Articles Posted in Car Accidents

It is not something that we give a second thought to while riding in someone’s vehicle. In fact, most of us have probably done it at some time or the other. We are talking about reclining the passenger seat when you’re in a moving vehicle, for some quick shut eye. However, a recent study indicates that you have an increased risk of injury in an auto accident if you seat is reclining.

Trauma care doctors at the Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center studied a pattern of injuries in passengers who were in reclining seats during an auto accident. The researchers found that no matter which part of the country these accidents occurred, passengers who were in reclined seats were much more likely to suffer head injuries, spinal cord fractures, leg injuries and severe chest trauma. In fact, the study found that when the passenger was in a partially reclined seat, his fatality risk shot up by 15%, and if he was in a fully reclined seat, his fatality risk spiked by up to 70%.

Reclining seats have long been touted by auto makers as an affordable piece of luxury. However, not many passengers are aware that their risk of death in an auto accident increases dramatically, if they’re in a reclining seat at the time of the crash. Automakers have always known about these risks. That’s why most of them mention these risks in the car’s user manual. Unfortunately these warnings, when they do appear, are always in obscure fine print, the kind that hardly anyone bothers to read. That lack of warning is very disturbing to Atlanta accident lawyers, considering the dramatically diminished odds of surviving an accident if you’re in a reclining seat.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Association has just released a report that outlines the different steps states have taken to combat distracted driving and thereby prevent auto accidents. The report will be of special interest to persons injured in auto accidents and their lawyers because Georgia has just passed a law that bans text messaging while driving for all motorists.

The report titledCurbing Distracted Driving: 2010 State Safety Programs details the activities and programs undertaken by various states to deal with the problem of distracted driving causing accidents. Georgia ranks very well in certain sections of the report. The state has included distracted driving as part of its Highway Safety Plan. However, Georgia does not collect data about distracted driving-related auto accidents. The National Safety Council estimates that approximately 28% of all accidents nationwide are linked to distracted driving.With statistics like this, it’s about time that Georgia also began collecting data about distracted-driving related auto accidents.

The report also contained the results of a survey conducted in 2008 by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia focusing on teen motorists. The survey found that only 28 % of teen motorists believed that talking on the cell phone while driving makes a difference to driving safety.A significant number of motorists in the survey, 57%, said that they had seen their friends talking on the phone while driving a car. However, only 19% had witnessed a friend texting while driving.

There’s not much comfort to be had from the realization that people in other countries seem to be just as distracted behind the wheel as Americans are. The results of a survey released last week show that, across the world, motorists take the task of driving far too casually, and continue to indulge in activities that take their concentration away from the road.

The survey was conducted by Jabra, a unit of GN Netcom, and included respondents from Europe, North America and Asia. According to the survey:

· 28% motorists have sent or received text messages while driving (no surprises here)

Speeding by Female Teen Motorists Is a Dangerous Trend

A recent survey by insurer Allstate reveals some disturbing trends. A majority of female teen motorists in the survey admitted to driving at excessive speeds, texting while driving, driving aggressively and other dangerous behaviors.

According to the survey, approximately 46% of the girls admitted that they were likely to drive at excessive speeds. In comparison, just 36% of boys admitted to doing so. When it came to distracted driving, girls stole a march over boys again. More than half of the girls said that they frequently texted or talked on the phone while driving. In comparison, only about 38% of the boys in the survey admitted to doing so.

For highschoolers across America, graduation time is also when they receive their first car. It is a momentous occasion in the life of your child, and marks a major step towards adulthood. The decision of what car to buy for your teen, can be nerve-racking. As Atlanta car accident attorneys and parents, we know that this is not a decision that taken carelessly. It’s also not a decision taken under pressure from your teen.

Here is some advice for you as you decide to buy your teen a first car.

Don’t assume that the car your child wants, is the right car. Typically, boys prefer fast, high-performance sports cars. However, these vehicles may not be the best choice. Experts suggest that you buy a larger car for teen motorists. A larger midsize SUV or pickup truck is an ideal choice, because bigger vehicles have traditionally been found to protect their passengers better in an accident. There are technical reasons for this. You’re definitely safer if you’re sitting at a level higher from other fenders on the freeway.

How many highway fatalities are too many highway fatalities? That’s one question that has had auto safety advocates’ and Atlanta car accident lawyers’ attention ever since the NHTSA announced that highway fatalities in the US were at an all-time low.

While 33,960 fatalities in 2009 may seem like good news, there’s one group of transportation safety officials that doesn’t believe so. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is aiming for the ultimate highway accident fatality rate – zero. It is adopting an approach called Toward Zero Deaths. The program’s goal is to alter the most common driving behaviors that frequently cause accidents – drunk driving, distracted driving, speeding and failing to buckle up.

The group is finding much success in its efforts towards minimizing fatality rates even further. Auto safety groups are urging Congress to set a target of halving the highway fatality rate in the next two decades. In August, AASHTO and the Transportation Research Board will convene a meeting in Washington that will be attended by auto safety experts from around the country. Several states are engaged in encouraging initiatives aimed at further reducing fatality rates.

Georgia Has Best and Deadliest Roads in the US

A study published in Reader’s Digest magazine indicates dichotomies in Georgia’s road safety. The state’s roads are some of the best in the country indicated by their position at number 13 on the list. However oddly enough, Georgia’s roads are also mentioned as some of the deadliest in the country, placed at number 20 on a different list.

So, how could our roads be safe and a pleasure to drive on, and still be linked to an inordinate number of accidents and fatalities?

At least three people have been injured in an accident apparently caused by two cars street racing in DeKalb County.

The two cars set off a chain reaction accident on Interstate 285 that involved several vehicles. At least three people had to be taken to the hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. The two persons who were racing fled the scene of the accident.

Accidents involving speeding racing cars can result in serious injuries or fatalities. It’s extremely fortunate that the three people here survived this crash.

Killer Roads Report: Georgia Highways More Dangerous Because of Negligent Motorists

A report based on auto accident statistics by the Department of Transportation between 1994 and 2008 lists the most dangerous roads in the country by the number of fatalities that have occurred here. The top 20 is made up in a large part by cities in heavily populated states, like Texas and California.

According to the data, 23,640 people died on Georgia highways in auto accidents between 1994 and 2008.

Investigators looking into a fatal accident on Interstate 20 believe that bad weather could have been a factor in this crash. The victim, the mother of an 11-month-old infant, had been involved in a minor collision with another motorist. Both women were standing outside their cars when they were hit by a tow truck. The victim sustained serious injuries, and died at the scene of the crash. Investigators now believe that rainy weather could have been a factor in the accident.

With all the weather prediction technologies at our disposal and the precision of meteorological updates, it’s appalling that we continue to see weather-related accidents in Atlanta. We enjoy sunny weather for too much of the year, and the climate can be monotonously predictable, perhaps lulling motorists into complacency. The result is that several motorists and truckers continue to drive as they usually do, even during inclement weather.

Lack of experience with certain weather conditions can be no excuse to drive carelessly. As Atlanta auto accident lawyers, we find it frustrating to read about an increase in auto accidents when the weather gets icy, or when there are sudden showers. Part of your duty as a motorist is to drive not just taking into consideration the road and traffic conditions, but also weather conditions. It’s pure common sense that you need to drive more carefully during storms, strong winds, rains and icy weather conditions.