Car Accidents

Published on: January 9, 2022

Latest Crash Tests Underscore Role of Rear Seatbelts in Preventing Car Accident Personal Injuries

New crash tests clearly highlight the importance of rear seat belts in preventing serious personal injuries in car accidents. The results of these tests are likely to spur efforts towards keeping back seat passengers safe in auto accidents.

Safety experts at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released the results of new tests specifically focused on the role of seatbelts in preventing personal injuries to passengers riding in the back. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety was specifically looking at whether seatbelt technologies that have been shown to have excellent personal injury protection capabilities for front seat passengers and drivers, can also perform equally well in protecting rear seat passengers. The crash tests resulted in a new set of ratings for rear seatbelts, and this is the first time that ratings for rear seat belts have been released in the US.

These ratings will guide manufacturers as they design better automobiles that protect not just motorists and front seat passengers, but also passengers at risk at the back. The push towards increasing safety for back seat passengers received a further boost this year with Uber announcing that its app will soon require back seat passengers to buckle in as soon as they get in the car.

Published on: January 4, 2022

In-Car Technology, Objects Major Factor in Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New cars have an increasing array of gadgets and accessories. Although some may be designed to help keep a driver safe, in-car technology and objects inside the car may actually be much more likely to distract motorists than objects outside the car.

These new findings are part of recent research into distractions affecting motorists and their impact on safe driving. The study was published in Accident Analysis and Prevention Journal and focused on the types of distractions that motorists are most prone to, as well as the impact of distractions on different types of motorists, including teen as well as senior drivers.

The study found that in-car objects and technology as well as cell phones were a major distraction for motorists. External scenes were also a distraction to a certain extent. Teens and adult drivers were much more likely to be distracted by technology, other passengers as well as other types of distractions, compared to senior drivers. However, senior drivers seemed to suffer a greater impact from distractions. Older drivers may begin to suffer from slower reflexes and delayed response times as they age, and the impact of these can be exacerbated when the senior driver is also distracted by his cell phone or other technology. Both females as well as males were prone to distractions.

Published on: December 31, 2021

Most Drunk Drivers Wrongly Believe they are Fit to Drive

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It is well known that alcohol impairs a person’s judgment and reflexive abilities which is why someone who has been drinking should not be behind a wheel. However, most motorists underestimate exactly how drunk they are and almost always mistakenly believe that they are fit to drive. Not surprisingly, a new study finds that self-monitoring and self-evaluation of drunkenness may not help prevent accidents involving drunk motorists.

The study was conducted in Germany which has a legal blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.05. The researchers found in their study that more than 50% of the participants believed that they were fit to drive even though they had a blood alcohol concentration limit that was higher than the maximum legal limit. There were ninety participants in the study, and the average age of the participants was 24. As part of the study, the participants were made to drink alcoholic beverages until their blood alcohol concentration level reached 0.11% or more than twice the legal limit in that country. The study was conducted over a period of two days.

The researchers found that as many as 39% of the participants believed that they had just reached the intoxication limit when they had crossed the limit. On the second day, 53% of the participants believed that they had just reached the legal limit when they had actually surpassed it. This shows that individual ability to determine drunkenness cannot be taken as a confirmation of a person’s ability to drive safely. Self evaluation of driving ability can be extremely prejudiced, and drivers can be prone to making errors in determining their own ability to drive safely.

Published on: December 24, 2021

Stronger Driver’s License and Child Safety Laws Could Further Reduce Accident Fatalities in Georgia

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A leading non-profit traffic safety advocacy group says that Georgia could do a much better job of protecting motorists and other people on our roads and preventing accidents by implementing key changes to the existing laws.

According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a non-profit organization, 1,491 persons were killed in traffic accidents on Georgia roads in 2019. Around 13,525 people were killed in traffic accidents in the state over a decade-long period. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in its Roadmap for State Highway Safety Laws report says that the total cost of traffic accidents in Georgia has been more than 10 billion dollars. The 2021 roadmaps report identifies the areas in which Georgia has succeeded in keeping motorists safe, and suggests areas of improvement that could further help reduce accident and fatality rates in the state.

The report is very appreciative of Georgia’s seat belt laws that allow for primary enforcement. Primary enforcement means that a police officer can pull a motorist over and cite him for failure to wear a seatbelt even if he does not notice any other violations. However, the primary enforcement law applies to motorists and front seat passengers only, and not to rear seat passengers. The report recommends that Georgia implement primary enforcement seat belt laws even for back seat passengers. Georgia’s motorcycle helmet laws that apply to all riders as well as the state’s booster seat were commended, however the report recommended mandating children remain in rear facing booster seats until the age of two.

Published on: December 20, 2021

Georgia Highways to Benefit from Infrastructure Bill

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Transportation safety advocates have been hailing the infrastructure bill that allocates billions in spending on upgrading infrastructure. Georgia could be an especially lucky beneficiary of that funding.

The infrastructure bill recently signed by President Joe Biden will earmark a staggering $1 trillion for infrastructure funding across the country. Billions of dollars of those funds are on their way to Georgia where many bridges, roads, and highways will benefit from upgrades and repairs. The state has several bridges and highways that have been deemed dangerous or in “poor” condition by experts. At least 374 bridges in the state are “structurally deficient.” Additionally, more than 2, 000 miles of roads across Georgia are categorized as “poor.” These roads and bridges will benefit from the funding and receive necessary repairs from pot holes, to crumbling pavement and unstable foundations.

Close to 9 billion dollars in funding will be directed to defective highways and roads in the state. An additional $225 million will be allocated for conducting repairs to bridges. Roads in the metro Atlanta region are likely to benefit from repairs as a result of the funding. Mass transit in Georgia will also benefit as a result of the funds. The bill includes more than 1.4 billion dollars to be spent over the next five years on public transport systems in Georgia. Efforts to expand public transportation have long been attempted in the Atlanta area. The additional funding may help get overdue improvements finally implemented. Expansion of mass transit and public transport services will ease congestion in the metro Atlanta region and other areas, and make the roads safer for all commuters to use. Mass transit is safer and more convenient than driving for many Atlanta residents, and expansion will definitely be welcome

Published on: December 9, 2021

Call to Scrap Daylight Savings Time for Role in Causing Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Daylight savings time has ended in Georgia which has many people bemoaning about the shorter days. However, researchers have found that the darker morning hours during the daylight savings period may actually do more harm than good, especially for people on the road. Debates are rising about the effectiveness of this measure in keeping people rested and safe.

In Georgia, daylight savings time kicked off on March 14, 2021 and ended on November 7, 2021. Most states that have the measure in place are no longer on daylight savings time as of the last week of November. Debates are now rising about the need for daylight savings time in the first place.

The Department of Transportation says that daylight savings time helps reduce the risk of traffic accidents, and has a number of other benefits including the prevention of crime. Not all experts agree, however. There is concern that daylight savings time which results in the elimination of an extra hour of sleep for many Georgians simply increases their risk of drowsiness and fatigue. Both of these are factors that are very often cited in car crashes.

Published on: December 4, 2021

Technology Can help Protect Senior Drivers in Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Cars have become more and more technologically advanced each new year. While some drivers may find these new technologies difficult to navigate, learning how to use them may help prevent a serious accident and even a fatality. Certain types of auto technologies may be especially beneficial in helping protect senior motorists and passengers from serious injuries in an accident.

Auto safety technology like lane departure warning systems and forward collision warning systems that are available on many of the latest automobiles have been proven to be very effective in helping reduce accident and injury rates. From side airbags and back view cameras to newer seat belt systems in your car, technology works to protect both motorists and passengers against the risk of serious injuries in an accident.

Auto safety technologies may be even more beneficial in protecting senior passengers and motorists. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, studies have shown that side airbags that offer not just frontal but also head and torso protection may be even more beneficial in older drivers and passengers than younger drivers. The risk of an accident-related fatality for front seat passengers above the age of 70 dropped by 45 percent, compared to a rate of 30 percent for younger drivers, indicating that older passengers and motorists may especially benefit from these systems.

Published on: November 12, 2021

The Road Safety Threat Regulators, Auto Companies Ignore

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

There is a silent killer on our streets, and unfortunately, it receives very little attention. Speeding–related accident deaths in the United States are on the increase and fast rising. This is in sharp contrast to other countries in the European Union, for instance, where speeding-related traffic fatality rates have actually been falling.

There has been plenty of discussion about the increase in traffic accident fatalities in this country in 2020, in spite of the fact that there were fewer vehicle miles travelled that year. There is a long history in this nation of attempts to curb speeding, but it took the pandemic to bring speeding to the forefront of the national traffic safety discourse. Most developed countries, including those in the European Union, have actually seen their traffic accident fatality rates drop significantly in recent years, and they have their regulations against speeding to thank for it. In the United States, the exact opposite has happened, and we can look to the changes in how regulators in the United States view speeding to understand the reasons for this.

The European Union and the United Kingdom have mandated that by the year 2022, all new automobiles sold in these countries must come with speed limiters. The mandate also requires that cars come with intelligent speed assistance technology which restricts the speed of a car based on existing GPS data and external speed limit signs, by 2024. Drivers can override the technology if they choose to. However, the mandate requires that the data be stored in black box data recorders that can then be investigated in the event of an accident. Regulators in these countries believe that these rules will lead to a reduction in traffic accident fatalities by as much as 20%.

Published on: November 4, 2021

Vision Zero, Other Initiatives Push Zero Accident Fatality for the Future

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It’s been heartening to see a stronger emphasis on minimizing traffic accident fatalities, not just by auto safety organizations, but also by lawmakers. In recent weeks, a number of non-profit advocacy organizations have come together to support advocacy efforts as well as initiatives by lawmakers to minimize the number of Americans killed in traffic accidents.

Advocacy organizations like the Governor’s Highway Safety Association and Advocates for Highway and Highway Safety have spent months calling attention to the higher numbers of accident fatalities that occurred last year in spite of a 10% drop in the number of vehicle miles travelled. Those statistics indicate that we have a very serious problem with traffic safety in the United States. For one thing, too many U.S. cities are designed to make it easier to drive rather than walk or bike. Our transportation system, unfortunately, makes it easier to get from point A to point B using a car, as opposed to using mass transit or walking. Those are unacceptable realities, and simply add to the problem of our congested streets.

For our streets to be less congested and safer, we need to add bicycling and walking safely to the list of viable transport options. Safety advocates are calling for the installation of more dedicated and exclusive bicycle lanes in metropolitan areas, including the metro Atlanta region. Exclusive bike lanes are lanes that are meant solely for the use of bicyclists, and are separated from car lanes by a physical barrier that prevents them from coming into direct contact with cars. Experts at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute say that for bicycle lanes to be considered safe, they must be separated from car lanes by more than a slap of paint. Our roads need to be designed with the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in mind. An overwhelming majority of metropolitan areas in the country are not designed to make it safer to bike or walk compared to drive.

Published on: October 31, 2021

NTSB Chief Calls for Focus on Overall Approach to Reducing Traffic Fatalities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The head of the National Transportation Safety Board says that focusing only on individual driver behavior or actions may not be sufficient to helping reduce the number of people killed in traffic accidents in Georgia and across the United States every year. She instead is calling for an approach that takes into account all of the different factors that contribute to the various driver behaviors resulting in accidents.

The National Transportation Safety Board is primarily an investigative authority which conducts investigations into air, road, land, and water accidents that involve mass fatalities or casualties. The Board advises or provides recommendations based on those investigations, and is not a regulatory authority. It cannot pass regulations based on its own recommendations. However, the Board’s recommendations are taken very seriously by state administrations, especially those that are looking at making their roads safer.

Jennifer Homendy, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board, was speaking in remarks to a conference of the Governors Highway Safety Association, and says that an overall approach to increasing traffic safety must take into consideration the fact that so many states have enforced higher speed limits than recommended. Speeding, for instance, continues to be a major killer on American roads, and we must evaluate whether the systems in place to date actually encourages drivers to speed. She points to states that have prohibited local authorities from setting their own lower speed limits for motorists. She also points to the responsibility of manufacturers who frequently design automobiles that are made to travel at more than 100 mph, or sell cars that have no installed speed limiters to prevent excessive speeds. Road design that encourages speeding could be just as much to blame as individuals who take advantage of these roads that are built for excessive speeds.