Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Teen drivers in the state of Massachusetts have to follow strict laws before they’re able to get their unrestricted driver’s license.

They’re required to complete the state’s graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) program, which puts restrictions on them regarding when they can drive and who they can drive with, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Some of these laws are secondary enforcement, meaning that an officer can only pull over one of these young drivers if they’re witnessed breaking another road law first.

And often, making a traffic stop requires an officer to make a judgement call about a young driver’s age. 17? Or 18?Lawmakers in the state of New Jersey have found a simple way around this enforcement puzzle and both teens and parents aren’t too happy about it.

According to The Washington Post, teens are required to put a red sticker on their license plate to alert law enforcement officials that they are an underaged driver. This is all a part of “Kyleigh’s Law” and officials say that it’s helping officers to keep a closer eye on these vulnerable travelers. Parents are saying that it’s just making them a moving target for predators.

Our Quincy car accident lawyers understand that the first few years of a teen’s driving career are some of the most crucial. During this time, teens develop some of the habits they’re going to hang on to for a lifetime. This is also a time when they’re most likely to get into a car accident. It’s important that we keep an eye on these vulnerable drivers, but there may be no need to point them out on our streets, many parents believe.

It’s important to talk with your teen driver on a regular basis and discuss the importance of safe and responsible driving. Believe it or not, parents are some of the most influential people in a teen’s driving life. Make sure they’re aware of the state’s GDL laws and that they understand the repercussions of not following these laws.

The controversial law from New Jersey, known as “Kyleigh’s Law,” was recently upheld by the state’s Supreme Court. Under this law, drivers will have to place a red sticker on their license plate for one year when they get their permit and for the year after.

“I think it’s good because, like, it can help new drivers and police locate them. But I think it can also cause predators to locate 17-year-old kids,” said a Jersey resident.

Officers and lawmakers say that these stickers are to help enforce safety. They want to keep an eye on when these teens are driving and who is in the car with them. Luckily, the decals only adhere with Velcro and can easily be removed, which is why many teens and parents have chosen not to participate, although participation is mandatory.

You won’t get a moving violation, but you can face a $100 fine for not having the decal on your license plate, in the state of New Jersey that is.
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The CEO of the popular cell phone service provider AT&T, Randall Stephenson, is currently pushing drivers to put down their phones and to help reduce risks of distracted driving car accidents in Boston and elsewhere.

During the Olympics, we saw the commercial of a man in a wheel chair who was suffering from a severe brain injury and was holding a sign with the text “Where r.” Those two words were the reason for his life-altering injuries. He was texting behind the wheel when he was involved in a serious car accident.

This commercial is all a part of the company’s “It Can Wait” campaign, which urges drivers to stop texting while driving.

“This is the text message that caused the car accident that changed my life forever,” said the guy in the commercial.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that these kinds of campaigns specifically target our younger drivers as they’re more likely to be involved in distracted driving car accidents. The “It Can Wait” campaign has been going strong since 2009, but advocates are taking the next step. They’re urging all drivers to join them during “No Text on Board — Pledge Day” and make the pledge on September 19th to stop texting behind the wheel, according to CNN.

You don’t have to wait until the 19th of September. You can visit the website and take the pledge today!

Texting while driving has increased by about 50 percent in one year. In 2010, about 20 percent of drivers admitted to texting or emailing while driving, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. With these confessions, it’s easy to understand why about one out of every five fatal car accidents involves a distracted driver. Teen drivers are doing it a lot more though, as nearly 45 percent admit to doing so.

If you text message behind the wheel, whether you’re reading one or sending one, you’re nearly 25 times more likely to get into a serious car accident.

According to Stephenson, some of his competitors, including Verizon and Sprint, already have anti-texting campaigns, too. He says that he welcomes all of the advocacy he can get!

“This is a dead-serious issue and I don’t mean that as a pun,” said Stephenson.

Cell phone providers aren’t the only ones getting in on the action. Officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the wireless-industry trade association CTIA, the National Organizations for Youth Safety and the National Safety Council are in on the fight, too!

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), only drivers over the age of 18-years-old are allowed to use a hand-held cell phone behind the wheel in the state of Massachusetts. All drivers are prohibited from text messaging while driving. Although it’s written into law, not all drivers are listening and distracted driving car accidents continue to plague our roadways. Make the pledge today and help to keep yourself and everyone else safe!
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There have been a number of safety campaigns to help make our streets safer for everyone. Car manufacturers are equipping cars with more safety technology than ever before. Still, we’re seeing an increase in the number of car accident fatalities across the nation.

According to CNN, the number of first-quarter fatal car accidents jumped 14 percent during the first three months of 2012 compared to 2011.

During the first three months of 2011, there were less than 6,750 traffic accident fatalities recorded nationwide. During the same time this year, more than 7,600 traffic fatalities were reported.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers understand that it’s a dangerous time to be out on the road, but it seems the rest of 2012 is shaping up to be no safer. Officials are trying to figure out what contributed to the increase in fatalities. Some are speculating that it’s a result of the improvement in the economy, meaning that more motorists feel comfortable spending at the pump. Others are saying that it’s the result of the mild winter. Motorists are more likely to travel when weather conditions are better. Warmer winter weather equals more drivers. Whatever the cause may be, more drivers equates to higher risks and more accidents.

What might be most upsetting about this steep increase is that it follows years of downward trending fatality rates. Regardless of all of the safety campaigns and all of the safety technology, nothing is going to work if drivers don’t take more responsibility for their actions.

Transportation officials point out that the first quarter of each year typically produces some of the lowest rates of fatal accidents, meaning that we can only expect the following quarters to be much worse and for many more people to die on our roadways.

“These data show there is more work to be done to improve driver safety such as limiting distractions, reducing impaired driving and promoting a culture of safety among motorists,” said Jacob Nelson with the Automobile Association of America.

As a matter of fact, the increase from the first quarter or 2011 to the first quarter of 2012 serves as the second-largest increase in the number of traffic fatalities since the government started recording these numbers more than 30 years ago.

According to preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration, American motorists increased their number of vehicle miles traveled be nearly 1.5 percent. During the first three months of 2012, motorists traveled about 9.7 billion miles.

Drivers are asked to be safe out there. With seasonal travel, we’re expecting more travelers and even more accidents. Be on your best behavior behind the wheel and practice your defensive driving habits to avoid a potentially fatal accident with a dangerous and irresponsible driver.
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Police officers are beefing up their patrols and they’re focusing on bringing down the accident numbers on both Route 195 and Route 24. According NECN, officers’ new initiative will add more than 10 patrols on Friday and Saturday nights from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.

This initiative will last through the summer and will cost nearly $150,000.

“I think the dollars that going to expend down here are well spent and hopefully saving lives and getting out this message about operator safety,” said Colonel Timothy Alben with the Massachusetts State Police (MSP).

Our Boston car accident lawyers understand that there were nearly 20 serious accidents that happened in these areas from just the 1st of January through the 17th of July. Eleven of these accidents were fatal, five resulted in serious injury and more than 30 percent of them involved a driver who was under the influence. On the 15th of July, there was a double-fatality accident on Route 24 that was caused by a wrong-way driver. Just two days later, there were two more wrong-way drivers who caused accidents on Route 195. There have even been some truck rollovers. Officers think that many of these accidents could have been prevented, but drivers are saying that it’s not their fault and it’s the road’s fault!

Alben says that drivers aren’t taking safety seriously. He says that driver’s habits are what’s getting them into trouble on our roadways. It’s speeding, it’s distractions, it’s alcohol and it’s drugs. Drivers are saying that it’s the narrowness of the road that’s causing these accidents.

Truth is, dangerous and defective roads are often partially to blame for an accident. Transportation officials have an obligation to make sure that our roads are safe and that all hazards are eliminated. Hazards can include narrow lanes, obstructed traffic devices, missing traffic devices, defects in the pavement and more. Having a good attorney can permit a thorough review of the factors involved in your accident.

About 100,000 vehicles use the upper part of Route 24 every day. Massachusetts officials have set aside about $12 million to help improve the road through a resurfacing project.

With the new roads, drivers may be more likely to speed, says Alben. He and the MSP are asking drivers to keep an eye on their speedometer when traveling along these roadways.

Aside from speeding and driving under the influence, officers say that they’re very concerned with drivers who are using cell phones and text messaging devices behind the wheel. In the state of Massachusetts, drivers are allowed to talk on their cell phone while driving, unless they’re under the age of 18. Drivers are prohibited however, from text messaging while driving, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Officers are asking drivers to keep all electronic devices out of the driver’s seat.
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An 11-year-old vehicle occupant was injured in a recent car accident in Randolph. This was no ordinary accident. This accident involved a cruiser from the Massachusetts State Police, according to Fox 25.

The cruiser was heading south on Route 24 near Exit 20 just before 4:00 p.m. when the officer saw a broken down vehicle on the side of the road. The officer attempted to cross over to the other side of the highway, with its emergency lights activated, when it slammed into another vehicle.

The officer was not injured in the accident, but the 11-year-old passenger of the other car was seriously injured when its airbags deployed. Both the driver and the young passenger were taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton.

In the week prior, there were three people killed and several others injured in four different accidents along Route 24.

When you’re involved in a crash with a police cruiser or with any other kinds of government vehicle it’s important to remember that there are very special rules that you must follow. In these incidents, there’s a strict 6 month statute of limitation in which you have to file a claim against a government entity. In these situations, it’s critical for you to contact an experienced attorney to help to make sure that your rights are protected and to help you to fight for the compensation that you deserve.

In these circumstances, your claim has to be brought against the government. You don’t go against the driver of the vehicle, but their employer. If you’re hit by a vehicle that was responding to an accident or another type of emergency and are unsure of that vehicle’s right-of-way then you should also contact an attorney immediately. There’s an entire list of rules you’ve got to follow in these scenarios, too.

When you’re involved in a car accident with a law enforcement vehicle, it will usually be the involved officer’s department that will be in charge of investigating the accident. Unfortunately, there’s a common trend of no-fault verdicts in these cases. You want to make sure that you’ve got an outside party investigating the accident as well to help to make sure that you’ve got an unbiased perspective.

Have you been involved in an accident with military personnel? Well, that’s a whole different set of rules. Even when the driver of a military vehicle is at fault in an accident, you cannot sue the driver. A federal administrative claim must be brought against the federal government.

Regardless of who you’ve been in an accident with, the first thing on your list after receiving medical attention should be to contact an experienced attorney who can help you to make sure that your rights are protected and that can help you to collect the compensation that you deserve.
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