Could Your Prescription Medicine Affect Your Driving?

Prescription Drugs and Driving Can Be a Fatal Mix

You know that alcohol and illegal drugs can impair driving ability and cause dangerous accidents. But what about your prescription medication? Many people don’t realize that even medicine that is prescribed by a doctor and taken as directed can affect your driving.

It is an issue that concerns our car accident lawyers, as well as many lawmakers. The penalty for driving under the influence of medication carries the same penalty as a DUI in certain states. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reported that drugs were present in 43% of fatally injured drivers in 2017, more frequently than alcohol was present. This applies to some legal prescription and over-the-counter drugs, as well as illegal drugs.

Drugged driving is more complex than driving under the influence of alcohol for several reasons. […]

Are you a distracted driver?

Distracted driving  leads to crashes

Statistics show that traffic fatalities are on the rise. Distracted driving is a contributing factor in many car and truck accidents. In 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 injured in vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers, according to the Department of Transportation. A driver who texts or uses another device while driving is making a dangerous, possibly deadly choice.

Are you a distracted driver?

If you don’t text and drive, that’s great! That one simple choice can help make the roads safer for everyone and keep you out of harm’s way. But, what about other distractions?

Distracted driving is considered any activity that takes attention away from driving. This not only includes texting or talking on your phone but using other devices as well, such as programming your GPS while driving or browsing through radio stations. […]

The race for driverless truck and car technology

Driverless vehicles are being tested on roads right now. The LA Times published that in a race to embrace driverless vehicles, Washington has cleared away regulatory hurdles for automakers and brushed aside consumer warnings about the risk of crashes and hacking. The NHTSA earlier this year published a voluntary policy on automated driving systems and said it is working on more policies. Basically, the industry is left to regulate itself.

Tesla’s new electric semi-truck unveiled

Last week Tesla introduced a fully electric semi-truck. The truck is equipped with Enhanced Autopilot, the second generation of Tesla’s semi-autonomous technology. It’s equipped with automatic braking, lane-keeping, and lane departure warnings.

Our Scranton truck accident lawyer is concerned that enough testing is done on autonomous semi-trucks before they are introduced onto public roadways. While the electric truck business is still in the early stages and won’t be prevalent for years, […]

Your Chances of Hitting a Deer in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Drivers’ Chances of Hitting a Deer Increase This Year

For the second year in a row, PA is the #3 state in the U.S. for deer collisions. Pennsylvania drivers’ chances of hitting a deer? 1 in 63. That’s up 6% from last year.

The annual report from State Farm looks at auto insurance claims data and Federal Highway Administration data to calculate drivers’ risk of a car accident involving a deer, elk, or moose in the road. It will come as no surprise to Pennsylvania drivers that PA has topped the list for years.

Additional risk factors

October marks the beginning of deer mating season, which continues through December. During this time, the risk of hitting a deer doubles.

The hours around dawn and dusk are the most dangerous times of day for deer collisions. […]

Apple’s iOS 11 Includes “Do Not Disturb While Driving”

New iPhone feature “Do Not Disturb” helps you be a better driver

This week at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Apple introduced its new operating system, iOS 11, available this fall. Among the many new features, there’s one we’re particularly excited about. The “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature can detect when you’re driving, and silence notifications and disable certain apps that may tempt you to look at your phone.

Here’s how it works

When the phone is connected to your car via Bluetooth or a cable, it detects that the car is moving, turning on the feature will mute notifications, texts, and updates and lock your phone screen to deter you from using unnecessary apps behind the wheel. If you still have anxiety about letting calls and messages go unanswered, you can set up an auto-reply for your favorite contacts. […]