News highways
Federal Regulation Saves Millions of Lives
by Ralph Nader September 9, 2016 Fifty years ago this month (on September 9, 1966), President Lyndon…
Miles to Go on Highway Safety
The 50th anniversary of federal auto safety regulation approaches, but there’s not much to celebrate. Signing the…
Congressional Study Faults Highway Agency Over Testing of Guardrails
A congressional watchdog on Thursday accused federal highway officials of poor oversight of the safety testing of…
Industry initiatives to prevent drinking and driving lack evidence of effectiveness
Researchers find that the most effective interventions, such as use of sobriety checkpoints and ignition interlocks, are rarely used in industry-sponsored programs
The majority of the alcohol industry’s actions around the world to reduce drinking and driving either lack evidence of effectiveness or haven’t been studied, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.
$663 Million in Penalties for Maker of Guardrail
By AARON M. KESSLER and DANIELLE IVORY
JUNE 9, 2015
A Texas federal judge handed down a $663 million judgment Tuesday against Trinity Industries, the guardrail maker accused of producing a faulty product that can jam and spear through vehicles.
The judgment stems from the trial held last year in a whistle-blower lawsuit filed by Josh Harman, a competitor who discovered in 2011 that Trinity had made a critical change to the dimensions of its ET-Plus guardrail in 2005, but failed to tell federal regulators as required by law.
Public Corruption Probe Targets Trinity Guardrails, Federal Highway Agency: Sources
4/21/15
The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into the use of a highway guardrail system linked to at least eight deaths, according to people familiar with the matter, signaling a new wave of potential woes for manufacturer Trinity Industries Inc.
30 States Ban Dangerous Guardrails
12/17/14
When it comes to highway safety, cover-ups and delaying tactics aren’t a good idea. Full disclosure is usually a much better option. Consider the history: Ford stonewalled on its exploding Pintos, and that ended up costing the company far more than if it had just quickly admitted there was a problem. General Motors dragged its feet on defective ignition switches, and Toyota fought off any suggestion that its cars unintentionally accelerated. In both cases, a quick mea culpa would have worked better.
Virginia Sues Trinity Industries Over Potentially Risky Guardrail
12/11/14
Virginia is suing the guardrail maker Trinity Industries, saying that it sold the state thousands of pieces of potentially dangerous, improperly tested and unapproved products.
The suit makes Virginia the first governmental entity to participate in whistle-blower suits against Trinity, which is based in Dallas. The suits were brought on behalf of state and federal governments, but none of those entities, until now, have been plaintiffs.