As of January 1, 15 states now require ignition interlock devices to be installed onto any vehicle owned by a motorist with at least one drunk driving conviction. The growing trend among states is part of a nationwide push by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which is ramping up its efforts to force the…
When queried by newspaper reporters following a vehicle crash in a small town in the south central region of Ohio, motorists, tow truck drivers, road construction workers and emergency responders readily stated what is an increasingly prevalent view in Ohio and elsewhere throughout the country: Distracted driving is routinely the direct cause of car…
As recently reported in the Detroit News, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has started investigations into older General Motors and Ford vans and minivans. These older vehicles have rusting issues that appear to lead to potential safety problems, including fuel leaks, which could potentially lead to the occurrence of car accidents. The…
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…
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…