Avoiding a Thanksgiving Travel Nightmare

Tips to stay safe during your Thanksgiving road trip

If you’re one of the millions of people expected to be traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday, here are some tips to make it a less stressful experience.

Thanksgiving is a notoriously busy travel time, with approximately one in seven Americans traveling more than 50 miles, and 90% of them going by car. With no major storms poised to hit our area and gas prices at their lowest in years, the roads are bound to be busy for PA drivers. Holiday travel can be stressful, and can, therefore, be a dangerous time to be on the roads. Our car accident lawyers want to share some safe travel tips:

Planning ahead can make a big difference. If possible, leave before Wednesday, and consider making your return trip on a day other than Sunday. Know your route, […]

Hands-free tech safer than texting while driving?

Think hands-free, voice-activated tech eliminates driver distraction? Not so much.

It is universally known that driving while texting, using a cell phone, a GPS, or any other activity that takes your hands from the wheel and your eyes from the road is dangerous and can be fatal. Hands-free technology has been pitched to consumers as a safer alternative, allowing the user to complete tasks via voice commands while still keeping his/her hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. These types of voice-activated systems are available on most iOS, Android, and Microsoft smartphones and in many new car models.

But, a recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a non profit safety research group, found that use of a hands free system could be just as distracting as the use of a handheld device. In fact, they found that a driver’s attention can be partially diverted for up to 27 seconds AFTER interacting with a hands-free system. […]

Teen Drivers and Car Accidents: 5 Deadly Mistakes

It’s a statistic that hasn’t changed – mile for mile, teenagers get into more car accidents than any other age group. And, car crashes are THE leading cause of death for 15-20-year-olds. The numbers are scary, and as parents, we want to do whatever we can to help prevent our children from ending up in a car accident. But, a surprising few parents surveyed say they have had serious talks with their kids about safe driving.  Professional driving lessons or a driver’s ed course can be very helpful, but your teen’s driving instruction shouldn’t stop there.

Teen Driver Safety Week is October 18-October 24, so we’re sharing the best ways to encourage your teen to drive safely.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has started a campaign called “5 to Drive,” highlighting the five things teenage drivers need to remember when they get behind the wheel. […]

Back to School Safety 101

Traveling safely back to school

It’s that time of year again! School is starting for students all over the United States. Thirteen percent of those students walk or ride a bike to school, and more than half of school students ride the school bus.

Whether you have children heading back to school or not, here are some quick lessons on how to avoid a tragedy this fall.

Watch where you’re going: Child pedestrians are in especial danger because they are small, difficult to see, and may not understand proper traffic safety. For instance, they’re more likely than adults to walk across the street without checking to see if a car is coming. That’s why it’s important for all drivers, especially during peak pick-up and drop-off hours and in school zones to pay attention. […]

Attention Labor Day travelers: 3 reasons fatal car accidents are up

Distracted driving proves to be largest cause of fatal car accident increases

As Labor Day approaches, holiday travelers are warned that fatal car accidents  are on the rise this year, according to the National Safety Council. Traffic fatalities are up by 14% and injuries are up by 33%.

About 19,000 people have been killed so far this year, and that’s not including July and August, historically two of the deadliest months of the year for drivers. At this rate, deadly car accidents threaten to reach over 40,000, the highest  since 2007. Why is this happening?

It seems surprising. Cars today are equipped with ever-evolving safety technology designed to make them more crash-worthy. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety continues to improve their safety rating system, developing more tests that cars must pass and higher standards they must meet in order to earn a “good” […]