Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Safety experts say that the increase of travelers and guests over the holidays plus winter weather conditions are likely to be the causes of hundreds of car accidents in Boston and elsewhere. According to the Boston Globe, the northern and western parts of Massachusetts can expect nearly a half a foot of snow right about now, and heavier snow is expected in the higher elevations of the state. Weather advisories are common in northern Worcester County, western Hampshire County and Franklin County. With these warnings comes reduced visibility, slick roadways and increased risks for accidents.

Shortly after the northern areas of the state get the icy, snowy road conditions, Southeastern Massachusetts should get ready, because it’s headed our way.

Our Boston car accident lawyers understand that the weather isn’t going to be the only thing that will be a factor in the safety of motorists on our roadways. During the Christmas holiday period that ends today and the New Year’s holiday that runs through Jan. 2, hundreds of people are expected to be killed in motor vehicle accidents. Nearly 100,000 more are expected to be injured. The National Safety Council (NSC) releases predictions every year regarding the fatalities and injuries expected during these long holidays.

Christmas Day Holiday Accident Predictions:

-The Christmas holiday is the time from December 23rd through December 26th.

-More than 285 people are expected to die.

-Another 28,700 people are expected to be injured severely enough to warrant attention from a professional medical in accidents.

-The use of seat belts may save 102 people.

-If all motorists were to wear a seat belt, then another 75 people could be saved.

In 2007, 2008 and 2009, the number of actual fatalities witnessed during this holiday period actually decreased every year, from 454 to 409 to 249. This year’s prediction is higher than last year’s actual fatality number. Residents are asked to be cautious and alert while driving during the holiday traffic season in an attempt to continue to downward trend in actual fatalities.

New Year’s Day Holiday Accident Predictions:

-The New Year’s holiday is the time from December 30th through January 2nd.

-More than 295 people are expected to die.

-Another 29,700 people are expected to be injured severely enough to warrant attention from a professional medical in accidents.

-The use of seat belts may save nearly 110 motorists.

-If all motorists were to wear a seat belt, then another 95 people could be saved.

The New Year’s holiday has higher predictions of fatalities and also has a consistently higher record for actual fatalities. The number of fatalities within this holiday period during 2007, 2008 and 2008 has increased every year from 387 to 407 to 458. While this year’s prediction is significantly higher than last year’s actual, motorists are still asked to be extremely cautious on our roadways to ring in a safe and happy New Year!
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According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, nearly 92 million Americans across the country will be traveling more than 50 miles away from their home during the holidays. This is a rough 1.5 increase from the previous year’s records, according to the Boston Globe. The increase in travel with increase your risks of a fatal car accident in Massachusetts and elsewhere throughout New England, where travel is expected to increase significantly.

The holiday travel season is defined as the time from the 23rd of December through the 2nd of January. The Herald News reports that this year’s projected travel records are the second highest they’ve been within the last 10 years. The first highest was in the 2006 – 2007 holiday season with nearly 94 million travelers. These travelers accounted for about 30 percent of the U.S.’s population.

Our Boston car accident lawyers understand that the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period is the longest holiday period of the year, which allows more residents to venture out on vacations. With more people vacationing and busier roadway, our risks for an accident increase substantially. Drivers are asked to be prepared before heading out to avoid an accident. Preparation is safety!

Of the holiday travelers:

-Nearly 84 million plan to hit the roadways for holiday travel, contributing to a more than 2 percent increase from last year.

-More than 5 million will be hitting the open sky for holiday travel, contributing to a near 10 percent decrease from 2010. This decrease is blamed on jet fuel costs and capacity cuts. Officials predict that plane tickets will be more than 20 percent more costly than last year.

-The last 3 percent of travelers will be using trains, buses and watercraft to get to their holiday destinations. The near three million travelers expected to use these modes contribute to the more than 4 percent increase.

Holiday travel within the New England area is expecting a near 2 percent increase from the 2010 figures, which is higher than the national increase. Of the residents in New England, nearly 30 percent are expected to travel over the upcoming holiday period.

Holiday Travel Tips, from AAA:

-Be prepared and plan ahead. Plan out your travel, including rest stops, driving routes and the places offering the lowest gas prices. Keep an eye on the weather conditions, too.

-Get there early. If you’re flying, airports will be crowded and may require extra time to get through security. For fights within the country, get there at least two hours before your plane is scheduled to take off. If you’re headed overseas, get there at least three hours early. Check your flight’s status frequently before leaving your home.

-Stay away from the three dangerous D’s of driving: drunk driving, drowsy driving and distracted driving. All of the conditions are preventable with a little preparation.

Everyone’s urged to enjoy their holiday vacation, but to please do so safely. Let’s all be smart travelers to ring in the New Year safely and injury free!
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We frequently hear about the risks that teen drivers face on our roadways. Dozens of studies have concluded that car accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere are the number one killer for these young drivers. But did you know that car accidents are actually the leading cause of death for people ages 4- to 34-years-old? That’s exactly what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says in a recent release.

In 2010, there were nearly 33,000 people who died in motor vehicle accidents across the country. Our Massachusetts car accident lawyers recognize that this number illustrates a decrease from the previous year. Still alarmingly significant that car accidents continue to be the top killer for people in this age group. In terms of years of life lost, which refers to the number of years that a person may have had left to live based on life expectancies, car accidents ranked third behind cancer and heart disease.

The number one cause of death among infants typically happens because of complications within the perinatal period. The leading cause of death for toddlers aged 1- to 3-years-old was congenital anomalies. For individuals aged 35- to 64-years-old, the top cause of death is malignant neoplasms. Lastly, heart disease serves as the top cause of death for individuals over the age of 65.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) warns drivers about the dangers we’re expected to face over the holiday season. With Christmas and New Year’s right around the corner, we will be seeing traffic on our roadways increase significantly. This is when risks for fatal accidents increase as well.

Safe Driving Tips, from MassDOT:

-Always be aware of your surroundings. Know what’s going on all around your vehicle. You never want to only focus on just the road in front of you. Keep an eye out for pedestrians, other vehicles or animals that may be entering the roadway.

-Always use your blinkers. You should put on your appropriate turn signal at least five to eight seconds before every lane change of turn. This allows others to respond to your projected movements.

-Drive cautiously near large trucks, semis and tractor-trailers. These trucks can’t move as quickly as you and me. Don’t force them to make sudden movements or have to slam on their brakes.

-Make sure that intersections are clear before entering. You’ll want to obey traffic signals, but make sure for yourself that no cars, bicyclists, pedestrians or animals are approaching.

-Block the sun, but not your view. You’re urged to use your sun visor to block the sun from your eyes, but don’t obstruct your line of vision. Use sunglasses for added protection.

-Don’t use cruise control when the roads are wet, snowy or icy.

-Slow down before taking a curve.

-Always leave with plenty of time to spare. You should allow extra time for poor traffic, for bad weather and for getting lost. There’s no need to rush.

-Check out the latest traffic advisories in Massachusetts.

“Safe travel is our top priority, and we encourage Commonwealth residents to plan ahead for holiday travel,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey.
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A recent car accident in Peabody left a teenage driver inside a burning car. According to fire department officials, the accident happened as the young driver lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a home on Herrick Road in Peabody. Both the teen’s vehicle and the home caught fire in the accident, which happened about 2:30 a.m.

Luckily, firefighters were able to rescue the teenager from the burning vehicle. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. Fire crews were able to put out the fire, both on the vehicle and on the home. Capt. Dale Kimball said that the vehicle was “fully engulfed” in flames. Deputy Fire Chief Paul Lynch said that this accident was one of the worst that he had seen in quite a while.

Our Massachusetts car accident attorneys understand the dangers that teenagers face on our roadways. These newly licensed and inexperienced drivers are unable to comprehend the consequences of poor driving habits or risky decisions. Many of these drivers simply overlook the dangers on our roadways and therefor fail to alter their driving habits.

Lynch says that his firefighters were eventually able to free the teen through the passenger window. He adds that the rescue team had a difficult time battling through the melting plastic, the flames and the smoke but were able to successfully retrieve the young man.

Firefighters were at the scene of the accident for about 2 hours. There was a rollover accident on the other side of the city, forcing crews to split up. After combing the house several times, responders determined that there was no one inside, according to the Peabody Patch.

With the holidays approaching quickly, our teen’s risks for car accidents on our roadways will increase significantly. With the holidays comes busy traffic. Visitors and residents will venture throughout the city in route to their holiday destinations. The increase in traffic will heighten your teen’s risks for a potentially fatal accident. Take this time to reiterate the importance of safe driving habits with them to keep them safe through the remainder of the year and beyond.

Tips for Parents to Share with Teen Drivers, from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MASSDOT):

-Make sure your teen always wears a seat belt, regardless of how far they’re driving.

-Lead by example. You should always be on your best behavior when driving with your teenager. They’re likely to mimic your driving habits. Be a good role model.

-Reiterate that it’s illegal for drivers under the age of 18 to use a cell phone while driving. All drivers are prohibited from texting at the wheel. Enforce the same rules for your household.

-Make sure your teen driver is getting plenty of rest. Talk with them about the symptoms and risks of driving while drowsy.

-Create and enforce a teen-parent driving contract that lays out the rules and consequences for breaking family driving rules.
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As we recently reported, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is now doing more to keep track of distraction-related car accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

These types of accidents continue to increase as more and more electronic devices become available to drivers. The NHTSA reports that there was a significant increase in the number of accidents involving text messaging drivers from 2009 to 2010. The number of accidents involving cell phone-using drivers stayed about the same. Much of this data was collected from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS). This Survey is the only data collection effort that measures just how often drivers engage in behavior with electronic devices at the wheel. The National Center for Statistics conducts this survey every year.

The number of drivers who were witnessed to use a cell phone while driving remained at 5 percent from 2009 to 2010. This means that more than 650,000 drivers are using a hand-held cell phone at any given moment. It also means that nearly 10 percent of drivers are using either a hand-held phone or a hands-free phone at any given moment.

Our Massachusetts car accident attorneys understand that approximately 3,100 people died in 2010 because of distraction-related car accidents. According to the new survey, drivers age 16- to 24-years-old are most likely to use one of these devices at the wheel. Drivers over the age of 70 are least likely to engage in this behavior. Regardless of your age, you’re urged to halt all distractions while driving and to be cautious for distracted drivers on our roadways.

Drivers witnessed talking on the phone, using a visible headset and hand-held devices, in 2010:

-The number increased significantly from 2009 to 2010.

-The increase occurred among drivers age 16- to 24-years old, female drivers, drivers of pickup trucks and passenger car, white drivers, drivers in the vehicle alone and drivers traveling during the weekdays.

-The most significant increase was witnessed among our younger drivers.

A phone survey, conducted by the NHTSA, determined that most drivers admit to answering phone calls while driving:

-Five percent say they place calls while driving on all trips.

-Ten percent say they place calls on most trips.

-More than 25 percent say they place calls on some driving trips.

-More than 65 percent say they answer and drive.

-Nearly 10 percent say they will answer and then pull over.

-About 12 percent say that they will answer and will call back.

-About 3 percent say that they will pull over and then answer the phone.

-Less than 10 percent say that they will hand the phone to a passenger to answer.

-Most people answer while driving. Close to half of these people admit to holding the phone while driving.

-Less that 20 percent say that they use a hands-free device to talk while driving.

-Less than 10 percent say that they have a built-in car system used for phone calls.

-Less that 20 percent say that they use the cell phone speakers.
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Earlier this year, nearly 700 students at Woburn High signed a pledge to stop text messaging behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. This pledge was all a part of a program that was launched by both Middlesex DA Gerry Leone and AT&T to help keep teens safe from distraction-related car accidents in Massachusetts, according to the Boston Herald.

“Car crashes are the number one cause of death for young people ages 15-24. I want to commend AT&T for their leadership in this area, and look forward to our continued partnership on this important preventative program, so that we can attempt to change this troubling trend and sobering statistic,” said Leone.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand teen texting and driving is a serious issue. These drivers’ fatality statistics are getting national attention, too. Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) launched its “OMG” public service announcement (PSA) campaign. The purpose of the new campaign is to try to raise awareness in these young drivers about the dangers of texting while driving.

The “OMG” campaign consists of two difference PSAs that are airing through December at nearly 550 Regal Cinema theaters on more than 6,500 movie screens, on pump-top screens and gas station that are owned by Outcast PumpTop TV and on Distraction.gov.

“Teen drivers are particularly vulnerable to distracted driving…we are making an extra effort to ensure they understand the dangers (of texting while driving),” said U.S. Department of Transportation’s Secretary Ray LaHood.

The holiday season is here and our teenage drivers will be able to enjoy time away from school on winter break and will be hitting our roadways in full force. We all know that our teens like to stay connected with one another, via text messaging and social networking, but it’s important to remind these young, inexperienced drivers that this behavior can be deadly when done at the wheel.

To help get the message across, the USDOT has thrown in some popular short-hand text lingo in the new PSAs, including “L8R” and “LOL.”

Greg Dunn, COO and Presidents of Regal Entertainment Group, says that both the company and himself are thrilled to be able to partner with the USDOT to help to raise awareness and to encourage safe driving habits among these young drivers during the holiday season and beyond. He feels that by using movie screens, websites and gas station televisions, we can effectively reach the young, on-the-go audience.

Currently, drivers in Massachusetts who are under the age of 18 are prohibited from using a cell phone while driving. Drivers of all ages have been prohibited from texting behind the wheel, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

In 2010, there were approximately 3,100 people killed in distraction-related accidents. As the holiday traffic flows in, drivers are urged to remain cautious and careful at the wheel. No text message is worth a life. Drive safely and Happy Holidays!
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