Since COVID-19 has kept most of us home and off the roads, you would think a decrease in the amount of deaths on the roads would occur. Unfortunately, the numbers show there has been a small change in vehicle-related deaths. The total number of deaths on Texas roads in March went from 305 in 2019 to 241 in 2020, a number that shocked most state officials - because driving is down more than 50% in the state.
Posts tagged "vehicle crash"
Traffic Deaths Not Significantly Lower During Virus Pandemic
Toyota Adds Over One Million Vehicles to Recall for Fuel Pump Issues
Toyota recently announced that it is adding 1.2 million vehicles to a major recall due to possible fuel pump failures. In January, Toyota announced that they would recall nearly 700,000 U.S. vehicles due to defective fuel pumps. At that time, Toyota told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator that they were aware of 66 field reports and 2,571 warranty claims related to fuel pump failures in the vehicles that were initially called. The addition of more vehicles brings the total recall to 1.8 million U.S. vehicles. In total, Toyota has recalled 3.2 million vehicles worldwide to address the issue. The recall came after Toyota launched an investigation in June 2019 into potential fuel pump issues.
Jury Awards $242 Million Verdict Against Toyota After Finding Defects Caused Children to Suffer Permanent Head and Brain Injuries
In August of 2018, a Dallas County jury awarded more than $242 million to a family after finding manufacturing defects in the family's Lexus vehicle had caused their children to suffer skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries after an otherwise minor collision.
Geico Refuses Its Insured's Claim Despite Underinsured Motorist Coverage
On August 5, 2019, a Texas resident filed a lawsuit in Harris County Civil Court against Geico County Mutual Insurance Company ("Geico"), alleging breach of contract and bad faith.
Self-Driving Uber Vehicle Kills Pedestrian
A $10 million lawsuit was filed against the city of Tempe, Arizona after a woman was killed by an autonomous Uber vehicle. The suit states that the Arizona suburb created a dangerous situation by installing a brick pathway across the median where people were not allowed to cross the road. Essentially, city officials paved a walkway for jaywalkers. The suit seeks $5 million in damages each for the surviving husband and daughter of the 49-year-old woman killed in the collision. While the city's spokesperson could not comment directly on the case, she has stated that the suburb has since landscaped the median in place of the walkway.
Lawsuit Filed Against Bar After Drunk Driver Killed Mother and Daughter
On January 14, 2017, a drunk driver caused a deadly five-vehicle crash after driving a Dodge Durango in the wrong direction on the Southwest Freeway in Houston, Texas.
Texting While Driving Verdict
Many companies are adopting 100 percent cellphone bans when operating a company vehicle. This helps protect the driver, passengers, and other vehicles on the road from being involved in a collision. A lack of cellphone polices can create great anguish for all parties involved.
More Fatal Train Collisions in Texas
The Texas Department of Public Safety has confirmed a fatal car accident involving a train in Iowa Park, Texas. The collision occurred at approximately 10:15 p.m. on Friday, October 13, 2017. The collision occurred near the intersection of West Smith Avenue and Johnson Road. The railroad track crosses Johnson Road approximately 25 yards before the intersection with West Smith Avenue. There are retractable railroad gates near the tracks, but it is unknown at this point whether they were activated as the train approached. There is a residential property located near where the collision occurred, but there is no report yet that there were any witnesses. Iowa Park Police and Fire, Wichita County Sheriff's Deputies, Department of Public Safety Troopers, and railroad officials were all called to the scene to investigate. The driver was reportedly operating a Dodge SUV. Unfortunately, the driver of the vehicle has perished.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Releases 2016 Fatal Traffic Crash Data
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released fatal traffic crash data collected from all 50 states and the District of Columbia for calendar year 2016. According to NHTSA, there were 37,461 people killed in crashes on U.S. roadways during 2016, an increase from 35,485 in 2015. The number of vehicle miles traveled on U.S. roads in 2016 increased by 2.2 percent, resulting in a 2.6 percent increase in fatalities from 2015. NHTSA found that distracted driving and drowsy driving fatalities declined, while fatalities related to other reckless behaviors such as speeding, alcohol impairment, and failure to wear a seatbelt increased from the previous year. Fatal traffic crashes increased from 2015 to 2016 in almost all segments of the population including passenger vehicle occupants, occupants of large trucks, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, alcohol-impaired driving, and time of day (daytime/nighttime).
18-Wheeer Cargo Crashes into Bridge on the Katy Freeway
On June 26, 2017, several lanes of the Katy Freeway were shut down after an 18-wheeler traveling on the eastbound lanes struck an overpass near downtown Houston striking at least two vehicles. The incident occurred around 6:45 a.m. when the truck's cargo crashed into the Houston Avenue Bridge. The lanes remained closed until the cargo was removed from the freeway.
