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Awareness of the dangers of both drunk driving and cell phone use while driving has increased greatly in recent years, so much so that many in Clinton may be more cognizant of avoiding such practices. Yet there exists another form of dangerous driving behavior that does not get nearly as much exposure: eating and drinking while driving. Indeed, information shared by Exxon Mobil shows that as many as 70 percent of drivers admit to eating while behind the wheel, while 83 percent say that have consumed beverages while driving.

Eating and drinking seem to many to be such natural actions that most might not even view them as being distracting. This is no doubt the reason why so many do it while driving (one might even that automakers encourage it by incorporating cup holders in vehicle designs). Yet both actions require that drivers take their eyes and attention off the road, and at least one of their hands off the steering wheel. Some might argue that even if eating and drinking are distracting, they only require a moment or two of one’s attention. When one is traveling down the road in a vehicle at high speeds, a moment of distraction can easily put one in a dangerous position that can lead to a car accident.

Like many in Clinton, you may wonder how it is that your doctor is able to come up with a definitive diagnosis based off what may seem (to you) to be relatively little information. The answer may both surprise and alarm you. While the unique education and experience that each physician acquires during the course of their career no doubt influences their practice, a good portion of their decision making is driven by heuristics. 

What are heuristics? They are the standard practices of a profession (think of them as "rules of thumb'). Typically, heuristics are developed through practice and by the technology available to practitioners. They become the baselines on which treatment plans are built, as clinicians compare clinical indicators to what the accepted practices are for providing care. In healthcare, you may often hear heuristics referred to as "the standard of care." 

The large semi-trucks and tractor-trailers one sees driving in and around Clinton often cast a menacing shadow, as their potential for causing devastation in a collision with another vehicle can plainly be seen. The expenses that can arise from a truck accident can be enormous; sadly, according to information shared by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 116,000 accident victims in 2017 had to learn this the hard way. When assigning liability for a truck accident, many often wonder if liability lies only with the truck driver who caused the accident, or if it can also be extended to the truck company that employs them. 

Per the Cornell Law School, the legal principle of "respondeat superior" (Latin for "let the master answer") allows people to hold employers responsible for the actions of their employees. Given that insurance may not cover the entirety of a truck accident's expenses, victims should know in what cases liability can be shared between driver and employer. One might assume that as long as a driver is behind the wheel of vehicle used for commercial purposes (and is not an independent contractor, but rather an actual employee), then their employer would also be liable. Yet that is not always the case. 

If you are like many Americans, you probably struggle to ignore your cellphone for the 30 minutes it takes to commute to work. Can you imagine not being able to respond to text messages or emails for an entire 8-hour shift? What if your shift could last as long as 13 hours?

That is the reality for commercial drivers in the United States. Truckers often work very long hours. While they are on the road, they have an obligation to follow certain rules. Among those rules is a total prohibition on the manual use of mobile phones.