State College Sees Decline In Traffic Fatalities

Good news for residents of State College, PA!  New statistics show that the number of traffic-related fatalities has largely dropped in the past several years.  Many of these numbers reflect a reduced amount of fatalities related to no seatbelt use, speeding, and alcohol consumption.  However, some subsets of traffic-related fatalities actually increased.  The number of deaths involving distracted driving increased by 57 in the past year, as well as deaths related to head-on or side-swipe crashes.  For more information on the new statistics, please click here for the original StateCollege.com article. 

If you are involved in a car accident, most states, including Pennsylvania, have at least one section on the incident report dedicated to distracted driving violations.  Fines and charges may increase if you are cited with one of these violations.  In addition to fines and charges for distracted driving, you also are putting yourself and others in danger.  Attorney Stoehr represents those injured through no fault of their own, including automobile and pedestrian accidents. Call today for your free case evaluation 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

An Editorial On PA's Distracted Driving Problem

Pennsylvania has had a driving and texting ban that has been in effect since 2011.  However, many drivers continue to text on the road, as well as engage in other forms of distracted driving.  What have Pennsylvania and other states done to address this issue?  Some of the things that police have done include sitting in unmarked SUVs and riding city buses to be able to look down on drivers.  You might want to read this editorial, written in Lancaster Online, to find out more.  

 Distracted driving is a major cause of motor vehicle accidents on the highway.  If you have been injured as the result of a distracted driver, it might be time to consult an attorney.  Tractor-trailer drivers are also cited with distracted driving, and can leave devastation in their wake after a highway accident.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  Please visit his website athttp://www.stoehrlaw.com for more information.

Truck Drivers Guilty of Distracted Driving

When you see tractor-trailers moving along our country's highways, you expect their drivers to be safe, alert, and vigilant. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.  A local New York City news source just posted an article about the increased occurrence of truck drivers who text and drive.  According to the news report, through local ABC news station 13WHAM,  "A hidden camera investigation has uncovered a dangerous trend on highways. WABC-TV in New York City set up camera on several of highly travel roadways, catching truckers texting and talking on their phones and one driver even talking on two cell phones at once. The New York State Department of Transportation said nearly 16,000 truckers were ticketed for distracted driving in 2013, but only four of them were suspended and taken out of service." 4 out of 16,000 drivers who were caught texting while driving seems like a tiny percentage!    

If you are involved in a car accident, most states, including Pennsylvania, have at least one section on the incident report dedicated to distracted driving violations.  Fines and charges may increase if you are cited with one of these violations.  Distracted driving is a major cause of motor vehicle accidents on the highway.  If you have been injured as the result of a distracted driver, it might be time to consult an attorney.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  Please visit his website athttp://www.stoehrlaw.com for more information.

Please read more of the original 13WHAM article by clicking this link. 

TEXTING + DRIVING = SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES

                In Cambria County last Wednesday a driver waived his preliminary hearing on charges that he was responsible for the deaths of two people.  The driver was charged with among other things, texting while driving.  While the Commonwealth has a heavy burden to carry, what is interesting is that this is the first time texting while driving charges have been filed in Cambria County since the law prohibiting texting while driving had been enacted nearly 2 years ago.   This tragedy occurred close to home in Cambria County, but may have easily occurred in Blair, Centre or Huntingdon County. 

                Cases like this have serious consequence not only criminally, but also civilly.  A Victim’s family may have a claim for serious personal injuries.  At the Law Firm of Douglas V. Stoehr we have experience in handling injury claims caused by the negligence of drivers that are texting while driving.  If you have been the victim of an auto accident related to a distracted driver please give either Attorney Doug Stoehr or Attorney Aaron Ling a call to evaluate your case today. 

                Remember that responding to that text message can wait.  No message it worth your life, or the life another individual.  

Distracted Driving

As we pointed out in our post on Tuesday, Fall begins the season where we need to be more cautious while driving due to dangerous road conditions.  Did you know distracted driving is not just limited to cell phone use? Eating or drinking, searching for or moving an item in the car, having a very involved conversation with another passenger and even looking at a map or GPS are all factors that can take away your focus and stop you from giving your full attention to the road. 

If you are involved in a car accident, most states, including Pennsylvania, have at least one section on the incident report dedicated to distracted driving violations.  Fines and charges may increase if you are cited with one of these violations. 

In addition to fines and charges for distracted driving, you also are putting yourself and others in danger.  Please watch this video on a young Pennsylvania girl named Casey Feldman who fell victim  to a distracted driver while crossing the street. http://www.distraction.gov/content/faces/index.html#/faces/casey-feldman/ We encourage all of our readers to remember to stay focused while driving, especially as dangerous weather approaches us. 

Attorney Stoehr represents those injured through no fault of their own, including automobile and pedestrian accidents. Call today for your free case evaluation 814-946-4100.

Distracted Driving Assemblies in PA

Pennsylvania organizations are teaming up to talk about the serious nature of distracted driving to Pennsylvania teens.  According to TheAutoChannel, the Pennsylvania Assocation for Justice (PAJ), The Casey Feldman Foundation/EndDD,org, and 60forSafety.org are teaming up to discuss ways that teenage drivers can be safer on the road.  Specifically focusing on distracted driving, the program is part of a national movement spearheaded by trial lawyer called "End Distracted Driving".  This program uses a wide variety of material to demonstrate just how much an effect a small distraction can have on driving safety.  The program has already a meeting at a school in Exton, PA.

Many trial lawyers see many accidents involving distracted driving.  Since, by nature, these accidents are preventable, the fact that they occur at all is particularly aggravating. The "End Distracted Driving" program began a year ago and has already reached over 50,000 students nationwide. The creator of this program, Joel Feldman, is a partner at the Philly area law firm of Anapol Swartz.  The creation of this program is due in large part to the death of their daughter, who was a victim of a distracted driving accident in 2009.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is an Altoona based personal injury lawyer who takes claims for many clients who have been injured in automobile accidents.  He also takes cases for victims of distracted driving accidents in Altoona, Blair County, and the seven surrounding counties in Pennsylvania. For more information on his central Pennsylvania practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com

Distracted Driving In PA

Ben Simmoneau of CBS Local-Philadelphia took a look at distracted driving in his 11/20/2012 article.  To read, please click this link or continue below for the original article.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Distracted drivers. You see them all the time. They’re on the road with a smartphone in one hand and the steering wheel in the other. It’s dangerous and there are laws against this. But not many people in Pennsylvania are getting in trouble for driving and texting. CBS 3′s I-Team reporter Ben Simmoneau hit the street to find out why.
“You know it’s illegal to text behind the wheel?”
That was the question the I-Team posed to driver after driver who was spotted using a cell phone and in some cases even using a tablet device.
“I’m stopping right now,” said one Philly cabdriver.
Another driver with an iPad in his lap denied that he was texting. He thought because he was stopped it was okay to use the device.
We even caught a Philadelphia Parking Authority supervisor cell in hand. She denied texting and said she was just reading.
But that’s still illegal. And it’s a law that can be confusing.
In New Jersey and Delaware, you must be hands-free all the time while driving.
But in Pennsylvania, a law passed last spring allows drivers to use their phones for anything except writing or reading texts and e-mails.
That makes it a very difficult law to enforce. How do police know what you’re doing while you’re holding that cell phone?
Records obtained by the I-Team show that Philadelphia police have written just 168 citations in the six months since the law passed.

That’s not even one citation a day.
Statewide, the count isn’t much better.
Records analyzed by the American Automobile Association found only 640 tickets written in Pennsylvania.
“It’s a meaningless law,” says Bill Green, a democratic councilman-at-large on Philadelphia’s City Council.
Green is angry that the new law tossed out a tougher city law.
Far more tickets were written under that one which banned the use of hand-held devices in the city.
“It’s absolutely clear what happened is when the cell phone industry couldn’t defeat the bill in Philadelphia, they went to Harrisburg,” said Green. “We have the best legislature that money can buy.”
In the Pennsylvania legislature, it was Republican State Senator Tommy Tomlinson who sponsored the no-texting law. He says he wanted a hands free law but the support wasn’t there.
“It’s all I felt we could get accomplished,” Tomlinson said. “If we put the cell phone ban in it, it would not have passed.
The law has the support of AAA.
“Overall we think it’s better to have a consistency throughout the state so you don’t have a patchwork of one law in one place and another law in one place,” said AAA spokesperson, Jenny Robinson.
But without punishment, how do you get people to take the crime seriously?
Another person who was caught texting by the I-team said, “It’s actually just something important.”
It’s always something important.

Distracted driving is a major cause of motor vehicle accidents on the highway.  If you have been injured as the result of a distracted driver, it might be time to consult an attorney.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  Please visit his website athttp://www.stoehrlaw.com for more information.

Distracted Driving by the Numbers

Mallory Lane of the news website We Are Central PA recently highlighted the growing problem of the dangers of texting and driving in her 11/5/2012 article.  To read, please continue below or click this link.

So far this year in the United States, there have been an estimated 1.1 billion crashes as a result of distracted driving.

According to PenDot, in Pennsylvania in 2011, there were 848 crashes that were cell phone related. Six of them were fatal. In our viewing area, there were 71 crashes. One of them was fatal.

As part of the Driver's Education course at Bellefonte High School, students are required to spend at least six hours behind the wheel with an instructor.

But the Driver's Ed teacher wants to take things a step further and make sure his students really understand what it means to drive distracted.

Driving to distraction is something Mike Wilson says he sees all the time.

"We've had a number of accidents over my career here at the high school," Wilson said. "We've seen the switch from the DUI accidents to the texting and driving."

But since March of 2012, it's against the law in Pennsylvania to text and drive.

"It is one of the more difficult laws to enforce, especially because it varies by age," School Resource Officer for Bellefonte High, Jason Brower said.

Officer Brower says its new drivers that typically have trouble remembering the law.

"It's not just there to try to stop them from doing something because we want them to, it's because it can cause accidents and cause a problem," he said.

So what's the solution? Mr. Wilson's Driver's Education class is practicing their driving skills behind the wheel of a golf cart, but there's one twist.

They start off with a piece of paper, telling them what to text and then, they're off.

"It's very difficult, especially how they have the cones set up," Lindsey Beran said. "They're very narrow, which makes it even harder to try and drive and text at the same time."

Lindsey Beran is a sophomore at Bellefonte High School. She says this simulation is teaching her, "not to text and drive or drive drunk because it could hurt somebody," she said.

But for Lindsey, this lesson is about more than just practicing her driving skills.

"My one best friend was killed by a drunk driver," Beran said.

It happened back in 2010 and it's a day Lindsey says she'll never forget.

"It was really hard taking that and you can't help but not like the person, but in the end, it was something that was able to be prevented, but it wasn't," she said. "Knowing that he could have not been behind the wheel of that boat, it could have saved her life. It just kind of irritates you."

She says it's through that experience that she has learned just how dangerous distracted driving can be.

"I guess it seems like it's fun, but honestly, in the end, I don't think it's ever worth it," Beran said. "I don't think the risk of losing a life or getting severely hurt is worth one text or one drink."

If you're pulled over for texting and driving in Pennsylvania, you'll receive a $50 traffic violation ticket.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer who takes claims for many clients who have been injured in car accidents due to the fault of another.  For more information on his central Pennsylvania practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or by visiting his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

Highway Safety Critical For Commercial Drivers

A recent press release by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance spoke about the importance highway safety and the national road checks on commercial drivers that recently occurred.  The link to the original release may be found here; the press release also appears below.

In June, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) member jurisdictions conducted a record 74,072 truck and bus inspections during the 25th Annual Roadcheck, a commercial vehicle safety enforcement and outreach event. Of those inspections, 48,815 were North American Standard Level 1 inspections — the most comprehensive roadside inspection, of which 22.4 percent of vehicles and 3.9 percent of drivers were placed out of service (OOS). These vehicle and driver OOS rates for Level 1 inspections represent the second lowest achieved in 25 years, continuing its successful historic trend downward. For comparison, in 1991 (the first year comprehensive data were available,) the Level 1 OOS rates were 34.8 percent for vehicles and 5.6 percent for drivers.The overall OOS rates for the entire event in 2012 (includes all inspection levels) were 20.9 percent for vehicles and 4.6 percent for drivers, both of which were higher than last year’s numbers. Despite the positive trend on the Level 1’s, this highlights that one in five vehicles selected for inspection was found with a violation serious enough to be considered an imminent safety hazard. These mixed results indicate that, while the attention paid by industry to maintenance and regulatory compliance generally is improving, more needs to be done by industry and enforcement alike.
Roadcheck 2012 emphasized a back-to-the-basics focus, with special attention paid toward braking systems and hours-of-service, the top ranking violation categories for vehicles and drivers, respectively. Even with these focus areas, the proportions of brake related and hours-of-service related violations relative to all out-of-service violations declined slightly (see fact sheet attached). In addition, seatbelt violations issued totaled 848, the fewest recorded since 2007. During the event, CVSA estimates that over 9,500 CVSA and FMCSA inspectors participated at approximately 2,500 locations across North America. Also during Roadcheck 2012, 10 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces engaged part of their enforcement activities to focus on vehicles serving oil field and natural gas production sites, where increases in commercial truck traffic have raised significant safety concerns.
“Roadcheck continues to shine a spotlight on the critical importance of the roadside inspection program across North America and how vital it is to commercial vehicle safety and our march toward zero deaths on our roadways. I appreciate the continued focus by both enforcement and industry towards ensuring that it remains a top priority,” said CVSA president David Palmer, an assistant chief with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
“This is a clear indication that enforcement and industry’s efforts during Roadcheck are having a positive impact,” said CVSA’s executive director Stephen A. Keppler. “This goes to show that even in these difficult budgetary times for states, provinces and local agencies that each and every roadside inspection is important and makes a difference.”
Roadcheck 2012 took place June 5th through 7th, with an average of more than 1,000 trucks or buses inspected every hour during the 72-hour campaign. The United States, Canada and Mexico participated with inspections occurring either at fixed or temporary inspection locations. Inspections included an examination of driver license and credentials, proper and complete records of duty status, safety belt use, driving behaviors and other driver safety conditions. Vehicles were examined for proper brake system maintenance, tire condition, function of lighting systems, properly secured loads, and other vehicle condition related violations. The annual three-day Roadcheck event has resulted in the inspection of over 1.2 million vehicles since it began in 1988 and gives enforcement, industry and academia an eye on inspection trends from year to year. Meanwhile, enforcement agencies across North America conduct commercial vehicle inspections every day, with approximately 4 million inspections completed in 2011.
CVSA sponsors Roadcheck each year with the support of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico).
“Once again Roadcheck effectively identifies and removes from the road truck and bus companies that cut corners at the expense of safety,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “FMCSA embraces Roadcheck 100 percent and for good reason – it enforces high safety standards and improves roadway safety for everyone.”
The 74,072 inspections conducted during Roadcheck 2012 included 652 inspections of passenger carrying vehicles and 4,826 inspections of vehicles carrying hazardous materials. Of passenger carrying vehicles inspected, 8.6 percent of vehicles and 2.5 percent of drivers were placed out of service. Of vehicles carrying hazardous materials, 15.6 percent of vehicles and 2.3 percent of drivers were placed out of service. Approximately 27,000 CVSA Decals were issued during Roadcheck 2012 to vehicles that were found to be without violations in the critical inspection items.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visitwww.cvsa.org.

Watertown Daily Times | “Inattention” caused multi-fatal crash, state police say

Watertown Daily Times | “Inattention” caused multi-fatal crash, state police say

This is definitely an article worth reading addressing the aftermath of distracted driving as it relates to tractor-trailer drivers. Even though this story came from New York, this is not a far cry from similar accidents in Pennsylvania.

Tractor-Trailers Could Get Even Bigger

Story originally published at CNN.com by Greg Clary on 2/2/2012.  Original article may be found here.

"Could tractor-trailer rigs almost as long as Boeing 737s be driving on a highway near you? If a new transportation bill proposed by House Republicans passes, the answer is yes, and the safety ramifications would be astronomical, say congressional opponents of the bill and the AAA Auto Club.

The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act introduced Tuesday by Republicans would authorize about $260 billion over five years to fund federal highway programs.

The legislation also contains a controversial provision allowing heavier tractor-trailer trucks on highways by increasing the federal weight limit from 80,000 pounds to 97,000 pounds. In some cases, it would allow 126,000-pound trucks onto highways.

The legislation also allows the largest rigs, which comprise two and sometimes three trailers, to be as much as 10 feet longer -- a total length of more than 100 feet.

While statistics from 2010 show overall traffic fatalities declining across the nation, truck crash fatalities actually increased 9%, to 3,675, according to statistics from the Truck Safety Coalition.

Opponents of the proposed legislation say having even bigger trucks on the roads would increase the amount of fatalities because bigger trucks take longer to stop and their crashes are even more destructive.

"If there was ever a recipe for disaster, this is it," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation. "We all value the importance of trucks to our economy, to our recovery ... but the trucks have to share the roads with our families, and that's why we're never going to let trucks take a priority over the well-being of our families."

But the Coalition for Transportation Productivity, a transportation advocacy group, says heavier trucks don't create safety issues so long as states make sure to require the trucks to have a sixth axle.

"The truck weight provision in the bill simply gives states the ability to open all, or portions of, their interstate networks to more productive, single-trailer trucks equipped with six axles rather than the typical five. Without changing truck size, the required sixth axle maintains all braking and handling characteristics at the new limit of 97,000 pounds," John Runyan, executive director of the coalition said in a written statement.

Besides safety issues, opponents also say bigger trucks would put further stress on already deteriorating roads and bridges.

"At a time when we are seriously under-investing in the nation's transportation infrastructure, allowing bigger and heavier trucks on our roads and bridges is a step in the wrong direction," said Jill Ingrassia, AAA managing director of government relations and traffic safety advocacy.

The bill is heading for a hearing in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday, and Rep. James McGovern, D-Massachusetts, a member of the committee, said he will use everything in his power, including working with the Senate and the Obama administration, to get this provision taken out of the bill.

"I feel confident we're going to prevail here, but we're here to tell the leadership of the House that we're raring for a fight here," McGovern said. "We are going to fight. This is a serious issue." "

Teenage Driving By The Numbers

For a teenager, finally getting your driver’s license is an exciting milestone in your high school life.  With their own license, teenagers are able to have more freedom to visit their friends, attend sporting events, and participate in activities and events around town.  Although getting a driver’s license is a fun and exciting time, teenage drivers can also be more likely to cause or be involved in serious accidents.  Teenage drivers are sometimes more reckless with their driving, including driving while using their phone, texting behind the wheel, speeding, or disobeying the rules of the road.

As mentioned above, new and inexperienced teenage drivers are much more likely to be involved an accident that will harm themselves and/or others.  Take a look at the following statistics and facts regarding teenage drivers and automobile accidents.  According to the CDC:

^·       Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, with more than one in three deaths in this age group.

·       Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate dangerous situations.

·       In 2009, eight teenagers aged 16 to 19 died every day from automobile accident injuries. 

·       For every mile driven, teen drivers aged 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash.

·       In 2008, 1/4 of drivers aged 15 to 20 who died in car crashes had a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher.

·       Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and allow shorter headways (distance between cars).

If you or a loved one have been injured or another has been killed as the result of a new and inexperienced driver, it may be time to take legal action.  Although not all teenagers are poor drivers, there are many instances at which a new driver may be at fault for an accident or injury.  If you would like more information about this page or Attorney Stoehr’s areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm.

Texting Teen Dies In Car Crash

Yesterday, a Butler County teenager died in a car accident.  Alexis Summers, a 17-year-old teenager from Saxonburg, PA was texting while driving when she drove over an enbankment.  Her car crashed into a tree near the road and Summers died at the scene.  This accident occured on the same day that the legislation officially passed in the Pennsylvania State Senate which bans texting while driving. Both the Pennsylvania State Senate and House of Representatives have been in conversation since June about the possibility of banning texting while driving, making it a primary offense in the state.  Once Governor Corbett signs the legislation, the law will take effect after 120 days.

Distracted driving is one of the major causes of motor vehicle accidents, especially with young and inexperienced drivers. Distracted drivers may also swerve off the road, hitting stop signs, telephone poles, and most seriously, other people walking or biking. Additionally, they are a danger to others in the car with them, since they may cause an accident in which the passengers in their car are also injured.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving the western and central Pennsylvania area.  One of his major areas of practice is injury or death due to motor vehicle accidents.  He has noticed a trend of accidents involving cell phone usage, either talking or texting, and urges you not to use your phone while driving and be wary of other drivers on the road who may be using their phones.  For more information on his law firm, please click here.

Semi-Truck Drivers Using Cell Phones on the Job

Cell phone use while driving is irresponsible, reckless, and a threat to the safety of the driver, their passengers, and other vehicles on the road.  Most drivers recognize these facts, however, many still choose to ignore safety laws and continue to text and talk on their cell phone while on the road.  Drivers of cars are not the only people who are guilty of not obeying the safety laws; semi-truck drivers have also been caught using their cell phones while driving.  As startling as this phenomenon seems, it is not uncommon on the highways.  As a result of this and in response to a recent semi-truck accident that was supposedly caused by a truck driver on his cell phone, the National Transportation Safety Board hasrecommended banning the use of cell phones for truckers nationwide (except foremergency purposes).   The recent accident, cited by the NTSB as a possible reason for cell phone bans for truckers, involved a truck driver who was talking on his phone while driving and caused an accident that killed 11 people.  Directly before the accident, the driver made a call and crossed a median on an interstate, crashing into a van carrying twelve people that were coming home from a wedding.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving the western and central Pennsylvania area.  One of his major areas of practice is injury or death due to motor vehicle accidents.  He has noticed a trend of accidents involving cell phone usage, either talking or texting, and urges you not to use your phone while driving and be wary of other drivers on the road who may be using their phones.  For more information on his law firm, please click here.

Most Dangerous Times To Be On The Road

As most of us know, there are periods throughout the year when it seems to be more dangerous than normal to be traveling in your car.  Forbes Magazine researched this phenomenon using statistics from AAA and the National Highway Safety Administration to figure out which times actually are statistically more likely to result in car accidents.  Their results?  August is the most dangerous month in which to drive, and Saturday is the most dangerous day of the week to drive, especially in the evening.  The reason was attributed to driver distractability, intoxication, and speeding.

Our law firm has seen several serious accidents involving driver fatigue and driver distractability, which led to severe injuries. While you may be responsible, safe, and focused on the road, this does not mean that everyone you are sharing the road with is as well. Defensive driving is especially important on truck-heavy roads and highways. If you have been in a motor vehicle accident and have suffered significant personal injuries, please contact our office for a free consultation.