accident research

Published on: June 15, 2016

60% of Teenage Driver Accidents Involve Distracted Driving

Distractions play a major part in accidents involving teenage drivers. However, the impact of distraction on teen safety may be much higher than earlier believed. According to a new report by AAA, about 60% of all teen driver car accidents involve distractions of some kind.

The American Automobile Association says that most teenage drivers involved in accidents are talking on the cell phone, texting, or engaged in other distractions while driving. These other distractions include talking to passengers in the car.

The study found that 15% of accidents involving teenage drivers can be traced to talking to passengers.

Published on: July 26, 2015

Simulation Shows Teen Drivers Have Higher Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Even after a teenage driver has acquired a license, his or her driving skills may continue to be below that of older drivers.A recent study put a number of teenage motorists who had acquired a full license through a simulated driving test, and found that many of the teen drivers crashed in the task.

The teenagers went through the 35-minute driving assessment which included replications of the most common accident scenarios.Approximately four out of every 10 newly licensed drivers crashed in the test, and according to researchers, this suggests that they lacked the critical driving skills that they needed to stay safe while driving in a real-world environment.Data also showed that approximately 29% of the adult drivers crashed in the test, while among teen drivers, the crash rate was more than 49%.

This suggests that even after they obtain a full license, most teen motorists lack the critical driving abilities required to stay safe on the roads. Teenagers who had just obtained a license, the researchers found, were good at the basics, but lacked the ability to identify accident cues in their environment, and react immediately to such hazards. That placed them and their passengers at a high risk of being involved in a motor vehicle collision.

Published on: May 17, 2015

Distracted Driving Statistics

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It has been called the drunk driving of this generation, and for a valid reason. The number of people killed in accidents related directly to distracted driving is increasing, and there is a vast body of research to prove it.

Teens and Distracted Driving

According to statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10% of all motorists below the age of 20 involved in fatal accidents were reportedly distracted at the time. In fact, the under 20 age group is a high-risk category for distracted driving. Teenagers are heavy consumers of social media and smart phone technology, a deadly combination that increases the potential that they are glued to their devices while at the wheel.

Published on: December 31, 2013

NHTSA Survey Finds Speeding Widespread Among Motorists

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently conducted a survey on speeding practices among American drivers.The results indicate a concerning trend.Although many American drivers believe that speeding is a highly dangerous behavior, many of them also admit that they often drive at high speeds to get to their destination on time.

The results of the survey were contained in the National Survey of Speeding Attitudes and Behavior, and found that approximately 4 to 5 drivers believe that driving at safe speeds helps prevent accidents.More than 91% believed that speed limits should be obeyed unconditionally because they are the law. In fact, as many as half of the drivers in the survey admitted that it was very important for transportation agencies to take stronger initiatives to reduce speeding on U.S. roadways.

However, when it comes to actually putting those beliefs into action, many American motorists seem to fall behind.Many of the motorists surveyed admitted to frequently travelling faster than posted speed limits.More than 25% of the motorists surveyed admitted that speeding was something they often did without thinking about it, and others said that they “enjoyed” the feeling that came with driving at excessive speeds.In addition, approximately 60% of the motorists claimed that driving at excessive speeds or above the speed limit, was not “really dangerous” for a skilled motorist.

Published on: June 3, 2013

Fatigued Driving Causes More Fatal Car Accidents Than Earlier Believed

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Drowsy driving is one of the most underestimated causes of accidents, especially since it’s difficult to determine exactly how many motorists dozed off at the wheel just before the car wreck.However, one fact is clear.These accidents are much more widespread and common than believed, and the number of people being killed in these crashes is much higher than the official estimates.A new study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute seems to confirm that fact.

The naturalistic study which focused on 100 cars involved in accidents, found that driving under the influence of fatigue contributed to as many as 20% of all accidents.Earlier estimates had pegged that number at just 2-3% of all accidents.

The naturalistic study is believed to be one of the first times that this major accident factor has been studied in depth, and in a naturalistic environment.The study found that drivers 18- 20 years of age had some of the highest risks of being involved in drowsy driving accidents, accounting for more accidents than any other age group.

Published on: March 26, 2013

Research Recommends Drastic Measures to Prevent Distracted Driving Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The distracted driving problem in Georgia and across the country has resulted in federal and state transportation agencies, safety advocates, and Atlanta car accident lawyers pooling in their efforts to come up with ways to reduce the numbers of distracted motorists on the roads.A number of strategies are currently being used to reduce the effect of distracted driving on highway safety.However, a new report released by researchers at West Virginia University recommends some dramatic new ways to reduce the impact of distracted driving.

The report was released by scientists at West Virginia University, and is titled Keeping an Eye on Distracted Driving.The report has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

According to the report, there is no doubt that distracted driving is one of the key threats to motorist safety in the United States.Every year, distracted driving causes more than 300,000 injuries on our roads, and as many as 2,600 fatalities.According to the report, the numbers of injuries and fatalities linked to distracted driving increased significantly between 2005 and 2009.

Published on: July 24, 2012

Research Indicates Motorcycle Helmets Reduce Risk of Facial Injuries

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It is widely accepted that motorcycle helmets don’t just reduce your risk of dying in an accident, but also reduce the risk of serious or life threatening brain injuries.New research, however, now indicates that helmets may also have other benefits.They dramatically reduce the risk of suffering serious injuries to the face.

What’s more, it’s believed that motorcycle helmets do not need a face shield in order to reduce the risk of facial injuries.Even motorcycle helmets without shields, the researchers believe, can afford greater protection to the face.

The researchers studied data that came from the National Trauma Data Bank.The data involved approximately 46,000 motorcyclists who were involved in accidents, and suffered injuries that were serious enough for them to be taken to the hospital.Approximately 75% of all the motorcyclists in the study were wearing helmets at the time of the accident.The researchers found that motorcyclists who were wearing helmets had a 60% reduced chance of suffering facial injuries to the nose, jaws and other parts of the face, compared to motorcyclists who were not wearing a helmet.

Published on: May 8, 2012

Up to a Quarter of All American Adults May Be at Risk of Drowsy Driving Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A new study indicates that lack of sleep and insomnia are huge health problems among American adults. According to the study which has been published in the medical journal The Lancet, as many as a quarter of all adults are not happy with the amount of sleep they get each night. In fact, approximately 10% of adults meet the criteria for full-fledged insomnia. The Atlanta car accident lawyers at our firm unfortunately see far too many serious vehicle accidents due to drowsy or distracted driving.

Researchers based their study on an analysis of previous scientific databases, and findings from major studies conducted on sleep over the past 5 years. They found several factors that indicated we need to increase awareness about the widespread nature of insomnia, and spotlight the consequences of insomnia.

Insomnia is associated with a number of health disorders. According to a report published in 2002, persons who suffer from insomnia are about twice as likely to suffer from congestive heart failure compared to persons who have healthy and normal sleep patterns. Additionally, these persons will be approximately 5 times as likely to suffer from depression or anxiety-related disorders. Persons who suffer from insomnia, according to the researchers, may also be at a high risk for substance abuse, and psychological disorders.

Published on: September 19, 2011

New Study into Motorcycle Accident Causes and Prevention

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A groundbreaking new study that promises Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers new insight into the causes of motorcycle accidents has just begun. Since motorcycle accidents result in some of the worst personal injury cases and wrongful deaths, any insights into the causes of these often catastrophic accidents is helpful. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has announced that the very first motorcyclist in a study of 100 motorcyclists has officially begun his one-year long experience.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s study is a naturalistic one, believed to be the first such study into motorcycle safety in the country.The study relies on the use of recording and tracking devices, like video cameras and GPS devices to record the motorcyclist on an everyday basis.One hundred motorcycles will be recruited as part of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation study.These motorcycles will be fitted with five color video cameras, a GPS tracker, and other devices that will help researchers track the motorcyclist’s riding experiences.

The researchers hope to get valuable information about the motorcyclist’s daily experiences on his vehicle.They also expect information about the environment just before and during the crash.A typical motorcycle accident study does not take into consideration such real-time data.A typical study will include a simple examination of accident scenes.Through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation study, researchers hope to capture information in the minutes just before a crash, to understand more about the causes of such accidents.

Published on: May 27, 2011

Survey Finds Americans Want More Traffic Safety Laws to Prevent Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A new survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates that Americans would rather have more government interference in matters of traffic safety to prevent auto accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents. Of course, these accidents often result in serious personal injuries and wrongful deaths. According to the survey, 62% of Americans want more traffic safety laws to reduce poor driving behaviors and minimize accident risks.What’s more, 57% of respondents wanted their individual states to get more involved in making the roads safer.This is an indication to Atlanta car accident attorneys that there is plenty of support for recent moves in Georgia to enact mandatory seatbelt laws for all, and ban texting while driving for all motorists.

According to the survey, 70% of Americans feel that traffic safety laws should be strictly enforced.There’s a lesson here for Atlanta and throughout Georgia which has recently banned texting while driving – laws can be meaningless unless these are enforced and violators penalized sufficiently.

Additionally, the survey also indicates that there is plenty of support for tough teen driver licensing standards.86% of the respondents believe that new drivers should be required to complete a driver’s education course before they are allowed a driver’s license.American motorists also want to see automakers invest in technologies that will help prevent accidents and keep motorists safe.60% of the respondents wanted automakers to do more to make their vehicles safer.