What’s the problem with underage drinking and driving?
If you’re under 21, you can be convicted of DUI if you are caught driving with a blood alcohol level of .02% or higher. It’s a low bar, but the consequences can be just as serious as they are for an adult driver. Underage drinking is a serious problem in the United States. According to the National
Is ammonium nitrate safe to store?
Before a large amount of ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded recently in Beirut, Lebanon, many people were unaware of how dangerous the compound can be. The fertilizer is an odorless, crystalline material that is also used as an industrial explosive. You may be familiar with the 2013 Texas fertilizer plant explosion that killed 15 people. That
You’re drunk. You’re not going to drive. How do you get home?
When it comes to avoiding drunk driving, half the battle is having a plan. Alcohol impairs your judgment, which can make it harder to come up with a plan. And if your Plan A doesn’t work out, it can be difficult to come up with a Plan B. That’s why it’s important to have a solid
Is it safe to rely on your car’s driver assist system?
Much of the promise behind automated and semi-automated vehicles is the promise of safety. In theory, these systems are better drivers than humans, who are prone to all sorts of inattentiveness, rule-breaking and poor judgment. But is that theory a reality? Not yet, according to the traffic safety group AAA. For the second time since 2018,
Why might you be denied a restricted license after a DUI?
If you have been convicted of DUI or refusal to submit to a breath or blood test in Tennessee, your driver’s license can be revoked for a period of time. For a first offense, it will be revoked for a year; two years for a second offense. Even after a conviction, however, you may still
Another setback for J&J in cancer claims related to talc products
Plaintiffs have filed over 20,000 lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, many of which claim that their talc products are contaminated with asbestos and caused ovarian cancer or mesothelioma with routine use. About 1,000 ovarian cancer claims are filed in state court in New Jersey, where J&J is headquartered. J&J has intentionally worked to transfer much
Parents: Make sure school-age kids know the risks of the road
As fall approaches and schools reopen, many Tennessee school districts are returning to traditional models or implementing hybrid models for this coming school year. Most districts are providing remote learning as an option, while others have students participating in a blend of in-person and remote learning, with staggered attendance. Regardless of the situation, parents must
Do I have to cooperate with sobriety checkpoints?
In Tennessee, law enforcement has the legal authority to set up sobriety checkpoints. These are blocked areas of the road where every driver, or every few drivers, is stopped so officers can try to detect if the driver is intoxicated. If you are pulled over at a DUI checkpoint, however, you have rights and you
Enough opioid prescriptions for half of all Americans?
“We’re 5% of the world’s population, but we consume 80% of the world’s prescription opioids,” says one Stanford medical researcher of the U.S. That’s a problem, especially because opioid painkillers put people at risk for addiction and overdose. Nevertheless, according to public data analyzed by NPR, enough opioid prescriptions are written each year in the U.S. that
Would a car-based breathalyzer reduce drunk driving?
Last year, lawmakers introduced the Reduce Impaired Driving for Everyone (RIDE) Act, which would require automakers to make standard new technology that would gauge every driver’s blood alcohol concentration before it would allow them to drive. It would be like having a permanent breathalyzer in your car. Does this make sense? The Insurance Institute for