Articles Posted in Driver Safety

In addition to the text messaging ban for truckers and bus drivers announced by the Transportation Department last week, Massachusetts may soon join the 19 states that have outlawed text messaging behind the wheel for all drivers. The Boston Globe reports that a key legislative committee unanimously approved a bill last Thursday and it could reach the House floor within weeks.

If the bill passes, it would prohibit operators of a motor vehicle from using a cell phone or other electronic device from writing, sending, or reading a text message while driving. Fines would start at $100 for the first offense and range up to $500 for the third offense. If a driver is found to have been text messaging when they caused a car crash, the law would treat is as reckless driving and the offender would be subject to up to two years in jail.

The House approved a text messaging while driving ban in 2008, but the bill died before it reached the governor’s desk. Governor Deval Patrick and US secretary of transportation Ray LaHood both support a ban on text messaging while driving.

Source: State inches ahead on banning texting while driving, Boston Globe, January 29, 2010 Continue reading

Our Massachusetts motor vehicle crash lawyers would like to remind drivers to take extra care on wet or icy roads. The Union Leader reports that advisory speeds are down to 45 for state highways from Concord, New Hampshire south to the Massachusetts border. There are apparently reports of cars off the road near the Massachusetts border.

Areas that have seen car crashes may be backed up, so please allow extra time. One of those areas is where four vehicles collided this morning at the junction of I-89 and I-93 North in Bow.

Meteorologists do not expect significant accumulations of snow today. However, much of yesterday’s snow remains and parts of New England may get another inch or two of snow on Wednesday evening.

Source: Take it easy on those slick roads, New Hampshire Union Leader, January 19, 2010 Continue reading

MIT and Ford Motor Company are beginning research on driver workload and stress. The goal of this new study is to identify ways that in-vehicle technology can reduce driver stress, thus improving safety on the road.

The six-month long project is a continuation of a partnership between Ford and MIT’s AgeLab that began in 2004. They have been working on development for vehicle systems that detect that the state of drivers and can ultimately reduce those drivers’ stress levels. Looking at biometrics like heart rate, eye movement, and skin conductivity, MIT researchers are working on a system that will be part of future Ford vehicles.

Ford hopes that these innovations will become part of driver’s overall wellness plans.

Source: Ford and MIT Team Up To Improve Safety by Reducing Driver Stress, PRNewswire.com, December 30, 2009 Continue reading

A joint investigation between Brockton police and state Department of Transportation authorities revealed serious violations among Massachusetts drivers of vans and station wagons transporting students to elementary schools and day care centers. Dozens of drivers received citations for violations including driving without a license, overloading vehicles, and bald tires.

The crackdown, dubbed Operation Clean Sweep, involved a dozen surprise checkpoints. Of the 85 transport vehicles investigated, there were 52 violations discovered. One company actually faces a criminal complaint for overloading vehicles with too many children, because not securing children in a car sweat or making sure that they wear seat belts significantly increases the rick of fatality in the event of a motor vehicle collision.

Another concern was that not all of the drivers had a 7-D license, which signifies that the driver has undergone a criminal background check to ensure that they qualified to transport Massachusetts students. The holder of a 7-D license is also required to pass inspections twice a year to ensure vehicle safety.

Source: Drivers of students cited after inspections, Boston Globe, December 21, 2009 Continue reading

A bill filed by Senator Robert L. Hedlund of Weymouth would make interlock safety devices mandatory for those convicted of drunk driving in Massachusetts. Currently, Melanie’s Law requires the devices for repeat drunk drivers.

The device works like an in-car breathalyzer test so that the driver must blow into a tube to analyze the driver’s blood alcohol content. The car will not start if the reading is .02 percent or higher.

Jill O’Bryan, a 25-year-old from Rockland, was injured by a repeat drunk driver in 2005 and has had more than two dozen surgeries as a result of injuries she sustained during the car accident. O’Bryan will attend an event in support of bill.

Hingham police will also demonstrate the interlock safety device and promote their 7th annual Designated Driver Program.

Source: Hingham police show anti-drunk driving unit, Boston Globe, November 19, 2009 Continue reading

Earlier this year, a report released by the Massachusetts Highway Department revealed that intersections in Boston, Brockon, Stoughton, Quincy, Braintree, and Abington are among the most dangerous in the state. The report was based on data compiled by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles and covered motor vehicle accidents that occurred at intersections between 2005 and 2007.

State officials hope the information will help them plan construction projects and improve safety of Massachusetts roads. Some of the possible measures include widening certain roadways, adding turning lanes or additional traffic lights, or timing traffic signals differently.

While state officials say the report contains some inconsisencies due to communities reporting car crashes differently, the report gives them an overview of where accidents are occurring to help improve traffic safety.

Sources: Accidents waiting to happen, Boston Globe, November 15, 2009
Report: 2007 TOP CRASH LOCATIONS REPORT, Massachusetts Highway Department Continue reading

Critics say that using cameras to fine drivers who run red lights is an attempt to raise revenue, rather than improve safety, but the Boston Globe and other media outlets report that Governor Deval Patrick is pushing to make Massachusetts the 25th state to adopt such a measure. Many mayors and police chiefs have been wanting the cameras for years.

If passed, the state law would allow cities and towns to fine drivers up to $100 if their traffic violation is caught on camera. The fine would not subject the owners of the vehicle to insurance surcharges and would require signs warning drivers that their cars and license plates are being photographed. Such signs have been shown in some studies to actually cause more rear-end car crashes, perhaps because motorists slam on the brakes when they notice the signs.

However, federal studies show that the cameras do lower the number of right-angle auto collisions in the middle of intersections, which can be even more hazardous than rear-end collisions. The Federal Highway Administration says the cameras should be used for safety purposes, not as a way to generate more revenue.

Source: Patrick pushes for cameras to catch red-light violators, Boston Globe, November 13, 2009 Continue reading

Several Massachusetts car accidents earlier this year have highlighted the controversial issue of whether senior citizens should be subject to extra scrutiny when renewing their driver’s licenses. While AARP has sponsored a driver safety refresher course for the past thirty years, Massachusetts seniors are not enrolling in the course at the same rate as their counterparts in other New England states. Between January 1 and September 30, less than a thousand senior citizens opted to take the refresher class. According to AARP Massachusetts, enrollment in Massachusetts was 11,000 less than in Connecticut.

One explanation for this discrepancy is that insurance companies in Connecticut, Maine, and Rhode Island offer discounts to drivers who complete the course, while Massachusetts does not.

Taught by AARP volunteers, the four-hour refresher course covers basics like hearing, vision, and flexibility changes in older drivers, driving alongside bigger vehicles, and driving or braking in inclement weather. Participants receive a 121-page driver’s manual with visual aids, instructions, and quizzes. Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are considering a bill that would require Massachusetts drivers over the age of 75 to retake road and visions tests every five years.

Source: Course puts elder drivers on road to safer driving, Boston Herald, November 8, 2009 Continue reading

Drivers may soon have a new navigational system that is even more advanced than GPS. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has teamed up with Volkswagen to create AIDA (Affective Intelligent Driving Agent), a robot device will be mounted on the dashboard and will synthesize information to help motorists avoid running out of gas, navigate around traffic jams, and plan their travel routes.

AIDA will not control the car, but it will be able to suggest alternate routes when there is a traffic jam or remind you to fill up on gas when your tank is running glow. It will also reportedly help “achieve more energy efficient and safer behavior.” AIDA analyses the driver’s patterns and keeps track of favorite routes and destinations like home or work.

A release date for AIDA has yet to be announced. At least one other car company is working on developing a similar product.

Volkswagen, MIT Develop In-Car Robot, US News & World Reports, November 2, 2009
AIDA: It’s more than an opera, Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2009 Continue reading