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Auto Safety News

Nader Protests Feds' Roof Crush Plan Bush 'doesn't give a darn about it.'

Treacherous Treads Still Taking Lives Firestone tires on a Ford Explorer can still be a lethal combination.

Ford Class Action Settlement Leaves Consumers in the Dust Explorer rollover case among the 'very worst' settlements.

Midsize Side Impact Tests Show Safety Improvements Seven models get highest rating for occupant protection.

Feds Have Safety Concerns About Smart Fortwo Minicar Driver door came unlatched in crash test.

Feds' Roof Crush Rule Inadequate, Critics Charge More testing needed to protect occupants.

'Intelligent' Brake Lights Could Reduce Rear-End Collisions System tells how quickly a car is stopping.

High-Speed Steering Shimmy in Ford F-250, F-350 Probed Some big haulers 'out of control.'

New Study: Stronger SUV Roofs Save Lives Insurance industry study refutes automakers' claims.

Drivers Impaired Just by Listening to Cell Phone Listening drivers make mistakes similar to drunken drivers.

Ford Fires Continue Despite Long-Delayed Federal Warning Feds waited years to issue 'urgent' advisory about fire danger.

Nissan Murano Leads SUV Safety Test Jeeps and Kia Sorento earn lowest ratings.

VW New Beetle Air Bags May Fail Feds step up iinvestigation of sensor problems.

Feds Stop Up Probe of Chevy Aveo Stuck Throttle Ice formation in engine can cause problems.

New Auto Safety Legislation Aims to Protect Children 'Backovers' account for half of auto fatalities involving children.

Hazards of Rent-A-Car Child Safety Seats Consumer makes noise about illegal, unsafe seats; gets results.

1 Million Evenflo Infant Car Seats Recalled Seats pose 'serious risk' of death or injury.

Safety Groups Urge More Speed Trap Cameras Studies find the cameras reduce speeding.

Feds Revise Child Safety Seat Ratings New guideliness measure ease of use, installation procedures.

Winter Weather Warning for Prius Drivers Traction control shuts down engine on slippery surface.

Feds Delay Roof Strength Rule Again Safety advocates say latest proposal is inadequate.

Lexus EX35, Cadillac CTS Named Top Safety Picks Insurance Institute picks state-of-the-art vehicles.

Feds Probe Airbag Failures in BMWs Inquiry could lead to a recall.

Obesity Linked to Decreased Seatbelt Use Researchers suggest greater availability of seat belt extenders.

Driving While Phoning Gums Up Traffic, Study Finds Distracted drivers slower to react.

Jumpin' Jeep Injures Two at Minneapolis Car Wash Jeep owners beware: Jeeps and car washes don't mix.

Ford Settles Explorer Rollover Lawsuits Consumers will get discounts on new Fords.

Feds Probe Ford F-250, F-350, Five Hundred, Freestyle Loss of control plagues trucks, cars have instrument problems.

Top Safety Awards Go to 34 Cars, SUVs and a Pickup Number of top awards more than doubles this year.

Jumpin' Jeeps Ruin Lives, Destroy Property Years of accidents, reports, complaints yield no action.

Midsize SUVs Perform Poorly in Side Impacts Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet TrailBlazer among the worst tested.

OnStar Goes in Pursuit of Bad Guys New service disables stolen cars.

NHTSA Probes Pontiac Vibe Windows may shatter when being raised or lowered.

Toyota Recalls Floor Mats, NHTSA Warns Prius Owners Not all Priuis owners buy the floor mat theory.

Insurance Group: Supersport Motorcycles Deadly Motorcycle death rates double, helmet use down.

U.S. and China Sign Auto Safety Pledge Safety agencies say they'll open new communication pathways.

Feds "Aware Of" Prius Runaway Acceleration Car seems OK after a "reboot" but the problem often recurs later.

Safety Crusaders Seek Action on Roof Crush Injuries Message in a box: prevent 10,000 deaths per year.

Feds Require Side Curtain Airbags by 2013 Smaller test dummies will provide more protection for petite females.

Groups Sue to Block Mexican Trucks from U.S. Highways Trucks could start to roll as early as Saturday under Bush program.

U.S. Drivers Risk Their Lives on Foreign Roads Unfamiliar roads, local customs, jet lag add to risk of driving abroad.

Honda's Immaculate Airbag Deployment 2006 Honda Civic wins "Lemon of the Week" award.

New Airbag Rule on the Way Feds set to require side airbags, newspaper reports.

Feds Explore Interlock to Prevent Drunken Driving But non-drinkers may object to the devices.

Red Hot Texas Car-B-Que Ford vehicles continue to burn as massive recall coasts along.

Saturn Astra Named Safest Car Under $25,000 The Astra is Saturn's latest rebadged Opel.

BMW 5 Series Performs Poorly in New Impact Test Kia Amanta places above higher-priced models.

NHTSA: Check Your Tire Pressure Under-inflated tires especially dangerous on hot summer highways.

Prius Owners Report More Unintended Acceleration Incidents Toyota denies the problem exists, but consumers say otherwise.

Kerry Vows Action to Get Flaming Fords Off the Road Senator: "Unacceptable" that numerous recalls have not solved problem.

Massive Ford Recall to Fix Fire Hazard Despite Earlier Recalls, Fords Have Continued to Burn

States Recall Chinese Tires Feds have been unable to force a recall because the tire importer is running low on cash.

Luxury Cars a "Mediocre Lot" in Low-Speed Collisions Low speed, high cost, insurance tests find.

Minneapolis Bridge Collapse May Have Nationwide Fallout States may have to step up inspection, maintenance, expert says.

Runaway Acceleration Plagues Prius Owners Toyota blames driver error or claims the carpet was on top of the accelerator pedal.

Roof Crush Summit Highlights Safety Shortcomings U.S. automakers reluctant to improve roof strength of cars and SUVs.

Feds Ignore Roof Crush Conference Regulators, automakers shun conference organized by California safety advocate.

Light Trucks Vulnerable to Whiplash Most pickups and SUVs rated poor or marginal in neck injury tests.

Feds Recall Chinese Tires Blamed for Fatal Van Accident Two killed when cargo van crashes in Pennsylvania after alleged tread separation.

Chinese Tires Blamed for Fatal Van Accident Two killed when cargo van crashes in Pennsylvania after alleged tread separation.

Mexican Truck Program Endangers Motorists, Opponents Charge Poll finds majority of Americans oppose program.

Hyundai Santa Fe SUV Wins Top Safety Pick Twenty-one cars, SUVs, and minivans have won the IIHS top safety pick.

Saab, Volvo Convertibles Ace Safety Test Pontiac, Ford, BMW, Audi don't do as well.

Feds Delay New Roof Strength Rule New standard is intended to reduce deaths from rollovers.

U.S. Highway Deaths Down Slightly Report commends NJ governor, overlooks unbuckled Bush.

Bush Doesn't Click It, But Gets No Ticket President goes unbuckled while giving tour of his Texas spread.

Study Warns of Dangerous Chemicals in Child Car Seats Some seats better than others, environment group finds.

Study Calls for Stronger Seat Belt Law Enforcement States with tougher enforcement get results, study finds.

U.S.-Mexico Cross-Border Trucks Ready to Roll Despite protests from safety advocates, U.S., Mexico proceed with pilot program.

Tests Show Rear Crash Protection is Spotty Neck injuries most common traffic injury, yet protection against rear-end accidents lags.

Company Sues Feds For Release Of Safety Data Taxpayer-owned information being hidden from the public by federal employees.

Spit Spark Plug Ignites Ford Truck Federal safety regulators look the other way. Ford mechanic complains Triton engines are "dropping like flies."

Consumer Reports Takes Blame for Infant Seat Test Error Magazine wanted to "raise the bar" but erred in designing tougher test for safety seats.

Public Citizen Sues to Block Mexican Trucks Federal agencies have no responded to Freedom of Information Act requests.

Feds Consider Tougher Auto Safety Ratings Consolidated safety score would combine existing test results into a single number.

Use of Booster Seats Increasing Study finds the seats are more widely used in states that require them.

Tests Find Mid-Sized Car Bumpers Don't Do Much Insurance Institute finds major damage in low-speed fender benders.

Congress Urged to Protect Children from Vehicle Deaths Federal safety regulators and automakers refuse to act, Public Citizen charges.

Motorcycle Death Rates Rising, Safety Chief Warns Wants helmets, driver education to be standard equipment.

Researcher Says Airbags Pose Threat To Hearing An airbag might save your life in an accident but it could also cost you your hearing.

NHTSA Gives Five Stars to 24 Passenger Vehicles But none earned five stars for front and side impact plus rollover resistance.

GM Buys Back 800 Problem Cars and Trucks Fleet vehicles were retrofitted with leather seats, possibly causing airbag sensor problems.

NHTSA Will Write New Child Safety Seat Rules New rules may include side-impact standards.

Feds to Require Additional Minivan Door Latch Too many children being thrown out of vans when doors open in accidents, NHTSA says.

Survey: Teens Still Driving Dangerously Cell phones, fatigue, no seat belts all commonplace, researchers repport.

Consumer Reports Admits Errors in Its Infant Car Seat Tests Magazine says it will run the tests again using new specifications.

Feds Propose Recorders to Monitor Truckers' Hours Consumer advocates call rule "very weak."

Feds Propose New Auto Safety Tests Too many cars getting five stars.

Infant Fatalities Illustrate Car Seats' Shortcomings Infants die when car seats fail as predicted in Consumer Reports' testing.

Child Car Seats Not Up to the Challenge Consumer Reports finds serious safety issues in most seats tested.

Feds Asked to Reverse Auto Safety "Secrets" Rule Trial lawyers object to NHTSA's "Dirty Little Secrets" rule, which hides public data from the public.

Toyota Says Sweat Detector Stops Drunk Drivers New system uses sweat from driver's hand to analyze blood alcohol content.

Distracted Drivers Cause Big Problems Cell phones, eating, grooming blamed for growing accident rate.

Parents Still Clueless About Child Safety Seats Feds find parents still don't know about LATCH system and rely instead on seat belts to anchor infant seats.

Demented Drivers a Growing Traffic Menace Aging population can mean trouble on the road.

Consumers Choosing Tiny Cars Despite Safety Risks Subcompact sales up 42 percent as consumers seek fuel savings.

IIHS: Bigger is Better in Car Safety Subcompacts do poorly in insurance institute crash tests.

Safety Groups Lobby for New Rollover Test Government tests don't simulate real-world conditions, auto safety advocates argue.

GM to Offer Rollover Airbags, Ford to Strengthen Roofs Automakers moving ahead of safety regulators, consumer advocates note.

Striking Union Questions Goodyear Tire Quality on YouTube Steelworkers use YouTube to raise doubts about tires produced during strike.

Safety Groups Want Earlier Stability Control Rule Safety device could save 10,000 lives per year, Public Citizen argues.

NHTSA's Dirty Little Secrets At automakers' bidding, federal safety regulators keep consumer complaints secret.

Honda, Subaru Top IIHS' Safety Picks List Less expensive cars beat out more expensive brands this year.

MADD Looks to Technology to Fight Drunken Drivers Organization wants alcohol-detecting ignition interlocks on U.S. cars.

Feds Find Backup Sensors Ineffective Automakers also claim the devices are expensive and would save few lives.

Study Finds School Bus Injuries Exceed Previous Reports Injuries send 17,000 children to emergency rooms annually.

Coming Soon: A PC for Your Car or Truck The latest driver distraction -- a dashboard computer.

Insurers Want Feds to Move Up Electronic Stability Control Deadline Anti-rollover technology saves too many lives to wait til 2012, insurers argue.

Automakers Lobby to Weaken Roof Strength Proposal Safety advocates say proposed rules are already too weak.

Simpler Dashboards Might Make Cars Safer Study finds distracted drivers need simpler instrument panel.

New Study: Side and Roof Airbags Save Lives Universal adoption could save thousands of lives yearly, insurance study finds.

Road Rage Common Among Commuters Study finds more than half of daily commuters regularly experience anger at other drivers.

Study: Aggressive Driving Negates Benefits of Safety Devices Researchers find drivers' behavior changes for the worse in cars equipped with the latest safety gear.

Certified Dangerous: Airbags and Used Cars A five-month ConsumerAffairs.com investigation finds widespread fraud by unscrupulous scam artists who rebuild wrecked cars and sell them as "certified."

States Struggle to Cut Highway Fatality Rate Airport hassles putting more drivers on the road, with deadly results.

Crown Vic Marginal in Crash Test Largest family car on the road only marginal in tests, even with optional side air bags.

Feds Order Electronic Stability Control on All Cars Automakers have until 2012 to comply.

Ford Makes Stability Control Standard for 2009 Trying to regain its own stability, Ford plans safety upgrades for 2009.

Feds Require Safety Info on New Car Window Stickers Consumers will be easily able to compare safety ratings for different models.

NHTSA Refuses to Investigate Ford Explorer Agency denies political influence played a part in its decision.

Safer Cars, Not Safer Drivers, Reducing Highway Deaths While cars have gotten safer, drivers and highways have gotten worse.

Motorcycle, Pedestrian Deaths Rising Lack of helmets blamed for motorcycle deaths, carelessness for pedestrian fatalities.

2006 Jeep Commander Named Worst "Blind Zone" Offender Children most frequent victims of "backover" accidents.

Automakers Must Disclose "Black Boxes" Beginning in 2011, automakers must disclose present of an onboard data recorder.

Feds Launch Blitz on Drunk Driving "Over limit, under arrest" replaces "Friends don't let friends drive drunk."

Sleepy Truck Drivers a Significant Safety Risk Study finds sleep apnea and chronic lack of sleep are big problems.

Bus Fires May Be Under-Reported Probe of bus fire that killed Hurricane Katrina evacuees indicates problem may be widespread.

Camry, Rav4 Win High Marks in Crash Test Lincoln Zephyr "not competitive" with others in its class.

Feds Wind Up Ford Engine Fire Probe with Massive Recall Latest recall involves 1.2 million trucks still at risk of catching fire while parked.

Court Rejects Curbs on Release of Crash Data Tire industry held up release of public information to the public for years.

Talking Cars May Be More Than a Movie Onboard devices may soon help prevent collisions and warn of other hazards.

Graduated Driver Licensing Reduces Fatal Crashes Study confirms reduction in teen driving deaths when graduated licensing is in place.

Study: Drivers Using Cell Phones As Bad As Drunks Researchers find using both handheld and hands-free cell phones as dangerous as driving drunk.

Study: Car's Middle Back Seat is Safest Bigger "crush zone" protects occupants riding "on the hump."

Study Probes Racial Patterns in Seat Belt Use Blacks suffer more injuries, use seat belts less often.

Chevy Impala, Toyota Avalon Tops in Side Impacts Ford Crown Victoria rated poor without side air bags.

NHTSA Releases 2006 Child Safety Seat Ratings Seats easier to use, survey finds.

Jeep Grand Cherokee May Suddenly Accelerate Incidents in Connecticut mirror those reported by consumers around the country.

Electronic Stability Control "Should Be Standard" Study finds ESC could prevent 10,000 fatal accidents per year.

Former Lobbyist in Driver's Seat at NHTSA Safety advocated underwhelmed by Nicole Nason's credentials.

Must-Have Safety and Convenience Features for New Car Shopping Consumer Reports picks top features, including electronic stability control.

Child Safety Seats Reduce Risk of Death in Crashes More Than Seat Belts Alone Study confirms benefit of infant safety seats.

NHTSA Gives 2006 SUVs High Marks Chevrolet HHR the highest-rated SUV, Nissan Xterra 4x4 the lowest-rated.

Survey: Outlaw Cell Phone Use While Driving Most people would support a state law that makes it illegal to use a cell phone while driving, a University of Michigan study finds.

Electronic Stability Control a Lifesaver Reduces risk of fatal SUV rollovers by 73 percent, researchers find.

Researchers: Speed Cameras Make Drivers Slow Down Australian researchers find speed cameras and other automated devices reduce accident rates.

Cell Phone No. 1 Driver Distraction Study finds distracted drivers three times more likely to have an accident.

Kia Sedona, Subaru Impreza Ace Crash Tests Prius rated poor without optional side airbags.

Survey: Consumers Want More Auto Safety Technology Consumers say they're willing to pay for safety, communications and diagnostic technology.

Kids Getting Too Fat For Safety Seats, Study Finds Seats need to be redesigned to accommodate bigger kids, study finds.

Insurance Institute Modifies Frontal Crash Tests Manufacturers' data to be used for most tests, with occasional verification audits.

Study: Drivers Cause Most Large Truck Crashes First nationwide study finds drivers the most frequent cause of large truck accidents.

Feds Probe Airbag Problems in Chrysler Minivans Corrosion can cause airbags to fail, or to open improperly.

Safety Advocates Want More Protection Against Non-Traffic Accidents Children die in back-over and power-window accidents.

BMW 3 Series, Lexus Ace Crash Tests; Ford Fusion Flunks Focus "not competitive" with other cars in its class.

Tests: Ford Replacement Tires Still Don't Prevent Rollovers Explorer just as likely to roll over with replacement tires, tests indicate..

NTSA Probes Toyota Sienna Tire Pressure System Tire pressure and regulating system can fail.

NHTSA Investigates Ford Trucks for Stalling Problems The stalling causes diminished steering and braking ability.

Three States Consider Limits on Black Boxes Insurers, police increasingly see cars' black boxes as evidence.

Nader Scolds U.S. Auto Industry Automakers cut costs at expense of innovation in safety and fuel efficiency, consumer crusader charges.

Honolulu Leads in Motorcycle Thefts, NYC in Accidents Bikers beware! Some cities are a lot riskier than others.

Study: Speed Cameras Curb Road Deaths Up to 10,000 deaths per year could be prevented, researchers say.

Feds Want More Kids in Car Booster Seats More than 80% of kids who should be in boosters aren't.

Auto Safety Nominee Headed for Confirmation Former lobbyist will be enforcing safety standards she once opposed.

Statistics Show Airbags Getting Safer Fewer airbag-related deaths and injuries reported.

Lexus GS Gets Top Rating in Side-Impact Test Protection marginal for rear-seat occupants, however.

Lobbyists Grouse At Nomination of Lobbyist to Safety Agency Does Nicole Nason have previously unknown expertise in auto safety?

Lobbyist Named to Run Auto Safety Agency White House nominates Transportation Department lobbyist to run NHTSA.

Nader Blasts U.S. Automakers for Inattention to Safety Federal safety regulators now function as "constulting agency to Detroit," Nader charges.

A Wild Ride in a Prius Michigan man's cruise control switches to runaway mode as car accelerates at full throttle.

Most SUVs, Pickups Flunk Whiplash Test Ads show big, tough vehicles but occupant protection doesn't measure up.

NHTSA Grants Airbag Exemption to Romanian SUV Company claims it would go out of business if it had to make a safe vehicle.

Study: SUVs No Safer Than Cars Children riding in SUVs have similar injury risks to children who ride in passenger cars, study finds.

New York Taxi Fire Puts Heat on Ford Sen. Schumer wants Ford to provide gas tank shields for Crown Victoria cabs.

Ford Truck Fire Fix Delayed by Parts Shortage Cruise control blamed in fires in F-150 and related models.

NHTSA Nixes New Crash Tests Critics find existing tests inadequate, outdated and misleading but NHTSA sees no problems.

More Drivers Talking On Cell Phones The number of drivers talking on a cell phone at any given daylight moment continued to increase in 2005, according to the latest research.

Consumer Advocates Challenge Regional Auto Recalls Suit challenges policy that allows automakers to limit recalls involving defects related to regional conditions such as snow or heat.

NHTSA Probes Windshield Wiper and Headlight Problem in Some GM Models Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV, Saturn Relay and Buick Terraza affected.

Mid-Size Cars Sweep Top Safety Pick Awards Winners are mostly mid- and fill-size sedans. No minivans made the cut.

Ford Strong-Arms Consumer Group Over Roof Strength Standards Public Citizen asks Florida court to make internal Ford documents public.

New Auto Roof Strength Proposal Inadequate, Public Citizen Charges Rollovers cause one-third of traffic deaths each year.

Nader Demands Stronger Standards for Vehicle Roofs Rules now let automakers rely on windshields to provide at least 30 percent of roof strength.

Ragtops Get A Pass on New Fed Roof Rules NHTSA decides not to require roll bars on convertibles.

Toyota, Nissan, Honda Minivans Ace Side-Impact Tests Ford Freestar gets "acceptable" rating with optional side airbags, a "poor" rating without them.

NHTSA Investigating Dodge Dakota and Durango Steering problem can cause loss of control.

Audi, Ford, Subaru, VW Midsize Models Ace Front, Side Crash Tests Audi, VW, Subaru models win "double best pick" rating.

Toyota Recalls Scion tC to Fix Wind Deflector Deflector could shatter if hit by road debris.

Wyoming Most Lethal State for Truck Drivers Federal rules leaving tired drivers on the road too long, consumer groups charge.

Ford Freestyle Gets Top Rating in Frontal Crash Test New SUV earns insurance institute's "Best Pick" award.

Bridgestone Settles with Ford Companies settle long-standing suit over Explorer rollovers.

Native Americans Less Likely to Use Seat Belts Traffic accidents most frequent cause of death on reservations.

NHTSA Plans to Crash Test 77 Models Next Year Agency will also provide rollover ratings for an expanded selection of vehicles.

Ford Offers Retrofit to Prevent Fire in Lincoln Limos Drivers of regular models are on their own.

Most Minvan Headrests Are Inadequate, Tests Find Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds only Ford Freestyle and Mercury Monterey give adequate protection.

Fire, Ambulance Workers Worry About Hybrids High voltage in hybrid battery packs a potential hazard to rescue workers.

After Years of Stonewalling, Ford Recalls 4 Million Trucks to Fix Fire Risk F-150s and other popular trucks at high risk of bursting into flames while unattended.

Feds Say Tire Quality Has Improved Nearly 90 tire lines get "A" rating for safety and reliability.

NHTSA Proposes New Child Safety Seat Rules Booster seats for larger children would be more stringently tested.

Nader Demands NHTSA Warn Ford Truck Owners of Fire Danger Agency says it hasn't finished its investigation.

Listening, Talking, Driving Don't Mix University of Illinois finds listening and talking on cell phone while driving are equally hazardous.

New Working-Hour Rules for Truckers Don't Change Much New rules "a disappointment," says Public Citizen.

Consumers Confounded by Sudden Acceleration Problems Despite 20,000 complaints, feds blame driver error.

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