Motor City Accident Attorneys: 2014

Friday, December 19, 2014

Michigan School Buses Fail Safety Inspections

If it was up to Mason County Central Schools, they would replace their oldest busses every year, but that isn’t the case. As a result, the rust on some of their buses is so severe that holes have formed on side panels, exposing the insulation beneath. The Western Michigan district is far from alone. Yearly inspections by the Michigan State Police found small, rural school districts were experiencing the most problems with their buses during the 2013-14 school year. Besides the age of the buses, possible reasons for the disparity between urban and rural districts could be due to a system's budget, quality of the roads, and number of mechanics as well as their level of experience. By contrast, the statewide failure rate was just over 10 percent, though the rate rose for the second straight year.

The districts blamed their high failure rates on aging fleets and the lack of money to replace them. After an inspection, buses are placed in one of three categories: pass, yellow or red. Yellow means the vehicle is safe to operate but its problems need to be fixed within 60 days. Red means the problem is so severe the bus must be taken off the road immediately and cannot return until it is corrected. As for the state as a whole, the number of buses that failed inspection jumped from 7.6 percent in 2011-12 to 9.5 percent in 2012-13 and 10.2 percent in 2013-14, according to state police figures.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join the conversation by using #MCAA.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Ford Teams Up With Police Officers To Track Their Driving Habits

Ford Motor Co. is helping develop advanced technology that can track how fast police officers are driving. This technology will be able to do things like track an officers speed when their lights are on, if they’re wearing their seat belt and other information about their driving habits. This new technology is meant to work not only as a safety tool but will also serve as a way to hold officers responsible by recording minor infractions like speeding for no reason, turning their flashers on to go through a red light when there isn’t an emergency. The technology is expected to debut with the Los Angeles Police Department in the early 2015.

Officers will be monitored by a device underneath the dashboard that will track vehicle lateral acceleration, spins, yaw rates, pursuit mode, accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position, engine torque, anti-lock braking system actuation, and stability control and traction control. The agencies that use this technology will also receive individual score cars for each officer and the information collected will be accessible only by the agency and police officer Ford will not have access to it.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Driverless-car technology

In its effort to bring autonomous-driving technology to the streets. Two Audi RS7 sedans raced around a track in Germany. The car without a driver won this matchup by five seconds. In these experiments, the car needs to choose for itself the best way to take the corners in its race against human drivers. The map that the car received “just contains the left and right boundaries of the track,” said Peter Bergmiller, an Audi technician. Automakers like Mercedes-Benz and Tesla Motors Inc. are trying to develop a system to ease the strain of driving by letting cars park themselves and even taking over the wheel in stop-and-go traffic.

The purpose is to show that computers are able to push cars to their limits on race tracks while at the same time aiming to convince regulators that the technology can be safe in the real world. There’s a lot at stake in getting cars prepared with these features on the road. Technology for self-driving cars is estimate it to be an $87 billion market by 2030, according to Boston-based Lux Research.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Bike safety at night

We can all agree that riding a bike during the night is much more dangerous than during the day. During the night hours riders can only see what’s well lit, illuminated and brightened by their headlights. Their depth perception and peripheral vision are also limited. However, if you do plan to bike at night, proper preparations can help keep you safe. Reflectors are designed to bounce back motorists' headlight beams, which illuminate bikers so they're easier to spot on the road. You can also wear reflective ankle and leg bands, and put reflective tape on your bike's fenders and frame. In many states, the law says bikers that drive at night must have a red light on the rear and a white headlight with a steady beam in front. These lights let drivers know which direction you're heading. The bike's headlight should be strong enough to illuminate the road for several feet.

While lights and reflectors are vital when riding at night riders still need to dress in vibrant bright colors for maximum visibility. Like clothing with built-in reflective details on gloves, shirts, shorts and leggings. Many vest and jacket designs have large areas of reflective material along the arms, chest, back and shoulders. Another tip is to remain on well-lit and familiar streets, if possible. If biking to a new place make sure you map your route either on a map or in the computer to avoid getting lost. Also, wear a properly fitted bike helmet at all times that meets the standards of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join the conversation by using #MCAA.

Friday, October 10, 2014

MCAA: GM Faces 7th Recall in the Span of Nine Days

GM has done it again, it seems they can’t catch a break. Earlier this week General Motors Co. recalled back 7,600 police vehicles that could have rolled away while the car was in park, did we mention is their 7th recall in the past 2 weeks? The infamous automaker said they are calling back the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicles simply because they fail to comply with federal interlock rules. Apparently, the vehicles are equipped with a specific transmission selector that holds two pins that could be displaced.
"When one or more of these pins are displaced, the driver may be able to shift the transmission out of park without depressing the brake pedal, shift without pressing the shift lever detent lock button, and remove the ignition key from the key cylinder when the vehicle's transmission is not in park. Additionally, pin displacement could make it more difficult to select a different gear and could cause the vehicle's."

Back in March of this year GM’s Technical Assistance Center received a report that stated that an empty and idling 2012 Chevrolet Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle unintentionally shifted out of park into reverse and collided with another vehicle, it safe to say there were no injuries. Later on in May, GM referred the incident to its Australian unit GM Holden Ltd., which is the vehicles designers and manufacturer, for further investigation. GM dealers will replace the shift lever roll pin, replace the base pivot pin, and attach a retention enhancement clip.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join the conversation by using #MCAA.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Detroit Wins $26M for 50 New Buses

The city of Detroit’s transit system has been in bad shape for a while, but the U.S. Transportation Department has decided to award them with $25.9 million to invest in 50 new buses. The Ladders of Opportunity grants mission is to modernize the transit system as well as allow for more of an expansion across the board. This project will also help provide families who are in dire need for reliable transportation that’s also safe and dependable. Many Detroit residents have had issues with being able to get to work, school, or even the doctor’s office because of unreliable transportation. Adding 50 new buses to the lineup will drastically change the safety and development of the city of Detroit.

The issue with the transit system in Detroit mostly revolves around safety. It’s not uncommon to hear about high-profile incidents on buses where the safety of passengers is compromised, resulting in a decline in passengers. Families are scared to let their children ride the bus, which can affect attendance at school and limit the distance Detroit residents can travel when it comes to appointments and even work! Last year, studies showed that ridership had decline around 13% since 2008 –making public transportation a pressing issue. Fortunately, new funding will be able to provide up to date, safer buses for Detroit residents who previously had less options when it came to local transit.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join the conversation by using #MCAA.

Monday, September 29, 2014

GM Recalls Another 200,000 Vehicles, This Time For Brake Issues

General Motors Co. has faced plenty of problems in the past year. Recalls from electrical issues to gasket leaks to air bag failures, it seems we can’t go a week without hearing about a new one. This week, it was reported that GM had to recall around 221,000 new Cadillac XTS and Chevy Impala cars, worldwide, due to improper braking. This issue was discovered after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ran an investigation –recalling 205,000 cars in the U.S. alone.

So what does “improper braking” mean? This problem is actually pretty serious and can cause excessive heat as well as poor performance. Of course, if your brakes are not performing properly, an accident is more likely to happen. Although it’s not the most prevalent cause of car accidents, vehicle failure does account for a good amount of road collisions –which is why it’s so important to keep your vehicle in the best condition. In the case of these GM vehicles, the cars “may have experienced poor vehicle acceleration, undesired deceleration, excessive brake heat, and premature wear to some brake components.” In a nutshell, this means that cars are at risk of stopping when unprompted, which of course could possibly to a rear end collisions.

Monday, September 22, 2014

GM and NHTSA Share Blame For Ignition System Failure

It’s no secret that GM has faced increasingly high issues lately when it comes to their vehicle safety. Their flawed ignition system alone has been tied to around 19 deaths. However, federal safety regulators are now sharing the blame. Congressional investigators ran a report that decided that the blame can’t be placed on GM alone. These ignition systems had multiple flaws: they caused cars to shut off while driving, disabled air bags and anti-lock brakes. The report, done by the House, stated that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration staff failed to understand how the cars safety system works as well as how they failed.

Of course, the agency disagreed and claimed that GM employees withheld important information. GM has since admitted fault and released a report as well as initiated a program with the goal of compensating all victims. The report does reflect that GM bears most of the responsibility, but also states that the “NHTSA is flawed in that they have struggled to keep pace with the industry and fails to hold itself to the same standard as those it regulates.” While there is a battle between GM and NHTSA in regards to who’s to blame, it’s good to know that those who have been affected by these flawed vehicles are being compensated accordingly.

Friday, September 12, 2014

GPS Safety While On the Road

The invention of the Global Positioning System or GPS for short, was a game changer. We’ve gone from using maps to printing out directions from the internet to the ever popular GPS that has taken over the world. GPS works off a satellite navigation system that provides location and time information anywhere on Earth –helping you get from point A to point B quicker and with more ease. But some believe that, despite how convenient Global Positioning Systems are, there might be a level of danger if you’re using one while driving.

There’s really no way around using a GPS –it’s a normal every day item most people use. So instead, lets focus on how to drive as safe as possible while using one. First off, it’s important you know exactly how the GPS works so you don’t have any trouble while you’re on the road. Once you’ve mastered it, make sure to always program your destination before you leave. This will help avoid you having to type while driving. Another tip is to turn on the voice commands so that you don’t have to rely on looking at the GPS every minute to make sure you’re going the right way. All you have to do is wait for the command and you’ll know exactly where to go –saving you from a potential car accident or truck crash.

Follow these tips and you will avoid getting distracted by the GPS without compromising the use of it as a whole! If you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join the conversation by using #MCAA.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Tips for Avoiding Bicycle Fatalities

Riding your bicycle as a means of transportation can be dangerous. Just this past week, a bicyclist was struck by a car in Clinton County, Michigan and the accident proved to be fatal. Of course, it’s impossible to avoid bicycle accidents 100% of the time, but there are ways we can go about learning how to effectively share the road with bicyclists.

It’s important that both cyclists and drivers understand how important it is to follow the rules in place if it means they could avoid an accident. Most bicyclist fatalities take place between 4 p.m. and midnight, which means darkness is definitely a factor. Many find it hard to spot a bicyclist during the day and of course at night visibility gets worse. Drivers often turn in front of bicyclists thinking that they will be able to make it in time to avoid a collision, but in this case it’s always best to yield to bicyclists. Accidents are also common in areas like parking lots and stop signs where the driver fails to notice a bicyclist is traveling in close proximity, leading to a collision.

Drivers are not the only ones who would benefit from following the rules more closely. Bicyclists have been known to ride between parked cars, turn suddenly, ride through a stop sign or ride in the wrong direction which is extremely unsafe. Another issue that has been discussed is driving under the influence. Both drivers and bicyclists have been known to drink and operate –which impairs their senses even more and could lead to collisions. By simply being more aware of your surroundings and being in the moment and vigilant of every driver around you –you could help avoid an accident no matter how big or small.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join the conversation by using #MCAA.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

What To Do When Your Car Overheats

Even though the summer is coming to an end, it can still get unbearable hot outside. Aside from your body overheating, you also have to worry about your car engine overheating. What happens when your car overheats? Your engine could face damage that could lead to a car crash or truck accident. How can you tell if your engine is overheating? For one, you can check the dash and see if the needle is pointing toward the ‘H’ or sitting nicely in the middle. The goal is for the need to be directly between the ‘C’ (cold) and ‘H’ (hot). If you see the needle getting closer to the ‘H’, it’s time to take action. What is the first thing you should do in that case? Turn the air conditioner off.

What is the best thing to have in the car in regards to an overheated engine? Coolant (or antifreeze) and a gallon of water. If the coolant in the engine is low, the engine will overheat. If that indeed is the issue, topping it off with some coolant will solve the problem. If that doesn’t work, the water will help bring the temperatures back to normal even if only temporarily. What if none of these tips help the situation? Pull over, turn the engine off and watch for any steam or smoke. Even if it’s not smoking, it usually takes around 30 minutes for the average engine to cool down and be safe enough to handle. The next step in that case would be to call a mechanic so they can figure out where the issue stemmed from and make a plan to fix it.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join the conversation by using #MCAA.