If a company has the ability to make a dangerous product safer, should it be legally responsible to do so? And if it’s not necessarily legally obligated to make its product safer, is it ethically compelled to install or embed safety features?
Recently, some safety and tech experts have argued that Apple has bowed to mounting pressure to make its smartphones safer behind the wheel. The technology giant was named in a class action lawsuit in early 2017, in which plaintiffs claimed Apple patented the technology necessary to disable its iPhones yet deliberately chose not to install a disabling feature on its devices. In a separate case, plaintiffs filed suit against the company for failing to warn motorists not to use its FaceTime app while driving.
Recently, Apple announced that new versions of its operating system will feature a disabling app that turns phones off when a user is driving.
What Is the ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ Mode?
The appropriately named ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving Mode’ is exactly what it sounds like. When an iPhone user gets behind the wheel, the phone will have the ability to sense when the vehicle is in motion and disable notifications. The feature can also be set to act like a gatekeeper by permitting only specific callers to come through while a user is behind the wheel.
According to an NPR report, eight people are killed each day in distracted driving accidents. Over 1,000 people are injured in distracted driving crashes. And at any given time on U.S. roads, about 660,000 people are using a phone while they drive.
Currently, the majority of states prohibit the youngest drivers from using mobile phones, but just 14 states have laws on the books that ban all drivers regardless of age from using handheld devices behind the wheel. Pennsylvania law prohibits drivers from sending or reading texts, emails, or messages. However, the law does not ban motorists from using a cell phone to talk.
Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Discusses Distracted Driving
Philadelphia car accident lawyer Rand Spear explains, “Apple’s new feature is promising, but it isn’t foolproof. News reports state that the Do Not Disturb While Driving setting can be disabled by passengers. Critics point out that the phone has no way of knowing if someone in the vehicle is a driver or a passenger. The setting is a positive step in the right direction, but the best way to avoid a distracting driving accident is to turn your phone off any time you get behind the wheel.”
Contact a Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Today
Have you been injured by a distracted driver? These types of accidents have increased significantly in recent years. Don’t let someone else’s carelessness stop you from enjoying life to its full potential. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Discuss your options and the next steps in your case with Philadelphia and New Jersey car accident lawyer Rand Spear today at 1-877-GET-RAND.Drivers and motorcyclists will be driving more with warmer weather, increasing the number of accidents warns Philadelphia motorcycle accident lawyer Rand Spear.
As the weather warms motorcyclists are more common on our streets and highways. The rest of us need to be more aware of them and be more willing to share the road with those on two wheels. All too often negligent drivers injure or kill motorcyclists because they’re distracted, misjudge distances or simply don’t notice the motorcycle says Philadelphia motorcycle accident lawyer Rand Spear.
Motorcycle accidents are far too common in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
- In Fair Haven, New Jersey, three people were hospitalized after an accident involving a car and three motorcycles last month. Local police reported the car collided with three motorcycles at a local intersection, according to NJ 101.5. The driver and two motorcyclists went to the hospital for treatment.
- A motorcyclist was killed in Logan Township, in Blair County, Pennsylvania, after he was struck by a pickup truck earlier this month, according to WJAC. Police stated the motorcyclist was traveling north when the truck entered his lane in front of him, causing a collision. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
- A passenger on a motorcycle was killed in a motorcycle crash in late May in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, reports Penn Live. The motorcycle collided head-on with a sedan on Route 15 southbound at Route 581 in East Pennsboro Township. The motorcycle operator was sent to the hospital and was in critical condition. The sedan made a left turn in front of the motorcycle when the two vehicles collided.
- An off-duty Bucks County sheriff’s deputy was killed in a motorcycle accident in May in East Rockhill Township, reports CBS Philly. 48 year old Keith Clymer was killed when his motorcycle hit a truck that turned into his path on Route 313. The truck driver lacked a valid driver’s license because it had been suspended through at least 2023 due to multiple convictions for driving while intoxicated. He was turning into his driveway at the time of the crash and reportedly smelled of alcohol at the time of the accident.
Many motorcycle accidents happen when a vehicle cuts in front of a motorcycle, often making a left turn through the lane with an oncoming motorcycle. If the vehicle driver is distracted, fatigued or under the influence of alcohol or drugs this may be the result of poor judgement or failing to make sure it’s safe to turn the vehicle.
A driver may see the motorcycle but misjudge its speed or distance because he or she isn’t used to driving around motorcycles, which because they’re smaller than other vehicles, may appear to be farther away or moving slower than they actually are.
Motorcyclists can improve their chances of being seen by always using their headlight and wearing bright clothing. The seriousness of injuries may be reduced if a helmet is worn along with protective boots, gloves and pants.
If you or a loved one were injured in a motorcycle accident, don’t wait to speak to a personal injury lawyer about your case. Protect your rights, contact us and call Philadelphia and New Jersey motorcycle accident lawyer Rand Spear today at 877-GET-RAND.
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