The advent of COVID-19 has dramatically changed how people living in the U.S. drive. According to ZD-Net: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have only spent an average of six minutes a day driving. Over a quarter of U.S. drivers reported stopped driving entirely during the COVID-19 quarantine. The weekly average driving time in the U.S. went from nearly six hours down to 42 minutes. U.S. residents are saving about $97 a month on gas alone without having to commute to work. Even those who are driving may actually simply want to get out of the house. For those who chose to continue driving during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of these drivers said that when they did drive, they just got in their cars and drove around aimlessly. Still, accidents do happen. If you have been involved in one, a Bethlehem accident attorney can help. We’re Driving Less, But Are We Driving Safer? According to Arity, a mobility data analytics company founded by a leading insurance company, we’re driving less but also driving more aggressively. Their data shows the number of miles driven has dropped significantly, yet there has been around a 50% increase in crashes above 70 m.p.h. Those are the types of crashes that can cause serious damage and injury. Furthermore, Arity reports that average speed has increased and that there has been at least a 30% increase in the rate at which people are driving over 100 m.p.h. So while the number of total accidents has […]
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Category: Bethlehem Car Accident Lawyer
The last Friday in April, is National Arbor Day, a day set aside to celebrate the role of trees in our lives and to promote tree planting and care. J. Sterling Morton is considered the founder of Arbor Day. In 1854 Morton and his wife moved from Detroit to the virtually treeless plains of Nebraska. The Nebraska pioneers needed trees for windbreaking, fuel, building materials, and shade from the hot prairie sun. Morton decided to use his role as editor of Nebraska’s first newspaper to promote tree planting in Nebraska. In 1872, the Nebraska Board of Agriculture accepted Morton’s resolution to set aside one day to plant trees. The Board declared April 10, 1872 to be Arbor Day, and offered prizes to both counties and individuals for the largest number of trees properly planted. On that day alone, 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska. Shortly thereafter the rest of the states began passing legislation to observe Arbor Day, with the actual date in April determined by the best time to plant trees in each particular state. While trees add to the visual landscape and provide many helpful benefits to people and the environment, they can present as hazards to motorists. Trees that are not properly maintained can block road signs and roadways. According to the Insurance Information Institute, in 2017, 1,581 fatal crashes in the United States were caused by obscured vision, including poorly maintained trees and shrubbery. Dead and diseased trees can also fall on cars and roadways, […]
TURNING OUR CLOCKS BACK INCREASES THE RISKS OF DRIVING AT NIGHT– Here Are Ten Tips to Stay Alive
This Sunday morning, at 2 AM, Daylight Savings Time will end. We will move our clocks back one hour. While many will welcome the extra hour of sleep we gain, when Daylight Saving Time ends, many people will find themselves spending more time driving in the dark. According to the National Safety Council, traffic fatalities are 3 times greater at night than during the day. Fatigue, compromised night vision, and impaired drivers are some of the risks we face when driving at night. These risks become especially pronounced moving into the weekend, with fatal crashes peaking on Saturday nights, according to NSC analysis of NHTSA data. Depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision can be compromised in the dark and the glare of headlights from an oncoming vehicle can temporarily blind a driver. Even with high-beam headlights on, visibility is limited to about 500 feet (250 feet for normal headlights) creating less time to react, especially when driving at higher speeds. Ninety percent of your reaction time depends on your ability to see what’s around you. Since your depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision decrease after sundown, your chances for a car accident tend to increase. According to the American Optometric Association, as we age, we have greater difficulty seeing at night. A 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year-old. At age 60 and older, driving can become even more difficult due to compromised vision as a result of cataracts […]
Several Reminders From Highway Safety Law Awareness Week
Did you know that this week (February 18- 25) is “Highway Safety Law Awareness Week?” By raising awareness regarding certain traffic laws, with which you may not be too familiar, PennDOT and the Pennsylvania State Police hope to make everyone safer on our roadways. This year’s focus is on a variety of lesser know traffic laws, as well as some changes to our existing laws. These include Pennsylvania’s Blind Pedestrian Law; the Use of Headphones While Driving; the Ride-on-Red law; the Unattended Motor Vehicle law (those with remote car starters should especially read this); the Clear Snow and Ice from your Vehicle Law (see our previous article here); the Steer Clear Law; the Turn-Around, Don’t Drown Law; as well as penalty changes to our existing DUI laws. In addition to the “Clear the Snow from Your Vehicle Law,” we previously wrote about, we think that it is important to be reminded, about two additional laws that are the focus of this year’s Awareness Week. The first law we would like to look at in more detail is the “Unattended Motor Vehicle Law” and the second is the “Turn Around, Don’t Drown Law.” On a cold winter morning, who doesn’t want to wait in the house while your car is getting warmed up before heading out on the road? But do you know what the laws are in Pennsylvania regarding leaving a vehicle running that is unattended? 75 Pa. C.S.A. Sec. 3701, prohibits anyone who is “in charge” of a motor […]
If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident — car, truck, or motorcycle — in which the accident was caused by the defendant’s negligence in making an unsafe lane change, then you may be entitled to damages as compensation for your losses. Pennsylvania law imposes liability on defendants who fail to exercise reasonable care when operating their vehicles on roadways, including those engage in unsafe activity relating to lane changes. Let’s take a closer look. General Rules for Lane Changes in Pennsylvania Section 3334 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes defines the general rules applicable to turning movements and required signals. According to statutory law, a person is prohibited from turning their vehicle or changing lanes unless and until the movement can be made with reasonable safety nor without giving an appropriate signal. Reasonable Safety Whether the lane change can be made with “reasonable safety” is dependent on the circumstances. For example, if there is more than 50 feet available in the next lane, and the vehicles around said space are moving at a constant speed, then the defendant might arguably make a safe lane change into that 50-foot space. On the other hand, if there is only 10 feet available and there is a good chance that — by making the lane change movement — the defendant will strike another vehicle, or otherwise force others to come to a sudden stop to avoid a collision, then the lane change would likely be deemed unreasonable. Signal Requirements In Pennsylvania, all […]
With our schools back in session, it is a good time to refresh our understanding as to when motorists must stop for a school bus on a divided highway. We have found that even experienced motorists still have some uncertainty when determining whether they are required to stop for school bus on the other side of a multi-lane roadway. Does it matter if the lanes on the roadway are divided by a turning lane, a jersey barrier, a grassy divide or a median strip? Do you know what the law in Pennsylvania requires? The general rule is that all motorist must stop at least 10 feet away from a school bus that has its red lights flashing and “stop arm” extended, whether if you behind the bus, meeting the bus from the opposite direction, or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped. You must remained stopped until the red lights have stopped flashing. If children have exited the bus, you must not move your vehicle until all the children have reached a place of safety off of the roadway. If you observe the amber lights of the school bus flashing, this is an indication that within 150 to 300 feet the school bus will be activating its red flashing lights and stopping. Drivers can proceed past a school bus if only the amber lights are flashing, but drivers must be prepared to stop when the red lights are flashing and “stop arm” has been extended. While these rules seem straight […]
When Purchasing a Car, Safety Should Be A Priority. As Personal Injury Attorneys, at Drake, Hileman & Davis, we often see the difference the size a vehicle makes in how seriously someone is injured in an accident. Frequently, consumers look at price, style, fuel economy and color when making a car selection, when they really should be looking at vehicle safety. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (“IIHS“) found that some of the smallest cars have the highest death rates during car accidents. Chuck Farmer, President of IIHS, has stated, “If you hit something bigger than you, you are more likely to die . . . Physics matter. The bigger the vehicle, the safer you are in an accident.” Specifically, an IIHS’ study found that the Hyundai Accent had the most accident deaths (104), between 2012 to 2015, out of the 208 models of cars that were analyzed. Other small cars, such as the Kia Rio, Scion tC, Chevrolet Spark, and Nissan Versa also ranked very high for deadly car accidents.[1] Hyundai defended its Accent, saying, “The Hyundai Accent meets or exceeds all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards set by the U.S. government and performs well in various safety tests and is rated a 4-star overall by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).” [2] Bigger is Actually Better While meeting certain safety standards is a minimum, there is no question that larger cars perform much better than smaller vehicles, in automobile accidents. Cars like the Jeep Cherokee, Mazda […]
