2011

In a news release Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that Isuzu is recalling certain 2012 N-Series commercial trucks due to an issue with the vehicle speed control system that poses a crash hazard. Subject to recall are 614 model year 2012 N-Series trucks outfitted with gasoline engines built from April 27 through… read more

News sources report, an online safety video game is aimed at preventing collisions between trains and large trucks like the June 24 collision near Reno that involved a big rig and an Amtrak train and killed six. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, in 2010, 70 people died in 511 collisions between large trucks and… read more

Media sources report, that tires sold as new are often quite old, posing a safety risk to motorists and passengers. Tires sold in the U.S. have no expiration date and can sit on store shelves for years until they are sold. However, tires, whether or not they are in use can begin to deteriorate, and… read more

In a news release Wednesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that Ducati North America is recalling certain models of its 2011 Diavel motorcycle due to an issue with the kickstand that poses an injury risk to riders and bystanders. Subject to recall are 919 motorcycles manufactured from May 18, 2010, through June 13,… read more

In a news release Wednesday, phil&teds USA Inc., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, announced the recall of a table-top clip-on child seat due to fall and amputation risks. Subject to recall are 54,000 “metoo” clip-on chairs. The clamp pads on the affected chairs are either worn or missing, which can cause… read more

According to news reports, four of the five biggest U.S. tobacco companies have filed a lawsuit alleging that new federally mandated warning labels meant to appear on cigarette packaging violate the companies’ free speech rights. The nine new labels at the center of the lawsuit were recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration…. read more

The mother of a blind man killed after falling between cars of Los Angeles’s Metro Blue Line train—having mistaken the gap between cars for a door—was awarded $17 million in a the wrongful death lawsuit, report news sources. The Los Angeles jury unanimously decided that Metro was negligent in the death of 48-year-old Cameron Cuthbertson,… read more

Findings from a recent study indicate that distractions like talking on the phone, texting and listening to music put pedestrians at greater risk of being struck by a motor vehicle while crossing the street, report news outlets. The University of Alabama at Birmingham study, conducted in a virtual-environment lab, focused on quantifying the dangers of… read more

Johnson & Johnson announced Monday that it is recalling over two million packages of over-the-counter Tylenol brand cold medicine due to an excessive amount of a chemical compound found in the drug, report news sources Subject to recall are almost 2.5 million packages of Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom Nighttime Rapid Release Gelcaps. The cold relief medicine… read more

News sources report, Hyundai plans to launch a customer service campaign to address reports of a steering issue in the 2011 Sonata. The initiative covers Sonata models built from September 2010 through May 2011 that have 18-inch wheels, including the SE and Limited models. The base Sonata comes with 17-inch wheels. The South Korean automaker… read more

The Office of Defects Investigation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into reports of decreased breaking ability requiring increased stopping distances in 2008 Mazda CX-9 vehicles, report news sources. The probe was opened following a submission by Mazda to the NHTSA of data that included reports of incidents ranging from 2008 into… read more

A recent study found that, at least among New Jersey motorists, drivers with longer commutes tend to engage in more unsafe behavior including talking on the phone, texting, and making rude gestures to other motorists, report news sources. The study conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind, and co-sponsored by the New Jersey’s Division of Highway… read more