Transportation Safety and Law | Northern Virginia Legal Examiner

It Can Wait: Drivers Who Use Cellphones Cause Irreversible Tragedies

A recent tragedy in a D.C. intersection stands as a reminder of the heartbreaking consequences that can result when someone chooses to use their phone while driving. On Dec. 19, 41-year old Gerard Derrick James hit and killed two pedestrians in an intersection while driving…

By Thomas Curcio

/ 14 Jan 2019

It Can Wait: Drivers Who Use Cellphones Cause Irreversible Tragedies

Are Tourist Duck Boat Companies Turning a Blind Eye to Passenger Safety?

A familiar sight in water-adjacent tourist destinations such as Washington, D.C. and other areas along the East Coast, duck boat tours take passengers on entertaining trips around and across lakes, bays and rivers in a vehicle that is based on or actually still is a…

By Thomas Curcio

/ 21 Dec 2018

Are Tourist Duck Boat Companies Turning a Blind Eye to Passenger Safety?

Endangering Children’s Lives: Drivers Who Ignore School Bus Laws

When it comes to transporting our children to and from school each day, there should be no safer way than a school bus. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), students are 70 times more likely to arrive at school safely when taking…

By Thomas Curcio

/ 5 Nov 2018

Endangering Children’s Lives: Drivers Who Ignore School Bus Laws

Bad Decisions: How Boating Accidents become Fatal Mistakes

Two boats collided at night on the Colorado River this past Labor Day weekend in a 50-mph impact that ejected all 16 passengers into the dark water without life jackets. Eyewitnesses say one of the two boats was running without lights when the crash occurred.…

By Thomas Curcio

/ 20 Sep 2018

Bad Decisions: How Boating Accidents become Fatal Mistakes

Accident on the Chesapeake: When Boats Collide

What happens when a commercial fishing boat and a 35-foot sailboat collide? This question was answered recently on Chesapeake Bay waters, where, miraculously, none of the nine crew and passengers upon the two craft was injured. The picture of the aftermath certainly tells part of…

By Thomas Curcio

/ 4 Sep 2018

Accident on the Chesapeake: When Boats Collide

Best Apps to Prevent Distracted Driving in Teens

Teenagers can make mistakes, but mistakes while driving can hurt themselves and others. Here are some apps to prevent teen distracted driving. We explain the pros and cons of each. TrueMotion/Mojo True Motion and Mojo are apps created to help families and individuals with their…

By Thomas Curcio

/ 27 Mar 2018

Best Apps to Prevent Distracted Driving in Teens

Distracted Driving Update: House Bill 181

On February 13th, the Virginia House of Representatives passed House Bill 181, a new bill cracking down on distracted driving. Now awaiting vote in the Senate, this bill states any use of a cellphone that “substantially diverts the driver’s attention from the operation of the…

By Thomas Curcio

/ 20 Mar 2018

Phone Apps to Prevent Distracted Driving

This post on distracted driving applications is going to be divided into two: one for adults, and one for parents of young adults and teenagers. As the saying goes, “there’s an app for that” and distracted driving is no exception, pardon the oxymoron. From apps…

By Thomas Curcio

/ 13 Mar 2018

Most Distracting Phone Apps while Driving

We have all been distracted by our phones. As I sit here writing this blog I’m tempted to check facebook or my messages. However, teenagers are even worse at utilizing willpower, often checking social media in school, while working, and even while driving. So study…

By Thomas Curcio

/ 1 Mar 2018

Most Distracting Phone Apps while Driving

Types of Driving Distractions

Last time we discussed examples of distracted driving, but this post we will delve deeper into the types of distracted driving. Distracted driving falls under 3 categories: Visual, Manual, and Mental. Visual is anything that takes your eyes off the road, whether that be your…

By Thomas Curcio

/ 20 Feb 2018

The Truth Behind Distracted Driving

Distracted driving has been a buzzword since the penchant for constant communication took hold. The CDC claims that nine people are killed daily due to distracted driving. According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, in 2016, distracted driving was reported in crashes that killed 3,450 pe

By Thomas Curcio

/ 13 Feb 2018

Man vs. Machine: The Cost of Positive Train Control

The successful implementation of PTC will be a challenge involving financial issues as well as technology integration.

By Thomas Curcio

/ 16 Jan 2018