Washington State is aggressively moving towards eliminating road deaths for good. Governor Chris Gregoire has introduced a program called Target Zero with the aim to eliminate car accident deaths on Washington Roads by 2030. One step in this daunting effort is to touch the most at risk groups.

One of the obstacles is that Washington Tribes may not have rules or laws that mimic the efforts of Target Zero in order for the program to be a 100% success. However, there has been a national call to raise awareness of this disparity in motorist death.

More Research = More Concern

New research from the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, in a review of the evidence on risk factors and interventions addressing this disparity published in the January issue of Epidemiologic Reviews, has highlighted the fact that there needs to be more research and programs to address the elevated rate of motor vehicle-related deaths among American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

The research team conducted a systematic review of literature published over the past 20 years and found only peer-reviewed 7 studies across all academic sources and government agencies described the problem in any way and tested interventions.

“The small number of studies in the peer-reviewed literature is surprising given the enormous human and economic impact of motor vehicle-related deaths in this population,” said lead study author Keshia Pollack, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor with the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, part of the Bloomberg School of Public Health. “If injury disparities are going to be eliminated, support for research and programs targeting those groups disproportionately impacted needs to be made more readily available.”

Researchers identified published studies in peer-reviewed Journals between 1990 and 2011. They also searched websites such as Indian Health Service (IHS), the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and issues of the IHS Primary Care Provider, a journal devoted to IHS articles and tribal and urban Indian health care professional providers.

The study data found that, even though car accident deaths are declining overall in the U.S., deaths are highest among American Indian and Alaska Natives. According to the Center for Disease Control, car accidents are the leading cause of unintentional injury among Native Americans ages one to 44. Adult motor vehicle-related death rates for Native Americans are more than twice that of whites and almost twice that of African Americans and three times the rate for the Asian and Pacific Islander population – the population with the lowest rate.

The existing literature suggests that multiple risk factors involving behavior, policy, and environmental factors are behind the disparity. These include:

Living in rural communities – Statistically rural communities of any demographic have higher death rates over urban areas. This is due to speeding, lack of enforcement, and merging from rural roads to high speed highways.

Road conditions in rural areas and/or reservations – Directly related to availability to services such as road clearing, utility services, and emergency services in the event of an accident.

Availability of alcohol – Many Native American communities have lowered or eliminated the availability of alcohol, however, this does not curb the lowered or less stringent enforcement in some communities, which invariably lead to higher DUI related death rates.

Pedestrian involvement in crashes – Lack of proper sidewalks and crosswalks in many rural communities is a concern regardless of the demographic, but has translated into higher Native American death rates.

Lack traffic control devices – This is also a resource issue as flashing lights and traffic signals in rural areas can be expensive to put up and maintain.

Lack of artificial lighting – Like the lack of traffic devices this is a resource issue. Along state highways, proper lighting can be put up and maintained due to the power of state revenue, which may not be fully available to the reservation at the same level.

Researchers point out that frequency of pedestrian-related deaths is the one factor that is mentioned across all studies that they reviewed. The authors of the study were not able to identify any interventions implemented that specifically sought to improve pedestrian safety, however, there are many studies that suggest multiple affordable solutions.

“Studies like this give a bird’s-eye view on the problem,” said Pollack. “In addition to discovering gaps in the existing research and programs, we’re able to identify promising interventions worthy of replication. Priority should be given to interventions that combine multiple methods and use partnerships to change policy, the environment, and individual behavior.”

Seattle Car Accident Lawyer

One of the big parts of trying to achieve the lofty goals of Target Zero is to establish what is called a Traffic Safety Culture. This is defined as a culture that is aware that one of the biggest causes of death is road deaths and that this wholly preventable as long as a policy is in place to curb it. The Target Zero program has done that by providing a 4 pronged approach:

Education - Give drivers the information to make the best choices.

Enforcement - Use driver behavior data to help law-enforcement officers pinpoint locations with a high number of serious collisions.

Engineering - Use best practices to prevent or reduce the severity of collisions.

Emergency Medical Services - Provide high-quality and rapid emergency and medical response to injury collisions

By bolstering the funding and emphasizing the importance of these factors, Individuals may be safe drivers, but those who take their own lives in their hands by speeding, DUI, drowsy driving, and distracted driving need to recognize that they are putting everyone around them in danger, not just themselves and their passengers.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident anywhere in Washington state, you need a skilled lawyer to deal with the insurance companies to assure you the best settlement. Call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

• Washington Law and Car Accidents
• Car accidents and insurance coverage
• What to do in a car accident

As Washington personal injury attorneys with a diverse clientele spanning across all income brackets, we are right in the middle of the insurance issue. That’s why we were a little steamed about a study that came out this week regarding the disparity in charges for car insurance to lower income drivers than higher income drivers.

Lower Income Insurance Study

A new and quite extensive report from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), an organization that seeks to advance consumer interests through advocacy, research, and education, has shown some major rate disparities by income amongst some of the largest car insurance companies in America.

In the report the authors pointed out that for many poor people, the cost of car insurance can impede car ownership and in cases of lower cost cars, can exceed the cost of the vehicle itself. That has broad economic implications since those without cars have a harder time getting to work, school, day care or the grocery store.

“There is much academic research that clearly shows that if you have ready access to a car, it dramatically improves your economic opportunities,” said Stephen Brobeck, executive director at CFA.

Researchers cited 2006 research that found that those with less education and working in less skilled occupations often pay premiums that were on average 40% higher. Certainly this has many different factors involved in it, but the wider view into the disparity suggests that there may be a larger inequality issue here.

Even though insurers are prohibited from asking for a potential customers income, the authors of the study contend that many of their methods put lower- and moderate-income households with between $20,000 to $40,000 in earnings per year at a disadvantage. The reason for this is that insurers, though not asking directly, have other roundabout questions that are perfectly legal with give them a fairly accurate gauge as to the income of the person they are interviewing.

One of the main reasons for this is that the cheaper the car insurance is on paper, the more the people are paying for the actual coverage. Researchers liken it to going to a store with large items that only wealthy people have access to and getting the item for the same price as a smaller item at another store that poor people frequent. The pricing versus coverage is often wildly disproportionate.

After examining the data and researcher’s coments, the CFA suggests that pricing should be largely influenced by factors that drivers can control, like the cars they drive and how far and safely they drive them.

“Poor people, we know from the data, they spend a lot less on gas, which means they are driving less,” said J. Robert Hunter, co-author of the paper and director of insurance at the group. “So if insurers more fully reflected miles driven in pricing, it would lower the rate for poorer people.”

Determining Rates

Differences in rates are nothing new. If you are a young male who drives a fast car, you know that well. Why? Because males between the ages of 16 and 25 are statistically the most prone to car accidents and most of the accidents are caused by speeding. The numbers ring true regardless of income. These rates come down at a certain point after the driver has proven they are responsible and hit a certain age.

What determines car insurance rates and do they effect the poor disproportionately?

• Age – Generally, the older you are, the fewer accidents you’ll have than less experienced drivers, particularly teenagers. Insurers charge more if teenagers or young people below age 25 drive your car. No effect.
• Credit – Insurance companies use FICO scores as a factor in insurance rates. Credit-based insurance scores are based on information like payment history, bankruptcies, collections, outstanding debt and length of credit history. Regular, on-time credit card and mortgage payments affect a score positively, while late payments affect a score negatively. Yes. Poor people generally have lower credit ratings overall.
• Location – Local statistics influence Insurance rates, such as the number of accidents, car thefts and lawsuits, as well as the cost of medical care and car repair. Yes. Income is a large determining factor as to the crime rate of they area in which they live.
• Make and Model – Automobiles that are expensive, have high theft rates, higher repair cost or have poor safety records cost more to insure. No effect.
• Odometer Reading – If you drive a lot you increase your chance for accidents, the more you’ll pay. If you drive less than 10,000 miles a year, you will pay less. Some companies will give discounts to policyholders who carpool. Yes. As inner cities with more access to public transit become more gentrified, it forces the poor to move farther out, forcing them to put more miles on their odometer to reach their jobs.
• Time Without Insurance – Plus there’s a time lag. You may also pay more if you haven’t been insured for a number of years. Yes. Poor people do not pay for items that they don’t use. If they live near their work, then they may have long periods where they do not drive.
• Safe Driving Record – If you have a lot of accidents and serious traffic violations, the higher your rate of course. No effect.
• Size of Policy – You’ll pay more for a large policy. Generally, insurance companies offer discounts if you have your homeowners and auto insurance policies with them. Yes. Many lower income people do not own their homes, boats, etc and do not have access to bundling discounts.

Seattle Car Accident Lawyer

There is a much larger poor population than there is rich, so it would be unreasonable to say that poor people get into more accidents based purely on population. There is also little to no evidence that, just because a person is poor, they are more prone to accidents.

We’re concerned about this issue because insurance companies will use any excuse to gouge the public and when one of their loyal customers receives a personal injury in a car wreck, they do everything in their power to avoid paying what they agreed to pay in order for the individual to receive proper care and/or just compensation.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident anywhere in Washington state, you need a skilled lawyer to deal with the insurance companies to assure you the best settlement. Call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

• Washington Law and Car Accidents
• Car accidents and insurance coverage
• What to do in a car accident

You’ve probably heard of them being on airplanes, trains, and charter buses, but Electronic Data Recorders (EDRs) also occupy many other commercial vehicles and even some newer consumer vehicles. However, the black box data on many consumer vehicles has been considered proprietary to the car manufacturers and thus, not commonly used as evidence in determining fault, yet, that may soon change.

Legislation and Recalls

Government officials are now in the process of getting through rules that would require every new car sold in the U.S. include a ‘black box’ data recording devices similar to those used on buses and trucks now. The idea was endorsed this week by the U.S. National Research Council, following the closing of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) closing of the 2010-2011 investigation of sudden acceleration problems in Toyota vehicles.

In 2010, Toyota conducted the world’s largest automotive recall, pulling nearly 10 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles from countries around the world. The car manufacturer insists that the problem was caused by gas pedals getting stuck under floor mats, which forced the car surge forward for miles as the drivers unsuccessfully attempted to brake and shift out of gear to no avail until the car finally decided to stop or they ran into a large object.

Many believe that the problem could have been rooted in errant electronic throttle control systems. In one of first cases, in Washington State, the parents of a young man who died from what was ruled as speeding, worked with Toyota, through their attorney, to obtain and examine data from the black box in his truck. Though Toyota vehemently resisted, they finally provided them with 5 seconds leading up to the crash showing that their son did not or was unable to brake before the accident.

The National Research Council (NRC) concluded that the safety agency was right to close its investigation after the NHTSA (assisted by NASA) was unable to find an electronic cause (or otherwise) of the Toyota sudden acceleration defect. However, the NRC suggested that the NHTSA must become more familiar with today’s sophisticated automotive electronics.

“Failures associated with electronics systems—including those related to software programming, dual and intermittent electronics hardware faults, and electromagnetic disturbances — may not leave physical evidence to aid investigations into observed or reported unsafe vehicle behaviors,” said the National Research Council.

A New Standard

The NHTSA has been working on a standardized system for recording data nearly a decade now. In 2004, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) came out with its first EDR, the IEEE 1616, which showed that it could be produced. In 2010, the organization rolled out their second generation of that model, the IEEE 1616a, and it looks as if that is quickly gaining favor with upper officials and may become the standard amongst the whole vehicle industry for cars driven in the United States.

The engineering group says that the IEEE 1616a aims to preserve the data quality and integrity needed to meet federal collection standards, while protecting consumers’ privacy. Built on more than a decade of MVEDR research and development by organizations including federal agencies, industry trade associations, and global automotive, truck, and bus manufacturers.

New safeguards on the IEEE 1616a are:

• Data tampering – modification, removal, erasure, or otherwise rendering inoperative of any device or element, including MVEDRs;
• VIN theft – duplication and transfer of unique VIN numbers, a process known as “VIN cloning”, enabling stolen cars to be passed off as non-stolen;
• Odometer fraud – rolling back of vehicle odometers, resulting in the appearance of lower mileage values; and
• Privacy – prevention of the misuse of collected data for vehicle owners.

“According to the World Health Organization, someone dies in a motor vehicle crash once every minute, and road crash fatalities have claimed 30 million lives globally since 1896,” said Tom Kowalick, Chair of the IEEE P1616a Working Group. “As millions of drivers today face ongoing automotive recalls for electrical and onboard computer issues, [EDRs] are playing an increasingly critical role in the analysis of the scientific data collected from these vehicles.”

Personal Injury and Black Boxes

In a personal injury case, as mentioned above, the accident investigation is extremely important. The reason for this is, in order to seek personal injury compensation there must be some record of negligence. Driving under the influence (DUI) is traceable through breathalyzer, field sobriety tests, and blood tests, however, other reckless behaviors such as speeding, tailgating, erratic driving, or distraction may need witnesses or only be told by skid marks.

With an EDR, the speed of the vehicle, braking, and immediate electrical history can help determine the cause of the crash and in turn, the person who caused it. This will go a long way in helping determine and expedite your settlement. Certainly, this information could at times work against the victim, as can any data, however, we are confident that the new rules will help get victims the justice and compensation they deserve.

Seattle Car Accident Lawyers

Phillips Webster has helped thousands of Washington residents and their families get the compensation they deserve after a serious car accident. If you or someone you know gets injured in a car accident you need an experienced representative to deal with the insurance companies to assure you the best settlement. Call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

• Washington Law and Car Accidents
• Car Accidents and Insurance Coverage
• Legal Questions about Car Accidents

The primary deadly effect is the way that they are propelled out of their compartment and the force in which the bag is inflated. This has been shown to be seriously detrimental to elderly people riding in the front. Particularly elderly women who have tend to have more brittle bones. It is also detrimental to children who honestly should not be riding in the front seat anyway.

But a new defect is now killing and injuring normal sized adults and prompting a massive recall announced by Honda Motor Company today.

Deadly Airbag Recall

Honda Motor Co. plans to recall 900,000 Honda and Acura vehicles for defective airbags and inspect an additional 603,000 vehicles. The inspections are intended to review whether cars that have been serviced for car accidents or airbag replacement were actually refitted with the defective airbags. Honda said it doesn’t know how many of those vehicles might have been repaired with the defective parts manufactured by parts supplier Takata in Japan.

There is suspicion that, in a car accident, the driver’s side airbag can deploy with so much force that the metal inflator casing that holds and channels explosive propellant can rupture causing metal and plastic shards to spray towards the driver causing them serious personal injury or wrongful death.

“The propellant was packed improperly and that allows the propellant to burn off too quickly and it explodes and pieces of the casing are causing the injuries,” said Chris Martin, a Honda spokesman.

Altogether, there have been 18 personal injuries and two deaths caused by the faulty airbags.

Not the First Honda Airbag Recall

This problem has plagued Honda in the past and has caused Honda to be far more diligent about their testing. Defective Honda airbags have prompted four previous recalls dealing the same issue. This latest recall – the largest of it’s kind — has expanded the total to more than 2.5 million vehicles in the U.S.

Honda’s actions come after a driver was personally injured in a vehicle that had not been part of the previous recalls pointing to a larger problem. This is driving concerns over the market that some people may still be driving unrepaired vehicles listed in previous recalls and also be driving with defective Takata products that may have been installed after the defect was initially discovered.

“We really need to get all these cars repaired and there are a lot of customers out there who have not brought their cars in after we have sent them mailers,” a Honda spokesperson said. “This is a very serious thing; people need to get their cars fixed. This is not something to wait on.”

We agree. All Honda drivers need to contact their dealer if they have an effected Honda.

Honda Vehicles Recalled

Honda confirmed that the problem does not affect any vehicles newer than the 2003 model year when the

The latest recall now includes:

• Honda Accord – 2001 and 2002
• Honda Civic – 2001 to 2003
• Honda Odyssey – 2001 to 2003
• Honda CR-V – 2002 and 2003
• Honda Pilot – 2003
• Acura 3.2 TL – 2002 and 2003
• Acura 3.2 CL – 2003

Honda will begin sending recall notices to owners of these vehicles later this month.

It also said the Honda owners can go to www.recalls.honda.com or call (800) 999-1009 and select option 4; Acura owners can go to www.recalls.acura.com or call (800) 382-2238 and select option 4 to get more information.

Seattle Defective Airbag Attorney

The experimentation of side impact airbags should not be on customers. Extensive tests should be made prior to the car entering the market because these are very serious accidents that could lead to the loss of a loved one. A missed or faulty deployment could mean the difference between living through the accident and a life long disability or wrongful death. Please fully research your vehicle prior to purchase.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an car accident due to the negligence of another driver due to speeding, some of the best advice you can give is to find an attorney that is experienced in personal injury litigation. Call Phillips Webster for a free consultation on your legal rights.

Learn More About:

• Medical Care Costs and Personal Injury
• Settlements in Personal Injury Lawsuits
• Everything You Need to Know About Car Accidents

Bad Planning - Part of this can be attributed to bad engineering plain-and-simple on the side of city planners. These include common things you’ll find in Western Washington such as surface streets merging into the fast lanes of freeways, merging freeways into other freeways without the option of dispersing into a major arterial into the city, and of course closing surface streets at certain times to traffic during rush hour to only transit.

Bad Driving – According to All State Insurance company, Western Washington Drivers are some of the worst drivers in the country. We examined this in our article, “Why are Western Washington Drivers Ranked So Low On Safety?” We set forth the argument that it is impossible for drivers in one area of the United States to be worse than another purely for regional reasons and that there have to be other factors such as weather, policy, legal ramifications, and civil design involved.

Bad Policy – Washington may not be suffering from bad policy. The reason for this is that our state has some of the most stringent policies in the country when it comes to distracted driving, driving under the influence (DUI), and speeding. This is apparent with Governor Chris Gregoir’s aggressive Target Zero program. This program implemented in 2010 vowed to eliminate traffic deaths by 2030…you read that right, eliminate traffic deaths. Creating a Traffic Safety Culture is a giant part of the success of this policy and advocates say that it is achievable. Governor Gregoir certainly does.

What is a Traffic Safety Culture?

The white paper published on the subject by the Department of Preventive Medicine & Biometrics entitled, “Towards operationalizing and measuring Traffic Safety Culture” examined the topic of TSC by tackling it in an academic manner. They examined the term and the definitions presented by others writing on the subject. They define it as:

“A social climate in which traffic safety is highly valued and rigorously pursued.”

This rather sweeping definition does not address the many elements that surround the creation and perpetuation of a TSC. These elements include:

1. Society needs to be fully conscious that there is a problem in the first place.
2. There also needs to be agreement that the problem needs to be addressed.
3. Society has collective commitment to safety.

Only when these things are achieved will any of the many specific problems that cause serious car accidents and vehicular deaths be fully addressed.

Do we already live in a Traffic Safety Culture?

Some may argue that TCG is already happening, particularly in Washington State. They would cite stricter laws such as the ones cited above (DUI, etc). Others suggest that society is far from a TSC citing the fact that car accidents remain the leading cause of death amongst all people between the ages of 16 and 35. Looking at the elements below, one may conclude that we do already have a thriving TSC, however, the numbers of deaths and injuries are hard to deny.

Things being done to form a TSC:

Laws – Making social rules is a political process and politicians run on platforms based only things that they or they think their constituents are most concerned about. These things can be good for traffic safety or detrimental. An example of this was the defunct abolition of the speed limit in Montana. It was found that the law may have encouraged bad and dangerous driving behavior and might have been linked to some serious wrongful deaths that could have been prevented.

Consequences – Consequences for breaking certain laws are considered one of the biggest deterrents from dangerous behavior. This has shown to be true. As consequences become more stringent for DUI in Washington State, the rate of re-offense has decreased considerably. It is not completely known what kind of impact on first offenders the increased consequences has had on first offenses, but studies suggest that an increased number of people consider the legal and social consequences when making decisions to go out drinking and then driving home.

Advertising – The aggressive advertising done by State and Federal agencies has had an impact on the number of deaths on the road from seat belt use to drinking and driving, distracted driving to drowsy driving. However, these behaviors are still rampant amongst less experienced drivers and younger drivers.

GDL – Graduated Driving Laws are meant to give certain milestones based on age that allow new drivers to gain the experience they need to drive at night and with passengers. Unfortunately some very strong studies have come out questioning these laws and saying that they only postpone behavior and may even encourage dangerous behavior amongst teenage drivers. We examine this in the article, “Are Strict Teen Driving Rules Really Protecting Teen Drivers?”

Technology – The car manufacturers have made great strides in creating safety features that they can use to sell their cars. These are purely economically driven. This is proven by the car manufacturer’s historical reluctance and slowness to embrace safety until they found out that it sells cars. Now, they are forming technology that detects other cars, drunk driving, and potential danger before it happens in order to prevent accidents.

Social Mores – Social mores (more-ay-s) are behaviors that are looked down upon by society to such a degree that behaviors displayed by individuals could effect their relationships with peers, coworkers, and family. Some newer social mores that have formed recently include smoking, excessive drinking, and wearing fur. These have begun to extend to DUI, but have yet to be recognized in association with distracted driving and speeding.

Seattle Car Accident Lawyer

There are many strides being made legally to aid in the TSC. By forcing a monetary consequence on individuals and insurance companies, the lack of proper safety on the roads becomes very tangible to both private industry and the public sector. Individuals may be safe drivers, but those who take their own lives in their hands by speeding, DUI, drowsy driving, and distracted driving need to recognize that they are putting everyone around them in danger, not just themselves and their passengers.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident anywhere in Washington state, you need a skilled lawyer to deal with the insurance companies to assure you the best settlement. Call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

• Washington Law and Car Accidents
• Car accidents and insurance coverage
• What to do in a car accident

Now, new technology has become extremely important to car manufacturers. In fact, it’s become somewhat of a space race of sorts. Car manufacturers have always had robust research and development (RnD) departments, but generally they were dedicated to design aspects and consumer interest. However, RnD has transitioned into a very different type of monster where software and optics are as much of the process as sexy headlights and fancy cup holders.

Cars are already on the market that can park themselves. That is all done with sensors bouncing off of the objects around the car much like sonar works, but rather than sound they use light. This allows the car to know where it is and work within a preprogrammed set of instructions resulting in being able to park in spaces where perhaps the driver was not experienced enough to achieve. This has gone as far as a German company developing a car that drives itself through the use of sensors and satellite. Of course, that technology’s trip to the consumer is at least 10 years away, but there are some developments coming sooner that could make the driver safer than they ever have been before.

A Car That Can Sense Wildlife?

It may be hard to believe (or not), but accidents with large animals crossing the road causes insurance companies billions of dollars every year. Another not-so-hard thing to believe is that insurance companies hate paying money out for anything. A study by State Farm found that there were 1.09 million deer hit by motor vehicles in the U.S. in 2010. Those incidents caused a total of roughly $3.5 billion in damage. Those collisions not-only maim or kill the animal, they also attribute for hundreds of deaths and thousands of personal injuries every year. Perhaps they are rejoicing over Volvo’s newest development of the City Safety infrared sensor system.

Volvo’s sensor system can already bring a car to a complete halt to avoid an accident. They demonstrate the feature by having the driver jump out of the car as it is rolling towards an object, and the car automatically stops on its own. Of course, this only works as very low speeds. At speeds ranging from 2 to 19 mph – typical on crowded urban and in rush hour traffic – the system will detect a potential collision. If the driver doesn’t react by the time the two cars are 18 feet apart, it will automatically jam on the brakes. However, a variation on the system may be able to spot animals on the road and avoid collisions from much farther and at higher speeds.

Another version of the system can detect pedestrians and can take steps to avoid an impact. Such collisions make up a significant share of the roughly 35,000 Americans killed in roadway accidents each year. Volvo is looking to introduce the new system in the next couple of years.

How well it will work remains to be seen. It’s hard to predict animal behavior, especially when they might suddenly emerge from hiding in a stand of trees along the roadside. But a recent study of insurance claims by the Highway Loss Data Institute found that Volvo’s City Safe system, in particular, reduced the number of vehicle damage claims resulting from car-to-car collisions by 27%, while insurance claims related to bodily injuries dropped by 51% on vehicles using the technology.

Cars That Avoid Collisions With Each Other

Hold your horses…vehicles so smart they can prevent an accident?

One of the biggest causes of drivers getting into accidents is the fact that they are either not paying attention or distracted by a cell phone or worse yet, their passenger. Ford is now in the process of developing a vehicle that can talk to others on the road, alerting drivers to a car in their blind spot or a truck stalled ahead. The are now touring the country showing off the Intelligent Vehicle technology that acts as a warning system for drivers.

The Ford system utilizes an advanced Wi-Fi system that lets cars communicate with each other. The information is transmitted 10 times per second up to 300-meters, 360-degrees around the car. Other cars equipped with the same technology pick up on the information and communicate their position back letting drivers know where vehicles are around them.

Lights and sounds alert the driver to potentially dangerous situations. When the vehicle is in the driver’s blind spot it’s yellow, but as soon as they turn their blinker on, the light turns red. However, it does far more than merely warn the driver. In another scenario, a vehicle runs a red light or stop sign and crosses through an intersection as another driver is about to enter. Red lights and beeps warn the driver of the rogue vehicle.

According to a NHTSA this technology could potentially prevent 81% of all police-reported light-vehicle crashes involving unimpaired drivers. Ford said the technology could be on the roads in the next five to 10 years. The U.S. Department of Transportation will decide in 2013 whether it wants to adopt the technology in all vehicles. It could be a regulation by 2020.

If all cars have compatible equipment to communicate, this would assist in hazardous situations including intersections, lane-passing or sudden breaking. This could be a boon for Ford as they own the technology that could be in all of their competitor’s cars.

Car Accident Attorneys

Safety technology is truly becoming more like a science fiction film as cars quickly become mobile computers that may not even require a steering wheel within our lifetimes. Sensor and communication technology is convenient and safe from what we’ve seen, but there are liability questions, such as, if a vehicle gets into an accident, who’s to blame? The manufacturer? The road? As long as occupants remain properly belted we support all safety technology. And if someone is personally injured the system of law should be able to work it out as long as the victim is represented by an experienced legal professional.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in a car accident by a distracted driver, it is important that you find legal representation right away to walk you through the complicated insurance and medical procedures. Call Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

• Seattle Car Accident Attorneys
• Seattle Property Damage Lawyers
• Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Washington

In fact, last year the Tacoma, Seattle, Bellevue, and Everett corridor was perhaps one of the most dangerous in the country with an average ranking of 133 out of the 193 total cities surveyed. This kind of grouping of dangerous drivers thrusts it far out of the middle of the road category the number may convey. And this year the situation just got worse…way worse.

This year, for 2010, Tacoma dropped to rank 141, Bellevue dropped to 145^th, and Seattle sank the deepest dropping from 128^th in 2009 to 147^th. That means drivers in Seattle should expect to get into an accident causing property damage resulting in a claim every 8 years. A 20-point drop is significant due to the fact that it shaves months to years off of the time between accidents and could be indicative of a larger problem. Does it mean that we all went from horrid drivers to completely inept drivers over a single year’s span? Is it even fair to say that it is the driver’s fault rather than looking at other factors? Let’s review.

Why Are Seattle Area Drivers Considered Some of the Worst?

To answer a question from above right off the bat, it is impossible for a population in the millions to collectively become worse drivers all at once in a relatively short period of time. If this is the case, then there must be a mechanism that triggered this collective behavior. Making the sweeping statement that Puget Sound drivers are worse drivers than others around the country is misguided and serious lack of forethought on All State and the local media’s part.

We are all essentially trained under the same standard set of rules so that there are general norms as drivers cross state lines. We all buy the same cars. We all have generally the same education, in fact, the Puget Sound area is considered the highest educated area in the country, so intelligence isn’t a factor. If you examine the data, you notice that lower populated areas rank higher than higher populated areas, as well as areas with more drivers than the availability of mass transit. But that still doesn’t answer the question as to what makes the prevalence of car accidents in the Puget Sound so high. What could it be?

Traffic - According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) one of the biggest causes of car accidents is traffic. Density of traffic at low speeds yield fender benders and rarely result in a personal injury. High density traffic a high speeds, on the other hand, create many multiple car accidents, which is pretty common. This density is not completely the fault of those getting in their cars and trying to live their lives. The issue of traffic flow and density falls strictly on the shoulders of those who designed and keep on designing the Puget Sound highway system. There has been an unsubstantiated rumor circulating for decades now that Seattle’s traffic woes were deliberate. Designed for only a certain capacity, causing such a problem that it would force people out of their cars. This has worked to some extent, causing thousands to start commuting on their bikes and making the Puget Sound one of the top biking areas in the nation…and also one of the most dangerous places to bike. If mass injury and death was the city planner’s intent, it was a job well done. We doubt it though. Bad planning, yes, deliberate, no. Unfortunately not much has been done to remedy it. If this is the cause of making drivers worse drivers, is it the driver’s fault? No.

Weather – We had a terrible winter in 2010 and even though there was a new mayor and plows-galore on-call 24/7, Interstate 5 still looked like a used car lot for a few days. These changes in the weather have been dubbed by the national media as the “New Norm.” Does that mean that the people of Seattle need to endure inadequate preparedness and resources by the local government as the “new norm” also? Because an un-groomed snowy road makes anyone a bad driver…even insurance adjustors trying to get to their jobs at All State.

Sports – If you read this blog often then you may recall that one of the biggest causes of accidents (particularly DUI accidents) in Washington State is people driving to and from sporting events. There is no denying that Seattle is a sports town since we tout some of the best attendance for both our local professional soccer team the Sounders and our football team the Seahawks. You add two brand new stadiums to the mix both originating in the same area and suddenly it becomes a cluster of trouble. Does this make us bad drivers? Density and traffic flow, no, but drinking, yes.

Road Work – Road work and bridge closures are a normal way of life in the Puget Sound. If it’s not one major arterial like the Mercer mess, it’s the 520 Bridge. Either way, look out, because the Viaduct is coming down. There’s no avoiding it now after this most recent vote. Take the density of the Viaduct and thrust it onto surface streets for years on end and see what that does to our numbers.

Value of vehicles – All State is an insurance company, so it is understandable that they would take a very money-centric view towards their research. It is based on the number of claims and the value of property damage. Well, Seattle touts the largest population of millionaires in the country. Since the Seattle area has a high number of people who drive very nice cars and have a higher population of people who can actually afford insurance on their cars, there are more claims. More claims means a worse ranking. So could this be a case of All State chastising it’s best customers for actually using the service that they pay for? This is all a matter of speculation, but if it weren’t, then that would really be pathetic.

Transit – The answer to traffic density is transit. That’s why local transit routes and budgets are being cut, in order to get people out of their cars and keep them safer. Oh wait, that just made no sense. Apparently in 2016 the area will have a subway. Until then, perhaps city officials can strive for the bottom of the list.

Seattle Car Accident Lawyer

We may sound a little mad about this ranking and our area perpetually showing up at the bottom of the list. We are. We are advocates of safer driving, higher standards, and stricter drunk driving penalties. We want to see Puget Sound area at the top of the list. We just hope that the local planners and law makers are as dedicated as we are.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident anywhere in Washington state, you need a skilled lawyer to deal with the insurance companies to assure you the best settlement. Call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

• Washington Law and Car Accidents
• Car accidents and insurance coverage
• What to do in a car accident

Generally when police show up at the scene they search for injury victims, direct traffic, and make sure that those involved and the general public is safe. This may involve moving the vehicles, ushering ambulances and fire trucks into the scene, and crowd control. Suddenly victims could find all of the evidence of what caused the accident being lost under the tires of the ambulance that is hauling them to the hospital.

Recording the Events of a Car Accident

All of the circumstances of major car accidents and the destruction or loss of evidence is why it is important that victims find alternative ways of telling what happened. This is not just for their potential personal injury lawsuit seeking injury compensation, but for their own peace of mind.

Police Report – The police report has all kinds of different information. Police and detectives are trained on how to properly process the scene of an accident. Many things factor into how thoroughly they investigate.

• The degree of injuries sustained in the accident
• The number of people or cars involved in the accident
• Whether there were pedestrians or bicyclists involved
• Whether there was a death as a result
• Whether laws were broken in the process (DUI, hit and run, etc)

Ambulance Report – The medics also fill out a report specifically regarding the injuries and what they found at the scene. This could glean some information, but might require some assistance from a lawyer in obtaining all of the medical data from the scene beyond your own.

WADOT Traffic Camera – The Washington State Department of Transportation has cameras strung up and down most major corridors throughout the city including I-5, I-405, I-90, SR520, SR167, etc. These cameras are constantly recording, looking for accidents and back ups. This footage may be able to be accessed with permission when needed in order to aid the investigation of an accident.

Red Light Camera – These are set at intersections and are generally run by municipalities in order to catch people running red lights and putting others in jeopardy. They also can be used to record accidents since, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 60% of all accidents happen in intersections.

Surveillance Cameras – Many Americans don’t realize just how much of an observed society we live in. There are cameras everywhere recording everything, but mostly doorways. Yet every so often these  cameras are pointed out a window and precisely into the intersection where your accident happened. Look for banks, gas stations, convenience stores, and electronics shops.

Black Box – The general public isn’t usually aware of whether they have a black box in their car just like airplanes often have. The reason they don’t know is because the car manufacturers don’t want you to know that they are there or how to access them. They are used to record the last 15 seconds of any accident. They record things such as speed, braking, and shifting. This tells a lot as to whether the driver was doing the right or wrong thing at the time of the accident. The reason the car manufacturers like to keep this information closed or secret is because it also reveals mechanical errors that could have contributed or caused the accident leaving the company hold a giant bag of liability.

Police Dashboard Camera – Some municipalities have installed dashboard cams in their cars. In fact, they aren’t a new thing, they’ve been around for two decades now. The problem is that they are expensive to maintain and have proven to expose the department and city to some very expensive lawsuits. Cost is generally the excuse municipalities use to justify turning off the cameras. However, if your city has not done this, the footage of the officer driving up to the scene and the subsequent footage could go a long way to you proving the fault of the other driver and documenting their behavior after the accident.

Witnesses – Notoriously, witnesses are considered “unreliable,” though they are still an essential part of any case. Having multiple witnesses telling generally the same story is powerful to a personal injury lawsuit, particularly if it happens to go to court. Yet, witness testimony in your favor can also help persuade a settlement.

Investigating Your Auto Accident Independently

Doing your own accident investigation in order to launch a civil lawsuit seeking compensation for you injuries is very tough, particularly if you are trying to persuade storeowners and banks to release video footage. Ordering reports from the police and ambulance company could take a tremendous amount of time and could ultimately result in nothing.

Evidence and witness accounts obtained and made in a certain manner could be easily thrown out of court or be construed as tainted in some way. This is why seeking an experienced attorney to represent you is so important. They know all of the procedures and have all of the connections to be able to easily obtain and utilize the information in arbitration or in a courtroom.

Seattle Car Accident Lawyers

Phillips Webster has helped thousands of Washington residents and their families get the compensation they deserve after a serious car accident. If you or someone you know gets injured in a car accident you need an experienced representative to deal with the insurance companies to assure you the best settlement. Call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

• Washington Law and Car Accidents
• Car Accidents and Insurance Coverage
• Legal Questions about Car Accidents

Many people don’t realize that bumpers are only there to protect the car and are only tested up to 2.5 mph. Seatbelts on the other hand are specifically there to save occupants of the car, but were being fought by car manufacturers who claimed a $5 seatbelt would thrust their manufacturing costs far out of the hands of the consumer. Now, that seems to have all changed.

Volvo was perhaps the most successful at making safety a feature that people cared about and looked for in a car. Of course, Volvos at the time were shaped like refrigerators and weighed about twice the average car, but people like the idea of having a 5-10% lower chance of dying. Volvo remains a safety leader to this day and has spurred on a welcome industry trend that “safety sells.”

So now all of the car manufacturers tout safety features and brandish crash test stars across their ads. The best part about it though is the car companies have begun an even newer trend, one-upping each other on safety. And the new stuff that is coming out is really, really cool, so check it out.

Cameras

If you are a truck driver or have owned an RV in the last 20 years then you may have already experienced a rear backup camera. They take a little getting used to and were usually located on a black and white screen in the dash so your eyes were completely diverted from what’s in front of you as you tried to decipher the distance of the fuzzy things behind you.

That has all changed and with new rules passed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently, rear cameras are going to become standard for all vehicles. Why? Because there are hundreds of children injured or killed by vehicles (namely SUVs) backing out of driveways. It is a tragic and gruesome way for an innocent child to die that has torn families and communities to shreds. Hopefully the new innovations will end this horrid trend.

Back Up Camera in Mirror – You are going to see this standard in any new car you buy. When you back up a little picture will appear in your rearview mirror that covers that blind spot between the trunk and the road. It may even give you lines to show the angle of the tires and where you are going to go.

Mirror View Adjustment – Acura has taken the mirror concept a little further and added different angles.

• Normal – The normal view will give you a path to back up.
• Wide – A wide view will tell you if there are any obstructions that you can turn into or oncoming.
• Close – the close view is to tell you if you are about to kiss the bumper of the car behind you in order to avoid those embarrassing car alarm moments.

Blind Spot Detection – This is a sensor that is an extension of your side mirror. It detects vehicles and objects in your blind spot and warns you of their presence. Perhaps in the future the warning will show up on your side mirror rather than the dash.

360º Cameras – Infinity just came out with a giant SUV that has cameras surrounding all angles of the vehicle. This may not seem practical on the surface, but as parking spaces get smaller, parking a boat like that in tighter spaces may need a little help.

Sensors

Sensors on cars are not what they used to be. They don’t tell you if your door is ajar or (like the Cadillacs of old) they tell you if the curb is too close by pointing an ugly antenna out of the side of the vehicle. No, the sensors today or more like the kind you might see on jet airplane or a military drone. Will your car soon come with a missile launcher? Well, if you have a license to kill like James Bond then perhaps, but don’t hold your breath.

City Safety Feature – One of Volvo’s new features is actually pretty neat. It will sense an obstruction and will slow and stop the car before it reaches it. This of course is not at high speeds, but it helps when parking or if the car accidently rolls without you in it. That’s right, this feature works without you being in the car. The tester we saw for this feature jumped out of the car before it reached the test barrier and the car stopped. They said that the feature was also pretty intuitive and not obstructive in most cases.

Collision Mitigation Braking System – This is Acura’s beefed up version of Volvo’s City Safety feature. The reason we call it beefed is because if the car is coming upon an object too fast, the car will brake, tighten the seat belt, flash a light, and beep loudly in order to avoid a rear-end collision. It does this by sending a sensor out and receiving the signal back much like a radar or sonar. It’s cardar!

Lane Departure Warning – Another Volvo feature this year is going to tell you if you are drifting. Drift is one of the biggest causes of fatal front-end collisions. Sure, airbags are great, but prevention is even better. This is a camera and a sensor in one. It detects the lines in the road and gives a tone if you are drifting out of the center of the lane.

Lane Departure Prevention – Not to be outdone, Infinity has come up with lane departure prevention. This seems to be the closes to driving the car for you. It also reads the lines, but when the car begins to drift, the system engages the brakes on the opposite side of the car in order to pull it back into the lane.

Car Accident Attorneys

One of the big concerns coming out of all this is voiced by safety advocates who are concerned about people relying too much on safety features and not driving responsibly. That is the same argument that was voiced about airbags and cross-chest seat belts. Those safety features have prevented deaths. The features we see here are all preventative features. It is almost degrading to normal intelligence to suggest that people will all of a sudden be unaware that they can die if they don’t drive safely. It is just those people who ignore that warning that are the problem, but suffice it to say, they would be unsafe drivers with of without safety features.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in a car accident by a speeding driver, it is important that you find legal representation right away to walk you through the complicated insurance and medical procedures. Call Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

Seattle Car Accident Attorneys

Seattle Property Damage Lawyers

Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Washington

These drivers have a myriad of reasons why they drive like they do. They could be inexperienced, have been in a previous accident and are under a lot of anxiety when they drive, or they could be on medication. All of these factors could lead to a serious and perhaps even fatal accident as they attempt to get from point A to point B with honking cars dangerously speeding past them.

Types of Overly Cautious Driving That Could Lead To Auto Accidents

Many overly cautious drivers feel that they are safer drivers than others. What many cautious drivers don’t realize is that they are putting other drivers in jeopardy by not driving in a predictable manner as the traffic around them. By not mimicking behavior, no matter how dangerous they perceive to be, the drivers around them are not able to reasonably predict the outcome of their maneuvers. There are some common overly cautious traits that could cause an accident.

Passing – In some traffic scenarios passing is safer than not passing, particularly slow vehicles. Often on highways that are steep or windy the slow vehicle wants cars to pass them, thus they move over to the side and slow down. These are usually long unwieldy RVs, trucks and trailers, or semis. Either way, overly cautious drivers tend to drive a farther distance behind vehicles, thus not speeding up adequately to allow other drivers to pass or creating a much longer distance for drivers to pass both the car and the vehicle on the shoulder.

Turning – Drivers that take an excessive amount of time to turn or inch their way into an intersection could be putting many people’s lives in jeopardy. Tentativeness can lead to drivers behind being frustrated.

Pedestrians – Stopping for pedestrians is mandatory, particularly in crosswalks, but some over cautious drivers will slam on the brakes for anyone crossing anywhere. They will also stop for dogs, pigeons, and potholes (which aren’t even technically pedestrians).

Speed – Not driving the speed limit is massively dangerous, especially on the freeway. Obstructing the flow of traffic can cause other drivers to need to adjust suddenly and with horrific results. Beware, police will stop you if you are driving too slow, because this is also a sign of impairment.

Closeness – Some drivers will drive on the outside of their lane or take up two lanes in order not to get close to trucks or larger vehicles. This is insanely dangerous. Staying in the middle of your lane is very important and should be practiced at all times.

Over reacting – One of the bad traits for cautious drivers is over reacting or over correcting. Once a driver runs into an adverse situation on the road, they often swerve, stop, or speed up. Over compensating can cause them to drive into oncoming traffic or draw other cars into the mix.

Overcoming Dangerously Cautious Driving

Sometimes dangerously cautious drivers are unaware that they are putting other drivers in jeopardy through their actions. The basis of the cautious driving is often not the need for safety of others, but a need for the safety of themselves due to anxiety.

Fear – Accident victims have been found to show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) similar to that of a soldier. The fear of driving or riding in the car can last for a long time after an accident, but eventually the person may choose to drive again. This fear can cause some bad driving habits that can put the sufferer in serious danger.

Age – There have been studies that show older drivers as some of the safest drivers on the road, but other studies show that there is a sharp decline in skills and rise in accident instance in drivers over the age of 75. Age can bring on overly cautious driving not-only due to anxiety, but also medication and slower cognitive function.

Two-footed Driving – This is very dangerous behavior. Drivers who keep one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake can accidentally step on both with dire consequences. Driving with two feet is neither safer nor more efficient and could cause over-reactive driving.

Signs of Frustration – A very detrimental sort of behavior that some cautious drivers display is ignoring the signs of frustrated drivers around them. The honking and aggressive behavior not-only can lead to road rage against the cautious driver, but also other drivers making dangerous maneuvers in order to rejoin normal traffic flow after experiencing the cautious driver. Ignoring the honking and the behavior of other drivers and either not adjusting to join normal traffic flow or pulling over is putting others in jeopardy.

Laws – There are laws against slow driving. Inching along a road and obstructing traffic can be considered reckless driving and putting other drivers in danger. Overly cautious drivers may find themselves being stopped by law enforcement.

Puget Sound Car Accident Lawyer

Causing a car accident resulting in personal injury or death due to over-caution is no different than causing an accident due to lack of caution. It is the driver’s responsibility to either drive in a way that conforms to normal standards or choose to use another form of transportation.

Phillips Webster represents families of victims who have been injured or died in car accidents in Washington state. We are skilled attorneys in wrongful death lawsuits and personal injury lawsuits with years of experience that they will use to assure that you get the compensation you deserve. Call today for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

• Washington Law and Car Accidents
• Car Accidents and Insurance Coverage
• Legal Questions about Car Accidents