Articles Posted in Automobile Accidents

As experienced Baltimore car accident injury lawyers will attest — winter driving in Maryland can be mighty challenging. This is true for any Baltimore County resident who commutes to work on Maryland highways and roads, maybe over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge or into Baltimore City on a daily basis. Snow and ice make the experience that much more interesting.

Winter weather is often cited as a contributing factor in serious Baltimore County car accidents. Sometimes, it’s a challenge just to get out of the driveway.

Which explains why, after Mother Nature dumps a snowy load on Maryland, we see the inevitable “moving igloos” chugging down our streets and cruising down our highways. By that we mean cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs driven by people who didn’t clean the snow and ice off their vehicles. You know the ones…where the driver is peering out a tiny hole in an icy windshield that hasn’t been fully defrosted. If you’ve been behind one of these mobile snow cones when the 10-inch cap of snow or 3-inch sheet of ice on the car roof lets go–you know what a driving hazard this problem can be.

When was the last time you had a heart-to-heart talk with an elderly parent or grandparent about their driving abilities? As uncomfortable as that might be, it could be a life saver. A Baltimore news source reported that the AAA found that on average, more than one Maryland senior citizen is killed weekly in an auto accident. One a week.

That statistic might be surprising to some. However Baltimore traffic accident injury lawyers know what can happen when elder drivers lose their ability to safely helm an automobile on Maryland roads, highways, and city streets.

Too often, we hear a Baltimore, Maryland area news story about a senior citizen who lost control of their vehicle and caused a serious or fatal pedestrian accident or car crash. The AAA urges families to have those frank discussions about when it’s time for seniors to stop driving. Other factors to consider for senior driving safety:

This past August, Ford Motor Company and the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) issued a safety recall for the Windstar minivan. Windstar model years 1998-2003 manufactured and sold in Canada and several cold-weather states — Maryland included — are at risk for axle cracking, corrosion and failure, which could lead to serious and even fatal auto accidents.

Ford stated that Windstar minivans sold, owned and operated in snow belt states like Maryland are at greater risk for axle corrosion and failure, due to rock salt used to treat slippery roads. As anyone who’s driven on Baltimore County, Maryland roads on bad winter days knows — the rock salt and sanding truck is a welcomed sight. But that salt can accelerate rust and corrosion on the undercarriage of a motor vehicle, which is the problem Ford describes on Windstars manufactured with “heat-treated axles.” The initial recall of more than half a million Ford Windstar minivans has been expanded by several thousand, bring the total number recalled to 612,000.

Baltimore County auto accident injury lawyers stay current on automotive safety recalls such as this one from Ford. Experienced Maryland traffic injury attorneys are aware of laws surrounding automotive product liability and consumer protection. If you live in Maryland and drive an older Ford Windstar minivan, you’d best contact your local Ford dealer and get the vehicle inspected, to avoid a possible traffic accident.

If you’re a parent in Maryland with a teenage driver on the road, you might be interested in a study about teen driving safety and supervision.

The journal Pediatrics reports that teen car accidents are less likely to happen in families where parents lay down ground rules before the kids take to the road.

The study was conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which surveyed 5,500 teenagers. The results showed that young drivers are less likely to be involved in car accidents when parents restrict access to the car keys. Researchers concluded that requiring teens to ask for the car keys gives parents more opportunities to supervise their driving habits and set rules for safety.

Though nationally and in Maryland, overall traffic accident deaths have declined — distracted driving death rates remain unchanged. So says a new study released by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood describes the problem of distracted driving as a national “epidemic.” Some alarming numbers:

• One in 8 roadway deaths is blamed on distracted driving.
• Last year, distracted driving was blamed for 5,474 motor vehicle accident deaths and nearly half a million people injured on U.S. roads and highways.

Anyone who drives to or from the city of Baltimore, Maryland at rush hour will tell you — it’s not for the faint of heart. Like most older American cities, Baltimore has problems with traffic congestion. There are simply too many drivers jockeying to get someplace at the same time on roads not built to handle the volume. Throw in Baltimore County road and bridge construction delays, bad weather, and car accidents, and it’s not a pretty sight.

And now, apparently, Baltimore drivers’ bad habits have made the traffic situation in Maryland uglier — and the chance of getting in a Baltimore traffic accident more likely.

According to the Baltimore Business Journal, insurance company Allstate has published a report that finds Baltimore drivers to be some of the most dangerous in the country. The study, which looked at 200 American cities, found that…

Does your dog ride shotgun in your car, truck or SUV — his head hanging out the window and tongue flapping in the breeze? Or is your beloved pooch planted happily on your lap as you drive on Baltimore County, Maryland streets and highways? We’ve all seen them go by and smiled.

But according to a new AAA report, canines cavorting in moving autos can distract the drivers and cause deadly car crashes.

The report found that only 17 percent of members surveyed restrain their dogs in their motor vehicles. The majority drive with their dogs loose in the car — which could distract the driver and cause a traffic accident. The report also found that…

The Choose Safety for Life * Maryland Safety Campaigns has posted some interesting data on motor vehicle accidents in Maryland:

• Total number of Maryland car crashes has gone down from 104,103 in 2004 to 95,349 in 2008.
• The number of fatal crashes has also declined: from 576 in 2004 to 539 in 2008.

“Don’t drive too fast.” “Be careful with your mother’s car.” “Keep your eyes on the road.” “Be home by your curfew.” All typical warnings parents give to their teenagers when they hand over their car keys to them — and pray they come back home alive. Now, 21st century parents need to tell their teenagers, “No talking on your cell phone while you’re driving” and, more recently, “No texting and driving.”

Problem is, an alarming percentage of adults aren’t practicing what they preach.

A new study released by the Pew Research Center shows that adults are as guilty as youth of sending text messages while operating a motor vehicle (see link below). Scores of traffic safety reports show that distracted driving is a primary cause of serious and fatal car accidents in Maryland and around the country. Some scary statistics: