Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin appeared before high school student in Cranston* to report new fatal motor vehicle statistics in RI. He reported that in the calendar year of 2014 deadly motor vehicle accidents decreased to a low point since 1994 ( 20 years).
The AG who has an office in Providence stated that in the calendar year of 2014, 52 men woman and children died as a result of vehicular accidents in the ocean state. The elected official was proud of the fact that this was a marked decline from 104 people killed in the calendar year of 2003. Projo This article was authored by a Rhode Island wrongful death lawyer.
Rhode Island wrongful death attorney discusses fatal accident stats
Predictably, the RI AG who is a politician primarily attributed the decline in deaths from car, truck and motor vehicle collisions to recent laws in RI concerning motor vehicle safety. He cited the texting while driving ban, seat belt laws etc. as the primary reasons for the lower amount of deadly crashes.
The Providence Journal reported that “The decline, the attorney general said, partially comes from laws that strengthen motor vehicle safety, such as the texting-and-driving ban and the primary seat-belt law, passed in 2011, that allows the police to stop and issue citations to those not wearing them. Under the previous law, officers could only cite a driver not wearing a seat belt if the police had stopped the car for some other reason, such as speeding.” Id.
The Insurance Institute for highway safety, Highway Loss data Institute determined that 32,719 people were killed in vehicular collisions in the calendar year of 2013. The above mentioned fatalities were the result of 30,057 motor vehicle wrecks, collisions and crashes which involved 44,868 cars, trucks, suvs, motorcycles and motor vehicles. This constituted a large decrease in deaths, fatal crashes and motor vehicles involved in fatal wrecks compared with 2012. It constituted the 2nd-lowest amount of crashes and collision deaths since 1975. IIHS
If you learn about a fatal accident in RI, look beyond the particulars of the crash and learn about the lives that were lost by searching:
- projo obituaries today
- projo obituaries past 3 days
Consistent Decline in motor vehicle accident deaths since 1975
In 1975, 44,525 men, woman and children were killed in vehicular collisions. These deaths occurred in 39,161 vehicular accidents. These motor vehicle crashes involved 55,534 cars, trucks and other motorized vehicles. The Insurance Institute for highway safety, Highway Loss data Institute. Id.
The takeaway is that 14,468 people more people died in car, truck and motor vehicle accidents in 1975 then in 2013. It appears that these statistics can be attributed mostly to technological safety innovations such as antilock breaks, safer automobiles / suvs and airbags.
Texting while driving ban in RI
Lets take a look at some of the laws cited by the RI attorney general**. Rhode Island law bans texting while driving a motor vehicle. “Motor Vehicle means any vehicle that is self-propelled by a motor, including but not limited to, automobiles, trucks, vans, construction vehicles, etc.” RILIN
RI law defines a text message as “(8) “Text Message”, also referred to as short messaging service (SMS), means the process by which users send, read, or receive messages on a wireless handset, including, but not limited to, text messages, instant messages, electronic messages, or e-mails, in order to communicate with any person or device.” § 31-22-30 Text messaging while operating a motor vehicle o the Providence Journal, there has been a huge increase in texting while driving citations issued by police in Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. “In 2014, 911 tickets were issued for texting while driving, according to Rhode Island Judiciary statistics. By comparison, there were 317 citations in 2013.” Providence Journal
Fatal motor vehicle accident.
Rhode Island law does not allow children, spouses or family members to file a wrongful death cause of action against the negligent tortfeasor who caused the untimely death. Only the executor of the decedent utilizing a Providence wrongful death lawyer can seek compensation as a result of a fatal wreck. A Rhode Island personal injury who is also a RI wrongful death lawyer will help the estate obtain justice and the compensation it is entitled to. A Rhode Island wrongful death lawyer will have the experience and resources to fight the insurance company to get justice.
“SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WJAR) — Smithfield police on Monday released the name of a man who was killed in a crash involving two cars and a decommissioned military truck. The crash happened at about 1:34 p.m. Sunday on Route 44 near Palmer Street. Police said the five-ton truck rear-ended a car, and the truck then veered into oncoming traffic. The driver of a car coming the other way was killed. The Pascoag man driving the military vehicle and the Woodstock, Connecticut, woman driving the car he struck were not hurt. “I was in my house and I heard brakes screeching and then I heard a collision that was like an explosion. I thought a truck hit the building, and I looked out my window and looked at the building and then I noticed the accident in the street and it looked pretty bad,” Turn to 10
* Cranston is located near to the following towns and cities: Warwick, Providence west Warwick, Coventry, East Greenwich.
Legal Notice per Rules of Professional Responsibility: The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers and attorneys in the general practice of law, but does not license or certify any lawyer / attorney as an expert or specialist in any field of practice. While this firm maintains joint responsibility, most cases of this type are referred to other attorneys for principle responsibility.