Distracted Driving

What is Distracted Driving?

Distracted Driving is when a person operates a motor vehicle while engaging in activities that divert attention from driving tasks, such as:

Talking on a cell phone
Using a navigation system
Texting or emailing
Eating
Adjusting hair or makeup
Using the audio system
Texting

What is Distracted Driving?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Distracted driving is any activity that…takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.” Studies have shown that texting while driving significantly increases the likelihood of a crash or near-crash event. The detrimental effects of distracted driving can range from minor fender-benders to severe accidents resulting in life-altering injuries or fatalities.

Understanding the risks associated with distracted driving and adopting safe driving practices can help mitigate its adverse impacts on road safety and overall public safety.

More information about Distracted Driving

Memorial Day starts the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers

Nothing kills more teens in Pennsylvania than car crashes and no other group on the road has a higher risk of crash. The National Safety Council (NSC) warns parents that Memorial Day kicks off the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers, as many teens are out of school and on the road more frequently during the summer months.

Some of the key contributors to crashes involving teens include driver inexperience, driver distractions, speeding and driving carelessly. Summer driving also tends to be more recreational for teens, and they may be carrying more passengers than at other times of the year. Passengers increase the risk of a fatal crash involving a teen by at least 44%. Pennsylvania laws restrict the number of passengers in cars with drivers holding a junior driver’s license. A driver is not permitted to have more than one passenger under age 18 who is not an immediate family member unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. […]

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. […]

NC Woman Dies in Car Accident While Posting to Facebook

James Christopher Munley The National Safety Council Cell Phone Crash Estimate Model reports that there have been an estimated 333,300 crashes so far this year in the U.S. involving drivers using cell phones and texting, or about one every 30 seconds. A North Carolina woman died behind the wheel of her car last week just moments after posting a Facebook message and hitting a truck head on.

According to police, the woman posted to Facebook and one minute later, a call came in about the crash. The 32-year old woman died after drifting across a grass median and slamming into a truck. An investigation of her online activity also found that she had been posting selfies as she drove. This is a tragedy we see all too often.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), stated that mobile communications are linked to a significant increase in distracted driving, resulting in injury and loss of life. […]

Teens and Distracted Driving Could Require a Pennsylvania Injury Lawyer

As an experienced injury lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Marion Munley has seen many teens start out as careful, cautious drivers, but it only takes a few months behind the wheel before teens feel over-confident in their driving skills and get involved in a car accident. Dialing cell phones, texting, eating, and talking to passengers are all examples of things that teens may do while driving. Multitasking distracts teens and all drivers from the road, a skill that still requires their full attention.

This topic was recently published in the Jan. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine from a study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development. The data reveals that, compared to experienced drivers, new drivers engaged in secondary tasks less frequently during the first six months. Between months 7 and 15, […]

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. […]

Pennsylvania State Trooper Dies in Accident

State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan announced the tragic death of 47-year-old Trooper First Class Blake T. Coble of Troop D, Beaver Station after he was killed in an automobile wreck last Thursday. Coble was on duty Oct. 4 when he was struck by a semi at 10 a.m. at Black Hawk Road near Route 168 in South Beaver Township.

According to news reports, Coble’s patrol car was struck by the tractor-trailer when the truck driver went through a stop sign at the intersection. No charges have been filed against the driver of the truck, who has been cooperating with investigators, state police said.

In a press release announcing Coble’s death, Noonan said:

“He [Coble] died serving the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the men and women of the Pennsylvania State Police mourn his loss and extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends. […]

Take the Time During National Fire Prevention Week to Protect Your Family Against Fires

Residents of Pennsylvania are urged to take the time this week to participate in National Fire Prevention Week. Fire Prevention Week, celebrated Oct. 7-13, has been set aside through a Presidential Proclamation as a time “to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities from fires, and we honor the courageous first responders who put their lives at risk to keep us safe.”

According to the National Safety Council, in 2010, there were 3,100 unintentional deaths related to fire, smoke and flames. Many of these fires resulted in death, serious injuries and destroyed homes.

The National Safety Council offers the following steps for families to take to prevent fires:

Have properly working smoke alarms
Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors monthly and change the batteries at least once a year
Place smoke alarms on each floor of your home and in each bedroom
Plan a family escape route and practice it once a month
Install a home sprinkler system
Place fire extinguishers throughout your home and make sure everyone in the house knows how to use them

One key theme of the week is to “Have 2 Ways Out!” According to Firehouse.org, […]

Pennsylvania Celebrates International Walk to School Month

PennDOT is joining forces with other organizations across the United States, and the world, in supporting International Walk to School Month throughout October. Using the motto “Get up, Get out, and Get Moving!” the organizers are focusing on demonstrating the role walking and bicycling to school can play in improving health, safety and community life.

According to iWalk, the official website of International Walk to School Month:

“International Walk to School Month gives children, parents, school teachers and community leaders an opportunity to be part of a global event as they celebrate the many benefits of walking. Walkers from around the world walk to school together for various reasons — all hoping to create communities that are safe places to walk.”

“Every child should have the opportunity to walk to school safely,” said Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari. “Walk to School Day [held Oct. […]

Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer Joins Call to Ban Use of Hand-Held Cell Phones While Driving

Scranton, PA, September 27, 2012 — Pennsylvania car accident attorney Caroline Munley said today that she supports efforts to broaden the state’s distracted driving laws to include a ban on using hand-held cell phones while behind the wheel.

A law prohibiting texting while driving in Pennsylvania became effective earlier this year. However, because it is still legal to talk on a cell phone or search for contacts on a phone while behind the wheel, police say it is difficult to detect drivers engaged in text messaging and enforce the ban, according to a recent Scranton Times-Tribune report.

“If the goal of the law is to deter drivers from engaging in conduct that is dangerous and puts others at risk of distracted driving accidents, injury and death, then a full ban on the use of hand-held cell phones while driving a motor vehicle is an entirely appropriate, […]

Teens Learn Poor Driving Habits from Their Parents

Our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys previously reported that over the past five years in Pennsylvania, distracted driving led to nearly 4,000 crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers and resulted in 18 deaths. We often ask parents to impress upon their teen drivers the importance of staying focused while driving and not using their cellphones. However, according to a new study, parents may actually be the cause of their childrens’ poor driving behaviors.

In the survey from Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), researchers found that an overwhelming number of the young drivers reported they get their poor driving habits from their parents. Of the 1,700 teens surveyed, over 90 percent of them report their parents talk on the cell while driving, 88 percent of their parents speed, and 59 percent reported their parents have sent a text while driving. Still worse, […]

Pennsylvania Drunk Drivers More Likely to be Men

A new study reports that nationwide nearly 60 percent of all drivers in fatal automobile crashes had alcohol or drugs in their systems. In the review of five years of data, researchers found that men, and those driving at night, were more likely to crash with alcohol in their systems. These findings are not much different than the 2011 Pennsylvania alcohol-related crash data that found 76 percent of the drinking drivers in traffic crashes were male.

Researchers at Columbia University reviewed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on fatalities in 14 states. They found that out of 20,150 fatally injured drivers between 2005 and 2009, 57 percent tested positive for at least one drug, and 20 percent had at least two drugs in their system when the accident occurred. Alcohol was the most common drug found in toxicology screenings, followed by marijuana and stimulants comprising 20 percent of the drugs, […]

PA Legislator to Propose Cellphone Ban

This month we reported that law enforcement have been challenged when enforcing Pennsylvania’s anti-texting law. Since the law allows for talking on the cellphone, drivers can deny they were texting if pulled over and say they were calling someone. At least one Pennsylvania legislator wants to do something about it and is proposing a ban on all cellphone use behind the wheel.

The Pocono Record reports House Appropriations Minority Chairman Rep. Joseph Markosek, D-Allegheny plans to introduce the new regulations in the fall. Although the bill has not yet been circulated for co-sponsorship, Markosek believes it has support within the Democratic caucus.

The ban, that will result in a fine of $50, or $100 if driving in a school zone, work zone or highway safety corridor, is being introduced to help police enforce the current ban on texting while driving.

The Pocono Record references the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation statistics that estimate 58 deaths and more than 14,000 distracted-driving car crashes occurred in 2011. […]

One in Five Violation Rate Not Acceptable, Pennsylvania Truck Accident Lawyer Says

Scranton, PA, September 08, 2012 — Truck accident attorney Marion Munley said today that national inspections of 74,072 trucks and buses that resulted in one-fifth of the vehicles being removed from the road should raise concerns for the sponsoring Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).

The CVSA said in a recent news release that its 25th Annual Roadcheck, a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety enforcement and outreach event, inspected a record number of trucks and buses.

The organization said 22.4 percent of CMVs and 3.9 percent of drivers were placed out of service, or removed from the road, after the inspections. The CVSA said those vehicle and driver OOS rates represented the second-lowest in the program’s history.

Munley, a nationally recognized Pennsylvania truck accident lawyer with the Scranton personal injury firm of Munley Law, said those numbers were still too high.

“It’s certainly a concern when one in five of the tractor-trailers and other big-rig trucks that trucking companies continue to put on the road are in such poor shape that they should be removed from the road before they cause an accident,” she said. […]

AT&T Calls on All Drivers to Take its Never Text and Drive Pledge

AT&T stresses danger of distracted driving with its anti-texting while driving campaign

As Labor Day weekend comes to a close, so too does the state’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. However, the Pennsylvania State Police is on the lookout for drunk drivers 365-days-a-year. The police are also focused on stopping distracted drivers from taking to the PA highways. Now, AT&T is helping all law enforcement by raising the bar on its anti-texting campaign. AT&T is warning of the serious dangers caused by texting and driving and is urging all drivers to take its “Never Text and Drive” pledge.

AT&T’s message is simple: “When it comes to texting and driving, it can wait.” On its website, AT&T presents the pledge as follows:

No text message, email, website or video is worth the risk of endangering my life or the lives of others on the road. […]

Pennsylvania Drunk Drivers Target of Police Crackdown

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is once again getting the message out to Americans to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” Pennsylvania State Police and law enforcement agencies across the country are joining in the latest campaign, that runs through Labor Day, in an effort to get impaired drivers off roads.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2010 State Motor Vehicle Fatalities statistics, there were 10,228 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities nationwide in 2010. Pennsylvania saw 433 alcohol-related highway deaths in 2010. These deaths represented 24 percent of the 1,324 fatal accidents in the state that year. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reports preliminary data shows there were 428 alcohol-related accident fatalities and approximately 11,700 alcohol-related crashes statewide in 2011.

In a ceremony in Berks County where officials unveiled a memorial for victims of DUI accidents, Trooper Ethan Brownback said, “We’re having checkpoints all over the county, […]

Tire Blowout Injures Seven in Pennsylvania Car Accident

A two-vehicle crash last week on the Northeast Extension of the turnpike in Moosic, PA, resulted in injuries to seven people and left traffic tied up for more than an hour. A woman was driving in the left northbound lane of Interstate 476 near mile marker 119, when the car’s rear driver’s side tire blew out, according to news reports.

The driver lost control of the vehicle and it traveled into the right lane where it struck the rear of a minivan carrying seven occupants. The minivan rolled onto the passenger side and came to rest on a concrete barrier. Police cited tire failure as the cause of the accident, and no charges were filed in the accident.

TireSafety.com, a website dedicated to educating the public about proper tire maintenance sponsored by Bridgestone, reports that under inflation is the leading cause of tire failure. […]

Triple Fatal Accident Serves as a Reminder to Pennsylvania Drivers of the Dangers of Drowsy Driving

An early morning accident on Saturday left three people dead and two others seriously injured after the driver apparently fell asleep behind the wheel. The single-car crash occurred around 2:15 a.m. on I-81 north near Butler Township after the car traveled across the grass median and slammed into the concrete bridge support beam.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drowsy driving accidents cause more than 100,000 crashes a year, resulting in 40,000 injuries and approximately 1,550 deaths. However, the NHTSA believes these numbers are actually much higher due to underreported drowsy driving accidents.

One of the leading causes of drowsy driving is shift work. With irregular hours, long shifts, and disrupted sleep patterns, the NHTSA reports shift workers run a particularly high risk of drowsy driving crashes.

However, anyone that is sleep deprived is a danger on the highway. […]

Lightning Strike at Pennsylvania Racetrack Raises Concern of Spectator Safety

As severe thunderstorms rolled through the area on Sunday, 85,000 fans were sitting in stands and in the infield at the Pocono Raceway watching the Pennsylvania 400 NASCAR race. For the safety of the drivers and the fans, the race was called off, but it was too late – two lightning strikes hit 10 spectators.

According to WNEP, the Monroe County EMA alert system issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area at 4:12 p.m. NASCAR stopped the race at 4:54 p.m. The first lightning strike was shortly after 5 p.m., killing one man and injuring eight others. The second strike was reported at 6:35 p.m., injuring one person.

Officials with the Pocono Raceway and NASCAR are investigating the hour leading up to the tragedy. While the racetrack officials contend warnings were issued, some of the attendees are disputing that claim. Philly.com reports some attendees said there were no audible warnings given to spectators during the closing stages of the race. […]

PA Drivers Should Call 911 to Report Dangerous Texting Drivers

Our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys have continued to provide information to educate drivers of the dangers of texting while driving. The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that nationwide almost 25 percent of car crashes involve cell phone use and nearly 1.3 million crashes each year can be attributed to cell phone usage while driving. If you are a focused, defensive driver, however, the USA Today reports that you should get away from distracted drivers to help prevent yourself from becoming one of these statistics.

According to the USA Today, police not only recommend distancing yourself from the offensive drivers, but also suggest calling 911 if you believe the drivers are a danger to others. Auburn Police Division Capt. Tom Stofer told USA Today that drivers should give a wide berth to texting drivers — and to call 911 in the worst cases.

“If I was a citizen and if I saw an extreme case, […]

CPSC Sues Buckyballs Maker to Pull the Dangerous Toys From the Market

We have reported on the warnings issued by both the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and by health advocates in the UK regarding children ingesting Buckyballs, a set of round, high-powered magnets that are meant to be used by adults as a stress-relieving desk toy.

When multiple magnets are swallowed, they often adhere through the intestines or bowel causing obstructions and/or tears in the intestinal lining. Immediate surgery is necessary to prevent further damage and to remove the magnets and repair the damage.

Since the CPSC issued the warning in November, however, it has received over one dozen reports of children ingesting the magnets, many of which required surgical intervention. Now, the CPSC has filed an administrative complaint against Maxfield & Oberton Holdings LLC, the toymakers, “alleging that Buckyballs and Buckycubes contain a defect in the design, packaging, warnings, and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury to the public.”

While Maxfield & […]