Issues
School bus seat belt proponents encouraged by new federal rule – 12/16/13
A proposal to require seat belts on school buses – perennial legislation that never makes it through the Legislature – was before lawmakers again Thursday.
Lawsuit Settled Over 2007 Connecticut Van Drowning – 12/9/2013
The families of a woman and three children who drowned when a van rolled into a Bridgeport, Conn., pond in 2007 have settled a lawsuit against the dealership that sold the van.
The van was parked at Beardsley Park on July 4, 2007, when it began rolling down a hill. Michelle McIntosh, 39, ran after the van but couldn’t stop it and drowned, as did the children inside the van. An investigation determined one of the children had shifted the transmission into drive.
Hyundai strips arbitration clause from warranty – 12/9/13
by Ryan Beene
LOS ANGELES — Hyundai Motor America has dropped a policy requiring that some warranty coverage disputes between customers and the factory be settled through arbitration.
Until Friday, Hyundai included the clause in its new-vehicle warranty contract, which also gave customers the ability to opt out of the arbitration clause within 90 days of a new-vehicle purchase.
Tesla’s Model S Safety Solution: Software – 12/5/13
Most automakers typically respond to an investigation by government safety regulators by providing documents, and by approaching federal officials with a certain deference. Tesla, of course, is not a typical automaker.