Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is dedicated to stopping deadly driving behavior that contributes to the loss of thousands of lives every year. They are using the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign during the week of August 16- September 2, 2019 to remind drivers that drunk driving is a deadly epidemic that takes the lives of more than 10,000 people each year.
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August 4-10, 2019 is Stop on Red Week
The National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) is partnering with organizations and communities across the country to raise awareness about the dangers of red-light running during National Stop on Red Week. Each day of this week focuses on different safety themes around red lights, useful statistics and information.
Running red lights is a common safety problem on our roads; a study of 19 intersections without red light cameras in four states found a violation rate of 3.2 per hour per intersection (Hill & Lindly, 2003). According to data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 890 people were killed in car crashes that involved red light running in 2017. An additional 132,000 people were injured by drivers running red lights that year.
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What is the Deadliest Date of the Year for US Car Accident Fatalities?
Thousands of people are killed in fatal car accidents every year. Data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that there were 34,247 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2017; killing a total of 37,133 people.
Fatality rates vary dramatically from the season to season and even from day to day. If you had to guess the deadliest date of the year for car crashes, you would probably pick a holiday associated with drinking or a date in the winter date because of the risk for bad road conditions. Most people would be shocked to know that a date in August was identified as the deadliest for car accidents in a study completed by the IIHS. Data gathered between 2012 and 2016 identifies August 2nd (yes, today!) as the date with the highest US car accident fatality rate; 505 people were killed on that date during this period and overall August accounted for 15,914 deaths.
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Top 9 Most Dangerous Intersections in Bellingham
The risk for car accidents increases at intersections because cars are traveling in opposite and intersecting directions on two or more roads. In Bellingham, there are nine intersections that stand out for being the site of the most car accidents each year. According to an article on the Bellinghamherald.com, Bellingham police received reports of 1,350 accidents within city limits between January, 2016 and June, 2017.
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June is National Safety Month: Reduce Your Risk of Preventable Accidents
Started by the National Safety Council more than 20 years ago, June is National Safety Month. The purpose is to build awareness around preventable accidents that cause thousands of injuries and fatalities on our roads and throughout our communities each year.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as you are able. For most personal injuries in Washington State, there is a three-year statute of limitations on an injury claim. The accident lawyer can discuss your legal rights and may be able to fight for a fair settlement on your behalf.
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How to Choose a Car Accident Attorney
If you’ve been injured in a car accident you may be wondering if you can trust the at-fault car insurance agency to agree to a reasonable settlement (hint: probably not). Great car accident lawyers know how to place a value on your claim and how to negotiate with car insurance companies to get you a fair settlement for your injuries. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain: auto accident lawyers do not require any payment upfront and are only compensated out of a percentage of the settlement. If you are looking for the best car accident attorney in Bellingham, how do you know you’re choosing the right one?
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How to Prevent Spring Car Accidents & Pedestrian Accidents
For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, the season turning to spring brings a sigh of relief that we won’t have to deal with winter driving conditions again for several months. What many may not realize is that spring brings its own car accident and pedestrian accident risk factors. Being aware of the dangers that spring brings to the roads can reduce your chances of being injured in an accident.
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Who’s at Fault in a Hydroplaning Accident?
Driving in heavy rain is dangerous because it makes the roads slippery and reduces visibility. These factors dramatically increase the risk of car accidents, including rear-end and single-vehicle accidents caused by hydroplaning. The first 10 minutes of rain are the most dangerous time for rain-related car accidents because the oil from the roadway comes up and mixes with the water, making a very slippery surface.
What is hydroplaning?
Hydroplaning is when water stays between the tire and the road, disconnecting the tire from the road and making the car glide on top of the water. (Normally water flows through the tire’s tread and is then brushed aside). Drivers struggle to maintain control of their vehicles while hydroplaning because the drag from the water pulls one side of the vehicle making the tires on the other side slow down. This pulls the vehicle in the direction of the slower side and makes the car spin.
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4-Year-old Boy from Utah Killed in Rear-End Accident
A 4-year-old boy was killed Wednesday, January 30 in a rear-end accident in South Jordan, Utah. A Dodge Neon traveling east rear-ended another vehicle that had stopped because of traffic just after 4 p.m. The initial crash caused the car hit by the Neon to rear-end the car in front of it as well. The 4-year old boy – who was sitting in the passenger seat and not in a child restraint or booster but wearing a seatbelt – was critically injured when airbags deployed from the impact of the crash. He died shortly afterward in the hospital. All other people involved in the car accident were checked by medical responders at the scene and released.
As a result of the tragic crash, South Jordan police sent out a reminder to make sure children under age eight are properly restrained in car or booster seats, and that children under age 13 ride in back seats.
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Video Captures Man Clinging to Hood of SUV In Road-Rage Incident
You never know what a cellphone video camera is going to capture. On January 26, 2019 an onlooker filmed a 65-year old man named Richard Kamrowski clinging to the hood of an SUV as it was driven by 37-year-old Mark Fitzgerald at speeds of up to 70 miles an hour for three miles. The road-rage incident began after the men got into an argument over a minor side-swipe car accident on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Fitzgerald attempted to flee the scene of the accident when the argument began; Kamrowski then jumped on the hood of Fitzgerald’s SUV. According to Kamrowski, Fitzgerald drove fast and slowly, then fast again in an apparent attempt to get him to slide off the hood. It took other drivers – including one with a gun – to convince Fitzgerald to stop his vehicle. Both men were arrested by Massachusetts State Police. Fitzgerald was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, negligent driving and leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage and Kamrowski was charged with disorderly conduct. The man with the gun was not charged. Click here to see the video.