Air bags are proven, effective safety devices. From their introduction in the late 1980s through November 1, 1997, air bags have saved about 2,620 people. The number of people saved increases each year as air bags become more common on America’s roads. However, the number of lives saved is not the whole story. Air bags are particularly effective in preventing life-threatening and debilitating head and chest injuries. A study of real-world crashes conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the combination of seat belts and air bags is 75 percent effective in p

This week, one of our partner's cars was on the recall list.  Is your car affected, too? An automotive recall is a way for a manufacturer to tell you that there could be something about your car or truck that presents a risk of injury or property damage. And if you want to drill down to the very core of the issue, automotive recalls are intended to fix known problems with vehicles in an effort to keep roadways safer.  Car wrecks are the number-one killer of Americans under the age of 34, and a staggering 42,000 deaths are recorded each year on U.S. highways. Some of those lives could be s

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (P&SS Act) takes its name from Virginia Graeme Baker, a young girl who drowned after she was trapped under water by the powerful suction from a hot tub drain. A twin and the youngest of five, 7-year-old Graeme, as her family called her, was the daughter of Nancy and James Baker IV, the son of former Secretary of State James Baker III. A member of her community swim and diving team, Graeme was able to swim without assistance since she was 3 years old. In June 2002, Graeme became stuck to a hot tub drain and was unable to pull herself fre

A multistate lawsuit filed Thursday says 2002-10 Ford Motor vehicles contain a "design defect" in the electronic control of the gas pedals, making them susceptible to sudden, unintended acceleration. The lawsuit filed on behalf of Ford owners in 14 states is seeking class-action status and goes into great detail about the alleged defect in the models named in the lawsuit that don't have brake override technology. That technology stops the car if both the brake and the gas pedal are activated at the same time. Ford began installing it, known as "brake over accelerator," in all vehicles it make

Did you know that movable soccer goals can fall over and kill or injure children who climb on them or hang from the crossbar. They can also blow over in strong winds. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has reports of at least 35 deaths since 1979 resulting from soccer goals falling over. Both homemade and professionally manufactured soccer goals are involved in these incidents. To keep your kids safe and help prevent deaths and injuries associated with soccer goals, follow these safety suggestions: Securely anchor or counter-weight movable soccer goals at all times. Nev