The Boston Bump: The City’s Car Accidents and Worst Intersections

Steer Clear of The Boston Bump – Infographic of Boston’s Car Accidents & Worse Intersections

Fewer vehicle accidents on nation’s roads – BUT – still number one cause of injury-related deaths

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that car accident rates are actually on a downward trend. However, car crashes still account for the most injury-related deaths in the United States. Auto accidents are the primary cause of death for teenagers and young adults across the country, and if you or a loved one has been hurt in a vehicle crash, call motor vehicle accident lawyer John Sheehan immediately.

In response to these developments, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) compiled data that concentrated on the most dangerous intersections in Boston. The 2011 data was transformed into a colorful plethora of information clad as an infographic that depicts: thousands of motor vehicle accidents, whether or not accidents resulted in a fatality, the types of vehicles involved, the nature of impact, road and weather conditions, etc. MassDOT’s goal is to raise awareness about – and hopefully curb – dangerous driving circumstances.

boston car accident attorneys

Beware The Boston Bump – an infographic by the Boston personal injury lawyer team at Law Office of John J. Sheehan

When in Rome – oh, I mean Boston…

While Boston did not make Allstate’s 2013 list of cities with the worst drivers – it still tends to have a reputation for bad drivers, not to mention bad traffic (Boston ranked number 10 on Allstate’s worst traffic list). The Boston Discovery Guide lists 14 safe driving tips while visiting Boston. The first tip is simply, “Don’t” – meaning, do not drive while visiting Boston! Not all visitors heed this warning though.

Some Bostonians blame traffic accidents on out-of-towners’ inability to drive like a Bostonian in Boston. The driving culture on B-town’s narrow and busy streets probably does take law abiding, non-native drivers off guard. For example, if one does not accelerate and move forward the instant a light turns green, one may incur a “Boston Bump” – an alleged ‘tap’ on the rear bumper from the vehicle behind (a friendly reminder, of sorts). As noted the infographic, rear-end collisions accounted for the most frequently occurring type of wreck in Boston – well over 1,000 accidents in 2011. If you were involved in a rear-end collisions, please contact our Lynn, MA bicycle accident lawyer today.

Safety policies that save lives

In an effort to prevent vehicle-related injuries the CDC encourages communities, such as Boston, to raise awareness amongst drivers and promote policies that will ultimately save lives.

Such policies include:

• Improving child passenger safety
• Improving teen driver safety
Reducing alcohol-impaired driving
• Increasing seat belt usage

The financial cost of crashes

The price tag for motor vehicle crashes in the United States is over 99 billion dollars in one year’s time! that is basically $500 for each licensed driver in the nation. This cost takes into account medical expenses ($17 billion) as well as productivity losses.

Motor vehicle accident prevention programs, such as the following, save lives and save money:

• Graduated drivers license for teen drivers
• Proper car seat installation
Seat belt laws and enforcement programs
• Helmet laws (bicycle and motorcycle)
• Sobriety checkpoints