Blog Archive - November, 2014

When motorists who are wearing a seat belt are involved in a low impact collision, they are normally reasonably protected from incurring a serious injury.  Air bags are an important safety feature that contributes to this sense of security.  Most drivers do not expect that air bags, which are designed to prevent injury, will cause severe injury or a fatality during a collision.  However, the tragic death of Hien Tran earlier this month purportedly caused by projectiles from an exploding air bag has resulted in stepped effort to identify and remove the defective safety devices.

The idea of traveling down the freeway blindfolded is unimaginable, but a new vehicle recall by Nissan involves a defect that can have a similar impact on driving ability.  Nissan has just announced a new vehicle recall that includes more than 220,000 Nissan Altimas manufactured in 2013.  The defect that prompted the recall involves a faulty secondary hood latch that can allow the hood of affected vehicles to spring open, which can maked it impossible for the driver to see the roadway through the windshield.  While some types of defects can theoretically increase the risk of a car accident, this type of defect presents a particularly significant danger for both the vehicle owners and everyone else on the roadway.