According to the National Highway Traffic & Safety Administration (NHTSA), on average, about 134 people die in school-vehicle-related crashes each year. Did you know that in Florida there is only one situation where it is legal for drivers to pass a bus? The only way is if there is a five-foot barrier or unpaved median between the side of the road you are on and the side of the road the bus is on.

We remind all drivers to be cautious around school transportation. Slow down and be mindful of the law. Do your part to ensure that our students have a great and safe school year.

A Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) report says four out of five people surveyed admitted to not bothering to buckle up in the back seat while on short trips or taking rides in taxis. The reason often cited was it was perceived to be safer in the back seat and therefore not necessary. Not so says IIHS, “Although safety belts are proven to save lives, more than half of the people who die in passenger vehicle crashes in the U.S. each year are unbelted. One person's decision not to buckle up can have consequences for other people riding with them.”

Please buckle up for safety and stop preventable deaths and injuries.

There is renewed concern for the safety of kids and adults who play football. A new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found 100 of 111 brains of former NFL players tested positive for the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). That’s more than 99%. Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed after death by brain tissue analysis. And unfortunately, there is no treatment for the progressive, degenerative brain disease.

It is important for parents and coaches to keep close watch over kids of all ages who play contact sports and call a doctor if they start exhibiting any symptoms that may be associated with head trauma. Here are a couple of concussion protocols, signs and checklists from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the NCAA.

More than 29 children have died of heatstroke after being left in a vehicle. The yearly average is 37. This record breaking number of deaths, so far in 2017, has led lawmakers to push automakers to install technology that would alert drivers if a child is left behind in the back seat of a vehicle once the car is turned off. The Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seat Act (HOT CARS Act) is intended to prevent heatstroke deaths when children are left alone in vehicles. Never leave a child or pet alone in a vehicle…not even for a minute.

Willis Law, P.A.
5355 Town Center Road, Suite 801 

Boca Raton, FL 33486
561-417-7033
http://www.willislaw.com/