Crisis on MA roads

[msRB311]

https://www.wcvb.com/article/crash-l...setts/60357834

[newenglandgal123]

Looks like it was a Nissan Rogue? Apparently not good at providing frontal crash protection. https://www.wcvb.com/article/foxboro...setts/60362088

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by newenglandgal123

Looks like it was a Nissan Rogue? Apparently not good at providing frontal crash protection. https://www.wcvb.com/article/foxboro...setts/60362088

That's a Mazda CX-5

[msRB311]

Person in wheelchair hit by cement truck this morning:

https://www.wcvb.com/article/south-b...n-hit/60371308

Person died sadly.

I mean...is this normal?? Seems like a lot of bad accidents...

[BostonMike7]

I think it's just being reported more.

Edit: Nope, looks like it is increasing

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local...ising/2754694/

For MassDOT board member Dean Mazzarella, officials need to do even more. Mazzarella chimed in at the end of Wednesday's meeting and described seeing "people driving at 90 and 100 miles an hour and shifting lanes."

"The speeds that people are traveling and the aggressiveness -- and I realize distracted driving is responsible for a lot of accidents -- but I've never seen anything like this, and I'm not sure if it's a result of the pandemic," Mazzarella said. "I don't know the reasoning for it, aggressive driving that's putting other people's safety at risk."

I have to say I agree. I see people zipping through traffic like they are late to the birth of their first-born on a daily basis. Watched a lady this AM go from left lane, over 3 lanes and then cut off 2 lanes of traffic just to get back into the left lane all just to move up 3 spaces and not really move up any in traffic.

[msRB311]

Im sure things are reported more thanks to the internet...but these aren't minor fender benders. Many of these are deadly accidents and major crashes.

I was stuck on Route 3N in Pembroke yesterday and I haven't sat in traffic for that long due to an accident in a while. Normally there would be no traffic at this hour, but there was a standstill for quite some time. When I finally saw the scene a truck was on it's roof. There's only two lanes of traffic in this area...just makes you wonder how a truck lands on it's roof on the side of the highway.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I think it's just being reported more.

Edit: Nope, looks like it is increasing

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local...ising/2754694/



I have to say I agree. I see people zipping through traffic like they are late to the birth of their first-born on a daily basis. Watched a lady this AM go from left lane, over 3 lanes and then cut off 2 lanes of traffic just to get back into the left lane all just to move up 3 spaces and not really move up any in traffic.

Actually looks like it’s beginning to trend back downward after several years of increases: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api...ication/813561

Still, I’ve seen my fair share of awful driving over the last few years. Noticeably worse than I ever remember.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Actually looks like it’s beginning to trend back downward after several years of increases: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api...ication/813561

Still, I’ve seen my fair share of awful driving over the last few years. Noticeably worse than I ever remember.

It's definitely worse, and I place the blame squarely on distracted driving. The scourge of idiots who just need to read or bang out that text before they get to their next stop. When you see accidents under perfect weather conditions, that's most likely the reason.

[newenglandgal123]

I was on the fence....big huge SUV with far more space than I need but top safety ratings OR a smaller-mid size SUV with a lot of horse power (and still high safety ratings but probably not as good as a heavier SUV) so I can easily maneuver and quickly get out of hairy situations. Not sure which is better to be honest but lately I've seen more value in being able to quickly maneuver and get out of situations vs the lag that big 6,000+lb SUV have so that's what I've been sticking with for now.

[BostonMike7]

You can't predict what will happen. All the HP in the world or the best brakes in the world won't help if someone slams into the back of you while texting, or snaps into your lane quickly on the highway while you are looking down at your HVAC controls for something.

One thing i've always done with my vehicles. EXCELLENT tires. You really can't spend money for all the fancy driving aides, performance brakes and suspensions , high tech modern ABS and T/C systems, emergency brake assist, etc and then look around for the cheapest deal on tires they can get. All your safety systems are useless if you are driving on poor tire. Drive a quality tire in the rain, and you will never go back to anything cheap.