Traffic. It’s the scourge of many Baltimore residents’ day. You battle through congestion along the city’s highways on your way to work, only to reenter the gauntlet after a hard day on the job for the journey home. Could sitting in gridlock be saving your life? The Maryland auto accident lawyers at CHASENBOSCOLO Injury Lawyers point out that one new study says the answer may be “yes.”

A study ranking the most dangerous states to drive in found that Maryland fell into the 39 slot, with only 11 other states being listed as safer places to get behind the wheel. The reason? Traffic in Maryland’s largest cities, including Baltimore.

According to an article from CBS Baltimore, a spokesman for the Maryland State Police explains that while heavy traffic may not prevent accidents from occurring, it slows vehicles down. This decreases the impact between vehicles and lessens the chances of injuries or fatalities in the event of a collision.

Another factor that plays a part in Maryland ranking as a safe place to drive is that 91 percent of residents wear their seatbelt when they’re in a car, truck, or SUV. This simple lifesaving piece of equipment has repeatedly been proven to prevent crash fatalities and a number of different types of auto accident injuries.

Promoting highway safety is part of our mission each day at CHASENBOSCOLO Injury Lawyers. That’s why we applaud motorists for buckling up and urge travelers to keep a positive outlook while on the road by remembering the traffic we deal with on a daily basis may be saving our lives.

The community of Prince George’s County is still reeling after a collision between a pickup truck and a church van claimed the lives of four people and left more than a dozen others with serious auto accident injuries. Officials say the crash happened at approximately 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, along Kenilworth Avenue.

The van was carrying 16 members of a church congregation to services after picking them up near the corner of Georgia and Missouri avenues. A pickup truck that was fleeing the scene of a previous crash crossed the double yellow lines of the road and collided with the van, causing the wreckage of both vehicles to catch fire.

Those who were injured in the crash were transported to local medical facilities to be treated for a variety of injuries, including lacerations and burns.

According to reports from The Washington Post, officials are continuing to investigate what factors may have contributed to causing the accident, injuries and fatalities, including whether or not alcohol played a role and if the passengers in the vehicles were properly restrained.

An analysis conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that between 1990 and 2002, there were a total of 1,576 passenger vans involved in fatal crashes. Roughly 58 percent of those accidents were the result of a van colliding with another vehicle.

The team of Maryland car accident lawyers at CHASENBOSCOLO would like to express our most sincere thoughts and prayers to those who were injured and the loved ones who were lost in this tragic accident.

It’s a well-known fact that speed is a major contributing factor in many car and truck accidents. Estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show as many as one-third of fatal crashes list speed as a cause.

Despite these findings, the state of Maryland is currently raising the speed limits on one of its major interstates. Officials claim raising the speed limit along the highway may actually reduce the chances of motorists being involved in Maryland car accidents.

According to The Washington Post, the State Highway Administration (SHA) is boosting the speed limit along Interstate 68 between the West Virginia border and the city of Hancock in Washington County to 70 mph. Officials say the move is being made because of increases in traffic volume, as well as shifts in driver behavior.

SHA engineers theorize that raising the speed limit on I-68 will reduce aggressive driving and lower the speed differentials between vehicles, thus reducing crashes.

With these new speed limits going into effect on Oct 1, the Maryland personal injury attorneys at CHASENBOSCOLO Injury Lawyers are anxious to see the impact on accident rates along this particular stretch of road. We would also like to remind Maryland’s motorists that not all accidents can be avoided.

The Labor Day weekend is fast approaching and for many residents of the Mid-Atlantic, that means traveling for the long weekend. With more than 740,000 Washington, D.C., citizens planning to hit the roads and highways in the coming days, it’s important to be aware of the elevated risk of motor vehicle collisions an increase in traffic volume can bring.

To help keep you and your loved ones safe during the upcoming holiday weekend, our Washington, D.C., car accident lawyers at CHASENBOSCOLO Injury Lawyers would like to offer you these tips:

• Plan Ahead- Research the routes you plan to travel. This can help you to avoid congested traffic brought on by accidents, construction, or even weather.
• Leave Early- Allow yourself plenty of extra time to reach your destination.
• Buckle Up- Wearing a seatbelt or placing children in a car seat will help to reduce your chances of injury or death if you’re involved in a crash.
• Don’t Drink and Drive– Never get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol or certain medications. Instead, use a designated driver or cab to get home safely. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s SaferRide App can help you get in touch with someone to give you a ride if you’re out and have had too much to drink.
• Obey the Law– This means obeying traffic signals, avoiding distractions while behind the wheel and no speeding.

Helping to protect the safety of motorists on the road is a priority for our Washington, D.C., personal injury attorneys at CHASENBOSCOLO Injury Lawyers and we’re hopeful these tips help you to have fun and safe Labor Day travels.

School is back in session across the Mid-Atlantic, and that means children will be walking, biking, and riding to institutions of learning in their neighborhoods. Our pedestrian accident lawyers at CHASENBOSCOLO Injury Lawyers point out that with a higher volume of foot traffic around schools comes an increased risk of collisions between cars and pedestrians.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2013, a total of 3 children were killed and another 470 were injured every day as the result of a traffic crash. That same year, 236 children were killed as the result of being struck by a vehicle.

These startling statistics have prompted many citizens and organizations in our area to work towards preventing pedestrian accidents, as the school year gets under way.

The Capital Gazette released an article about how the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has launched the “School’s Open – Drive Carefully” campaign in order to raise the public’s awareness about the importance of remaining vigilant when walking to school or driving in and near school zones. The article also featured several motorist safety tips that highlighted ways you can reduce the chances of being involved in a Maryland pedestrian accident.

Our legal staff at ChasenBoscolo Injury Lawyers believes in the importance of protecting pedestrian safety and rights. That’s why our team of Maryland personal injury lawyers is hopeful the efforts being made to prevent motor vehicle collisions involving young children traveling to or leaving school are effective.

As children, we grow up thinking that super heroes are invincible. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. This past weekend, the man that was known as the “Route 29 Batman” died as the result of a traffic accident that occurred along Interstate 70 outside of Hagerstown, Maryland.

The 51-year-old “Batman” was a businessman by day, but took on The Dark Knight’s persona as a way to bring smiles to children who were hospitalized with serious illnesses. He gained national attention in 2012 when a video of him being stopped by Maryland Highway Patrol in a black Lamborghini customized to look like the Batmobile went viral.

That same vehicle was the one found to be responsible for the hero’s death on August 16. An article from USA Today explains the car began to have trouble on Sunday evening, prompting the victim to pull over on the shoulder of the road to inspect the engine. The vehicle was still partially in the left lane of the road when a passing Toyota Camry struck it from behind. The impact of the collision caused the Lamborghini to jolt forward, striking and killing the victim.

This was a tragic and preventable accident, which is why our Maryland auto accident lawyers at ChasenBoscolo Injury Lawyers would like to send our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family of a man who touched so many lives. We would also like to offer these tips on how to stay safe if your car breaks down on the side of the road:

• Pull Over to Safety– If you can make it off the main roadway to an area like a parking lot, do so. If you cannot drive any further, be sure to pull off the roadway entirely. Also, try not to stop on a curve or hill that could prevent other motorists from seeing you.
• Make Yourself Visible– Once stopped, turn on your emergency flashers so others can recognize your stopped vehicle.
• Stay in the Car or Truck– Many people are killed each year when they are struck by another automobile while near a stranded vehicle.
• Call for Assistance– Rather than evaluate your vehicle’s issue on the side of the road, call a mechanic or tow truck to have it taken somewhere the problem can be examined safely.

At CHASENBOSCOLO, we know how quickly lives can be altered by a serious accident. Our deepest condolences go out to the family of the victim.