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Experts Recommend Calling 911 on Dangerous Texting Drivers

Drivers who text behind the wheel are more than 20 times as likely to be entangled in an accident than those who do not text, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. This, in part, is why some experts say you should back off and call 911 when you see someone texting and driving erratically.

USA Today published an insightful article recently on the dangers of texting while driving. We’ve all seen someone do it, if we haven’t done it ourselves. And we all know the dangers.

A driver’s attention is diverted for an average of just over 4½ seconds while … Read More

CPSC Sues Buckyballs Maker Over Dangers of Toy Posed to Children

We have reported on the warnings issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and by health advocates in the United Kingdom about the dangers that exist from children ingesting Buckyballs. This product, which has been used by individuals in both the United States and in the United Kingdom in connection with stress reduction, is a pair of globe-shaped high-powered magnets.

This presents a danger to children if the magnets are swallowed. When multiple magnets are swallowed, they are attracted to each other and will stick to each other even through the intestinal walls or the bowels. The result … Read More

Do iPads Pose Dangers to Shunt Users?

A new study from the University of Michigan may be a warning to people in the U.S. with medical conditions that require programmable shunt valves. A serious hazard may be linked to increasingly popular iPad devices.

Doctors began to investigate the problem after noticing the case of a four-month-old, whose shunt began to stop working properly after only three weeks. The baby had a condition known as hydrocephalus, which causes extra fluids to build up around the brain and can cause dangerous or even deadly swelling. The shunt should have drained off the excess fluid. Eventually, the baby’s doctors and … Read More

Flushmate® Recall May Affect Millions in U.S.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, along with officials in Canada and the Flushmate company, announced a recall of over 2.3 million devices found in households across the U.S. The devices, sold under the name Flushmate® III Pressure-Assist Flushing System, can cause toilet lids to lift off tanks and may even cause tanks and lids to shatter. Because of this problem, the recalled Flushmate products may cause severe injury to users and are a serious danger for affected households.

The Flushmate company, based out of New Hudson, Mich., is a division of Sloan Valve Company. The company says that it … Read More

Volvo Pays for Safety Delay

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced that the North American division of Volvo will pay a $1.5 million penalty for delaying to report safety hazards and recalls to the NHTSA.

The agency began investigating Volvo Cars North America, LLC, in 2011. Officials examined six cases from 2010 and one case from 2012, all involving recalls issued by the U.S. division of the Volvo Car Corporation. What they found, the NHTSA says, is that Volvo repeatedly violated the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, a federal law which requires automakers to report safety hazards and defects to … Read More