Airbags can save lives in the event of a crash, but in order to do so, they have to work properly. That’s apparently not the case for some 60,000 Mazda vehicles. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
London Kicks Uber Out Over Concerns About Safety & Sneaky Software
By 9.22.17
After years of offering rides in London, Uber is being told to exit the British metropolis after the city’s transport regulator denied Uber’s license renewal over concerns about public safety and the company’s use of sneaky software to avoid detection by the authorities. [More]
VW Drivers Claim Company Didn’t Warn Them That Sunroofs May Spontaneously Explode
By 9.21.17
You’re cruising happily down the highway with the sun streaming through your sunroof when suddenly, there’s a loud noise and glass is exploding everywhere. Sounds scary, right? That’s what Volkswagen owners say in a new lawsuit accusing the company of failing to warn them that this could possibly happen in a slew of vehicles. [More]
Lyft, Budweiser Partnering Up Again To Fight Drunk Driving With Free Rides
By 9.20.17
Just like last year, Lyft and Budweiser are teaming up to offer drinkers a safer option for getting home than climbing behind the wheel of their car: They’ll be handing out 150,000 round-trip rides in some states through the end of the year. [More]
Hey Kids, Now Your Parents Have to Take Driver’s Ed, Too
By 9.20.17
The driver’s license: Perhaps nothing represents teen freedom more than that document saying you can go wherever you want without having your parents or someone else drive you there. But times have changed from the days when driving autonomy was granted to any 16-year-old who could pass the DMV’s tests. Now, some states are requiring parents to take a form of driver’s education alongside their teens. [More]
Nearly 500K Dodge Ram Trucks Recalled Over Fire Risk
By 9.20.17
Fiat Chrysler has recalled nearly half a million large trucks after reports from customers revealed the vehicles could pose a fire risk. [More]
Here’s Which Airlines Are Capping Fares, Adding Flights For Travelers Fleeing Hurricane Maria
By 9.19.17
Hurricane Maria continues to gain momentum as it churns through the Caribbean, strengthening to a Category 5 storm after making landfall on the island of Dominica on Monday. Forecasters and safety officials are advising everyone in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to get to safety, and so some airlines are capping fares for travelers trying to get out of the storm’s path. [More]
Frontier Fined $1.5M For Long Tarmac Delays, Will Only Pay $600K
By 9.18.17
Last December, Frontier canceled 275 flights after severe winter weather disrupted operations in and out of its hub at Denver International Airport. Still, the airline was slow to respond to the storm, federal aviation officials claim, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded on planes for hours. As a result, the company has been fined $1.5 million. [More]
Uber Also Used ‘Greyball’ Software To Evade City Transportation Officials
By 9.15.17
Uber has already been accused of using a software tool dubbed “Greyball” to avoid sidestep law enforcement officers in cities where the service wasn’t yet authorized to operate. A new investigation has concluded that Greyball was also being used in at least one city to evade detection by more than a dozen local government officials. [More]
United Accused Of Stranding Woman In Wheelchair After Bumping Her From Flight
By 9.14.17
United Airlines is apologizing to yet another passenger, after a man said airline employees left his 77-year-old mother to her own devices after bumping her from her flight home to London. [More]
Don’t Let The Basic Economy Gate-Service Fee Catch You By Surprise
By 9.13.17
This year, airlines have introduced a new kind of fare, the “Basic Economy” ticket. Passengers with this ticket type board last and, on some airlines, only get to bring one carry-on item on board, paying the same fees as Economy travelers to check other luggage. Some passengers on United or American who didn’t read the fine print are getting hit with fees for bringing extra carry-on bags in addition to the fees for gate-checking those bags. [More]
69 Cheating Volkswagen Diesels Stolen From Silverdome Parking Lot
By 9.13.17
The cheating diesels that Volkswagen has bought back as part of its settlement with purchasers are sitting in vehicular purgatories across the country, waiting to be repaired so they can go to new homes. Only some of them were sprung early: 69 “Dieselgate” vehicles were stolen only to turn up with fake Michigan titles at an auto auction in Kentucky. [More]
Feds Release Guidelines For Self-Driving Cars, But Does It Really Matter Yet?
By 9.13.17
While we might dream of a day where we can sit behind the wheel of a vehicle reading a book or watching a movie, all while the car drives itself, that day remains many moons away. But here’s the thing about technology — it changes, and it changes quickly. To that end, federal safety regulators are working to ensure that carmakers create safe systems to prepare for the day that self-driving vehicles are actually on the road. There’s a catch, though: It’s all voluntary. [More]
Governor Asks State AG To Sue Feds Over Airport Noise
By 9.13.17
While it’s convenient to live near the airport when it comes time to take a trip, it’s not always ideal for folks who have to deal with the noise of planes flying overhead day in and day out. That’s why Maryland’s governor is urging his state to sue the federal government: Airport traffic is making the state’s residents miserable. [More]
Volkswagen Pledges To Make Electric Versions Of All Its Vehicles By 2030
By 9.11.17
What’s one way to avoid major emissions-cheating scandals? Make cars that don’t run on fuel: As part of the company’s previously announced plan make up for Dieslgate by focusing on electric cars, Volkswagen says it’ll build electric versions of all 300 models it offers by 2030. [More]
American Airlines Flight Cancelled Due To Stowaway Scorpion
By 9.11.17
An American Airlines flight out of Sacramento was canceled over the weekend because of a stowaway that made both passengers and crew members uncomfortable. That stowaway? A scorpion. [More]
Cruise Ships Bringing Supplies, Rescuing People From Islands Hit By Hurricane Irma
By 9.11.17
While many travelers prepping for an island vacation had their cruise plans put on hold as Hurricane Irma brewed, several of those cruise lines have once again disembarked, this time to deliver supplies and pick up those stranded in the Caribbean. [More]
Tesla Expanding Supercharger Stations Into City Centers
By 9.11.17
One of the biggest perks of owning an electric car? Skipping the gas station. But because not everyone has a house with a garage that they can charge a vehicle in overnight, Tesla is now expanding its Supercharger stations to city centers. [More]
