If you don’t remember to get your recalled vehicle fixed, what if some kindly bureaucrats came to the lot where you’re parked to remind you? That’s what employees of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and some auto manufacturers are doing this week. They’re on a tour that’s like a political campaign, but not asking people to vote: they’re asking motorists to repair their vehicles and install their child safety seats correctly. [More]
safety
Tesla Says Driver Took Hands Off Wheel In Latest “Autopilot” Crash
By 8.10.16
Once again, high-end electric car maker Tesla is in the spotlight following a crash by a driver who was using the company’s “Autopilot” feature. However, the company says the driver was taking the term “autopilot” too literally. [More]
Uber Passenger Claims Driver Attacked Her After Dropping Her Off
By 8.5.16
A Los Angeles woman says she doesn’t feel safe alone with Uber drivers at night, after a driver allegedly attacked her after taking her to her destination. [More]
Former Dart Worker Accused Of Putting Glass Shards In Shipment Of Cups
By 8.2.16
A Kentucky man who used to work for Dart Container has been accused of putting shards of glass into multiple sleeves of foam cups. Dart is calling the incident a “deliberate attack on our company.” [More]
Care.com Can’t Explain Why People Keep Texting Me To Babysit Their Kids
By 7.29.16
We’ve all gotten wrong-number calls and texts; some of us have even been on the receiving end of repeated wrong-number calls looking for the same person. But Consumerist reader Ed wants to know why his phone number is listed — twice — as a babysitter on Care.com, even though he’s (A) not a babysitter, and (B) never had an account with the site. [More]
Hoverboard Owners Report Issues Getting Refunds After Recall
By 7.27.16
Nearly a month after the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled half a million (non-hovering) hoverboards over safety concerns, urging owners to stop using the self-balancing scooters and seek refunds, some customers say they’re having a difficult time doing so. [More]
Anyone Can Make & Market A Dietary Supplement, Including Consumer Reports
By 7.27.16
When you see ads for dietary supplements, there are often scientists in lab coats looking at beakers and flasks, saying science-y things. In the real world, just about anyone with a credit card can make and market a supplement, even one that contains potentially unhealthy ingredients. Just ask our colleagues at Consumer Reports, the creators of the new (totally fake) weight-loss supplement Thinitol. [More]
Senators Urge Honda To Issue “Do Not Drive” Notice For Some Vehicles With Takata Airbags
By 7.26.16
Last month, tests revealed that each time certain older model Honda and Acura vehicles’ Takata airbags deploy, there’s up to a 50% chance that it will rupture, shooting shrapnel at drivers and passengers. While federal regulators urged owners not to drive these vehicles, lawmakers are now calling on Honda to issue the same warning to owners of vehicles containing the defective airbags. [More]
Company Recalls Children’s Water Bottles Sold At L.L. Bean For Containing High Levels Of Lead
By 7.20.16
A company called GSI Outdoors is recalling about 6,700 kids’ insulated water bottles sold exclusively at L.L. Bean stores. Why? Because children shouldn’t be handling toxic lead. [More]
AAA: Basically Everyone Has Experienced Road Rage
By 7.14.16
You grip the wheel a bit harder, you huff, and puff, and threaten under your breath to do awful things to the stranger who just cut you off, and then “HOOOOOOONK,” you lay on the horn for a solid 10 second. It’s called road rage, and most American drivers have experienced it, according to a new research report from AAA.
[More]
AAA Would Like To Remind You Not To Use Pokémon Go While Driving
By 7.12.16
While it might seem obvious that you shouldn’t have your phone in front of your face for any reason while you’re operating heavy machinery, AAA would still like to remind all those Pokémon Go players out there to keep their eyes on the road and not on the app. [More]
Why Are There Seatbelt Demos On Airplanes?
By 7.12.16
A seatbelt is a fairly intuitive safety device: insert the flat end into the other piece and you’re secure in your seat — it’s fairly simple. We’ve all snapped one together, whether flying, driving or riding. So with the process likely engrained in our minds, why do airlines continue to include the simple instructions in their pre-takeoff safety demos? [More]
U.S. Now Has Highest Death Rate For Car Crashes Among Comparable Countries
By 7.6.16
The motor vehicle death rate in the U.S. has dropped 31% since 2000, which may sound impressive until you see that these deaths dropped by an average of 56% in 19 other comparable countries during the same period of time, leaving America as the country with the highest vehicle crash death rate among these high-income nations. [More]
Nearly 501,000 Hoverboards Recalled Over Safety, Fire Hazards
By 7.6.16
Nearly five months ago, major retailer pulled “hoverboard” scooters from shelves after the Consumer Product Safety Commission said the not-actually-hovering devices were unsafe unless they met certain standards. Now the federal safety agency is announcing an official recall of around 501,000 hoverboards. [More]
Massive IKEA Dresser Recall Means Long Phone Queues, Illegal Resales Online
By 7.1.16
IKEA is finally offering a fairly consumer-friendly recall on furniture that has tragically killed six children in the last three decades. Unfortunately, the massive recall effort is not exactly going as planned to keep the dangerous dressers out of consumers’ homes. [More]
3 Things To Consider Before Cleaning Your Grill With A Wire Brush
By 7.1.16
For all those folks getting ready to fire up the grill for the holiday weekend, there’s one thing you might do before you break out the hamburgers, hot dogs, and donuts — clean your grill. But before you set to scrubbing, consider this: an estimated 1,700 Americans went to an emergency room between 2002 and 2014 after having ingested wire bristles hidden in grilled food. [More]
Which Fireworks Are Legal In My State?
By 7.1.16
Aside from a pair of federal-level regulations on certain types of fireworks, what you can or can’t set off this Fourth of July weekend will depend on which state you’re in. [More]
Listen To A Guy With Experience Talk About Fireworks Safety
By 6.30.16
This holiday weekend, many Americans will no doubt be in the mood to celebrate Independence Day with brightly colored fireworks that go “whiz!” and “bang!” and make us all proud we got rid of the British early on. But no matter how fun fireworks can be, they can also be very, very dangerous. To bring that message home, New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is sharing the story of how he lost part of his hand in a firework accident [More]
