Otus Law Group Blog

New safety tech requires drivers to put away phones Comments Off

A new technological innovation may help aid companies in their effort to prevent employees from engaging in distracted driving practices in company vehicles. A docking device manufactured by Dock-N-Lock Limited Liability Corporation, requires drivers to dock their cellphones before starting their vehicle. The device, which can be installed in either a commercial vehicle or private passenger vehicle, prevents the vehicle from being started until the phone has been docked in its designated position, a secure locker-like storage area. Once the phone has been secured inside this device, driving while texting is extremely difficult. The device, manufactured in cooperation with military electronics manufacturer Mobile Rugged Technologies, is designed to withstand heavy wear and tear. The device allows drivers to use the phone in conjunction with hands-free devices such as Blutooth transmitters, but only if allowed by the safety dock’s original owner and installer. The use of hands-free devices cannot be approved by the driver unless previously authorized. Traffic accident statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that approximately 600,000 of the vehicle collisions that occurred in 2011, including 3,000 traffic fatalities were linked to distracted driving practices.

As a car accident attorney in Oakland, I hope that technological innovations will succeed in reducing the number of traffic collisions that occur each year. If you or someone you love has been injured in a car crash, please consider contacting an Oakland personal injury lawyer.

Posted on: 05-9-2012
Posted in: distracted driving, Safety

Majority of Americans support funding for bike, pedestrian safety Comments Off

According to survey results provided by an Oklahoma bicycle safety advocacy group the majority of the survey respondents support the Oklahoma legislation’s allocation of federal transportation funds for cycling and pedestrian safety. The survey results were produced in response to a senator’s concerns that the funding might be better spent on other projects. According to the results of a national telephone survey, 83 percent of survey respondents support federal funding for bicyclist and pedestrian safety projects and more than 90 percent of survey respondents younger than the age of 30 years old support these kinds of safety projects. The disparity between the population densities of Oklahoma and the District of Columbia was highlighted during the debate on the federal government’s highway safety spending priorities. Washington, D.C. has more than 600,000 people in a 68 square mile area, while Oklahoma has a population of approximately 3.8 million people residing within nearly 70,000 square miles. In the Washington, D.C., area one in five fatal collisions that occurred in 2009 involved a pedestrian. In the United States, the rate of pedestrian deaths has increased slightly or stayed at the same rate for the past several years while traffic fatalities as a whole have decreased.

As a San Francisco auto accident lawyer, I hope that safety initiatives such as this one are successful in decreasing the death rate on American roadways. If you or someone you love has been injured in a traffic collision, please consider contacting a personal injury attorney in San Francisco.

Posted on: 05-9-2012
Posted in: car safety, News

Approximately 280 Ducati motorcycles recalled due to brake failure Comments Off

At the request of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ducati North America has issued a voluntary recall of more than 280 units of 848 EVO, Hypermotard, Monster 1100 EVO, Monster 796, Multistrada 1200 ABS, and Streetfighter 848 motorcycles because of a possible brake hazard. Motorcycles distributed during model year 2012, may have been equipped with a defectively manufactured rear brake pads. All motorcycles affected by this recall were distributed in model year 2012. Because of a improper construction the friction material may become detached from the backing plate of the rear brake pads, potentially increasing the risk of an accident due to brake failure or longer than anticipated distance for stopping. Ducati has not yet made public its plan for informing owner of affected motorcycles of this potential safety issue, but the manufacturer plans to direct consumers to authorized dealerships, where the brake pads will be inspected for durability and replaced if necessary at no cost to the owners. Concerned vehicle owners seeking more information about this recall can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline and reference campaign identification number 12V188000.

As a personal injury attorney in Oakland, I hope that this recall can be safely and effectively carried out before any harm is caused by this potential safety issue. If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident caused by a malfunctioning vehicle, please consider contacting an Oakland car accident lawyer.

Posted on: 05-8-2012
Posted in: car safety, Product Recall

Chrysler recalls 470 Town and Countries and Dodge Caravans Comments Off

At the request of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Chrysler Group Limited Liability has issued a voluntary recall for about 470 of its Town and Country and Dodge Caravan passenger vehicles due to a potentially malfunctioning right side liftgate pinch sensor. Vehicles affected by this recall have been distributed for sale in model year 2012. Specific models of these automobiles, manufactured between March 9, 2012 and March 12, 2012 may have been equipped with defective right side liftgate pinch sensors that may prevent the liftgate’s closing process from being stopped in its final stages.  If the liftgate closes on an appendage, it may cause injury to a driver or passenger. Consumers seeking more information about this recall can contact Chrysler and reference recall number M17 or contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline and reference campaign identification number 12V191000. Chrysler plans to begin notifying owners of affected vehicles of the potential safety issue beginning this month. Authorized Chrysler dealerships will replace defective right side liftgate pinch sensors at no cost to the owner.

As a personal injury attorney in Roseville, I am hopeful that this recall can be effectively carried out in time to prevent any further dangers caused by this safety issue. If you or someone you love has been harmed in an accident involving a defective automobile, please consider contacting a Roseville auto accident lawyer.

 

 

 

Posted on: 05-8-2012
Posted in: Product Recall, Safety

Navistar recalls 19,000 trucks due to electrical hazard Comments Off

Due to the potential for an electrical system malfunction, Navistar Incorporated has issued a voluntary recall of more than 19,000 of its commercial trucks manufactured between June, 2009 and April 2012, at the request of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Commercial trucks have been equipped with Bosch Alternators (imprinted with feature codes 08GHH, 08GHG, 08GGR, or 08GGN) installed in Maxxforce 11 or 13 (imprinted with feature codes 12UXJ and 12UXH) Engines.  The cables on these alternators may rub against with the truck’s high pressure power steering hose, potentially causing the hose’s insulation to become frayed creating the potential for an electrical system short out. An electrical short may pose a fire hazard. Certain models of Navistar’s International Lonestar, Paystar, Prostar, Transtar, Workstar commercial trucks are affected by this recall. Consumers in search of additional information about this recall can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline. Navistar will notify the owners of affected trucks, who can return them to authorized dealerships where they will be repaired at no cost to the consumer. Dealerships will install an improved routing harness and standoff bracket to better separate the alternator cable and power steering hose.

As a San Jose personal injury attorney, I am hopeful that this recall can be fully carried out in order to prevent any further danger caused by this potential fire hazard. If you or someone you love has been harmed in an accident linked to a defective auto part, please consider contacting a car accident lawyer in San Jose.

Posted on: 05-8-2012
Posted in: Product Recall, Truck Accident

Fatal accidents reach an all time low, statistics say Comments Off

 Fatal automotive collisions are continuing to decline, and, according to accident statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, highway traffic accident deaths reached an all time low last year, in comparison to any year since 1921, the first year in which accident statistics were recorded. More than 32,000 people were killed in collisions in 2011, according to national auto accident statistics, a 1.7 percent decrease from the previous year, and the lowest number of traffic collision deaths recorded in more than six decades, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics indicate. According to safety experts, the decline in auto collision fatalities can be traced to a combination of increased seatbelt use, improved safety technology, decreased driving as a result of the economic downturn, and public safety awareness campaigns focused on discouraging drivers from operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.  Last year American drivers traveled 35.7 billion fewer miles last year than in 2010, a decrease of a little more than one percent. An average of 1.09 fatal traffic collisions occurred per 100 million miles driven in 2011, the lowest death rate recorded.

As a Burlingame personal injury lawyer, I am hopeful that this trending decline in fatal motor vehicle collisions continues for years to come. If you or someone you love has been injured in an automobile accident, please consider discussing your legal options with a car accident attorney in Burlingame.

 

Posted on: 05-8-2012
Posted in: accident injury, Safety

Alabama bans texting and driving Comments Off

Beginning August 1, 2012, the state of Alabama will prohibit drivers from text messaging while behind the wheel of a moving motor vehicle. The state’s governor signed House Bill 2, legislation banning the distracting driving habit recently, into law. A driver involved in text messaging is 23 times more likely to be involved in an automotive collision than a driver who isn’t text messaging. Sending or receiving a text based message while driving takes the driver’s eyes off the road ahead for more than four and a half seconds, a length of time in which a car traveling at 55 miles per hour will cross a distance of 100 yards, according to data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Motorists cited for texting while driving under Alabama’s new law will be fined $25 for a first time offense, $50 for a second offense, and $75 for any repeat offenses after that. Composing, sending, or reading a text based message or email while driving is prohibited under the new law, an offense resulting in a two point violation on the driver’s record.

As a personal injury attorney in Sacramento, I am hopeful that this law will increase the safety of highway motorists. If you or someone you love or care about has been injured in an accident linked to distracted driving habits, please consider discussing your legal rights with a Sacramento auto accident lawyer.

Posted on: 05-8-2012
Posted in: distracted driving, Safety

New Study Shows Young Passengers Put Teen Drivers in Danger Comments Off

A new study sheds some light on the types of situations that might be dangerous for teenagers behind the wheel of an automobile.

Released to coincide with Global Youth Traffic Safety Month, the study from AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that teens are in much greater danger of being in a fatal car accident when they’re carrying one or more passengers who are under the age of 21.  Just one passenger in this age range can increase by 44% per mile driven the likelihood that a 16 or 17 year old will be fatally injured in an accident.  This number continues to increase with each young passenger that is added to the vehicle.  The rate is four times as great when three or more 21-and-under passengers are aboard.

Graduated licensing laws have been instituted in every state as a way to curb this danger, and it seems to be working.  Many believe that these laws, which put restrictions on teenage drivers until they hit certain milestones, are responsible for year to year fatality decreases of more than half from 2000 to 2010.

Interestingly, older passengers seem to have a positive influence.  The possibility of a fatal teen car accident goes down by 62% when teens have someone over 35 riding with them.

I find this incredibly interesting as a Sacramento personal injury lawyer.  Distracted driving has many faces, and it doesn’t have to necessarily involve a cell phone.  This shows that another passenger can be just as detrimental to teen driving, and I hope as an auto accident lawyer in Sacramento that people are aware of the dangers that present themselves when teenage drivers have young passengers in the car.

Posted on: 05-8-2012
Posted in: distracted driving, News, teenage driving

Single Vehicle Crash Kills Driver Along Highway 99 in Atwater Comments Off

A single vehicle collision took the life of the person behind the wheel.

The accident took place in Atwater at around 1:30 in the morning yesterday.  A Chevy Trailblazer was headed north along Highway 99.  When the vehicle approached the area north of Franklin Road, it reportedly began to drift off of the highway for reasons that are currently not known.  The Trailblazer entered the shoulder on the right side of the road and the driver apparently lost control.  The vehicle began to spin sideways toward the northeast.  Unable to continue that kind of trajectory, the automobile flipped over and landed on the lefthand side of the vehicle.

As a result of the crash, the driver’s door was ripped away and the vehicle itself incurred massive amounts of damage.  The driver of the vehicle was ejected despite the fact that she was apparently wearing a seatbelt.  She suffered injuries that proved to be fatal.

The California Highway Patrol responded to the scene and is currently in the process of investigating the incident.

I’m sorry as a Roseville personal injury lawyer to see another life taken far too early along a California highway.  These roads of ours are incredibly hazardous even under the best of circumstances, which is why you can never be too careful.  As this story illustrates, even a single-vehicle crash can be deadly.  I hope as a car accident attorney in Roseville that everyone out there understands the dangers of the road.

Posted on: 05-8-2012
Posted in: Accident Investigation, News, SUV accident

Motorcycle’s Collision With Car in Napa Leaves Rider Injured Comments Off

There’s seems to be no end to motorcycle accidents being reported this morning.

This next one didn’t end with a fatality, but it did leave one person with major injuries.  The crash took place shortly after 10 o’clock in the morning Sunday.  A Honda motorcycle was traveling eastbound along Dry Creek Road in Napa.  When the vehicle approached the area west of Mount Veneer Road, the driver allegedly drifted into the oncoming lanes across some double yellow lines.

Unfortunately, a Ford Focus was traveling down the westbound lanes at that same moment and the two vehicles crashed into each other.  As a result, the driver of the motorcycle careened down an embankment alongside the roadway.  According to the California Highway Patrol, the motorcyclist had to be taken to nearby Queen of the Valley Medical Center to receive treatment for injuries that were being described as major.

The driver of the Ford Focus reportedly did not sustain any injuries as a result of the accident.  There is no word at the moment on the condition of the motorcyclist who was injured in the crash.

Being a Burlingame car accident lawyer, it saddens me to see yet one more motorcycle accident taking place.  Motorcyclists and the drivers of those vehicles they share the road with each have to take pains to ensure that relatively defenseless riders aren’t endangered unnecessarily.  I hope as a personal injury attorney in Burlingame that people out there know how easy it is for a motorcyclist to be injured or worse.

Posted on: 05-8-2012
Posted in: car crash, Motorcycle Accident, News
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