Fair Warning tells the story of General Motors (GM) cars that still have not installed the promised glow-in-the dark trunk releases. The consumer group Kids and Cars is asking GM to recall the 2000 and 2001 model year GM cars that do not have trunk releases. Cars that have been retrofitted with the inexpensive trunk release have not had one death of a child in the trunk of a car.
Janette Fennell of Kids and Cars says GM got a lot of positive media attention when it announced it would go above and beyond for safety to ensure no more children would die in hot car trunks. The automaker said it would install the TrapAlert system which would allow the trunk to open automatically and would sound a horn if a child was trapped. None of that materialized.
Instead, in June, 2009, two children, a five-year-old boy and his four-year-old sister, died while trapped in the trunk of their parent’s 2000 Chevy Malibu. Three more children have died over the last two months after they were trapped in GM trunks in the scorching summer heat. Kids and Cars says at least 22 children have died in trunks since 2002, with 11 of those deaths occurring in cars made by GM.
“Keeping children safe in and around vehicles is a priority for General Motors,” said a GM spokeswoman after the death of two Indiana boys last June. However, when Fair Warning went shopping for a retrofit trunk release GM said was available at auto parts stores, none were found. Dealerships didn’t have them either. Customer support at GM could not help.
Trunk deaths occur when children decide to play hide and seek and crawl into the trunk of a car only to find they get locked inside. GM talked about safety but Ford actually did something, installing glow-in-the-dark trunk releases in all cars beginning in 2000.
Consumers should know that Kids and Cars sells a retrofit kit known as ‘quick out” which is also available through http://www.aablelocksmiths.com. The Jacksonville car accident attorneys at Farah & Farah also asks parents to please retrofit any 200 and 2001 GM vehicle so your child does not become another statistic.
Source: http://www.fairwarning.org/2011/08/as-kids-keep-dying-in-car-trunks-gm-fix-is-elusive/
A male prisoner was on his way to the Orange County Jail in a deputy’s cruiser was struck by another car. He is in the hospital in serious condition. The female deputy suffered minor injuries in the crash. She also was hospitalized.
We wish a speedy recovery for everyone who is hospitalized and hope the injuries are not too serious or permanent.
The driver of the car was issued a ticket or running a red light. The accident happened at Semoran Boulevard and E. Colonial Drive in Orlando. The driver was approaching Semoran Boulevard on the left through lane and the deputy was stopped on westbound Colonial Drive in the left turning lane. She began turning left when the traffic signal showed a green left arrow.
Troopers say that the driver ran the red light and struck the rear of the cruiser with his BMW. No one in his car was injured.
Florida Side-Impact Crashes
Generally when we report about accidents involving law enforcement vehicles, there is some sort of chase involved. Not this time. The deputy was stopped, just like any vehicle who might become a victim to someone who runs a red light.
This accident could have been much worse. Side collisions also known as T-bone crashes, are where the side of one of more vehicles is impacted. They often occur at an intersection and in parking lots. The severity of injuries depends on the speed and safety features on a vehicle. Side-impact airbags can protect vehicle occupants in a side-impact accident, but they generally only protect during the first collision. As side-impact crashes often involve multiple collisions or cars, occupants are left unprotected during subsequent collisions.
Personal Injury Claim
An experienced Florida personal injury attorney can guide a victim and their family through what can be a complex legal process. If a dangerous condition on the roadway caused or contributed to this accident, the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining the roadway could also be held liable. There are many questions to ask and it’s okay to seek help to guide you through the sometimes difficult process to protect your rights.
Source:http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-deputy-crash-orange-20100127,0,7839086.story
