With the beginning of 2016, California enacted new laws affecting the day-to-day operations of California residents. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) are reminding everyone that several of these laws will directly affect transportation. SB 491 (Earbuds & Headsets) is one notable law that makes it illegal to wear a headset covering, earplugs in, or earphones covering, resting on, or inserted in, both ears, while operating a motor vehicle or a bicycle. (This law does not apply to persons operating authorized emergency vehicles, construction equipment and refuse or waste equipment while wearing a headset or safety earplugs.) Continue reading
Category Archives: Automotive News
California Rejects VW Recall Plan For Faked Emissions
California Air Resource Board (CARB) regulators have rejected Volkswagen’s recall proposal for repairs to its emissions cheating diesel vehicles saying it lacks sufficient detail and does not adequately address the overall impacts on vehicle performance, emissions and safety. According to CARB, the recall plan
- needs to identify which vehicles are affected.
- must include a sufficient method of obtaining the car owners’ names and address.
- does not include adequate information on how the fix would affect future emissions results.
The rejection concerns VW’s 2.0L diesel engines with a proposal for the 3.0L engines due in February. In a statement, VW said it will continue to work with both state and federal regulators and the rejection of its recall plan does not mean a recall will not be issued.
Autonomous Driving In California
The relationship between vehicles and drivers’ are changing as automobile manufacturers work to develop autonomous driving technology. Research and testing have created new possibilities that could improve highway safety, be less harmful to the environment, offer better mobility, and create new economic opportunities. Continue reading
Automobile Owners Granted “Right To Repair” Exemption
Vehicle owners in California and across the United States will soon be able to alter their automobiles software without violating U.S. copyright laws, thanks to changes with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
As part of the latest three year review, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an advocacy group based in San Francisco, filed petitions seeking changes to parts of the copyright act that prohibit consumers from unlocking software on certain products. Two of the petitions dealt directly with automobile software used to control a vehicles engine and emissions-control units. A lawyer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation said the group believes that researchers and car owners need access to vehicle software not only to make repairs or to adjust performance, but also to improve security. Continue reading
NTSB Recommends Improvements To Tire Registration and Tracking
A recent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation shows that the way tires are currently registered and recalled is ineffective and is putting drivers and their passengers at risk. The NTSB opened an investigation into the problem after four tire related accidents in Florida, Louisiana, Arizona and California killed 12 people and injured 42 others. According to the NTSB over 500 people are killed and 19,000 others are injured every year in tire-related accidents and they are asking the NHTSA to implement a mandatory registration system. Continue reading
Volkswagen Owners Compensated For Faked Emissions
Volkswagen announced today, that owners of vehicles equipped with software used to pass emissions tests could receive up to $1,000 in prepaid Visa cards and dealership credits, as well as free roadside assistance for three years. The offer is an attempt to regain customer trust as the company faces lawsuits from owners who want compensation for the loss in resale value of their vehicles. Some of the cases already filed say they want VW to buy back the vehicles for the full price they originally paid. Continue reading
NHTSA Accelerates Takata Airbag Repairs
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into exploding Takata airbags has found that the manufacturer violated the Motor Vehicle Safety Act as well as the Federal regulations implementing the Act. The NHTSA have imposed one of the largest civil penalties in NHTSA history and have ordered all 12 vehicle manufacturers to accelerate repairs, prioritizing recalls so the vehicles experiencing the greatest safety risk will be fixed first. Continue reading
Are Recall Delays Affecting Your Vehicles Safety?
With record recalls in the past few years, part shortages have owners concerned that they may be driving vehicles that could potentially harm them. Part of the challenge is that companies send defect notices to drivers before parts are available and will send a second notice when the parts are obtained, but according to consumer advocate Rosemary Shahan, even when parts do become available, limited repair facilities and a shortage of technicians are making it difficult to get the repairs done quickly. She says automobile manufacturers are not doing enough to help consumers.
In the above video, a CBS Sacramento investigation tells you what you can do if you have to wait for recall repairs.
