Articles Posted in Car Accidents

There’s a new public service announcement (PSA) being used to help educate drivers about the risks, dangers and consequences of texting while driving. This campaign is aimed at teen drivers to help reduce the risks of distracted driving-related car accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere, according to Consumer Reports.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council have teamed up with safe driving advocates around the country to create three PSAs as part of their “Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.” campaign. Distracted driving-related car accidents can come with serious and fatal consequences. In the first PSA, a teen driver is reaching for a phone as she pulls up to a stop sign. Unfortunately, since she’s reaching for her phone she fails to see the stop sign, blows through it and gets into an accident.

Our Boston car personal injury attorneys understand this scene is all too familiar. Teens are seemingly connected to their cell phones, whether they’re making calls, sending texts or surfing the web. Unfortunately, this is also true while they’re driving. Teen drivers make up the group of drivers that is most likely to be involved in a distracted driving car accident. The “Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.” PSAs are looking to educate these young drivers and ultimately influence them to halt the dangerous driving behavior.

The last two PSAs start off relatively humorous, at the beginning at least. Texting pedestrians face some of the same dangers near our roadways as well. Both drivers and pedestrians need to be fully aware of their surroundings when traveling on our roadways. These last two videos end with texting drivers getting into some sticky situations, all because of texting at the wheel. The videos are used to illustrate situations that happen on our roadways every day because of distracted drivers.

All three of the PSAs end by asking viewers, “How will you stop texting and driving?” The end of the video also provides a link to Stoptextsstopwrecks.org to get more information.

When drivers take their eyes off the road, they’re distracted for at least five seconds. If you’re traveling at 55 mph, you could travel the length of a football field without even knowing it. Texting drivers are nearly 25 times more likely to get into a car accident.

Teen drivers are already four times more likely than any other age group to be involved in a motor vehicle crash. If you factor in texting, which increases the crash rate by up to 23 times, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Distracted driving is causing more and more accidents. In 2009, roughly 20 percent of all injury accidents reported distracted driving as a contributor.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Administration, all drivers in the state of Massachusetts are prohibited from texting while driving. Unfortunately, this law doesn’t always stop young drivers. For this reason, the “Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.” aims to educate drivers about the dangers of this habit in an attempt to get them to willingly stop the dangerous activity.
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Our Boston car accident attorneys recently discussed the dangers that come along with Daylight Saving Time and with the sun setting sooner in the day. We would now like to discuss a recent episode of HEALTHY VISION with Dr. Val Jones. She recently spoke with optometrist Dr. Cristina Schnider and John Ulczycki of the National Safety Council to talk about the dangers we face on our roadways during evening driving.
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The reduction in visibility with nighttime driving brings about increased risks of a car accident in Boston mainly because of how our eyes work. When our pupils enlarge because of low-light situations, the focusing mechanism needs to work harder. When there’s not much to focus on, as is typically the situation at night, our eyes rapidly move around looking for something to focus on. This can cause drivers to overlook important details on the roadway.

Sometimes the eye will focus on the windshield for instance, ot the glare or bugs on the windshield. This is not a good thing. Schnider recommends that drivers continuously look left and right scanning the roadway to allow your eyes to focus in on the important factors.

This may sound odd, but Schnider also reminds drivers to remember to blink. Drivers tend to keep their eyes open for a longer period of time while driving during the night in an attempt to better focus on things. The lack of blinking can cause eyes to dry out. Air conditioning and open windows can also cause your eyes to dry out, which can negatively affect your vision. You’re also recommended to take frequent breaks when driving at night, and for long road trips if possible have another licensed driver with you to share the driving duties if needed. Drivers can strain and dry their eyes while driving for long periods of time in the evening hours.

Your risk for being in a car accident during the evening is three times higher than your risks of getting into an accident when it’s light out, according to Ulczycki. He says peripheral vision is greatly reduced when we drive at night because our eyes are so busy focusing on what’s directly in front of us. He notes that about 25 percent of travel happens during evening hours and nearly 50 percent of fatal accidents happen during the nighttime.

He says that drivers oftentimes have a misconception of risk at night. He says because drivers are unable to see risks as well during the night as they are during the day, they believe that the risks aren’t there. The truth is that the risks are still there and drivers need to adjust their driving to compensate for this reduction in visibility. Keep your eyes moving, keep looking around and keep it cautious to avoid a risk nighttime driving situation.
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With New England’s hard-core winter weather just week away, there’s still time to have your vehicles inspected by a professional to make sure everything is working properly.
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Unfortunately, it won’t be long before car accidents in Massachusetts begin to happen more frequently because of nasty weather. But our Boston car accident attorneys know some of them can be prevented when vehicle owners take the time to be prepared. Also, a vehicle breakdown on the road could leave you at risk of being hit by oncoming traffic.

Some of the statistics regarding vehicle breakdowns and other road-related issues are staggering. Take for instance the December holiday period in 2009-2010 alone. AAA Auto Club South had 96,000 service calls in the two-week period that began Dec. 23, 2009. More than 21 percent of those calls turned out to be battery related issues. That was a big jump from 2008’s calls for battery problems, according to the motor club, which serves members in three states and Puerto Rico.

If you’re like many drivers, you know that sinking feeling you get when your vehicle won’t start, especially when it’s cold, icy and at night. And if you’re out alone and have no roadside assistance plan, it’s even worse. You can try to avoid that frustration by having your car or truck battery tested now. It’s simple, quick and most professionals won’t charge a lot for the service.

In fact, many auto repair facilities offer a multi-point safety inspection for your vehicles. They’ll test the electrical system, tires tread, fluids, and other areas that could affect your safety and leave you literally out in the cold.

Here are a few things your auto mechanic can check to help ensure your vehicle is fit for wintertime road duty in Boston and the surrounding areas, compliments of AAA Auto South:

Hoses, belts, cooling systems and water pumps. Mechanical failures of these critical parts can leave you stranded roadside anytime of day or night without prior notice.

Tires and tire pressure.
Have a mechanic measure the tire tread depth of each tire so you can determine whether you need new tires now if it can wait a few months. Also, when temperatures go down, so does the pressure in your tires so check tire pressure monthly.

Charging-system checkup. Another part of your vehicle that is negatively affected when the temperature drops is the battery. In winter, vehicle engines require more starting power.

You can find AAA Approved Auto Repair Facilities that offer free checkups at www.AAA.com/Repair

Another smart thing to do now is assemble the winter “tools” that come in handy when the snow flies. Keep these nearby when driving:

-Snowbrush
-Ice scraper
-Shovel and bag of sand that you can use if you need help with traction
-Windshield wiper fluid
-Jumper cables
-Spare tire(s)

-Gloves, blankets, hats, some nonperishable foods, and when you can, bring some water for those longer trips in case something does happen.

-Mobile phone with car charger
It takes just a little time and some planning ahead to help ensure you have worry free, and hopefully accident-free, winter driving experiences.
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Finding the right car seat for your child may now be easier than ever. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released new ratings of these seats for parents to be better equipped when choosing a seat. After the last wave of ratings, more than 30 seats made it on the “Best Bets” list. These seats were found to be able to seat a child so that the adult seat belt will properly fit a little one’s body.
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These seats can run anywhere from $15 to several hundred dollars. But parents shouldn’t correlate price with a seat’s ability to protect their child in the event of a car accident in Massachusetts. Some of the more affordable seats work just as well as the more expensive ones.

Our Boston child injury attorneys understand that children between the ages of 4 and 8 should be seated in a booster seat to help ensure that an adult seat belt fits them properly. Sometimes, parents are confused by the plethora of seats on the market and which ones would be most likely to best serve their child. The new ratings from the IIHS are here to clear that up.

In addition to the “Best Bets” child seats, there were five placed on the “Good Bets” list. Seats on this list will fit most vehicles properly. The IIHS also rated six seats as a “no go,” meaning they don’t provide a proper seat belt fit for anyone. Check the IIHS website for the complete child seat rating list.

Booster seats should be used to properly seat children who have outgrown front-facing car seats. Booster seats allow a child to be positioned so that an adult seat belt will fit their little body properly. This seat allows the lap portion of the strap to lie across their upper thigh and the shoulder portion to lie across their chest.

“A Best Bet means any of these top-rated boosters should work well in the family SUV or the babysitter’s sedan,” says Anne McCartt, the Institute’s senior vice president for research.

There were more than 60 booster seat models examined in this year’s rating program. This is more than 10 more than the previous year.

The test doesn’t measure how well the seat will perform in the event of an accident, but rather how well it fits a seat belt on a child’s body.

Booster seats have gotten much more reliable in recent years as well. There were only 10 booster seats on the Best Bets list in 2008, then 9 in 2009, but there were more than 20 for the 2010 ratings.

Parents are urged to check out these ratings before looking into purchasing a booster seat. You’re also urged to check the seats’ limitations to ensure that your child is the proper size for the seat that you ultimately purchase. These child-restraint systems are some of the most effective protections for your child in the event of an accident.
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Our state is getting serious snow super early this year. Last weekend, Boston got an inch of snow while Cambridge saw 1-2 inches. This snowfall was extremely rare for October.

Some parts of western Massachusetts saw more than a foot of snow, paralyzing parts of the Northeast. The storm left more than 620,000 residents without power. It started out with heavy rains and ended with a wicked snowstorm. Many towns in western Massachusetts broke their record for snowfall in for the entire month of October.

Boston’s record for October snowfall still sits at 1.1 inches, which was set back in 2005. Worcester broke the record with the largest margin at 14.6 inches of snow.
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As of November 1st, Western Massachusetts Electric Co. reported that more than 90,000 of its 210,000 plus customers still didn’t have electricity. Power outages aren’t the only inconvenience residents in the area are facing. With the wicked weather we have wicked driving conditions. Roadways throughout the state were icy and covered in snow. These conditions, no matter how careful the driver, can produce serious risks of car accidents in Massachusetts. Two people in Massachusetts have died from car accidents in the snowy weather already.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that businesses have been closed, school has been canceled and Halloween has been postponed in some areas. Officials report that it could be days before some residents see the power restored to their homes and businesses. Governor Deval L. Patrick urges all residents who are without power to remain patient.

“This is a house-by-house, branch-by-branch kind of response,” said Patrick.

About 700 guardsmen are posted throughout the state. In addition to the two motorists who were killed on our roadways, another man has died because of a downed power line.

Worcester, Massachusetts’ officials have asked parents to hold Halloween celebrations on Thursday. This is when the weather is expected to improve. By Thursday, emergency responders should have all of the downed power lines and trees removed from the streets as well.

Among the area that was affected by this storm, nearly 2 million people lost power, more than 20 people died in traffic-related accidents and electrocutions.

A train from Chicago to Boston also got stuck in the mess. It was stopped in central Massachusetts with nearly 50 people on-board, according to Amtrak officials. The truck was stuck in Palmer, Massachusetts. The snowstorm caused a rockslide that blocked off the tracks. Passengers have been rescued and were taken to their destinations by bus.

The snowstorm has caused Amtrak to delay a number of other routes in the area.

Commuters are urged to check out “T Alerts” to see if any rail services have been delayed.

The rest of the week’s forecast is expected to be back to normal, with weather in the mid-50s. For a complete review of the upcoming forecast, visit the Boston Globe‘s website.
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A recent New England trucking accident took involved parties to the Oxford County Superior Court after faulty brakes were blamed as the cause of the accident. A Maine State Police Trooper recently testified in court saying that the truck’s brakes made the 2009 accident in West Paris much worse than it had to be, according to the Sun Journal.
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In the wreck, a 60-year-old man was killed on Route 26 during that three-vehicle accident. The man’s family is suing a Sommerville woman who fell asleep at the wheel causing a large commercial vehicle to swerve and drive directly into the man’s car. The woman reportedly woke up just before crashing head on with a trailer-truck. When she served back into her lane, she hit the truck and broke a spring that was used to steer that truck. The woman was injured. The tractor-trailer swerved out of the way and into the Sommerville man’s vehicle after it failed to brake.

Our Massachusetts tractor-trailer accident attorneys understand that jurors recently heard expert analysis of the accident from Steven Thomas, an engineer who is oftentimes used in these types of trials to provide expert testimony. The man said that after looking at the fatal accident he concluded that it could have only resulted as a fender-bender if the truck’s 12 brakes had been in good working condition. He added that if the tractor-trailer could have stopped just 5 feet shorter that the impact to the Sommerville man’s vehicle could have been minimal.

The expert was also asked to look at the analysis of the accident that was provided by Midwest Price Co., the trucking company. The company argued that the truck was not traveling fast at all and the accident was a result of the road’s soft shoulder.

Thomas said the shoulder of the road would have caused the truck to flip to the left and not to the right like it did.

A Main State Trooper, Daniel Hanson, said that the truck didn’t have enough power in its brakes and that’s what contributed to the severity of the accident.

“Lack of proper braking aided in the trailer overturning,” said Hanson.

The trial will continue at a later date.

This accident is a perfect example as to why properly maintaining large commercial vehicles is so important. Traffic-related accidents with these big rigs can oftentimes turn deadly.

If you have been involved in an accident with one of these large vehicles and you believe that faulty equipment is to blame, it is vital for you to contact an experienced attorney. Companies are required to keep timely maintenance records for every vehicle and an attorney can help to retrieve this information.

Failing to keep trucks up to par on safety requirements and other safety standards can result in a serious accident and a costly litigation.
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We recently discussed the new release of the top 200 dangerous areas for pedestrian and bicycling accidents in Massachusetts on our Boston Personal Injury Accident Lawyer Blog. Now we will be talking about the most dangerous intersections for car accidents. Many of these types of accidents are caused by driver inattention as these motorists fail to look for oncoming cars and pedestrians, as well as failing to acknowledge red lights.
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Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that intersection accidents are common in Massachusetts. Take the two recent intersection accidents that happened in West Roxbury at the intersection of VFW Parkway and West Roxbury Parkway. These accidents occurred just one minute apart from one another, according to the West Roxbury Patch. The first accident was a rollover accident and the second involved a two-car collision.

Red-light running is a serious problem at our Massachusetts intersections and elsewhere in the U.S. According to the Federal Highway Administration, there were nearly 2.5 million accidents at U.S. intersections in 2008. These accidents killed nearly 8,000 people and injured nearly 750,000 people.

Dangerous Intersections in Cambridge from 2002 to 2009:

-Massachusetts Avenue and Prospect Street: 85 accidents.

-Memorial Drive and River Street: 62 accidents.

Dangerous Intersections in Framingham 2002 to 2009:

-Hollis Street and Waverly Street: 105 accidents.

Dangerous Intersections in Swansea 2002 to 2009:

-Grand Army of the Republic Highway and Swansea Mall Drive: 110 accidents.

-Market Street and Grand Army of the Republic Highway: 99 accidents.

Dangerous Intersections in Raynham 2002 to 2009:

-Route 44 and Orchard Street: 91 accidents.

-Broadway and Carver Street: 42 accidents.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 350 deaths resulting from traffic accidents in the state of Massachusetts in 2009. Nearly 100 off these fatalities resulted from car accidents that took place at an intersection.

Most Dangerous Counties in Massachusetts in 2009 (calculated by traffic fatalities):

-Middlesex County: 66 fatalities.

-Worcester County: 42 fatalities.

-Bristol County: 37 fatalities.

-Essex County: 29 fatalities.

-Norfolk County: 36 fatalities
Massachusetts requires that drivers abide by established laws to help reduce the risks of a potentially fatal intersection-related car accident:

-Obey traffic lights at all times. These signals are used to safely control the flow of motor-vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

-Never travel faster than the speed limit. These limits are in place to help reduce risks of a traffic accident. These limits have been researched and are used to help traffic to flow safely and efficiently.

-Understand and abide by all traffic signs.
-Red means stop or prohibition.
-Green means go, or shows where you may go.
-Yellow means you should slow down and serves as a general warning.
-Black or white signifies a regulation.
-Blue refers to a motorist service, such as hotels, food or gas stations.
-Brown directs a motorist to a scenic, historic of recreational area.
-Orange means there’s maintenance or construction nearby.
-Fluorescent yellow or green signifies a bicycle, a pedestrian or a school zone.

-Follow roadway markings.
-Broken white lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.
-Solid white lines can mark the edge of the pavement.
-Solid white lines can also separate two lanes of traffic traveling in different directions.
-Double solid white lines separate two lanes traveling in opposite directions.

You’re urged to always follow all road signals, markings and signs to help prevent an accident. Make your driving predictable so that other motorists aren’t surprised by your maneuvers.
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A fatal accident between the Amtrak Downeaster and a tractor-trailer is being blamed on a distracted truck driver. Officials believe that the driver was operating a mobile communication device when the collision happened just south of Portland as he was heading to Boston, according to Bangor Daily News. In the fiery collision, the truck driver was killed and several others were injured.
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Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand just how dangerous using a cell phone or a text messaging device while driving can be. Unfortunately, there are many motorists who are unaware of these dangers, or fail to recognize them, and continue to put innocent residents in serious danger. To help combat this problem, the state of Massachusetts has enacted a law prohibiting drivers from texting at the wheel. As for talking on a cell phone, only drivers under the age of 18 and bus drivers have been banned, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

According to distraction.gov, there were about 5,500 people killed in 2009 in the United States because of car accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere that involved a distracted driver. Another 500,000 people were injured. These accidents accounted for about 20 percent of all of the accidents that were reported to have resulted in injury. Of distracted driving-related accidents, nearly 1,000 reports concluded that the use of a cell phone was the driver’s distraction. These types of accidents are becoming more and more frequent as technology continues to advance.

Officials looked into the truck driver’s GPS records, phone records and the records of other electronic equipment after the fatal Maine accident. They believe that a distraction was the most plausible reason as to why the truck, which was carrying about 20 tons of trash, was unable to stop for the passing train in time.

“The cause of this crash is driver inattention/distraction,” said North Berwick Police Lt. James Moulton, according to a press release.

According to accident reports, the garbage truck skidded for about 200 feet before colliding with the passing train, which burst into flames. Four train passengers and two Amtrak employees were injured. Police reports also indicate that the crossing’s gates and lights were working properly when the accident occurred.

The Downeaster was traveling with more than 100 passengers at about 70 mph when the accident happened.

Distracted driving habits are typically caused by three characteristics: visual, cognitive and manual. All three are required to safely navigate your way through congested city streets. Cell phone, text messaging devices and other hand-held devices all take a driver’s attention on our roadway. All of these activities greatly increase your risks of being involved in a motor vehicle accident. These risks can also be greatly reduced by simply putting down the phone. Help to make our roads a safer place.
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A recent Somerville trucking accident on Interstate 93 near Exit 29 took the life of a 27-year-old man from Lynn. According to state police, the accident happened as a flatbed truck was traveling southbound when one of the heavy-duty tires snapped the lone strap that was holding it to the bed of the truck.

Once the tire was launched into the highway, it bounced across the median into northbound traffic and smashed into the vehicle driven by the 27-year-old man, according to The Boston Globe. The incident caused the man’s car to roll on its side. The driver was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was later pronounced dead from injuries sustained during impact.
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Our Massachusetts injury attorneys understand that truck cargo can kill when improperly secured. The tires that were being transported on the flatbed weighed approximately 400 pounds each. This is yet another example of the importance of ensuring a truck’s load is secured properly.

Highway officials shut down the interstate for about an hour and a half to conduct an investigation. Criminal charges are pending.

Unstable loads can happen to you, too. Inexperienced individuals can often over-pack and neglect to secure cargo when moving furniture, appliances and other household items. But most often, you’ll witness an unstable load on the bed of a commercial truck. These conditions can produce serious, costly and potentially fatal results.

Commercial truck drivers are required by law to make sure that the goods they’re transporting are properly restrained. There are a number of federal regulations in place to monitor the cargo of these truckers, including the requirement that limits the truck’s cargo weight. This is why you’re likely to see weigh stations along interstate roads, a clear effort to help enforce these limits.

These drivers are also required to ensure that their loads are secure. A truck’s contents must be restrained so that cargo does not slide around or fall off the truck. The proper restraint of these items helps to prevent rollover accidents and can prevent accidents. Neglecting to ensure that materials are secure can result in liability for damages to the trucker or trucking company.

According to the most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were nearly 3,400 deaths that were the result of traffic accidents that involved a large truck in the U.S. in 2009. Nearly 75,000 people were injured in these accidents. It was estimated that there were nearly 300,000 large trucks, with the gross weight of 10,000 pounds or more, on our roadways that year.

It is important to remember that if you experience an accident because of an unstable truckload, there are a number of parties that may share liability. All involved parties are responsible for following federal regulations to help reduce the risks of these types of accidents. If they fail to do so, they can be held liable for providing you with the proper compensation.
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Officials are looking for a way to make Interstate 93 a little bit safer. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recently made a proposal to keep hazardous materials off of Boston’s waterfront and North End routes to I-93, according to The Boston Globe. Commercial vehicles with dangerous cargo can easily cause fatal accidents if not properly regulated, like in the Somerville car accident we recently told you about on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog.
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Our Boston injury attorneys understand that this proposal makes sense as it could potentially help to prevent fatal accidents on the interstate, but does it make sense to reroute these hazardous trucks through our neighborhoods? Everyone knows that both Routes 93 and 128 frequently experience heavy congestion. With more and more trucks on our roadways, the dangers are increasing. It’s not uncommon for motorists to hop off the interstate to continue their journey through nearby neighborhoods, but what happens when trucks are taking these alternative routes?

State Senator Katherine Clark is working to find a solution for this matter. She’s working with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to help relieve the stress of overcrowded highways while maintaining neighborhood roadways. She’s looking to help reroute traffic through areas that are able to handle the traffic and the potential dangers that may come along with it.

Transportation department officials already have taken notice to the congestion problems at the Routes 128 and 93 interchanges. As a matter of fact, through recent investigation, that area was named as the most dangerous area for trucking accidents in Massachusetts, as hundreds of trucks navigate through these roadways carrying dangerous materials.

The Battelle Memorial Institute recently conducted a study and concluded that Cambridge and Boston are the only two cities in the area that have dedicated Hazardous Materials Teams. Many communities are dependent on the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Regional Hazardous Materials Teams. The problem with this is that while the Boston team is able to respond to a call with 15 minutes on average, a regional team takes much longer. Smaller, residential fire units are not properly staffed to guarantee an efficient response time to a roadway disaster. Boston and Cambridge on the other hand have sufficient staff. That’s why traffic has been proposed to be rerouted through areas that are better equipped to take on the heavy traffic and to handle the potential dangers from certain trucks.

The state senator has been working alongside legislators in a number of communities in an attempt to sway transportation department officials to adopt a new route that can help relieve overburdened highways and maintain all safety standards.

Our Boston roadways can be extremely dangerous at times. Officials have enacted a number of road laws to help reduce the risks we often face while traveling along our congested interstates and highways. While some conditions may seem completely unavoidable, officials will continue to search for ways to eliminate these dangers, even if it means completely rerouting traffic.
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