“Click it or Ticket” Seat Belt Laws Reduce Auto Accident Injury, Death Rates

Next week kicks off the national “Click it or Ticket” campaign, designed to raise awareness about the importance of seat belts, as police make an increased effort to be on the lookout for drivers that are not buckling up. Read more

Auto Accident Head Trauma Risks for Teen Drivers

A new study by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance indicates that auto accidents cause more fatal head injuries for teens than any other types of events.

According to the report, “Miles to go: Monitoring Progress in Teen Driver Safety”, substantial progress is being made to reduce the risks associated with car accidents involving teen drivers. However, injuries sustained in accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for teens, with traumatic brain injuries and skull fractures following car crashes accounting for about 30% of the 55,000 serious injuries that occurred in 2009 and 2010.

Researchers determined that states with the most stringent driving laws had lower numbers of children who died in car crashes. States with loose driving laws had significantly more teen car accident deaths. Those laws often require the teen to have at least 50 hours of adult-supervised driving experience, limits the number of passengers a teen driver can carry, requires seat belt use and restricts the amount of driving that can be done at night.

The report also found that teens were more likely to adhere to seat belt laws in states with the strictest driving rules.

Overall, researchers saw improvements in teen driving safety over the last several years. From 2005 to 2010 the death rate among teen drivers dropped 46 percent, according to the report.

Should Older Drivers Be Required to Obtain Physician Screenings?

As the “baby boom” generation grows older, there are an increasing number of senior citizens on the road, and some doctors are suggesting that older drivers should be required to establish that they are medically fit to drive, in an effort to reduce the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening injuries from auto accidents. Read more

Auto Accident Deaths Spike on Tax Day

According to new research, drivers should be careful on Monday, as tax day is consistently the deadliest day of the year on roads throughout the United States, with more auto accident deaths than any other comparable day.

The study was published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), indicating that there was an average of 13 more road fatalities annually on the day income taxes are due in the United States than on any other day.

Researchers collected crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on tax day from 1980 to 2009.

They found a six percent spike in road fatalities that affected drivers, passengers and pedestrians. On a normal day around the same time of year, there were an average of 213 fatal crashes. However, on tax day the average rose to 226.

Although the data does not provide causes, the researchers speculate that the increase is a combination of the increased number of people on the road trying to file at the last minute, many of whom are stressed out. Some of that stress comes from waiting until the last minute, but in other cases it is possibly because tax filers waited until the last minute because they owe, often for the first time, and are worried about their tax situation.

The stress leads to distracted drivers, which leads to auto accidents which sometimes turn fatal, researchers said. While the study focused on fatal crashes, the researchers noted that they saw an increase in non-fatal accidents as well.

Although April 15 is typically tax day, this year tax day falls on April 17th due to the weekend, so be careful. While it is probably too late for advice like “file earlier”, hopefully with the increasing number of electronic filings, this increased risk of auto accidents on tax day will disappear in future years.

15 Passenger Van Rollover Risk Highlighted in NHTSA Safety Tips

Federal traffic safety officials have released a consumer advisory, providing a list of safety tips for those operating 15-passenger vans, which have been found to carry a particular risk for rollover accidents that can have tragic consequences. Read more

Maryland Accident Insurance Policy Limits Information

According to a new Maryland law that took effect October 1, insurance companies can now be required to disclose the policy limits of coverage provided as a result of a Maryland automobile accident prior to a lawsuit being filed. However, there are specific steps that a Maryland lawyer must take to obtain this policy limits information. Read more

Maryland Pedestrian Accidents:
Dangers of Texting and Mobile Phone Use

A new study suggests that using your iPhone, Droid or other mobile phone to listen to music or send out text messages while crossing the street may increase the risk of getting hit by a car and suffering a serious injury from a Maryland pedestrian accident. Read more

Police Making Effort to Reduce Maryland Auto Accident Injuries in August

Maryland law enforcement agencies are stepping up traffic enforcement patrols until Labor Day, from increased sobriety checkpoints to more aggressive enforcement of seat belt use. The additional efforts are being made in an attempt to reduce the number of Maryland auto accidents this month throughout the state. Read more

Distracted Driving Could Account for Up to 30% of Auto Accidents

According to the findings of a new study, more than a quarter of all auto accidents are likely caused by distracted drivers, who are often using cell phones and other electronic devices. Read more

Click It or Ticket Seat Belt Enforcement Drive Targets Young Men in 2011

Law enforcement agencies nationwide have begun the annual Click It or Ticket campaign of heightened seat belt enforcement, in hopes of increase seat belt use and reducing the number of auto accident injuries in Maryland and nationwide. Read more

Next Page »