Articles Posted in Car Accidents

Young drivers are some of the most at-risk for Boston car accidents and for crashes across the country.

In fact, the department of transportation offers the following guidelines for young motorists:

1. Wear your seat belt. It’s your first line of defense against serious injury, and statistics show that of the teens killed in Massachusetts car accidents, about two-thirds weren’t buckled up.

2. Limit how many people you ride with, as your friends may distract you.

3. Avoid distractions. Because crashes can happen in seconds, it’s important for you to focus on the road, rather than the radio, your phone or your friends in the car with you.

4. Turn slowly. This will help decrease your risk of roll over or the possibility of accidentally striking a bicyclist or pedestrian, who you may not see if you’re traveling too fast.

5. Don’t drink or do drugs before you get behind the wheel.

6. Don’t travel at night. Not only can it be dangerous for an inexperienced driver, but in Massachusetts, it’s against the law for anyone under 18 to drive between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. without a parent in the car with you.
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Speeding and aggressive driving are often factors in serious Boston car crashes.

We all know how frustrating it can be when we’re running late or when someone cuts you off in traffic.

But our Boston car accident attorneys have seen firsthand how dangerous it can be when drivers drop their defenses and act out that frustration on other motorists. It’s often sparked by something trivial, but when that aggression is played out at high speeds, the consequences can be deadly.

As Part 8 of our Boston Road Safety series, we’re exploring how we define road rage, how to curb it and how to protect yourself.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that just 12 percent of fatal speeding crashes happened on the highway. The overwhelming majority – 88 percent – happened off the interstate.

If you find that you may have some aggressive driving tendencies, the highway safety administration offers the following advice:

1. Concentrate on the road, rather than your cell phone, eating or any other task aside from driving.

2. Try to relax. Turn on the radio and listen to your favorite songs. This can help calm your nerves and make your time in the car more enjoyable.

3. Obey the speed limit. It will reduce your chances of a crash.

4. If you know traffic is going to be congested, consider mapping a different route before you set out.

5. Consider using public transportation. It’s less stressful, and may save you hundreds of dollars a month in gas.

6. Just be late. It’s better than being seriously injured or worse.

For those of us who sometimes must share the road with aggressive drivers, here are a few other helpful tips:

1. Do your best to get out of their way.

2. Set aside your pride and think about your safety.

3. Avoid making eye contact with the aggressor. That can sometimes just make them angrier.

4. If they make an obscene gesture at you, ignore them, and don’t return it.

5. If the person poses a serious risk to you or other drivers, consider reporting them to police. Make sure you are in a safe location when you do so.
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Imagine walking outside your front door to a war zone every day — without a bullet-proof vest.

That’s exactly the kind of risk you’re taking when you get into a vehicle without buckling your seat belt.

If you want to protect yourself from the serious injury or death that could result from a car crash in Boston or elsewhere in Massachusetts, make sure you wear your seat belt – every time, no exceptions.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand the accident may not be your fault. And you are entitled to bring a claim regardless of whether you are wearing a seat belt. But belting up is your first line of defense.

We’re touching on this issues because, No. 1, we see far too many lives lost senselessly on our roadways, and No. 2, because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers additional information about seat belt safety in the U.S.

The first is that buckling up is the best way to protect yourself in a crash. Seat belts have saved more than 75,000 lives from 2004 to 2008. To put that in perspective, picture a jam-packed, large sports arena. Wearing a seat belt keeps you inside your vehicle in the event of a crash. If you are ejected from the car, your chances of dying skyrocket.

Secondly, air bags alone aren’t enough to save you because they’re designed to work with the seat belts, not be used in place of them. If you don’t buckle up, the force of being thrown toward the airbag when it’s deploying could kill you.

Thirdly, when you do buckle up, make sure it fits you correctly. Every person is different, but the shoulder belt should come across the middle of your chest and away form your neck. The lap belt should go across your hips, just below your stomach.

Never put the shoulder belt behind your back or under your arm, as this could lead to serious injury in the event of a crash.
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It’s been over a year since Gov. Patrick signed the state’s Safe Driving Law, which effectively bans Massachusetts motorists from sending, typing or reading electronic messages from a handheld device while driving.

It’s one of the most sweeping pieces of legislation in the country, and its designed to address the issue of distracted driving and quash the number of car accidents in Boston and throughout the state.

While officials in other states have debated text messages bans, the question that inevitably gets raised is: How will you enforce it? How will a police officer know whether the driver is sending a text or sending an e-mail?

Roadways throughout the state of Massachusetts may be looking a little better in the near future. According to Richard Davey, CEO and Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), funding from Obama’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is being distributed throughout western and central Massachusetts. The federal aid was provided to the state to help repair roadways from the damage caused by the June 1st tornadoes and August 26th Tropical Storm Irene.

The first grant is about $4 million and will help local communities throughout the area to fix roadway damage from the tornadoes. The second grant is about $41 million and will help cover damages along the East Coast resulting from Tropical Storm Irene. The Hawlet, Goshen, Charlemont, Ashfield and Adams communities will be receiving these funds to help reduce the risks of car accidents throughout Massachusetts.

Our Massachusetts car accident attorneys understand that faulty and neglected roadways are a top contributor to a lot of traffic accidents in the area. With the storms we saw in 2011, there are roadways throughout the state that have been damaged and can be dangerous for motorists. These funds from the FHWA will be used to help increase traffic safety along these roadways. Government and Transportation officials have a responsibility to keep roadways throughout the area safe for travel. This can often be difficult with the recent budget problems. This funding will help motorists throughout the state who regularly traverse the roadways damaged by these catastrophic storms.

“The summer’s tornadoes and Hurricane Irene packed a double wallop, and it still shows in the damage to our roads, bridges, and infrastructure. You don’t bounce back from that kind of severe weather on the cheap,” said U.S. Senator John Kerry.

United States Senator Scott Brown says he is thankful local communities will be receiving the federal funds to help make the proper repairs to damaged roadways. He adds that the federal assistance will help to relieve some of the budgetary burdens that many areas around the country are fighting.

Communities that will be using the federal funds:

-Hawley will be using more than $7,000 to help repair the roadways along Route 8A.

-Goshen will be using more than $10,000 to help fix shoulder and road repairs along West Road.

-Clarlemont will be using more than $440,000 to fix roads and slopes along South River Road.

-Ashfield will be using about $15,000 to fix roads and slopes along Williamsburg Road.

-Adams will be using about $15,000 to fix slopes and roads along East Hoosac.

Within these areas, there was significant damage done to a number of bridges and roadways from the storms. In most areas, cleanup and repair efforts are still underway. Government officials have a responsibly to keep roadways safe for traffic.
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As we recently reported on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, icy road conditions are causing a plethora of car accidents in Massachusetts. Slick, snowy and icy roadways are among the top causes of a number of traffic accidents thus far is 2012. These types of accidents are in fact preventable with the proper safe winter driving habits.

According to ABC5, a bridge expansion joint problem on Interstate 290 in Worcester was the scene of recent car accidents and a number of flattened tires. According to Massachusetts State Police, the area’s cold temps caused the expansion joint on the Interstate, near exit 20, to dislodge and to protrude from the ground. Shortly after, a tractor-trailer crashed into another vehicle in addition to a number of flattened tires.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that the latest reports concluded that nearly 10 vehicles received flat tires after driving over the expansion joint. Reportedly, officials with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) have been out at the scene and have made the appropriate repairs to that portion of the roadway. All vehicles have been either fixed or removed from the Interstate and traffic is flowing steady. But this brings up an important issue that we’ve been talking about recently: the importance of safe winter driving. Our roadways are dangerous through the winter season and short and simple road trips can turn deadly without the proper driving techniques.

MassDOT is here to offer drivers throughout the state some safe winter driving tips:

-Make sure that you clean the snow and the ice from your vehicle’s lights and windows before driving. You should also clear it off of the roof and the hood for maximum safety.

-You never want to tailgate. You should always leave enough room between you and the vehicle in front of you to stop safely.

-Be cautious of the current driving conditions. Remember that the posted speed limits are for driving on dry pavement. Slow down when snow or ice plague the roadway.

-Curb all distractions to maximize your attention and ability to react to a road hazard.

-Know the current road conditions. You can call 511 from your cell phone to retrieve this information. If calling from a land-line phone, call (617) 986-5511 for Metro Boston info, (508) 499-5511 for Central Massachusetts info and (413) 754-5511 for Western Massachusetts info.

-Be easy on your brakes. You should brake early and brake correctly because it takes more time and distance to stop safely on slick roads.

-Remember that bridge decks freeze first. These roadways have a different exposure to the air and are more vulnerable to ice than ground-level roads. Conditions on bridges are much more dangerous in freezing temps.

-Be cautious on exit ramps. These areas oftentimes receive less anti-icing materials than other road area and can oftentimes be extremely slippery.

-Avoid using the cruise control.

-Look farther ahead into traffic than you normally do to help you to see upcoming roadway dangers before it’s too late.

-Allow maintenance vehicles and snow plows with plenty of room. It’s recommended that you stay at least 200 feet behind them and don’t ever pass on the right.

-Wear your seat belt to help reduce the risks of injury or death in the event of an accident.
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