Every time we get behind the wheel, we have a responsibility to drive safely and avoid accidents. But what, exactly does this mean?
It means refraining from behaviors that are known to be dangerous. This includes the more obvious hazards, like driving while drunk, drugged or distracted. However, there are other conditions that can make a driver unfit to operate a motor vehicle safely. These include:
You have likely heard of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), but you might not know how often these injuries occur. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), each day 153 Americans die from TBI injuries. Of course, not all TBI are deadly. Some brain injuries send injured people to the emergency room, and some go untreated.
A TBI happens when you suffer a blow or jolt to the head. The impact to the head disrupts normal brain function. It can be temporary or permanent. Here are four of the most common ways TBIs occur.
Drivers know the rules: put the phone away and pay attention to the road. While many drivers are guilty of at least occasional inattentiveness, the risk for a crash increases with every unrelated thought. How far are local drivers willing to go with their distracted driving?
Although there are many forms of distractions that can happen while driving, phone use continues to take the lead. A recent survey of Philadelphia drivers indicates that mobile phones are a serious problem in the car – and not just for young drivers.
When it comes to buses and large trucks, the driver’s sight is key to safety. Unfortunately, large vehicles often have more blind spots than other vehicles. Due to their size and design, it may be harder for the drivers to respond to changes and avoid hazards at certain angles.
However, some people believe that vehicle manufacturers could reduce blind spots to improve safety. Recently, a transit union in Lancaster stated that the design of local buses puts pedestrians at risk. According to the union, the placement of the side mirrors created blind spots at crucial angles, blocking view of crosswalks and common areas where pedestrians may be. The union claims that this problem contributed to an accident that injured a woman.
In some accidents, more than two parties are involved. Unfortunately, multiple drivers may be seriously injured due to a single driver’s fault. Multi-vehicle accidents can be highly destructive – and confusing – for the injured drivers, passengers or surviving family members.
The first hurdle that you may encounter in this scenario is taking action at the accident scene. Whether the accident occurred on a bustling highway or a neighborhood corner, it is essential to alert the police immediately. In these serious collisions, first responders can help all victims receive medical attention as well as build a record of the incident.
With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, many Pennsylvania residents are planning for upcoming gatherings and travel. If you want to safely visit family and friends this season, it is important to minimize your risk while driving.
At this time of year, several factors put drivers and passengers in danger. Daylight hours are dwindling. Holiday parties often involve alcohol consumption. Winter weather can make roads slippery and limit visibility. These hazards frequently contribute to serious accidents.
Concussions have been in the news quite a bit lately, but many of those discussions have revolved around sports injuries. However, automobile accidents can just as easily cause a concussion and may be more common than you think.
A concussion is classified as a traumatic brain injury and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that over 14 percent of all concussions sustained in the United States are due to car accidents. This makes concussions the third most common injury that can be sustained by a car accident.
Distracted driving continues to be a major problem that has been causing horrific accidents and numerous fatalities around the country for years now. Statistics tell us that 25 percent of all car accidents are due to distracted driving. In 2015, there were 391,000 injuries due to incidents of distracted driving. It is a problem that many people are aware of but are unwilling to give up, as 80 percent of drivers have admitted to taking part in distracted driving behaviors while driving.
We may have come to the tipping point of the distracted driving problem. Both the public and law enforcement seem to agree that this is a problem that needs to be taken under control. But how is that done? Education about the dangers of distracted driving do not seem to be working. But what has been working and may continue to be implemented is handing down severe penalties for being caught driving distracted.
Drunk driving usually holds the spotlight in media and safety campaigns, but drugged driving can be just as fatal. Drugged driving doesn’t only include operating a vehicle under the influence of marijuana or hard drugs. It also includes driving under the influence of medication.
While many pharmaceutical drugs are safe to use while driving, certain types of medication could inhibit your ability to drive. Due to certain active ingredients in the drug, whether it is a prescription or over-the-counter remedy, your body and mind might fail to keep up with your surroundings.
As harvest season winds down for the year, you may notice an assortment of agriculture vehicles and food transportation trucks in Lancaster county. Many of these vehicles move slowly or require extra space on the road.
Like any other type of large truck, drivers need to be aware of their presence to avoid a devastating crash. Collisions with large vehicles tend to be highly destructive to drivers and passengers.
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