Paul Feldman is a FairWarning staff writer.
ATVS are not designed to be operated safely on roads, yet officials in small towns and rural areas around the country, at the urging of riding enthusiasts, have been approving the use of off-road machines on public roadways.
Each year, close to 4,000 people are killed in the U.S. in crashes involving large trucks and tens of thousands more are hurt. Yet for more than three decades, the federal minimum for truck liability insurance has remained stuck at $750,000. That amount, which must cover all victims of a crash, may be a fraction of the expenses for a single badly injured survivor.
More than 200 scientists and public health advocates are urging regulators to consider the potential dangers of antimicrobial chemicals including triclosan, an additive that has been banned from hand soaps but remains an active ingredient in products ranging from building materials to Colgate’s Total toothpaste.
Each year, roughly three dozen children die of heatstroke in unattended vehicles. Today, three congressmen and a coalition of safety groups announced plans to do something about it.
In the four months since President Trump took office, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued four news releases announcing penalties for job safety violations. By the end of May last year, it had issued 199.
Each year, roughly 150 motorists are killed when their cars plow into the sides of big-rig trailers, slicing off the windshields and roofs. But many of these gruesome underride deaths can be prevented.
"Overnight, people would have about 18 percent more alcohol in the same glass of wine they’re now drinking. The health implications of that are serious.”
Pedestrian deaths are surging across the nation, and analysts are putting much of the blame on drivers and walkers who are looking at their smartphones instead of watching where they are going. Tipsy walking also is part of the problem, with one in three victims legally drunk when they were struck and killed.
Can a used car be marketed as “safe” or “certified” even if it has defective air bags, a faulty ignition switch or other potentially lethal problems? In a recent legal settlement General Motors said yes, as long as the recall is disclosed. But safety advocates say otherwise.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration hasn’t issued a single news release about penalties or other enforcement actions by federal authorities since Inauguration Day 2017. The same goes for a second Department of Labor division, Wage and Hour.
More than 4,800 American workers are killed on the job each year. But in states that were carried by Donald Trump, the chances of dying at work are higher than in states that Hillary Clinton won.
As if cheeseburgers, fries and microwave popcorn weren't enough of a dietary worry, now comes word that fast-food packaging is also a cause for concern.
Exponent, Inc. isn't a household name, but it is a go-to destination for major industries with liability problems.
More Americans are bicycling or walking to work these days, getting healthy exercise and doing their bit to reduce traffic and air pollution. But with little government investment in safety measures, such as protected bike lanes and sidewalks, more cyclists and pedestrians also are getting killed.
For more than a decade, most large commercial trucks have been equipped with electronic technology that can limit the speed at which they hurtle down the nation's highways. But federal officials have not required the devices to be switched on, despite requests by safety advocates as well as by the industry’s top trade group.
