Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Toyota’s Auto Safety Efforts Focus on Prevention of Teen, Senior-Related Accidents

With some of the worst years in its history just behind it, Toyota Motor Co. is battling to regain some of its reputation for safety by backing high-end research and developing partnerships with leading universities around the country. In January, the automaker announced that it would spend $50 million on its Collaborative Safety Research Center over the next five years.

The center, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will focus on technologies to prevent accidents involving children, teenagers and seniors. Further, the company will invest heavily in research into accident prevention technologies and accident reconstruction.

Toyota continues to face hundreds of personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits filed by San Fernando Valley car accident lawyers and involving sudden and unintended acceleration in its vehicles. Unintended acceleration was the primary factor in several Toyota recalls since 2009. However, the company has also announced a number of other recalls for a variety of safety issues. These recalls have severely damaged Toyota’s credibility and reputation. Toyota hopes that its new investments in auto safety efforts will diminish the damaging impact of its recent recalls.

The company has announced partnerships with some of the brightest minds in the engineering industry, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AgeLab, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Transportation Safety Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study. Additionally, Toyota researchers will also work together with researchers from the University of Michigan, the Children's Hospital Philadelphia as well as the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

One of the company’s major focuses as part of its auto safety efforts is researching the effectiveness of voice-activated communication systems in automobiles. In this effort, the company is partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company also wants to probe technologies to prevent accidents involving seniors and teen motorists, and ways to keep children safer in traffic accidents.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

California Company Announces Recall of Off-Road Motorcycles Due to Injury Risks

A company based in Murrieta, California has announced a recall of more than 6,000 off-road motorcycles because of the risks of fall accident hazards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and KTM North America Inc. announced the recall.

The recall includes 6,117 off-road motorcycles because of the risk that the handlebar clamp can develop cracks while in use. This can cause the handlebars to move from position, posing a serious fall and accident hazard to a motorcyclist. The recall involves all 2011 KTM and Husaberg off-road motorcycles.

According to KTM North America, it has received at least one report of an accident caused because of this defect. In this incident, the handlebar clamps cracked, and handlebars were left unsecured. The motorcyclist was thrown off his vehicle, and received injuries that were serious enough for him to be hospitalized.

KTM bikes that are included in the recall come with the model name and the KTM logo on the right and left shrouds. The Husaberg motorcycles that are included in the recall include models FE and FX. These bikes were blue, yellow and white in color. These motorcycles were sold between April 2010 and May 2011. The motorcycles were manufactured in Austria.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission wants consumers to stop using the recalled motorcycles immediately, and contact KTM or Husaberg dealers immediately for free repairs.

Not all accidents that Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers come across are caused by the negligence of motorists. Many accidents every year are caused because of a defective component in the motorcycle. Besides defective handlebar clamps, there may be defects in the motorcycle tires and wheels. Motorcycle defects are even more dangerous than auto defects, because motorcyclists already have minimal protection preventing injuries in a motorcycle accident. Even a minor mechanical malfunction can cause the motorcyclist to be thrown off, resulting in a severe personal injuries or even wrongful death.
 
Add to Technorati Favorites