The New Year is just underway and we have already experienced an odd DUI story...a woman driving under the influence struck a pedestrian on a sidewalk right here in Mississippi. Thankfully, the man was not seriously injured but it does shows an important point; you should be aware of your surroundings even if you are not behind the wheel of a car. Even more importantly, the story shows that despite years of education on the dangers of drinking and driving people still get behind the wheel when they shouldn't.

You can not prevent every accident but some steps are really "no-brainers"; you can decide today to be a safer driver by avoiding these common danger zones:

• "buzzed driving" - even if you have only had a few, your judgement and reaction time is impaired. If you are drinking, even a little, have a designated driver to bring you home. If you are having friends over for drinks, don't let them leave your home and get behind the wheel.
• "distracted driving" - no text is so important that it can't wait until you get the the next stop light. You wouldn't close your eyes for 4 - 8 seconds (count it out, that really is a long time) while you were going 70 miles per hour down the interstate but that is how long you are not looking if you are reading and responding to a text.
• "sleepy driving" - if you are tired, pull off the road and find a safe, well lit place to rest. 

There are other areas that will make all of us safer on the roads, like obeying speed limits and other rules of the road. Richard Schwartz and Associates deal with the results of bad drivers every day. We know how a car wreck can effect the life of everyone involved - injuries, doctors and hospital bills, missed work and car repairs. We also know how hard it can be to get insurance companies to pay what you truly deserve.  If you have been in a car wreck call Richard at 1-800-844-1215 or fill out the form here on our site and someone will get back with you as soon as we can.

Happy New Year from your friends at Richard Schwartz and Associates.