Car Accidents

Survey: Parents may not be setting the best driving example

Published on: August 24, 2014 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

As you made your way to work this past week, there’s a very good chance that you observed some fairly reckless conduct behind the wheel from speeding and tailgating to running red lights and, of course, distracted driving.

The unfortunate reality is that even though New York has outlawed talking or texting while driving, making it a primary offense, motorists here in the Empire State can still be regularly observed with their smartphones held to their ears or their heads looking downward as they are sending a text message.

In fact, it’s not just New York that has a problem with distracted driving, as statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that 3,360 people were killed in distracted driving-related car accidents in the U.S. in 2011 and another 3,328 were killed in 2012.

30 studies agree: hands-free is just as dangerous as handheld

Published on: April 18, 2014 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Anyone who drives in Syracuse should know that there is a complete ban in New York on texting while driving, but they might not also realize that there is a ban on using handheld cellphones behind the wheel, too. The reasoning is clear, using a handheld cellphone while driving is dangerous and it really doesn’t matter if it is being used to text, surf the Internet or to talk on the phone. So, what about hands-free cellphones?

The National Safety Council took a public poll and drivers across the country overwhelmingly agreed that hands-free devices were safer than handheld devices. In fact, 80 percent of people thought so. Of those who actually use hands-free devices, 70 percent do so because they believe they are safer. The problem? More than 30 studies have found that hands-free devices are just as dangerous as handsheld devices.

The problem is not so much the looking away from the road to dial (although that is certainly a big distraction), but trying to have a conversation while driving. When people are driving, they need to use their brains to drive, to pay attention to the road and to make the adjustments necessary to stay safe. If they are also trying to hold a conversation, even if it is on a hands-free device, a great deal of brain power is being directed away from driving.

Bus driver on cell phone jumps sidewalk, kills infant

Published on: August 5, 2013 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

A bus driver is being charged with death by auto in a tragic incident on July 30 that killed an eight-month-old baby on in West New York, New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from New York City. A police officer who arrived on the scene performed CPR on the infant, but ultimately was not able to save her.

Officers say the driver was talking on his cell phone when he lost control of the bus. It jumped the curb and struck a lamppost, which hit the baby carriage. In addition to the criminal offense of death by auto, which carries a prison term of five to ten years, the 48-year-old bus driver was issued summonses for reckless driving and using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle.

According to a witness, the bus had just completed a stop to let off and pick up passengers when the chaos began. As soon as the bus started up again, the wheels began to spin and the bus seemed to go out of control. It jumped the curb and crashed into a lamppost, which struck the baby in her carriage. The bus continued moving, hitting a tree and then another lamppost. It also hit a parked car, which in turn plowed into several other parked cars. One of those cars had four people in it who suffered minor injuries.

‘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.