auto accidents

September 23, 2016

AAA Report on Automatic Brakes and Car Accidents

Do automatic emergency braking systems actually prevent car accidents? In other words, if you purchase a new vehicle with an automatic emergency braking system, can you simply stop worrying about paying attention to the car that is in front of you on the freeway or in your neighborhood? According to a recent news release from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, not all self-braking cars are made in the same way, and they do not all work at the same levels as one another. In other words, not all automatic braking systems have the same rates of success, and thereby the same accident-prevention abilities. The news release indicates how “new test results from AAA reveal that automatic braking systems—the safety technology that will soon be standard equipment on 99 percent of vehicles—vary widely in design and performance.”

What else should drivers in San Diego know about the recent AAA test and the future of automatic braking systems?

What Drivers Think Versus What Automatic Braking Systems Actually Do

September 9, 2016

Taking Steps to Prevent Drowsy Driving

by Walton Law Firm

Whether you are feeling tired on your drive home from work or are fatigued from having been on the highway for hours, drowsy driving can lead to serious and fatal car accidents. Many residents of San Diego get behind the wheel of an automobile when they are too sleepy to concentrate properly, and this practice can be hazardous to other drivers and passengers on the roads, as well as to cyclists and pedestrians.

According to a press release from the National Sleep Foundation, about 96% of Americans surveyed believe that “it is unacceptable for someone to drive when they are so sleepy they have trouble keeping their eyes open,” but more of us drive in such a state than you might think. Around 33% of those surveyed admitted to having driven when they were extremely fatigued at least once in the last 30 days. What else should you know about drowsy driving and how to prevent it?

Learning More About Sleep Safety

April 29, 2016

Self-Driving Cars Not Yet Safe for Everyday Use, Advocates Say

by Walton Law Firm

Are we going to see more self-driving cars on California’s roads in the upcoming weeks and months? According to a recent article in The Washington Post, auto accident safety experts and representatives from the automotive industry expressed serious concerns about the likely link between self-driving vehicles and serious car accidents. Earlier this month the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked a number of different groups to provide input while it develops guidance for automated vehicles, but the federal agency quickly learned that many leaders in the field simply do not approve of the technology—and allowing it out on the roads—as it currently stands.

Self-Driving Vehicle Owners Will Need Time to Adjust

What is one of the primary reasons that Californians are not yet ready to own self-driving vehicles on a large scale? According to a representative from the National Safety Council (NSC), many of the features of these automated vehicles have been named and designed for marketing purposes. In practical terms, that means that it will likely be difficult for owners—both young and old—to understand how to properly engage the technology and to avoid a severe traffic collision.

March 12, 2016

Avoiding Rear-End Crashes with Technology

by Walton Law Firm

What can you do to help prevent a rear-end car accident? According to a recent report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), cars that are equipped with front crash prevention technology are “much less likely to rear-end other vehicles.” Automobiles with automatic braking systems drastically lower the number of rear-end accidents that occur. The IIHS most recently indicated that this technology actually reduces rear-end crashes by about 40% on average. While other crash-prevention technologies exist and do have an impact on the rate of traffic crashes (for instance, forward collision warning systems are reported to reduce accidents by 2%), auto-brake systems appear to be the most effective at car accident prevention.

Automatic Braking Systems Shown to Reduce Accidents in California

When we talk about a 40% decline in rear-end auto accidents, what do the actual numbers look like? According to the IIHS report, if all automobiles had automatic braking systems installed, we would be seeing around 700,000 fewer rear-end collisions each year, including thousands of accidents that result in serious personal injuries. David Zuby, the IIHS chief research officer, emphasized how “the success of front crash prevention represents a big step toward safer roads.”

November 27, 2015

NTSB Says Product Recall System is Broken

by Walton Law Firm

If you have defective tires, are you at risk of sustaining serious injuries in a car accident? According to a recent article in CBS News, a majority of defective tires simply are not being taken off the road. Drivers with defective tires continue to take their vehicles onto neighborhood roads and city highways, putting themselves and others at substantial risk of harm.

How do we know that most of these dangerous automobile products are remaining on the roads? A federal accident investigations board within the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) looked into the removal rate for recalled tires and determined that “only about 1 in 5 defective tires is being removed from the road through the safety recall process.” Given that abysmal number, the NTSB concluded that the “recall system is broken.”

Broken Recall System Failing to Alert Consumers

October 21, 2015

More California Drivers Suffer Fatal Injuries in Auto Accidents

by Walton Law Firm

Deadly car accident rates are climbing across the country, according to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times. California is among the states with the highest fatality rates. Why are so many more fatal traffic collisions occurring? According to the article, the growing economy may be to blame.

Economic Factors Result in More Traffic Collisions

Now that the recession has ended, more Americans are working again. Even more of us can afford to buy cars. Gas prices have declined, making it more affordable for us to make daily commutes. What all of these factors add up to, however, is more vehicles on the road at any given time. Indeed, experts emphasize that “deadly automobile crashes have surged dramatically in the first half of 2015 as Americans hit the roads in record numbers, in part due to a stronger economy and more affordable fuel.” Gas prices are about $1 cheaper than this same time last year, meaning more families can afford to fuel up.