Estimated speed was 85 mph at the time of the crash. Witnesses say the driver was holding a phone. A semi-truck was blocking the bike lane. Construction had closed the sidewalk. Driving too fast for conditions. Pedestrians in crosswalk. DUI suspect. Did not stop. Not An Accident. Any crash that involved the circumstances described here [...]
Traffic crashes increase during the rainy season. Why are Pacific Northwest drivers bad at driving in the rain? Nearly every time precipitation hits, whether its a drizzle or a deluge, there seem to be traffic catastrophes all over the place. Wet roads present different challenges for drivers, especially the first rain after a dry period of weather. [...]
Dear Seattle drivers, I want to have an honest talk with you. It was recently reported in the Seattle Times Traffic Lab that 101 people were seriously injured or killed in 98 collisions on Seattle streets in the first 6 months of the year. That is the highest number in the first six months of [...]
I was driving with my family through Cheyenne, Wyoming last week. The weather had been nice and comfortable, but one day a thunderstorm warning was issued. The warning stated that 70 mph winds were expected, with hail the size of marbles and both lighting and thunder. Sure enough, the storm came through just as predicted. [...]
When we talk about the unacceptable toll of motor vehicle crashes in the U.S., we are talking about more than the 35,000 fatalities every year. We are talking about more than the hundreds of thousands of injuries. The cold, hard fact is that crashes are a huge economic burden. Not just a burden on crash [...]
Whether you are for or against the legalization of marijuana—and I am not taking a position here— no one can dispute that driving a car after the use of marijuana is dangerous. According to a recent study, fatal car crashes involving marijuana impairment have tripled in the United States. All across the State of Washington [...]
The average driver saves 26 seconds a day by speeding. People think it saves time. Maybe it does occasionally, if you run through a yellow light to avoid stopping for a minute. But, the time savings, on average, is about 2 minutes a week. Considering that: Speeding through an intersection drastically increases the risk of [...]
A jury recently awarded $42 million to a young couple who suffered major burns and crushing injuries after a Dallas body shop fixed their hail-damaged Honda using a cheaper, but untested, method of roof repair. Just before Christmas, the couple was headed for a family visit when a truck hydroplaned and hit the Honda head-on. [...]
Since Washington state approved recreational use of marijuana, we have watched to see how it would affect drivers and road safety. A study completed by the Highway Loss Data Institute found an uptick in car collision claims in Colorado, Oregon and Washington. Read the HLDI Study bulletin: Recreational marijuana and collision claim frequencies. Increase in car crash claims from 2012-2016: Colorado: 13.9% [...]
As I watch my teenage son and his friends learn the skills of safe driving and the rules of the road, I embrace their growth into adulthood, but, I also experience fears and concerns for their safety. The number of teenagers involved in deadly car crashes in the United States is rising for the first [...]
