Anyone out on the road at any time is at risk of having an accident involving a distracted driver. Even if you do not use your cellphone while driving, that does not mean other behaviors behind the wheel will not put you at risk. If you engage in any of these practices while driving, you can easily become distracted: Eating or drinking Smoking cigarettes Changing the radio station Adjusting climate controls Rubbernecking Allowing loose pets in the vehicle Driving with[…] Read More
Simulated Accidents Teach Lessons
For some time, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol has been a significant cause of car accidents. Today, distracted driving, which includes anything that takes your attention away from the road, is on the rise. Talking or texting on the phone, eating, adjusting music controls, and using a navigation system can distract a driver. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, in 2015, 3,477 car accidents involving distracted driving resulted in fatalities. The largest age group reported as[…] Read More
Teen Drivers Pose a Threat
A new study released by AAA has determined that not only are teenage drivers a risk to themselves and their passengers, but to all other drivers and their passengers. Study results showed that two-thirds of people injured or killed during a crash that involved a teen driver were not the teen driver. All drivers on the road and their passengers are at an increased risk for car accident injuries when teens get behind the wheel and feel they are infallible,[…] Read More
Teen Safe Driving Summit
Educating teen drivers on the dangers of texting while driving is an invaluable lesson they need before they are driving independently. A teen safe driving event was recently sponsored by State Farm Insurance and was presented by the State Department of Transportation, Southwest Regional Traffic Safety Network, AAA East Penn Central and other agencies. Teenage drivers from several area Pennsylvania high-schools had a chance to experience a cutting-edge virtual reality simulator to understand the impact electronic devices have on their[…] Read More
Middle Age Drivers who Text While Driving at Increased Risk for Car Accidents
Car accidents continue to be the primary cause of injury and death in the United States. There are many causes of car accidents, but a high percentage of accidents occur due to driver negligence. Common distracted driving behaviors that people engage in include drunk driving, distracted driving, and aggressive driving. Researchers continue to conduct studies on the impact of using technology while driving. A recent study published in Accident Analysis and Prevention discussed how texting could be more challenging for[…] Read More
New Technology Could Diminish the Millions of Crashes Caused by Distracted Driving
Automakers continue to add revolutionary safety features to vehicles like airbags and blind-spot cameras, but these features don’t address a major issue on today’s roadways. A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTT) reports that 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes are the result of driver distraction. Now, there is new technology available that uses radar to reduce the threat of driver inattentiveness by monitoring everything around the vehicle. The[…] Read More
Landmark Personal Injury Case Recognizes Potential Liability For Text Senders
With the ever increasing use of smart phones and text messaging, the number of distracted driving car accidents is on the rise. A driver who is distracted while driving as a result of their text messaging who gets into a New Jersey car accident faces potential liability for their careless actions. In a first decision of its kind in the United States, the New Jersey Superior Court recently extended this potential liability to not only the distracted driver in the car[…] Read More
New Guidelines for Distracting Technology
For several decades, automobile manufacturers placed an emphasis on the development of technologies meant to improve auto collision safety. Recently however, driven by consumer demand, much of that emphasis has shifted to the development of technologies designed to improve convenience or provide entertainment within motor vehicles. Of course there is a price to be paid for all this convenience and entertainment; these systems can cause distracted driving accidents. According to the US Department of Transportation, distracted driving accidents caused 3,331[…] Read More
Put Down That Cell Phone and Stop Texting
Did you know that distracted driving is a leading cause of car accidents and crash-related deaths in the United States? The National Safety Council estimates that 1,400,000 car crashes occur each year involving drivers using cell phones. For teens, cell phones are the number one distraction! FAR, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System of the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission estimates that approximately 16% of auto accident fatalities each year are attributed to distracted drivers which include drivers using hand held[…] Read More