Do you use your blinker in traffic?
Chances are you’re one of the ones who don’t. According to a recent study from the Society of Automotive Engineers, drivers fail to use their turn signals about 2 billion times every day. Yes, nearly 800 billion times every year. The study revealed that drivers don’t use their turn signals roughly 50 percent of the time when making lane changes and about 25 percent of the time when making turns. This poor driving behavior equates to about 2 million car accidents in New York City and elsewhere each year, according to MSNBC. That’s about twice as many accidents as distracted driving!
“This is a first of its kind report on a subject that amazingly, has never been studied,” said Richard Ponziani, P.E., President of RLP Engineering.
Our New York City car accident lawyers understand that many drivers know that law enforcement officers don’t really push the usage of blinkers. They’re more focused on nabbing drivers for speeding and running red lights. The study says that that’s one of the main reasons why drivers aren’t using them! Drivers aren’t only urged to use their blinker because it’s the law, but it’s been proven highly effective in reducing the risks of accidents. According to Ray LaHood, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), blinkers are some of the most simple and effective ways to keep motorists alive.
Safe driving advocates and researchers aren’t only asking law enforcement officers to step up the enforcement, but they’ve also come forward with a new technology that just might be able to do the trick. They’ve recently designed the “Smart Turn Signal” and it works much like the seat belt reminders that many of our vehicles already have. It’s a system that would help to alert drivers when they’re not using their turn signal enough or when it’s been left on. Just as the vehicle would beep when you’re not using your seat belt, the Smart Turn Signal would beep when a blinker has been left on after a turn or when it senses that a driver isn’t using it as they should be. This new technology is much less expensive than the current trip mechanisms in our vehicles and has been proven to be more effective as they reminder drivers not only to turn off their signals, but to use them when they’re not.
There were about 11 million car accidents across the country in just 2009. During that year, there were nearly 1,200 roadway fatalities in the state of New York, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many of these fatalities could have been prevented if drivers just used a turn signal. It’s a device that’s designed to do exactly that — save lives. Let’s all reach deep down inside and follow the traffic rules that we know are right and can help to make our roadways safer for everyone.
The Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC is dedicated to helping accident victims recover from car accidents in New York City and in the nearby areas. If you, a close friend or a family member has been injured in an auto accident, call 1-877-313-7673 to set up a free consultation from an experienced car accident lawyer.
Additional Resources:
Turn signal neglect a real danger, study shows, by Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau
More Blog Entries:
Thompson v. Nguyen Says that You Need Medical Evidence to Prove Your Injuries were Caused by Your New York Car Accident, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, April 28, 2012
Teen Car Accidents in Manhattan Likely during Prom, Graduation and Summer Break, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, April 16, 2012
