Category: Blog

Tip Save Your Money – Don’t Overbuy Gasoline Octane

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

In the early 1970’s I was the principal consumer advocate for octane posting on gasoline pumps.   Advocacy resulted in enactment of Title II – Octane Disclosure – of the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act (P.L. 95-297) requiring the posting of gasoline octane quality ratings on all gasoline pumps to reduce consumer octane overbuying. Octane overbuying in the 1970s was resulting, each day, in an economic waste of three million consumer dollars, energy waste of one million gallons of gasoline, and air pollution emissions of 400,000 pounds of lead.  See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/about-louis.php

Today we read in the NY Times overbuying is still a problem in the U.S.A.“According to a report this week from AAA, 16.5 million drivers used premium fuel on average at least once a month over the last year, although their cars required only regular grade gasoline, accomplishing nothing positive and wasting $2.1 billion.”  See  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/automobiles/dont-waste-money-on-premium-gas-if-your-car-is-made-for-regular.html?hpw&rref=automobiles&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

See good report and informational materials published by AAA at http://newsroom.aaa.com/2016/09/u-s-drivers-waste-2-1-billion-annually-premium-gasoline/

Nice to see AAA warning Americans about overbuying as we did in the 1970’s when we did not have octane ratings on the pumps.  Americans still need to stop overbuying. But now all gasoline is lead free – and importantly blood lead levels in children are now much lower – though still not low enough from other sources of lead.   Seehttps://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/data/Chart_Website_StateConfirmedByYear_1997_2015.pdf

Lou Lombardo

Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Deception – Scientists Estimate Effects on People

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Scientists have estimated the effects of diesel emissions from Volkswagen’s deliberate vehicle cheating on U.S. emission tests.

“Abstract “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a notice of violation against Volkswagen (VW) for installing a defective device in certain models of diesel cars to circumvent emission tests for nitrogen oxides (NOx). We quantified the health and economic impacts of extra NOx emissions attributable to non-compliant vehicles in the U.S. using the EPA’s Co-Benefits Risk Assessment model. We estimated that the total extra NOx emitted over one year of operation would result in 5 to 50 premature deaths, 687 to 17,526 work days with restricted activity, and economic costs of $43,479,189 to $423,268,502, based on various assumptions regarding emission scenarios and risks. This study highlights the potential impacts of VW vehicles’ lack of compliance on the health and well-being of the U.S. population.”
Note:  This is based on one year of operation.  The deception took place over a decade.
For more on VW criminal deception see  http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/09/09/business/09reuters-volkswagen-emissions.html“VW has so far set aside about $18 billion to cover the cost of vehicle refits and a settlement with U.S. authorities, but analysts think the bill could rise much further as a result of lawsuits and regulatory penalties.”  See  http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/09/21/business/21reuters-volkswagen-emissions-lawsuit.html
Short History of Air Pollution
This is part of a 50 year war on automotive emissions that have harmed people’s health in the U.S., damaged people worldwide, and the planet.  See
1.  As a whistle blower in 1971, I was fired from EPA trying to warn that emission testing by the Nixon EPA was being rigged to benefit auto companies under Administrator William Ruckelshaus.
2.  A recent MIT study found that all automotive emissions, not just diesel emissions, were estimated to be resulting in 53,000 early deaths each year in the U.S.A. today.
3.  Last year, President Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom to William Ruckelshaus.  See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/blog/blog-medal/
Last week, on September 15, 2016, I commented on a NY Times article “Pardon Snowden” on whistle blowing.   I received the NY Times link athttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/opinion/pardon-edward-snowden.html?comments#permid=19799984:19805678
I had made the three points above about my experience as a whistle blower.  Within a couple of hours my comments were recommended by more than 150 readers.   One reader replied saying that my comments were “the scariest post” he had ever read.
Then the NY Times removed my comments and those of the people who had replied to my comments.
Lou Lombardo

Crash Victim Petition Gains More Than 1 000 Signatures in Days

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

The inspirational Karth family petition for action by President Obama has gained more than 1,000 signatures in just a few days!  As we recently wrote there are millions of reasons to sign their actionable petition.

Please continue to spread the word and build the community support for safety progress.

See http://www.thepetitionsite.com/384/321/600/end-preventable-crash-fatalities-appoint-a-national-traffic-safety-ombudsman/

For people who need to know more why I recommend Marianne Karth’s work please see her safety resume attached.  She, her family, and all Americans deserve her support.
Please see video of their tragic losses.  She created it to help prevent tragedies happening to all of us.  Warning:  It probably will bring tears to your eyes as it did to mine.

Lou Lombardo

Decades Of Deaths By Truck Underride

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
Marianne Karth has written an excellent article for Trucks.com.

“When Will We Tackle Underride? – The Hidden Dangers in Trucks”

See https://www.trucks.com/2016/08/10/trucks-underride-hidden-danger/

Almost every other day in the U.S.A. today someone is killed in a truck underride crash as counted by NHTSA.

Worry when you see a heavy truck on the road because NHTSA has failed to fix the problem for decades.  If you can see the truck, you are in danger – danger that NHTSA has not seen for too long for too many Americans.Inline image 1

Lou Lombardo

Decades of Deaths and Injuries By Design of Weak Seats

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Deaths and Injuries By Corporate Designs
The problem has been carefully and powerfully described in an excellent CBS video at http://www.cbsnews.com/news/seat-back-failures-injuries-deaths-auto-safety-experts-demand-nhtsa-action/

The video relied in part on the noble and diligent work of the Center for Auto Safety for decades to end these needless tragedies.  See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/blog/blog-seatbackfailuresresponsibility/

Some progressive political pressure grew but not enough to move the Obama Administration yet.  See

Yesterday, the Center for Auto Safety released additional information that continues to build the case for humane and moral action to end this vehicle violence.  The CAS found evidence of 327 deaths and 3,278 injuries since 2003 that NHTSA should have acted on.  The data shows Ford had the most deaths while GM had the most injuries.  See http://www.autosafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Supplemental-EWR-Letter.pdf
Decades of NHTSA Failures to Protect Americans Here
Where is the Obama Administration?  Defending shipment of $400 million in cash to Iran – apparently in part for 4 American hostages.  Compare $400 million to the 327 deaths valued at $9 million each using DOT policy value of a statistical life = $3 billion.  See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/crash-costs.php

Note the Obama Administration spends more than $100 million each year on vehicle safety research – but it is managed by former GM employees.  See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/blog-lastdecade.php
Resources Not Spent On Safety
Where are the Foundations?  The largest Gates spends 75% of our money overseas.  (Yes, I think of it as “our money” to some extent since it was made here in the U.S.A. and tax sheltered here for years.)
Imagine how many lives would have been saved if the Center for Auto Safety over the past 40 years had a budget of $10 million each year (actually it is far less than $1 million).
Note the Obama Administration spends more than $100 million each year on vehicle safety research – but it is managed by former GM employees.  And because of the freely spinning DOT Revolving Door by too many past, present, and future corporate servants.
Under Obama, American taxpayers bailed out automakers, but Obama has overseen scandals at NHTSA and an estimated 250,000 deaths by the end of this year here in the U.S.A.  Currently, vehicle violence is resulting in 100 deaths + 400 serious injuries and an estimated cost of $2 billion every average day in the U.S.A. today.  See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/assets/MonthlyReportforJanuary2016-Corrected.pdf
Lou Lombardo
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____________________Lou Lombardowww.CareForCrashVictims.com

Forbes Offers Blind Spot Crash Avoidance Technique Free

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

A good article on how people can avoid blind spot accidents has been published by Forbes.

This is a Mirror Adjustment technique that I have used for decades and have taught my children and grandchildren.  See

This is one little known thing we can do to be safer.
Lou Lombardo
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____________________Lou Lombardowww.CareForCrashVictims.com