March 2016 Archives
Braking technology could prevent 20 percent of car accidents
A rear-end crash on a California road can be an annoyance as the driver in the front vehicle deals with damages, possible injuries, and the red tape involved in filing an insurance claim. On a national level, the number of injuries and deaths each year because of this type of accident can be quite high. Research has shown, however, that a large number of serious rear-enders could be curbed through automatic braking technology. An agreement has been reached between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and most of the nation's auto manufacturers, and it is aimed at making this a standard vehicle feature by 2022.
Dealing with truck driver fatigue
Commercial truck drivers in California and around the country are subject to federal regulations that prohibit them from operating their vehicles when they are fatigued. The lack of a truly objective test for fatigue has hindered efforts to measure the exact dimensions of the problem, and earlier attempts to impose a standard have been found to violate the drivers' Fourth Amendment rights.
The future of self-driving cars
Self-driving cars may eventually make roadways much safer than they have ever been before. Google has been test-driving such vehicles in California, and so far, no injuries have been reported as a result of any accidents caused by the autonomous driving technology. However, there was an accident with no injuries caused at least in part by the technology on Feb. 14, which leads many people to speculate what will happen when a self-driving car is involved in a serious accident.
Dog bites a serious problem
A number of people in California are seriously injured each year because of dog bites. Recent statistics demonstrate the seriousness of the problem across the United States.