In February, the nonprofit investigative newsroom ProPublica produced a report on Evenflo, the manufacturer of the “Big Kid” booster seat. ProPublica found that Evenflo had designed its own side-impact crash test that was virtually impossible to fail and then...
A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and MIT’s AgeLab indicates that drivers may become dependent upon partially-automated driving systems. As they become familiar with the automation, they may be more willing to engage in distracting activities...
We’ve discussed before on this blog the fact that semi-autonomous vehicles may not be as safe as they might seem. While there is great promise in the technology to reduce crashes caused by human error, they are not free from error themselves. It all comes down to the...
Alabama has had a fraught history with electronic scooter rentals. At one point, you needed a motorcycle license to ride one. There is still areas where they are not allowed. Yet they are available, and it is likely they will continue to be. One thing that is clear is...
When you take an over-the-counter supplement, you assume it’s safe of it wouldn’t be allowed on the market. Unfortunately, some supplements are made using pharmaceutical drugs that are approved in other countries but not the U.S. Moreover, they are often present in...
This week is National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)’s Child Passenger Safety Week. The focus of the week is on two important issues: child car seats and leaving kids in hot cars. According to NHTSA, most parents are confident that their child car seats...
Under the law of product liability, anyone in the chain of commerce may be held liable for a defective product that injures someone. That means not only the manufacturer of the defective product but also the distributer, retailer and anyone else involved in the sale....
Wood alcohol, or methanol, can be absorbed through the skin -- and it can be toxic enough to cause blindness. If it is ingested, it can be lethal. A rush of new brands of hand sanitizer has hit the market since March and, unfortunately, some of them contain wood...
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing losses from motor vehicle crashes. Recently, it performed an analysis of the potential for in-vehicle alcohol detection systems and found that these...
Several cars from Hyundai’s 2011 and 2012 model years are being recalled due to a fire risk from the 12-volt accessory outlet, which used to be used for a cigarette lighter. In lieu of a spare tire, the vehicles were equipped with a “tire mobility kit” containing tire...
