Articles Posted in Car Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is determining whether to open a full-blown investigation into possible Honda Accord hybrid acceleration problems. An unidentified woman filed a complaint with the federal agency asking it to investigate after she was injured and her passenger died in a crash in her 2005 Accord Hybrid. She said that her car crashed into oncoming traffic after losing break power and accelerating on its own. Many documents on the NHTSA website indicate that several have been injured in similar accidents in these cars, according to the Boston Herald.

Similarly, Toyota has received thousands of unintended acceleration complaints in recent years. More specifically, since 1999, 2,262 incidents involving sudden and unintended acceleration of Toyota cars have been recorded. Last year alone, Toyota had to recall about 10 million vehicles, and after the recalls, Toyota faced hundreds of law suits. The unintended acceleration problem came under even more public scrutiny when an off -duty California police officer was recently killed in one of these crashes.

If the NHSTA decides to open the Honda investigation, the results should be interesting. In August, the agency released its preliminary findings about possible Toyota defects, and driver error (hitting the gas instead of the break) was determined to be the main cause of the failed breaks and unintended acceleration. So, time will tell whether these Hondas are defective in design or manufacture or whether drivers are misapplying the pedals.

Source: The Boston Herald, NHTSA reviews claim of Honda acceleration
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According to NECN and other news sources, a single-vehicle accident early Sunday morning killed two 21-year-old men and seriously injured another. The driver reportedly lost control over his 2005 Nissan Maxima and was killed when it rolled over, also killing one passenger.

Another passenger was thrown from the vehicle and sustained serious injuries. The Natick man was taken by ambulance to UMass Medical Center in Worcester. Massachusetts State Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the rollover accident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that rollover accidents are among the most serious types of accidents. About 3% of all passenger car and light trucks and vans accidents involve a rollover; however, about one-third of all traffic fatalities involve rollovers. SUVs have the highest rollover fatality rate (59%), while passenger cars have the lowest (23%).

Sources:
Two men die in early morning accident on Mass Pike, NECN, November 14, 2010 Single-car crash kills 2 on Mass. Pike, MyFoxBusiness.com, November 14, 2010 Report from NHTSA
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Icy road conditions may have played a role in several Massachusetts car accidents that occurred over the weekend. Police offers were injured in two of those crashes.

At about 6am Monday morning, Falmouth police officer Richard Everton sustained non-life threatening injuries when his cruiser spun out of control and flipped over. Everton was responding to a crash on Route 28.

According to a state police spokesman, a trooper sustained minor injuries in separate car crash in Millbury. Because icy roads create dangerous driving conditions, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Registry of Motor Vehicles recommends driving at reduced speeds and never locking your brakes when there’s ice. Also make sure that your fuel tank is at least half fuel to reduce the likelihood of it freezing.

Source: Several crashes reported on icy Mass. highways, Boston Globe, November 8, 2010 Continue reading

A two-vehicle accident on Route 495 in Raynham killed a Brockton man earlier Monday morning. The 57-year-old man reportedly lost control of his 2002 Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle and hit the guardrail. A preliminary investigation also revealed that he swerved into the path of a 1999 Freightliner tractor trailer unit. The impact caused the SUV to roll over onto its roof, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

The 56-year-old driver of the tractor-trailer did not sustain injuries in the crash. The roadway was wet with rain at the time of the fatal accident, but it’s unclear whether those conditions were a factor. Troop H of the Massachusetts State Police is investigating the cause and circumstances surrounding the crash.

Here in Massachusetts, drivers involved in a crash where the damage is at least $1,000 or where at least one person is injured are required to file a motor vehicle crash operator report within five days, even if a police officer was on the scene. The report includes information on weather conditions, injuries, vehicles involved, and other aspects of the crash.

Source: UPDATE: State Police investigate fatal crash in Raynham, WickedLocal.com, November 8, 2010 Continue reading

A car accident killed a Massachusetts man last Tuesday evening around 10pm. According to police, the 62-year-old Taunton resident was driving a 2004 Honda CRV on Route 495 when he lost control of the vehicle and veered into the media strip. The Honda reportedly rolled over, ejecting the driver, who was later taken by ambulance to Attleboro’s Sturdy Memorial Hospital. He was pronounced dead from injuries sustained in the rollover accident.

Following the fatal car crash, the left lane of Route 495 was closed for about two hours. Police say there were no other vehicles involved in the accident, but it’s unclear what caused it. The accident reconstruction team is working to uncover a cause. Alcohol and speed are often factors in motor vehicle accidents, so they will be probing the scene of the accident to see if those may be causes.

Here in Massachusetts, the minimum fine for speeding is $50. If the driver exceeds the speed limit by more than 10 mph, they may be subject to a fine of an additional $10 per mph over the speed limit.

Source: Taunton man killed in rollover crash in Mansfield, Taunton Gazette, November 3, 2010 Continue reading

According to a recent article in USA Today, an American traveler dies in a car crash on foreign roads every 36 hours on average. The publication analyzed State Department data from January 1, 2003 and June 2010. Nationality aside, someone is injured or killed every six seconds on the roads of the world, according to global safety initiative Make Roads Safe.

The World Health Organization warns that the number of people internationally who die each year in traffic accidents will rise from 1.3 million to 2.4 million by 2030 unless actions are taken to make roads safer.

That’s why the General Assembly of the United Nations has proclaimed 2011-2020 as the Decade of Actions for Road Safety. A global plan to reduce the number of car crashes internationally is anticipated to be unveiled next May. The doctor who’s in charge of developing the plan says will focus on boosting safety in low- and middle-income countries.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Americans who are injured overseas seek medical attention immediately and contact the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate if needed.

Source: U.S. traveler dies on foreign road every 36 hours on average, USA Today, October 22, 2010 Continue reading