DRIVERS' SAFETY * USA - "Zero Fatalities" from Volvo

If Volvo and other auto makers can make a dent in those numbers by 2020, they will have done a huge service to mankind...

Rockleigh,NJ,USA -Ward's AutoWorld, by Drew Winter & Tom Murphy -Mar 1, 2010: -- There were about 35,000 traffic fatalities in the U.S. last year. They are decreasing rapidly, but it is shocking nonetheless that an auto maker has made public its internal plan to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries in its vehicles just 10 years from now... Many auto makers are implementing similar technologies than Volvo Car Corp., and some are eying a comparable goal internally, but none has been as public as Volvo... But while it may be a great marketing theme, how realistic is the target of totally eliminating vehicle fatalities? Studies show 93% of all accidents involve driver error, whether it is texting, tailgating or simply being inattentive... Compensating for driver deficiencies requires complex vehicle electronics that can take control of the vehicle in an emergency. But the reliability of electronic systems is under fire by the U.S. Congress and plaintiff attorneys in the Toyota unintended sudden-acceleration controversy... And then there are the legal issues, especially in the highly litigious U.S. market. Might well-intentioned safety measures turn into huge lawsuits if a few occupants end up dying as a result of systems failures?... As far as product liability lawsuits go, Lund says auto makers know they likely are to be sued whenever there is a crash involving a death or serious injury... (Photo from kriengsak.com: Drunk driving is one cause for car accidents)


* USA - Cell restriction included in proposed CMV texting ban

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine, by David Tanner -March 22, 2010: ... The FMCSA added language to its proposed rulemaking, and the proposal was sent to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for review on Thursday, March 18... Here’s the agency’s latest description: “This rulemaking would ban text messaging and restrict the use of cell phones while operating a commercial motor vehicle. This rulemaking is in response to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration-sponsored studies that analyzed safety incidents and distracted drivers. This rulemaking would also address the National Transportation Safety Board’s ‘Most Wanted List’ of safety recommendations”... (Photo from wikimedia.org/wikipedia: Hand held phones)