Articles Posted in Car Accidents

By the year 2030, Smart Motorist reports, the number of drivers aged 70 and older is expected to triple in the United States. And, like it or not, with advanced age comes some degree of diminished capacity. Hearing loss. Vision loss. Slower response times.

As our Boston personal injury lawyers noted in an earlier post to our Boston Car Accident Lawyer blog, knowing when and how to discuss curbing a loved elder’s driving habits is a challenge every family must face.

Analysis of national traffic crash data suggests that serious and fatal car accidents linked to older drivers often share a handful of common contributing factors. Older drivers, for example, are far more likely to be involved in multi-vehicle and fatal car accidents than any other age group on the road. They lane drift. And they are prone to episodes of poor judgment when making left-hand turns.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2008, older drivers made up 8 percent of all motorists injured in car accidents, and 15 percent of all traffic fatalities nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 500 older drivers are injured each day in car accidents.

In Massachusetts, there were 442 fatal car accidents in 2008, of them 53 – or 12 percent – involved drivers aged 65 and older.

NHTSA findings determined that older, predominantly male, drivers were more likely to be involved in weekday, daytime, crashes involving at least one other vehicle than all other motorists. In general, older drivers were far less likely to be intoxicated and far more likely to be wearing a seat belt.

With all that said, over the last decade the fatality rate for older drivers (aged 65 to 84) has steadily dropped. But, experts say safer vehicles, more sophisticated traffic engineering, the overall better general health of older drivers and better emergency medical care each have significantly contributed to the decline, the New York Times reports.

The AAA Foundation offers families a few indicators to look for to determine when having a driving safety conversation is appropriate.

A few questionable ‘behind-the-wheel’ behaviors include:

~ Does the driver have trouble using the gas or brake?

~ Does the driver physically turn and look in blind spots (or do they just scan the mirrors) before changing lanes?

~ Does the driver appear to have difficulty navigating intersections or busy streets or merging?

~ Does the driver ignore (fail to notice) traffic signals and signs?

~ Does the driver weave or straddle traffic lanes?
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Winter can be one of the most challenging times of the year for Boston drivers to be on the road. As the cold weather approaches so does the dangers of winter driving. Black ice is a common danger of winter driving but its difficulty to detect increases the risk for a Boston car crash as the temperatures begin to drop during the winter months.

Driving on black ice is dangerous because it’s so difficult to see. It is a thin coating of ice on a road surface. Black ice is transparent so the surface below the ice shows through. If you notice the road surface you are driving on looks dull or is darker than the rest of the road use extra caution. These are two warning signs that can indicate you are on a black ice area. Those involved in a winter-driving accident in Massachusetts can contact a Boston injury attorney to discuss their rights.

Drivers should use extra caution when the temperature drops below 40 degrees. Water takes longer to freeze than the actual surface. Road areas where underpasses or bridges exist don’t get much sun during the day so the surface tends to freeze first. If you feel like you are driving where black ice is a possibility then slow down. Don’t tailgate the vehicle in front of you in order to give yourself ample time to stop. Make sure your windshield is clean by defrosting it thoroughly before putting your vehicle in motion. Good tire traction is the best defense when driving on ice. Although four-wheel drive vehicles are known for being a little better in snow these vehicles do not keep you from sliding on ice. Remember, it is your responsibility as a driver to drive at a speed safest to you and other drivers under the current weather conditions.

How to stay in control if you encounter black ice :

-Don’t brake fast if you need to slow down. Remove your foot slowly from the accelerator instead.

-Steer in the direction you want to go if your vehicle is sliding.

-No swift or jerky movements when steering.

-Never pump anti-lock brakes, keep your foot on the pedal. The anti-lock system will keep the brakes from locking up and slow you down.
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Like most states, speeding is a common denominator for Boston car accidents and traffic accidents elsewhere in Massachusetts. Speed limits are established for the safety of drivers but the warning signs posting the speed are often ignored. Drivers need to accept the responsibilities of following the law and the speed limit signs that are posted on the state’s highways and byways this holiday season.

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported a total of 9,478 fatal crashes as a result of speeding. Massachusetts was responsible for 68 of the fatal crashes where speeding was involved. In the United States, one third of traffic fatalities in 2009 were a result of a speed-related crash. Massachusetts had a total of 76 of those fatalities.

According the NHTSA, Suffolk County had a total of 4 fatalities for crashes involving speed in 2009. This was a new low over the last 5 years and substantially lower than the 12 fatalities reported in 2007. Of course, heavy traffic plays a role. And the issue is chronically under-reported when factors like speed too fast for traffic conditions, tailgating and other related causes are taken into account.

Suffolk County has had a significant decrease over the last 5 years in fatalities per 100,000 people killed in speed related crashes. In 2005 there were 1.83 fatalities per 100,000 people where as in 2009 there were only .53 speed related fatalities per 100,000 people. In fact, Suffolk County had the lowest fatality rate per 100,000 people in 2009, with the exception of Franklin and Nantucket counties where no fatalities were recorded for that year.

Speeding is detrimental to driving for a couple of reasons. Speeding makes it difficult to control your vehicle around sharp corners or S curves. It is also much more difficult to stop your vehicle quickly. The higher the velocity of speed, the farther you travel when slamming on the brakes to avoid something in the road like an animal, another vehicle, or worse yet a pedestrian.

Speed also exponentially increases the seriousness of a resulting crash.

Safe driving tips for Massachusetts drivers include:

-Stay within 5-10mph of the cars driving on the roadway with you.

-Refrain from driving in the fast lane when you have the chance to move over into the next lane.

-If your vehicle has cruise control, set it to a speed that is appropriate with the traffic flow.

-If you tend to drive at a pace slower the speed limit, stay in the far right lane.

-Don’t swiftly change lanes or cutting off other drivers to get out of the way Continue reading

Our Boston personal injury lawyers urge you to speak with older drivers about the importance of safe-driving habits this week during Older Driver Safety Awareness Week. Family and friends can help by staying aware of their loved ones driving skills as they age each year.

As we age our body changes and some of these changes can affect our ability to drive safely. The National Institute on Aging highlights some issues facing older drivers.

-Hearing changes will affect your ability to hear warn sounds like sirens or horns. More importantly, strange sounds from your car indicate a mechanical problem that you need to hear.

-Reaction time in a vehicle is very important. There are times drivers need to think and act fast. As we age reflexes get slower, muscles are weaker and we may not think as fast as we use to.

-Eye diseases like cataracts and glaucoma affect the elder driver’s sight. Having trouble seeing at night can become a problem. Glare from the sun, street lights and headlights will present difficulties. It may become harder to read street signs and seeing people and objects outside your vehicle.

-Weakened muscles and stiffer joints may make turning the steering wheel or braking quickly more difficult. Also you may have a harder time turning your head, lessening your ability to see all that is around you.

As we get older our health changes and medications are needed to keep our bodies functioning properly. Elder drivers should be aware of medication side effects like drowsiness or lightheadedness which can affect your driving ability. This applies to all drivers not just the elderly.

Some states have special requirements when senior drivers renew their license. Some require a road test or a vision check so renewals can’t be done by mail or online.

As we reported in July on our Boston Car Accident Lawyers Blog, the state’s new law banning drivers from text messaging also includes a provision requiring drivers over the age of 75 to have their vision tested and to renew their license in person, rather than online.

Aging affects us all differently so there isn’t a way to determine when everyone should stop driving. But here are some clues that might suggest you put away those car keys for good.

-Are you having fender benders?

-Are you getting lost in previously familiar places?

-Are drivers blowing their horns at you?

-Do you find yourself drifting out of your lane?

-Have you been told by loved ones to stop driving?

-Are you worried about your own driving?

-Do you ever confuse the brake and the gas pedal?

-Do objects and people suddenly appear in front of you?
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