Fall is the perfect time to get outside and what could be a better way to enjoy the season than a bicycle ride. When on a bicycle, a rider not only gets to take in the sights but also gets to feel the cool, crisp autumn air blowing on their face. Whether you are biking for pleasure or as part of your daily commute, it is important to keep safety at the forefront of your mind every time you go for a ride. Biking on trails or paths is very different from sharing the road with cars. A car-bicycle crash often has serious outcomes for the rider. To make sure that the only thing that gets your heart pumping is the big hills this autumn, keep these safety tips in mind:

1. Plan your route carefully. People often make the mistake of taking the same route they would go in a car on their bike. This can be problematic because this often means selecting busy streets with fast-moving When planning your route, it is important to remember avoidance. While cars and bicycles need to share the roads, they are not equals. A car-bike crash is always worse for the rider of the bicycle, so it is often best to avoid riding with cars whenever possible.
2. Follow the same rules as cars. Since there are far fewer bicycles on the road than motor vehicles, it is important as a rider to follow the same rules that cars have to follow. This includes coming to a complete stop at stop signs, signaling all turns, and obeying all other traffic laws.
3. Make sure you are visible. Fall temperatures may be perfect for However, the shorter days can make riding more perilous. Darkness is a huge enemy for riders. Most motorists in car-bike crashes report not having seen the bicycle in time to avoid the crash. Reflective apparel and gear can help increase your visibility to motorists.
4. Pay attention. Riders like to use bicycling as a way to unwind and unplug at the end of the day. While it is okay to ride for stress relief, it does not mean that a rider can not pay attention to the road. Riders must constantly be aware of their surroundings.
5. Do not trust drivers. When you the car the car in front of you or behind you remember that you do not know them or how respectful they are to cyclists. To be cautious, do not trust any motorist to do the right thing. If you assume that motorists can see you and will stop or not turn in front of you, it could make a deadly assumption.
6. Ride like you are invisible. Every time you go for a ride, do so with the idea that you are invisible to motorists. By thinking of yourself as invisible, you will take more steps to be seen and in turn, make yourself more visible to motorists. Since you are invisible, you may need to ride down the side of the road or slow to a stop at an intersection.

If you or a loved one was seriously injured after being struck by a motor vehicle while riding a bicycle, the experienced Personal Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. can help. Our skilled team of Kansas City Injury Attorneys will make sure that your rights are protected and that you receive the compensation you are entitled to. You can trust the Kansas City Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. to help you as they have helped countless injury victims around the area, in both Kansas and Missouri. Contact Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. today at (816) 472-4673 to schedule a consultation.

Every parent dreads the day that their son or daughter is handed their driver’s license. Sure, it will be nice that they can drive themselves to school, home from soccer practice, and their part-time job on the weekend. Oh, and yes, it will be especially helpful that they now can cart their younger siblings around as well. So in some ways, having a teenage driver is not all gloom and doom.

However, the days where dread sits in is when it is Friday night, and your teenage driver asks for the keys to the car, so he or she can pick up a friend and go to the movies, or go “hang out,” or even worse, to a party. With school is in session, teens do not have a ton of free time to go cruising around. However, summer changes all of that. Summer is one of the most dangerous seasons for young drivers. In fact, the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are said to be the deadliest for teenage drivers, this according to the National Safety Council.

In 2012, more than 1,000 people died in car accidents involving teenage drivers during this 100 day period. It is estimated that more than 550 of the people killed were teens. These statistics coupled with the fact that car crashes are the number one cause of death of American teenagers can make any parent ill with worry.

If you are a parent reading this, you are probably wondering what you can do to protect your teen. Sure, you could take away the keys. However, there are other options. The National Safety Council has started an initiative called DriveitHOME. The purpose of DriveitHOME is to offer information and guidance to parents of teenage drivers in hopes of reducing the number of teen crashes to zero. DriveitHOME is a great resource for parents looking for ways to keep their teen safe behind the wheel. The following are just a few of the many tips parents can start to use today and continue with throughout the year:

• Set a good example: It is never too early to start practicing what you preach. Driving distracted is dangerous at any age. Show your teen that when you are driving, that is the only thing you are doing. Do not use your phone while driving. If you want to talk or text—pullover.
• Have a conversation with your teen: Let them know your concerns. Consider having them sign an agreement that sets forth what you expect of them and the consequences if they do not follow the rules.
• Practice, practice, practice: Just because your teen has his or her license does not mean that he or she is an expert driver. Continue to ride with your teen and allow them to practice their skills. A parent can be a great driving coach!

If your teen suffered serious injuries after being involved in a collision, it is important to contact a skilled Kansas City Injury Attorneys who can protect his or her rights! The experienced Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. have been helping accident victims in Kansas and Missouri for almost two decades. Our seasoned Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys will fight to make sure that you receive proper compensation for your injuries. Trust the Personal Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. to help you, just as they have helped countless injury victims in the area. Call Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. today at (816) 472-4673 to schedule a consultation. We look forward to meeting with you.

There are numerous reasons why you may find yourself stranded on the side of the road. A roadside emergency can be anything from a flat tire to having run out of gas, or simply experiencing mechanical problems. No matter the reason for your needing to stop, it is important to keep in mind that the side of the road is not a safe place to hang out. In fact, the shoulder of any roadway can be a very dangerous spot for a motorist. Each year, motorists are killed on the shoulder while waiting for help to arrive. If you ever find yourself experiencing a roadside emergency, keep in my mind these stay safe strategies:

1. Exit the highway whenever possible. If you are experiencing car trouble on a major highway, you are always safer if you can exit the highway rather than stop on the shoulder. Once you are off of the highway, stay inside your vehicle until help arrives.

2. Pull completely over. Not only is a car on the side of the road a danger to its occupants, but it also presents a danger to other motorists. However, sometimes, stopping on the side of the road is unavoidable. If you do need to stop on the shoulder of a busy roadway, it is important to make sure that your vehicle is pulled completely off of the main road and onto the shoulder. A car that is even partially in the lane of traffic is a collision waiting to happen. If you are not able to move your vehicle completely onto the shoulder, you need to evaluate whether you should remain in the vehicle. Often the best strategy is to exit the car due to the likelihood that the car could be hit. If it is safe to exit the vehicle, exit out the side of the vehicle that is furthest from traffic, even if that means exiting out the passenger side door. Do not exit your car if traffic does not permit.

3. Illuminate! Even if your car is completely on the shoulder, it is important that others can see it. At night a car on the shoulder can be near invisible to approaching traffic. Also, emergency vehicles and other motorists use the shoulder as well. The best way to make sure your vehicle is visible to others is to turn on your lights or flashers. Flares, which motorists should keep in their emergency roadside kits, are also useful for this purpose as well.

4. Call for help. A car on the side of the road is much like a sitting duck. So as soon as you realize that you cannot or should not re-enter traffic, call for help. Sometimes, handy motorists are tempted to forgo calling for roadside assistance or a tow-truck, preferring instead to try to change a tire or conduct other maintenance themselves. Since hanging around outside of your vehicle next to the road is not safe, please resist the urge to do so.

If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries after being involved in a collision, it is important to contact a skilled Kansas City Injury Attorney who can protect your rights! The experienced Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. having been helping accident victims in Kansas and Missouri for almost two decades. Our seasoned Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys work hard to make sure that you receive proper compensation for your injuries. Trust the Personal Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. to help you, just as they have helped countless injured victims in the area. To find out how the attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. can work for you, contact our office today at (816) 472-4673 to schedule a consultation.

Being a parent is a tough job. However, being a parent of a teenager can be just plain scary. Part of the reason why parenting a teen is so rough is because teens no longer see themselves as children. Teens want to jump into adulthood and try new things. But as a parent, you still want to hold them back a little to keep them safe. Often the most frightening time to parent a teen is when he or she is ready to receive their driver’s license. For any teenager, a driver’s license is still the ultimate symbol of freedom.

Unfortunately, teenagers are often blissfully unaware of the realities that they could potentially face behind the wheel. For example, does your teenager realize that motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds in the United States? In fact, more than 2,600 teenage drivers were involved in fatal crashes in 2013 and approximately 130,000 were injured.

These statistics are why it is so important for parents to talk to their teens about safe driving habits. Just like you taught your son or daughter to ride a bike the correct way, the same conversation needs to happening about being a safe driver. However, the sad fact is that many parents are not having these types of conversations with their teens. In fact, in a survey only 1 in 4 parents reported having had a serious conversation with their teenage driver about the key components of safe driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations (NHTSA) has identified 5 key components that are critical to making sure teen drivers are safe behind the wheel. Parents can use these “5 rules to drive” as a checklist when talking to their teen. The 5 rules are as follows:

1. No cell phone usage. The most dangerous thing to any driver is to try to multi-task while behind the wheel. Parents needs to stress to teens that using a cell phone to talk or text should never be done when driving. Parents can help by modeling this same behavior.
2. Must wear a safety belt. Stress to your teen the importance of wearing a seat belt every time he or she is in a car, regardless of whether he or she is the driver or a passenger. More than half of 15 to 20 years old killed in car crashes were not wearing safety belts.
3. No speeding. In more than 40% of fatal crashes involving 15 to 20 year olds, speed was a crash factor.
4. No passengers. While it may be fun for a teen to drive with friends in the car, it is just not safe. Teen drivers who have one passenger riding with them are 2.5 times more likely to engage in risky behaviors than teenage drivers without passengers.
5. Drive sober. While the legal driving limit may be 21 in all states, that does not mean teens do not experiment with alcohol. In fact, close to 30% of teens killed in fatal accidents had been drinking alcohol.

If your teenage son or daughter was seriously injured or killed in a car accident, the experienced Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. are here to help. Our skilled team of Kansas City Injury Attorneys will take all of necessary steps to ensure that justice is served. You can trust the Kansas City Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. to help you as they have helped countless injury victims around the area, in both Kansas and Missouri. Our attorneys will fight to make sure you’re your rights are protected and that your family receives proper compensation. We invite you to contact Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. today at (816) 472-4673 to schedule an initial consultation. At Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. you are a priority, not a number.