After what seemed like months with no additional vehicles being added to the ongoing shrapnel-shooting Takata airbag recall, we now have two in two days. The most recent coming from Ford, which added 816,000 vehicles to the list. [More]
safety
Lawsuit Claims Drunk Lyft Driver Caused Serious Car Crash
By 1.3.17
Having someone else drive when you’ve had a few too many alcoholic beverages is always important — but what if the person you hire to drive you is the one who’s drunk? Two Lyft passengers in California say their trip ended with a terrifying crash because their driver was intoxicated. [More]
Insurers Not So Sure Smart Gadgets Make Your Home Any Safer
By 12.22.16
The insurance industry seems to have a love-hate relationship with smart gadgets: auto insurers want drivers to use tracking technology so they can offer more personalized rates (something many drivers don’t want), but home insurance companies aren’t likely to give homeowners with internet-connected safety systems a break on their bills. [More]
Uber Admits Its Self-Driving Cars Have A Problem Handling Bike Lanes
By 12.20.16
The rules of the road don’t just cover cars — there are conveyances of the two-wheeled variety out there as well. Considering many human drivers don’t understand how to share the streets with bicycles, it’s somewhat unsurprising that Uber is admitting that its autonomous vehicles are having a hard time dealing with them as well. [More]
Settlements Allow Auto Dealers To Continue Selling Unrepaired Recalled Vehicles As “Safe”
By 12.16.16
If you bought a used car from a dealership that proudly claims to put each vehicle through “125-point” or “172-point” inspections, you might assume that your vehicle is safe to drive and that it isn’t under recall for a potentially deadly defect. However, a number of big names in used cars — including CarMax and General Motors — have recently entered into settlements with federal regulators that could allow used car dealers to continue marketing their vehicles as safe even while they may have unrepaired defects. [More]
Tips For Keeping Your Kids Safe And Yourself Sane While Traveling For The Holidays
By 12.15.16
While you might now be a pro at traveling with kids for the holidays, remember that every year there are millions of new families making that trip with a toddler for the first time. So rather than scowl with derision at the parents trying to quiet their crying kid, let’s use this moment to share some tips that will help keep the young ones safe while protecting parents’ sanity. [More]
Cuisinart Recalls 8.3 Million Food Processor Blades Dating Back To 1996
By 12.13.16
When using the whirling blades of a food processor to prepare a meal, you assume that the common kitchen appliance is not going to put shards of its steel blades in your food, causing you pain and injury. Yet Cuisinart has recalled 8.3 million food processors in the United States and Canada that pose a risk of exactly that kind of problem. [More]
Police: Fake Dentist Made House Calls To Pull Teeth, Provide Dentures
By 12.12.16
Listen: if the dentist says he doesn’t mind dropping by your house to pull a few teeth, you might want to double check and make sure he’s a real dentist before you open wide. [More]
Target Reissues Menorah Recall Over The Wrong Kind Of Fire Concerns
By 12.7.16
This Hanukkah, you’ll want to gather around the table with your family to light the menorah. While you want there to be flickering flames, what you definitely do not want is a melted candelabrum melting all over your holiday decor. [More]
Hacker’s Company Handing Out Code That Can Turn Any Car Into A Self-Driving Vehicle
By 12.1.16
Does making a product free mean you don’t have to answer to authorities who might come knocking later? One experienced hacker seems to think his startup can avoid liability while giving away code for a software kit to convert cars into self-driving vehicles. [More]
Consumer Advocates Sue Government Over Long Wait For New Automobile Safety Features
By 11.30.16
Earlier this year, federal vehicle safety regulators reached a voluntary agreement with nearly two dozen car manufacturers to make forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking features standard in their cars starting in 2022. But some consumer safety advocates believe this is too long a wake and have gone to court in the hope of pressing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into taking more immediate action. [More]
Court Overturns Federal Ban On Potentially Dangerous, High-Power Magnet Toys, Gadgets
By 11.23.16
Not that long ago, lots of us were going out on Black Friday weekend and buying Buckyballs or some other stocking stuffer that used tiny high-powered magnetic spheres. Then we learned that these doodads can do an awful lot of damage if swallowed. Since 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has been recalling these products and filing lawsuits against the companies that continue to make these potentially dangerous items. The CPSC even created a new safety standard that effectively bans the remaining magnetic products, but this week a federal appeals court overturned that rule. [More]
NHTSA: New Hybrid, Electric Cars Must Make Noise So Pedestrians Hear Them Coming
By 11.14.16
Even if car doesn’t have an engine to rev, it still has to make enough noise to warn pedestrians that it’s coming. So says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which just released a new rule that says all hybrid and electric vehicles have to produce an audible sound when traveling at low speeds. [More]
8 Things We Learned About Allegiant’s History Of Scary Midair Mechanical Failures
By 11.3.16 — Updated: 11.4.16
When you book a ticket on a discount airline, you might expect no-frills service in the cabin, but you don’t expect to be getting on a plane that’s any less safe than the more expensive competition. Yet after complaints from pilots and increased scrutiny from the FAA, the Tampa Bay Times crunched a lot of data and figured out that yes, Allegiant’s planes fail more than the U.S. average. [More]
After $4.8M In Property Damage, Millions Of Dehumidifiers Recalled
By 11.3.16
Dehumidifiers are meant to protect homes from mold and mildew, not burn them down. Yet, that’s apparently a possibility for 3.4 million dehumidifiers — covering dozens of brands, including GE, Honeywell, Kenmore, and Sunbeam — that are being recalled after being linked to $4.8 million in property damage. [More]
Lawsuit Against Amazon Claims Exploding Hoverboard Destroyed Family’s Home
By 10.27.16 — Updated: 10.31.16
For most people, so-called hoverboards were just a fad, one many didn’t think much about after a serious of fiery incidents involving the electric scooters prompted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall half a million of the devices over safety concerns. But it was more than a trendy fad to be forgotten for others, like one Tennessee family that’s claiming a scooter sold by Amazon was responsible for destroying their home. [More]
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Shuts Down River Ride After Fatal Incident In Australia
By 10.26.16
After four people were killed on a river ride at an Australian amusement park on Tuesday, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has shut down a similar attraction “out of an abundance of caution.” [More]
Pizza Shop Customer Claims Daughter Received Medication From Toy Machine
By 10.25.16 — Updated: 10.31.16
It’s always a surprise as to what you’re gonna get when you pop quarters into a toy vending machine, but there are some prizes that no parent wants dispensed to their kid. Say, blood pressure medication. [More]
