Long Island, Manhattan Accident Attorney Blog

Do You Really Know What is Causing NY Drivers to Become Distracted?

A Brentwood Auto Accident Sends Teen to the Hospital

Texting Can Cause a New York Car Accident

Text messaging has taken off over the last couple of years and many people believe that this activity has been to blame for many car accidents.  You may be someone who texts and drives or may have witnessed other drivers doing the same thing.  Even though a text message may only take a few seconds to type, research has shown that taking your eyes off the road for a mere three seconds can significantly increase your chance of being involved in a New York car accident.

Several states have already enacted laws that ban drivers from texting and driving.  According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, New York will join these states in banning texting and driving, as of November 1, 2009.

There have been various studies that have looked into the dangers of text messaging.  One study found that people were more distracted when writing a text message than reading one and that drivers had slower reaction times to road hazards.

One of the most notorious cases involving texting is the New York car accident that killed five high school girls.  These girls were riding together when their car hit a tractor-trailer head on.  It is believed that the crash was caused by texting.

If you have been injured in a car accident in New York and you believe that the other driver was to blame, you need to contact a New York car accident lawyer at Rappaport, Glass, Greene & Levine at (800) 734-9445.

The Safest Small Cars According to the IIHS

The results are in and only two 2009 model small cars earned good ratings in side crashes, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  Have you wondered how your small car would hold up in a serious side impact crash or other type of auto accident in New York?

Seven small cars, all 2009 models, were included in the Institute’s front, side and rear crash tests.  All of the seven vehicles, The Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4 and Toyota Matrix, earned the highest rating in the category of “good for occupant protection in frontal crashes.”  However, only the SX4 and its twin Pontiac Vibe earned good ratings for protection in side crashes.  The Institute issued a statement in its press release that the majority of new small cars earn good ratings in frontal crash tests, but do not perform well in side and rear crashes.

The side crash tests used to measure the protection is small cars incorporates a barrier designed to represent the front end of a pickup truck or SUV.  The barrier is at head level, which makes side airbags an important component in protection.  Joe Nolan, the Institute’s senior vice president, said that side airbags are standard in all of the small vehicles that were tested this time, which is a major change from 2006 when side airbags were mostly optional.

If you have been injured in a New York car accident, you may be entitled to compensation.  Contact an experienced car accident attorney at Rappaport, Glass, Greene & Levine at (800) 734-9445.