Auto Accident News - Edgar Snyder & Associates

Teens Express Views on Texting While Driving

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:50:00 EDT

A new study has found that approximately half of teens ages 16 and 17 who own cell phones have talked on the phone while driving. About one-third of those same teens have texted behind the wheel.

These statistics were found by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project, which interviewed 800 teens last summer. During focus groups it was found that some teens wouldn't acknowledge the danger of using a cell phone while driving. Others said they thought it was unsafe and that their parents engage in the practice most often.

Some teens said that a desire to stay connected with friends prompts them to use their cell phones when they drive. To reduce the danger, however, they said they have a passenger text for them, only text at red lights, or hold the phone up high so they can keep their eyes on the road.

Police to Crack Down on Peephole Driving

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:09:00 EDT

Winter is around the corner and police are gearing up to crack down on "peephole drivers," or those who scrape off just enough ice and snow from their windshield to be able to see. Peephole driving not only interferes with a driver's quality of vision, but pieces of ice or snow can dislodge and hit another vehicle or pedestrian.

A few states have enacted laws that target peephole driving. In Pennsylvania, drivers can be cited if injury or property damage results from failure to remove snow or ice. In states like Illinois, police can cite drivers merely for obstructed vision or obstruction of a window.

There are no official statistics on peephole driving and how many car accidents it causes, but some police officers say they have noticed an increase in the practice. One state trooper estimates that peephole drivers only have two to three percent of their normal field of vision.

Ford Expands Vehicle Recall Due to Fire Risk

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:18:00 EDT

Faulty cruise control switches that can cause fires have prompted Ford to further expand an ongoing recall. This brings the total number of recalled automobiles to 14.3 million.

The most recent recall involves the following models: 1995-2003 Ford Windstar; 2000-2003 Ford Excursion diesel; 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesel; 1992-2003 Ford Econoline; 1995-2002 Ford Explorer; 1995-2002 Mercury Mountaineer; 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Ford Ranger; and 1994 Ford F35 Motorhome.

Over the past 10 years, hundreds of complaints and dozens of lawsuits have been filed over fires allegedly caused by the faulty switches. Past recalls included some of Ford's most popular brands, like the F-series of pickup trucks.

Investigators have discovered that the defective switches, made by Texas Instruments, can leak internally, overheat, and potentially ignite. There have also been four reports of leaking fluid damaging the antilock brake control module, resulting in a fire.

Vehicular Deaths Are Down, But Motorcycle Deaths Rise

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:02:00 EDT

There's good news and bad news for United States motorists - traffic accident deaths have dropped almost 18 percent since 2005, according to statistics released by the Transportation Department. However, trending in the opposite direction are motorcycle deaths, which rose steadily through the end of last year.

Government officials and safety experts said that the reasons behind the decrease in vehicular deaths could include: Poor economy and high gas prices reducing the number of miles driven; Safer cars with air bags, antilock brakes, and stability control systems; A decrease in drunk driving accidents; Safer construction of highways; Restrictions for teen drivers; Increased seat belt use.

Despite the decreases, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stresses that traffic fatalities are still too common. In the first half of this year, 16,626 people were killed in crashes. Experts said that there are a few areas that especially need improvement, including driving while drowsy and using electronic devices, like cell phones, behind the wheel.

Another area that may require more attention is motorcycle accidents. Fatalities were on the rise through the end of 2008 (no data was available for the beginning of 2009). There were 5,290 deaths last year, composing 14 percent of all fatalities, compared to 2,116 in 1997, which accounted for 5 percent of all fatalities.

Car Accidents Are Deadlier on Rural Roads

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:05:00 EDT

With less traffic and more open roads, most drivers probably feel safer on rural roads than on busy urban streets. However, recent findings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that this is not the case.

In 2008, 56 percent of the 37,261 traffic deaths in the United States occurred on rural roads. In Pennsylvania, 828 of the 1,468 traffic deaths occurred in rural areas, also comprising 56 percent of all traffic deaths. In Ohio and West Virginia, the percentage of rural fatalities was even higher, at 64 percent and 69 percent respectively.

While there are more crashes in urban areas, the accidents aren't as deadly. It has been noted that people tend to driver faster on rural roads, drive while drunk more often, and wear their seatbelts less frequently, all of which increase the likelihood of death or severe injury in the event of an accident. Furthermore, the roads in rural areas are not as developed as those in urban settings, making the delivery time of acute medical care slower.

Distracted Driving Summit to Address Texting and Driving

Thur, 01 Oct 2009 16:07:00 EDT

More than 300 lawmakers and transportation experts are in the midst of a "distracted driving summit," a meeting intended to address roadway hazards. At the beginning of the summit, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called distracted driving a "menace to society."

According to the Obama administration, there were 6,000 people killed and 500,000 injured last year in crashes linked to driver distractions, including texting while driving. Secretary LaHood said that he will offer recommendations that could necessitate new restrictions on the use of cell phones behind the wheel. He said that on any given day last year, more than 800,000 people were using hand-held devices while they operated their vehicles.

In July, some lawmakers introduced legislation that would require states to ban texting and emailing while driving or face losing 25 percent of their annual federal highway funding. The administration hasn't taken an official stance on the initiative, but LaHood said he wants the summit to lay the foundation for finding ways to eliminate texting while driving.

Toyota Floor Mat Recall Is the Largest Ever

Wed, 30 Sept 2009 16:08:00 EDT

Toyota has launched its largest recall ever due to sliding floor mats that may have caused a fatal crash in Texas. The automaker has warned the owners of 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles to remove the driver's side floor mat immediately.

The federal government says it has received 102 reports of jammed accelerators in Toyota and Lexus models, including 13 crashes, five deaths, and 17 injuries. Four people died in a late August car accident when a Lexus crashed at about 120 mph. In a 911 call, the passengers said the accelerator was stuck and they couldn't turn off the engine. The following are models affected by the recall: 2007-10 Camry; 2005-10 Avalon; 2007-10 Tundra; 2005-10 Tacoma; 2004-09 Prius; 2007-10 Lexus ES 350; 2006-10 Lexus IS 250/350.

The company has asked owners to completely remove the driver's side mat - even replacing it with a paper mat could be dangerous, since it can slide and jam. Toyota is working on a replacement mat or other solution.

Rollover Accidents: Risk Factors and Safety Tips

Tues, 29 Sept 2009 16:06:00 EDT

Rollover accidents are responsible for almost one-third of all vehicle crash deaths. While any vehicle can be involved in a rollover, there are certain risk factors that make these accidents more likely.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the following can increase your chances of being involved in a rollover accident: SUVs - narrow vehicles with higher centers of gravity are more susceptible; Speeding - 40% of fatal rollover accidents are caused by speeding; Alcohol - 50% involved drinking and driving. In addition, 72% of people in fatal rollovers weren't wearing seatbelts and 75% of the accidents happened in rural areas.

The following are six tips to help you avoid rollover accidents: Stay in control - avoid speeding, alcohol, drugs, and driving while drowsy; Maintain your vehicle's tires; Don't overload your SUV; Be especially careful on rural roads; If your vehicle veers off the road, don't brake suddenly - reduce speed gradually and ease back onto the road; Research cars before you buy, using sites like the NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program.

Texting and Driving Should Be Banned, Says Safety Group

Thurs, 10 Sept 2009 16:03:00 EDT

The Governors Highway Safety Association, an organization of state highway safety officials, has changed its stance on texting and driving. The group recently announced that it now supports a texting ban, joining a growing number of legislators and advocates who endorse such a measure.

In the past, the association questioned the practicality of a ban, saying it would be difficult to enforce. According to the organization, their position has changed in light of the growing body of research that confirms the dangers posed by texting and driving. Recent studies have found that drivers who text generally take their eyes off the road for five seconds. In that time, a car can travel more than the length of a football field on the highway.

Later this month, senior transportation officials, elected officials, safety advocates, law enforcement, and academics will attend a summit to discuss how to combat distracted driving.

Drunk Driving Crackdown Will Target Women

Thur, 20 Aug 2009 15:41:00 EDT

A new nationwide crackdown on drunk driving starts tomorrow, and it will feature sobriety checkpoints, a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, and saturation patrols. In addition, it will focus on women.

Female drivers account for a growing percentage of drunk drivers, says U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. According to FBI statistics, arrests of female drunk drivers increased by almost 30 percent from 1998 to 2007. During the same time period, DUI arrests of men fell by 7.5 percent, though men are still four times more likely to be arrested than women.

Studies done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that last year there was a 9 percent overall decline in drunk driving accidents. However, the number of impaired women drivers involved in fatal crashes increased in 10 states, including Ohio and West Virginia. In Pennsylvania, the number of female drunk drivers in fatal crashes fell from 67 in 2007 to 54 last year.

Pennsylvania's crackdown is expected to involve more than 600 municipal police departments, all state police troops, and several university police. PennDOT announced that Allegheny, Beaver, and Lawrence counties will feature "a lot of DUI enforcement," including checkpoints and roving patrols.