Automobile Safety

Students and Drivers Honored at School Bus Safety Awards Ceremony

Published on: October 30, 2015 | O'Connor Law

On October 21, 2015, twelve students and six bus drivers were honored at the Pennsylvania School Bus Safety Awards ceremony hosted in the home of Governor Tom Wolf.

The student honorees, ranging from grades kindergarten to eighth grade, received acknowledgement for their winning entries in the 2015 School Bus Safety Poster Contest. The theme for the contest was “Bully Free Zone!” which pushed for bully- and harassment-free buses and bus stops. These students, whose posters were selected from 623 other public and private school poster entries, are helping to disseminate the message of respect.

In accordance with the award ceremony, the governor also proclaimed October 19-23 as School Bus Safety Week.

Michelin BF Goodrich Tire Recall

Published on: September 18, 2015 | O'Connor Law

French tire company Michelin is voluntarily recalling nearly 104,000 tires produced by their North American brand, BF Goodrich. The company says the tires’ sidewall can rupture during use under certain conditions.

The tires are primarily found on commercial light trucks, as well as full-sized heavy-duty vans, small RVs and some 3/4 and 1-ton pick-up trucks. They were manufactured between 2014 and 2015 and came in several different types.

Automobile parts recalls are common and the majority of companies issue voluntary recalls before the defects become an issue. For Michelin – the third largest tire company in the world – this is the third recall since 2013. Recalls for automobile parts are also some of the most expensive recalls of any industry. In 2010, Toyota reached a $1.2 billion settlement after announcing recalls of approximately 5.2 million vehicles for a pedal entrapment/floor mat problem, and an additional 2.3 million vehicles for the accelerator pedal problem. In 2000, Ford Motors settled out-of-court with Donna Bailey, a 44-year-old woman who was left paralyzed from the neck down after a defective tire was the cause of her wreck in a Ford Explorer. While the exact terms of the settlement were never released to the public, estimates range from $20 million to $35 million.

Does Your Car Have A Smart Dash Display?

Published on: July 9, 2015 | O'Connor Law

If you have a car that has been made in the last few years, chances are you have some type of smart display on your dashboard. These displays can link to your phone, control functions in your car, and have many uses that many drivers find convenient. As these displays become more and more intricate and advanced, some people are calling the safety of these interactive displays into question.

Automakers and many drivers are in full support of these displays. Saying that with large icons, controls right on the steering wheel, and advanced voice control features, these displays will make driving safer since drivers won’t be as tempted to fumble around to use their cellphones while driving.

But many lawmakers and driving experts disagree that these displays will increase safety. While this may provide a slightly better alternative to using your smartphone while driving, experts say that taking your eyes off of the road to look at any screen is dangerous.

Bus and Tractor Trailer Crash Near Mount Pocono Leaving 3 Dead

Published on: June 10, 2015 | O'Connor Law

The accident occurred on Wednesday June 3^rd 2015 while a charter bus was taking tourists to Niagara Falls. The bus collided with a tractor trailer which ended in 3 people being killed, including the driver.

The accident happened around 10 AM as the bus was travelling from New York City to Niagara Falls on Interstate 380. Over a dozen people were taken to the hospital where 4 of them remain in critical condition, according to the latest reports. The bus was carrying Italian tourists who were en route to see the well known waterfalls.

Investigators have yet to determine exactly what happened in the accident. The bus was upright and had torn through the middle of the trailer, while the cab of the truck was on its side. Another truck was reportedly involved in the incident, but no information has been released as to how.

1 In Every 7 Cars In The U.S Are Being Recalled

Published on: May 20, 2015 | O'Connor Law

Exploding airbags that can send shrapnel through your body like bullets sounds like something from a James Bond Film, but no this is real life and now about 1 out of every 7 cars in the U.S. are being recalled.

Takata airbags, which you may have heard of due to their previous 18 million car recall, is doubling the size of their recall. Now over 34 million cars are being recalled to have their airbags replaced. Most of the popular cars sold in America are on the list including Toyota, Subaru, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Honda, GM, Ford, Daimler, Chrysler and BMW, and majority of the cars were made from 2000-2011. The list of cars in this recall is lengthy and can be found at http://www.safercar.gov/rs/takata/index.html along with details on how to get your airbags replaced if your car is one of the cars being recalled. The full list of vehicles is not yet available from the automakers, but it can be found at that link once it has been released.

The issue with the airbags is a scary one. The inflators in the airbags can malfunction causing pieces of metal shrapnel to shoot out into the driver or passenger of the car. Six people have died worldwide from this malfunction and emergency responders have reported that it looked like they were shot.

Motorcycle Awareness Month

Published on: May 4, 2015 | O'Connor Law

May is a beautiful time of the year. The temperatures are rising, the sun sets later in the day, and people can be seen out enjoying the good weather. This also means that for our motorcycle riders across PA, it’s time to break out the bikes and go riding.

Drivers in our state probably haven’t seen many motorcycles out on the roads since we had such a long, harsh winter. It can be easy to get used to not having to check for motorcycles which is one of the main reasons why May is motorcycle awareness month.

This is the time of year that everyone needs to be reminded to check twice before turning or merging in case there is a motorcycle. Riders are harder to spot than cars or trucks and sadly most motorcycle injuries are caused by other drivers.

Attention Ford And Lincoln Owners: Ford Motor Company Recalls Over A Half Of A Million Cars

Published on: April 30, 2015 | O'Connor Law

Ford is recalling about 600,000 cars in four separate campaigns after discovering separate problems with their cars.

The largest recall is 518,000 cars that may have an issues with a bolt in the steering system. This includes 2013-2015 Ford Fusions, 2013-15 Lincoln MKZs, and 2015 Ford Edges. A malfunction could cause the power steering to fail while driving. Dealers are available to replace to the bolt.

50,000 cars are also being recalled for an issue with the fuel pump that can cause the engine to seize and stall. Included in this recall are the 2014 models of the Edge, Focus, Escape, Fiesta and Transit Connect, and also the 2015 model of the Fiesta. Dealers will replace the fuel delivery system to fix this issue.

Record Low Amount of Deaths Due To Traffic Accidents

Published on: April 16, 2015 | O'Connor Law

2014 saw the lowest amount of deaths from traffic accidents in Pennsylvania since they began recording traffic deaths in 1928. The total number of deaths from traffic accidents for Pennsylvania in 2014 was 1,195.

PennDOT gives credit to a large decrease in unbuckled driving, drunk driving, and drivers hitting trees.

Unfortunately the number of fatalities from fatigued drivers, and drivers falling asleep at the wheel went up from 2013 to 2014, even though PennDOT has invested in measures to counter this in recent years. Approximately $50 million has been invested in the last 5 years in adding rumble strips and other safety measures to counter this, but the fatalities are still growing.

Safest SUVs In 2014

Published on: March 11, 2015 | O'Connor Law

FindTheBest has released their list of the safest SUVs made in 2014. While many companies focus on a car’s power, interior room, gas mileage or look, some really focus on making the car safe for the people driving and riding inside. Since SUVs are a common family vehicle, this is something that should always be important in making these types of cars.

Mercedes Benz M-Class
Buick Enclave

GM Faulty Ignition Switch Now Responsible For 57 Deaths

Published on: February 26, 2015 | O'Connor Law

The faulty ignition switches in GM vehicles that were recalled last year has so far been the cause of 57 deaths in the U.S. GM, based in Detroit, admitted to knowing about the fault in their ignition switches for years, but only recalled the cars in 2014 to have them replaced.

The issue is that the ignition switch on small cars, including the Chevy Cobalt, can slip out of the on position while driving. This is very dangerous since the car will stall, the power steering will not work and the airbags are then disabled.

Each accepted death claim is being paid a $1 million dollar settlement according to GM’s attorney. Injury claims are being decided on a case to case basis.