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As safety technology makes headway into many newly manufactured vehicles, drivers must understand the risks associated with many new safety features. The American Automobile Association (AAA) reports a staggering number of drivers who may be too dependent on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and do not fully understand what these electronic systems can and cannot do.  These features include:   Blind spot monitoring systems: This feature can alert drivers when a vehicle in another lane is passing or hovering in a blind spot.   Forward collision warning: This ...

Wilmington drivers are obliged to obey traffic signals. However, some drivers are in a hurry and fail to slow down when they see the traffic light turn yellow. Others speed straight through red lights.   Drunk driving, distracted driving, and speeding are common factors when drivers fail to stop at a red light. Their negligence puts other road users at risk of suffering severe, sometimes life-threatening, injuries.  A recent Wilmington accident, caused by a speeding driver who ran a red light, left two law enforcement officers injured. The ...

Wilmington is one of the most dangerous cities in North Carolina for pedestrians and bicyclists, according to data published by Port City Daily. The state's Department of Motor Vehicle's 2016 crash facts report revealed that Wilmington crashes involving pedestrians resulted in death 8.8 percent of the time. Of the 85 cities with 10,000 people or more ranked most dangerous for pedestrians statewide, Wilmington came in at No. 4, with factors including an overall number of pedestrian accidents, crash rate ...

It's well-known that many Wilmington car accidents occur at intersections because, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes, left turns, crossing over and right turns have the potential for conflicts resulting in crashes. Illegal maneuvers and inattention were cited as top factors in the NHTSA study. More recently, Andy Pilgrim - founder of the Traffic Education Foundation, professional race car driver and contributing vehicle tester for Automobile Magazine - penned an advisory for the National Safety Council, ...

When it comes to summer road safety, few motorists stop to consider the condition of their tires. But it's your tires, more than any other part of your vehicle, that will have the most impact on whether you arrive safely at your destination. The American Automobile Association (AAA) reports vehicles on worn tires take nearly an extra 100 feet to stop at highway speeds compared to vehicles traveling on newer tires. AAA reports more than 800,000 collisions a year ...

As of May 2018, all new vehicles manufactured in the United States must be equipped with backup cameras. CNBC reports that the initial law was passed by Congress in 2008. The law was, in part, supported by evidence given by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The official report NHTSA submitted to Congress estimated that an average of 292 fatalities occurred every year as the result of backover accidents. Some 78 percent of these backover fatalities (and a whopping ...

We’ve all seen them on the road – aggressive drivers. Tailgating. Weaving in between traffic. Running a red light. Racing on the streets like there’s no one else on the road. What these drivers don’t realize – or don’t care about – is that their actions can dramatically increase the risk of a car accident that results in serous injuries or fatalities. And according to recent findings, it is a serious problem in North Carolina. A survey conducted by ...

New technologies have been expanding the options for in-vehicle entertainment and information for many years now. These options also give drivers the unfortunate temptation to divert their attention from the roadway. As smart phones and in-vehicle entertainment systems become more prevalent on the roads of America, safety advocates are looking for new ways to address this growing danger. Some have been effective and others have not. It is important for Wilmington drivers to understand the problem of distracted driving ...

Melting snow and warmer weather means an increasing number of motorcycle riders will soon be on the roads throughout the Carolinas. North Carolina law requires all riders to obtain a motorcycle endorsement or learner's permit. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles reports 151 riders were killed in 2016. More than 3,700 crashes injured more than 3,000 riders that year. New Hanover County motorcycle crashes claimed three lives last year and injured 45 riders. Motorcycle Safety Tips for Riders in ...

School bus accidents are at the forefront of people's minds when they think of school transportation accidents. However, students are at greater risk while outside the bus, when traveling with friends or in large passenger vans used by many churches and youth groups. Whenever a child is injured at school or while participating in a school-related function, an experienced injury lawyer in Wilmington should be contacted. These are complex cases. Many schools enjoy additional protection under sovereign immunity laws ...