Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Boston recently called upon the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works ("EOTPW") and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to discuss new standards on how to effectively manage traffic to help reduce Boston construction zone accidents.

The groups will be reviewing the current "MassHighway Work Zone Safety Guidelines for MA Municipalities and Contractors" and "Standard Details & Drawings for the Development of Traffic Management Plans." Both articles identify different configurations for construction work zones and suggest ways to achieve safe and efficient traffic management setup.

Our Boston wrongful death lawyers ask you to practice safe driving and abide by the state's Move Over law, to help keep our motorists, road workers and emergency responders safe on the job. We would also like to remind you that fines are still doubled in Massachusetts even when a construction zone is inactive or shut down, according to Boston.com.

The theme for this year's National Work Zone Awareness Week theme is " Safer Driving. Safer Work Zones. For Everyone." MassDOT will be continuing to keep focus on Work Zone Safety by initialing the new Work Zone Speed Monitoring Program. This new program will be monitoring speeds of vehicles passing through work zones and limited access highways. They will be using electronic field monitoring of speed and volume information in designated work zones.

Car related fatalities continue to be the leading cause of work fatalities. In 2009, Massachusetts suffered 10 fatal work zone car accidents, according to The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse. The United States suffered nearly 700 fatalities and more than 33,000 injuries in work zones.

MassDOT offers motorists these tips to keep motorists, road workers and emergency responders safe:

-Travel at a safe speed. When you see warning signs, traffic regulations or emergency vehicles make sure to stay alert and proceed at a safe speed.

-Merge as soon as possible. Whether you see road construction or an emergency responder approaching, it is important to merge as quickly as possible to avoid close and potentially dangerous interaction.

-Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Altered road conditions can cause surprise maneuvers by other motorists. Keep your reaction time by allowing yourself extra space between you and others on the road.

-Keep a safe distance from construction vehicles, workers and equipment.

-Plan ahead when you know you may encounter road work. Leave early or plan a different route as these conditions can potentially slow your commute.

Continue reading "Massachusetts Hopes New System will Decrease Risks of Boston Work Zone Accidents " »

It is no secret that motorists caught speeding in a road construction zone face double fines as authorities work to reduce the number of serious and fatal Massachusetts construction accidents in roadwork zones.

But the Boston Globe recently reported on a reader's surprise to learn that the double fines apply even when workers are not present. The motorist questioned whether there is any viable evidence that construction zones increase the risk of an accident.

The Globe reported that such data does not exist, largely because determining accidents per-vehicle-mile-traveled (which you would need to do to get an apples-to-apples comparison) is largely impossible because of the shifting nature of roadwork and the task of trying to determine exactly how many miles are under construction at any given time.

Still, statistics suggest motorists driving in construction zones are at high risk, whether or not workers are present. Nationwide, 720 people, mostly motorists, were killed in work zones in 2008. And one study, sponsored by the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, found that accidents increased by 88 percent in long-term construction zones around Chicago.

"Many road and bridge construction zones have altered lane configurations, lane shifts, and closures and a number of people working near live traffic," explained Adam Hurtubise, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. "These situations can be unfamiliar to drivers, even those who drive those particular roads regularly."

And that's the real crux of the matter when it comes to Massachusetts car accidents. Many of these accidents are caused by driver distraction. In other cases, it is just the variance from the driving norm -- stopped traffic in the road, flashing lights, shifting lanes, oncoming traffic sharing the road -- that increases the risk for an accident.

We've all experienced the crawling sensation of slowing down for a work zone (often from 10 over the speed limit to 10 or 20 mph below the normal limit). But the fact of the matter is that driving faster is just not safe. And driving the work-zone speed limit will get you to your destination much faster, and far more economically, than will being pulled over and cited by law enforcement or being involved in an accident.

Continue reading "Massachusetts work accidents, car accidents, a danger in road construction zones" »