.

The inflation of an airbag is triggered by the airbag control unit, which reacts to the crash sensor when it detects a heavy impact. The airbags release rapidly and protect the passenger from more severe injuries. Airbags are known to cause “burns” on the driver’s arms or other injuries, but the injuries caused by an airbag are usually far less then if there was no airbag.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, please contact Phillips and Lyon!

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Forbes released their “Safest Cars of 2009″ and the vehicles listed below received the highest possible overall scores from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), whose crash ratings are more strict than federal standards.

These perfect scores varied from the safety cage, restraints, airbags, ”crumple zones”, and how secure the driver’s and passenger’s head, neck, chest, pelvis, leg and foot are.

THESE CARS INCLUDE:

• Acura MDX, RL, TL
• Honda Accord, CR-V, Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline
• Mercedes Benz M-Class
• Nissan Rogue
• Saab 9-3
• Subaru Impreza, Legacy, Tribeca
• Toyota Highlander

Cars above were listed as the safest cars, however every car on the market must pass a crash tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s NHTSA, or IIHS. The tests including: five star ratings in frontal and side vehicle crash tests, and five star rollover resistances. A five-star rating means a chance of serious injury of 10% or less in a car crash at 35 mph.

ezinearticles.com

Forbes.com