Blog Archives - Page 83 of 115 - Care For Crash Victims

DOT “Sees” No Problem on Guard Rail Hazards

March, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

DOT, with our tax dollars and with Highway lobby support, says to the American people: RIP.

See http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/business/federal-agency-finds-no-evidence-that-trinity-industries-altered-design-of-its-guardrails.html?ref=business

Nader and Ditlow were right. On deadly roads too.

See http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/opinion/weak-oversight-deadly-cars.html

The DOT and the Highway lobby partner to give a unique meaning to Vision Zero.

“From Secretary Foxx:

Today, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) joined the National Strategy on Highway Safety Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) effort, a vision for eliminating fatalities on the nation’s roadways.

AASHTO has long been a valued partner the Department, and this aggressive approach to safety —DOT’s number one priority— will only strengthen that partnership…”

See http://www.transportation.gov/fastlane/tzd

If Secretary Foxx and his team have their eyes on the Revolving Door, it would be difficult to “see” Guard Rail hazards. See http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/02/25/nhtsa-revolving-door-cronyism-highway-column/23966219/

Lou

President Obama and Secretary Foxx Announce Grow America Bill – Crash Deaths To Grow

March, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Obama Administration proposes endless tragic years ahead for Americans.

Please read this DOT Announcement and watch this DOT video at http://www.dot.gov/grow-america

Can you hear or read the word “safety”?

“The FY 2016 budget proposes $478 billion funding for a 6-year surface transportation reauthorization proposal that invests in modernizing our infrastructure.”

Buried in a more detailed list of this proposal there is a document on improving safety updated yesterday at http://www.dot.gov/grow-america/fact-sheets/safety

It notes: “In 2013, vehicle crashes killed 32,719 Americans and injured more than 2.3 million people.”

Let’s compare the deaths and dollars proposed with the DOT Policy Guidance on valuing deaths and injuries in dollars. The DOT Policy for 2013 attached places a value of $9.1 million. “On the basis of the best available evidence, this guidance identifies $9.1 million as the value of a statistical life to be used for Department of Transportation analyses assessing the benefits of preventing fatalities and using abase year of 2012.”

So if DOT Secretary Foxx had taken out a calculator and multiplied the 2013 fatalities of 32,719 crash deaths times the $9.1 million in the DOT Guidelines he would find the math to amount to $297 billion.

So how does that $297 billion in one year compare with the $478 billion, or $80 billion per year, that he is proposing over the next six years?

If the number of deaths continue over the next 6 years at about 32,000 per year (as I expect is likely) another 192,000 Americans will die of crash injuries. And our crash death clock will exceed 3,855,000 American crash deaths. See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/clock.php

The DOT Grow America proposal and section by section analysis are attached.

In our Declaration of Independence it stated that “it is the Right of the People to alter …as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety”

The Obama Administration’s current proposal is “Unsafe” – far less safe than it needs to be.

Lou

Author Dies of Crash Injuries in a 2013 Corvette

March, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

NY Times carries Reuters report:“Thomas J. Stanley, author of the best-selling book, “The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy,” has died in a car crash near his home in suburban Atlanta, police said on Monday. He was 71.” Seehttp://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/03/02/arts/02reuters-usa-crash-millionaire.html?action=click&contentCollection=Your%20Money&module=RelatedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article

CBS46 reports:

“A spokesperson with Cobb County police said that Thomas Stanley, 71, of Marietta, was driving a 2013 Chevrolet Corvette westbound on Paper Mill Road when he was cut off by another man who was driving behind him.

When Stanley slowed down to make a left turn onto Atlanta Country Road, police said that 45-year-old Jeffrey Fettig, who was driving a 2006 Acura MDX, pulled up behind Stanley, cut to his left and crossed the yellow line into the opposite lanes of of traffic.

Police said they do not know why Fettig cut to Stanley’s left.

After Fettig collided with the font-left side of the Corvette Stanley was driving, both cars crashed into the yard of a nearby house.

Stanley was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital where he died due to injuries from the crash.”

Read more: http://www.cbs46.com/story/28229986/man-killed-in-marietta-crash#ixzz3ThnoasVM The Car Book 2013 rated the 2013 Corvette a 2 out of 10 (1 = Worst, 10 = Best) on Safety Features.

The Car Book 2015 also rated the 2015 Corvette a 2 out of 10 (10 = Best) on Safety Features.

See http://www.autosafety.org/books-reports

Could this tragedy have been avoided had the struck vehicle been a vehicle with a 10 rating for Safety Features such as the 2013 Volvo S60? Perhaps.

Companies need to learn to incorporate safety. And consumers need to wisely choose safety.

Lou

GM Pays to Protect Mary Barra & Other GM Executives

March, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

The NY Times reports:“In a notable victory for General Motors, a lawsuit that helped spur the biggest safety crisis in the company’s history has been withdrawn in exchange for a settlement from its compensation program, according to two people briefed on the agreement.

The lawsuit was the second brought by the family of a Georgia woman, Brooke Melton, who died in 2010 in a car with a faulty ignition switch that has now been linked to at least 64 deaths.

For G.M., the agreement removes the significant legal threat of senior officials, including Mary T. Barra, the automaker’s chief executive, being questioned under oath about the company’s failure for years to recall the defective vehicles.

It was depositions in the Meltons’ first lawsuit that exposed the dangerous flaw in millions of small cars.

“The attorneys for the Melton family may have uncovered additional information that suggested G.M. did too little to protect consumer safety,” said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who has been closely following G.M. safety issues.”

“The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. A G.M. spokesman confirmed that the case had been resolved, but declined to provide other details.” See http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/14/business/general-motors-ignition-flaw-victim-settlement.html?hpw&rref=automobiles&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0

Who has the monetary resources of GM (much of which was and is provided by U.S. taxpayers)to protect all other crash victims? Past, present, and future crash victims?

Politically?

Legally?

The scales of Justice are skewed. Unlimited corporate money on one side and very limited money on the side of crash victims. The result: lives will continue to be lost and damaged needlessly far into the future of America – and the world.

Lou

The Car Book and Auto Safety History and Progress

March, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

The Car Book has been reviewed in the context of the history of auto safety.

Reviewer John Cichowski kindly noted work of Care for Crash Victims.

See http://www.northjersey.com/news/transportation/car-book-last-word-on-safety-of-new-autos-1.1298350?page=all

People in both NJ and the world (with the benefit of the web) can benefit from reading this article and The Car Book.

This review is the latest in a long tradition of NJ auto safety work. The people of NJ have been fortunate to have good auto safety work for many years. See the late Dr. John H. Siegel’s work at NJ Medical School, p. 31 inhttps://www.careforcrashvictims.com/assets/CIREN1.pdf

One of the most prominent examples of the work Dr. Siegel, his team and many others, benefiting people of NJ was the nearly fatal crash of former Gov. Jon Corzine. See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/assets/lombardo-CTTI-Sept2011.pdf

The people of NJ benefit year after year from having one of the lowest crash fatality rates in the U.S. See http://www.fairwarning.org/2012/11/traffic-deaths-a-surprising-dimension-of-the-red-state-blue-state-divide/

As more people learn of the importance of auto safety and what they can do as consumers exercising their market power and as voters we can build a safer America and world.

Lou

NHTSA Administrator Rosekind Addresses Consumer Federation of America (3/13/15)

March, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

C-Span video coverage including Q & A at:http://www.c-span.org/video/?324815-1/discussion-consumer-privacy-protection

Administrator’s prepared remarks attached and at:http://www.nhtsa.gov/Speeches

Advocates Jackie Gillan’s Introduction of Administrator Rosekind attached.

Lou

Church Passenger Van Crash in FL & Multiple Tragedies (8 Deaths + Injuries)

March, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

News-Press reports:

“The eight people who died in the Glades County crash are being transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Lee County.

Five men and three women, all from Fort Pierce, died in the single-vehicle crash, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Eighteen people were traveling in the 2000 Dodge Ram Wagon B3500 Maxi from a “church convention,” Spokesman Lt. Gregory Bueno said. The standard seat capacity for the vehicle is 15.” See

http://www.news-press.com/story/news/2015/03/30/crash-kills-eight-in-glades-county/70657672/

When will NHTSA — at the very least — issue an Actionable Consumer Advisory?

Lou