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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Lowboy Truck Accident Lawyer
Were You Injured in an Accident With a Lowboy Truck? We’re Here to Help
Lowboy trucks are often carrying heavy loads, and accidents involving these types of rigs can be particularly devastating. Although things can go wrong in any type of trucking accident, there are a few specific outcomes that drivers should be aware of in a lowboy truck accident. Some of these scenarios include limited visibility because of the trailer, reduced brake responsivity due to the inertia of the trailer, and the possibility of the trailer detaching in a crash.
Collisions with lowboy trucks can be messy to navigate. In a regular, non-commercial crash, the relevant parties include the motorists and their respective insurance companies. As lowboy truck accidents are commercial in nature, the employer of the truck driver will be an additional party involved in the claims process.
If you or a loved one was injured in a lowboy truck accident, […]
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Pottsville Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Bicycle accidents can be devastating experiences, yet you don’t have to navigate their aftermath alone. The dedicated bicycle accident lawyers in Pottsville at Munley Law understand the unique difficulties you are up against and are dedicated to helping you obtain compensation and justice in a fair and timely manner.
Recovering from any injury should be our top priority, from medical bills and lost wages to pain and suffering. Reach out now for a free consultation so we can start helping get your life back on track.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Pottsville
Bicycle accidents in Pottsville, PA, like in many other areas, can be attributed to a variety of contributing factors. Some of the more prevalent causes of bicycle collisions include:
- Collisions With Motor Vehicles: Vehicle collisions are one of the primary causes of bicycle accidents, often happening when drivers fail to see cyclists at intersections, […]
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Lower Merion Wrongful Death Lawyer
In the picturesque setting of Lower Merion, coupled with the vibrant and historic backdrop of Philadelphia, the importance of local representation in sensitive matters like wrongful death is magnified. Lower Merion is nestled amidst landmarks like the historic Ardmore Library and the picturesque Cynwyd Heritage Trail, where the complexities of navigating a wrongful death case demand local expertise. Situated a stone’s throw from Philadelphia, Lower Merion uniquely benefits from both its tranquil suburban charm and proximity to urban resources. Law firms like Munley Law’s Lower Merion personal injury team, offer an unparalleled blend of local insight and broader legal insight. Their deep understanding of the region ensures affected families receive justice with a touch of compassion, bridging both the Merion community and the larger Philadelphia metropolitan area. Choosing Munley Law as your wrongful death lawyer ensures expert representation and compassionate guidance, all beginning with a no-obligation, free consultation. […]
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How Long Do I Have to Tell My Insurance I Was In a Car Accident?
What is the Statute of Limitations After a Car Accident?
Though they may be all too common, car accidents and the potential associated personal injury lawsuits in general, follow very specific statute of limitations and they vary depending on the state you live in.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicle accident you have legitimate reasons to be confused, distracted and unsure about your state laws regarding time limits. What IS a reasonable time frame for you to open your claim? What can you expect from the claim process? What is the legal time limit for filing a personal injury claim?
If you were involved in a car accident, the car accident lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
When Do I Report a Car Accident to the Insurance Company? […]
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Do You Have to Go to Court for a Car Accident?
Like over 104,000 Pennsylvania state residents, you might find that you have gotten in an automobile accident (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation). Being in an automobile accident, alone, is difficult enough. However after the crash, you may feel even more overwhelmed once law enforcement, insurance companies, lawyers, and even perhaps doctors get involved with your case. Many may experience confusion over what obligations they are under immediately following the crash.
You may find yourself asking, “Do You Have to Go to Court for a Car Accident?
Even the most minor crashes can be traumatic experiences. We therefore recognize that car accidents can be particularly difficult times in a driver’s life. If you or a loved one was involved in a crash, we express our most sincere condolences. Working with an experienced car accident lawyer can make a huge difference, both in making this turbulent process a little smoother, […]
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October is Pedestrian Safety Month
Pedestrian Accident Lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys Observe Pedestrian Safety Month with Safety Reminders
This October, join Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys in celebrating the first annual Pedestrian Safety Month. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a division of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), created Pedestrian Safety Month to increase “awareness about pedestrian safety.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pedestrians face exceptional danger. In fact, the CDC reports that hospital emergency departments treat 137,000 injured pedestrians each year. Additionally, every 88 minutes, an American pedestrian is killed in a traffic accident.
In light of these dangers, the NHTSA’s goal is to remind drivers and walkers that staying safe is a shared responsibility.
At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, we understand the dangers that pedestrians face. For that reason, […]
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Covid and Easing of Truck Safety Regulations
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the incidents of truck crashes in the state of PA are among the highest in the nation. The FMCSA, an arm of the US Department of Transportation, is tasked not only with tracking the safety records of commercial motor vehicles, but also with regulating the industry. They are focused on reducing large truck and bus crashes, injuries and fatalities. They perform roadside inspections, investigate truck crashes and develop and enforce safety regulations.
In 2013, the FMCSA Hours of Service regulations to limit truck driver fatigue went into effect in an attempt to reduce the number of truck crashes. The rules specify the maximum number of consecutive hours that commercial truckers can drive, the frequency and length of their rest breaks and number of hours of required off duty time. Most drivers are limited to 11 hours of driving over a 14 hour workday. […]
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DOT to relax trucker drive-time regulations
The Department of Transportation is poised to loosen federal regulations that govern how many hours at a time truck drivers can legally stay behind the wheel.
The current hours of service regulations limit driving to 11 hours in a 14 hour on-duty period, followed by at least 10 hours of rest off-duty before a new shift can begin. Additionally, regulations require that drivers take a 30-minute break before hitting the 8-hour mark. Violating these rules can come at a steep cost, even putting drivers “out of service” for a day or more. When you’re paid by the mile, that time can make a big difference.
To enforce these rules, the previous administration mandated the use of electronic logging devices or ELDs. While paper log books could be easily falsified (something we often found in truck accident investigations), it’s harder to fool an ELD, […]
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E-Commerce means more truck traffic in NEPA
In the past decade, Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) has rapidly become a hub for e-commerce distribution. E-commerce, or the ability to buy and sell items online, is quickly becoming one of the most popular and easiest ways for people to shop. As a result, more tractor trailers carrying online purchases are on the road than ever before. For this area especially, tractor trailer traffic has increased exponentially. Distribution and fulfillment centers continue to pop up throughout the region—across Lackawanna, Luzerne Monroe, Wayne and Schuylkill Counties, there are over 30 industrial centers, each with their own small community of businesses. Twenty-two industrial centers are located in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties alone.
Companies
with distribution and fulfillment centers located in this area include Walmart,
Amazon, Gatorade, PepsiCo, ABF Freight, Quaker Oats, and Hershey. Currently, Chewy.com, Patagonia, and Adidas
are working on building their own fulfillment and distribution centers in the
area. […]
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Trucking app promises progress, but raises safety questions
Technology has the capacity to transform the trucking industry and improve truck drivers’ way of life. Of course, that technology comes with questions about highway safety and to what extent tech companies can be held liable as their products become increasingly central to our lives.
The trucking industry is a fast-paced, competitive environment worth hundreds of billions of dollars. This market, combined with the overall unavailability of a direct and easy way for truckers to arrange the loads they haul, leaves a gap for the ever-growing technological advancement of our modern age to creep in. In 2013, Drew McElroy and Jonathan Salama took advantage of this gap to create the app “Transfix.” This app aims to make it easier for independent truckers to schedule loads, thereby decreasing the amount of time a truck may sit empty, losing money. Typically, independent truck drivers rely on freight brokers to schedule the loads they haul. […]
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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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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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GM Fined $35 Million for Recall Delay
GM will pay the maximum $35 million fine to the United States Department of Transportation for delays in the recall of cars with defective ignition switches. The defect has been linked to 13 deaths and 32 crashes.
The fine is the highest civil penalty ever paid as a result of an investigation into recall problems by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In a released statement, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said that the GM has also agreed to make “significant and wide-ranging internal changes” in how it monitors safety issues.
The DOT reported that GM will need to take part in unprecedented oversight requirements as a result of the findings form the NHTSA’s timeliness investigation regarding the Chevy Cobalt and the automakers’ failure to report a safety defect in a more timely manner.
Federal law requires that all auto manufacturers must notify the NHTSA within five business days of determining that a safety-related defect exists. […]
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Are Stricter Penalties Needed to Keep Truck Drivers Focused on the Road? A Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyer Weighs In.
An investigation by an ABC news station in New York over a three-week period found that truck drivers on some of New York’s busiest highways are texting or talking on their cell phones while driving.
The investigative reporter said that the hidden camera investigation caught “truck drivers routinely, illegally and dangerously texting and talking on phones.” One camera caught a truck driver and his co-workers, all in the front seat, with all with eyes, including the drivers, focused on a cell phone. On another highway, a truck driver was filmed using two phones simultaneously while driving.
According to Eyewitness News 7 in New York, the Department of Transportation says that last year nearly 16,000 truckers were ticketed for using their cell phone, but only 4 of those were suspended and taken out of service. Eyewitness news referred to this as an epidemic and deadly problem. […]
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Motorcycle accident deaths increase 3rd year in a row
Motorcycle rider fatalities increased for the third consecutive year in 2012, up more than 7% over 2011, while motorcyclist injuries rose 15% to 93,000. A shocking 42% of the reported fatalities involved unhelmeted motorcyclists. These figures were released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) in its Quick Facts 2012 report, which was released last month.
A study released by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reported that a better economy and higher gas prices mean more motorcycle riders on the road and fewer states with helmet laws means more fatalities. The Governors study mentioned several reasons for the high motorcyclist fatality rate, which accounted for about 14% of all traffic fatalities, including lack of helmet laws, alcohol use and speeding.
The NHTSA reported that motorcyclist fatalities accounted for 15% of the total fatalities for the year. There were 10 times as many unhelmeted motorcyclist fatalities in states without universal helmet laws in 2012, […]
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One in Four Moms Text While Driving With Babies
New mothers are talking and texting on cell phones – and even checking e-mail – while driving with their baby on board, according to a new survey.
Seventy-eight percent of mothers with children under two years old admitted talking on the phone while driving with their babies. And more than a quarter of them said they text and check e-mail.
The survey was conducted by the child-protection advocacy group Safe Kids Worldwide and American Baby magazine.
One scary conclusion: The driving habits of new moms are every bit as dangerous as that of teenage drivers.
Texting while driving creates a crash risk 23 times higher than driving while not distracted, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Following is from USA Today:
The survey of 2,396 mothers finds an attitude among new moms that is reflected in the general population: They tend to think they’re safe drivers but actually engage in risky habits. […]
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4 Pennsylvania School Bus Accidents In One Week
Week in early December 2012 yields high amount of school bus accidents
In less than a week, there were four separate school bus wrecks in Pennsylvania – with dozens of students being rushed to hospitals.
Contributing factors included inclement weather, hazardous road conditions, decreased visibility due to shorter days and increased holiday traffic.
There were 121,312 reportable traffic wrecks in Pennsylvania in 2010, according to the state Department of Transportation. A total of 1,324 people were killed in Pennsylvania automobile crashes that year, and 88,000 were injured.
Following are summaries of the four school bus wrecks, all of which occurred in early December:
- 20 York County students taken to the hospital. The school bus they were riding in was struck from behind by a sports utility vehicle just after 7 AM on December 14. The extent of the injuries was unknown, […]
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PA Pedestrian Accidents Rise At Christmas
Shorter days and extended holiday hours can be a deadly mix for Pennsylvania shoppers.
Far more pedestrians are struck and killed by vehicles at night – almost 71 percent – than during daylight hours, according to crash statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
And most of these deaths occur in areas other than intersections, such as mid-block crossings, driveways, and parking lots.
The danger is especially great in the Christmas season when excited shoppers are rushing to and from malls and downtown business districts with armloads of packages and children in tow.
A total of 1,539 pedestrians were injured when hit by a vehicle in non-daylight hours, according to the 2011 Pennsylvania DOT Crash Facts and Statistics – and 106 pedestrians were killed.
If you or a loved one is hurt in a pedestrian accident in Pennsylvania, […]
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7 Tips for Safe Winter Driving in PA
Winter driving safety relies on Department of Transportation as well as drivers
In the coming months, state highway workers will be dumping nearly a half-million tons of salt to keep icy Pennsylvania roads safe.
And drivers are being urged to do their part as well.
This is the season of dangerous travel. In 2011, there were 1,994 vehicle crashes and 19 fatalities during the Christmas and New Year travel periods in Pennsylvania.
The state Department of Transportation – with 5,400 operators and 2,250 trucks on standby – has issued a winter travel safety alert:
“PennDOT’s primary goal during winter weather is keeping our nearly 40,000 miles of roadway passable, which means they won’t necessarily be free of ice and snow during storms,” [PennDOT Secretary Barry] Schoch said. “Getting through winter safely is a shared responsibility between us and our customers.”
Following are some safe winter motoring tips:
- Know the danger areas. […]
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Pennsylvania School Bus Drivers Win Safety Honors
Congratulations to those Pennsylvania students and bus drivers who won School Bus Safety awards at a recent ceremony in Harrisburg.
Twelve elementary and middle school students and six drivers from across the state were honored in the 2012 Pennsylvania School Bus Safety Poster Contest and Driver Safety Competition. The events were part of School Bus Safety Week from October 22-26.
This year’s poster theme was “Stand Back from the Yellow and Black.” It stressed the need for students to stay a safe distance from the bus so drivers can see them while loading and unloading. The dozen winners were chosen from among 475 public and private school student entries.
The driving competition tests bus drivers’ knowledge of safety rules and safe operation of their buses.
“Parents trust school bus drivers to take their children to and from school every day – and do it safely,” said State Police Safety Supervisor Richard Koontz in a DOT press release. […]
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