The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that highway traffic deaths increased by 13.5 percent during the first quarter of 2012. This increase is the largest jump in traffic fatalities since 1979. Given that traffic deaths in 2011 were at their lowest since 1949, this recent increase in car…
When a chunk of I-5 pavement flew up and smashed through the windshield of a car carrying a family of four, the dangers of Washington’s crumbling roadways became all too real. The family was headed down I-5 near Northgate on Saturday when a brick-sized concrete panel came off the road,…
For years, studies have confirmed the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol. But, now, a new study reveals that there is a state of driving nearly as dangerous as drunk driving: sleepy driving. The study, which, according to Reuters Health, was conducted by Dr. Nicholas Moore at the…
A recent study by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) highlights startling conclusions for those of us who have been listening to warnings about distracted driving. It is true that distraction causes accidents, about 950,000 annually. The SAE found, however, that one simple driving behavior could be linked to more…
At around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 20 there was a head on collision on an I-5 ramp at the I-90 interchange involving a vehicle traveling the wrong way. One person was killed in the crash and multiple others were injured. Those injured in car accidents and the surviving families…
A school bus overturned on the morning of March 12, 2012 on a central Washington highway outside of Quincy, Washington, injuring dozens of children, including three seriously, before coming to rest at the edge of a field, authorities said. According to news reports, the bus veered off the road, overcorrected and rolled on Highway…
Over the last week, Seattle has been hit with a major snow and ice storm that has resulted in hundreds of motor vehicle collisions. There are several steps you can take as a motorist to prevent a collision in snow and ice. First, when following behind other vehicles, you need…
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is tasked with prevention of injuries and fatalities related to commercial motor vehicle crashes. Given the prevalence of truck accidents which occur annually on the nation’s roadways, the administration has not been granted an easy mission. One of the tools that the FMCSA…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a study in August which determined that anti-rollover technology reduces the risk of a fatal crash by 18 percent. The NHTSA said the technology cut overall car crashes by six percent. For passenger cars, the risk of fatal crashes fell 23 percent…
According to the Associated Press, on March 23, 2011, a veteran BNSF Railway locomotive engineer, a conductor trainee and the shuttle driver giving them a ride were the three people killed on Wednesday afternoon when their van was struck by a freight train at a BNSF rail yard near Longview, Washington. The…