High Accident Rates Prompt Lawmakers to Push for Safety Review of Route 7

Feb. 27, 2013

Many factors can contribute to an Albany car accident. However, one may simply be attributed to a defective road design. An article published in the Bennington Banner highlighted several recent accidents along a particularly dangerous stretch of road and what state officials are doing to resolve its safety issues.

Records show there have been a total of 171 crashes documented along Route 7 between Babcock Lake Road and Route 22. Seventeen of those collisions involved tractor-trailers. The most recent Albany Truck Accident occurred on the afternoon of Feb. 13, when the driver of a semi-truck hauling a tank of gasoline lost control of the vehicle, struck a utility pole, and rolled down the side of an embankment. The truck was soon consumed in flames and the driver suffered second-degree burns.

The same location is where a similar accident occurred in March 2011.

These accidents, and others like them, have prompted county and state legislators to push for a safety review of the highway to be conducted. Such a review would examine factors like lighting conditions, speed limits, visibility, and signage to determine a safety rating for the roadway.

The Albany Personal Injury Lawyers at William Mattar Law Offices applaud the efforts made to heighten safety along the state’s highways. The team is hopeful the reviews will lead to improvement projects along hazardous stretches of road.