Posts Tagged ‘NHTSA’
NHTSA Chief Addresses Safety Concerns at SAE World Congress
Monday, April 26th, 2010
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration head David Strickland addressed attendees at the annual Society of Automotive Engineers’ World Congress Thursday, laying out solutions for some of the safety concerns facing the automotive industry.
One of the most pressing issues Strickland discussed was the high incident of pedestrian collisions with hybrid vehicles. Strickland said “hybrid electric vehicles do have a significantly higher incidence rate of pedestrian crashes than internal combustion engines for certain maneuvers — like slowing or stopping, backing up, entering or leaving a parking space, and making a turn.”
Other concerns such as back-over accidents and distracted driving were discussed at the event, but some safety experts are advising the NHTSA not to be too hasty in its fixes.
“You have to look at the consequences of improving one aspect of a vehicle that it doesn’t harm another,” said David Champion of Consumer Reports.
For example, wider pillars may prevent roofs from crushing in rollover accidents, but they may impede drivers’ vision.
A global safety standard for all vehicles was cited as an important goal, as well as releasing new safety technologies as soon as they are ready. Ford’s James Vondale warned that “if you don’t roll [new technology] out when it’s ready, you risk litigation [that you didn’t release it quickly or widely enough].”
Photo courtesy of adrian8_8 under the Creative Commons License
Tags: David Strickland, James Vondale, NHTSA, pedestrian, safety, vehicles
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DOT Begins Distracted Driving Crackdown
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
Via Automotive Fleet:
“Phone in One Hand. Ticket in the Other,” is the latest campaign against distracted driving being implemented by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in Hartford, Conn., and Syracuse, N.Y., this month. The pilot programs are designed to test whether increased law enforcement efforts can get distracted drivers to put down their cell phones and focus on the road.
Drivers caught texting or talking on a hand-held cell phone will be pulled over and ticketed. “It’s time for drivers to act responsibly, put their hands on the wheel, and focus on the road,” said USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood.
High visibility enforcement was scheduled to begin in the Syracuse metropolitan area April 8-17, while the crackdown in the Hartford metropolitan area will take place April 10-16. Subsequent enforcement waves in both states will take place throughout the course of the year-long program.
In 2008 alone, nearly 6,000 people were killed and more than a half million people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver nationwide, according to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Almost 20 percent of all crashes that same year involved some type of distraction.
“There is no question that high-visibility enforcement combined with effective public advertising works. We’ve seen the results first-hand with national campaigns like Click It or Ticket and Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “Distracted driving is a growing problem-the numbers tell the story of these preventable tragedies.”
Nationwide, six states prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving and twenty-one states have enacted texting bans.
Photo courtesy of Richard Faulder under the Creative Commons License
Tags: crackdown, distracted, DOT, driving, NHTSA, phone
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Pontiac Vibe Recall Tied to Faulty Accelerator
Monday, February 1st, 2010
It seems that Toyota is not the only automaker having trouble with its accelerators. Now a new recall affecting Pontiac has gone into effect:
Model-year 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe vehicles are being recalled because of the risk that the accelerator pedal may malfunction.
This recall is related to the Toyota accelerator pedal recall. The Vibe, essentially the same vehicle as the Toyota Matrix, was the product of a joint venture between GM and Toyota until GM ended it last summer. GM is no longer building the Vibe. No more than 26 new Vibes remain in Pontiac dealerships, a GM representative told Dow Jones Newswires. Sales of the vehicles have been suspended.
Toyota will be handling the Vibe recall, Dow Jones reported.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site, the recall is related to how the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly. The sliding surface of the lever has the potential to become smooth during vehicle operation. In this condition, any condensation that may form on the surface – which can occur while the heater is operating (without AC) and the pedal assembly is cold — can lead to greater friction when the accelerator pedal is engaged. This can result in the accelerator pedal becoming harder to depress, slower to return to idle or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position.
Photo courtesy of resedabear under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: Dow Jones Newswire, GM, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Pontiac, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota, Toyota Matrix, Toyota recall, Vibe recall
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Safety Council: 28 Percent of Crashes Phone-Related
Thursday, January 28th, 2010
New data is strengthening the argument against cell phone use due to its distracting nature behind the wheel:
The National Safety Council estimates that at least 28 percent of all traffic crashes — or at least 1.6 million crashes each year — are caused by drivers using cell phones and texting.
NSC estimates that 1.4 million crashes each year are caused by drivers using cell phones and a minimum of 200,000 additional crashes each year are caused by drivers who are texting. This month’s announcement came on the one-year anniversary of NSC’s call for a ban on all cell phone use and texting while driving.
“We now know that at least 1.6 million crashes are caused by drivers using cell phones and texting,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “We know that cell phone use is a very risky distraction and texting is even higher risk. We now know that cell phone use causes many more crashes than texting. The main reason is that millions more drivers use cell phones than text,” she said. “That is why we need to address both cell phone use and texting on our roads.”
In constructing its estimates, NSC said it used statistical methods and analysis based on data of driver cell phone use from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and from peer-reviewed research that quantifies the risk of using a cell phone and texting while driving. NSC said its statistical model and estimates were peer-reviewed by academic researchers in traffic safety and biostatistics.
Photo courtesy of how long it takes under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: car crashes, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Safety Council, NHTSA, phone-related, texting, traffic accidents
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Chrysler Recalls Vehicles With Risky Brakes
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
Chrysler Group is recalling about 24,000 late-model Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles to fix a defective part that could cause sudden, unexpected brake failure.
The recall applies to some 2010 model year Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger sedans; Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty, Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee SUVs; and 2009 and 2010 model year Ram trucks.
Some of these vehicles could have an improperly formed brake booster rod retaining clip, and some Ram trucks may have been built without the piece. The part is necessary for consistent and proper functioning of the brakes.
Chrysler is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the problem, according a document Chrysler filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The problem was initially discovered by Chrysler factory workers, according to the document.
In one case, a worker at Chrysler’s Saltillo plant in Mexico, where Dodge Ram Heavy Duty trucks are assembled, experienced a complete loss of brake power while testing a vehicle. (The recall applies to all Ram truck models, not just Heavy Duty.)
A few weeks earlier, a worker at the Toledo North Assembly Plant, where the Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty are assembled, had noticed a malformed clip.
“The quality control systems in place caught the issue early,” Chrysler Group said in a statement. “All affected assembly plants held vehicle inventory and inspected for and replaced the clips as necessary.”
Owners of these vehicles can contact NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 or Chrysler at 800-853-1403.
Tags: Avenger, Brakes, Chrysler, Chrysler Brake Recall, Chrysler Group, Dodge, Dodge Nitro, Grand Cherokee, Jeep, Jeep Commander, Jeep Liberty, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Ram trucks, recall, Sebring
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Toyota May Replace Accelerators in Recall
Friday, November 20th, 2009
Four million gas pedals potentially faulty
Toyota is still working on a solution to the issue of floor mats causing its accelerators to stick, causing that pesky “unintended acceleration” that can really put a damper on anyone’s drive. The automaker has been working closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Association to come up with a permanent solution for the growing problem. Toyota recently published a statement saying that it would “take a closer look at the potential for an accelerator pedal to get stuck in the full open position due to an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat.”
Inside Line and Kyodo News are reporting that Toyota may be close to announcing that they will replace the gas pedals of the four million vehicles affected by the recall with shorter ones.
The fix would be provided by Toyota dealerships at no charge to the customer. Swapping out four million accelerator pedals could prove to be a pricey solution, but Toyota claims it has saved up to $5.6 billion dollars in its recall funds over the years for just such an occasion.
Have you or your drivers noticed acceleration problems with any Toyotas in your fleet?
Photo courtesy of mary2678 under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: Inside Line, Kyodo News, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Toyota
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DOT Forms Safety Council
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
On Monday, the United States Department of Transportation held the first meeting of its newly created Safety Council. The council was formed in order to formally address safety issues that affect all 10 of the DOT’s operating administrations.
“Now is the time to identify and address the top safety issues that cut across our agencies,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The council will take our commitment to safety, which is our highest priority, to the next level.”
LaHood says that prior to him taking office, many of the agencies within the DOT were pursuing the same safety initiatives without a formal process for sharing data, strategies, and best practices. He created the Safety Council to fill the role of broad leadership and to serve an organizational function to create a more strong and cohesive culture of safety within the department. The council’s goals are to further enhance the DOT’s focus on safety and to improve the effectiveness and impact of the department’s safety programs.
Chaired by Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari, the Safety Council is comprised of the heads of DOT’s 10 agencies: the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Maritime Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, and the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.
Photo courtesy of DOTlibrary
Tags: DOT, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration, FMCSA, FRA, FTA, Maritime Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Pipelin and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, United States Department of Transportation, USDOT
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AAA: Single-Vehicle Crashes “An Epidemic”
Friday, October 16th, 2009
According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, 58.9 percent of the 7,945 people who died in vehicle accidents over the last 5 years in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia were involved in single-vehicle crashes.
“We are seeing a troubling trend — an epidemic of single-vehicle crashes…on area roads,” John B. Townsend II, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, told the Washington Post. “In addition to operator error and unforgiving roads, certain risk factors — such as driving at an excessive rate of speed, driving at night, driving under the influence, and having a track record of prior traffic convictions and crashes — are the leading common denominators.”
Townsend conducted his research using National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics from 2004 to 2008. He concluded that in 2008, almost 60 percent of the 1,449 people killed in crashes in the three jurisdictions died in single-vehicle crashes. They accounted for nearly 64 percent of Virginia road fatalities, 62 percent of the District’s and 53 percent of those in Maryland.
This week, another single-vehicle fatal crash made headlines when U.S. soccer player Charlie Davies was involved in an early-morning accident on the George Washington Parkway near Washington, D.C. The accident tore the vehicle in two, and a female passenger was killed. Davies, who had just helped his U.S. soccer team qualify for the 2010 World Cup on Saturday, was rushed to Washington Hospital Center.
Photo courtesy of jonfeinstein under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: 2010 World Cup, AAA Mid-Atlantic, Charlie Davies, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, single-vehicle crashes, US Soccer, Washington Hospital Center, Washington Post
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GM Recalls Over 10,000 Pontiac Vibes
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
General Motors is recalling 10,119 MY 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with a 1.8L engine and originally sold in, or currently registered in, a state that can have freezing temperatures during winter.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the intake manifold suction port for the brake vacuum can lock up during extremely cold conditions. This can occur because of the freezing of condensation resulting from positive crankcase ventilation. This could lead to an increase in vehicle stopping distance, raising the risk of a collision.
Dealers will modify the brake vacuum line free of charge. The recall involves vehicles from the following states: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming. A special coverage for vehicles registered in all other states will be implemented in the same time frame, NHTSA said.
The safety recall is expected to begin on or before Oct. 23. Vehicle owners can reach Pontiac at (800) 620-7668.
Photo courtesy of resedabear under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: General Motors, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Pontiac, Pontiac Vibe
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Nissan Turns Up the Volume on Electrics
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Electric and hybrid vehicles are often praised for making very little noise on the road. But now some groups, including advocates for blind pedestrians, are claiming that the lack of significant engine noise is dangerous to those who rely on it to notice approaching cars.
To address these concerns and rectify the problem, Japanese and American transportation agencies may soon mandate artificial engine noises for electric and hybrid cars. Now automakers that produce the offending vehicles must decide what an electric car should sound like.
“We fought for so long to get rid of that noisy engine sound,” said Toshiyuki Tabata, an auto engineer and Nissan’s noise and vibration expert. “With electric cars, we took a completely different approach and listened to composers talk music theory.” Three years ago, Tabata was asked to recreate the sound of a gas engine for just such a purpose, but says he was taken aback by the idea of looking back in time to a traditional sound.
“We decided that if were going to do this, if we have to make sound, then we’re going to make it beautiful and futuristic,” Tabata said.
After consulting several Japanese film score composers, Tabata’s team of six members came up with a new engine sound: a high-pitched sound reminiscent of the flying cars portrayed in the movie Blade Runner.
“We wanted something a bit different, something closer to the world of art,” Tabata said. He also said that the system would operate until the vehicle reached 12 miles per hour, at which point tire noise and engagement of hybrid gasoline engines would be sufficient to warn any pedestrians.
While no serious injuries have been linked to the issue among blind pedestrians, advocates say that prevention is important.
“This isn’t just an issue for the blind,” said Suzuki Takayuki, a spokesman for the Japan Federation of the Blind. “There’s also a danger to children and the elderly.”
The plan to bring artificial noise to electric vehicles is also being considered in the United States, where advocacy groups have been in close contact with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to address the problem. The NHTSA is analyzing its data and will issue a final report by January.
Even though regulators haven’t issued rules or guidelines, Nissan may equip its new Leaf electric with a sound system in time for the car’s introduction next year. The system will increase the car’s sticker price, said Tabata, while declining to provide an estimate. Nissan hasn’t announced the model’s pricing. “We don’t want to destroy the brand of the electric car,” he said. “We want to have something that will enhance its image.”
Photo courtesy of VirtualErn under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: Blade Runner, Electric cars, hybrid, National Highway Traffic Safety, NHTSA, Nissan, Nissan Leaf
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