Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney, I was surprised to review data findings of a Philadelphia based automotive safety research project which concluded that children were half as likely to be injured in a car accident with their grandparents rather than their parents were driving.

As one who spends quite a bit of time on the highways and streets and has been a practicing car accident attorney for over 30 years in Philadelphia, after considering the results of the study and evaluating the results, I thought to myself that many more of the car accidents that I have litigated have involved younger people as well. The study concluded that there were several possible explanations for the better car accident safety record of grandparents versus parents driving. Grandparents have more time on their hands, are not as rushed, and not as stressed. Grandparents may not be multitasking rushing between work, dinner, and child activities. Grandparents do not speak on cell phones or text as much as younger drivers. Grandparents transporting grandchildren were less likely to be involved in an accident on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or higher. Of particular consideration is the average age of the grandparents in the study was only 58. According to statistics from the National Highway Safety Administration, there are more than 38 million American drivers beyond age 65 and overall this group of drivers has the greatest likelihood of being involved in an auto accident making the study findings even more surprising. The study also revealed that grandparents were also less likely to use child safety seats than were parents and more than a quarter of the grandparents used less than optimal child restraints, while 2% failed to use any at all.

The Philadelphia car accident attorneys of Reiff & Bily are committed to auto safety and have represented generations of Pennsylvanians since 1979. If you or a loved one has been involved in a Pennsylvania car accident, please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com for a free, no obligation consultation.

According to a recent study, there is a growing concern about driver safety among the aging population which accounts for the second highest number of car accidents after teenagers. The study indicated that the main issue is not age but functional ability. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration people 65 years or older made up 14% of all traffic fatalities in the United States. Many times we take it for granted that when speaking with a friend or relative who brags about their elderly mother, father, or uncle who is still driving at age 92 that all is well and that this individual is safe for himself, herself and others.

Unfortunately, many of the elderly people are on the road with potential impairments that have not been revealed or noted with a restriction on their driver’s license. Many times, we are too proud to tell our parents or loved ones that they should not be driving when in fact their physical or mental conditions presents a hazard to other drivers on the highway. A recent study indicated that sensory loss in drivers such as vision and hearing loss is an important risk factor in car accidents.

Continue reading "Impaired Elderly Drivers And Resulting Car Accidents At An Increased Rate Is A Growing Concern in Pennsylvania" »