The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1700, which represents Greyhound bus drivers, has been speaking out against the company's safety record. "Members of the National Association of Bus Crash Families said they recently learned that Greyhound did not support HR7, a bill introduced by Georgia Democrat John Lewis and Texas Republican Ted Poe. The Lewis-Poe Amendment, as it is known, is identical to language in the MESA Bill, and replaces earlier provisions in the House version with a “Greyhound Compromise.” “We negotiated with Greyhound in good faith and gave up important safety priorities … [Read more...]
American Trucking Associations Support Congressional Mandate for Electronic Logging Devices in 18-Wheelers
Many 18-wheeler accidents become more difficult to investigate due to missing or incomplete information concerning hours-of-service compliance. Electronic Logging Devices could assist in safety and compliance with federal laws by more closely tracking hours 0f service and other important metrics. The American Trucking Associations, along with other law enforcement and advocacy groups, recently signaled support for such a measure by sending a letter to members of the House and Senate who are currently negotiating safety regulations. “The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has … [Read more...]
Happy Stop The Texts Day!
Distracted driving is a real scourge in our society. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, has declared today #StopTheTextsDay asking Twitter for ideas on how best to fight this menace and convince people to put down the phone and drive. Celebrities like Kasey Khane have even released public service announcements with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urging drivers to “STOP THE TEXTS STOP THE WRECKS.” Unfortunately, distracted driving isn’t just a problem amongst consumers. Many employers still have policies that allow, or even encourage employees to use their cell … [Read more...]
Chrysler Recalls Three Models of Ram trucks
News Source: The Kansas City Star - July 13, 2011 Chrysler Motor Corporation announces a recall nearly 250,000 Ram pickups because of a faulty part in the steering system which can cause loss of control. This recall affects Chrysler’s top-selling vehicle and covers about 243,000 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups ranging from year models 2008 through 2011. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that a part near the left front wheel can fracture and risk potential crash of the vehicle. … [Read more...]
G.M. Recall for Inaccurate Shift-Lever Reading
Recall of Almost 6,800 Pickups By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN of The New York Times 2011 GMC Canyon, one of the models affected in a recall by General Motors. General Motors is recalling almost 6,800 pickups from the 2011 model year because they might roll away even when the automatic transmission’s selector appears to be in Park. The automaker also said it recalled 739 pickups and sport utility vehicles because of a possible loss of steering. The pickups affected by the shift-lever issue are the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon equipped with the 4-speed automatic and either the … [Read more...]
Volkswagen Recalls Certain New Jettas To Fix Wiring
from The Wall Street Journal Blog Volkswagen of America Inc. said today it is recalling certain 2011 Jetta models to fix a potential problem with the wiring of its anti-theft system and horn. The car maker says the recall affects 71,043 Jettas built between March of 2010 and March of 2011. The company says the problem stems from the a fuse that protects the car’s anti-theft alarm and the converter box that operates the windshield wipers and headlights. Under certain rare circumstances a short circuit in the horn can cause the lights and wipers to stop working, which could increase the … [Read more...]
Public database for safety complaints goes live
from the Washington Post JENNIFER C. KERR The Associated Press Friday, March 11, 2011; 10:04 AM WASHINGTON -- Despite a last-minute attempt to derail it, the government launched a public database Friday that allows people to report and search safety complaints on thousands of products - from cribs and toys to power tools and hair dryers. SaferProducts.gov, overseen by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, went live as scheduled over the objections of manufacturers and a stalled GOP effort on Capitol Hill to withhold money for the project until critics' concerns were … [Read more...]
Ford expands recall of F-150 pickup to nearly 1.2M
from The Houston Chronicle By TOM KRISHER Associated Press April 14, 2011, 9:41AM DETROIT — Under pressure from government safety regulators, Ford Motor Co. is expanding a recall of the popular F-150 pickup truck to include nearly 1.2 million vehicles that may have defective air bags. The additional recall, announced Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, covers trucks from the 2004 through 2006 model years. An electrical short can cause the air bags to deploy unexpectedly, in some cases injuring drivers. In February, Ford agreed to fix 150,000 of the trucks but … [Read more...]
Mercedes-Benz recalls U.S. M-Class vehicles
(Reuters) - Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz is recalling 136,750 M-Class and M-Class AMG vehicles in the United States made from 1999 to 2004 for issues related to cruise control that may lead to a crash, U.S. federal safety regulators said. A filing with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that repairs will be made at Mercedes dealerships beginning in September. Applying the brakes to disengage cruise control may fail, increasing the chances of a crash, the filing said. There are other ways, including working a "cruise control stalk" or pumping the brakes, that will … [Read more...]
285,000 Hyundai Elantras Recalled for Air-Bag Inflation Issue
by Christopher Jensen of the New York Times Hyundai is recalling about 285,000 Elantras for air-bag problems, while Continental Tire says about 391,000 of its truck tires are vulnerable to tread separation, according to documents filed this week with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Elantras are being recalled in two actions. The first covers about 96,000 vehicles from the 2007-8 model years due to what the automaker described as electronic noise, which might cause the driver-side air bag to inflate with full force, even if the driver’s seat is sufficiently close to … [Read more...]