10 Tips for PA Winter Driving Safety

A recent article in the New York Times Magazine has found that dangerous driving is once again a serious issue in America. According to the article, in September 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation released data that showed that 21 states had recorded climbing rates of fatal crashes in 2023 compared with the same period in 2022.

Not only is it dangerous for other drivers to be on the roads, but pedestrians as well — a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that SUVs or vans with a hood height that’s greater than 40 inches are 45 percent more likely to kill pedestrians than smaller cars.

Unfortunately, the winter weather does pose a significant threat to many Pennsylvanians each year. Snowy weather causes treacherous conditions on our roadways. Each winter, we hear stories of people injured and killed in auto accidents across Pennsylvania caused by drivers who don’t use proper care in hazardous conditions. […]

Nurse Killed Crossing Philadelphia Street

A woman dashing across a Philadelphia street January 11 was struck by a car – and then run over by at least one other vehicle.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

In 2011, pedestrian-related crashes represented 3.6 percent of all reported traffic crashes in Pennsylvania. That year, 149 pedestrians were killed.

Following is an account of the fatal pedestrian accident from the Philadelphia Inquirer:

A woman attempting to run across Penrose Avenue in South Philadelphia was hit by a car, then run over by at least one more vehicle, in light rain about 5:30 PM Friday, police said.

Maria Mercer, 42, of Olney, was a nurse at Catch Inc., a community mental health center. Police said she was scheduled to work through midnight and took a break to go to a cash machine at a nearby gas station. […]

EMS Driver Caught Driving Drunk

State police in Swiftwater arrested a woman for driving an EMS vehicle drunk on December 29.

The emergency service driver was stopped for speeding and following another vehicle too closely. Arresting officers determined she was too impaired to drive.

Each year automobile accidents in Pennsylvania claim the lives of more than 1,000 people and injure another 85,000 more. More than 70 percent of the state’s auto accidents in 2010 resulted in an injury or fatality.

Far too many of these wrecks were caused by a driver’s negligence or recklessness.

Following is from the Scranton Times-Tribune:

A Monroe County woman was arrested Saturday for driving an emergency medical services vehicle while under the influence.

State police at Swiftwater stopped Stacy M. Ems, 23, Paradise Twp., around 1 AM for speeding and following another vehicle too closely on Buttermilk Falls Road, […]

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. […]