Life-saving motorcycle helmets required in less than half of U.S. states

“Click it or ticket,” is the familiar slogan reminding us that, across much of the country, the law requires drivers to buckle up. It’s a law that makes sense, as seat belts are perhaps the most important factor in determining whether a driver will survive a car crash. So, why don’t we apply the same kind of logic when it comes to motorists 30 times more likely to be involved in a deadly crash?

Traveling at high speeds and almost entirely exposed, motorcycle riders are among the most vulnerable motorists on the road.  Motorcycles are also less stable and harder to see, compared with other large vehicles on the road. When accidents happen, the injuries are often serious or even deadly – this is why the NHTSA identifies motorcycles as the most dangerous form of motor vehicle transportation.  Wearing a helmet is one of the most important ways motorcyclists can increase their chances of surviving a crash. […]

Is Uber cutting down on drunk driving?

In February of this year, Uber officially became available to the Scranton/Wilkes Barre area.

What is Uber? Born in San Francisco and common in large cities before making its NEPA debut, Uber is a mobile app/service that allows users to connect with professional independent contract drivers hired by the company to provide a ridesharing service, similar to a taxi service. Uber is currently available in 50 countries and 250 cities.

Uber has been in the news a lot lately, particularly for questions regarding its safety. This blog and infographic from the Michigan Auto Law Blog entitle “How Safe is Uber?” does an excellent job of breaking down the safety concerns and what Uber is doing to make its service safer for both riders and drivers.

One reason we’re interested in Uber is because of its potential to reduce the number of drunk driving accidents that happen each year. […]

Series of School Bus Crashes Prompt Safety Questions

School buses are generally considered the safest way for children to get to and from school. Crashes involving school-transportation related vehicles are rare, but when they do occur, they can be very distressing. Since January of 2015, there have been at least three school bus accidents in our area alone. Yesterday, 30 elementary and middle school students were on board an Athens Area School District bus when it crashed into a tree in Bradford County. The driver and eight students were taken to a hospital.  Earlier this year,  a car crashed into the back of a bus carrying 14 students in Northumberland County; the students were unharmed but the driver of the car suffered injuries.  This crash happened just a week after two buses collided on icy roads in Schuylkill County. Three students were hospitalized for minor injuries.

Just yesterday morning, […]

Looking at the brains of bad drivers

A recent study found that the part of the brain associated with empathy and compassion is less active in bad drivers.

Is a blatant disregard for safety the result of a cognitive malfunction? According to the Association for Psychological Science, the Czech Republic conducted a study in order to better understand why some people follow the rules of the road and others don’t.

Researchers showed participants a series of video clips showing the consequences of dangerous driving behaviors like speeding and drunk driving while monitoring their brain activity using fMRI.  About half the participants had no record of traffic violations, and the other half had at least one traffic safety violation, such as speeding or driving while intoxicated, on their records. It turns out that those viewers with a clean driving record and those with a history of at least one traffic violation reacted very differently to the videos. […]

Are Used Car Buyers Out of Luck?

The NHTSA just got a boost in federal funding for its defect office – the organization’s budget about tripled – so, as last year showed an increased attention to safety and identifying and fixing defects, we may see further progress in the coming year.

We’ve heard a lot about vehicle safety in the last several months. A recent study showed that a record number of models – nine in total – boasted a death rate of zero. Over the course of three years studied, not one person was killed in an accident in these vehicles. Alongside this list was a list of the vehicles in which the most deaths occurred. At the beginning of this year, we also covered reports announcing the 71 safest new vehicle models meeting tougher-than-ever safety standards.

So, if you’re looking to buy a 2015 model, […]