The International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles took place in Washington, D.C. last month. It is the 22nd gathering of vehicle and safety experts in the nation’s capital. The four-day conference displays the latest technological advancements that experts hope will reduce fatal...
Read MoreFederal Agency Recalls Walmart Food Processors
If you purchased a General Electric brand food processor at Walmart, you should stop using it immediately and return it to Walmart for a full refund. Earlier this month, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPC) announced a voluntary recall of approximately 255,000 General Electric food processors sold at Walmart stores. According to the USCPC,...
Read MoreTwo Metro Buses Collide in Southeast DC
Two Metrobuses collided earlier this month in Southeast DC near the intersection of Martin Luther King Avenue and W Street, according to a Washington, D.C. fire department spokesperson. The bus accident happened at approximately 2:45 p.m. when one bus collided with the back end of...
Read MoreCar Rental Companies Renting Out Recalled Vehicles
A 2010 audit by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that car rental companies fix only half of recalled vehicles within a year. This past April, the American Car Rental Association (ACRA) announced a proposal that would allow rental companies to decide the seriousness of automobile recall issues. The measure gives rental...
Read MoreDC Woman Injured when Car Crashes into her Hotel Room
A 77-year-old Washington, D.C. woman got an unusual wake-up call earlier this month while staying at a New Jersey Holiday Inn. At approximately 1:40 a.m., a car crashed through the window of her hotel room while she was sleeping. The accident trapped her between the car and the wall for about 20 minutes...
Read MoreStudy Shows that DC Drivers Rank Last in Road Knowledge
The 2011 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test showed that DC drivers know the least when it comes to a driving IQ. Overall, the test results revealed that 36.9 million drivers do not possess the basic knowledge required to pass a driving test. That is approximately 18 percent of drivers on the road today. The...
Read MoreOne Million Dangerous Pool and Spa Drain Covers Recalled
The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a recall of one million spa and pool drain covers that pose entrapment hazards. The covers are dangerous products that could cause death or serious injury to kids and adults, according to the CPSC. There is a risk of a suction lock occurring and trapping...
Read MoreFederal Agency May Mandate Black Boxes in New Cars
The Department of Transportation (DOT) may adopt a rule that requires automakers to equip new cars with event data recorders (EDR) that would gather vital information in the event of an auto accident. The devices would do what “black boxes” do in airplane crashes. The DOT is uncertain whether it will move forward...
Read MoreFederal Agency Recalls Cribs for Suffocation Hazards
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a voluntary recall of approximately 22,000 full-size and portable drop-side cribs. In the full-size cribs, the drop-side hardware can break, allowing the drop side to detach from the crib and creating a space between the drop side and mattress. The space can trap an infant and...
Read MoreAuto Industry Leads Product Recalls
Automakers recalled over 20 million vehicles in the past three years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to the agency, Toyota recalled approximately 7.1 million cars in 2010, with Honda and Nissan recalling about 2 million each. Chrysler recalled 1.5 million vehicles, and Ford recalled over 500,000 cars in 2010. Safety...
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