Car Accidents

Published on: February 12, 2024

Most Light Vehicles Now Come with Crucial Auto Accident Prevention Technology

All manufacturers of light vehicles who signed a 2016 agreement have fulfilled the commitment they made to equip their vehicles with crucial auto emergency braking systems to prevent car accidents.

The 2016 agreement was brought about by the efforts of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Twenty automakers participated in the agreement in which they agreed to substantially increase the number of manufactured vehicles equipped with automatic emergency braking systems. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, between August and September 2023, additional automakers fulfilled their pledge of installing auto emergency braking systems on 95% of their light vehicles. With this, all 20 automakers that signed the agreement are in fulfilment of their commitment.

This means that a majority of the light vehicles that weigh less than 8,500 pounds on our roads will be equipped with this crucial car accident prevention technology. Some auto manufacturers, including Honda, now have close to 100% of their light vehicles equipped with auto emergency braking systems while other manufacturers have at least 95% of their light vehicles equipped with these car accident prevention systems.

Published on: February 6, 2024

Spinal Injury can Cause Muscle Wastage in Patients

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A spinal cord injury can result in loss of muscle to a larger extent than can be attributed to lack of movement and mobility. A new study points to one of the lesser known, but longer term consequences of a spinal cord injury after an auto accident.

A spinal cord injury is a serious personal injury that is caused when there is an injury to the spine during an auto accident, or motorcycle accident or pedestrian accident. Spinal cord injuries may also be caused in slip and fall accidents. The degree and severity of the spinal cord injury can depend on the location of the vertebrae where the injury occurs. Spinal cord injuries can result in loss of movement and mobility making it impossible for the person to stand, walk and otherwise use his or her limbs. These personal injuries significantly alter a person’s life and his ability to earn a living and live a normal life after the personal injury.

A new study finds that there are long term consequences of a spinal injury that we may not be aware of. The study recently found that a spinal cord injury can cause significant muscle wastage in patients. Some degree of muscle wastage in patients who have suffered a spinal cord injury is to be expected because of the lack of movement and exercise that can cause muscles to wither away. According to the study, however, the kind of muscle wastage that a person with these injuries suffers cannot simply be explained away by lack of movement. In fact, the researchers believe that it has more to do with the ability of the adrenal glands to receive nerve signals.

Published on: January 29, 2024

Drunk Driving Car Accident Prevention Technology May soon Be Standard in all Cars

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The federal administration has kickstarted the rule-making process that would require drunk driving car accident prevention technology on all new cars.

This welcome announcement was made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which recently announced that it has started work on the rule- making process that would require impaired driving prevention systems on all new cars. These systems that work to prevent drivers from operating a vehicle include technology that measures the amount of alcohol on a person’s breath and prevents him from operating the engine if it detects a certain amount of alcohol in his system. This technology is very similar to the ignition interlock systems that are currently used in several states, including Georgia, as penalties for repeat drunk driving offenders. Other technologies that will be reviewed include camera systems that can monitor eye movements in order to identify if a driver is impaired or driving under the influence of alcohol.

At this point, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initiative would allow regulators to collect data about the various systems that are currently in place in automobiles and their impact in reducing the incidence of driving under the influence of alcohol. If things reach their preferred conclusion, we could have drunk driving auto accident prevention sensors, cameras or other systems in all new cars as a standard feature. There is no doubt that this could significantly help reduce the number of car accidents caused by impaired drivers.

Published on: January 25, 2024

The Impact of Automated Enforcement on Minimizing Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The use of automated enforcement like red light camera systems can be a sensitive and touchy subject for most Atlanteans, but as federal administration officials focus harder on preventing auto accident wrongful deaths and serious personal injuries, the presence of such systems on American roads is only likely to increase.

A recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association and State Farm focused on the various types of automated enforcement systems that are currently in place on American roads, effectiveness of these systems and the sensitivities involved in the implementation of these systems. The most common automated enforcement technologies currently on our roads include red light camera systems, speed camera systems and school bus stop arm camera systems. Some jurisdictions have also begun preliminary experimentation with cameras to identify when people are driving without seatbelts and when motorists are using cell phones while driving.

The need for automotive enforcement, especially speed camera systems, has become even more dire over the past few years as speeding rates across the country have skyrocketed. The number of people being killed in car accidents directly related to speeding has also increased. Law enforcement departments across the country have been struggling with reduced staffing, and that has meant departments looking more and more towards the use of automation to help with enforcement.

Published on: January 23, 2024

Brain Implant Helps Car Accident Victims Recover Cognitive Abilities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

One of the most devastating consequences of a brain injury after a car accident is the effect on a person’s cognitive abilities. A new study finds that a brain stimulator device can help a person recover these critical abilities after a personal injury.

The findings of the study were published in a recent issue of the Nature Medicine journal. The researchers implanted the stimulators in the brains of persons who had suffered brain injuries as a result of trauma. The implants were left on for about 12 hours a day and the participants spent 3 months with the implants.

The research by scientists at Stanford University found that the implantation of the deep brain stimulator helped trigger electric activity in brain neurons that had been left damaged after trauma. While the researchers were hoping for a 10% increase in mental processing as a result of the implantation of the device, they were surprised to find that the improvement was as high as 32% in the patients. What is even more promising is that the device can help with impairments that have occurred as a result of old brain injuries. According to the scientists, the device offers great hope to persons who have suffered injuries that have left them with memory loss and poor thinking skills.

Published on: January 19, 2024

Why Night Shift Work can Increase Car Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Sleep experts have always known that night shift workers are at a higher risk of being involved in a car accident. A new study finds even more conclusive proof that night shift workers are at risk of a number of sleep disorders that can increase their risks of being involved in a car crash.

The study was conducted in the Netherlands where Dutch researchers found that out of all the patients involved in the study, more than 51% suffered from at least one sleep disorder. The researchers focused on more than 37,000 workers who were questioned about their work patterns and sleeping habits. The researchers screened participants for 6 common sleep disorders including insomnia, hypersomnia or excessive sleeping, sleep apnea and other sleep – related breathing disorders, sleep walking, sleep – related movement disorders and sleep – wake disturbances. They found that 51% or at least one third of the participants suffered from at least one sleep disorder and 13% of all participants suffered from at least two of the sleep disorders for which they were screened.

Among those who did night shifts, whether regular night shifts or rotational night shifts, 26% reported at least two or more sleep disorders. Consistent and regular night shifts seemed to be the most dangerous for workers with many of these workers reporting lower than optimum hours of sleep. About 50 percent of the workers who were on night shifts reported that they often slept for less than 6 hours a day. The ideal sleep duration for an adult is 8 hours everyday.

Published on: January 15, 2024

Experts Recommend In-Vehicle Speed Limiters to Prevent Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A coalition of stakeholders is recommending that vehicles come equipped with speed limiters that would help motorists drive at safe speeds and reduce the number of auto accidents caused by speeding.

The Road to Zero Coalition is a group of stakeholders including automakers, regulators, safety experts and other organizations that are committed to not just envisioning, but also bringing about a scenario with minimal car accident wrongful deaths by the year 2050. Progress towards reducing the number of car accidents has been slow, and has, in fact, reversed over the past few years as fatality numbers have soared across the country. The situation became even more dire during the pandemic as the number of car accident wrongful deaths across the country skyrocketed during this period of time. Speeding is being blamed as one of the primary reasons for the increase in car accident deaths not only in Georgia, but across the country. Experts believe that motorists who became use to speeding on empty roads during the lockdowns have not yet adjusted to larger traffic volumes following the end of the pandemic and easing of travel restrictions. This has contributed to a spike in the number of people being killed in car accidents.

These car accident wrongful deaths are very preventable because they are mostly due to human error. Speeding, for instance, accounts for approximately 30% of all car accident deaths in the country. Curtailing speeding, therefore, is on top of the priority list for the Road to Zero coalition which recently called for the use of Intelligent Speed Assistance systems on all cars. These systems can alert the motorist when he or she is travelling at speeds higher than the posted speed limits. The system makes use of GPS software and other technology in order to identify the posted speed limits on the route and sound audible alerts if the driver does not apply the brakes. In some cases, the system can even intervene to reduce speed limits automatically by reducing power to the engine in case the motorist fails to act by applying the brakes.

Published on: January 11, 2024

Multiple Car Accident Deaths Reported Across Georgia over Thanksgiving

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

First responders attended to multiple victims of car accidents across Georgia over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Across Georgia and the country, law enforcement authorities were reporting record volumes of traffic. More than 55 million Americans are reported to have travelled over the holiday weekend. Unfortunately, as is often the case, large volumes of traffic make for greater numbers of auto accidents. In Georgia, the scene was no better as more than 23 accident fatalities were confirmed over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This year, the holiday weekend stretched from 6:00 pm on Wednesday to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.

Apart from the 23 wrongful deaths, numerous other persons are reported to have suffered personal injuries in these car accidents. At least one busy interstate had to be shut down for 7 hours after a car accident involving an 18 -wheeler and an SUV. At least five out of the 23 fatalities occurred in a single car accident.

Published on: January 4, 2024

Is it Time to End Right on Red Laws to Prevent Pedestrian Accidents?

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A decades-old law that was meant to manage fuel shortages is coming under the spotlight in states like Georgia, as experts consider ways to reduce the number of pedestrian accidents around the country.

The so-called “right- on-red” law allows motorists in Georgia and several other states to make a right turn at an intersection even if the light is on red as long as the intersection is clear. The law provides American motorists with a unique privilege, and comes as a result of a law that was passed in the 1970s as the country grappled with fuel shortages. That was when an oil embargo pushed oil prices to record levels, necessitating the passing of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. Some other states had passed similar right to turn laws a few decades earlier.

The laws continued to remain in place even after the oil embargo ended and fuel prices returned to normal. It is a privilege that American motorists now do not even think twice about, and it is only now in the face of skyrocketing pedestrian accident deaths that experts are asking if it is time to retire a law that is possibly at least partly responsible for the increasing number of people being killed in pedestrian accidents, especially at intersections.

Published on: December 27, 2023

Teens at High Risk of Drowsy Driving Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Young drivers below the age of 21 may be at a high risk of driving while fatigued or drowsy, increasing their risks of being involved in a car accident. Those findings come from a new study by the National Sleep Foundation.

The National Sleep Foundation recently released the results of a new study that specifically focused on the effects of drowsy driving on teenage drivers. The findings of the study were released in time to coincide with Drowsy Driving Awareness Week in November.

According to the National Foundation study, drowsy driving is linked to as many as 20% of all fatal car accidents in the United States and another 13% of all car accidents resulting in personal injuries. As many as 16% of teenage drivers admit to having operated a motor vehicle while drowsy or sleepy at least once. That makes it at least 1 in 16 drivers or 1.7 million teenagers who have operated a car when they were so sleepy that they could barely keep their eyes open. As many as 400,000 teenagers admitted to having operated a motor vehicle while drowsy at least once a week. That makes it a higher percentage of drowsy teenage drivers on our roads compared to drowsy adults.