distracted driver

Front crash prevention system may not help with negligent drivers

Published on: June 3, 2014 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

There are a number of new vehicles on the road these days and, as always, they are utilizing a variety of new technologies to keep drivers and passengers safer. These technological breakthroughs are certainly important, but they often fail to protect against negligent drivers. Yet having one of the newest safety features, front crash prevention systems, won’t necessarily keep a driver safe from a motor vehicle accident caused by a distracted or reckless driver.

Front crash prevention systems do what they say, they try to prevent crashes to the front of the vehicle. In essence, a system will let driver A know that his or her vehicle is getting to close to the rear of driver B’s vehicle. Sometimes there are warnings, sometimes the car automatically slows down. What the system does not do, however, is warn driver A that driver C’s vehicle is quickly approaching from behind and will hit the back of driver A’s car. It also would not warn driver A that his or her car is about to be hit on the right or left side by drivers D or E, respectively.

Although there are some amazing safety features out there, they have not yet gotten rid of the need for personal injury lawsuits. When a negligent, reckless or distracted driver causes a motor vehicle accident, it will be a personal injury lawsuit that then protects an injured victim, not a safety feature.

Making distracted driving socially unacceptable

Published on: April 30, 2014 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Even though there are still people who will get behind the wheel while drunk, drunk driving is still seen as morally reprehensible. There are not many people willing to make excuses for people who drive drunk, but when someone is driving while distracted by a cellphone or some other kind of electronic device, some people are willing to give him or her a pass. The problem is, however, that distracted driving is incredibly dangerous and can cause the same types of injuries and death on New York’s roads that drunk driving can.

There are safety professionals across the country who are trying to cut down on the number of distracted drivers, and one of the main suggestions is to make distracted driving just as socially unacceptable as drunk driving.

One of the ways to do that is by encouraging others to remind drivers to put their electronic devices down while driving. Passengers should feel comfortable telling their drivers to not use the phone while driving. Individuals who receive calls from people driving can also tell drivers to call them back when they are done driving. Basically, the more societal pressure that is put on drivers to stop driving while distracted, hopefully the less likely they will be to use their phones while driving.

9 people will die from texting while driving today

Published on: March 19, 2014 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Most of us in Oneida realize that distracted driving is a problem. We have seen the commercials, heard the news reports and seen celebrities plead with us not to text while driving and, fortunately, most of us have listened. Unfortunately, those that haven’t are putting people at serious risk of injury and death. Though New York has outlawed texting while driving, there are many accidents that likely can be linked to distracted driving.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nine people will die every day from distracted driving. Moreover, 1,060 people will be hurt. These statistics are nationwide and they aren’t just citing texting behind the wheel, but that doesn’t make the figures any less staggering. In 2011 alone, 3,331 people died in distracted driving accidents.

Although some of the people killed in these accidents are the distracted drivers themselves, there are a number of people who were just innocent victims in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is hardly consolation to the families, however, and many of the surviving relatives want to hold distracted drivers responsible via wrongful death lawsuits. Not only does a lawsuit give the clear message that distracted driving is wrong, but it also helps compensate the families for the financial burden that comes along with a wrongful death.