Share the Road

Be aware, pay attention.

Local municipalities, such as Pinehurst and the City of Orange, recently have issued proclamations declaring May Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month.

The Texas Department of Transportation launched the “Share the Road” campaign which aims to reduce Texas motorcycle accidents.

While auto accident fatalities have decreased in recent years, more people are dying on motorcycles than ever before. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a person riding a motorcycle has a five times greater chance of being injured in a crash and a 25 times greater chance of dying in a collision.

In Texas, 429 motorcyclists were killed in 2010. This represents 14% of the state’s fatalities cause by motor vehicles. Approximately one-third of those fatality accidents happened at an intersection. Of those motorcycle fatalities, 85 were between the ages of 13 - 26.

In 2011, 470 motorcyclists were killed on Texas roads, representing 16% of all motor vehicle deaths for that same year and 5,770 motorcyclists were seriously injured.

The number of motorcycles registered within the state has more than doubled in the last decade as well as the number of motorcyclist killed.

The Texas Department of Transportation recommends:

• Look twice at intersections: Watch out for cyclists at intersections and check mirrors regularly and clearly signal your intentions.

• Give motorcycle space: Don’t follow a motorcycle too closely. Allow a full lane of travel space between your vehicle and a motorcycle.

• Anticipate next steps: Obstructions that drivers do not notice could prove to be fatal for a motorcyclist.

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source: The Orange Leader (Burleigh, 5/3)

Nissan recalling 79,000 Nissan and Infiniti vehicles to fix potential gasoline leaks

Nissan says it is recalling more than 79,000 vehicles in the U.S. to fix possible gasoline leaks.

The automaker is recalling certain Nissan Juke small crossover SUVs, Infiniti QX large SUVs and Infiniti M sedans from the 2011 and 2012 model years.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on its website that fuel pressure sensors on the vehicles may not be tight enough and gasoline could leak and cause a fire. Nissan says no fires have been reported.

Dealers will tighten the sensors or replace gaskets free of charge to take care of the problem.

The vehicles were made between Oct. 5, 2009 and Dec. 27, 2011.

The recall is scheduled to start on March 19. Owners with questions may call Nissan at 615-725-1000.

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source: Washington Post (AP, 2/27)

Federal safety regulators fine BMW $3 million for untimely reporting of safety defects

WASHINGTON — German automaker BMW has agreed to pay $3 million for delays in reporting safety defects and recalls to the federal regulators, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday.

An examination of 16 recalls issued by BMW of North America LLC in 2010 found a pattern in which the automaker failed to meet federal requirements that known defects be reported within five days, the safety agency said in a statement.

As part of the settlement, BMW and its parent company, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, agreed to make internal changes to its recall process, NHTSA said

“It’s critical to the safety of the driving public that defects and recalls are reported in short order,” NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said. “NHTSA expects all manufacturers to address automotive safety issues quickly and in a forthright manner.”

Despite the safety agency’s claim that some recall filings were late, “in every case where a defect was identified by the company a voluntary recall had been conducted,” BMW said in a statement.

A summary report of NHTSA’s investigation said the agency noticed in late 2010 a “troubling trend” in the automaker’s recall filings over the course of the previous year — the company’s initial recall filings were missing important information. Each time the problem was brought BMW’s attention, the automaker would promise to provide the information but then would take “an inordinate amount of time to do so,” the summary said.

For example, in only 6 out of 16 recall reports in 2010 was BMW able to say how many vehicles were affected and how many were expected to be recalled, the summary said. In only five of the reports did the automaker supply the required chronology of events, and all but one of the five were missing dates or other important information, the summary said.

NHTSA investigators also complained it was taking BMW on average over 30 dates to supply “fundamental” information missing from recall updates.

The recalls involved motorcycles, as well as sport utility vehicles.

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source: Washington Post (AP, 2/10)

Statewide "No Refusal Weekend" in Effect for July 4th Holiday

The July 4 holiday weekend is notoriously one of the most dangerous time of year for Texas drives. So today law enforcement agencies across the state announced a new initiative to keep drivers safe. It's the first ever of its kind in the nation, a state-wide "No Refusal Weekend."

A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association shows that over the past 25 years about half of the crashes over the holiday involve alcohol.

Texas is the deadliest state in the nation when it comes to DWI fatalities. Texas statutes designed to decrease the carnage on our roads have been effective to a degree, but many measures seem to have limited success in further curbing the number of deaths.

Last year in Texas alone, officers responded to 337,000 crashes over a three-day time span. This year, the state is stepping up enforcement. Agencies are dispatching additional officers to the road searching for suspected drunk drivers. In participating counties, they will not take "no" for an answer.

TxDOT has posted this video to their YouTube channel explaining what happens if you decide to get behind the wheel after you've been drinking during a "no refusal" weekend.

The "no refusal" program is the plan created by Montgomery County prosecutor Warren Diepraam several years ago. Diepraam says it's getting results.

Anyone who is pulled over for suspected drunk driving will have to either submit to a breath test or have their blood drawn. Officials say it takes as little as 15 minutes to secure a warrant for a blood draw and five minutes after that to get the blood drawn.

If you do happened to be involved in an automotive accident, chances are you can benefit from the services of Texas Injury Lawyer.

Let our experience, commitment and fight work to get you the money you deserve to rebuild your life. Our commitment to you: We will not be out worked!

Contact us today for a free consultation.