www.christophersimon.com
404-259-7635
MAY 2018
A Hands-Free Georgia
L ast year, a total of 1,534 drivers died on Georgia highways. Accidents happen, but according to safety experts, many of these deaths could have been avoided — they were the result of distracted drivers. Due to the rising tide of highway fatalities, the state of Georgia recently passed a legislation that requires Georgia motorists to use hands- free cellphone technology when driving. Drivers who are caught handling their tech devices while on the road could now face a $300 fine and up to six points assessed on their driving record. In Georgia, drivers who rack up 15 points in a 24-month period lose their license.
using a wireless device while driving. But now, all drivers are prohibited from texting while driving. Similarly, 15 other states have adopted hands-free laws, and most have seen reductions in traffic fatalities. Georgia representatives believe this law could save up to 300 lives per year. Here is a helpful guide explaining exactly what is prohibited and allowed under the new texting and driving law. PROHIBITED ●Holding or supporting, with any part of the body, a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device ● Writing, sending, or reading any text-based communication while holding your device,
including text messages, instant messages, emails, or internet data ● Watching a video or movie other than data related to the navigation of your vehicle (mapping app or GPS screen) ● Recording a video ● Reaching for a device if it means you’re no longer in a seated driving position or properly restrained by a seat belt Allowed ● Speaking or texting while using hands-free technology ● Using a GPS system or mapping app ● Wearing or using a smart watch ● Using an earpiece to talk on the phone ● Using radios, CB radios, CB-radio hybrids, commercial two-way radios, subscription- based emergency communication services, prescribed medical devices, amateur or ham radios, in-vehicle security, or remote diagnostics ● Handling a wireless device to report a traffic accident, medical emergency, fire, crime, or hazardous road condition ● Handling a wireless device while you are lawfully parked (not at a stoplight)
In the past, Georgia prohibited anyone 18 and under with a learner’s permit from
If you have questions about this new texting and driving law, feel free to give us a call.
–Christopher Simon
www.christophersimon.com | 1
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.thenewsletterpro.com
RoadTripsDon’tHave toBePainful
Summer is right around the corner, which means you’ll soon pile the whole family into the car, ready to brave the road for a vacation. Everyone knows that riding in the car for hours can be torture. But with a little creativity, you can turn the worst part of a long trip into a fun event. PACK A TRAVEL GAME When the excitement of the family vacation starts to wear off, keep the peace and entertain your kids with a travel game. Many board game manufacturers offer travel-sized versions that are easy to pack and play in the car. Before your next road trip, consider purchasing digital Yahtzee, which packs all the fun of the classic game without the dice, or IQ Fit, a logic game with over 100 challenges. Both games cost around $10 and can provide hours of entertainment. INCLUDE THEWHOLE FAMILY Once the travel games no longer pique anyone’s interest, try an activity that can be fun for the whole family: a traditional road trip game. If you have a car full of storytellers, try “Fortunately, Unfortunately.” The rules are simple. The
first person starts by saying, “fortunately,” and mentioning something good about the road trip or the destination. The next person (moving clockwise) then follows by saying something “unfortunate” about the previous person’s statement. Take turns with every passenger in the car. If someone stumbles, they get a strike; three strikes and you’re out. The last passenger standing wins. PLAY AN AUDIOBOOK OR PODCAST
We get it. Sometimes passengers don’t want to play games. Occasionally, they’d rather relax or take a nap. However, your listening material doesn’t have to be limited to Dad’s favorite music. Instead, consider listening to a family- friendly audiobook or podcast, which can make the longest and most boring parts of your trip an entertaining or educational experience. Almost any popular book is available in audio
form, but it can be hard to find an enjoyable podcast. “Transistor” is a science-focused podcast that explores subjects kids and adults will find fascinating. Or if you’re looking for something fictional, try “Storynory,” in which the narrator tells fairy tales and legends from all over the globe.
CamdenCountyLookstotheStars SPACEPORT CAMDEN GETS CLOSER AND CLOSER TO REALITY
Georgia has long been known for its delicious peaches, college football teams, and status as the “Hollywood of the South,” but soon it may also gain a reputation for launching rockets into space. Just off the southeast coast of the state, in Camden County, local government officials are working to establish plans for Spaceport Camden, the first exclusively commercial spaceport on the East Coast. In fact, the legislature recently commissioned the Jacobs Engineering Group to conduct a feasibility test on the project, and the results came back resoundingly positive. Though the spaceport is still quite a ways off, it looks like Star Wars’ Mos Eisley may have some competition within a few years!
billion commercial spaceflight economy and transform the area into a hub for innovation and commerce. One study by Georgia Southern University stated that the spaceport could bring in a whopping $22.5 million a year in revenue. Proponents argue that the location is ideal for such a facility, with 4,000 acres of undeveloped land, temperate weather, and the perfect latitudinal orientation for vertical launches.
The site already has a long history with spaceflight. The defunct manufacturing plant on the property was used in the 1960s as a hub to build and test rocket engines for NASA and was even considered by the organization as a potential site for the Apollo launch. Though it may sound like a pipe dream, the project recently took a huge step toward becoming a reality after the Federal Aviation Administration received the Environmental Impact Statement, which assessed the proposed facility’s potential environmental consequences on the area. So far, acquiring the license has taken two years and is definitely the largest obstacle to the spaceport. However, with this latest event, it’s looking more and more likely that we may see rockets launching over the Georgia sky as early as 2020.
The proposed spaceport is an effort by the local legislature to tap into the estimated $329
Should You Give a Statement to the Insurance Company?
SUDOKU
SHORT ANSWER: NO. HERE’S WHY.
After you’ve been involved in a car accident, securing adequate compensation from the insurance company can be a complicated process. It may be full of twists and turns and involve piles of paperwork. But there’s one thing you can almost always count on: a call from the insurance adjuster, asking you for a recorded statement. Typically, the adjuster will call you up and pretend like they’re on your side. They’ll explain to you that it’s standard procedure for them to need a statement from you on record, detailing the crash, and a medical release so they can gather necessary records. These seem like logical and reasonable requests, right? Wrong . The fact is, you have no duty whatsoever to provide a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. Though they’ll often send you letters warning that they will “close your file” if you don’t make contact and provide a statement, the file can be “reopened” at any time as long as it’s within the two-year statute of limitations. But, you may ask, why wouldn’t you give a simple statement to the adjuster, especially if it seems like they have your best interests at heart? The answer is simple: Cynical as it may seems, insurance adjusters are specially trained to get you to admit things that will diminish your claim. They’ll do anything they can to trip you up and secure testimony that puts the blame for the crash squarely on your shoulders, often by using trick questions. In car accident cases, they’ll try to get you to admit that you didn’t do anything to avoid the collision, even if there was nothing you could have done. In slip and fall cases, they’ll try to get you to admit that you don’t know the precise object or substance that made you fall. The same goes for any medical release you may provide. If you give them authorization, they’ll collect every medical record from the previous five years, with the goal of establishing evidence of a pre- existing condition. There are all kinds of tricks insurance adjusters will use to undermine your case and lower their payout as much as possible. To avoid them, make sure you’ve got an experienced attorney on your side. Give the experts at Simon Law Firm a call at 404-259-7635 to avoid being tricked and secure the compensation you deserve.
GrilledRanchPotatoes
If you want to be the hit of this year’s Memorial Day cookout, don’t overlook the star power of a well-made side dish. These smoky, tangy grilled potatoes will be the talk of the party. The best part is how easy they are to prep and make! INGREDIENTS
•
2 pounds baby potatoes, halved 1/4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• •
Ranch dressing for drizzling 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives Bacon bits (optional) Salt and pepper to taste
•
• •
• •
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 packet ranch seasoning
DIRECTIONS 1.
Heat grill to medium. In a large pan, toss potatoes with olive oil, lemon juice, and ranch seasoning. Season generously with salt and pepper. 2. Skewer potatoes. (If using wood skewers, be sure to soak in water an hour before grilling.) Grill until tender and lightly charred, about 15 minutes. 3. Drizzle with ranch and garnish with chives and bacon bits.
www.christophersimon.com | 3
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.thenewsletterpro.com
2860 Piedmont Rd NE #210 Atlanta, GA 30305
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
i
Georgia’s New Texting and Driving Law 1 How to Make Your Road Trip a Breeze ASpaceportinCamdenCountyInchesToward Reality 2 Grilled Ranch Potatoes WhyYouShouldNeverGiveYourAdjustera Recorded Statement 3 3oftheMostFormidableMoms inHistory 4
3 OF THE MOST FORMIDABLE MOMS IN HISTORY
MOTHERS SHAPE THEWORLD
Moms make the world go round. After running the gauntlet of childbirth, they raise and guide us throughout our lives, shouldering the tremendous burden and responsibility of motherhood. Mothers are in turn formidable, kind, powerful, gentle, wise, fierce, patient, supportive, empathetic, driven, and full of love. In honor of Mother’s Day, here are three historic moms who never stopped fighting for what they believed in.
and her infant daughter in 1826, she took the girl and fled to an abolitionist Quaker family, but she was forced to leave her other daughter and her 5-year-old son, Peter, behind. Soon after, she learned that Peter had been illegally sold by Dumont to a slaveholder in Alabama, so she went to court and secured his safe return. It was the first successful case brought by a black woman against a white man in American history. Truth went on to become a prominent abolitionist and a speaker for women’s rights, delivering her famous impromptu speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” in May of 1851.
many friends and colleagues, she smuggled out nearly 2,500 Jewish orphans, hiding infants on trams and garbage wagons and guiding kids through a labyrinth of secret passageways beneath the city.
Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928) Despite being a wife and the mother of five children — two of whom died tragically young — Emmeline Pankhurst
became one of the fiercest advocates for women’s suffrage in the late 19th century. After founding the Women’s Social and Political Union in 1903, she and her cohorts adopted an aggressive strategy to raise awareness for the issue; they began by buttonholing politicians and staging rallies, then progressed to vandalism, window smashing, and arson. She was instrumental in the movement. Pankhurst lived to see women gain the right to vote in 1928.
Sojourner Truth (1797–1883) Before she escaped from New York slaveholder John Dumont, Sojourner Truth had at least three of her
Irena Sendler (1910–2008) When the Nazis invaded Warsaw in September of 1939, Irena Sendler,
a 29-year-old social worker and mother
children sold away from her. When Dumont went back on his promise to emancipate Truth
of two, hatched a scheme to rescue Jewish children from the brutal ghettos. Along with
4 | 404-259-7635
PublishedbyTheNewsletterPro•www.thenewsletterpro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online