Issues

The car crash crisis

August 11, 2022

[su_quote]In the United States, there is “a conflicting culture” around cars, Michael Brooks, Acting Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety said. “People want these flashy, big ticket items and we want to be able to do what we want in our cars, but at the same time, we’re killing each other at a…

Moon roof shatters in car wash in San Tan Valley

August 8, 2022

“They couldn’t find a specific design defect, and they really weren’t able to point their finger at a particularly bad manufacturer, so it appears it is something that’s just going to happen,” said Michael Brooks, the acting executive director of the Center for Auto Safety. According to Brooks, crashes and other major safety issues haven’t…

US agency probes Tesla crashes that killed 2 motorcyclists

August 5, 2022

Michael Brooks, acting executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, called on NHTSA to recall Tesla’s Autopilot because it is not recognizing motorcyclists, emergency vehicles or pedestrians. “It’s pretty clear to me, and it should be to a lot of Tesla owners by now, that this stuff isn’t working properly and it’s not…

Driveway Danger: Kids Being Injured and Killed in ‘Frontover’ SUV Blind Zone Incidents

July 29, 2022

“There’s a large zone in front of vehicles where you can’t see something that’s the height of a child – even the height of two or three children lined up,” said Michael Brooks, Acting Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety. By Susan Hogan, Rick Yarborough, Steve Jones, Lance Ing and Carlos Olazagasti July…

Hyundai exec vows to improve company’s safety track record

July 22, 2022

One critic, Michael Brooks, acting executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, noted that Hyundai’s upgraded safety programs are focused on future vehicles, which Brooks said won’t help owners of the company’s existing autos. “There’s still a consumer issue that’s ongoing that needs to be resolved,” Brooks said. By Tom Krisher July 22, 2022…

Jury: Tesla just 1% to blame for teen driver’s fiery crash

July 21, 2022

Michael Brooks, at the Center for Auto Safety, said other lawsuits are pending against Tesla involving the vehicle’s autopilot and full self-driving systems. By Freida Frisaro, Associated Press July 20, 2022 A jury in Florida has found Tesla just 1% negligent in a fiery crash that killed two teens, for disabling a speed limiter on…

Kia models left off recall list also prone to dangerous engine fires

July 15, 2022

“And it really comes down to the fact that these engines are not good engines across a wide swath of Hyundai and Kia models,” Michael Brooks with the Center for Auto Safety said. By WSBTV.com News Staff July 7, 2022 WSB is investigating another recall of Kia and Hyundai vehicles over fire dangers. That pushes…

FOX13 Investigates fire problems with some Kia and Hyundai car models

July 15, 2022

“It really comes down to the fact that these engines are not good engines,” said Michael Brooks with the Center for Auto Safety. By Carolyn Cerda, FOX13Memphis.com and FOX13Memphis.com News Staff July 6, 2022 Imagine driving down the road when your car’s engine suddenly bursts into flames. It’s happening in some of the most common…

SUV owners warned to park outside over fire risk

July 15, 2022

“We’ve seen a new focus on fire recalls from [the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]. They’ve been getting the word out to owners in a way they’ve never done before to make sure that owners know not to park these things inside or not to charge them indoors,” Michael Brooks, Acting Executive Director of the…

Driver-assist NHTSA crash data called limited, useful

June 24, 2022

“I think what this data does, in a way, is it requires manufacturers who may have been hesitant to report these types of incidents, or who are not doing as great of a job reporting things to NHTSA in general … to get that data into the system,” said Michael Brooks, acting executive director at…