NHTSA Seeks Comments on Import of Ferrari With Questionable Side Airbags; Yes or No?

Safety Advocacy, ,

I don’t have the answer to this technical question; I hope someone figures it out before it is too late for someone else.

NHTSA has extended Public Comment Period to February 16, 2017 on the question of whether nonconforming model year (MY) 2013 and 2014 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta passenger cars (PCs) are eligible for importation into the United States.

On December 7, 2016, NHTSA published a notice (at 81 FR 88318) that it had received a petition to decide that nonconforming model year (MY) 2013 and 2014 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta passenger cars (PCs) are eligible for importation into the United States. The notice solicited public comments on the petition and stated that the closing date for comments is January 6, 2017.

This is to notify the public that NHTSA is extending the comment period on this petition, and allowing it to run until February 6, 2017. This extension is based on a request dated December 21, 2016, from Ferrari North America, Inc., and Ferrari SpA, (collectively “Ferrari”) the vehicle’s manufacturer. Ferrari stated that in its view an extension was needed because a portion of the comment period will be lost due to the holidays (during which time Ferrari SpA’s facilities will be closed), and because of the complexity of the technical analysis necessary to evaluate the petition and prepare any comments. Ferrari requests this extension especially with regard to FMVSS No. 208 conformance—in particular, the passenger-side airbag weight sensing system.

Ferrari also stated its view that an extension of the comment period will not prejudice the parties or cause undue delay, but will afford Ferrari the opportunity to fully evaluate the petition in order to determine the appropriate content of any Ferrari comments.

NHTSA has granted Ferrari’s request. All comments received before the close of business on the closing date indicated above will be considered, and will be available for examination in the docket at the above address both before and after that date. To the extent possible, comments filed after the closing date will also be considered. Notice of final action on the petition will be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the authority indicated below.

Make a Public Comment on the Federal Register before February 6, 2017:  https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=NHTSA_FRDOC_0001-1749

back-home

 

U.S. groups want requirement for behind-the-wheel training

Truck Safety,

Four groups have petitioned the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to reconsider provisions of the Final Rule for Entry-Level Driver requirements, which the agency issued on December 7.

The final rule does not include a requirement for 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training for new drivers. Last March, FCMSA had included in its proposed rule a minimum of 10 hours of training on a “driving range” as well as an unspecified amount of time driving on a public road. The final rule requires no behind-the-wheel standard for student drivers, instead deferring to skills tests administered by state licensing agencies. The petition notes that under the new rule, the determination of whether a student driver has the skill set required to operate safely on public roadways is “entirely in the hands of the instructor.”

The petition was filed by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), the Truck Safety Coalition and Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways on December 21. 

Read more here: U.S. groups want requirement for behind-the-wheel training

Unsafe Trucks

It only makes sense that we would want someone driving a large truck at 70 miles an hour on the road with much smaller vehicles to have adequate practice. Doesn’t it?

I’d hate to be the one to find out that GM’s Takata airbags really are defective.

Safety Advocacy, , , ,

GM has petitioned NHTSA for Inconsequential Non Compliance on Takata Air Bags: General Motors LLC, Receipt of Petition for Inconsequentiality and Decision Granting Request To File Out of Time and Request for Deferral of Determination as posted on the Federal Register, 11/28/2016

What does this mean?

AGENCY:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation.

ACTION:
Notice of receipt of petition and decision granting partial relief.

SUMMARY:
 
On May 16, 2016, TK Holdings Inc. (Takata) filed a defect information report (DIR), in which it determined that a defect existed in certain passenger-side air bag inflators that it manufactured, including passenger inflators that it supplied to General Motors, LLC (GM) for use in certain GMT900 vehicles. GM has petitioned the Agency for a decision that, because of differences in inflator design and vehicle integration, the equipment defect determined to exist by Takata is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety in the GMT900 vehicles, and that GM should therefore be relieved of its notification and remedy obligations.

DATES:
The closing date for comments is September 14, 2017.

Takata Airbag Recall – Everything You Need to Know What this recall means to you and what actions you should take

I’d hate to be the one to find out that GM’s Takata airbags really are defective. Wouldn’t you?

1a85et

Does the Protection of Children in Cars annual conference ever discuss Truck Underride Protection?

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, ,

I just saw the schedule for the 2016 Protection of Children in Cars conference held in Munich every year. It sounds like an important event.

I wonder if they ever talk about the need to protect children from truck underride injuries and deaths. If they did, maybe improving underride prevention strategies would become a higher priority. Maybe it would tip the cost/benefit analysis scale a bit more decisively in favor of saving lives.

creative-solutionsannaleah-knitting-at-cottage mary-at-john-ball-zoo-gardenprotect-innocent-lives

What happens when the economic interest of society is favored over the value of saving human lives?

Safety Advocacy, ,

I just did my morning reading as I ate my breakfast and ran across the word expropriation. I decided to look it up and found its meaning peculiarly and disturbingly relevant to my passion for traffic safety.

Expropriation: (from Wikipedia) The process of expropriation “occurs when a public agency (for example, the provincial government and its agencies, regional districts, municipalities, school boards, post-secondary institutions and utilities) takes private property for a purpose deemed to be in the public interest“.

Is that what happens when a cost/benefit analysis is interpreted in favor of the economic interest of society/industry over the value of saving human lives: Our government (on behalf of We the People) sacrifices human lives for a purpose deemed to be in the public interest?

Equal Justice For All, Legal Reader, artist Neal Angeles
Equal Justice For All, Legal Reader, artist Neal Angeles

‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Enough, you princes of Israel; put away violence and destruction, and practice justice and righteousness. Stop your expropriations from My people,” declares the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 45:9

Car Safety Wars

“One Split Second” aims to make distracted driving taboo.

Safety Advocacy,

I follow the dad of a distracted driving victim on Twitter. And on December 15, at the Road to Zero Coalition meeting in Arlington, VA, I met someone from North Carolina who has been working with Vijay Dixit to reach some of his goals — like making distracted driving taboo. Over and over, he shared with me how he has been inspired by Vijay.

After losing his daughter, Shreya, due to distracted driving, Vijay has been actively working toward that goal and now has a book in print to make that point: One Split Second.

“Building Distraction-free Driving Communities, One Driver at a Time”

I would echo that mission statement and add the other traffic safety issues as well –including driver behaviors, vehicle safety, crash avoidance technologies, and safer infrastructure — which could all contribute to preventing tragic loss of life.

creative-solutionsIrreversible tragedies

And establishing a White House Commission on Traffic Safety — like Reagan’s Commission on Drunk Driving — could go a long way toward making a dent in the relentless rate of Death by Motor Vehicle.

The Crash Death Clock is ticking; America will soon reach 4 million crash deaths.

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , ,

The Crash Death Clock is ticking; America will soon reach 4 million crash deaths.

What can you do to slow the highway carnage to a crawl?

stand-up-for-traffic-safety

CBA Victim Cost Benefit Analysis Victim

Support side guard crash testing to prevent deadly truck side underride: Donate at AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety, 501(c)(3)

“‘He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy;
Then it was well.
Is not that what it means to know Me?’ declares the LORD.

“For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help,
The afflicted also, & him who has no helper.
He will have compassion on the poor & needy,
And the lives of the needy he will save.
He will rescue their life from oppression & violence;
And their blood will be precious in his sight.”
Jeremiah 22:16 and Psalm 72:12-14

“Chiropractor Indicted for Falsifying Medical Examination Records for Commercial Drivers”

Truck Safety,

“Chiropractor Indicted for Falsifying Medical Examination Records for Commercial Drivers” https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/chiropractor-indicted-falsifying-medical-examination-records-commercial-drivers

I am thankful that the Department of Transportation took action to end this man’s ability to endanger us. I remain concerned about how many other medical certificates might be questionable and contribute to unsafe driving conditions. Who do you think will pay the price?

In our case, the medical certificate for the truck driver was never found. Yet, as far as I know, nothing was ever done to address that fact. How many more might there be like that — not discovered until it was too late?

ATLANTA – Dr. Anthony Lefteris, 71, of Atlanta, was indicted today by a federal grand jury, on charges that he prepared false documents and entered false information into the records of the U.S. Department of Transportation so that commercial truck drivers could obtain their licenses.  Lefteris will be arraigned at a later date.

“It is critical that commercial vehicle drivers are physically fit to handle the rigors of driving commercial vehicles, such as tractor trailer trucks,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn.  “When a medical examiner fails to perform the duties entrusted to them or falsifies information, our roads and highways are less safe, putting all drivers at risk.”  

“Today’s indictment of Dr. Anthony Lefteris demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General to pursuing fraudulent activities by medical professionals in the motor carrier industry who are willing to compromise the safety of the traveling public for personal gain,” said Marlies Gonzalez, regional Special Agent-in-Charge for the USDOT OIG. “Working with our departmental, law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue to pursue and detect fraudulent schemes and bring to justice those seeking to compromise the integrity of DOT’s safety programs. . .

“Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges.  The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.”

price

Work Zone & Truck Safety facebook post & comments: Chiropractor Indicted for Falsifying Medical Examination Records for Commercial Drivers . . .There is a huge truck stop in Portland Oregon called Jubitz. Has an actual medical clinic in the building. I’ve gotten mine done there before. A lot of truck stops have certified medical examiners on site. You really hate to hear about something like this because you never know if the guy is legit or not even though he has a certification number.(truck driver)

“Power of People to Protect People” Lou Lombardo, Legal Reader

Safety Advocacy, ,

Lou Lombardo relates the story of his important work on airbags which showed that “tragic political deregulatory decisions – sometimes – can be overturned to restore life saving regulations.”

Lombardo begins  by talking about how,

The safety and happiness of the people is now suffering violence on many fronts: inequality, injustice, medical and social insecurity, failing schools, terrorism, war, homelessness, hunger, unemployment, vehicle violence, unsafe products and services, unsafe air, unsafe water, unsafe working conditions, failing infrastructure, corporatized media, policy makers and scientists for sale, insecure elections etc. Our planet is in human existential danger. . .

The American people remember President Reagan for saying in Berlin: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” I remember President Reagan’s policy to tear up the airbag regulations in Washington, DC thereby condemning many thousands of Americans to suffer preventable tragic deaths and injuries – and their terrible consequences – that will haunt us forevermore right here in the U.S.A.

Read the full story here: Power of People to Protect People, by Lou Lombardo, Legal Reader, December 27, 2016

In Lombardo’s recent email to the Care for Crash Victims Community Members, he makes these observations:

Presidential Power Failure

The record of Presidential failures to protect people dictates that we the people have to step up and use our power.

The Power of People was written as Americans approach the end of 8 years of one Administration with a tragically disappointing auto safety record with a NHTSA  estimated  251,647 deaths due to vehicle violence under President Obama from 2009 through the first six months of 2016. 

NHTSA data shows that the number of motor vehicle related deaths is accelerating and estimated to increase an additional 10% approaching an Obama legacy of 270,000 vehicle deaths.  See https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.g ov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/ 812332
Nader and Ditlow told us so.  See https://www.nytimes.com/2014/ 10/29/opinion/weak-oversight- deadly-cars.html

President Obama failed year after year to adopt a Vision Zero Goal despite petitions of the American people. The Swedish Parliament adopted Vision Zero in 1997. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_Zero

Powers of People – Needed Now More Than Ever

Daily losses due to vehicle violence in the U.S.A. today:

* 100 deaths

* 400 serious injuries

* $2 Billion

This is at a time when we have more technologies available to achieve an end to vehicle violence in or by new vehicles in a decade than ever before in human history.

Now as we face an incoming Administration that is talking more about the problems of regulations on business than about the problems of deaths and injuries to people, we need to begin anew conversations about what people can do to protect people.

Ralph Nader warns us of the Trump people and policies that we face. See http://www.eurasiareview.com/27122016-ralph-nader-tripwires-for-the-trumpsters-oped/

People like Lou Lombardo have been able to make a difference and save untold lives in years past. Will the Power of People to Protect People prevail in the coming months and years? That is what I would like to know.

equal_justice_for_all-rev31-1
Equal Justice For All, Legal Reader, artist Neal Angeles

Note: Lou Lombardo says of the Lady Justice Graphic – “Lady Justice, while blind folded for fairness, can still smell the stench of money and hear the pleas of millions of injured people – past, present, and future.”

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – Underride Test Protocol

Truck Safety, ,

Update on December 24, 2016: the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Underride Test Protocol is now published on the Federal Register at this link: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – Underride Test Protocol

Underride Roundtable May 5, 2016 080

Thank you, IIHS, for all of your work to make our roads safer.