Autoliv, the company responsible for some of the most notable safety technologies developed for vehicles, has reported that it is looking into braving new fields in order to develop better technology and create safer, more reliable vehicles with the help of partnering automakers, including Volvo.
The company hopes to develop technologies that could include sensors and active features. These devices could be used in vehicles that would effectively avoid accidents due to the innovated safety technology the company hopes to provide.
If you would like to read more about the kind of technology Autoliv hopes to provide, click here for more info.
According to a series of news agencies, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a statement reporting that it is proposing new safety ratings that could help older drivers and families to find the best and safest vehicles available.
This new set of safety ratings would be part of a potential update of the New Car Assessment Program. The new “silver” rating standard would assess how safe the vehicle is for older drivers or full-sized families. These safety ratings would make it easy for families to learn if the vehicle offers good rear seat protection and other features.
While car makers work hard to develop better safety technology and features, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration works to make sure that safety standards are being met and that consumers are able to have access to information concerning the safety technologies all vehicles available in the country are able to offer.
If you’re looking for a new car, make sure to learn more about what type of safety technology the vehicles that you’re interested in purchasing offer before you set your mind on one particular model.
For the full article and more on this new standards and what they address, click here.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported that certain baby socks are being recalled for not observing issues related to certain parts that are attached to the socks, which could pose a serious choking hazard to infants.
The federal agency has stated that about 33,000 pairs of the “Aubree’s” and “Hearts” baby socks have been recalled by Trumpette after it was noted that bows and flowers in the socks could come detached. If the infant puts one of these components in his or her mouth, the product may pose a choking hazard. According to the firm, about eight reports of flowers coming detached have surfaced. Injuries related to the incidents were not reported.
Consumers with the recalled products should stop using them and return the item to the store of purchase at once.
If you have been affected by the recall, click here for the full announcement.
Requiring California Highway Patrol officers to issue a set number of traffic citations within a certain time period, a requirement known as a ticket quota is prohibited by state law, according to an article representative from the law enforcement agency. The representative also explained that the California Highway Patrol is not funded by the money generated from fining motorists but by the Motor Vehicle Account, which takes its revenue from fees paid for driver’s license and motor vehicle registrations. Motorists who wish to avoid being fined for violating traffic laws are advised to obey the speed limit and not to compose or read text messages while driving.
According to the most recent California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment released by the League of California Cities, 25 percent of California roads may be in failed condition within the next decade unless significant repairs and improvements are made in the near future. According to this assessment, more than $82 billion in additional street maintenance funding is needed to prevent this from occurring, but according to estimates, this investment could save approximately $189 billion worth of roadway infrastructure.
The roads in LA county, where roadways have been classified as at risk in the annual assessment since 2008, would require the most funding to repair, according to the new assessment, costing an estimated $12.5 billion over the next decade.
A third Hyundai owner in the St. Louis area complained of experienced unintended acceleration issues while maneuvering his model year 2012 Hyundai Sonata through the drive through lane of a fast food restaurant. According to the man, who resides in the St. Louis area, the vehicle’s tires squealed as it lurched forward several feet while he sat with his foot on the brake pedal.
This incident reportedly occurred this week on the same day an engineer employed by the automaker had been sent to St. Louis to investigate a similar issue reported by another Hyundai owner in the area. Following the incident in the Mc Donald’s drive-through, the man returned the vehicle to an authorized dealership in St. Charles, where the Hyundai engineer was inspecting another car reported to have accelerated independent of driver input. The engineer inspected the man’s vehicle as well, but reported that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle and that it should operate as intended. The man responded to the news by trading the vehicle in for a car made by a different company.
Despite multiple reports of unintended acceleration, Hyundai’s representatives insist that these vehicles are not malfunctioning. I hope that the questions raised about the safety of these vehicles are settled to everyone’s satisfaction and if these concerns are valid, I hope that any hazardous defects these cars may have are repaired before any accidents occur as a result.
In preparation for bad winter weather, representatives from the American Red Cross recommend drivers pack a car survival kit in case they become stranded in a snowstorm or other dangerous weather. The kit should include extra hats and gloves, dry clothing and socks, blankets and other items for keeping warm in cold temperatures and waterproof boots in case circumstances compel the driver to walk considerable distances on snow or ice. Experts also suggest the kit should include a flashlight, extra batteries, a battery powered radio, bottled water, a cell phone charger, and extra non-perishable food.
Though the popularity of large sports utility vehicles and pickup trucks has shrunk in proportion to consistently rising gasoline prices, a new safety study conducted by an online auto insurance company indicates that larger vehicles are safer in the event of an accident — at least for their drivers and occupants. Others involved in the accident do not benefit from the added safety, however, and are in fact in many cases in significantly greater danger in a collision with a large heavy vehicle. In a head-on collision, auto safety experts say, the greater crash impact is experienced by the vehicle with the least mass. According to the insurance provider’s study, the safest vehicles currently on the road are the Porsche Cayenne, and the GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Sierra 2500E and Terrain.
High tech blind spot detection systems employing cameras, radar, and other sensors are one way to remove dangerous gaps in a driver’s field of vision. Another way to eliminate blind spots, however, is to adjust the vehicle’s side and rear view mirrors as per the recommendations of the Society of Automotive Engineers. According to the SAE, the vehicle’s outside mirrors should be adjusted so that their viewing angle slightly overlaps with the rear view mirror, meaning the car should not be visible in its own side mirrors. Though many motorists may find this setup disorienting, because it is not the most common way people adjust their mirrors despite the fact that the SAE originally suggested this setup in 1995.
California Highway Patrol officers are currently investigating two YouTube videos depicting illegal activities on roadways in West Covina and Oakland. The West Covina video, shot from an overpass above, depicts hundreds of motorcycles blocking traffic on the 10 Freeway while a man proposes to his girlfriend. The second video, filmed on the northbound side of Interstate 88 near the Oakland Coliseum Complex, depicts multiple vehicles (law officers estimate between six and eight cars with additional vehicles being used to block traffic) cutting doughnuts at high speeds.
CHP representatives say that public roadways are not designed for these types of stunts, which should only be attempted by trained professionals on closed courses and under controlled circumstances.
In Oakland these events, commonly called “sideshows” have been a safety concern for citizens for several years. So far in 2013, law enforcement agencies have received 60 reports of sideshow activities. In 2005, when sideshows are thought to have reached the peak of their popularity, police received 700 reports of these activities in the area. Drivers in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. have been prosecuted for participating in these kinds of stunts.
I find this apparent trend extremely concerning because they present a serious safety risk not only to the drivers who choose to participate, but also to innocent bystanders and any drivers in the area. Please do not endanger the lives of yourself or others for the sake of filming a You Tube video.
$7,000,000
Toxic Contamination Injury
Plaintiff brought an action that involved land contamination. Plaintiff's property had been contaminated due to the business operations of an adjoining landowner. Plaintiff received a binding arbitration award in excess of $7,000,000.
$14,000,000
Work Site Accident
Plaintiff was involved in a work site accident. Plaintiff was injured when a slab of marble fell on him. Plaintiff was able to obtain a settlement for $14,000,000.
$3,000,000+
Forklift Injury
Plaintiff brought an action against a forklift manufacturer under the theory of negligent maintenance and inspection. Plaintiff suffered serious injuries to his leg. Defendant refused to make any settlement offers until the eve of trial. At that time, Defendant offered only $150,000 to settle the case. Plaintiff received a jury verdict in excess of $3,000,000.
