According to the journal Injury Prevention, New Year’s Eve is when people are most at risk for becoming involved in a fatal pedestrian accident. One reason for this is that while inebriated individuals might choose to walk rather than drive, drinking too much alcohol still impairs one’s physical abilities, judgments, and reflexes regardless, making one more prone to involvement in a traffic crash. One option for avoiding such risks might be to take a cab. Another alternative is staying over at wherever you plan to celebrate.
That said, there are Boston pedestrian accidents that occur on New Year’s Eve because a motorist was distracted, multitasking, texting while driving, talking on a cell phone, or drunk. Please contact Altman & Altman, LLP to request your free case evaluation if you were involved in a Massachusetts traffic accident that you believe was caused by another party.
No one wants to start or end the year involved in any type of collision, but it can happen. Because the state follows modified comparative negligence system, an injured party can recover Boston injury compensation compensation as long as his/her fault in causing the incident was 50% or less.
Just so you don’t let your guard down in the morning, however, you should know that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, between 1999 and 2008 on average the most motor vehicle accidents occurred on New Year’s Day. Speeding was among the leading causes.
Steps You Can Take to Avoid Becoming Involved in a Boston Traffic Accident on New Year’s Eve:
• Assign a designated driver.
• Keep your local taxi company’s number with you.
• Pay extra attention to the roads, traffic, and pedestrians.
• If you are going to walk, make sure you are wearing bright clothes so motorists can see you-especially in dark, winter weather.
• Consider walking in a group. There is visibility in numbers.
• Don’t text or talk on your cell phone while walking and pay attention to the traffic and your surroundings.
• If you are the party host, don’t let anyone who is drunk drive.
Walking drunk is one of the biggest New Year’s Eve risks, experts say, Boston.com, December 31, 2012
Fun With NHTSA Stats: The Safest/Most Dangerous Days To Drive, National Motorists Association, July 27, 2010
More Blog Posts:
14 Injured When 100-Year-Old Motorist Accidentally Backs Cadillac into School Kids and Adults, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, August 31, 2012
Woman Passes Away Following Gloucester, MA Car Crash, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, December 19, 2012
MA Judge Allows Lawsuit to Move Forward on Gillette Stadium Fatal Crash, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, December 14, 2012