NYC’s “mean streets” just got a little nicer: 2014 saw the fewest pedestrian deaths in a century

Pedestrian deaths in NYC were at an all-time low in 2014. That year, the city saw the fewest fatal pedestrian accidents (132) since they started keeping track one hundred years ago.

Overall traffic fatalities fell from 293 to 248.

Such a drop seems incredible, particularly for a city with as much vehicle and pedestrian traffic as New York. So, how did they accomplish this? It is due in part to a mission implemented by Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD called “Vision Zero,” an ambitious plan aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities in New York.  The plan involved lowering the speed limit and stepping up law enforcement. The city reduced speed limits from 30mph to 25mph, and increased the number of tickets issued for failing to yield to pedestrians by 126%.  The Taxi and Limousine Commission also issued thousands more for safety-related violations. […]

Contemplating a new car? IIHS names 71 safest

Amid a series of safety issues and recalls this year, there is good news for drivers: more vehicles meet stricter safety standards in 2015.

It’s been a rough year for the auto-safety world, with recalls from GM followed by recalls from airbag manufacturer Takata affecting vehicles from seven major automakers. Last week, Takata’s president, Stephan Stocker, stepped down from his position.  He will remain with the company as a board member; Chairman Shigehisa Takada will take his place. Both Takada and Stocker, as well as other Takata executives, will reportedly take 50% pay cuts in the coming months.

While Takata has refused to expand the recall on its airbags nationwide, automakers including Honda, Chrysler, Ford, Mazda, and BMW have issued a nationwide recall on their vehicles containing Takata airbags.

But, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offers drivers hope as they announced last week that their list of vehicles earning the  two top safety ratings (Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+) is nearly twice as long as last year’s – and that’s with tougher criteria. […]

Unlicensed 15-yr-old kills three in crash; father who gave her the keys charged with manslaughter

A 53-year-old man from Scarsdale, New York, was charged last week  for a crash that killed three fifteen-year-old boys on August 30, 2014. Michael Ware’s unlicensed fifteen-year-old daughter was driving at the time of the accident.   Ware reportedly had given his daughter the keys to his car even though she did not have so much as a learner’s permit. This was not the first time he had done so, according to local investigators. The morning of the accident,  Ware and his daughter were visiting their Poconos vacation home in Paupack Township for Labor Day weekend. Ware’s daughter got behind the wheel of her father’s SUV and picked up some friends on her way to a nearby restaurant. There were a total of six teenagers in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The girl lost control of the SUV and it flipped over, […]

Who is most likely to be in a fatal car crash?

Are you among the nation’s most or least likely to be in a deadly car wreck? According to the Georgia Injury Law Blog and Health Day, young males in newer large vehicles are most likely to survive a head-on collision, according to a new study by Indiana University’s School of Public Health. This may sound surprising, as young people are more likely to be involved in these types of crashes than other age groups, and men are involved in more fatal crashes per year than women.  Men tend to drive more miles per year than women, on average, and are more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But, of the 1,100 serious accidents studied by Indiana University, young men driving larger vehicles had a better chance of surviving.  Drivers in cars were found to be 9 times more likely to die in a crash than drivers in SUV’s, […]

Surprising Car Accident Facts from the Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneysyers

Car accidents are a leading cause of death in the United States today. The facts below might surprise you. For instance, you may already be aware that drunk, drowsy, and distracted driving are three of the major causes of fatal car crashes in the United States. But, did you know our home state of Pennsylvania is #5  in the country when it comes to the annual cost (medical and lost wages) of auto accidents?

For  more information on car accident statistics, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.  If you have been injured in a car accident, call the personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys at 855-866-5529 for a free consultation.

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