Disaster Averted With Wrong-Way Driver on I-81

Law enforcement had to form a moving road block to stop a confused Carbon County motorist who drove 18 miles the wrong way down Interstate 81.

Amazingly, nobody was hurt in the incident.

There are more than 100,000 motor vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania each year, according to the state Department of Transportation. These wrecks will claim the lives of 1,000 people and injure and disable many thousands more.

Here is one newspaper account of the wrong-way driver on I-81:

State police formed a rolling road block to stop a Carbon County woman who drove the wrong way on Interstate 81 for 18 miles starting near Dickson City.

State police at Dunmore received calls around 5:30 a.m. about a vehicle, driven by Paige Cicardo, 22, of Albrightsville, traveling south on I-81 north near the Main Avenue exit. […]

Pregnant Women Should Buckle Up, NHTSA Says

When you are carrying a child and as your abdomen grows, wearing a seatbelt (or anything else for that matter) can feel constricting and uncomfortable. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says this shouldn’t stop you from buckling up. By wearing your seatbelt, you are protecting not only yourself in the event of an accident, you are protecting your unborn child as well.

As reported by the NY Daily News, pregnant women involved in car accidents put their unborn children at risk for injury as well. The more severe your auto accident injuries are, the more serious the risk to your child is. In the most extreme cases, you could miscarry as a result of a bad accident.

Wearing a seatbelt protects both of you when an accident occurs. In an effort to encourage moms-to-be to buckle up, the NHTSA issued a safety bulletin with details on how to keep pregnant women safe in vehicles. […]

4 Pennsylvania School Bus Accidents In One Week

Week in early December 2012 yields high amount of school bus accidents

In less than a week, there were four separate school bus wrecks in Pennsylvania – with dozens of students being rushed to hospitals.

Contributing factors included inclement weather, hazardous road conditions, decreased visibility due to shorter days and increased holiday traffic.

There were 121,312 reportable traffic wrecks in Pennsylvania in 2010, according to the state Department of Transportation. A total of 1,324 people were killed in Pennsylvania automobile crashes that year, and 88,000 were injured.

Following are summaries of the four school bus wrecks, all of which occurred in early December:

• 20 York County students taken to the hospital. The school bus they were riding in was struck from behind by a sports utility vehicle just after 7 AM on December 14. The extent of the injuries was unknown, […]

Family Wins $2.85 Million in Auto Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A Dauphin County jury has awarded $2.85 million to the family of a Hummelstown man killed in a 2006 wreck.

Fifty-seven-year-old William H. Smith was killed when a backhoe fell off a hauling trailer on I-83 and struck the vehicle he was driving. The backhoe had been negligently placed on the trailer.

In Pennsylvania, the family of someone killed in an automobile accident caused by the negligence of another person or company can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties.

Here is a report in The Patriot-News about the Dauphin County verdict:

Smith, a father of two, died on Jan. 3, 2006 when a backhoe was jolted from a tractor trailer on Interstate 83 and its bucket slammed into his sport utility vehicle.

Smith’s wife, Linda, filed suit a year after her husband’s death. […]

Teen Killed In Bucks County Car Crash

A teenager was killed and another critically injured in a single-car collision in Bucks County on December 9.

Three other teens riding in the back seat climbed from the wreckage dazed and bleeding. All three were taken to the hospital.

The teen who died was in the front passenger seat. He was not wearing a seatbelt.

By law, individuals who are injured in a Pennsylvania motor vehicle crash, or the families of people killed through no fault of their own, have a right to compensation for their losses.

Here is a news report on the tragic Bucks County accident:

Cameron Smithwick, 19, was killed and LJ Tanner, 18, was left in critical condition. Three other teens in the car also had to go to the hospital.

Cameron’s family says the silver Monte Carlo hit a bump and flipped several times before crashing into a utility pole. […]

7 Tips for Safe Winter Driving in PA

Winter driving safety relies on Department of Transportation as well as drivers

In the coming months, state highway workers will be dumping nearly a half-million tons of salt to keep icy Pennsylvania roads safe.

And drivers are being urged to do their part as well.

This is the season of dangerous travel. In 2011, there were 1,994 vehicle crashes and 19 fatalities during the Christmas and New Year travel periods in Pennsylvania.

The state Department of Transportation – with 5,400 operators and 2,250 trucks on standby – has issued a winter travel safety alert:

“PennDOT’s primary goal during winter weather is keeping our nearly 40,000 miles of roadway passable, which means they won’t necessarily be free of ice and snow during storms,” [PennDOT Secretary Barry] Schoch said. “Getting through winter safely is a shared responsibility between us and our customers.”

Following are some safe winter motoring tips:

• Know the danger areas. […]

Text & Wreck Targets Young PA Drivers

Young drivers in Pennsylvania will soon be noticing a “Text and Wreck” button popping up on social media sites.

The logo is the winning entry in a national Distracted Driving Design Challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Its creator was 14-year-old high school student Hah’mari Watson, who said the artwork was inspired after she and her family were in a car crash caused by a texting driver.

View or download her winning “Text & Wreck” icon here.

The Distracted Driving Design Challenge was held to create awareness among young motorists about the dangers of texting and cell phone use behind the wheel. The “Text & Wreck” image will be used on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.

“The Department of Transportation is committed to helping young drivers get the message that texting and driving don’t mix,” said U.S. […]

Yellow Dots Save Lives in Pennsylvania Car Crashes

Two new motorist safety programs make sure Pennsylvania drivers never get behind the wheel without bringing important medical information along.

The Yellow Dot and Emergency Contact Information initiatives were announced November 9 by Governor Tom Corbett:

“Both of these programs speak for people when they can’t speak for themselves, so medical concerns can be addressed and contacts can be reached as quickly as possible,” Corbett said. “When someone is in a crash or they find themselves in an emergency situation, it’s critical that emergency responders quickly find out as much as they can about the victim.”

Participants in the Yellow Dot program fill out the program form with their emergency contact, medical contact and medical information, insert it in the program’s folder and then place it in their vehicle’s glove compartment. Participants then place a yellow dot sticker on their vehicle’s rear window. […]

Pennsylvania Celebrates International Walk to School Month

PennDOT is joining forces with other organizations across the United States, and the world, in supporting International Walk to School Month throughout October.  Using the motto “Get up, Get out, and Get Moving!” the organizers are focusing on demonstrating the role walking and bicycling to school can play in improving health, safety and community life.

According to iWalk, the official website of International Walk to School Month:

“International Walk to School Month gives children, parents, school teachers and community leaders an opportunity to be part of a global event as they celebrate the many benefits of walking. Walkers from around the world walk to school together for various reasons — all hoping to create communities that are safe places to walk.”

“Every child should have the opportunity to walk to school safely,” said Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari. “Walk to School Day [held Oct. […]

CDC Statistics Show One Million Teens Drink and Drive

One million teens drink and drive, down 54 percent in 20 years

Just last week our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys reported that teens tend to mimic the unsafe driving behaviors of their parents.  Now, in a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers confirmed this behavior, specifically with drinking.  According to the report, “teen alcohol consumption and drinking and driving patterns are correlated with those of adults living in the same state.”

The CDC released its latest study on teen drinking, Vital Signs: Drinking and Driving Among High School Students Aged ≥16 Years — United States, 1991–2011. The report was compiled after analyzing data from the 1991–2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) to describe the trend in prevalence of drinking and driving (defined as driving one or more times when they had been drinking alcohol during the 30 days before the survey) among U.S. […]

Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer Joins Call to Ban Use of Hand-Held Cell Phones While Driving

Scranton, PA, September 27, 2012 — Pennsylvania car accident attorney Caroline Munley said today that she supports efforts to broaden the state’s distracted driving laws to include a ban on using hand-held cell phones while behind the wheel.

A law prohibiting texting while driving in Pennsylvania became effective earlier this year. However, because it is still legal to talk on a cell phone or search for contacts on a phone while behind the wheel, police say it is difficult to detect drivers engaged in text messaging and enforce the ban, according to a recent Scranton Times-Tribune report.

“If the goal of the law is to deter drivers from engaging in conduct that is dangerous and puts others at risk of distracted driving accidents, injury and death, then a full ban on the use of hand-held cell phones while driving a motor vehicle is an entirely appropriate, […]

Teens Learn Poor Driving Habits from Their Parents

Our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys previously reported that over the past five years in Pennsylvania, distracted driving led to nearly 4,000 crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers and resulted in 18 deaths.  We often ask parents to impress upon their teen drivers the importance of staying focused while driving and not using their cellphones.  However, according to a new study, parents may actually be the cause of their childrens’ poor driving behaviors.

In the survey from Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), researchers found that an overwhelming number of the young drivers reported they get their poor driving habits from their parents.  Of the 1,700 teens surveyed, over 90 percent of them report their parents talk on the cell while driving, 88 percent of their parents speed, and 59 percent reported their parents have sent a text while driving.  Still worse, […]

Pennsylvania Motorists and Bicyclists Reminded to Share the Road

Pennsylvania’s bike safety law was passed in April in an effort to reduce injuries and save lives of Pennsylvania bicyclists.  With colleges and universities back in session throughout the state, many students take to the road on their bikes to get to and from classes. In an effort to raise awareness of the public, and college students alike, the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia police are teaming up to kick off the annual Share the Road bicycle safety campaign.

The campaign will kick off tomorrow at 11 a.m. in front of the Penn Bookstore. The event features members of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, PennCycle, Neighborhood Bike Works, Keswick Cycle, the Undergraduate Assembly, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and Penn’s Medical Emergency Response Team who will be on site to answer questions about bike safety.

“This safety campaign gives us an opportunity to collaborate with important stakeholders such as the City of Philadelphia Streets Department and bicycle advocate groups to get safety information out to bicyclists, […]

Pennsylvania Drunk Drivers More Likely to be Men

A new study reports that nationwide nearly 60 percent of all drivers in fatal automobile crashes had alcohol or drugs in their systems. In the review of five years of data, researchers found that men, and those driving at night, were more likely to crash with alcohol in their systems.  These findings are not much different than the 2011 Pennsylvania alcohol-related crash data that found 76 percent of the drinking drivers in traffic crashes were male.

Researchers at Columbia University reviewed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on fatalities in 14 states.  They found that out of 20,150 fatally injured drivers between 2005 and 2009, 57 percent tested positive for at least one drug, and 20 percent had at least two drugs in their system when the accident occurred. Alcohol was the most common drug found in toxicology screenings, followed by marijuana and stimulants comprising 20 percent of the drugs, […]

PA Legislator to Propose Cellphone Ban

This month we reported that law enforcement have been challenged when enforcing Pennsylvania’s anti-texting law.  Since the law allows for talking on the cellphone, drivers can deny they were texting if pulled over and say they were calling someone.  At least one Pennsylvania legislator wants to do something about it and is proposing a ban on all cellphone use behind the wheel.

The Pocono Record reports House Appropriations Minority Chairman Rep. Joseph Markosek, D-Allegheny plans to introduce the new regulations in the fall. Although the bill has not yet been circulated for co-sponsorship, Markosek believes it has support within the Democratic caucus.

The ban, that will result in a fine of $50, or $100 if driving in a school zone, work zone or highway safety corridor, is being introduced to help police enforce the current ban on texting while driving.

The Pocono Record references the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation statistics that estimate 58 deaths and more than 14,000 distracted-driving car crashes occurred in 2011. […]

PennDOT Announces Child Passenger Safety Week

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that when properly restrained infants have a 71 percent greater chance of surviving a car crash and toddlers have a 54 percent decrease in the risk of death.  To educate adults on the proper use of child safety restraints, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is joining the NHTSA in its Child Passenger Safety Week campaign.  The campaign runs September 16-22, 2012, and ends with National Seat Check Saturday.

The campaign is geared to helping parents find the appropriate car seat for their child.  According to the NHTSA:

“There are so many car seat types and models, how do you know which one is right for your child? The right car seat or booster fits your child and your car and is one you will use correctly every time you travel. Not only will your child ride as safely as possible, […]

2011 Pennsylvania Crash Statistics Reveal Pennsylvania Highways are Getting Safer

The 2011 Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics booklet, published by the Bureau of Maintenance and Operations, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, is now available.  The report is a statistical review of motor vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania for the calendar year 2011.

According to PENNDOT, Pennsylvania roadways are getting safer.  In fact, the 2011 fatality rate of 1.27 deaths per hundred million vehicle-miles of travel was the second lowest ever recorded in Pennsylvania since the department started keeping records of this in 1935.  In addition, the 1,286 accident fatalities in 2011 were the second lowest recorded over the last 68 years.

Following are some of the key findings from the report:

• The total number of reported crashes in 2011 increased 3.4% compared to 2010, but the number of deaths decreased by 2.9%.
• In 2011, there were 125,395 reportable traffic crashes in Pennsylvania. […]

Pennsylvania Anti-Texting Law Difficult to Enforce

Earlier this week we reported on AT&T’s push to stop drivers from texting when behind the wheel.  Statistics show texting drivers are 23 times more likely to be in an accident. Even though 39 states, including Pennsylvania, have an anti-texting law, still more than 100,000 crashes a year involve drivers who are texting.  Unfortunately, according to the Scranton chief of police, enforcing Pennsylvania’s law is challenging.

In March, Pennsylvania’s anti-texting law went into effect making texting-while-driving a primary offense.  PA law enforcement can stop and ticket a driver for texting and driving now, without any other violation.

However, an article in the Times-Tribune reports that according to Carl Graziano, acting police chief of the Scranton Police Department, since talking on the cellphone or searching for contacts in the phone are still legal, “It’s difficult for an officer to discern whether they’re [drivers] texting or looking up numbers on their phone.” […]

Pennsylvania Drivers Near Bottom of the List of Safest Drivers

Allstate, the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, released the results of its 2012 “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report.” The report ranks America’s 200 largest cities according to car collision frequency in an effort to identify America’s safest drivers.

According to the report, Americans, on average, are in an accident every 10 years. Sioux Falls, South Dakota holds the honor as the city with the safest drivers for the fifth time – the report has been conducted for eight years.  Sioux Falls drivers average an accident once every 13.8 years.

Pittsburgh is ranked 168th on the list with drivers averaging an accident every 7.5 years. Philadelphia is just 10 spots from the bottom, at 190, with drivers averaging an accident every 6.1 years. This is 64.1% higher than the national average.

Allstate’s Best Driver’s Report was created to boost the country’s discussion on safe driving. […]

AT&T Calls on All Drivers to Take its Never Text and Drive Pledge

AT&T stresses danger of distracted driving with its anti-texting while driving campaign

As Labor Day weekend comes to a close, so too does the state’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.  However, the Pennsylvania State Police is on the lookout for drunk drivers 365-days-a-year.  The police are also focused on stopping distracted drivers from taking to the PA highways.  Now, AT&T is helping all law enforcement by raising the bar on its anti-texting campaign.  AT&T is warning of the serious dangers caused by texting and driving and is urging all drivers to take its “Never Text and Drive” pledge.

AT&T’s message is simple: “When it comes to texting and driving, it can wait.” On its website, AT&T presents the pledge as follows:

No text message, email, website or video is worth the risk of endangering my life or the lives of others on the road. […]