Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Report a Haverhill Pothole, Win $25 Gift Card

Haverhill mayor, James Fiorentini, is calling on local residents to report potholes so they can be fixed quickly by Haverhill’s Public Works Department, the Eagle Tribune reports. The town’s streets and roadways are riddled with potholes which pose danger of causing auto accidents.

As a way to encourage residents to report bumps and holes on the road, the mayor is launching a pothole contest, in which all Haverhill residents who report a pothole on a city street in Haverhill will automatically be entered into a drawing where three lucky winners will receive a $25 gift card each. The gift cards are donated to the contest by local businesses.

The contest ends May 10.

The goal, according to the mayor, is to fill all reported potholes within two business days.

To report a pothole, send email to pothole@cityofhaverhill.com or call 978-374-2364.

This news is brought to you by the Boston car accident injury lawyers at Kiley Law Group, LLC. Our attorneys have been fighting for the rights of auto accident victims for over 30 years. If you have recently been injured in an accident, call the toll-free number 888-208-1695 to schedule your FREE consultation with one of our attorneys today.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Make the Pledge to Avoid Distractions while Driving for Distracted Driving Awareness Month

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and an opportune time to recognize the dangers of distracted driving as well as the simple steps you can take to prevent it.

Whenever you get behind the wheel, you are responsible for your own safety and the safety of other people on the road around you. A driver may be comfortable doing other things while driving, like talking on the phone, texting, eating, drinking, or other tasks, but it takes the driver’s attention off the road. All it takes is one second of inattention to cause a fatal distracted driving accident. Looking down at a phone or even GPS navigation can make a driver miss a green light turning to yellow and red. If there is pedestrian is in the crosswalk when that driver runs the red light or applies his or her brakes too late, it may result in a tragic accident.  

What You Can Do

Any task that takes a driver’s eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off of driving is a distraction and can potentially lead to causing injury or death to someone’s child, parent, spouse, sibling, or best friend. It is important to recognize these as distractions and not do them. This will not only help you drive more safely, but you will then be in a position to avoid dangerous situations that may be caused by other drivers.

For Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the Kiley Law Group urges drivers to help keep themselves and others safe by pledging to:

1. Never text and drive;

2. Never talk on a cell phone while driving;

3. Never eat while driving, especially when involving a full meal;

4. Never turn around to have conversations with passengers;

5. Secure children and/or pets when in the car;

6. Never drive while fatigued or drowsy;

7. Never surf the Internet while driving; and

8. Never read or watch video while driving.

If there is an emergency, pull over before making or taking any phone calls or texts. Cell phones haven’t always been around. For the convenience of being able to get personal news wherever a driver is (if he or she has a cell phone), he or she can take the first highway exit or pull over and park before handling the situation.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Wrong Way Crashes Mostly Caused by Drunk or Senior Drivers

A recent study conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board looked at more than 1,500 auto accidents between 2004 and 2009, and nine other wrong-way accidents that the NTSB directly investigated. The results showed that a majority of the crashes (59%) involved drivers with blood alcohol levels (BAC) of more than twice the legal limit of 0.08. In 10% of the crashes, drivers had BAC levels between 0.08 and 0.014.

Age Matters in Wrong Way Accidents

Age is also a factor in wrong-way driving. Older drivers appear to be a part of the problem, researchers said. Drivers over 70 were overrepresented in the accidents. Senior operators driving the wrong way caused 15% of the accidents studied, compared to 3% of the right-way drivers they collided with.  

Wrong way accidents involving high speeds, like those occurring on interstates, expressways, and other high-speed highways are especially deadly. Roughly 80% of the accidents studied involved head-on crashes in which the vehicles closed on each other very rapidly.

According to the NTSB, wrong way driving usually occurs when drivers enter an exit ramp in the wrong direction, make a U-turn on the highway, or use an emergency turnaround through a median. Most wrong-way collisions happen in the fast lane of the highway.

Preventing Wrong Way Collisions

Since alcohol intoxication plays such a major role in causing wrong way driving, reducing drunken driving is a big step in reducing the number of wrong-way crashes. Until stricter laws on drunken driving and repeat drunken-driving arrests are the norm in all states, individual drivers need to exercise more caution when it comes to driving before driving. 

If an intoxicated driver has caused an auto accident that resulted in injuries to you or a family member, you may have the right to sue the driver for personal injuries.

To find out about your legal options after a Massachusetts car accident, contact one of our Boston personal injury lawyers at (888) 208-1695. Attorney Tom Kiley has over 30 years of experience fighting for the rights of injured victims. Call the toll-free number (888) 208-1695 to schedule your FREE consultation with attorney Kiley today.