New Law Requires Those In Minor Car Accidents To Move Over

It happens every day in North Carolina. It is dangerous and causes rear-end motor-vehicle accidents. And if you are a regular motorist on North Carolina roads and highways, odds are you have fallen victim to it: the minor fender bender accident that clogs up traffic and makes you late for that important meeting or appointment.

North Carolina’s “Fender Bender Law”

A new state law aims to prevent these dangerous situations. The “Fender Bender Law” requires motorists to move vehicles to the shoulder of the road after any minor, non-injury crash in North Carolina. You can receive a $110 fine and court costs if you fail to do so. The law is intended to remove cars from the road sooner after auto accidents to prevent traffic from causing more harm than has already been done.

North Carolina state troopers told wbtv.com that drivers who slow down to observe the scene of an accident can also be a problem. Along with the accident itself, they can cause collisions with cars approaching from the rear. If you see a crash, troopers said, make sure everyone has the help they need, and then keep moving.

Safety Inspection Program

Another measure the state uses to keep roadways safe is the safety inspection program. Under the program, motorists are required to bring their vehicle in to a mechanic annually for a safety inspection. The annual cost to each motorist is $13.60, with a statewide total of $86 million. Whether these inspections are successful in promoting safety is unclear, however.

A 2008 report by the North Carolina Program Evaluation Division did not find enough data correlating safety inspections and traffic accidents to prove the safety inspection program is effective. Since then, Gov. Bev Perdue has asked the Department of Motor Vehicles to tell her why the state should keep the program, according to NBC17.com. The DMV will examine the program and suggest changes.

Under the program, most vehicles under 35 years old must pass safety checks. One proposal is to exempt vehicles that are three years old or newer, since newer cars are much less likely to have safety issues.

Motorists injured in car accidents should contact a skilled personal injury attorney before dealing with insurance companies or other people involved in the accident. Legal advice and representation are critical in receiving adequate compensation for your injuries.