Georgia Injury Law Blog
Every year, over 36,000 people are killed in motor vehicle accidents on our nation’s roadways. On top of that, 3 million people are injured every year as a result of a car crash. Lawmakers are introducing a system approach to help reduce these injury statistics. A set of 4 new bills that have been introduced in the US Congress tackle serious problems facing American motorists, and cover a range of subjects including auto safety and distracted driving.
The set of bills has been introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat-Connecticut) and Senator Edward Markey (Democrat -Massachusetts) who both sit on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. All 4 bills are specifically focused on improvements in traffic safety strategies and infrastructure. The bills cover issues that significantly impact the safety of Georgia motorists, including distracted driving, the speed with which auto recalls are initiated in the United States as well as the safety and stability of car technology.
The first bill aims to understand more about the problems of distracted driving and solutions that can help resolve this menace. The bill is called the Stay Aware For Everyone Act, or the SAFE Act, and it will require the Department of Transportation to conduct studies into how auto technologies like driver monitoring technology can reduce the incidence of distracted driving by reducing driver distractions. The bill requires the DOT to specifically study driver disengagement as well as the possible irresponsible use of auto technology that could cause distractions.
The second bill in the set is the Modernizing Seat Back Safety Act, which will require the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to review and update current standards for the integrity and stability of seat backs in automobiles. Those standards have remained neglected over the past 5 decades, and this is something that the bill is targeting to fix.
The 3rd bill in the set is called the Early Warning Reporting Systems Improvement Act that would require auto manufacturers to provide updated information about all incidents and fatalities involving their automobiles to the public. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be required to provide the information that it receives from the auto manufacturers to the public in a simple and easy format in order to ensure that motorists are able to take decisions about their own safety themselves.
The last bill tackles an important problem that regularly affects Georgia motorists – the speed of auto recalls. The bill is called the Promoting Auto Recalls Towards Safety Act, and it requires the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to provide the states with grants that they can use for notifying or informing car owners about auto safety recalls issued by manufacturers. The goal is to increase the speed with which recalls are initiated, so that motorists are protected from potential defects, before these have a chance to impact safety.
All four bills will have a direct impact on the safety of Atlanta motorists, and have been endorsed by several organizations including Consumer Reports, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, and National Safety Council.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a traffic accident, call an Atlanta car accident attorney at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers, and determine your legal options for a claim for damages. You may be eligible for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.