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Experts estimate that an average of 5,000 Americans die in tractor-trailer related accidents annually. Last year, Massachusetts had a total of 22 fatal tractor-trailer accidents. According to data gathered by Road Safe America, the number of large trucks involved in crashes in Massachusetts has nearly doubled between 2004 and 2007.

In 2004, there were a total of 954 fatal and non-fatal Massachusetts truck accidents combined. That number increased to 1,689 in 2007. There were 912 non-fatal truck accidents in Massachusetts in 2004 compared with 2,228 in 2008. Not surprisingly, the number of injuries associated with truck accidents has also increased.

The cause of these truck accidents can include driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, failing to use protective measures like seatbelts and helmets, and poor vehicle impact protection. Road Safe America also states that likelihood of a truck accident resulting in death or serious injury increases with each extra ton of weight over 80,000 pounds.

Trucking Accident Statistics in Massachusetts, InjuryBoard.com, May 28, 2009 Continue reading

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According to the Boston Herald, state troopers have been issuing a startling number of tickets to Massachusetts drivers. In the first three months of this year, the number of speeding citations increased by 23 percent over the first quarter of 2007. Overall, troopers gave out more than 12,000 speeding tickets on the Mass. Pike in the first three months of this year.

Some drivers accuse the Pike of increased ticketing to compensate for a budget crunch created by the Big Dig construction project. However, a spokesman for the Executive Office Transportation insists that the number of tickets is based on a concern for public safety and a desire to minimize the number of motor vehicle accidents related to speeding or reckless driving.

Most of the speeding tickets are issued by Troop E, which is the state police unit assigned to patrol the 138-mil toll road. According to the United States Department of Transportation, the risk of sustaining injuries in a car crash increases exponentially with speeds much faster than the median speed.

Staties slap drivers, filling Pike’s coffers, Boston Herald, May 27, 2009 Continue reading

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On Friday morning, a car crash on 128 South in Burlington caused police to shut down all lanes of Route 128 intermittently for roughly two hours. Massachusetts state police said two people were on the ground when troopers arrived.

According to state police, Robert Carlo Jr., 29, of Bedford was driving a 2008 Ford pickup truck when he swerved into the right lane and hit a 1996 Ford Explorer just before 7am, causing the Explorer to spin out of control and cross into the far left lane. The Explorer hit a 2008 Dodge Durango, killing two Lawrence men and injuring others.

The deceased motor vehicle accident victims were identified as Juan Condorie, 43, and Alberto Maza, 22. Maza was pronounced dead at the scene of the car accident, but Condorie was taken by helicopter to Boston Medical Center before passing away that afternoon. Three other men were taken to Lahey Clinic in Burlington and were later discharged.

Two Lawrence men dead in hit-and-run on Route 128, Eagle Tribune, May 23, 2009
Crash shuts down 128 South in Burlington, NECN.com, May 22, 2009 Continue reading

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Earlier this month, Massachusetts state police launched a statewide campaign stressing a zero-tolerance policy on seat belt violations. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 14,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents while unbelted in the United States in 2007. Seat belts can reduce the risk of a fatal injury by up to 60 percent when worn correctly.

The Click It or Ticket campaign means that more troopers and local police will be monitoring Massachusetts roadways to ensure that drivers comply with seat belt laws. In Massachusetts, drivers and passengers are subject to a $25 fine for each occupant not properly restrained.

Said the superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, “Safety belts are your best defense against other drivers and the best chance for survival in a crash, yet more than 30 percent of Massachusetts drivers still aren’t buckling up.”

Drivers agree safety should dictate seat belts, texting ban, The Daily Item, May 23, 2009 Continue reading

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According to a survey released last week by GMAC Insurance, Massachusetts drivers ranked 44rd out of 50 states and the District of Columbia on a test of basic driving knowledge like the definition of a flashing red light or when to stop for a school bus.

The test required a 70 to pass and Massachusetts motorists earned an average score of 73.8, just squeaking by and passing the test. Massachusetts drivers also scored last on a seat belt use study conducted last year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

However, poor driving test scores don’t necessarily mean a higher rate of fatal car accidents. In fact, data from the NHTSA show that Massachusetts had the lowest fatality-per-person rate of any state in 2007. While Idaho drivers scored highest on the driving test, it had a fatality-per-person rate that was about three times as high as Massachusetts!

The GMAC survey also discovered that drivers over age 35 performed better on the driving test than younger drivers and that men generally scored higher than women.

LOOK OUT! Mass. drivers behind the curve, HeraldNews.com, May 21, 2009 Continue reading

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This time of year means high school prom and graduation, which also means that teens experience extra pressure to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, raising their car accident risk. According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, 21 Massachusetts teens died in motor vehicle-related crashes during May and June alone from 2004 to 2007.

Teen drivers are already three times as likely to be involved in a fatal car crash compared to other age drivers. The Centers for Disease Control rank motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for teenagers nationwide.

The added temptation of post-prom parties and graduation celebrations underscore the importance of making safe decisions. Just last week, a teen driver killed a pedestrian while driving home from a prom after party in Boston.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security along with AAA Southern New England recommend that parents of teens teach by example (wear a seat belt), ask teens where they are going and how they are getting home, and remind teens of the high cost of getting convicted of impaired driving.

Keeping teen drivers safe, WickedLocal.com, May 19, 2009 Continue reading

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Springfield-based Peter Pan Bus Lines has suspended a bus driver who was caught on video using his cell phone, eating chips, and tearing passenger’s tickets while driving. A passenger captured the incident on camera and posted it on YouTube before forwarding the link to company officials.

Officials said they are investigating the incident, which occurred on a trip from Boston to New York City on Tuesday, April 7. They have not released the name of the bus driver but said the behavior was against company protocol.

A Green Line trolley accident that occurred earlier this month injured close to 50 people. That employee has admitted to texting his girlfriend just before the subway collision and has been fired by the MBTA. The operators’ union is challenging the cell phone ban that the MBTA issued to its drivers just after the accident.

Peter Pan Bus Lines driver suspended after passenger posts video of him on cell phone while driving, The Republican, May 19, 2009 Continue reading

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Over the weekend, an 18-year-old high school student hit and killed a pedestrian as he drove home from a school-sponsored harbor cruise in Boston following his senior prom. Jonathan Caruso allegedly drove off Essex Road, hit a road sign, a telephone pole, a bush, and two women who were out walking their dog. Carol Marean, 67, was pronounced dead at the scene of the car accident, while her daughter, Charlotte Marean, 41, was seriously injured.

According to witnesses, the three teenagers involved in the car crash (none of whom were injured) tried to flee the accident until a neighbor threatened to turn them in. They waited for police to arrive, and Caruso was arrested after failing a sobriety test and reportedly telling his friends he’d had 10 beers. School officials said that all students were given breath tests and had their bags checked before the prom and before the cruise.

A judge ordered Caruso held on $7,500 cash bail, and the student was charged with negligent motor-vehicle homicide, transporting alcohol as a minor, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Today he pleaded appeared in Lynn District Court and pleaded not guilty.

Saugus teen arraigned in post-prom crash death, Boston Globe, May 18, 2009 Continue reading

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Following a subway accident that injured close to fifty people last week, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced that it will ban subway and bus drivers from carrying electronic devices of any kind while they are operating T vehicles. The ban goes into effect on Monday.

The driver involved with last week’s subway crash is refusing to answer questions from federal investigators regarding the MBTA accident. He has already admitted to texting his girlfriend at the time of the crash.

MBTA operators are already banned from using cell phones on the job. Those found with a cell phone in their possession will now face a 10-day suspension. If they are found using a cell phone, employees face an automatic 30-day suspension and recommendation for discharge. This is the strictest regulation of any major transit authority in the country.

Mass. Transit Authority Banning Driver Cell Phones, WBUR.com, May 13, 2009 Continue reading

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According to the 100-Car Naturalist Driving Study, which tracked the behavior of the drivers of 100 vehicles for a year, driver inattention is an even more dangerous problem than expects previously believed. Almost 80% of car crashes and 65% of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention, which includes not only distractions but also fatigue.

The study found that the most common distraction for drivers is the use of cell phones. However, the number of auto accidents and near-accidents related to dialing a cell phone is almost identical to the number associated with talking or listening on a cell phone. Younger drivers also had a higher incidence of distraction. Research found that the rate of distraction among 18- to 20-year-old drivers was four times higher than drivers age 35 and older.

Massachusetts and five other states have banned drivers from talking on a hand-held cell phone, but no state has banned the use of hands-free devices, despite the fact that the NHTSA has found that the car accident risk is comparable to that of regular cell phones.

Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute are preparing for a nationwide study involving over 2,500 vehicles, which will give the researchers a wider understanding of different drivers in different environments.

DWD – driving while dialing – among top driver distractions, study finds, Dayton Daily News, March 23, 2009 Continue reading

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