Articles Posted in Personal Injury

“This is just about public safety. It’s a no-brainer. Let’s get it done,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who has pushed for red-light cameras since 1993. “Other states have it. Why can’t we do it in Massachusetts? What’s the reluctency of the Legislature to pass this? This saves lives.”

Current Massachusetts law does not allow these red-light traffic cameras. Lawmakers have yet to authorize legislation stating otherwise, according to thenewspaper.com. Those opposing the red-lights say that they see them coming in the near future because of the areas budget deficits.

Beacon Hill is currently feeling the pressure as they’re running low on city cash and may be turning to these cameras to make up the difference. They may be next to install these intersection cameras, according to My Fox Boston. Lawmakers continue to argue that the main purpose of these cameras is to reduce your risk of a car accident in Massachusetts and not to make a quick buck.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that these red-light cameras have created a battle between politicians and residents. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, big cities with red-light cameras have been fortunate enough to experience a decrease in fatal intersection accidents of nearly 25 percent. Residents argue that the only thing that is decreasing is their privacy.

Those who oppose these cameras claim that the eye in the sky is only an invasion of privacy and a money maker for a city that is caught in a budget bind. A number of previous bills have failed because officials are reluctant to change a law that requires traffic tickets to be hand delivered. Lawmakers defend the possible move by saying that these cameras will help to crack down on violators while helping out police forces that have faced severe cuts.

“Most drivers don’t buy the argument that it’s somehow wrong to enforce the law just because you’re using a camera to do it,” says Anne McCartt, the Institute’s senior vice president for research. “They understand that this technology is preventing crashes in their cities.”

A recent survey, conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, concluded that 93 percent of drivers said that it is unacceptable to go through a red light if it’s possible to stop safely. To almost no surprise, a third of these drivers admitted to running a red light in the past 30 days.

“Examining a large group of cities over several years allowed us to take a close look at the most serious crashes, the ones that claim people’s lives,” says McCartt, who is also a co-author of the study. “Our analysis shows that red light cameras are making intersections safer.”

Since the 1990s, a number of communities have used these red-light cameras as a low-cost way to reduce intersection accidents and as an alternative way to police these areas. In 2000, only 25 cities participated in such programs. Currently, there are more than 500 cities that are taking advantage of the technology. Still, many motorists view these cameras as nothing more than a scam operated by money-hungry cities.

“Somehow, the people who get tickets because they have broken the law have been cast as the victims,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “We rarely hear about the real victims — the people who are killed or injured by these lawbreakers.”
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The Government Accountability Office recently concluded that only 70 percent of cars and trucks that were recalled ever got repaired within 18 months. If you’re not notified in a timely manner of these recalls, then your risks of being involved in a car accident in Massachusetts quickly increase.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand how common these vehicle recalls are nowadays. It’s important that there’s an effective system in place to make sure that consumers are being notified as quick as possible about these dangerous defects. The Government Accountability Office says that the NHTSA needs to step up their efforts in doing so. They suggest that the Administration improves their recall database website and provides notifications to used car buyers more quickly.

Some recalled vehicles are never even repaired. These vehicles are all over our roadways. When a car switches owners, it may be difficult for the car manufacturer to contact the new owners. When a manufacturer isn’t able to contact an owner, the job falls into the lap of the NHTSA.

The NHTSA currently has a database, safecar.gov, which allows motorists to look up their vehicle’s investigations and recalls. Drivers can even sign up to receive e-mail alerts for their specific vehicle. Another perk of the website is that it will provide you with a list of dealers that will perform recall repairs to your car even if the vehicle’s warranty has expired. Many times these repairs will cost you nothing.

It all started after a recent string of Toyota recalls. It wasn’t until then that Congress started to question the effectiveness of the auto safety defect recall process.

In response to these investigations, the GOA reviewed current laws and documents and interviewed the NHTSA and stakeholders about:

– The extent of NHTSA’s role in the recall process. They inquired about how its authorities compare to selected federal and foreign agencies that may also oversee recalls.

-The benefits and challenges of the current recall process for NHTSA and affected manufacturers.

-Some of the possible options for improving the recall process.

Through this investigation, the GOA came up with some recommendation to improve the system. They concluded that in order to encourage vehicle owners to comply with vehicle recalls, they would have to ensure that these owners would be provided with relevant information pertaining to their vehicle. They also concluded that the Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator of NHTSA to modify the requirements for defect notification letters to include information that would include the word “urgent” and the VIN number of the recalled vehicle so that the owner recognizes that this recall is specific to their vehicle.

We understand that it is extremely important to stay on top of the recalled vehicle’s list. If you’re vehicle has been recalled and you’ve not been notified, then you face an increased risk of being involved in an accident that could have been avoided if there would have been an effective notification system in place.
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