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.
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Judge Rules Person Who Sent Text Resulting in Motorcycle Accident Not Liable
At the end of May we reported on the distracted driving lawsuit brought by a couple who both lost their left legs when the motorcycle they were riding was struck by a driver who was texting. The couple claimed that not only should the teen driver of the vehicle that hit them be held liable for their motorcycle accident, but so should the driver’s girlfriend, who sent him a text message just seconds before the crash.
The judge ruled last week in the first case of its kind to hit the dockets in the U.S. He dismissed the claims against the woman in the lawsuit ruling that the person sending the text to which the driver was responding “cannot be held liable.”
The ruling sends the message that it is not the responsibility of the texter to monitor where the recipient of a text message is when responding to a message. […]
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PA ranked 30th in U.S. for injury deaths
Researchers set out to determine which U.S. states are the safest. In a study released last month, each state was ranked by 10 key indicators of steps states can take to prevent injuries, including those caused by accidents and violence, to their residents. Pennsylvania received a score of 5 out of 10, leaving the state plenty of room for improvement.
The study, entitled “The Facts Hurt: A State-By-State Injury Prevention Policy Report,” by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), looked at each state, ranking them on a 10 to 0 scale, with states receiving one point for each of 10 policies that could improve safety. Two states, California and New York, scored nine out of the possible 10 points, and had the best overall ratings. Montana and Ohio both scored the worst overall with just 2 points each. […]
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Summer starts increase of teen driver car accidents
Teens statistically more likely to be in an accident during the summertime
Scranton, PA, June 01, 2012 — Pennsylvania car accident lawyer J. Christopher Munley said today that a recent PennDOT statement about distracted driving among young drivers is a good starting point for an important conversation with their children about traffic safety and car accidents as the summer begins.
“As statistics show, the summer can be the deadliest time of year for teenage drivers,” said Munley, managing partner of the Pennsylvania personal injury firm of Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C. “Now is a good time for parents to talk to young, inexperienced drivers about safe driving and the seriousness of their responsibility as drivers.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers. In the months of June through August, […]
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Pennsylvania Receives Truck Safety Award from U.S. DOT
The Pennsylvania State Police announced this month they received the prestigious 2012 Safety Enforcement Improvement Award from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The award, presented at the FMCSA’s annual leadership conference, is presented to the one state “that demonstrates the greatest improvement to its truck safety enforcement program in terms of cost efficiency and traffic enforcement.”
“This achievement is truly a great honor for the Pennsylvania State Police and our motor carrier enforcement partners,” said State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan when announcing receipt of the award.
More than 100,000 trucks were inspected in PA in 2011, representing a 35 percent increase over the number of inspections performed just three years ago, according to the press release.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports in 2010, the most current year of data, […]
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CDC Lowers Amount of Lead Considered Toxic in Children
CDC lowers toxicity level of lead by 50 percent
Our Pennsylvania product liability attorneys have reported on numerous occasions about the dangers posed to children from every-day products – including batteries and magnets. While both of these pose swallowing hazards to children, some toys have been shown to contain lead which can lead to lead poisoning.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that excess lead exposure affects the nervous system and can cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. The EPA reports that children six years old and younger are most at risk. Some of the adverse affects from lead exposure include: damage to the brain and nervous system; behavior and learning problems, such as hyperactivity; slowed growth; hearing problems; headaches; anemia; and in rare cases of acute lead poisoning from ingestion of lead, seizures, […]
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