Is it any wonder that many millions of Americans view would-be exculpatory statements made by automotive executives at press conferences and before congressional bodies with a strong measure of cynicism? How much backpedaling, restating, rationalizing and no-comment responses have American consumers grown accustomed to hearing over the years? […]
The National Safety Council has revealed some data about car accidents in the first half of 2015, and the results are dismaying. According to the NSC, drivers have traveled a little bit more in the first half of the year. In 2007, the previous high for miles traveled in first half of the year, drivers logged 1.23 trillion miles. This year, it was up to 1.26 trillion miles. That’s a pretty modest increase from the previous high, and it isn’t too far from other previous years (roughly a 3.4 percent increase, according to the source article). But here’s the dismaying part: despite this modest increase in [...]
Everyone has an ego. And although that can be a good thing, it is likely to be a downside if you’re 45 or older and peddling your bicycle down the street like crazy. […]
It seems to be the case that a federal office tasked with broad oversight of vehicle safety issues relating to both passenger and commercial vehicles and equipment could use a bit more oversight itself. Put another way: In response to the question of what it is precisely that the so-called Office of Defects Investigation does, the answer might reasonably seem to be that the ODI does very little, and that much of what it does focus upon is not done particularly well. […]
Automakers sometimes receive the proverbial slap on the wrist from national safety regulators, with government agencies alleging acts of negligence or wrongdoing that result in admonitory warnings, threats of safety recalls and fines and additional responses that don’t exactly inspire fear or quick industry compliance. Fiat Chrysler could do with a bit of that right now, as the recently combined motor vehicle manufacturer is contemplating a just-inked settlement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that actually bites as well as barks. […]
You probably don’t think about the total number of text messages that are sent in the United States and its territories every month, but the figure is staggering. According to a study based on data as of Dec. 2013, roughly 153.3 billion texts are sent per month. That’s an incredible number. How many of those texts are sent while someone is behind the wheel of a motor vehicle? No one knows for sure, but its a significant number, given some other figures. The crazy thing is, distracted driving isn’t just limited to texting while driving. Cellphone use, in general, is a form of distracted driving. Using [...]
It’s currently estimated that one in seven vehicles in the United States may be equipped with a faulty airbag. This statistic may be extremely shocking to those of our Los Angeles readers who have not been following the news regarding the recent recalls involving vehicles with Takata airbags. But for those who have been following the story, this statistic only further illustrates the need to hold auto manufacturers liable for their negligence. For those who do not know, a number of investigations into crashes over the last decade have uncovered a flaw in Takata’s airbags that cause them to explode violently in a driver’s face. In [...]
If you’ve been following our blog over the last year then you know we’ve talked before about Google’s self-driving car. What was once just a prototype being driven on a test track nearly a year ago has now been released on actual roads here in California and most recently near Austin, Texas. But just as it did when it was first created, the vehicle is still raising a number of questions, including the one we’re asking in today’s post title: Will Google’s self-driving cars put an end to car accidents? […]
Ridesharing services like Lyft and Uber seem to grow ever more popular. It’s easy to arrange a ride, the cars and drivers are nice, and you feel like you’re part of a cooperative economy. Plus, Uber and Lyft are cheaper and faster than taxicabs. Why take a taxi? It seems like taxicab companies have a monopoly on the business of driving small groups of people around for money, doesn’t it? Well, in a sense, that’s true — and, historically, there are good reasons for that. Most important among those reasons is safety: Taxi drivers have to pass a detailed driving history check, resolve all outstanding tickets, [...]
There are a lot of injuries that are commonly associated with car accidents. From bruise and broken bones to spinal cord and head injuries, there are few injuries that can’t be suffered after being struck by another vehicle. Did you know though that a person may also suffer an injury to their psyche after a serious crash? If you’re like some of our Los Angeles readers, you probably didn’t think this could happen. But according to experts at the National Institute of Mental Health, car accidents can lead to PTSD, a very serious mental health condition that does not go away easily. […]
