Traffic Safety

While Helping to Reduce Serious Traffic Accidents, Roundabouts Continully Present Challenges to Maryland Drivers

August 8, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a personal injury firm that represents automobile and trucking accident victims, I and my staff of legal professionals know the downside of being involved in a serious car, truck or motorcycle collision. The number and severity of auto accident injuries can be quite significant in our line of work. Sadly, no matter how hard we as a society work to reduce the amount of roadway wrecks, there will always be victims; history has shown that while we can always hope for an end to car crashes, we can’t eliminate them completely.

But hope springs eternal, and with improvements in car and truck safety, better roads and continuous breakthroughs in medical science, society at large will likely be safer and safer over time. This brings up a point that road safety is constantly being improved, though sometimes slower than most would like to see. We are reminded of the challenges that traffic safety engineers face on a regular basis when we run across articles covering stumbling blocks to safety.

Not long ago we read a news article that pointed out the frustration of drivers who use the dozens of roundabouts throughout our state. As Maryland and Washington, D.C., personal injury lawyers, the fact that serious injuries and certainly fatalities can be significantly reduced by the implementation of roadway roundabouts is heartening to most anyone who follows traffic safety news. The fact that some improvements can raise other concerns is part and parcel with any radical change that affects the driving public.

Maryland Investigates Raising Speed Limit on Inter-County Connector Toll Road

May 19, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

No judgments here, but simply a note to those who may be interested: The State of Maryland has been looking at raising the speed limit on the Intercounty Connector (ICC) near Burtonsville, MD. This may not seem like a serious issue, but some people may have mixed feelings about the recently announced study to increase speeds along the new section of highway. According to news reports, almost 40,000 vehicles traveled along the ICC during the first week or so of operation. And during that time the police apparently issued more than a thousand speeding tickets to motorists.

Of course, the benefit of this new route is that it essentially cuts travel time Laurel and Gaithersburg by nearly 50 percent. This is a boon to local commuters, but the roadway has also been rife with those who apparently wanted to make the trip in even less time, hence the spate of speeding citations along the 16 miles of what was previously known as Rte 200. Initially posted as 55mph, the toll road was reportedly designed for 60mph; this may be a problem since state officials say that raising the speed limit to 60 or more would be unusual.

As a Maryland personal injury lawyer, I understand how any increase in speed can lead to worse accidents. And while car, truck and motorcycle accidents cannot be eliminated, keeping speeds low or limiting posted speeds to a safer level can help to reduce the devastating effects of a severe traffic accident. Of course, any crash involving a commercial truck — such as an 18-wheeler big rig — can lead to severe injuries or even death to drivers and passengers of any smaller vehicle involved in a crash with that larger truck.

AAA Traffic Safety Study: Risk of Fatal Traffic Accidents Rise when Teen Drivers Carry Younger Passengers

May 17, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to a study just recently released, every parent’s nightmare would appear to be confirmed: young teenage drivers are more likely to get into a fatal car crash when driving with other young passengers. The study only serves to bolster previous data that pointed to an elevated roadway accident risk for young drivers. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we would tend to agree with findings; more importantly, parents should take note and coach their young drivers accordingly.

Based on news articles, this latest study coming out of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety identifies a definite link between fatal automobile collisions and the age of a driver as well as whether or not the vehicle is carrying one or more other young passengers.

Titled “Teen Driver Risk in Relation to Age and Number of Passengers,” the AAA’s report used traffic accident statistics from 2007 to 2010. In general, researchers determined that odds for a fatal accident involving a vehicle driven by a 16 to 17-year-old motorist increased with the addition of each young occupant. As study authors reminded, the report reconfirmed what safety advocates have apparently known for quite some time.

Study: Red-Light Cameras Help Reduce Traffic Accident Rates; Contribute to Fewer Car Crash Injuries

May 12, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Human nature being what it is we weren’t surprised to hear some of the latest findings from a recent study conducted by a Florida television news station regarding the use and effects of so-called “red-light” cameras. Since Maryland’s metro areas have their fair share of these devices, it was interesting to read about the latest look into the psychology of drivers when confronted with this kind of passive traffic enforcement.

Now, it goes without saying that any approach to reducing traffic accidents, and by association related fatalities and severe, sometimes life-altering personal injuries, would be met with at least some acceptance. Red-light cameras are supposed to accomplish their job, in part, by being “advertised” by local law enforcement agencies.

Being injury attorneys based in the Baltimore area and serving residents of Maryland and Washington, D.C., we can appreciate the efforts of safety advocates to encourage increased adherence to traffic laws. According to a report from a TV station in Florida, very few drivers will admit to liking these red-light cameras. But since more than 150,000 men, women and children are hurt annually as a result of another driver running or otherwise ignoring a red traffic signal, there is certainly some merit to these traffic control devices.

State’s Licensing Laws Appear to be Working to Reduce Injuries and Deaths of Maryland’s Teenage Drivers

May 8, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As personal injury attorneys here in Baltimore, we’ve seen too articles detailing the tragic results of traffic accidents involving Maryland’s younger drivers. As adults, we can understand the difficulties involved with training and licensing first-time drivers, especially from the standpoint of inexperience and the dangers of youthful indiscretion. As driving has become a ubiquitous part of our American lifestyle, there is no practical way to increase the driving age, but many states including Maryland have instituted legislation that helps to ease teenage drivers into their driving careers with a graduated approach to licensing new drivers.

Any traffic accident that can be prevented is one that parents and family members would surely want to avoid. With the number of severe injury accidents and fatal car, truck and motorcycle collisions across our state, there is much to be said about saving our young people from possible injury or death as a result of a bad traffic wreck.

Whether one lives in Gaithersburg, Annapolis, Rockville or Washington, D.C., no doubt you or someone you know has a family member who may have been hurt in a car or commercial trucking-related roadway accident. In the best of cases, a few minor bumps or bruises may be all that the victim suffered; others may not have been that lucky. With closed-head injuries, compound fractures and spinal cord damage all potential injuries resulting from a car crash, anyone would be happy to avoid a hospital stay and subsequent physical therapy.

NHTSA Delays Latest Ruling for “Rear-View” Cameras in Production Passenger Vehicles

April 9, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my legal staff keep ourselves up-to-date on the latest federal and state legislation affecting car, truck and motorcycle accident law, as well as traffic safety and enforcement issues. Understanding that traffic accidents take the lives of many thousands of Americans ever year, as well as injuring, maiming and permanently disabling many more individuals whose only mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Automobile and commercial trucking accidents are without a doubt a continuing threat to the health and safety of many Maryland motorists and their families. One of the more common accidents, this time involving pedestrians hurt by cars and trucks, is the typical reversing collision with a person on foot or injuring a bicycle rider. These sometimes fatal collisions can happen almost anywhere; from supermarket parking areas and multi-level parking structures to church parking lots and residential driveways.

As many of our readers may already have noticed, a number of automobile companies have had rear-view “backup” cameras from several years or more on selected vehicle models. And while more and more companies are including these devices as part of their multi-media hardware and software systems, there remain many cars that do not offer the feature.

Baltimore County Traffic Accident News: Safety of Belair Road Challenged following Another Fatal Car Crash

March 31, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We’ve already spoken previously about the potential accident risk posed by certain stretches of roadways throughout the state. It would appear that drivers and local residents near more than one road in Maryland have reason to be nervous, based at least on recent news stories covering a fatal crash that killed one woman.

As personal injury attorneys serving individuals in Baltimore, Annapolis, Gaithersburg and the District, I and my colleagues travel on streets and highway along with thousands of other motorists every day; any danger to one’s health and well-being is a legitimate concern.

Of course, passenger car and motorcycle accidents can occur any time without notice, but those crashes caused by a poorly designed roadway or badly regulated speed zone could potentially be avoided given the proper amount of attention. Sometimes all it takes is public outrage to bring the topic to the fore.

Study Points to iPods and Other Entertainment Devices Utilizing Headphones as Source of Pedestrian Injuries

February 29, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We’re not ones to begrudge anyone their choice of entertainment or mode of personal escape from the daily rigors and stresses of modern life. Certainly it’s no surprise that living in cities such as Baltimore, Annapolis, Gaithersburg and Washington, D.C., can push many individuals to seek a pleasant source of diversion from the so-called rat race. But, regardless of the reason for choosing to isolate oneself from the everyday world, a recent study suggests doing just that — in the middle of a bustling urban environment — may actually be dangerous to one’s health; deadly, in fact.

As Maryland auto injury lawyers, we’ve represented numerous victims of car, truck and motorcycle accidents in their quest to recover costs associated with traffic accidents caused by another negligent party. Since a percentage of automobile and trucking accident cases involve people either on foot or riding bicycles, we found it interesting that the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine in cooperation with the University of Maryland Medical Center produced a study naming headphones and personal entertainment devices as leading contributors to pedestrian-related traffic injuries.

According to news reports, the study concluded that pedestrians who use various electronic devices that utilize headphones to listen to audio content have experienced a near tripling of their injury rate over the past six years.

Baltimore Traffic Safety News: Has Proliferation of Red-light Cameras Actually Reduced Maryland’s Automobile Accident Rate?

February 24, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anyone who drives here in Maryland has probably seen one or more of the nearly 200 red-light cameras dotting the landscape all around our roadways. The trend toward adding these monitor cameras has no doubt raised drivers’ awareness of the ever-watchful eye of government, but it also begs the question of whether the addition of these devices has really contributed to a meaningful decrease in auto, truck and motorcycle accidents over the years.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my staff represent the victims of traffic wrecks — as well as the families of those individuals killed as a result of another person’s negligence behind the wheel. As many safety experts have already stated, it is up for debate whether or not drivers and pedestrians alike have benefited in a significant way with the placement of hundreds of red-light cameras in and around the state.

According to news reports, over the past 14 years since Maryland’s state legislature has approved the use of red light cameras, dozens of these electronic monitoring devices have been hard at work issuing traffic tickets for motorists accused of running red lights throughout the state. Based on information from AAA Mid-Atlantic, those nearly 200 cameras mentioned above do not include so-called speed cameras, which are also in use around the state — AAA does not have complete totals for those kinds of cameras.

Baltimore Traffic Accident Update: Reviewing the Statistical Danger of Meeting a Drunken Driver in Maryland

January 6, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Baltimore auto accident attorneys, we are always at odds with the actuaries and statistics people, not because we don’t believe the numbers, but because it’s a hard pill to swallow that X-number of innocent people will be injured in car and trucking-related accidents from one year to the next. Unlike those who tally only numbers, as Maryland personal injury lawyers, we are all too familiar with the pain and suffering of our clients.

This brings up an interesting topic that many have touched on over the years; that of drunken driving accidents, injury and fatal, which happen more than anyone would like to admit. Among the top candidates for senseless traffic collisions has to be drunken driving wrecks. This category of car, truck and motorcycle collision is by far the most preventable, since it usually involves a driver who more or less chose to drive in an impaired state.

Truly, victims and families of those killed in DWI and DUI car crashes must live with the memory for the rest of their lives; knowing that the death of their loved one in a sometimes terrible car or truck wreck need no have happened at all if it wasn’t for the thoughtless consumption of alcohol, or the reckless use of prescription or illicit drugs.

We’re told by many authorities that drunk driving arrest rates are down across the country, and by association the number of crashes have dropped as well. But the question that comes to mind amid all this “good” news is whether or not people are drinking and driving less.