Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A number of young motorists involved in a recent multi-vehicle, head-on car accident in Foxborough were injured.

Four people total, including three teens, were seriously injured after their car collided with another one as it tried to make a left-hand turn at the intersection of Pierce and Main Street. According to Wicked Local, the teenagers were on their way to a baseball game in Franklin when the accident happened. The teens were in two separate vehicles and were following one another to the game. Two of the teens were taken by helicopter to the hospital. One of the teens had to be rescued from the vehicle with the Jaws of Life. The last motorist injured in the accident was taken to the hospital via ambulance.

“We were all following each other, he wanted to keep up with him,” said one of the teens involved in the accident. “He cut somebody off and went head on with him.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were more than 1,960 teen drivers killed in car accidents across the U.S. in 2010. In addition to those who were killed, there were another 190,000 teen drivers who were injured in these same incidents. Our Foxborough car accident attorneys understand that teen drivers have some of the highest rates for accidents in the country. These crashes continue to be the number one cause of death for this young age group year after year. As we continue through the summer travel season, teens are urged to be careful on our roadways. With more motorists out, the risks for car accidents increase significantly.

In the state of Massachusetts, there were more than 50 teens killed in car accidents in 2010. Of these fatalities, more than 20 were of teen drivers, more than 10 were the passengers of young drivers’ vehicles, more than 10 were occupants of other vehicles and the last 9 were of nonoccupants.

Parents and guardians are asked to take the time to talk with these young, inexperienced drivers about the dangers lurking on our roads. Teen drivers should avoid driving during the evening hours. Luckily, in the state of Massachusetts teen drivers are prohibited from driving between 12:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. while they have a restricted license. Unfortunately, between 12:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. night driving restrictions are secondarily enforced. Because of this relaxed enforcement, parents are asked to step in and to make sure that teens are abiding by all road laws, especially the ones in the teen’s graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) program. If you feel your teen needs tougher laws, go ahead and enact them. Consider creating your own parent-teen contract to set up household laws for your young driver!

In addition to nighttime restrictions, you can also consider enacting passenger restrictions. The more passengers that are in your teen’s vehicle the higher the risks are for an accident.
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A recent safety demonstration truly illustrated the benefits of a new in-car technology that would allow our vehicles to warn drivers of potential collisions. A sedan was just seconds away from blowing through an intersection when all of a sudden a row of red lights flashed on the lower portion of the vehicle’s windshield. The bright red lights served as a warning to the driver alerting him that there was another car approaching quickly on the cross street.

The driver was able to stop quickly, just as the other vehicle, which wasn’t seen behind a large commercial truck, plowed through a red light and across the projected path of the sedan.

With this new in-car technology, or Connected Cars, car accidents in Boston and elsewhere could be prevented, according to the Boston Globe.

Our Boston injury lawyers understand that this technology was recently showcased at a transportation conference. The entire conference was used to reveal and review devices that can help to improve safety on our roadways. The new Connected Cars have the ability to talk to one another and then to warn drivers about potential accident risks. Later on in the summer, drivers in Ann Arbor will be testing out this technology. About 3,000 vehicles will be let loose on our roadways to volunteering drivers of buses, trucks and cars.

The vehicles can talk to one another via wireless networks. They can talk to one another about their speed, their direction, their location and such at a speed of more than 10 times a second. A vehicle can communicate with other cars within a radius of about 1,000 feet. As this information is sent and received, it analyzes is and sends needed warnings to the driver helping to reduce the risks and ultimately eliminate the risks of accidents.

If the sedan in the recent demonstration wouldn’t have had the Connected Car technology, then chances are that it would have slammed into the other vehicle.

In 2010, there were nearly 8,000 fatal intersection-related car accidents throughout the country. This safety feature has the potentially to reduce, if not completely eliminate, the risks associated with these accidents.

The Connected Car technology “is our next evolutionary step … to make sure the crash never happens in the first place,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) administrator, David Strickland.

The NHTSA reports that there were about 32,000 people who were killed in motor vehicle accidents across the U.S. in 2011. Imagine how many of these accidents we can avoid once the Connected Car technology is released to the general public. Until then, be safe out there and keep your attention on the road.
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A new study reveals that sleepy drivers are just about at the same risks as drunk drivers.

That’s right. According to a recent letter that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, drivers who were either sleepy or drunk behind the wheel were about twice as likely to be responsible for a car accident in Boston and elsewhere in comparison to those who were well rested behind the wheel.

“We know from experimental studies that just four hours of sleep loss will produce as much impairment as a six pack,” said researcher Christopher Drake.

Our Boston car accident lawyers understand there’s a lot more traffic on our roadways during this time of the year. With all of this traffic come higher risks for traffic accidents.

One of the most important things you can do is to make sure that you’re well-rested and alert at the wheel. Officials report that there are about 100,000 car accidents that are the fault of drowsy drivers every year. The number is expected to actually be much higher as most drivers will fail to admit they were drowsy at the time of an accident.

Officials with the Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders and Research Center in Michigan conducted the study and looked at accident reports from nearly 680 drivers who were hospitalized from 2007 to 2009. Researchers looked at the reports and looked for the cause of the accident — looking for evidence that they were under the influence of alcohol, what drugs or medications they were on and how sleepy they were before the accident.

Reports and analysis concludes that it was our young drivers and our male drivers who were most likely to be involved in these kinds of accidents. Most of the drivers were men who were under the age of 55. More than half of these drivers were riding on motorcycles, about a third were in a car and another 10 percent were on a bicycle when the accident happened, according to Reuters.

The conclusion that researchers drew was that there is absolutely no substitute for sleep. It’s suggested that you nap before hitting the road if you’re taking a road trip. If you’ve already started your journey and you start to feel sleepy, you’re urged to stop and take a nap. You can also try to drink some coffee, but you have to remember to allow it some time to kick in and that its effect will wear off after a while.

Take care of yourself and help to prevent a potentially fatal accident. Make sure you are well-rested before you get behind the wheel regardless of how short or long your trip may be. There’s no use in pushing through your sleepiness. Get some rest!
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Texing while driving is a big problem on our roadways. Teen drivers are some of the guiltiest. According to a recent report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, more than 40 percent of high school students in the state admit to texting behind the wheel. The Boston Globe reports that seniors are the worst of them all, with more than 60 percent admitting to it. The older students were three times more likely than the younger drivers in the school.

The findings of the recent study come just one day after a Massachusetts teen, Aaron Deveau, was convicted of vehicular manslaughter. The teen driver wound up in a Haverhill car accident that killed a man and seriously injured another after texting behind the wheel. This was the first such verdict in Massachusetts. He now has to serve time behind bars and has been sentenced to have his license revoked for 15 years.

Our Haverhill car accident lawyers understand that teenage drivers already face the highest risks for car accidents. They just don’t have the experience behind the wheel that you and I have. In addition to their inexperience, they’re also the age group that’s most likely to be engaged in distractions behind the wheel.

The accident happened in Haverhill when the teen driver swerved across the center line and directly into the path of an oncoming vehicle, killing the driver. But why was he swerving? It was because of a text message. The driver of the other vehicle ended up staying in a Boston hospital for nearly three weeks before passing away. The teenage driver was originally charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle, motor vehicle homicide, injury from mobile phone use, two counts of negligent operation, a marked lanes violation, reading or sending an electronic message and using a mobile phone while operating a motor vehicle.

“Clearly, being distracted is an extremely deadly thing that’s going on in this country and people need to understand they just can’t do it,” said David Teater, senior director at the National Safety Council (NSC).

The accident happened one minute after the driver sent a text message to a buddy and during the same minute a text was received.

“If I could take it back, I would take it back. I just want to apologize to the family,’ said Deveau.

Deveau was 17-years-old at the time of the accident. Massachusetts’ State Law states that drivers under the age of 18 are prohibited from using a cell phone behind the wheel. All drivers in the state are prohibited from text messaging behind the wheel, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Our Boston injury attorneys are asking parents and guardians to share this story with the teen drivers in their family to help to get them to put away the phone while they’re behind the wheel. These dangers are very real and it could happen to you if you’re not careful. Be a responsible driver and keep distractions out of the driver’s seat.
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There are five things that a state needs to help to reduce the risks of car accidents in Boston and elsewhere among teenage drivers.

Recently, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) concluded that if all states were to enact just five components then approximately 500 young lives could be spared and nearly 10,000 crashes could be prevented.

So, what are the five components? They’re teen passenger limitations, drivers licensing age limitations, permit age limitations, specific practice driving hours and nighttime driving limitations.

To see just how safe each state is and how their GDL programs are working out, officials with the IIHS designed an online calculator. Right now, the best provisions include keeping drivers away from a permit license until they’re 16-years-old. Luckily, the state of Massachusetts is one of the states that already has this law in effect. It’s also recommended that these young drivers complete at least 65 hours of supervised driving time, that they don’t drive after 8:00 p.m. and that all teen passengers are banned until a driver gets an unrestricted license.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that these young drivers are not only allowed to get their learner’s permit once they’re 16-years-old, but they’re also required to keep all teen passengers out of the vehicle until they receive their unrestricted license. Unfortunately, our state doesn’t require that these young drivers complete 65 hours of supervised driving time. We only require a minimum of 40 hours. We didn’t pass the test for the nighttime driving restrictions either. We allow our young drivers to be out on the road until 12:30 a.m. and we only monitor their teen passengers during their first six months on the road.

“There’s room for improvement across the board, and states could see immediate reductions in fatal crashes and collision claims as soon as the beefed-up provisions are in force,” said says Anne McCartt with the IIHS.

GDL laws have come a long way since they were launched in the U.S. Back in the 1990s, states started grabbing hold to these laws. By just 2000, all of the states except for nine had some form of a GDL program. Unfortunately, these programs vary from state or state because there is still no nationwide GDL program.

Since 2000, the IIHS has been rating states and their GDL programs to try to help to encourage even stricter ones.

According to McCartt, states don’t have to adopt each and every single one of these components to realize the benefits of them. States can just adopt one or two and they’ll realize the payoff. She still encourages all states to adopt all five provisions.

The IIHS’s safety calculator estimates reflect the relative importance of each safety provision and its ability to reduce the number of teen car accidents in each state with the particular GDL law.
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The summer travel season is here! During this time, teenagers can be found all over our roadways. They’re out of school for the summer and they’re in search of some fun! Unfortunately, this is a time when they’re most likely to be involved in a car accident in Boston and elsewhere. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), this time of the year makes up the 100 deadliest days of the year for our teen drivers.

In just 2009, there were approximately 3,000 teenagers between the ages of 15- to 19-years-old who were killed in car accidents across the U.S. In addition to these fatalities, nearly 400,000 more were sent to emergency rooms for auto accidents. Nine out of the ten deadliest days for our teens on our roadways occur between the months of May and August.

Our Boston injury attorneys are asking parents and guardians to sit down and talk with their teen drivers about the risks and the consequences that they face on our roadways during this dangerous time of year. As we recently reported, teen drivers face some of the highest risks because of their inexperience and behavior behind the wheel, including distracted driving. The biggest distraction being text messaging. That’s why the state of Massachusetts launched the “It Can Wait” campaign last year, to help to get teens to put down the phone behind the wheel. Last year, about 10,000 students throughout the state were invited to be the audience of anti-distraction presentations. Many of these students even took the next step and signed pledges not to text and drive. Raising awareness and educating these young drivers is a step in the path to safer roadways and fewer accidents.

MADD is here to offer some excellent advice to help to get parents to spread the word to their teen drivers about the risks of dangerous and irresponsible driving habits. Officials suggest that parents set driving rules and regulations within their own household and stick strongly to enforcing them, especially while their young drivers are out on summer break.

Suggested Rules:

-Never drink alcohol and drive.

-All passengers should wear a seat belt during every single car ride.

-Electronic devices, including cell phones and text messaging devices, should stay out of the hands of the driver.

-Nighttime driving should be limited. Young drivers face higher risks for accidents during evening hours.

-Limit the number of passengers that your teen driver can have in their vehicle. With each passenger, your teen’s risks for a potentially fatal accident increase.

If you need more help creating some rules for your teen driver, consider checking out this parent-teen driving contract. Creating, enacting and enforcing rules may just be what’s needed to help to keep them safe on our roadways over their summer break.
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Car accidents in Boston and elsewhere are the number one cause of death for Americans between the ages of 4- and 35-years old, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A recent report shows that many of the states that are seeing the majority of these fatalities are doing the least to try to stop them. The study was released by the Trust for America’s Health and it included a state-by-state analysis of roadway fatality records, the costs that come from these accidents and the rules, laws and regulations that are used to help to prevent them. Safe driving experts reviewed information from the 10 states that had the highest rates of auto accident deaths.

There were twelve states that averaged 10 fatalities per 100,000 residents a year from 2007 through 2009. Our state of Massachusetts has the lowest average at 5.5 fatalities per 100,000 residents. On the other hand, there were 14 states that had at least three times as many roadway fatalities per 100,000 residents. The state of Mississippi had about five times that rate, according to RoadRunner.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that rules, regulations and enforcement efforts are some of the most important factors in helping to prevent collisions. Motorists need to understand that they’re responsible for helping to prevent these accidents, too! Drivers are urged to make the proper adjustments to make sure that they make it through the busy summer travel season safely. The change to safer roadways starts with you.

According to the CDC, the lifetime costs, including lost economic productivity and medical expenses, ran the U.S. more than $170 billion in just 2005.

The Trust for America’s Health determined that there’s no better way to help to reverse these trends than to get more motorists to wear their seat belts. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), six out of the 10 states with the fewest motorists who buckle up had the highest average of roadway fatalities from 2007 through 2009. Coincidence?

To help to stop these kinds of tragedies, the Trust for America’s Health also pointed out a few policies that could help:

-States should enact a primary seat belt law, allowing officers to stop motorists for nothing more than not wearing a seat belt.

-An ignition interlock sentence for all drivers who are convicted of driving while drunk.

-A motorcycle helmet law requiring all motorcyclists to wear a helmet on our roadways.

-Making it mandatory for all children under the age of 9-years-old to ride in a booster seat.

The study pointed out that the policies listed above have the ability to help to reduce the risks of fatal car accidents. Of the 15 states that had none or only one of these policies, seven of them reported the highest fatality rates in the study.

While Massachusetts returned some decent rankings in this recent study, we’re still seeing far too many roadway fatalities. Drivers are asked to keep safe driving habits as a key priority behind the wheel. Aside from strict laws and even stricter enforcement, personal habits are the best defense against fatal accidents.
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