car design

Published on: July 28, 2025

Study: Many Cars Now Have Expanded Blind Zones, Bigger Car Accident Risks

Much of motorist safety has to do with safe vehicle design. Thousands of car accidents every year are likely caused by imperfect or defective design of automobiles. A disturbing new study finds that some of the top-selling cars in America, including larger automobiles like SUVs and pickup trucks have blind zones that have expanded in size over the past 25 years. Simply put, larger blind spots greatly increase the risk of car accidents.

The analysis was conducted recently by researchers at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a group that has been in the forefront of demanding that automakers implement safer vehicle designs as a way of preventing car accident wrongful deaths. This study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety used new measurement techniques to measure a motorist’s area of vision around the vehicle.

The study found that between 1997 and 2023, forward visibility around a vehicle dropped by as much as 58% in some of the most popular SUVs on the market. In the case of pickup trucks, the forward visibility dropped by 17%. This means that the blind zones in many of the most popular and highest- selling pickup trucks and SUVs in the United States have actually been decreasing significantly in size over the past few years.

Published on: December 19, 2023

Cars With Taller Front Ends More Likely to Cause Fatal Pedestrian Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Pedestrians are more likely to suffer fatal personal injuries in a car accident when they are involved in an accident with a large vehicle, like a pick up truck or SUV. According to the findings of a new study, however, more than the size of the vehicle, it may be the height of the front end of the truck that may prove most detrimental to pedestrian safety.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently published the findings of two new research studies into pedestrian safety. According to the researchers, vehicles that have taller, higher front ends are much more likely to cause serious and fatal personal injuries to pedestrians in a car accident. The study found that cars with a hood height of more than 40 inches were approximately 45% more likely to kill pedestrians involved in an auto accident with the car, in comparison to cars that had a hood height of 30 inches or less.

The worrying part is that vehicles with taller, higher hoods have become extremely popular over the past few decades. According to research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, over the past 30 years, there has been a significant increase in not just the size and weight of the average vehicle, but also the hood height. The average car has increased by 8 inches in height and 1000 pounds in weight. Over the same period of time, cars have also gotten about 4 inches wider and about 10 inches longer. In fact, many vehicles that you see in Atlanta today are likely to be at least 40 inches or higher at the tallest point of the hood. Aggressive – looking vehicles are not just intimidating to pedestrians, but are also capable of causing serious and devastating personal injuries that can result in wrongful death.

Published on: September 8, 2023

Improperly Installed Car Seats Increase Risk of Personal Injuries in Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Car seats for young children are an extremely important safety device. Every parent recalls having to deal with situation of installing a car seat for the first time or when they get a new car. Unfortunately, far too many car seats are improperly installed, exposing children in the seats to the risk of potential life – threatening personal injuries in car accidents.

Securing a child in a car seat is an absolute must before any journey. Most parents, fortunately, in Georgia, are aware of the need to restrain children in car seats. Car seats should not only be used every time for young children, but also must be appropriate to the age and weight of the child. Many car seats have been designed to be easy to use, in order to make it easy for parents to install these seats. Unfortunately, even with these easy –to use designs, parents still make errors in the installation of these car seats.

According to a new study, too many seats are being improperly installed, exposing the children in the seats to the risk of potentially catastrophic or even life- threatening personal injuries in the event of an auto accident. The researchers looked at seat check data from between 2015 and 2019, and found that approximately 70% or an overwhelming majority of all the errors involved car seats installed with seat belts. Other errors involved recline angles. About half of the errors involved top tether on forward – facing car seats. The tether is an important component of the car seat and is meant to be attached to the vehicle, and according to the study, many parents either fail to secure it or secure it incorrectly.

Published on: March 29, 2023

Highly Ranked Cars Less Likely to be Involved in Fatal Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

When motorists drive cars that have been ranked highly by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, they are less likely to suffer fatal personal injuries in a car accident.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is one of several organizations that publishes safety rankings for automobiles. Thousands of Americans who buy new cars every year depend on ratings by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Consumer Reports and other organizations. For them, these rankings form a critical component of the buying decision.

A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds that when motorists are driving cars that have been highly ranked, their risks of suffering fatal personal injuries in an auto accident fall by 12% compared to vehicles that are ranked poorly. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety focused on motorists driving cars that performed well on small overlap tests. The study found that motorists driving cars that performed better on small overlap tests in frontal car accidents were less likely to suffer personal injuries in an auto accident.

Published on: November 14, 2022

Newer Cars Better Protect Women Motorists Against Personal Injuries in Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New automobiles that come with advanced safety technology have reduced the disparity between male and female motorists in the kind of injuries caused in car accidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released the results of a new report which finds that newer automobiles, particularly those of model years 2010 and later, do a much better job of protecting female motorists against personal injuries and reducing the disparity in injuries between female and male drivers.

These findings were published in a report titled Female Crash Fatality Risk Relative to Males With Similar Physical Impacts. Traditionally, there has been a discrepancy between male and female motorists in the outcomes of auto accidents. Women are almost 40 percent more likely to suffer injuries in car accidents.

Published on: January 9, 2022

Latest Crash Tests Underscore Role of Rear Seatbelts in Preventing Car Accident Personal Injuries

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New crash tests clearly highlight the importance of rear seat belts in preventing serious personal injuries in car accidents. The results of these tests are likely to spur efforts towards keeping back seat passengers safe in auto accidents.

Safety experts at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released the results of new tests specifically focused on the role of seatbelts in preventing personal injuries to passengers riding in the back. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety was specifically looking at whether seatbelt technologies that have been shown to have excellent personal injury protection capabilities for front seat passengers and drivers, can also perform equally well in protecting rear seat passengers. The crash tests resulted in a new set of ratings for rear seatbelts, and this is the first time that ratings for rear seat belts have been released in the US.

These ratings will guide manufacturers as they design better automobiles that protect not just motorists and front seat passengers, but also passengers at risk at the back. The push towards increasing safety for back seat passengers received a further boost this year with Uber announcing that its app will soon require back seat passengers to buckle in as soon as they get in the car.

Published on: January 4, 2022

In-Car Technology, Objects Major Factor in Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New cars have an increasing array of gadgets and accessories. Although some may be designed to help keep a driver safe, in-car technology and objects inside the car may actually be much more likely to distract motorists than objects outside the car.

These new findings are part of recent research into distractions affecting motorists and their impact on safe driving. The study was published in Accident Analysis and Prevention Journal and focused on the types of distractions that motorists are most prone to, as well as the impact of distractions on different types of motorists, including teen as well as senior drivers.

The study found that in-car objects and technology as well as cell phones were a major distraction for motorists. External scenes were also a distraction to a certain extent. Teens and adult drivers were much more likely to be distracted by technology, other passengers as well as other types of distractions, compared to senior drivers. However, senior drivers seemed to suffer a greater impact from distractions. Older drivers may begin to suffer from slower reflexes and delayed response times as they age, and the impact of these can be exacerbated when the senior driver is also distracted by his cell phone or other technology. Both females as well as males were prone to distractions.

Published on: October 16, 2011

Automakers Must Get More Responsible about Removing Distracted Driving Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Even as automakers try to add their voice to the anti-distracted driving chorus, Atlanta car accident lawyers find that they continue to outfit their automobiles with increasingly distracting gadgets.These type of gadgets greatly increase the likelihood of auto accidents involving serious personal injuries and wrongful death.

A case in point is Ford Motor Company.The company has been conducting a lot of anti-distracted driving workshops at high schools across the country, including in Georgia. Ford has been sponsoring clinics at several high schools urging students to switch off cell phones and texting devices while driving, and focus on the road.These efforts come as part of the Driving Skills for Life Program which the company promotes.

All these are wonderful initiatives, but it would help if Ford Motor Company actually walked the walk by removing such distractions from its automobiles.Just one look at Ford’s Sync voice-activated system on several of the company’s automobiles should make it clear that the automaker doesn’t necessarily have its money where its mouth is.

Published on: January 9, 2010

New Accident Risks Emerge as Automakers Amp Up Technologies in Cars

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New Accident Risks Emerge as Automakers Amp up Technologies in Cars

Getting people to switch off their cell phones while driving has been hard enough, but 2010 promises even more distractions for motorists, and greater risks of accidents. This year, automakers plan to roll out a number of cars with infotainment systems mounted on the dashboard. These systems include 10-inch plus monitors that allow users to access the internet, read restaurant reviews, look at 3-D maps, watch high definition video, and monitor fuel levels, most of this via touch screen technology.

Automakers insist that these systems are safe because the more distracting functions like internet access will not work if the car is moving. However, most of the other functions are available to use through touch screens. It’s part of a wider trend of vehicles coming equipped with all the features that we have come to accept in our smart phones. It also promises a massive headache for the Department of Transportation, and agencies around the country that are struggling to minimize cell-phone related risks. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has already made clear his displeasure at these new high-tech features, and has promised that he will discuss the issue.