The North Carolina House has passed a bill which is called Sheyenne’s Law.

Sheyenne was a 17 year old girl who died in 2015 when hit by a boater who was drunk on Lake Norman in North Carolina. A drunken boater swerved to miss another boat and hit her, killing her outright.

The bill, which was sponsored by Larry Pitman, increases the penalties for driving a boat when drunk to the same as driving a road vehicle, and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, even a tiny amount of alcohol which results in a Blood Alcohol Count of 0.05% can increase accident risks.

Under the current law, if you are convicted of boating while drunk it is just a misdemeanor but under the new law if death or injury results then that will be a felony. Sentencing will depend on a range of factors but the drunk boater will definitely be spending more time in jail.

If your loved one has been injured in an auto or motorcycle accident or boating accident in Asheville, please call the Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm accident attorneys (864) 280-7660 or contact us online today.

We all know that Ambulances, Fire Truck and Police Vehicles are Emergency Vehicles, but did you also know that you are also required to yield for privately owned vehicles used by firefighters or life support agencies and these may display a green flashing light.

All drivers should stay alert of the road and to ensure that you can hear sirens or horns keeping the volume down on any music you are listening to will certainly help. When you hear the siren or see the flashing lights firstly check where on the road the emergency vehicle is, that way you can judge how quickly you need to react. Providing it is safe to do so, pull over to the side of the road and stop, signaling as you do so. This will not only alert the driver of the emergency vehicle to your intentions but also other road users. There is often more than one emergency vehicle responding to an incident, so wait until all vehicles have passed before you re-enter the traffic, signal and merge with the traffic getting up to the required speed for the road you are driving on.

If your loved one has been injured in an auto or motorcycle accident in Asheville, please call the Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm accident attorneys (864) 280-7660 or contact us online today.

Thousands of road accidents a year are caused by driver fatigue and it may be a factor contributing to an accident in up to a fifth of all crashes and even a quarter of all accidents which are either fatal or very serious.

Accidents caused by driver fatigue tend to be more likely to lead to death or serious injury as they are usually high speed as the driver is asleep and therefore cannot take avoiding action or brake.

Even if the driver is not actually asleep, just feeling sleepy reduces reaction time, the driver is concentrating less and is less alert, hence they are effectively impaired in the same way that drivers are who have been drinking or taking drugs.

Many drivers know they are feeling sleepy but make the decision to continue rather than stopping for a rest and this decision puts both their life and the lives of other road users at risk.

If you feel sleepy while driving, first open the windows or turn down the heating to get some fresh air and if you continue to feel sleepy you should park in a safe place until you feel fit to drive. Do not stop on the hard shoulder of the interstate or freeway. Try and drink some coffee and take a short nap.

In order to prevent feeling sleepy while driving plan your journey with a break of 15 minutes at least, every two hours and ensure you have a good night’s sleep the night before.

If your loved one has been injured in an auto or motorcycle accident in Asheville, please call the Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm accident attorneys (864) 280-7660 or contact us online today.