Archive for the ‘Auto Safety’ Category

Fatal Traffic Crashes: Let the Accident Reconstructionists to Their Job

Monday, April 14th, 2014

There has been a spate of well-publicized fatal traffic crashes in Oregon and Northern California recently.  Initially, it may be instinctive to want quick answer to the question, “What happened?”  Fortunately, accident reconstructionists are available to answer this question using scientific and engineering principles.  But it does take patience to let them do their job.  For example, in Oregon all traffic crashes resulting in fatality must have a formal reconstruction of the motor vehicle crash performed by a professional.  Most experienced accident reconstruction professionals are certified and licensed through various governing bodies.  There are both private professional engineering firms as well as a number of law enforcement and other government personnel (e.g., National Transportation Safety Board) qualified to collect the proper data, apply engineering principles, and prepare a formal accident reconstruction report.  Oftentimes, the reports reach conclusions as to the proximate cause(s) of a crash.  While there can be disagreement among experts as to, “What happened?” in certain crashes, it is still better for the public and media to wait until the professional reconstruction is final before engaging in harmful speculation.  We owe as much to the families left behind following a tragic—and all too common–motor vehicle crash that ends in fatality.

Tractor-Trailer Speeds Wrong Way Down Interstate

Monday, March 18th, 2013

Oregon Live has reported a tractor-trailer was speeding 85 m.p.h. the wrong way down the freeway when it crashed into an oncoming vehicle during the early morning commute.  The tractor-trailer operator is being detained by Portland Police while the investigation continues.  Under Oregon and federal law, tractor-trailer operators and their employers are held to strict safety standards to try to prevent tragedy and punish misconduct.  The massive size and weight makes big rigs like “moving bombs” on our roadways.  Our concern and sympathy goes out to the victim and his or her family as the driver of the vehicle slammed into by the tractor-trailer is reportedly in the hospital has been hospitalized.  Here is a link to the Oregon Live article.

Summer Travel Almost Here – Tips on Child Travel Safety

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

The summer travel season is almost here.  Whether traveling by automobile or airplane this summer, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) provides a lot of useful information for parents traveling with young children.  Here is where to find the NTSB website.  Keep kids safe, avoid injury, and have a great summer!

 

Safety Standards Continue to Fail our Families

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Last month, the National Transportation Safety Board held a meeting discussing child safety in motor vehicles and airplanes.  Unfortunately, the laws designed to protect our children seem to fall short once again.  For example, Oregon law allows parents to discontinue use of car seats before their child’s body is capable of protection from the standard seat belt in most cars.  In fact, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, placement of the lap belt over the abdomen is a major cause of internal organ and spinal injury in children, while the lap belt over the neck is a major cause of disabling or fatal neck injury in children weighing under 80 pounds or less than 4′ 9″ in height.  To read more about the concerns stemming from last month’s meeting, read here.

Report Traces the Role of American Civil Justice System in Improving Auto Safety

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

The American Association for Justice (AAJ) has released a report that traces the history of auto safety improvements in the United States spurred by the civil justice system.  The springboard for the April, 2010 report is the recent accelerator defects in many Toyota models.  However, the report focuses on the accomplishments of our jury system in bringing about positive change in everything in our cars from gas tanks to tires and air bag safety.

Through historical examples, the report gives us a sense for how far the auto industry has come and where we would be without seriously injured people having access to justice.  For example, the report’s introduction takes us back to 1964, when Chevrolet built a sold steering shaft 3 inches from the front tires of its Corvair model, which caused the shaft to ram violently into a driver’s head when he was struck head-on by another vehicle.   General Motors was wise to redesign its steering mechanism after evidence of such a preventable injury became public in a court of law.  Ultimately, the AAJ report concludes with a diagram theorizing what today’s auto would look like if the American civil justice system didn’t exist.

View full report here:  http://www.justice.org/resources/Driven_to_Safety.pdf