Like them or not, toll roads are not going away.

Highway tolls help states and federal governments pay for highway maintenance and improvements.  But when car drivers have to go from high speeds to a complete stop to pay for a toll, rear-end automobile accidents are a distinct possibility.

Rear-end car accidents often cause whiplash and back injuries (i.e. herniated discs).  A lot of the time these cause by tailgating, which is following a person too close on the road, and sometimes even the best car insurance policy may not cover it.

As auto accident lawyers, we are for any and all measures designed to reduce car accident statistics.  Rear-enders could soon become a thing of the past with some toll roads planning to go completely electronic, eliminating both toll-booth operators and plastic coin baskets.  It may not be that simple, however.

On Saturday, July 11, 2009, the E-470 toll road near Denver is going cash and coinless, and car drivers will no longer be paying for tolls with money.  All cars that travel the E-470 must now have transponders that deduct tolls automatically while those that do not will likely pay a heftier fee when the toll payment arrives in the mail.

While these transponders should eliminate the need for car drivers to slow down and pay their tolls at checkpoints, could these new transponders be used to pay a toll on any road in the future?  One all Street Journal reporter thinks that might be a possibility.

“In an era where gas-tax revenue isn’t generating enough to pay for the nation’s transportation-infrastructure needs,” he said, “the transition to electronic-only tolling hints at a cashless future where American cars come with devices that charge them fees for every mile they drive.”

It is an interesting point, but that does not mean that we will be charged for every mile we drive in the future.

As auto accident attorneys, we hope that these new transponders for electronic tolls are being implemented for the right reasons.  Many toll-booth operators will be out of work when this technology is installed, and the threat of a pricy future for drivers is also a lot of doom and gloom in a down economy.  For now, let us hope for a decrease in rear-end car crashes on out nation’s toll roads.

Please feel free to call us now at 1-858-551-2090 or click here for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced automobile accident attorney.  We have a large bilingual staff that can assist you in either English or Spanish.