What Is the Department of Transportation (DOT)?
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is the federal agency responsible for planning and coordinating federal transportation projects and setting safety regulations for all modes of transportation in the United States.
According to the official description, DOT’s mission is to “Ensure our Nation has the safest, most efficient, and modern transportation system in the world, which improves the quality of life for all American people and communities, from rural to urban, and increases the productivity and competitiveness of American workers and businesses.” The DOT plays a crucial role in setting and enforcing regulations that affect transportation safety, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability.
DOT’s main activities include funding infrastructure projects, conducting research to improve transportation systems, and implementing policies to enhance safety and accessibility. It also addresses issues such as traffic management, vehicle safety standards, and the environmental impact of transportation. Understanding the Department of Transportation is critical to comprehending how federal policy influences the everyday movement of people and goods, shaping economic development and public safety nationwide.
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Judge declares mistrial in Trinity guardrail lawsuit case
A federal judge in Texas declared a mistrial in the possible billion-dollar whistleblower lawsuit involving guardrails that are found on many of our nation’s highways.
The whistleblower and former industry business owner, Joshua Harman, filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the American public claiming that Trinity guardrails, the ET-Plus model, are dangerous and deadly. The lawsuit contends that the guardrails were never properly tested or properly approved by the government. The allegations against Trinity Industries Inc., one of the biggest guardrail makers in the U.S., include that the highway guardrail systems are a deadly hazard that can spear cars on impact.
According to Bloomberg News, Trinity first gained federal approval for its ET-Plus end terminal in 2000. Harman’s suit alleges that the company changed the dimensions of the ET-Plus sometime between 2002 and 2005 without telling federal authorities. Apparently, Trinity modified an energy-absorbing end terminal, […]
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Fatal crash on I-81 claims the life of an Ontario woman
A deadly crash near the Dickson City exit of Interstate 81 in Lackawanna County claimed the life of a 58-year old woman from Ontario, Canada on Monday. The woman was in the rear passenger seat of the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire when the vehicle she was riding in struck a stone embankment after swerving off the road, according to police reports.
Although vehicle safety has improved, as well as improved safety measures on our nation’s roadways, the number of car accidents in this country is still staggering. According to a report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), passenger vehicle occupant fatalities increased in 2012 after they declined six years in a row from 2005 to 2011. 33,561 lives were lost in crashes on our nation’s roadways in 2012 as compared to 32,479 in 2011. Pennsylvania also saw an increase in fatalities in 2012, […]
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Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer warns beware of drunk drivers
The summer months are filled with graduation parties, reunions, picnics and other celebrations and travels. This time of year also brings an increase in drunk drivers.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, every 2-hours, three people are killed in this country in alcohol-related highway crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 33,561 crash fatalities in 2012, of those 31% or 10,322 involved a drunk driver. This was a 4.6% increase from the previous year.
In 2012, 239 children age 14 and younger were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Of those, 124 were in the vehicle with a drunk driver. The NHTSA reported that the rate of alcohol impairment among drivers in fatal crashes in 2012 was nearly 4 times higher at night than during the day. 15% of al drivers involved in fatal crashes during the week were alcohol-impaired, […]
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PA personal injury lawyer warns of ATV danger
Six-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer, Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, was injured last week when she hit a curb while riding an all-terrain vehicle in her home state of Arizona, flying off of a drop-off of over 5 feet, according to police reports. She severed her spinal cord in the accident that left her hospitalized. A letter from her family said that the broken vertebrae came within millimeters of rupturing her aorta.
This is just a reinforcement of the dangers posed by ATVs, especially for children. According to the website ATVSafety.gov, there are more than 100,000 ATV-related emergency room visits and 700 deaths each year. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission 2012 Annual Report of ATV-Related Deaths and Injuries, which was released in April of this year, there were an estimated 12,400 ATV-related fatalities between 1982 and 2012. Of those fatalities, 2,944 were children younger than 16 years of age. […]
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High gas prices lead to more motorcycle accidents
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently wrote a piece that examined the connection between rising gas prices and an uptick in motorcycle-related deaths. As the cost of gas goes up, many people decide to ditch their cars for this more fuel-efficient (and often more fun!) option. While this may seem a proper solution for your budget, it can also put you at higher risk of being involved in a fatal accident.
Unlike cars—which come equipped with seat belts, airbags, collision avoidance systems, sensors, antilock brakes, and more—motorcycles leave you out in the open, exposed, without enhanced features. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are 26 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in motor vehicle crashes. The NHTSA also reports that states without helmet laws showed ten times more fatalities. Pennsylvania is one of those states, […]
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