Maryland Injury Attorney Blog

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) analyzed US auto accident fatality rates for 2012.* In Maryland, 456 fatal motor vehicle crashes were recorded with 505 related deaths. That’s an increase over the 485 auto crash fatalities reported in 2011 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Maryland’s 505 crash related deaths in 2012 amounts to 8.6 deaths per 100,000 population and 0.90 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. That is less than the overall US rate of 10.7 deaths per 100,000 population. By comparison, North Dakota had the highest death rate at 24.3 deaths per 100,000, while our neighbors in District of Columbia had the lowest rate at 2.4 deaths.

The IIHS report reveals other facts about fatal Maryland traffic crashes in 2012:

As if texting while driving (illegal in Maryland) weren’t dangerous enough, more drivers admit to using the Internet while behind the wheel. We see the tragic results of distracted driving when car accident victims come to our Baltimore personal injury law firm for help. We have never heard one good reason for anyone being on a cell phone while driving that was important enough to warrant taking one’s hands off the wheel and eyes off the road.

State Farm reports that “webbing while driving” is on the rise, with 24 percent of US drivers surveyed admitting to the practice. This refers to drivers using their smart phones to surf the Internet — when their eyes should be on the road. The top reasons drivers go online while driving are to (1) find directions, (2) read email, (3) obtain information “of immediate interest,” (4) engage on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and (5) compose / send email.

Distracted driving has become an increasing threat on our Maryland roadways and around the country, leading to serious and deadly motor vehicle crashes. Public safety advocates now believe distracted driving can be as deadly as drunk driving. The CDC estimates more than 16 people are killed and 1,300 people are injured in crashes involving distracted driving every day.

It’s one of the toughest topics to broach with an aging parent or relative: When is it time to hand over the keys and give up the car? Some of the saddest cases we deal with here as experienced Baltimore County accident injury lawyers involve senior citizens who should not have been behind the wheel. In the blink of an eye, they make a mistake that causes a serious or fatal motor vehicle crash. Those cases are tragic for everyone involved, including the elderly person driving.

As the Baby Boomer population ages, traffic safety advocates here in Maryland and at the national level are taking a harder look at preventing accidents among drivers aged 65 and older.

A recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report notes that traffic crash statistics, broken down by driver age, resemble a U. Teenage drivers comprise the group that causes the most car accidents, then crash statistics level out across adulthood. However, accident statistics begin to rise dramatically again for drivers ages 70 and up. NHTSA reports that…

“I didn’t see her brake lights.” “I didn’t think I was going that fast.” “I thought I could make it through the intersection in time.” Baltimore County car accident injury lawyers like us have heard all the possible reasons (and then some) for why Maryland drivers get in traffic accidents — and why they think they aren’t at fault in any way.

As we blogged about in July, Maryland is not a victim-friendly state if you’re in a serious motor vehicle accident with injury, and you’re even a fraction to blame. The Maryland Contributory Negligence Law, which was recently upheld in the high court, can make it difficult in many traffic accident injury cases for victims to collect compensation or damages — unless they have an experienced accident injury attorney to advocate for them. (See link to related blog article below.)

Now the Maryland Court of Special Appeals has given police one more good reason to pull over Maryland drivers. On Sept. 10, the Court ruled that driving with a broken third brake light is inherently unsafe — and sufficient grounds for law enforcement to pull the vehicle over.

A few years ago, we wrote about how the fall migration of students back to Maryland colleges brings with it a certain, hard-to-miss road hazard — unsecured loads. This year will likely be no different.

We’ll see them careening down Maryland interstates and highways: Mattresses strapped precariously to car roofs, their edges flapping in the breeze. Pickup trucks stacked willy-nilly with sofas, chairs, and other furniture, just a rope snap away from potential disaster. Suitcases, boxes, and other cargo that didn’t stay put litter the Maryland roadsides.

Such amateur efforts at loading cargo make us slap our foreheads and shake our heads in disbelief. But it’s no laughing matter when unsecured cargo comes loose and becomes a dangerous projectile and obstacle on Maryland highways. Baltimore County auto accident lawyers like us see the results of bad driving and risk taking on Maryland roadways. Poor decisions can lead to bad accidents.