GM says its Takata air bag inflators are safe; government disagrees
LA Times
6/2/16
[…] GM said it would begin the recall process in cooperation with the NHTSA even though it doesn’t believe inflators in its trucks are unsafe. […] Recalls related to Takata in this round now total 16.4 million vehicles. […]
Regulators say 85 million U.S. Takata air bags may still face recall
Reuters
4/13/16
U.S. auto safety regulators said on Wednesday there were about 85 million unrecalled Takata Corp (7312.T) air bag inflators in U.S. vehicles that would eventually need to be recalled unless the company can prove they are safe.
This is the first public accounting by the U.S. government of the total number of unrecalled Takata air bag inflators.
THE RELATIVE (IN)EFFECTIVENESS OF BICYCLE SHARROWS ON RIDERSHIP AND SAFETY OUTCOMES
Nicholas N. Ferenchak, Corresponding Author
University of Colorado Denver, Civil Engineering Department
Wesley E. Marshall, PhD, PE
University of Colorado Denver, Civil Engineering Department
The exact operational function of these markings is somewhat nebulous and seems to have evolved over time. When originally conceived, the hope was that sharrows would create distance between bicyclists and parked cars in order to avoid dooring crashes. Thus, many of the early studies of sharrows designate this avoidance of dooring as a primary objective. Similarly, the initial objective listed in the MUTCD is to assist bicyclists with lateral positioning so to avoid dooring crashes. However, this dooring objective is no longer the primary aim in some cases, evidenced by the fact that sharrows are now commonly placed on streets without on-street parking.
405 Freeway signs honor retired police Chief Mitch Waller, killed 3 years ago by a distracted driver
LA Times
4/9/16
Riding his bicycle with a partner toward the end of a typical Friday morning 50-miler on Highway 133 toward Laguna Beach, Waller and his friend Kevin Beach were plowed from behind by a wayward Toyota sedan. […] The government statistics show that 10% of all fatal crashes, 18% of injury crashes and 16% of all police-reported motor vehicle crashes in 2013 were attributed to distracted driving.
Two motorcyclists killed in accident with semi on Highway 85
Remember to always look for motorcycles.
There are far oo many crashes like this where the semi truck turned left in front of the motorcycle. Semi truck drivers and auto drivers have a surprising habit of turning in front of a motorcycle coming and not yielding right of way turning left in front of a motorcycle with no possible way to stop in time. Even in parking lots this happens. Some people say the front windshield can help a driver spot the motorcycle easier but nothing is better than drivers actually taking the time to look and make sure they have the right of way to make their turn.
when a semitruck crossed the highway eastbound on Weld County Road 18, police said.
Police said the motorcycle then slammed into the right front tire of the semi and went under the truck, bursting into the flames.
Metro bus crashes in South L.A., sparking fire; 7 injured
LA Times
3/28/16
Aerial footage from KNBC-TV Channel 4 showed an orange Metro bus with extensive burn damage and broken windows around the middle. The bus appeared to have been T-boned by the car, which was also severely burned and apparently totaled.
IIHS
2/28/16
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in December issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to require stronger underride guards to stop passenger vehicles from sliding underneath the backs of trailers and semitrailers in rear-end crashes. The notice responds to the Institute’s petition to improve rear underride guards, as well as a 2014 request from the Truck Safety Coalition and Marianne Karth, a North Carolina mother whose daughters AnnaLeah, 17, and Mary, 13, died in an underride crash in 2013
Two San Francisco pedestrians injured, after driver collides
KRON 4
3/7/16
The driver, who also had a green light but failed to yield to the pedestrians, was not arrested, police said.
California pedestrian deaths projected to jump 12 percent
KPCC 89.3
3/9/16
While California was not among the states with the highest rate of pedestrian deaths per capita, the data suggests the state’s fatalities could jump by as much as 12 percent over 2014. California recorded the highest number of deaths among the states at 347 through June.
Someone in Malibu May Be Sabotaging Canyon Roads to Keep Motorcyclists Away
Ride Apart
2/8/16
[…] According to first person accounts, someone may be intentionally pouring oil in a number of places and prior to the entry of some corners. […] Whether or not anyone has actually set out to harm motorcyclists, evidence of excess oil on the roadway is worth noting and passing along. […]
