Articles Posted in Car Accidents

When you think of car accidents, you oftentimes think of two vehicles colliding into each other. What is commonly overlooked is the dangers that lie within the car through the withering heat of the summer season. As the weather continues to warms up throughout the state, parents and guardians are urged to be extremely cautious of the heat and the risks that are associated with child heatstroke deaths in Boston and elsewhere.
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were nearly 35 fatal incidents reported throughout the nation in 2009 because of heat-related car accidents. Heatstroke is in fact the number one cause of non-crash, vehicle-related fatalities for kids who are under the age of 14. Now, the NHTSA will be launching a brand new nationwide campaign to help prevent these kinds of accidents, urging both parents and caregivers to think “Where’s baby? Look before you lock.”

Our Boston child injury lawyers understand that heatstroke, or “hyperthermia,” is a very real threat here in Boston and elsewhere throughout the state. Some of the most common injuries resulting from heatstroke from cars in children, aside from death, is loss of hearing, blindness and permanent brain injury. These are not only injuries that can cause a lifetime of pain and suffering, but they’re also injuries that can be completely avoided.

“This campaign is a call-to-action for parents and families, but also for everyone in every community that cares about the safety of children,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The campaign will be spreading its word via online and radio ads. Later on in the summer, the Administration will be releasing its findings on just how effective after-market products are — the ones used to help prevent a child from being accidentally left in a vehicle.

Here’s how it happens: A child suffers a fatal heatstroke injury after being left in a vehicle alone. It can also happen when a child has access to an unlocked car and is not being supervised by an adult. Oftentimes children fall asleep in vehicle, and with their lack of noise they’re unknowingly left in the vehicle.

There’s no specific demographic that’s more susceptible to these kinds of accidents. Families of all walks of life are vulnerable to these kinds of situations when not paying attention. That’s why the NHTSA is launching this new campaign, to help to raise awareness and to help parents and guardians to remember children and reduce the risks of a non-crash, vehicle-related accident.

Parents are reminded to:

-Never leave a kid in a vehicle unattended.

-Make a habit of looking in the vehicle before getting out and locking it up.

-Ask daycare centers and other childcare providers to notify you immediately if your child is unaccounted for.

-Teach your kids that a vehicle is not a playground.
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There’s a brand new series of public service announcements (PSA) that are here to help parents and guardians choose the right car seat for the young passengers in their family.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it’s not only important to make sure parents and guardians have the right car seat for their children, but to make sure that these seats are used and buckled correctly.

Properly picking out and properly using a child’s car seat can help to significantly reduce the risks of injury to children in the event of a car accident Boston or elsewhere.
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Our Boston child injury attorneys understand that car seat safety recommendations and guidelines are a serious topic among safety officials and should be as important a topic for parents and guardians of those who are under the age of 12. The NHTSA recently teamed up with the Ad Council to promote this lifesaving information.

Properly buckling up children in the vehicle during every car ride is so important. As a matter of fact, the NHTSA estimates that there were nearly 9,000 young lives that have been saved from 1975 to 2008 had child restrain systems been properly utilized.

“Safety is our top priority for everyone on our roadways, and we’re calling on parents to do everything they can to protect our most vulnerable passengers,” said U.S. Department of Transportation’s Secretary Ray LaHood.

The newly-created PSAs being used to spread the word about the importance of child car seats will be airing on the radio, on television, online and in other outdoor advertising mediums. It’s called “The Right Seat” and it’s helping parents to do just that — chose the right seat. The right seat includes forward-facing, rear-facing and booster seats for smaller, younger passengers. The campaign is targeting parents and caregivers who already have car seats, too. It’s helping to make sure they’re placing their children in the right seat and to make sure they’re buckling them in properly every time.

A Spanish version of this PSA will be released later this year, in May.

Car accidents continue to be the number one cause of death for residents under the age of 12 across the U.S. As a matter of fact, there were more than 4,000 kids under the age of 12 who were killed in car accidents between 2006 and 2010. In addition to these tragic roadway fatalities, another 700,000 kids were injured — a number larger than the entire population of Boston.

According to David Strickland, NHTSA Administrator, properly buckling in these young children is the best way to keep them safe and to save their lives in the event of an accident. Parents are urged to review the NHTSA guidelines and recommendations regarding child seats to make sure they’re the safest they can be during every car ride.
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Friday morning car accident in Kingston kept four Silver Lake Regional High School students from making it to class, according to the Boston Globe. The four were involved in the accident as they were making their way to school that Friday morning. They were still listed in critical condition on Monday morning.
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“We’re hoping for a speedy recovery for them. They’re all good kids. Each in their own way has excelled. They’re popular kids,” said Silver Lake Regional Superintendent John Tuffy.

Our Massachusetts car accident lawyers understand that high school students and teenage drivers around the state face some seriously high risks for car accidents. We oftentimes talk about these risks with parents and offer tips to help keep these young drivers safe on our roadways. Parental involvement in these young drivers’ habits behind the wheel is one of the best ways to help them to stay out of a potentially fatal car accident.

The accident happened as the four of the students were heading to school on Friday as they slammed head on into a school bus just after 7:00 a.m. The collision happened just about two blocks from the school on the very day of their junior prom.

The four students were transported to local hospitals after the accident, including South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center.

Police officers with the city are still looking into the cause of the accident, said a dispatcher for the city’s fire department, Vicki Goldberg.

Counselors at the school were available for students to talk with. Seeing these kind of accidents happen among friends and family members can be difficult for these students. Faculty and staff members are prepared to help them to cope.

Parents are urged to share the following tips from MassDOT with the teen drivers in their family:

-Before turning on the car, make sure that all mirrors are properly adjusted.

-Always wear a seat belt.

-Be sure that the seat is in the proper position and is comfortable.

-Always use your turn signals.

-Look in all mirrors and over your shoulder before moving in traffic.

-Keep two hands on the wheel.

-Always be aware of your surroundings.

-Stop behind crosswalks.

-Brake gently. There’s no need to brake abruptly and cause unnecessary jarring.

-Take turns at slow speeds.

-Be aware of who has the right-of-way, especially at intersections.

-Avoid backing out of parking spots when possible.

-Never talk on the phone or text message while driving.

-Avoid eating and drinking while driving.

-Be careful when playing with the music while driving.

-Pull over if you have any other business or attend to while driving. Behind the wheel is not a place to multitask.

-Never tailgate.

-Practice defensive driving habits.

-Be on the lookout for roadway dangers.
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April 4th kicked off the beginning of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation‘s (MASSDOT) enhanced maintenance project of Interstate 93 through Boston.

This maintenance period is going to require complete road closures, which is expected to impact travelers on I-93 inside the O’Neill Tunnels. Traffic flow will be altered for two complete nights of each month. It will be taking place during the 1st Tuesday and the 3rd Tuesday of each month until it’s complete. Closures will be from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Motorists are urged to plan ahead for these changes and to be cautious to help to avoid a car accident in Boston. With the proper preparation, transportation officials are predicting this transition to progress smoothly.
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During the first Tuesday of each month, the traffic in the southbound lanes will be rerouted to Route 38/Mystic Avenue and then allowed to reenter near South Station. Traffic that’s heading for I-90 Westbound will be taken to the ramp just south of Kneeland Street. With these reroutes, road crews will be able to work on the Zakim Bridge, Lower Deck and O’Neill Tunnel.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers understand that this area of Interstate 93 is heavily traveled. With the rerouting of traffic, we’re asking all motorists to plan ahead and to be cautious. If you can, you’re asked to just avoid the area altogether. If you must travel through these areas during scheduled maintenance, please leave early and allow yourself plenty of time to make it through.

During the third Tuesday of every month, road crews will be working on the I-93 northbound lanes. During that time, traffic will be taken off of the Interstate at Exit 18 (the Mass Ave. exit) and will be taken to Frontage Road. Traffic will be able to get to Interstate 90 (the Logan Airport exit). Traffic getting back on I-93 will be able to continue on Atlantic Avenue and will be able to reenter the Interstate at the exit by TD Garden. Motorists that are heading to Route 1 are to take the ramp in City Square.

Crews will have unrestricted access to center lanes that are challenging to reach with the single and double-lane closures that overnight commuters are accustomed to seeing,” said Frank DePaola, MassDOT Administrator.

To help keep motorists and road crews safe, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers these safe driving tips:

-Move over and slow down. Back in 2009, it became law that motorists had to both slow down and move over for stationary emergency or maintenance vehicles with flashing lights. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to $100.

-Expect the unexpected in a work zone. Speed limits are changed, traffic lanes are altered, people are working near the road and pedestrians may be walking nearby. Be cautious and alert!

-Speed is one of the most common causes of work-zone accidents. Slow down to not only avoid an accident, but to avoid a ticket, too!

-Never tailgate. Rear-end collisions are the number one kind of accidents in work zones.

-Keep an eye out for signs. These signs help to direct traffic and warn of potential dangers.

-Prepare for delays. Allow yourself plenty of time to get through these areas.

-Take another route if you can. Your best bet is to avoid the area all together.

Every year, there are roughly 800 fatal work crashes in U.S. work zones. Let’s all work together to keep Boston’s roadways and road workers out of these statistics.
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Both prom and summer break are quickly approaching and students across the state can hardly wait.

That means that teens throughout Massachusetts will be hitting our roadways in full force in search of some fun away from class. To help to reduce their risks of car accidents in Boston and elsewhere, the Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program is coordinating a number of programs to spread the word about safety on our roadways, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
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“This a time of year when many teens request, and parents provide, expanded driving privileges,” said Jim Graham, manager, Ford Driving Skills for Life.

Our Boston accident attorneys understand that safety takes a back seat with a lot of these students, especially in the face of end-of-the-year events. They oftentimes think of nothing more than getting where they’re going and forget about the dangers along the way. As a matter of fact, car accidents are the number one cause of death for teens aged 15- to 20-years-old across the country. GHSA even recently pointed out an increase in the number of fatal accidents among this age group during the second half of 2011. This recent increase provides us with a glimpse of what we can expect in the upcoming year and the increased risks these teen drivers can expect to face.

Teenage drivers are roughly three times more likely to get into a fatal car accident than any other age group of drivers. About 3,000 teens die every year because of these kinds of accidents. Teens under the age of 20 also have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal accidents nationwide.

For that reason, Ford Driving Skills for Life will be providing more than 1,000 teenage drivers with some advanced safe-driving skills. Some of the nation’s top professional drivers will be teaching these young drivers these skills through a number of free, hands-on modules. These modules will be covering hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space/speed management and driver distractions.

Throughout the month of April, Ford’s program will be awarding $100,000 in grants to GHSA members across the country to conduct their own events to incorporate these safe-driving skills.

Teenage drivers need to remember that driving is a privilege and it’s not a right. We need to make sure we set specific limitations on these young drivers to help keep them safe during this time of the year, when they’re most likely to get into a fatal car accident. Parents are urged to create a parent-teen driving contract to help lay out these rules and the consequences for breaking them.

Barbara Harsha, the executive director of GHSA, says that parents are some of the most influential people when it comes to the driving habits of teens on roadways nationwide. Consider enacting household rules that limit a young driver’s nighttime hours, number of passengers, speed limits and distractions.
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The more experience a driver has, the safer they are behind the wheel — sometimes.

There’s a certain age we’re all going to reach someday when experience isn’t going to work on our side anymore. There comes a time when age is going to bring about physical frailty and cognitive issues that are going to increase our risks for a car accident in Boston. Elderly drivers and these risks have been a topic of debate for some time now. Officials are still looking for effective ways to help keep these elderly drivers out of potentially fatal car accidents.
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Right now, driver’s licenses for elderly drivers only get restricted after there have been a number of traffic incidents. Sometimes these restrictions can come too late.

Our Boston injury attorneys understand that some safe driving advocates are considering graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) programs for senior drivers, much like the GDL programs that are currently in place for novice drivers. Many believe that these programs can help to cut accidents risks. Effective GDL programs can reduce the number of road accidents involving teen drivers by nearly 20 percent, according to Medical Press.

“With this approach, a full driver’s license defaults automatically to a restricted license that allows seniors to continue to drive only under relatively favorable roadway conditions,” said Drs. Donald Redelmeier, University of Toronto.

Many believe that seniors should have to face certain restrictions behind the wheel depending on medical exams. Programs like this should be able to help eliminate the need for confusing and difficult medical suspension talks.

The truth of the matter is that many older baby boomers will be turning 65-years-old this year and we will be faced with the largest-ever generation of senior citizens to have driver’s license.

According to a recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety of more than 2,000 adults, including more than 510 over the age of 65, about 50 percent said that they were concerned with losing their ability to drive as they age.

With a suggestive editorial from the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers believe that there should be some sort of program in place to help judge the abilities of senior drivers. Licensing should rely on a driver’s abilities, age or benchmarks. Exceptions should only be made to those who are in good health and have been checked off by their doctor.

“The idea here is to preserve licensing during regular daylight hours so that the person can still do their grocery shopping and visit the hardware store and see their grandchildren,” says Redelmeier.

According to the Medical Affairs Branch of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, officials do not put an age limit on drivers in the state. Drivers in Massachusetts can renew their driver’s license for a 5- year period both online and in person. You are required to renew the license in person at least once every 10 years. During this time, drivers are usually required to take a knowledge test and a vision test.
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In a recent auto accident in Ashburnham between a motorcycle and a moose, two were killed — man and moose. According to Sentinel and Enterprise, the weekend accident happened on Route 119 when a 38-year-old biker accidentally drove into a moose that was crossing the road. The male driver was killed and his 40-year-old wife, who was a passenger on his motorcycle, was severely injured in the collision.

Officials estimate that the moose weighed about 700 pounds. Ashburnham police Sgt. Chris Conrad reports that the two motorcyclists were thrown from the bike in the accident. Reports also indicate that the moose was crossing the road, in front of the bikers, about a mile from the New Hampshire border when it all happened. The moose was also killed in the accident, according to State police spokesman David Procopio. A local towing company removed the animal from the accident scene. Conrad concludes that the incident appeared to have been unavoidable.
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“The moose weighed between 600 and 800 pounds. Unfortunately, it’s just one of those things that was unpreventable. We had a moose hit two days earlier. It’s fairly common up there,” said Conrad.

Our Massachusetts car accident lawyers understand that there are some wild dangers that we need to cautious of, as drivers, on our roadways. Moose and other wild animals typically are not as big a danger as other motorists on the road, but they do contribute to the risks. Drivers are urged to be cautious when driving and to keep an eye out for crossing animals. You may think your odds of hitting a crossing animal are relatively low, but remember it only takes once. Avoid that once and be safe and alert behind the wheel.

Police are encouraging drivers to be cautious in areas where animals, especially large animals like deer and moose, are known to cross roadways.

Every year, there are more than 500,000 deer-auto accidents that wind up killing about 100 people and injuring thousands more. While deer are commonly the victims of the animal family in animal-related car accidents, motorists can still be involved in accidents with a number of other animals. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), these kinds of accidents run about $2,000 per claim. The recent explosion in the deer and moose population has led to a dramatic increase in these kinds of accidents. Back in the 80s, there were about 10 million deer recorded in the U.S. Today, there have been more than 25 million recorded. Auto accidents with animals account for nearly 5 percent of all accidents in the U.S.

Tips to Help You Avoid A Car Accident with An Animal:

-Be on the lookout for warning signs. If you see signs in the area that warn of crossing animals, you should take extra care behind the wheel. Stay extra alert in these areas.

-Be sure to drive at a safe speed. Never speed when you expect moose or deer to be nearby. Slowing down will help you to better react to an animal should you see one near or on the roadway.

-Be extra cautious near sunrise and sunset. This is when the animals come out.

-Use your high beams.

-Stay in the center lane or near the center of a two-lane roadway. Stay away from the edge of the road.

-Always expect the unexpected.

-Honk your horn if you see a deer.

-Try not to swerve. Brake firmly if you see a deer. You could collide into another vehicle instead of the deer if you swerve without knowing your surroundings.

-If you know you’re going to hit a deer, take your foot off the brake right before hitting it. This will cause the front of your vehicle to lift slightly and this will help to stop the animal from traveling into your windshield upon collision.

-If you’re going to crash with a moose, lean toward the door pillar to avoid being crushed by the impact of the collision.
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A recent car accident in Allston, at the intersection of Commonwealth and Harvard avenues, landed the driver of a sedan some serious citations from local officers. Accident reports indicate that the driver of the sedan failed to yield to a turning motorcycle at the intersection — he slammed into the rider and left him with life-threatening injuries, according to the Boston Globe.
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After the collision, the motorcyclist was transported to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, according to a Boston Police spokeswoman. The driver of the sedan was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. Boston Police’s motor vehicle accident reconstruction experts are currently investigating the accident.

Our Massachusetts motorcycle accident lawyers often discuss the risks that motorcyclists face on our roadways. What we feel needs to be discussed now is the dangers that motorists of all kinds face at intersections.

We pass though plenty of intersections every day and neglect to recognize the dangers associated with these areas. As a matter of fact, close to half of the more than 5,810,000 traffic accidents that happened in 2008 were intersection-related accidents, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the National Automotive Sampling System-General Estimates System (NASS-GES). This means that there were nearly 2,200,000 intersection-related crashes during that year. There’s really nothing to blame these kinds of accident on aside from poor driving behaviors. As a matter of fact, less than 5 percent of these accidents were attributed to vehicle- or environment-attributed causes.

Some of the top reasons for accidents at intersections include:

-Driving too fast for conditions/aggressive driving.

-Driver-performance error.

-Inadequate surveillance.

-False assumption of other’s actions.

-Obstructed views.

-External distraction.

-Illegal maneuvers.

-Internal distractions.

-Misjudgments of gap or other’s speed.

There are a few things that drivers can do to help reduce their risks of an intersection-related accident. These tips are simple, easy to use and should be a part of all drivers’ everyday driving habits.

First, drivers are asked to stay in their lane. Be sure you’re in the correct lane you need to be in before you hit the intersection. Keep an eye on the signs at an intersection. Be on the lookout for signs indicating road work, crossing pedestrians or other restrictions.

Also, you should keep an eye out for vehicles changing lanes abruptly or stopping quickly. Sideswipe accidents and rear-end accidents are all too common accidents near intersections.

You’re urged to give other vehicles adequate room and to never tailgate. You need all of the reaction time you can get in these areas. Look in all directions before making turns. Know who has the right-of-way and know who’s driving around you.

Alertness may be one of your best defenses against an intersection-related accident. Lastly, we urge drivers to curb all of the distractions when passing through these areas. Turn down your radio, hang up the phone and pause the conversations with passengers. These areas need your full and undivided attention. The safety of you and nearby travelers relies on it.
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This week may seem like it’s a little longer than usual. Many residents are feeling this way because of the recent change to daylight saving time. As we recently turned our clocks ahead an hour, we’ll be experiencing increased risks for drowsy driving accidents in Braintree and elsewhere throughout the state. According to The Washington Post, drivers are asked to be extra careful on our roadways, especially during early morning commutes, and to make sure they’re well-rested before jumping behind the wheel.
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The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that about one out of every six fatal car accidents is caused by a drowsy driver.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that drowsy driving car accidents are preventable, but not in the ways you may think. Many drivers think that some caffeine, an open window and some loud music is a sure way to cure drowsy driving. There’s nothing further from the truth. These “solutions” may offer temporary relief, if any, and still leave drivers just as vulnerable to microsleeps, which are little bursts of sleep behind the wheel. Most drivers don’t even notice these microsleeps — until it’s too late.

A study from the National Sleep Foundation concluded that roughly 60 percent of drivers (or nearly 170 million people) admit that they’ve driven a vehicle while experiencing side effects of drowsiness at least once in the last year. Over a third of these drivers (or nearly 15 million people) admitted that they were so drowsy that they actually fell asleep behind the wheel. Of those people, 15 percent of them said that they’ve done this in the last month. About 4 percent of these drivers (more than 10 million people) admitted that they got into an accident or experienced a near-accident at least once because they dozed off behind the wheel.

Signs that you’re too sleepy behind the wheel:

-Having a tough time keeping your eyes open.

-Having a tough time focusing.

-Having trouble remembering the last few miles that you drove.

-Accidentally driving passed your exits.

-Overlooking traffic signs and signals.

-Yawning a whole lot!

-Drifting in and out of lanes.

-Unknowingly tailgating.

-Having feelings of restlessness or irritability.

To help reduce the risks of a drowsy driving accident, before heading out you should:

-Make sure you get enough sleep the night before. Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep.

-Make sure that you schedule appropriate breaks throughout your journey. Plan to take a break every 100 miles you travel or at least every two hours.

-Bring a friend. Having a passenger is an excellent way to avoid drowsy driving. You can switch driving responsibilities if you start to feel sleepy behind the wheel.

-You shouldn’t take any sedating medications or drink any alcohol before hitting the road. Ask your doctor if any of your medications will affect your ability to drive.
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There’s a new addition to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) family. It’s a new “10-year-old” dummy and it’s helping to test new child car seats for children who weight 65 to 80 pounds.
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With the growing number of child car seats and booster seats for heavier children, the NHTSA felt it necessary to create a crash test dummy to accurately test these devices. The new “kid dummy” is the best way to test the effective to test these new seats and see if they’re effective in protecting your child in the event of a car accident in Boston.

Our Massachusetts car accident lawyers understand that child safety seat requirements were recently updated by officials to stay up to date with the latest research and with the latest technologies for these safety devices. As manufacturers continue to create products to meet consumers need, it’s important for officials to stay on top of these products to help ensure that they’re the best they can be.

“The new test dummy breaks new ground for the department’s crash test program and is a significant step forward for evaluating child seat performance,” said Ray LaHood, the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Most important, the new kid dummy is going to be able to offer new information regarding chest acceleration as well as knee and head excursions. According to a final rule that was recently issued by the NHTSA, federal car seat standards must now include booster seats and child car seats with heavier-weight children. Now that these seats are covered under federal standards, researchers will dissect these seats to make sure that they effectively manage collision energy and that the seats stay put when an accident happens. The new dummy will help researchers to better test this.

Car seat makers are allotted 24 months to make sure that their new higher-weight booster seats and child car seats meet the new federal requirements.

David Strickland with the NHTSA also recently announced his excitement for the new child dummy and for the new, stricter child car seat compliance testing program. He adds that researchers aren’t done. Although the “10-year-old” dummy was just introduced to the NHTSA crash dummy family, researchers are already looking into ways to make this dummy better in search of more accurate results.

Under the new child car seat recommendations from the NHTSA, parents are urged to keep their child in a car seat for as long as they fit within the seat’s height and weight recommendations. Parents are also urged to keep their child in a booster seat, in the back seat, until they meet the height and weight requirement for these seats. This is typically when a child weighs 80 pounds or reaches a height of 4 feet and 9 inches.

Remember, car accidents are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 3- and 14-years-old. In 2009, there were nearly 1,500 people in this age group who were killed in car accidents across the country. We can all help to reduce these risks and these fatality statistics by making sure that children are buckled in correctly during every ride in every vehicle.
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