Eleven more people were killed in U.S. crashes involving vehicles that were using automated driving systems during a four-month period earlier this year, according to newly released government data, part of an alarming pattern of incidents linked to the technology. Ten of the deaths involved vehicles made by Tesla, though it is unclear from the…
Safety features such as automatic emergency braking and forward collision warnings could prevent more than 40% of crashes in which semis rear-end other vehicles, a new study has found. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group supported by auto insurers, also found that when rear crashes happened, the systems cut the speeds by…
Over the next several months, Austin drivers will start seeing posted signs alerting them to reduced speed limits on certain residential and urban core streets. The reductions, aimed at improving traffic safety, were unanimously approved by the City Council earlier this month. Data collected by the Vision Zero program showed that speeding is the leading cause…
Pedestrian fatalities on U.S. roads have increased by more than 50% over the past decade, while deaths of people riding in cars, trucks and other vehicles remained essentially unchanged, according to an analysis of federal and state data released Thursday. The analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Association estimated that pedestrian deaths totaled 6,590 in…
Seat Belt Replacement After a Car Accident Should you replace the driver’s seat belt after an accident? Absolutely. In fact, the seat belt for all occupied passengers should be replaced as well. My daughter was recently rear-ended by a 90 year old woman who could not walk without the aid of a walker. As a…
Driving under the Influence … of your meds! It turns out many folks have no idea that their prescription medications make driving dangerous and put them at risk for a DUI arrest. A recent 2017 study looked at data from the 2013-2014 National Roadside Survey, in which drivers across America were asked about drug use,…
Study: New-car info tech is distracting and dangerous New-model cars are loaded with more driver distractions than ever before, including navigation systems that take an average of 40 seconds to program, according to a study of more than two dozen 2017 vehicles. “It’s a staggering increase in the technology and complexity of the vehicle in…
The Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said late last week that they are no longer pursuing the regulation that would require testing for the fatigue-inducing disorder that has been blamed for deadly rail crashes in New York City and New Jersey and several highway crashes. The agencies argue that it…
Austin police made 230 drunken driving arrests over 19 days this holiday season, compared with 229 arrests over 17 days last year, police officials said Tuesday. Of the 230 people arrested from Dec. 15 to Monday, 82 consented to a breath alcohol test and 29 consented to a blood draw. Police had to get a…
