Category Archives: NHTSA

Transportation Secretary LaHood Continues To Warn About Distracted Driving

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NHSTA Secretary Ray LaHood released a statement today on the eve of the 2010 Distracted Driving Summit, promoting the decrease of traffic fatalities in 2009. 2009 statistics showed the lowest number of traffic fatalities since 1950.  Although, LaHood warned that the epidemic of distracted driving may be worse than the statistics show.  LaHood stated researchers believe the police reports in many states still do not routinely document whether distraction was a factor in vehicle crashes, making it more difficult to know the full extent of the problem.

These numbers show that distracted driving remains an epidemic in America, and they are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Secretary LaHood.  “Tomorrow, I’m convening our second Distracted Driving Summit in the hopes that we can continue to draw attention to the dangers of distracted driving and work together to save lives.”

The NHTSA study found that the proportion of fatalities associated with driver distraction increased from 10 percent to 16 percent between 2005 and 2009.  This news comes as overall traffic fatalities  fell in 2009 to their lowest levels since 1950.

According to NHTSA data, the age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group.  Sixteen percent of all under-20 drivers involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted while driving.  Of those drivers involved in fatal crashes who were reportedly distracted, the 30-39 year old group had the highest proportion of cell phone involvement. 

I will, of course, be updating with the blog with reports and announcements from the Distracted Driving Summit.

If you or somone you know has been involved in a Chicago Car Accident  or Chicago Truck Accident , then call Chicago car accident attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation  at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com

U.S. Transportation Department Announces Lowest Traffic Fatalities In Six Decades

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The NHTSA continues to report positive news about undefined  in the U.S.  According to Transportation Secretary LaHood, the 33,808 undefined  deaths in 2009 was the lowest number since 1980.  In addition, 2009 saw the lowest fatality and injury rates ever recorded:  1.13 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2009, compared to 1.26 deaths for 2008.

Fatalities declined in all categories of vehicles including motorcycles, which saw fatalities fall by 850 from 2008, breaking an 11-year cycle of annual increases.

“At the Department of Transportation, we are laser-focused on our top priority: safety,” said Secretary LaHood.  “Today’s announcement shows that America’s roads are the safest they’ve ever been.  But they must be safer.  And we will not rest until they are.”

The NHTSA attributes several factors that have led to this decrease:  ““Today’s numbers reflect the tangible benefits of record seat belt use and strong anti-drunk driving enforcement campaigns,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.  “But we are still losing more than 30,000 lives a year on our highways, and about a third of these involve drunk driving.  We will continue to work with our state partners to strictly enforce both seat belt use and anti-drunk driving laws across this nation, every day and every night.”

These are encouraging statistics. I continue to wonder if the drastic decreases the past few years can be attributed to the recession and the overall state of our economy.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident  or truck accident , then call Chicago car accident attorney , Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation  at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com

NHTSA Reports Study On Drinking And Driving

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The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration  released some startling numbers regarding drink and driving in their report titled: “National Survey On Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behaviors.”  The survey concluded that and estimated 17 million motorists in the U.S. may have driven while drunk in the preceding 12 month and twenty percent of the public 16 and older had in the past year driven a motor vehicle within two hours of drinking alcohol.  About two-thirds of these, or 13 percent of the total population 16 and older had done so in the past 30 days. The survey produced an estimate of 85.5 million past-month drinking-driving trip, up from 73.7 million trips in 2004.

The scary part of the of this survey is the resulting damage that these drinking and driving trips have caused. Among persons 16 and older involved in a motor vehicle crash in the past two years, 20% reported that someone had been injured in the (most recent) crash. Respondents were more likely to report that an involved driver had been drinking alcohol if the car crash  led to injury (32%) than if no injury occurred (5%).

About 1% of the population 16 and older had been arrested for a drinking and driving violation in the past two years; the percentage was 5% for males 21 to 24. Almost three-fourths of the public believed that drivers who had too much to drink to drive safely would be somewhat likely (40%), very likely (21%), or almost certain (12%) to be stopped by police.

These are some eye-opening statistics. Remember, it is very simple to pick up the phone and call a cab or a friend. You may be protecting yourself and others, let alone the  avoiding the legal problems that can ensue.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident  or Chicago trucking accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney  Aaron Bryant for a free consultation  at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com

2009 A Record Low For Traffic Fatalities In The U.S.

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The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration  (NHSTA) released some encouraging news this week. Their press release announced that 2009 was a record low traffic fatalities in the U.S. It was the lowest number of fatalities since 1954 and was the 15th year in a row that showed a decline.

The projected fatality data for 2009 places the highway death count at 33,963, a drop of 8.9 percent as compared to the 37,261 deaths reported in 2008. The fatality rate for 2009 declined to the lowest on record, to 1.16 fatalities per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) down from 1.25 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2008.

“This continuing decline in highway deaths is encouraging, but our work is far from over,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland. “We want to see those numbers drop further. We will not stop as long as there are still lives lost on our nation’s highways. We must continue our efforts to ensure seat belts are always used and stay focused on reducing distracted and impaired driving.”

Did the decrease have to do with the recession?  The NHSTA believes it was a combination of factors, including the safety campaigns it instituted the last several years. They attribute the decline in 2009 to a combination of factors that include, high visibility campaigns like Click It or Ticket to increase seat belt use, and Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest which helps with the enforcement of state laws to prevent drunk driving and distracted driving. In addition, the decline is also the result of safer roads, safer vehicles and motorists driving less.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for free consultation on your case at 312-588-3384.

NHSTA Issues Probe Into Recent Toyota Recalls

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The National Highway Safety and Transportation Administration announced that they are issuing a probe into three (3) of the most recent Toyota recalls.  They are requesting documents from Toyota to determine if they made the most recent recalls in a timely manner.

 “Safety recalls are very serious matters and automakers are required to quickly report defects,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The auto safety agency is requiring Toyota to provide documents showing when and how it learned of the defects affecting approximately 6 million vehicles in the U.S. alone. The probe will examine how the manufacturer learned of these defects, such as through consumer complaints or factory testing. Investigators are also looking into whether Toyota discovered the problems during pre-production or post-production of the affected vehicles.

Officials are checking whether Toyota has covered all affected models in its recent recalls to ensure Toyota did not miss any problems. The agency will obtain information on production data, incidents, complaints, warranty complaints, copies of tests, dates of meetings, timeliness, and supplier information.

The three recalls in question involve various Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Two of the recalls are related to the entrapment of gas pedals by floor mats. The first recall was announced on September 26, 2007, and was followed by a subsequent one on October 6, 2009. The October recall was expanded on January 29, 2010, to include additional vehicles. The third recall, involving sticking gas pedals, was announced on January 21, 2010. “Our top priority is safety and we expect that all manufacturers address automotive safety issues quickly and in a forthright manner,” said David Strickland, Administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.

Federal Government Bans Texting For Truckers And Bus Drivers

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On Tuesday, the federal government formally barred truckers and bus drivers from sending text messages while behind the wheel, putting its imprimatur on a prohibition embraced by many large trucking and transportation companies.

“We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This is an important safety step, and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving.”
 
19 states, including Illinois, have banned texting while driving for all drivers. The Federal Government may not be far behind.  Soon after the NHSTA made this announcement, a group of Senators introduced new legislation that would ban texting by all drivers.

This move by the Federal government is not surprising at all. Texting bans appear to be the trend for local governments and now he federal government. It will be interesting to see if and when the new legislation passes.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.

NHTSA Responds To Toyota’s 3rd Recall

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The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration issued a press release yesterday regarding Toyota’s recent recall of the Prius and Lexus HS 250H based on break system problems.  Based on these recent issues with Toyota, the Department has opened its own investigation.

“Last Thursday, NHTSA opened a formal investigation of 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles in response to consumer complaints about braking difficulties, and today, Toyota has acknowledged a safety defect,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “When I spoke with Toyota President Akio Toyoda last week, he assured me that his company takes U.S. safety concerns very seriously. The U.S. DOT will remain in constant communication with Toyota to hold them to that promise. In the meantime, if you are concerned about your car’s braking performance, contact your Toyota dealer.”

NHTSA recommends that owners contact Toyota dealers immediately if they notice changes in their braking performance.

Loss of braking is most likely to occur when traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump. If this occurs, the agency advises owners to continue to firmly press on the brake to stop the vehicle. As an extra precaution, drivers can leave extra stopping distance while awaiting their recall notice.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for free consultation on your case at 312-588-3384.

Transportation Secretary LaHood Lauches FocusDriven

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NHTSA Secretary Ray LaHood announced the launching of FocusDriven, the first national nonprofit organization devoted specifically to raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. The group will be led by Jennifer Smith, who has been an outspoken advocate against distracted driving since her mother was killed by someone talking on his cell phone while driving in 2008.

FocusDriven is a direct outgrowth of the September 2009 national Distracted Driving Summit in Washington, DC called by Secretary LaHood. Since the two-day meeting that brought together affected families, law enforcement, researchers, public officials and others, family members of distracted driving victims have worked to establish an advocacy organization with support from the Department of Transportation and the National Safety Council (NSC), a nonprofit organization that uses leadership, research, education and advocacy to prevent injuries and save lives. FocusDriven’s new website, www.focusdriven.org, hosts information on distracted driving, help for victims and family members, and ways to get involved.

Exactly one year ago today, the National Safety Council became the first organization to call for a nationwide ban on cell phone use while driving. NSC President and CEO Janet Froetscher spoke at the Department of Transportation’s national Distracted Driving Summit last fall and has committed NSC’s resources to helping establish FocusDriven.

I have previously written about the changes in traffic laws that have come about in the past year to curb distracted drivers. Texting, in Chicago has not been allowed the past few years, actually became illegal for the state of Illinois on January 1.  The federal government appears to be keeping pace with states and is clearly doing its’ part to decrease distracted driving.

Click here to read the entire press release.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Illinois car accident or Illinois truck accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.

Dorel Recalls 447,000 Infant Car Seats

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The National Highway and Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) released information that Dorel Corporation is recalling over 400,000 infant car seats.  The seats are labeled under the brand name Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Disney.

Dorel is recalling 447,000 seats because when used as an infant carrier, the bolts that attach the child restraint handle to the seat can loosen causing the handle to fully or partially separate from the seat creating a fall hazard.  Consumers should not use the handle until the repair kit has been installed.  The car seat is safe for use in a vehicle as it meets federal safety standards.

To receive a free repair kit, owners of the affected child restraint models should contact Dorel’s customer service department at 1-866-762-3316 or visit http://www.djgusa.com/safety_notice.

The affected child restraint models, produced from January 6, 2008 through April 6, 2009, are listed below. The model number and the manufacture date are located on a label on the side of the car seat/carrier.

To view the press release, click here.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Illinois car accident and Illinois truck accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.

Illinois Ranks Eighth Deadliest State For DUI Fatalities

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The National Highway Safety and Traffic Safety Association (NHSTA) released the 2007 and 2008 data for alcohol related highway deaths. Unfortunately, Illinois ranked as the eighth deadliest state.

There was some encouraging news as 2008 compared to 2007, the overall fatality rate declined from 1.36 to 1.25 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel (VMT), and the alcohol-impaired driving fatality rate declined from 0.43 to 0.40 highway fatalities per 100 million VMT. From 2007 to 2008, the alcohol-impaired-driving fatality rate declined in 40 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and remained the same or increased in the remaining 10 States.

Impaired-driving laws have been enacted in all 50 States and the District of Columbia that make it illegal for a driver or a motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08 or above to drive a vehicle. In 2008, the alcohol-impaired-driving fatality rate declined from 0.43 highway fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2007 to 0.40 in 2008.

Hopefully 2009 statistics will show a decline for Illinois and the stricter DUI laws led to safer for roads.

To read the complete news release and view all of the statistics, click here.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Illinois car accident or an Illinois truck accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.