Articles Posted in Car Accidents

Authorities are urging motorists to use caution and practice safe driving habits in an effort to reduce serious and fatal Massachusetts car accidents over the long Memorial Day weekend.

Holiday travel is expected to increase this weekend, despite higher gas prices, Mass Live reported. AAA expects nearly 1.5 million New Englanders will hit the road over the Memorial Day weekend, up from the 1.37 million travelers on the roads last year.

Nationwide, 32.1 million motorists are expected to make a trip at least 50 miles from home, compared to 30.5 million a year ago. Gas prices are at $2.82 a gallon, compared to $2.39 a gallon last year. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reports the heaviest traffic is expected in the late afternoon and early evening on Thursday, Friday and Monday.

While New Year’s often gets the attention when it comes to serious and fatal accidents, the trio of summer holidays — Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day — are often among the most fatal.

Of particular concern will be preventing Massachusetts drunk driving accidents over the holiday weekend and law enforcement will be out in force looking for drunk drivers and other violations. Drunk driving is one of the leading causes of fatal Massachusetts car accidents. In 2008, nearly 4 in every 10 fatal accidents in Massachusetts involved a drunk driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A total of 153 of the state’s 363 traffic fatalities involved a driver under the influence.

Nationwide fatal Holiday traffic accidents

New Year’s: 141
Memorial Day: 370
Fourth of July: 437
Labor Day: 423
Thanksgiving: 439
Christmas: 364 Continue reading

A Cape Cod teenager accused in connection with a fatal hit-and-run Massachusetts car accident that killed a woman in a wheelchair, appeared in court in handcuffs on Monday, ABC5 reported.

The girl was captured by police at the Rosewood Motel in Wareham on Saturday, where police say she had been hiding since walking away from Barnstable District Court on Friday.

As we reported recently on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, authorities continue to battle serious and fatal car accidents involving teenagers.

As summer enters full swing, reviewing safe and defensive driving habits as a family can help reduce Massachusetts car accidents and help ensure you and your loved ones have a safe, enjoyable summer.

Massachusetts traffic accidents caused 363 fatalities in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accident statistics for last year will be released in the coming weeks. Through the summer months, the Boston personal injury and wrongful death law firm of Jeffrey S. Glassman will look at safe driving habits and some of the leading causes of serious and fatal traffic accidents.

But before we do, we encourage you to visit Road Trip America’s 70 Rules of Defensive Driving, an excellent Internet resource which takes a sometimes humorous look at the serious business of driving safety.

Through the coming weeks, we will take a closer look at some of the driving habits that are the most dangerous, as well as some of the accident trends more specific to Massachusetts.

25 of Road Trip America’s 70 Rules of Defensive Driving:

1) Pay Attention 2) Don’t Trust (Anybody)!
3) Yield Anyway 4) Don’t Speed 5) Don’t Drive Impaired 6) Wear Your Seat Belt 7) Buy and Use Safety Devices 8) Motorcyclist, Protect Thyself 9) Don’t Run Red 10) Drive Precisely 11) Chill Out 12) Look Down the Road 13) Create Space 14) Drive to Communicate 15) Drive Predictably 16) Always Signal Your Intentions 17) Know Your Blind Spots 18) Avoid Distractions 19) Avoid Backing Up 20) Beware of Intersections 21) Be a Freeway Pro 22) Know how to Stop 23) Know when to use your Headlights 24) Slow down in Rain or Snow 25) Maintain your Tires
Sometimes accidents are unavoidable. But frequently they involve poor driving choices, such as distracted driving, speeding or disobeying red lights or other traffic control devices. By practicing safe driving habits, and by learning some of the defensive driving habits that can help keep you safe, motorists can sometimes reduce the risk of being involved in a serious or fatal Massachusetts traffic accident.
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Boston car accidents have been attributed to drivers who are rude, foulmouthed and reckless. But the city has apparently caught a break in the new list of the 10 Most Dangerous Cities compiled by Insurance.com … if only because Massachusetts drivers don’t use the company’s service to purchase insurance.

Saying Boston residents are “world-renowned for their demolition derby driving style,” the company said Boston drivers might consider Baltimore “wicked scary.”

Baltimore topped the list of the most dangerous driving cities, with 36.5 percent of drivers who received a quote from the company admitting to a prior accident.

Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities for Drivers

Baltimore: 36.5 percent Johnstown, Pa.: 34.5 percent Portland, Maine: 33.4 percent Des Moines, Iowa: 33.2 percent Erie, Pa.: 33.1 percent Bangor, Maine: 32.9 percent Birmingham, Ala.: 32.4 percent Austin, Texas: 32.3 percent Manchester, N.H.: 32.2 percent Lincoln, Neb.: 31.8 percent
Top 10 Safest Cities by percentage of people who reported a car accident
Yuma, Ariz: 17.2 percent Flint, Mich.: 18.2 percent Traverse City, Mich.: 18.9 percent Detroit, Mich.: 18.9 percent Grand Rapids, Mich.: 20.7 percent Harlingen, Texas: 20.7 percent Albany, Ga.: 20.8 percent Lansing, Mich.: 21.3 percent Bakersfield, Calif.: 21.6 percent Fresno, Calif.: 21.8 percent.

Boston wasn’t included because the survey only used areas where at least 500 quotes for insurance were requested through Insurance.com in a six-month period.

Here in Boston, there is always “Wild in the Streets: the Boston Driver’s Handbook”

In 2007, Boston was ranked #3 for rude drivers.

Last year, AutoVantage ranked the city 9th most courteous, after having been ranked among the most discourteous in 2008, according to the Boston Business Journal.
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A 9-year-old boy is dead after a Waltham car accident reportedly involving a teenager delivering for Domino’s pizza, the Boston Herald reported.

Contacting a Boston wrongful death attorney is critical when a fatal accident involves someone driving a vehicle as part of their job. The death of a small child is always a tragedy. But in this case the family may be able to recover damages from the driver and his insurance policy as well as the employer.

The Globe reported the teen delivering pizzas had been involved in a previous Massachusetts car accident. As we reported last month on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, teen drivers are already at high-risk for car accidents. While teens represent less than 10 percent of drivers, they account for up to 20 percent of all accidents. In fact, car accidents are the leading cause of death for all teenagers ages 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.