Brooklyn New York Legal Blog

Smartphones, smartwatches and tablets are just a few of the distractions vying for a teenager driver's attention as he or she hits the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in children ages 15 to 18. In 2015, 99,000 teenage drivers were injured in collisions, and 1,972 teenage drivers were involved in collisions that resulted in a fatality.

Studies have found that most motor vehicle accidents are the result of distracted driving, weather-related issues or lack of knowledge of car control. Both teenage drivers and older drivers lack experience and knowledge in what to do if an unexpected problem suddenly occurs when driving. One program, called Tire Rack Street Survival, was developed to help teenagers become safer drivers by teaching them how to react to other drivers on the road as well as emergency situations.

Some of the most dangerous jobs that construction workers in New York and elsewhere face each year involve trenching and excavation. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 130 workers were killed while taking part in trenching and excavation operations between 2011 and 2016.

In order to increase worker safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration kicked off a National Emphasis Program aimed at trenching and excavation issues on Oct. 1. During the three-month initiative, the agency will provide education and prevention outreach to various contractors in the construction industry, including excavation employers, permitting organizations, water works supply companies and plumbing companies. It will also offer compliance assistance support and establish a national reporting system for OSHA trenching and excavation inspections.

Brooklyn workers often face exhausting workloads. Unfortunately, tiredness on the job can be a serious risk factor for injuries, accidents and other safety problems. According to one study by the National Safety Council, 69 percent of employees are tired at work, including many people whose jobs involve safety-intensive tasks and procedures. In particular, construction, transportation, manufacturing and utility workers experience frequent high levels of fatigue at work, but often do not recognize that it could lead to safety problems.

All four industries involve frequent shift work, a setup known to contribute to fatigue. While 90 percent of employers surveyed in the study said that fatigue can affect people's safety and well-being at work, only 72 percent of employees said that their tiredness was a safety issue. However, tired workers can lead to serious workplace accidents and injuries, especially in industries that are already known for significant safety concerns. Experts urged employers to take action to help prevent workplace fatigue, including scheduling people to minimize the risk of a serious incident.

According to a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, most drivers have too much confidence in advanced vehicle safety features. Researchers found that many in New York and throughout the country don't understand exactly what these features can do. For instance, 25 percent of study participants didn't look before changing lanes because they had blind spot monitoring features on their vehicles. Roughly 40 percent of drivers were confused as to the difference between what the forward-collision and the emergency braking systems did.

The forward-collision warning system merely tells drivers when an accident may be imminent. However, the emergency braking system will actually stop the car in certain situations. Regardless of how many advanced features a vehicle has, they are not meant to replace the capabilities of a human driver. Those who drive vehicles with emergency braking or adaptive cruise control still need to pay attention to the road.