New York Personal Injury Law Blog

The Vision Zero program in New York City that began in 2014 appears to have reduced pedestrian deaths even while the problem has ballooned throughout much of the nation. The city was among 10 large urban areas that experienced a collective drop of 15 percent in the number of pedestrians killed by vehicles in 2017. The program reduced speed limits in the city to improve safety, but people on foot continue to face a dangerous landscape. A report from the Governors Highway Safety Association calculated that pedestrian deaths nationwide have jumped 51.5 percent since 2009. The report blamed multiple factors on the deadly trend.

The increasing number of sport utility vehicles on the road have contributed to the loss of life. SUVs have a higher front-end, and this design doubles the risk that the vehicles will kill a pedestrian compared to lower-profile sedans. Since 2013, pedestrian deaths that involved SUVs increased by 50 percent.

The Governors Highway Safety Association has reported on the lack of progress in efforts to reduce speeding-related crashes. New York residents should know that speeding is to blame for nearly one-third of all motor vehicle-related fatalities with many of these being pedestrians and bicyclists. Speeding increases the chances of an accident as well as the severity of one, while decreasing speed even a little bit does the opposite.

The GHSA's report is entitled "Speeding Away from Zero: Rethinking a Forgotten Traffic Safety Challenge," and it focuses on ways to create a more safety-minded culture among drivers, many of whom are convinced that speeding is acceptable. The GHSA stresses the need for better education and stricter enforcement of speeding laws.

Safety risks with vehicles are typically associated with some sort of defect inherent in the vehicle in question. Some part or system does not function as designed and causes a potential safety issue, and the driver, despite operating the vehicle in an otherwise safe manner and as intended, is placed at risk. Today's automobiles sold in New York are manufactured with varying inclusions of the latest technology available, but not all of these are aimed at enhancing or improving the functionality or safety of the driving experience. In fact, the issue arises whether some of these technologies should be placed in a vehicle at all.

Initially, it should be noted that what is called distracted driving has become a leading cause of injury crashes. In a AAA-sponsored study, researchers observed that the even a seemingly benign activity such as listening to the radio can, on some level, be distracting. Activities that require a combination of cognitive focus, the use of the hands and visual activity are the most distracting and cause the driver to lose focus on the task of driving for the longest period of time.

ZF is a car parts manufacturer that is currently developing external airbags. The safety data that it has presented may prompt other manufacturers to consider this technology. Drivers in New York who are interested in vehicle safety tech will also want to take note although it will probably be a while before external airbags become standard features on vehicles.

ZF is focusing on external airbags that protect occupants in the event of a side-impact crash. Its model goes on both sides of a vehicle and is meant to provide an additional crumple zone to absorb the shock of the collision. According to ZF, external airbags can reduce the severity of occupants' injuries by up to 40 percent.