Posted on January 18, 2022 in Car Accidents

Stop sign violations are a major reason for serious car accidents. Some studies have put it as high as 70%. Drivers make mistakes at stop signs all the time.

There are a few reasons that stop signs are so dangerous, and it's important to consider them while trying to think about how you can stay safe on the road.

Traffic lanes have to cross

First and foremost, traffic lanes must cross at any intersection that is controlled by stop signs. There is no way to proceed without moving through lanes that are going perpendicular to your own. The stop signs are supposed to help you do this in a safe manner, but there is always an inherent danger when two cars are on a potential collision course.

Stop signs may be a judgment call

In a lot of situations, drivers have to make a judgment call at a stop sign. For instance, they may have to look and see if they have enough space at a two-way stop. If there isn't enough room for cross traffic to get through but they think there is, they can pull right out in front of that car.

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 Posted on January 14, 2022 in Drunk Driving Accidents

In the midst of the holiday season, there are no doubt many drunk drivers in Manassas and the rest of Prince William County right now. And the more drunk drivers that are out there, the greater the risk that responsible, sober drivers will get hit and suffer major, life-threatening injuries.

What if cars, trucks and SUVs would not start until the person behind the wheel proves they are sober? The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has partnered with a private company to create an invention it says will do just that. It's called the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Program, or DADSS.

Before turning the key, blow into this

It sounds like DADSS works similarly to the ignition interlock device that a driver convicted of DUI may have to install in their vehicle. The driver blows into the device, which contains sensors that detect if there is alcohol within the breath. If DADSS detects alcohol above the legal limit, a red light turns on, and the device won't let you start the engine. Therefore, an intoxicated person would not be able to cause an accident.

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 Posted on January 05, 2022 in Car Accidents

We've almost all used a ride-sharing service at some point. Whether needing a ride when visiting a new city or simply needing to get home after a long night, these services, such as Uber or Lyft, help make things much more convenient.

Despite this convenience, it is important to note that accidents can still happen when using these services. Drivers still face the same challenges that other Virginia motorists do when behind the wheel. We wanted to discuss some of the common reasons for ride-sharing accidents below.

Drivers in unfamiliar neighborhoods: Often, ride-share drivers will have to go to places that they have not been before. The lack of familiarity with the surroundings can make it challenging for them to know where to go, where the potentially dangerous places might be, as well as lead to last-second turns or lane changes that can result in unexpected crashes.

Apps that take a driver's eyes off the road: Every ride-share driver will use an app to tell him or her the most direct route to take to a destination. These apps factor in traffic, construction and other obstacles that might potentially make a trip take longer. While this can save time and money, it also can divert some of the driver's attention. They will need to keep an eye on the app, especially if they are not 100 percent sure where they are headed. Distracted driving is a major factor in car accidents, and just because someone is using an app for their job does not take away the risk that this behavior causes.

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 Posted on January 03, 2022 in Car Accidents

Most of the time, commuters across Virginia will utilize the roads without any issues. Unfortunately, there are occasions where people may be caught up in road traffic accidents.

Occasionally, those involved in a collision will be subjected to only minor injuries, meaning a fast recovery period. In more serious cases, those involved in an accident can be more severely injured. Recognizing the potential injuries caused by car accidents could help with road safety awareness. Outlined below are some of the more severe injuries associated with vehicular collisions.

Head injuries

Although many head injuries only have short-term effects, any type of head injury should be treated as an emergency that requires medical attention. In minor cases, symptoms may only last for a day or two. In other instances, recovering from a head injury may take an extended period of time. In more severe cases, a head injury can be catastrophic and could result in traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries have the potential to alter a person's life in a permanent manner.

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 Posted on December 30, 2021 in Car Accidents

When you look at fatal car accident trends, the first thing that you'll notice is that they're becoming less common. The 1970s had some of thehighest deadly crash rates in the nation's history, but things have generally declined since then.

Unfortunately, we've seen a bit of a concerning trend in recent years. In 2020, There weremore traffic deaths than in previous years, and this happened even though people were driving less often than they had in those prior years, and there were fewer cars on the road. Why are we seeing this type of reversal?

The downward trend was never perfect

First of all, you must understand that the downward trend was never a perfect downward slope from the 1970s until now. It has always gone down, then back up slightly, and then down again, like a series of steps. It could be that the increase in 2020 is just one more step, and we will see a general reduction in fatal accidents when we look back on the data in five or ten years.

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 Posted on December 23, 2021 in Car Accidents

A motor vehicle collision could occur any day of the week and any time of day. It only takes a few seconds of distraction or the failure of a vehicle's crucial systems for a collision to occur with very little warning.

Drivers need to be vigilant at all times to protect themselves from the possibility of a wreck. Still, knowing trends about when crashes occur can help drivers make better decisions. You can choose not to go out on the road when your risk is particularly high, or you can pay extra attention during those times when your driving risk is at its highest.

Are there certain days of the week when your crash risk is worse than others?

The weekends are particularly deadly

When people have time off of work, they may overindulge in alcohol or stay out too late with friends. The weekends see more than their fair share of fatal motor vehicle collisions. According to an analysis of 2019 crash data by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly half of all deadly crashes occur on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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 Posted on December 02, 2021 in Car Accidents

Many drivers get angry on the road. Some manage to contain their anger. Others lose control and drive aggressively, endangering the lives of others.

The National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) classifies the most extreme form of aggression as road rage. For example, when someone intentionally drives into another vehicle or pulls a weapon on another road user. Yet, there is a whole range of less violent actions that could still kill or seriously injure someone. The NHTSA calls those aggressive driving.

What does aggressive driving look like?

Here are some of the acts of aggression you could experience:

• Cutting you off: You pass someone, and they do not like it. They pass you then pull tight in front of you, forcing you to brake.
• Closing gaps: You are passing and calculate you have time to pull in front of the vehicle before an oncoming car reaches you. If the driver in front speeds up to shut the gap, you could be left stranded in the wrong lane with no space to pull in and a vehicle heading straight for you.

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 Posted on November 30, 2021 in Car Accidents

The roads across Virginia present numerous potential hazards to drivers. Often, it is thought that busier traffic periods during the day are the biggest dangers. However, research suggests that a crash is three times more likely to happen at night.

Fortunately, there are measures that road users can take to protect themselves. Outlined below are three safety tips for driving at night time:

1. Check your lights before starting out

Headlights and signals are some of the most useful ways to ensure that you remain visible on the roads. However, they can malfunction, resulting in a need to replace or fix them. It is far better to discover faulty lights while carrying out tests than once you are on the road. Additionally, dust, dirt and other debris can cover up lights. Thus, it is important to make sure that lights stay clean.

2. Manage your energy

It is never in your best interests to drive when you feel fatigued. Being tired means that your reaction times and concentration levels may not be optimal. This could lead to an increased possibility of a collision. Importantly, symptoms of fatigue frequently do not present themselves until you are on the road. As a result, it is vital to pull over and rest in the event that tiredness overcomes you while operating a vehicle.

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 Posted on November 26, 2021 in Car Accidents

A car accident can leave you physically and emotionally shaken. If you have sustained an injury following a car accident in Virginia, you might be wondering whether or not you should pursue a car accident claim.

Should you choose to move forward with your car accident claim, you must know the procedures you will need to follow to win your case. Here are the essential steps you must keep in mind while pursuing a car accident claim in Virginia.

The statute of limitations

Under Virginia law, a car accident victim has two years effective the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent party. You should begin gathering evidence for your case as soon as possible. You risk having your claim dismissed if you file your suit after the statute of limitations expires.

Discovery

Once you have filed a formal complaint in court, your car accident lawsuit will enter what is known as the discovery phase. Legal representatives on both sides will gather information about the case, such as medical records, photos of the accident scene, eyewitness accounts and police reports. Both parties' legal representatives will review each piece of information to decide what evidence they will use during the trial.

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 Posted on October 22, 2021 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

A car crash with a commercial truck will typically cause worse damage to the smaller vehicle. Sometimes, commercial crashes are the result of people in smaller vehicles making mistakes, but many times, the commercial driver is the one ultimately at fault for a collision.

Researchers carefully track the causes of trucking crashes to help promote a safer commercial transportation industry. What are some of the top ways that truck drivers contribute to collisions on the road?

Bad decisions

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's analysis of collision statistics, trucker decisions are responsible for approximately 38% of the crashes caused by commercial vehicles. In other words, more than one in three commercial wrecks caused by the bigger vehicle is the result of a driver making a bad choice.

Perhaps they didn't watch closely enough to determine the speed of another vehicle before starting a turn. Maybe they got too close to the rear end of another vehicle and couldn't stop in time. They may have just driven too fast for the density of traffic or weather conditions. Those mistakes can have catastrophic consequences for other people.

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