Car Accidents

Published on: September 7, 2015

Alcohol and Holiday Travel Don’t Mix

You know who doesn’t take the day off for Labor Day? The police! As a matter of fact, law enforcement departments across the country have announced they’re cracking down on careless driving and DUIs this weekend like never before.

There’s good reason for that.

Labor Day is the second deadliest holiday in America. (Only Thanksgiving claims more lives.) Each year, this single weekend sees tens of thousands of arrests on the highways, and the overwhelming majority of them are for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Published on: August 23, 2015

Feds Warn of Hacking, Safety Risks Involving Self-Driven Cars

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The hype over self-driven cars continues to increase, even as the federal officials warn that automakers must innovate while keeping in mind concerns involving privacy and hacking.

Hackers recently proved that they were capable of hacking a car remotely, and operating it. In a daring stunt, they managed to seize control of a Jeep Cherokee, and operated it from the comfort of their living room. Cyber security concerns are even higher in the case of self-driven cars that are very vulnerable to such malicious practices. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) chief recently said that issues like privacy and hacking must be priorities, as automakers innovate further in the development of cars that will drive themselves.

NHTSA has assured the auto industry that it will share some of the vehicle-to-vehicle technology that self-driven cars would be based on. The government also wants a number of parties including software developers and telecommunications companies to work together to find solutions to cyber security threats and privacy breaches in these cars. The agency wants the auto industry to take safety lessons from the airline industry.

Published on: July 26, 2015

Simulation Shows Teen Drivers Have Higher Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Even after a teenage driver has acquired a license, his or her driving skills may continue to be below that of older drivers.A recent study put a number of teenage motorists who had acquired a full license through a simulated driving test, and found that many of the teen drivers crashed in the task.

The teenagers went through the 35-minute driving assessment which included replications of the most common accident scenarios.Approximately four out of every 10 newly licensed drivers crashed in the test, and according to researchers, this suggests that they lacked the critical driving skills that they needed to stay safe while driving in a real-world environment.Data also showed that approximately 29% of the adult drivers crashed in the test, while among teen drivers, the crash rate was more than 49%.

This suggests that even after they obtain a full license, most teen motorists lack the critical driving abilities required to stay safe on the roads. Teenagers who had just obtained a license, the researchers found, were good at the basics, but lacked the ability to identify accident cues in their environment, and react immediately to such hazards. That placed them and their passengers at a high risk of being involved in a motor vehicle collision.

Published on: July 4, 2015

Drunk Driver Warning for Fourth of July

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Independence Day is the holiday highlight of the summer, but it’s also the deadliest weekend of the year where traffic accidents are concerned.

So before the parades roll out, the cymbals clash, and sparklers light the sky, we want to issue an important word of warning to all our clients, neighbors, and friends in the community: people will be driving under the influence of alcohol this weekend.

Each year, DUI ranks as the #1 cause of death for travelers during the Fourth of July. These are preventable deaths caused by the careless decisions of revelers who take the party too far. You don’t have to be one of their victims.

Published on: June 23, 2015

Defective Takata Airbags Now Linked to 105 Injuries, Six Deaths

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A committee that is currently investigating car recalls linked to defective Takata airbags says that the Japanese auto parts supplier recently decided to update recall information. The updated toll from the airbags defect is now 105 injuries and 6 fatalities.

The earlier toll was 64 injuries and five fatalities linked to the malfunctioning airbag. However, since then, Takata has apparently identified at least 40 more incidents of malfunctioning airbags resulting in serious injuries, including one that resulted in at least one death.

The defect causes the airbags to shoot off potentially dangerous fragments that can seriously injure occupants in the vehicle. Occupants are at risk of serious injuries, including eye injuries, facial injuries and other injuries as a result of being hit in the face by these pieces of shrapnel.

Published on: June 15, 2015

Tire Care Critical to 15-Passenger Van Safety

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

All motorists need to pay attention to tire safety. However, in the case of 15- passenger vans, the need to take precautions to prevent tire failures and blowouts is even more severe. That’s because these vans are very likely to be involved in a potentially fatal rollover during a tire blowout.

The design of the 15-passenger van makes it much more susceptible to a rollover. These vehicles have a higher center of gravity that places them at a higher risk of flipping over during an accident. According to some statistics, 15-passenger vans with between 10 and 15 occupants on board are approximately 3 times more likely to be in a rollover accident than vans that have a maximum of five occupants. The design which is longer and taller places these vehicles at a high risk of a rollover.

When you take a van that already has these design deficiencies, and add bad tires to the mix, the consequences can be disastrous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is specifically calling on owners of these vans to pay special attention to tire safety this summer. These vans are typically used very heavily during summer by church groups, sporting clubs, youth groups, summer camp operators, and other organizations for trips.

Published on: June 8, 2015

Georgia Motorcycle Accident, Fatality and Injury Data for 2013

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

According to recently released statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there was a significant 6% drop in the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents across the country in 2013.There was also a perceptible drop in the number of people injured in these accidents.

Data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds a total of 4,668 motorcyclist fatalities in accidents in 2013. That was a drop from 4,986 fatalities the previous year. There were 88,000 motorcycle injuries reported in 2013, which was a 5% drop from the 93,000 motorcyclist injuries recorded the previous year. In Georgia, there were 116 motorcycle accident fatalities in 2013.

The data also seems to prove the effectiveness of motorcycle helmets in saving lives in accidents. In 2013, helmets helped more than 1,000 motorcyclists get home safely. However, if all motorcyclists involved in accidents that year had been helmeted, at least 750 deaths could have been prevented. According to the data, helmets are approximately 37% effective in helping reduce the risk of fatality to motorcycle riders, and 41% effective in preventing deaths of motorcycle passengers.

Published on: May 25, 2015

Georgia Records Drop in Pedestrian Accident Fatalities in 2014

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Georgia looks set to record a decline in pedestrian fatalities in 2014. During the first six months of 2014, those numbers dropped to 50 pedestrian fatalities, from 76 fatalities during the same period of time in 2013.

The statistics were released by the Governors Highway Safety Association, which presented its pedestrian fatality data for 2014. The report has certain interesting findings.For example, it shows that pedestrian fatalities are now much more likely to occur in urban areas.Back in 1975, approximately 59% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in urban areas, and that number increased to 73% by 2013.

One statistic has remained consistent since 1975. Males account for approximately 70% of all fatalities.

Published on: May 17, 2015

Distracted Driving Statistics

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It has been called the drunk driving of this generation, and for a valid reason. The number of people killed in accidents related directly to distracted driving is increasing, and there is a vast body of research to prove it.

Teens and Distracted Driving

According to statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10% of all motorists below the age of 20 involved in fatal accidents were reportedly distracted at the time. In fact, the under 20 age group is a high-risk category for distracted driving. Teenagers are heavy consumers of social media and smart phone technology, a deadly combination that increases the potential that they are glued to their devices while at the wheel.

Published on: March 20, 2015

Alcohol, Pot Involved in Half of All Accidents Involving Teens, Young Adults

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Alcohol and drugs are a leading cause of death involving persons in the 18-25 age group in the United States. However, a new study indicates that alcohol and drug use may be much more prominent factors in car accidents involving teenagers and young adult motorists.

According to a new study, 50% of all deaths involving teenagers and young adults in car accidents involve the use of alcohol or marijuana. In fact, researchers who conducted the study expressed concerns that the growing wave of legalization of marijuana around the country could spell disaster for young motorist safety. These motorists are already at a higher risk of alcohol use, drug use, and other kinds of dangerous driving practices. The researchers speculate that the increasing availability of marijuana and easing of restrictions on the use of pot have not had any effect on the popularity of alcohol among these drivers.

The study found that accident victims above the age of 21 were much more likely than younger victims to be driving with a combination of marijuana and alcohol in their system. About 50.3%, of young motorists who died were either stoned or drunk at the time of their accidents. In total, 37% of the motorists tested positive for alcohol at the time of their deaths, while 5.9% tested positive for marijuana. In 7.6% of the cases, the motorists had both alcohol and marijuana in their system.