Fatal Vehicle-Train collisions can often be prevented

Last week, WNEP news reported that two men died in Lycoming County after the pickup truck they were riding in collided with a freight train. Police reported that the truck was driving over a railroad crossing when it collided with a Norfolk Southern Train.

About every 3 hours a person or vehicle is hit by a train, according to Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit organization focused on providing education to prevent collisions at a railroad track and highway-rail grade crossings. The average locomotive weighs about 400,000 pounds or 200 tons and can weigh up to 6,000 tons. This makes the weight ratio of a car to a train proportional to that of a soda can to a car. By the time a locomotive engineer sees a person or vehicle on the tracks, it is often too late. It takes a freight train traveling at 55 mph more than a mile, […]

Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys urges motorists to slow down as school children return to the classroom

Millions of students are returning to the classrooms this month, which means extra care must be taken for all who are driving motor vehicles. With the start of the new school year comes increased traffic on area roads, and also an increased risk of accidents.

Drivers must be aware at all time, especially when near school zones and along bus routes. Watch for children walking on sidewalks, in parking lots and crossing streets, they can be unpredictable. AAA estimates that 55 million children across the country are returning to school this fall, warning drivers to be especially vigilant for pedestrians before and after school hours.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the highest percentage (42%) of fatalities among pedestrians under 15 occurred between 4p.m. and 8p.m. The NHTSA reports that 23 million students nationwide ride on a school bus, […]

Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer says seat belts can save lives

Wearing a seat belt can help save your life. According to the Just Drive Pa, a seat belt increases your chances of surviving a crash by 60 percent. Seat belt usage rose to 87 percent nationally in 2013, which sounds great, but means that although 184.4 million people are wearing seatbelt, 27.5 million still are not.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), there are several demographic groups that have a lower seat belt rate than others. These groups include 16- to 24-year-olds, African Americans, males, and drivers who are alone in the vehicle. Research also showed that 67 percent of the pickup truck drivers killed in crashes were not buckled up.

The NHTSA released the following startling statistics regarding age and seat belt use. The numbers reflect occupants killed who were completely unrestrained at the time of the crash. […]

Many admit to distracted driving though they know it is unsafe

A Harris poll of more than 2,000 adults earlier this summer revealed that although more than nine in ten Americans believe sending and reading texts while driving is dangerous, 45% of those surveyed said they still do it. Among those surveyed with smartphones or tablets, over one-third said they use the devices to search things while driving.

Despite knowing that talking on a cell phone is also dangerous when driving, 74% of those surveyed said they do talk on their cell phones when driving. They admitted to other distracting behaviors as well, such as grooming, posting to Facebook or Twitter, and some admit having read a book or magazine or watched a video on a smartphone while driving.

USA Today reported that about 660,000 drivers in the US are using handhold cellphones while driving at any moment. This number has steadily increased since 2010, […]

Drunk driving a factor in 1/3 of traffic fatalities

A 2014 national drunk driving enforcement crackdown called “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” goes into effect across the country from August 13 to September 1. Drunk driving is one of the deadliest and most often committed crimes. Although it is preventable, it has become a serious epidemic in our country.

The New York Daily News reported that just last week, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s mother and cousin were hit head on by a drunk driver. Luckily both survived the horrific collision. Every day in America 28 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes. In 2012, there were 10,322 fatalities in crashes involving a drunk driver, 31% of the total traffic fatalities for the year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There were nearly 300,000 drunk-driving related injuries that same year.

1,168 children ages 14 and younger were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2012. […]