Although the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had said it might limit trucking hours of service to a 10-hour daily driving limit, the FMCSA instead let stand in a new rule the existing limit of 11 hours per shift. A fatigued driver is more likely to be involved in a truck accident, so driving…
If you think more and more people are using their cell phones while driving, you’re right: They are. A recent federal study reported that one in every 20 drivers on the road is holding a cell phone to his or her ear while operating a motor vehicle, and one in every 100 drivers can…
The view of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on cell phone use while driving is well known. Last week the agency made it official and broadly disseminated it by announcing with requisite fanfare its recommendation for a flat prohibition on all cell phone use — including communicating via hands-free models — in every…
This time of year in Ohio, weather and winter driving are invariably in the news in some fashion. Stories range from reports on driving conditions that are especially conducive to car accidents and other motor vehicle mishaps to the roll out of annual drunk driving campaigns, and from safety reminders concerning winter vehicle maintenance…
The American Automobile Association (AAA) is cautioning all drivers to prepare for a sharp increase in the number of elderly drivers on the roads over the course of the next couple of decades. As baby boomers enter their mid-60s, the percentage of elderly drivers is projected to hit an all-time high. The number of…
Engineers and scientists at Vaisala, a Finland company that produces environmental measurement products, recently announced the development of a sensor system for roadways that could reduce the number of car accidents each year. More than 80 percent of male and female drivers agree that maneuvering on icy or wet road conditions presents the greatest…
A recent judicial outcome in a workers’ compensation case in Arizona has many critics across the country questioning the court’s ruling. The case has been noted for undercutting the time-honored expectation that an employee injured in the scope of employment at the worksite and during normal work hours will be awarded workers’ comp benefits….
We informed readers of a fire-related problem associated with General Motors’ electric car, Volt, in our November 29 blog post. It hasn’t taken GM long to respond to that concern. Within days of the crash-study findings released by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration researchers, GM CEO Dan Akerson said that the company would be…
“Today’s teenagers make no secret about the fact that they want to stay connected to their social networks and enjoy text messaging,” notes David Strickland, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). With that acknowledgement in mind, NHTSA and Department of Transportation (DOT) officials make no secret that they are widely targeting…
The government recently initiated a series of investigations to test whether the batteries used in Chevy’s new electric car, the Volt, were capable of catching fire following a car accident. The investigations began after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) learned that a Volt battery caught fire while being stored in the parking…