We’re overtired, overindulged and overstimulated and it is affecting our driving. In fact, recent data shows just how serious these issues, particularly drowsy driving, have become and automakers are making strides in doing something to help combat our bad driving habits and reduce the number of accidents on our roadways.…
Articles Posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents
New Jersey’s ‘Move Over’ Law – Do You Follow It?
What do you do when you’re driving and you see emergency lights flashing on the side of the road? What does the law say you should do? In New Jersey, the law requires motorists to switch lanes, provided they can do so safely, and reduce their speed when passing emergency…
The Fight Against Fatigued Driving
Every state in the nation has laws against drunk driving, and most have laws against using cell phones and engaging in other distracting behaviors while behind the wheel. Few states, however, have addressed the dangers of fatigued driving. New Jersey is one of only two states that currently have laws…
Are Advancements in New Vehicle Technology a Help or a Hindrance?
Car buyers today are hard-pressed to find vehicles that aren’t equipped with technologies designed to make things easier and safer for drivers, but do these technologies actually accomplish that? Not according to recent research by the AAA Foundation. In fact, the research has shown that voice-activated programming takes drivers’ attention…
Drug-Related Motor Vehicle Accidents on the Rise
Although alcohol-related accidents are on the decline, accidents involving drivers impaired by drugs – including prescription medications – are on the rise. Statistics relating to drug use and fatal motor vehicle accidents are revealing. It isn’t always the use of illegal drugs or the misuse of prescription medications that is…
States Grapple with Distracting Driving Epidemic – Are More Laws the Answer?
Despite all the warnings about the dangers, drivers in the U.S. continue to operate cell phones while behind the wheel. In fact, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 660,000 drivers can be found using their cell phones in some manner at any given time. Safety issues…
What’s Stalling Installation of School Bus Safety Sensors?
Although a law requiring all new school buses in New Jersey to be equipped with sensors that would alert drivers if someone or something was passing in front of or behind their vehicles was signed more than a year ago, most school districts have yet to implement it. Abigail’s Law, named…
Too Little Sleep Increases Drivers’ Risks for Accidents
This time of year it is not uncommon for people to push through to accomplish everything on their to-do lists, even when that means sacrificing some sleep. But depriving yourself of the recommended amount of sleep can have serious consequences, especially for drivers. A recent study by the AAA Foundation…
Raising the Bar to Make Seat Belts Safer
There’s truth behind the slogan, ‘Seat Belts Save Lives.’ In fact, last year alone seat belts were credited with saving some 14,000 lives. At the same time, however, these safety harnesses can contribute to the injuries drivers and passengers suffer as a result of motor vehicle accidents. Part of the…
Is New Jersey’s Graduated Drivers’ License Program Saving Lives?
A recent report from the Governors Highway Safety Association revealed that the country has seen an almost 10 percent increase in fatal car accidents among teenage drivers this past year except in New Jersey where such accidents have actually declined. Could New Jersey’s graduated drivers’ license (GDL) program be the reason?…