Car Accidents

‘Tis the season for safe boating

Published on: June 1, 2013 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Summer is upon us, which means residents of New York will soon be flocking to the state’s many waterways for sunny days of boating, fishing and other water-related activities. Unfortunately that also means that people are at an increased risk of becoming involved in boating-related accidents.

In response to this risk, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting increased patrols around local lakes and rivers. In addition, navigation deputies will patrol state waters to make sure boaters and their vessels are prepared for the season.

Part of this effort includes routine inspections of boats and their safety equipment. Boat owners and operators should be sure they flares, an anchor and life jackets. A boat should always have a life jacket on board for every person on the boat and they should be easy to access in the event of an emergency.

U at Buffalo study highlights SUV crash risks

Published on: May 24, 2013 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

When you’re shopping for a new ride, many vehicle manufacturers will tout high crash ratings as a reason to invest in a certain model of car. These ratings are meant to give you an indication of how well your new car will fare should you become involved in a vehicle accident and, therefore, your chances of escaping without serious injury or death.

However, a recent study out of our home state of New York suggests that these crash ratings are not always as reliable a predictor or safety as we might like to think. This is particularly true when a car collides with a heavier, larger vehicle like a sport utility vehicle. In those accidents, a passenger car driver is more likely to die or become seriously injured, regardless of their car’s crash rating.

The study from the University at Buffalo found that in head-on collisions between cars and SUVs, the drivers of cars were almost 10 times more likely to die if the SUV had a better crash rating than the car – and, alarmingly, more than four times more likely to die if their crash rating beat the SUVs.

Distracted driving: Stigmatized, illegal, but still common

Published on: May 4, 2013 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

In New York, it is against the law for drivers to text while driving. It is also a primary offense for drivers to talk on a handheld phone. Those are relatively strict distracted driving laws in comparison to other states. A recent survey that The Conusmer Reports National Research Center conducted, however, suggests that laws in the U.S. overall are not scaring drivers from relying on their cellphones while driving.

Put yourself in the shoes of the 1,000 plus susbjects who were surveyed for the study. In the past 30 days, have you seen someone talking on a handheld device while driving? Have you seen someone texting and driving? If you answer yes to those questions, you are not alone, and that is a scary reality in terms of traffic safety.

On average, more than 3,000 people are killed annually in distracted driving-related accidents in the country. Thousands others are injured, all because of the widespread addiction that people have to their cell phones and other technological devices.