Munley Law Blog

Tips for Sharing the Road with a Snow Plow

When snow covers the roads here in PA, snow plows come to the rescue.

Plows help make dangerous roads safer, but when sharing the road with a plow, you should still use extra caution.

Tips for Driving Around Snow Plows

Give a plow plenty of space. The plow itself can extend over the center line, so keep this in mind as you share the road with an oncoming plow.  The same rule applies if you’re behind the plow. Allow plenty of extra space in between your vehicle and the plow, as they may make unexpected stops or turns. And, due to their limited field of vision, the space directly behind the plow is a blind spot.

If you’re traveling behind a snow plow, it’s a good idea to stay there. They tend to travel more slowly than the speed limit, but the road behind the plow is likely to be safer than the road ahead.   […]

New York’s MTA Orders Sleep Apnea Screenings After Deadly Crashes

A seldom-diagnosed health condition has been blamed for multiple deadly mass-transit crashes in recent years.

In 2014, a Metro-North train derailed in the Bronx, killing four people. In September of 2016, one person died when a commuter train crashed in Hoboken. The engineers in both of these accidents suffered from sleep apnea. Earlier this month, a Long Island Railroad Train crashed in Brooklyn; the engineer in this accident will test for sleep apnea as well.

This week, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced they will begin testing all train engineers and bus drivers for sleep apnea in hopes of preventing more tragedies like these.

What is Sleep Apnea, and Why is it Such a Problem?

Sleep apnea, also called obstructive sleep apnea or OSA, is a condition that causes the throat muscles to relax during sleep, […]

Getting Your Car Ready for a New Baby

Welcoming a new baby to the family is an exciting and sometimes scary time. As a parent, you want to do everything possible to ensure your family’s safety, starting with the ride home from the hospital.

We’re pleased to share a guest blog post from auto blogger Matthew Young on how to prepare your vehicle for the arrival of a new baby.

Buying baby clothes, obtaining toys, and safeguarding the house are tasks that most couples complete before the arrival of their baby. But you don’t want to get so caught up in those tasks that you forget to prepare your car. Taking the right steps now will allow you to transform your vehicle into a safe and comfortable environment in which you will be able to transport your baby with peace of mind.

Car Seat

Although you will take many factors into consideration, […]

What to Do if Your Vehicle Breaks Down

Car trouble can be a nightmare any time of the year, but winter weather conditions can make even common mishaps more dangerous.

According to PennDOT, it’s Winter Driving Awareness Week. We’ve already shared some winter weather driving tips to help you stay safe in the ice and snow. But what if your car breaks down? The first step to staying safe is to not panic. Check out the tips below in the case of a wintertime breakdown.

What to do if your car breaks down

1. Pay attention to your vehicle and assess the problem. If you notice steering problems, unusual noises, smoke, or other warning signs, remain calm. Don’t forget to be aware of your surroundings; note your location, put your blinker on, and find a place to pull over.

2. Carefully pull off of the road, if possible. The ideal place to pull over is, […]

The IIHS Announces 2017 Top Safety Picks

Thinking of buying a new car? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced last week their 2017 Top Safety Picks.

Out of 200 models evaluated by the IIHS, 82 vehicles made the cut.

There are two awards categories: Top Safety Pick, and Top Safety Pick Plus. To qualify for either of these lists, vehicles must earn good ratings in a series of crashworthiness tests and advanced or superior ratings for crash prevention. In all, 44 earned Top Safety Pick status, and 38 Top Safety Pick Plus.

2017 Top Safety Pick Criteria

For the 3rd year in a row, automatic braking factored significantly into vehicle safety ratings. Automakers have voluntarily pledged to make automatic braking standard in all new vehicles by 2022. The feature has already become more common in new models. And that’s a good thing — automatic braking systems have been found to reduce rear-end crashes by 50%. […]