Auto Accident News - Edgar Snyder & Associates

Honda Recalls 400,000 Vehicles For Brake Problem

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:15:00 EDT

Honda has recalled more than 400,000 vehicles in the United States following consumer complaints of the brake pedals feeling "soft."

Approximately 334,000 Odyssey minivans and 68,000 Element crossover vehicles from the 2007-2008 model years are included in the recall. The vehicles' stability assist modulators will be repaired to fix a defect that may allow air to enter. The trapped air can make the brake pedal fall closer to the floor before the car has stopped.

Honda said it will start contacting customers at the end of April. The company encourages all owners to visit an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification that their vehicle is included in the recall.

Traffic Deaths Fall to Record Low

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:49:00 EDT

Highway traffic deaths in the United States have hit their lowest level since they were first recorded in 1954. The Transportation Department said that according to its estimates, traffic deaths fell almost 9 percent in 2009 to under 34,000.

Furthermore, the fatality rate, which also takes into account the number of miles traveled, declined to the lowest on record at 1.16 fatalities per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). This is down from 1.25 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2008.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has attributed this decline to a number of factors, including increased seat belt use, less drunk driving, and tougher enforcement of traffic laws. Others have cited the tough economy, which has led people to drive less.

Officials also believe the awareness programs, particularly those aimed at distracted drivers, have played a part in the traffic death decline. According to statistics, 80 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes were caused by driver distraction, such as eating or drinking, reading, listening to music, and talking or texting on cell phones.

Prius Runaway Acceleration Leads to 911 Call, Investigation

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:29:00 EDT

Another Toyota incident is making its rounds in the news and drawing even more attention to the automaker. This time it's a Prius that's involved, and the driver says that the car accelerated to 90 mph on its own and was only stopped after a 911 call and police intervention.

Earlier this week, James Sikes of California was driving his 2008 Toyota Prius when he pressed on the gas pedal to pass another vehicle. According to Mr. Sikes, the gas pedal "jumped" and then got stuck, pushing the car to over 90 mph. After calling 911, an officer pulled up along Mr. Sikes, offering suggestions on how to slow the car down over a loudspeaker. By using the regular brake and the emergency brake at the same time, Mr. Sikes got the car down to 50 mph, eventually allowing him to stop the vehicle.

Though the Prius has been included in a recall for sliding floor mats, Mr. Sikes said that he checked the floor mat during the incident and it hadn't dislodged. Furthermore, a police inspection found that the car's floor mat was securely in place and hadn't interfered with the gas pedal.

Since Monday's incident, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said it is sending representatives to investigate and Toyota has announced that it will look into Mr. Sikes' case.

Mazda Seats May be Too Hot to Handle

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:20:00 EDT

Mazda has issued a recall of 12,300 CX-9 crossover SUVs because of the potential for the model's electric seats to overheat. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem can lead to burn damage, as well as smoke and fire in some extreme cases.

The hazard has been attributed to a faulty heater control circuit, found only in Mazda CX-9 SUVs with electrically heated seats. "Insufficient electrical grounding" can result in burned seat upholstery, smoke damage, and even small fires if the circuit malfunctions.

Mazda first became aware of this issue last December. A CX-9 was scorched by a seat heater that couldn't be disabled even after the car had been turned off, sparking the company's internal investigation and present SUV recall.

Driving While Medicated Poses Risks for Those 55 and Older

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:02:00 EDT

A new study conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and issued by AAA found that many older drivers are taking to the roads unaware that their medications may hinder their driving ability.

The study found that 69 percent of drivers ages 55 and older take one or more potentially driver impairing (PDI) medications, such as ACE inhibitors, sedatives, and beta blockers. Over-the-counter products may also cause problems, as the active ingredients in many allergy drugs are the same as those found in many sleep medications.

The study urges health care professionals to emphasize the dangers of medicinally impaired driving, since only 18 percent of those surveyed recall being warned of the risks. With most accident situations leaving less than a half second of reaction time to avoid a crash, it's important for older drivers to become increasingly aware of the risks of driving while medicated.

Chrysler Airbag Defect Leads to Minivan Safety Repairs

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:02:00 EDT

Chrysler has issued a statement asking more than 355,000 owners of the company's most popular minivans to take them to dealers in June to have airbag crash sensors replaced. The sensors can crack and fail in 2005-2006 Town and Country, Dodge Caravan, and Grand Caravan models.

The affected sensors control the speed and manner in which the vehicles' airbags are deployed. Water can enter the housing of cracked sensors, causing them to become inoperative while illuminating the airbag warning light.

This safety issue follows on the heels of a similar airbag-related recall initiated by Honda earlier this month, as well as a massive set of recalls by Toyota. Like Toyota, Chrysler has been hesitant to acknowledge this action as an official recall, despite the fact that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is labeling it as such.

Toyota Corollas the Subject of New Consumer Complaints

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:25:00 EDT

Toyota officials have acknowledged that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received dozens of complaints about power steering malfunctions in its Corolla subcompact cars. The automaker said it would "take action" if necessary.

Some drivers have reported feeling a loss of control over the steering, though a cause has not yet been pinpointed. Problems with the braking system and tires have been mentioned as possible underlying causes. Toyota said that if it finds consumers' safety to be at risk it will consider issuing a recall.

Toyota has recalled over 8 million vehicles around the world during the past four months due to problems with sticking gas pedals, sliding floor mats, and faulty brake programming. The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is holding a hearing on Feb. 24 on Toyota's gas pedal problems. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold one the next day.

Honda Recalls Cars for Airbag Problem

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:05:00 EDT

Honda has announced the expansion of an earlier recall to replace an airbag inflator in certain 2001 and 2002 models. The new recall includes 379,000 vehicles in the United States.

The automaker said that the driver's airbag inflators can expand with too much pressure, causing the inflator casing to break. This can result in injury or death to the driver. Honda said the following models are included in the action: 2001 and 2002 Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V, Pilot and some 2002 Acura TL and CL vehicles. So far there have been 12 reported incidents related to the defective airbags.

The original recall occurred in July 2009 and included 2001 and 2002 Accords and Civics as well as some 2002 Acura TL vehicles. Honda said it will notify affected customers by mail and phone to provide instructions on how to have vehicles repaired at an authorized dealer.

Toyota Hybrid Recall Announced, Includes 2010 Prius

Tues, 09 Feb 2010 16:05:00 EDT

Toyota has announced the global recall of more than 400,000 2010 hybrid models, including the Prius, Lexus HS250hm, and the Sai, because they can experience a problem with their anti-lock brake systems. Some 2010 Camrys prone to brake fluid leaks have also been recalled.

When the hybrids' braking problem was announced last week, Toyota executives initially described it as a momentary delay in braking when the car was driving over slippery or bumpy surfaces. However, Toyota has since changed its description, increasingly calling it a change in braking feel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that owners contact Toyota dealers immediately if they notice changes in their braking performance. If a loss of braking occurs, the agency advises owners to continue to press firmly on the brake to stop the vehicle. Drivers can also leave extra braking room as they await their recall notice.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that owners contact Toyota dealers immediately if they notice changes in their braking performance. If a loss of braking occurs, the agency advises owners to continue to press firmly on the brake to stop the vehicle. Drivers can also leave extra braking room as they await their recall notice.

Though the company said it implemented a solution in cars that were produced beginning last month, it has yet to find a fix for the 37,000 recalled cars already on U.S. roads or the more than 200,000 affected vehicles that have been sold worldwide. Toyota said that a solution is "near."

Toyota Dealt Another Blow with Prius Brake Complaints

Thurs, 04 Feb 2010 15:30:00 EDT

Feb 04 2010 UPDATE - Toyota has announced that it previously knew about complaints of brake malfunctions in its 2010 Prius and has expanded its investigation to include all hybrid models.

Toyota's quality general manager said that in late January the company rewrote the cars' braking-system software following an increase in complaints in December. The automaker didn't make any public announcement of the software changes at the time, but says it wasn't trying to "cover up" the glitch. The Prius cars made since then all have the modified software, but the company hasn't decided whether and how to rewrite the programs on the cars it has already sold.

U.S. highway safety regulators said they are opening a formal investigation into the issue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has 124 complaints from Prius owners, including reports of four crashes linked to the brake problem.

Cell Phone Bans Don't Reduce Crashes, Study Finds

Thur, 04 Feb 2010 13:09:00 EDT

Laws banning cell phone use while driving have had virtually no effect on the number of car crashes, according to a recent study. It compared the number of accidents that occurred before and after cell phone bans were implemented.

Although the use of hand-held cell phones has decreased between 41 and 76 percent in California, New York, Connecticut, and Washington, there was no change in the number of car accidents. The study, which was completed in December, measured cell phone use by observing roadways from corners and exit ramps both before and after bans began. The crash data compared the number of all crashes, not just those involving cell phones.

The Highway Loss Data Institute is baffled by the findings and suggested that perhaps they result from the fact that even though cell phones are a distraction, they may not be worse than the other activities that drivers engage in regularly. Another possibility, according to the group, is that drivers in the studied areas simply switched to hands-free phones which wouldn't alter crash data since the two activities pose the same amount of risk.

Cell phone restrictions and bans vary from state to state, but thus far, seven jurisdictions have banned hand-held cell phones for all drivers and 19 have banned text messaging for all drivers. No state has banned hands-free phones for all ages, though some restrict teens.