You have likely heard about the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) proposed ban on cell phone use while driving. However, an outspoken critic of the ban might surprise you. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood spoke out against the ban, citing the distinction between hands-free and handheld calls behind the wheel. According to LaHood, hands-free phone calls...
Read MoreOur Blog
Over 35,000 Deaths in 2010 Concerns NTSB
A recent press release by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed an estimated 34,925 transportation fatalities in the United States in 2010. The data takes into account deaths in traffic accidents, railroad accidents, bus crashes, and pipeline accidents. According to the NTSB data, the fatality number is too high even though it is down...
Read MoreFederal Regulators Shut Down Unsafe Mine
Federal regulators shut down the Lucky Friday Mine last month in Idaho after the latest of three serious accidents in the past year. Last month, seven miners suffered injuries in a mine collapse at the mine site. A rock burst trapped the seven miners over 5,000 feet...
Read MoreBattery Packs Recalled for Explosion Hazard
Did you get a brand new battery-powered power tool for Christmas? If you did, pay attention to a recent product recall by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The federal agency announced a voluntary recall...
Read MoreContractor to Blame in Maryland Casino Construction Accident
This past summer, a construction worker at the Maryland Live! casino site lost the toes on one of his feet in a horrific construction accident. State investigators recently announced that a contractor from Owings Mills is responsible for the construction injury. The Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MOSHA) determined that Daniel Schuster, Inc...
Read MoreCell Phone Companies React to Proposed Cell Phone While Driving Ban
We recently told you about the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) proposed ban on cell phone use while driving. While there are mixed reactions, the cell phone industry’s trade association recently spoke out in favor of the ban, sort of. Washington, D.C.-based CTIA said that it supports a ban on manual cell phone texting while...
Read MoreWas Virginia Nurse on Duty When She Crashed her Car?
The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (VWCC) ruled that a nurse was on-duty when she crashed her vehicle and suffered injuries. Accordingly, the VWCC approved her eligibility for workers' compensation benefits and her employer appealed the administrative ruling. Here are some of the facts: The woman was on-call as a nurse and had her personal...
Read MoreWhat Types of Intersections are Most Dangerous?
Did you know that an intersection controlled by flashing lights has three times the likelihood of a car crash than an intersection controlled by a stop sign does? Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found this out and utexas.edu reported on it last month....
Read MoreNTSB Wants Nation-Wide Cell Phone Ban in Cars
For some drivers, talking on their cell phones while driving has become second nature. In your morning commute today you likely spotted numerous drivers with a cell phone clutched to their ears or looking down while texting. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wants to put a stop to that with a nationwide ban...
Read MoreForceps Safer than Vacuums or C-Sections?
Once thought of as unsafe, childbirths using forceps are now gaining favor with doctors across the country. In the past, doctors favored C-Sections and vacuums over forceps in the delivery process. A doctor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found it puzzling why forceps were viewed as dangerous all these years. Doctors at Johns Hopkins...
Read More