PSP Release Car Accident Report From Easter Weekend

Pennsylvania State Police report there were 470 Pennsylvania automobile accidents during the long Easter weekend from Friday, April 6, through Sunday, April 8.  Three people died and 196 were injured in the accidents.

Commissioner Frank Noonan reported the statistics Monday afternoon.  He further reported that one of the persons that died in a car accident was not wearing a seat belt. In addition, 56 of the 470 crashes were alcohol-related with two of the fatalities being alcohol related.

The police were also out trying to limit accidents through enforcement events.  According to the troop breakdown report, troopers charged 292 people with DUI, issued 4,723 speeding tickets, gave 529 seatbelt warnings and issued another 5,906 citations during the weekend.

In comparison to the 2011 Easter period, two people died and 196 were injured in 527 crashes investigated.

Our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys encourage all drivers to practice good defensive driving behaviors when taking to our highways.  […]

PA School Bus Driver Charged With DUI

When parents put their children on a school bus they assume the children will arrive safely at the school.  They also assume the driver is experienced and responsible.  Unfortunately, for children and their parents in Washington, PA, recently that wasn’t the case.  Their school bus driver was charged with DUI after transporting 3 loads of children while legally drunk.

According to the Observer-Reporter.com, after the school bus driver had made three rounds of bringing students to school, he was preparing to take another group on a field trip.  A teacher noticed that the man appeared to be under the influence and notified the proper authorities.  Police found the driver had a blood alcohol content of .081 – four times the legal limit.  The Huffington Post reports the driver was fired.

Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident.  However, there have been far too many school bus accidents across the United States this year. […]

PA Drivers to Observe Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Pennsylvania just enacted its anti-texting law in March.  Now, Pennsylvania drivers will get additional incentive to adhere to the law – April has been designated National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

“The traffic safety community has a simple message for drivers: One Text or Call could Wreck it All,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in his blog announcing National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), almost 25 percent of car crashes involve cell phone use.  In addition, approximately 1.3 million auto accidents each year can be attributed to cell phone usage while driving. The NSC also points out that distractions now join alcohol and speeding as leading factors in all automobile accidents. In a press release announcing the distracted driving campaign, the NSC asks all drivers to pledge: “I will not use my cell phone while driving in any way.”

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that while cell phones are the primary cause of distracted driving, […]

Fatal Van Crash Met With Inadequate Response

Eighth warning issued about 15-passenger vans; Warnings prove ineffectual

In the wake of yet another fatal crash involving a 15-passenger van – this one related to an alleged tire failure – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has again issued a consumer advisory about those vans.

A safety advocacy group notes that it is the eighth warning the agency has issued about those vans and says the information is too little and too late.  Studies have shown these vans are prone to deadly rollovers. At Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C., we agree. The agency needs to take a much firmer stance than issuing safety notices.

The advocacy group Safety Research & Strategies, Inc., speculated that the advisory was issued in response to a recent fatal rollover of a passenger van:

“On March 1, the Epicenter of Worship Church held a prayer vigil for Omberi Erasto, […]

Teenagers Binge Drinking Lead to Highway Crashes

ABC News Nightline uncovered a disturbing trend among teenage girls – binge drinking.  Monday night the network reported that one in every four teen girls binge drinks.  Faced with enormous pressure to fit in, Ju Ju Chang reports teenage girls are turning more and more to alcohol.

Unlike social adult drinkers who may drink a glass or two of wine to “unwind,” teenage drinkers drink to get drunk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a study released earlier this year that 90% of the alcohol consumed by teens is consumed while binge drinking.  That means that teens are drinking four to five alcoholic drinks per occasion, two or three times per month.

While any amount of drinking by teens can be dangerous, binge drinking comes with additional dangers. Beyond the immediate effects of alcohol that can cause sickness, and more seriously, […]