Category: Blog

PBS News Hour Interviews Ralph Nader On Elections & Wrongful Injury in America


PBS News Hour Interviews Ralph Nader On Elections & Wrongful Injury in America

December, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

As the public faces a critical election year, the PBS News Hour interviewed Ralph Nader on the important issues of America’s past, present, and future well-being.

“NH: What about campaign reform? Particularly, following Citizens United and the opening of the spigot to even more donations from corporations or, more likely, the leaders of the corporations that actually have the money and write the checks.

RN: If politics and elections are for sale, guess who’s going to be the highest bidder?  The powerful and wealthy, and they will in effect rent our political system and our government– to service them between elections. And I keep saying, one percent or less of this people pushing for change on an issue supported by a majority of the people can defeat the most powerful corporations and their political cohorts any day of the week.”  See Videos and transcript at 

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/qa-ralph-nader-on-civil-litigation-tort-reform-and-his-new-museum/

“RALPH NADER: Although the law of wrongful injury affects millions of Americans every year, it’s never discussed in political campaigns, except negatively.”  Seehttp://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/inside-ralph-naders-american-museum-of-tort-law/
Thanks for 50 years of hard work building a Safer America.
Lou

 

Research on Fatal Intersection Crashes and Presidential Political Solutions


Research on Fatal Intersection Crashes and Presidential Political Solutions

December, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Roger Lanctot, a safety analyst, has written:“Automotive safety gadfly, Lou Lombardo, a former NHTSA analyst, notes that the total number of highway fatalities in the U.S. to date is 3,685,564 – three times the number of U.S. fatalities in all wars since 1776. As a result of these staggering figures, the historical and daily death toll, there is a cottage industry around mitigation strategies.”  Seehttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fun-facts-fatalities-big-data-roger-c-lanctot

Having done some work in this area, I am making it available to our community for their potential additional contributions.

First, note Figure 11 in the attached Spatial Analysis paper in which we were surprised to find just 3 intersections in the U.S. that had at least one fatal crash in each of the four years 2001-2004.  We were trying to define “dangerous intersections”.  Defining the problem is important to developing solutions.

Second, deep data research is also important in defining the problems and developing solutions.  In a NHTSA report, published in 2007, we examined intersection fatal crash data from FARS to better understand both problems and potential solutions for fatal intersection crashes.  Seehttp://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810682.pdf

This week the Congress passed legislation that provides some money and some policies for safety.  Hopefully, some of the money  and policies will advance safety in America.  More is needed.
Political Solutions
Surprisingly, this week at the Republican Presidential debate on CNN, an important question resulted in an interesting response by Mr. Trump and the audience on the importance of focusing resources on huge clear and present dangers here in the U.S.A. today.

“Mr. Trump, are Americans safer with dictators running the world in the Middle East?

TRUMP: In my opinion, we’ve spent $4 trillion trying to topple various people that frankly, if they were there and if we could’ve spent that $4 trillion in the United States to fix our roads, our bridges, and all of the other problems; our airports and all of the other problems we’ve had, we would’ve been a lot better off. I can tell you that right now.

We have done a tremendous disservice, not only to Middle East, we’ve done a tremendous disservice to humanity. The people that have been killed, the people that have wiped away, and for what? It’s not like we had victory.

It’s a mess. The Middle East is totally destabilized. A total and complete mess. I wish we had the $4 trillion or $5 trillion. I wish it were spent right here in the United States, on our schools, hospitals, roads, airports, and everything else that are all falling apart.

(APPLAUSE)”  See

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/16/us/politics/transcript-main-republican-presidential-debate.html

Now imagine the Democratic presidential candidates raising the major violence issue of crash deaths and serious injuries.  Candidate Clinton was willing to raise the gun violence issue.  Now let the candidates debate the need for national action on crash violence.  Activists are rightly pushing “End Gun Violence”. It is not just guns that kill people.  Vehicles kill people too. Now activists need to push for a Vision Zero Goal for crash deaths and serious injuries in new vehicles in or by new vehicles in a decade.  End the 100 crash deaths, 400 serious crash injuries, and $2 billion in crash losses occurring in the U.S.A. today – every day.  Seehttps://www.careforcrashvictims.com/clock.php

Lou

 

NHTSA Advances Truck Underride Protection –


NHTSA Advances Truck Underride Protection –

December, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Karth family that lost two daughters works to advance truck safety.

See and subscribe to their inspirational posts to help at:http://annaleahmary.com/2015/12/unexpected-events-progress-in-underride-protection/

Lou

 

Scrooge OnStar Safety (SOS) Story


Scrooge OnStar Safety (SOS) Story

December, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

GM has deliberately designed a defective SOS System based on the principle of Pay or Die.  More than a decade ago, I recall an OnStar response to a NHTSA question, that shocked some of us as callous, that if the subscription was not up to date OnStar would not help.

Here is the latest example.  Amy Hudak of ABC News affiliate 13WHAM Rochester, NY reports:

“Greece, N.Y. — One week from Christmas, Tom Michaels did not think he would spend the holiday with his father-in-law.

89-year-old Anthony DePinto was declared missing after leaving his home Thursday on Paula Red Lane in Greece nearly 13 hours earlier.

He did not have a cell phone with him, but knew enough to push the OnStar button in his Chevy. DePinto told 13WHAM News that OnStar picked up and told him he did not have a subscription.

“They told him there was nothing they could do because he didn’t have a subscription,” DePinto’s son-in-law Tom Michaels said. “They would not let him call home, they would not let him call in the emergency.”

A massive state-wide search began and Anthony’s picture was displayed nearly everywhere….”

“The family is pushing for OnStar to change their ways and their priorities.

“They could definitely make a 911 call. There is no excuse – it’s unacceptable,” Michaels said.

Anthony and his family are fortunate for a happy ending, having their dad back home and safe with the family, but said the outcome could have been far worse.

“A lot of people who are elderly go missing and it’s not a good ending,” Michaels said.

13WHAM News did reach out to OnStar. They apologized for the experience and said if you’re not a subscriber, their computers cannot locate the car. In that case, they call authorities. OnStar added they were not sure whether or not Anthony DePinto’s emergency call was passed on to police.” See

http://13wham.com/news/local/onstar-ignores-89-year-old-emergency-caller  and

http://consumerist.com/2015/12/21/onstar-ignores-elderly-mans-request-for-emergency-help-because-hes-not-a-subscriber/ GM has sold variations of this “defective by design” system since 1996 to a poorly informed public. What is worse is that since 1997 when the life saving potential of Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) and URGENCY software was developed by NHTSA researchers – before NHTSA became a captive agency, the agency still has not set a safety standard for such systems.  See numerous papers on ACN & URGENCY athttps://www.careforcrashvictims.com/urgency.php  
GM and NHTSA have failed to provide the public the protection available and needed for decades.
Lou

 

Airbags in 1966 and Subsequently


Airbags in 1966 and Subsequently

December, 2015

I had the privilege of working with Dr. Carl Clark at NHTSA in the 1980s.

By 1973, GM had produced and sold airbag vehicles to the U.S. government.  See  https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/blog-daylaightsavings.php

Auto safety expert Byron Bloch still owns one of the original GM airbag vehicles.
That development of production airbag vehicles by GM between 1966 and 1973 using 1960s technology shows how much progress can be made when the governmental and corporate will is applied to advance safety.  
Imagine how much progress could be made today using 21st century technologies to achieve Vision Zero deaths and serious injuries in or by a new vehicle in a decade.  Where is the political will?
Lou

 

Senators Blumenthal and Markey on NHTSA’s Unaceptable Recall Completion Rates


Senators Blumenthal and Markey on NHTSA’s Unaceptable Recall Completion Rates

December, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Josh Zembik (Blumenthal) – 202-224-6452

December 23, 2015

Giselle Barry (Markey) – 202-224-2742

BLUMENTHAL, MARKEY ON NHSTA RECALL COMPLETION RATES: “COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND A MASSIVE DISAPPOINTMENT”

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) issued the following statement on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) current completion rates for replacing recalled Takata airbags:

 

“Today’s update from NHTSA reiterates what we already know: the current pace of recall efforts is completely unacceptable and a massive disappointment. While they have increased somewhat in the last few weeks, these completion rates are dismal – NHTSA and automakers deserve a lump of coal this year for failing to get their act together to get every potentially deadly airbag off the road. As the holiday season brings increased travel, Americans on the road to visit family or friends should not be at risk because of NHTSA’s lethargic recall.

 

“The coordinated remedy and appointment of an independent monitor are helpful steps, but are largely required because NHTSA has moved too slowly and ineptly for years, allowing a patchwork of recalls too confusing for consumers to follow. Automakers have dragged their feet and failed to quickly and clearly communicate the extent of the risk to NHTSA and the public. While NHTSA’s appointment of John D. Buretta, an experienced litigator with a track record of protecting consumers, as independent monitor of the recall is a positive step, NHTSA must ensure that Mr. Buretta has all resources necessary to effectively oversee this critical task.

 

“While we appreciate Honda, Subaru, and Mazda’s recall expansions to ensure an adequate safety margin, there remain many un-recalled vehicles on the road  that still contain potentially defective Takata airbags. The identification of yet another preventable death – this time a young boy and well after when this safety defect was first made known – reiterates the urgent need for swift recall of all cars with these potentially defective airbags, which we have been urging NHTSA to require for months. The longer it takes to require and complete this recall, the more drivers and passengers are at risk of injury or death.”

 

 

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The Airbag “Mess” That Harms Us


The Airbag “Mess” That Harms Us

December, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
As I read this, it is yet another excellent article that documents our “rigged” system of people and policies in corporations and government that harm us.

Bloomberg reports:

“A ‘Mess’

NHTSA agrees that movement on the Takata case took too long and that’s why it included deadlines for action in its consent order with the company, Trowbridge said. For example, manufacturers in states with high humidity, which has been linked to the air bag failures, must have enough parts on hand by March to complete all repairs, he said.

“We’ve got kind of a mess on our hands here and everybody acknowledges this,” he said. “This is not going to get done fast enough to satisfy us or, frankly, we think the manufactures that are involved.”

Law changes that would make recall completion rates higher have consistently been fought by the industry, Ditlow said.

A measure contained in transportation legislation earlier this year would have required used car dealers to perform all outstanding recalls before selling vehicles. It was taken out of the bill before it passed.” See