As part of a 5-year comprehensive $20 million program from the Baker-Polito administration, the City of Worcester, Massachusetts recently received a $250,000 grant to equip their officers with body cameras. Other cities across the commonwealth that have received similar funding include Ashburnham, Brookfield, East Brookfield, Grafton, Lancaster, Ware, Rutland, Warren, and 56 other jurisdictions.
Read MoreIn 2021, Massachusetts there were 390 victims in fatal car accidents, the most since 2009. The next highest was in 2012 when 364 people died. Many attribute the dramatic rise in fatal accidents to the effects of the pandemic. Like the prior year, for most of the year, traffic congestion was way down as many people either lost their jobs, were laid off, or chose to work remotely. Consequently, motorists took advantage of open lanes to – speed. Law enforcement was scarce as officers feared contracting Covid from personal encounters with infected motorists.
Read MoreThis past year, 2021, saw the largest spike or increase in drunk or impaired driving in 15 years. This is worrisome to traffic safety advocates and perhaps perplexing since organizations like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) and others have lobbied over the years for and convinced legislators across the nation, including Massachusetts, to impose stricter penalties for impaired driving. During holidays and at other random times, police roadblocks to detain and arrest drunk drivers offer disincentives to motorists to drink and drive. Many high schools offer driving classes or seminars that emphasize the risks of drunk driving to novice motorists.
Read MoreSince cars were invented and vehicles became ubiquitous throughout the nation in the early and mid-20th century, drunk driving has been a concern. But only when fatalities from drunk driving accidents continued to increase year-by-year and people became fed up with the carnage that stricter laws and enforcement were implemented. Notwithstanding numerous media campaigns about the dangers of drunk driving, states including Massachusetts have seen little progress in preventing needless deaths from impaired drivers.
Read MoreThere is no doubt that a speeding ticket is often among the most expensive citations a motorist can receive other than ones for impaired driving or for causing a serious or fatal accident. The fines associated with speeding often depend on the degree to which a motorist exceeded the posted speed limit. In Massachusetts, you can expect your insurance to increase by an average of 31% for a speeding ticket. For example, if you were paying $1,223 per year in premiums each year, a speeding ticket could increase that to $1,602.00.
Read MoreLast December of 2021, a Worcester, Massachusetts man was charged with hit-and -run, along with numerous other charges including his 7th OUI, after the pickup truck he was driving, which had been reported stolen, struck, and injured a motorist on Sutton Avenue in Oxford.
Read MoreThree teenagers sustained serious and life-threatening injuries in a single vehicle crash in Salem, Massachusetts, while a 21-year-old was charged with vehicular homicide in a tragic accident in Sharon, Massachusetts.
Read MoreA recent accident in Lynn, Massachusetts involving a tractor trailer caused considerable property damage, damaging four motor vehicles and a house that the truck crashed into. The driver, who hailed from Rhode Island, was hauling frozen food on Western Avenue at around 4:30 a.m. when he allegedly swerved to avoid a raccoon in the roadway and lost control of his truck. The crash dragged one of the struck vehicles into the residence that took out the front porch and the beams supporting a second-floor porch.
Read MoreA former Massachusetts trucking company executive will reportedly plead guilty to several federal criminal charges stemming from a horrific collision in June 2019 that left 7 motorcyclists dead in Randolph, New Hampshire. The driver of the flatbed truck who was allegedly impaired plowed into a group of 10 motorcyclists on U.S. 2. He is facing negligent homicide and manslaughter charges, among others.
Read MoreSome folks want to take their dogs everywhere. If trained, they are wonderful companions to accompany you when shopping, hiking, going to a dog park, out for coffee, or strolling on the beach. But to get to your location, they often need to be driven. So, does that mean it is safe for your dog to be in the front seat with you? If you live in Massachusetts, you need to be aware of traffic laws about dogs in vehicles that can lead to a ticket and fine if your dog is causing a disturbance and is diverting your attention from driving.
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