Update: Bike rider killed in Newport Beach; DUI driver faces murder charge

Update: Bike rider killed in Newport Beach; DUI driver faces murder charge

Biking LA Blog
October 20, 2014

[…] This is the 73rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 15th in Orange County; that compares to 12 in the county for all of last year. And it’s at least the eighth fatal bike collision in Newport Beach in just the last five years. […]

Truck technology targets collision avoidance to limit damage on highways

Truck technology targets collision avoidance to limit damage on highways

October 18, 2014

[…] Regardless of who is at fault, when a semi is involved in a rear-end collision, the chances of fatalities and injuries are dramatically higher. In 2012, 3,514 people died in large truck crashes, 67 percent of whom were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles.

In response to these types of accidents, a number of companies are developing a new generation of truck collision avoidance technology that is promising to significantly help reduce the prevalence of such accidents. […]

Cyclist kicked into the path of a coach by fellow cyclist

Cyclist kicked into the path of a coach by fellow cyclist

Telegraph
October 21, 2014

Video: Cyclist-on-cyclist road rage filmed by Raphael Carrondo, who was lucky to escape alive

We are used to hearing about the dangers of cycling in London, with countless dreadful cases over the years that have seen cyclists injured or killed because of reckless motorists. […]

Published on Aug 6, 2014

Raphael Carrondo

Please help me find the person in the video to bring him to justice. If you have any information that can lead to identifying the person on the video will be much appreciated. The incident happened in London at around 5:15 pm in front of the embankment station on Wednesday August 6th 2014. Please comment below if you have any information. Sharing the video will also help.

Bicycle Pedestrain Safety Priority and Hard Work Priority DOT

Bicycle Pedestrain Safety Priority and Hard Work Priority DOT

DOT

October 20, 2014

[…] For example, participants agreed we need more accurate data, particularly when it comes to reading the number of miles walked and biked. Developing an approach to measuring those miles in a way that’s commensurate with our vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) measurement would provide much better context for crashes, injuries, and fatalities. It would also enable researchers and practitioners to better evaluate the safety impacts of engineering and infrastructure. And, of course, it would provide more accurate estimates on the need for bicycle and pedestrian lanes or paths. […]

Chrysler Recalls More Than 900K Vehicles

Chrysler Recalls More Than 900K Vehicles

Chrysler knows of one crash but no injuries or fires.

AP NEWS
October 16, 2014

Nearly 907,000 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep SUVs and cars are being recalled for alternators that can fail and heated power mirror wiring that can short and cause minor fires.

The recalls, posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators, push the total number of recalls so far this year to over 500, totaling more than 51 million vehicles. That’s a full-year record on both counts, due mainly to massive General Motors recalls of more than 30 million vehicles. […]

Highway Guardrail May Be Deadly, States Say

Highway Guardrail May Be Deadly, States Say

New York Times October 12, 2014

[…]
Federal highway officials had long insisted that guardrails throughout the state were safe. But some guardrail heads had apparently malfunctioned, in essence turning the rails into spears when cars hit them and injuring people instead of cushioning the blow, Missouri officials said. […]
Because of its safety concerns, Missouri banned further installation of the rail heads on Sept. 24. It joined Nevada, which prohibited further purchases in January, and was followed six days later by Massachusetts. Lawsuits say the guardrails were to blame for five deaths, and many more injuries, in at least 14 accidents nationwide.

[…]

NHTSA signals plan to address deaths in underride crashes

NHTSA signals plan to address deaths in underride crashes

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety
October 9, 2014

When a car runs into the back of a tractor-trailer outfitted with a weak underride guard, the outcome is too often deadly for people in the smaller vehicle. Backed by crash tests and studies of real-world underride cases, the Institute has outlined ways to improve rear guards to make them less likely to buckle or break off during a rear crash. Prompted by this research and tougher regulations in Canada, some trailer manufacturers have adopted better designs. Now U.S. regulators are poised to address the issue.

Three years after the Institute first petitioned federal regulators for tougher requirements and suggested specific improvements (see “Crash tests demonstrate the need for new underride guard standards,” March 1, 2011), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated rulemaking to consider new standards for rear underride guards on trailers, semitrailers and single-unit straight trucks. […]

Deaths linked to GM ignition-switch defect rise to 27

Deaths linked to GM ignition-switch defect rise to 27

Reuters October 13, 2014

[…]
Since it began accepting claims Aug. 1, the program has received a total of 1,371 claims for deaths and injuries, according to the report by the office of Kenneth Feinberg, who GM has tapped to run the program. The report listed all of the claims received and approved as of Friday.

GM has faced criticism this year for waiting 11 years to begin recalling millions of cars with ignition-switch problems that were linked to fatalities. […]

Imperfect Hands-Free Systems Causing Potentially-Unsafe Driver Distractions

AAA Research
Imperfect Hands-Free Systems Causing Potentially-Unsafe Driver Distractions

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 7, 2014) – With three out of four drivers believing that hands-free technology is safe to use, Americans may be surprised to learn that these popular new vehicle features may actually increase mental distraction, according to new research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. This research can serve as guidance to manufacturers who increasingly market hands-free systems as safety features. The good news for consumers is that it is possible to design hands-free technologies that are less cognitively distracting, according to the research.