Providence RI Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

Car accidents are all too common in Rhode Island. Negligent drivers get distracted, conditions get bad and accidents happen. Every accident has the potential to be serious. Drivers, passengers and even third parties can suffer very serious injuries, including broken bones, burns and head and neck trauma.

Some accidents are so serious that they can be life-threatening. These car accidents are particularly difficult, especially when the negligence of another causes the loss of a loved one. Unfortunately, one Providence family is now facing the aftermath of a fatal motor vehicle accident caused by an allegedly negligent driver.

Did you know that accidents in which motorists mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brake tend to involve older women drivers in parking lots? A recent study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that nearly two-thirds of drivers that have been in these types of accidents are female. However, when looking at all motor vehicle wrecks, the research found that 60 percent of drivers involved in car accidents are male.

Gas pedal crashes started to gain a bad reputation approximately one decade ago. Rhode Island residents probably remember hearing about the case where an 86-year-old male driver stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake and plowed into a market. Ten people were killed and 63 injured in this incident.

This April, it is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As many Rhode Island residents know, distracted driving serves as one of the biggest hazards among motorists in the United States. Nevertheless, in a handful of states, it is legal to transmit text messages or talk on the cell phone while driving. This has been a major cause of fatal car accidents.

The Department of Transportation has worked hard to fight against the epidemic. Over the past few years, many states have joined the battle. Some areas have created various educational campaigns about the issue, which are primarily directed at teens.

A recent study looked at car crash factors such as speeding, alcohol and seatbelt use. The study also examined the average number of years between driving accidents and tallied state-specific laws on cellphone use while driving.

With this information, researchers sorted which states in the nation have the most dangerous drivers. Unfortunately, Providence, Rhode Island, fared to be one of the most unsafe cities for driving. Out of a list of 100 cities, Providence came in at number 95, and number 100 is considered the most hazardous driving city in the United States.