New Orleans Personal Injury Law Blog

Many residents of Louisiana enjoy the convenience of ride-sharing services, such as Uber or Lyft. These companies allow riders to quickly and easily get places without having to worry about finding parking. While there are potential risks to using a ride-sharing service, there are several simple steps riders may follow to drastically reduce those issues.

Ride-sharing services are becoming more popular in most areas of the country. According to data from a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, over one-third of Americans indicated that they had used ride-sharing services. This number represents a significant increase in the three years since the 2015 survey, where only 15% of people stated they had used such a service.

Figuring out how to keep your children safe in the car may seem overwhelming, especially with all the different types of car seats. If you want to know when you should switch your child from a rear-facing car seat to a front-facing seat, you may have to consult both the manufacturer's instructions and local regulations. In Louisiana, there is a recent law that includes new rules for when children may use different types of car seats.

According to a KSLA News report, there are updated rules for car seats in the Louisiana Child Passenger Safety Law. Under the new requirements, you must keep your child in a rear-facing car seat until he or she is two years old. Additionally, you may not begin using a front-facing car seat until your child has outgrown the rear-facing seat's height or weight restrictions.

Riding a bike is a good way to get around Louisiana, and there are more cyclists on the road when there is warmer weather. Because bikes are harder to see, there is an increased chance of collisions with other vehicles. To keep things safe, drivers need to understand how to maneuver around bikes, and cyclists also need to take the right precautions to prevent accidents from occurring.

According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, when there is a collision between a vehicle and a bike, the cyclist is the one who sustains the most, and worst, injuries. Drivers should always yield to bicycles and not underestimate how fast they are going. Drivers should also be especially cautious when turning in an intersection or coming out of a driveway. When making a right turn, vehicle operators should always check their mirrors and look over their right shoulder to make sure there is not a cyclist coming up on the right side. In order to safely share the road, everyone should give cyclists adequate room and only pass when no one is coming in the opposite lane.

Driving in and around New Orleans is not always a leisurely activity. Many times, you have likely found yourself astounded at people's actions while they are behind the wheel of a vehicle, and you probably had a few close calls when someone runs a red light or suddenly turns in front of your vehicle. In some cases, confused tourists can also cause their fair share of problems.

Unfortunately, numerous major accidents happen every year because of seemingly minor issues. In many cases, if drivers had been paying more attention or appropriately following traffic rules and directions, serious crashes could have been avoided.