Monthly Archives: April 2015

Be a part of our team to promote safety & save lives

April 30, 2015AnnaLeah and Mary, Truck Safetyelectronic logging devices, minimum insurance, minimum liability insurance, petition, safety advocacy, Truck Safety Coalition, underride guardsMarianne

We appreciate all of the people who signed the AnnaLeah & Mary Stand Up For Truck Safety Petition. Together with over 11,000 people, we helped to send a strong message to the Department of Transportation: Changes are needed in truck safety issues in order to stop the senseless, preventable deaths which occur year after year on the roads of our country.

Please act now to be a part of our team to continue our push for change. The most important thing which you can do is to stay connected with us by signing up to be on our Mailing List (get our newsletter and other important updates). As we continue to make inroads in truck safety issues, your participation is vital. We would like to be able to let you know when there is a way for you to help make a difference. You can multiply our safety advocacy efforts.

Newscast from our trip to DC to deliver the petitions to DOT:

To read more about the impact of our petition and what we want to continue to do, read more here: https://annaleahmary.com/how-you-can-help/

Other ways you can be involved:

1. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryandAnnaLeah

2. Sign up for email notification of new posts on our website. You only need to provide your email address. You can be confident that we will use it only to send you notification of our posts. Click on the SUBSCRIBE button on the bottom right column of our website.

3. When you read our posts, take advantage of the opportunity to share it by clicking on the social media icons at the bottom of each post.

4. Subscribe to the Truck Safety Coalition’s Email List to receive their “Action Alerts” and other News Updates. Click here: http://trucksafety.org/karth-family-and-truck-safety-coalitions-next-steps/

5. Like the Truck Safety Coalition’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/trucksafetycoalition

6. Follow the Truck Safety Coalition on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TruckSafetyOrg?lang=en

For those of you who have lost a loved one yourself in a truck crash, please consider sharing a photo and story with us on our Truck Crash Victim Photo Memorial Page. Not only will this allow us to help you preserve your loved one’s memory, but it will also serve as a reminder of the countless lives which have been touched by preventable truck crashes. Send your information to us here: photos@annaleahmary.com .

On behalf of the family of AnnaLeah & Mary Lydia Karth, whose loss we feel so deeply,
Jerry and Marianne Karth

Don’t Be Caught Unaware: Find out what YOU can do to become a safer driver

April 8, 2015AnnaLeah and Mary, Truck Safetydistracted driving, drowsy driving, DWF, no regretsMarianne

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. I don’t know if we will ever know what kind of Distracted Driving was responsible for AnnaLeah’s and Mary’s deaths (no one investigated this thoroughly that we are aware of). But we do know that the truck driver–for whatever reason–did not notice the slowed traffic ahead in time and, and as a result, hit our car twice.

Was his driving impaired due to being distracted, drugged, drinking, or drowsy (Driving While Fatigued–DWF)? Whatever the reason, AnnaLeah’s and Mary’s lives were abruptly ended.

Hardly a day goes by without coming across some reminder of the special girls they were and the empty place that no one else can fill in our lives. Just this morning, I found a little piece of paper that had fallen off a clothes hanger. In the last couple years of her life, Mary had made tags for her hangers and meticulously organized her closet. A simple reminder of our Mary, a poignant reminder of our loss.

Here are some further thoughts & tools to help you avoid distracted driving:

Healthy Sleep Project urges parents to teach teens to avoid drowsy driving, http://www.healthcanal.com/disorders-conditions/sleep/62109-healthy-sleep-project-urges-parents-to-teach-teens-to-avoid-drowsy-driving.html
How one N.J. dad works to fight driving dangers with Uber, apps and his daughter’s memory (including rewards to encourage driving without using your phone), http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2015/04/through_uber_apps_and_his_personal_tragedy_one_nj.html
Tips for Distracted Driving Awareness because CALLS KILL: “Eighty percent of American drivers believe hands-free devices are safer than using a handheld phone. But that is just not the case. More than 30 studies show hands-free devices are no safer because the brain remains distracted by the conversation. When talking on a cell phone, drivers can miss seeing up to half of what’s around them, such as traffic lights, stop signs and pedestrians.Take the Focused Driver Challenge and pledge to drive cell free.” http://www.nsc.org/learn/NSC-Initiatives/Pages/distracted-driving-awareness-month.aspx?utm_medium=(none)&utm_source=(direct)&utm_campaign=CallsKill
What kind of driver are you raising? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opoGqpDfPAY

We are all susceptible to making driving mistakes. I encourage you to take steps to make sure that your driving is as safe as possible. No regrets.

Careless Attitudes Can Contribute to Unnecessary Deaths

April 4, 2015AnnaLeah and Mary, Truck Safetyaccountability, crash fatalities, justice, product liability, safety is no accident, Vision ZeroMarianne

Over and over, I hear the litany: “Yes, that is important (fixing a design flaw), but what we really want to do is stop crashes.”

Yes, I want to stop/prevent crashes as well. That is very important to me. But, it seems to me, such an attitude displays a lack of commitment to fixing design flaws and indicates a disregard for lives lost due to delays and inadequate improvements.

In other words, Safety Is Not REALLY a Priority and so–in my mind–there are too many people whose actions contribute to unlawful deaths. I am not trying to imply that they act knowingly & intentionally. But the end result is the same: preventable & tragic deaths.

Unfortunately, “they” apparently don’t see it that way. However, I’m quite sure that they would get it if one of their loved ones was killed by a “defective product”; money would not be an object and they would be searching day and night–just like me–to find a solution to the problem. And, just like me, designing the best possible protection as quickly as possible would become their goal.

This has been my opinion for awhile now (months which are turning into years following that tragic day: May 4, 2013)–ever since I was in a truck crash which I survived and my daughters did not (the underride guard did not prevent them from going under the truck). And I have written about it before:

But every time I run across this attitude again, it creates fresh pain and frustration. It leads to hopelessness about things ever truly changing to prevent further heartbreak, like in a phone call which I had recently where I heard it again: “We want to do something about [this defect] but we really want to prevent crashes.” I do, too. But that does not negate the importance of making vital improvements in order to make crashes–when they inevitably do occur–less likely to end in death.

Let’s not allow product liability to be treated lightly. [http://tinyurl.com/o69fgua] Somebody needs to be held responsible for NEGLIGENCE which leads to horrific injury and/or death. Before it is too late. . .

For example, read this account of the recent $150 million settlement in the death of a child, Remington Cole Walden, in a Chrysler Jeep Cherokee:

“Fiat Chrysler notes the vehicles met safety requirements at the time they were built, and insists they are not defective.” http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/chrysler/2015/03/24/fiat-chrysler-ceo-defends-jeep-safety/70384722/
“Chrysler has long contended that the Jeeps were no more dangerous than comparable SUVs built at the time.” “Safety advocates have called the size of the recall and the fix inadequate.” http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/04/02/jury-orders-chrysler-to-pay-150m-in-jeep-fire-death
Jeep Cherokee Fires, Data Page: http://www.autosafety.org/jeep-grand-cherokee-fires-homepage
Chrysler’s Response 12/13/12: http://www.autosafety.org/sites/default/files/imce_staff_uploads/EA12-005%20Chrysler%20IR%20Response%2012-13-12.pdf
Center for Auto Safety information on the trial: http://www.autosafety.org/walden-v-chrysler-trial
Oh, look, I JUST NOW read about another settlement. Notice the wording: “Fords’ attorneys told the jury those arguments were irrelevant, because the Escort met all federal safety standards at the time and was not defective. ” http://blog.cvn.com/breaking-ford-settles-31m-seat-belt-design-suit-avoiding-mistrial

When manufacturers are not held responsible legally or ethically for identifying and providing the best possible protection but are allowed to look the other way–sweeping the problems under a rug–then no one is truly held accountable for deaths. The result–too often–is that there is no change or the change is too little or comes too late for too many loved ones.

This careless attitude is seen in those whose reckless actions–with a disregard for the lives of others–end in crash fatalities for other reasons as well. What will it take to shake us out of our complacency? Government regulations, law enforcement, stiffer consequences for those held responsible? Death of a loved one?

AnnaLeah and Mary had their lives abruptly ended–like so many others. That is not natural. Were it not for the reckless actions of others, they, too, like Abraham and Job could have died “a ripe old age. . . and satisfied with life.” (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+15%3A15&version=NKJV and https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+25%3A8&version=NASB )

Sign & Share our Vision Zero Petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/417/742/234/save-lives-not-dollars-urge-dot-to-adopt-vision-zero-policy/

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