When you get behind the wheel, you have a duty of care to yourself and others on the roadways. This applies to all drivers on the road. In this article, personal injury attorneys Glenn and Robin Herman explain what it means to have a duty of care as a driver, what laws and regulations are in place, negligence on the roadway, additional duties for children, and how to seek legal assistance after an accident.

Traffic Laws and Regulations on Negligence in New York

The majority of road accidents are caused, in one way or another, by negligence. Driving carelessly can cause serious harm to all persons involved, including death. One or more of the following categories of negligence, or a combination of them, is to blame for the majority of accidents:

• Speeding is a prevalent factor in traffic collisions in New York. In addition to giving drivers less time to react to other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, speeding increases the severity of a collision in terms of both property damage and injury risk.

• Ignoring traffic signals and signs, such as stop signs, yield signs, lane closure signs, speed limits, and traffic lights.

• Failing to yield to a pedestrian or cyclist’s right of way. When traffic signals indicate that a pedestrian may cross, they have the right of way in both designated and unmarked crosswalks. At intersections without signals, cars must always yield to pedestrians. Although cyclists are required to abide by the same traffic laws as other vehicles, because of the significant risk of injury, motorists are expected to yield to them when necessary.

• Inattention and preoccupation are the root of many accidents. Although attending to one’s hair, makeup, children, dogs, or other passengers while driving is less common than texting while driving, these situations…