2004 Safety News Article Excerpts

The Washington Post, "SUVs and Teenage Drivers: A Lethal Combination"

          Forty-nine people ages 15 to 20 died in SUV and pickup truck accidents in Maryland, Virginia and the District last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The problem, researchers say, is that SUVs have a higher center of gravity and are harder to control in an emergency, which makes inexperienced teenage drivers more vulnerable. More...

Daytona Beach News-Journal, "Deltona man warns of truck fires"

          A Deltona man whose Ford pickup caught fire in his garage, extensively damaging his home, is warning others that it could happen to them, too. Roberto Garcia-Nazario said his 1999 Ford F-150 burst into flames the evening of Dec. 13, 2004, some nine and a half hours after he parked it and turned off the ignition. More...

National Law Journal, "Tires 6 years and older, regardless of mileage, are a danger, actions allege"

          Auto accidents allegedly caused by tire-tread separations are sparking lawsuits across the country, with plaintiffs charging that tire manufacturers are selling tires without warning consumers of the potential risk when the tires get older. More...

Tri-City Herald, "Families work to prevent 15-passenger van accidents"

          Studies by the NHTSA showed that between 1990 and 2002, 1,576 15-passenger vans were involved in fatal crashes causing 1,111 deaths. Of those, 349 were single-vehicle rollovers. In more than 80 percent of the fatal accidents, the 15-passenger vans, which were first introduced by Dodge in 1971, rolled over. More...

The National Law Journal, "Tire-tread separations at center of lawsuits"

          Auto accidents allegedly caused by tire-tread separations are sparking lawsuits across the country, with plaintiffs charging that tire manufacturers are selling tires without warning consumers of the potential risk when the tires get older. More...

ABC News, "Drug Maker Withheld Paxil Study"

          New documents uncovered by ABC News suggest GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of the popular antidepressant Paxil, failed to disclose important information about the possibility of an increased risk of suicidal behavior in some children taking the drug, as well as serious withdrawal symptoms when some patients stop taking Paxil. More...

The New York Times, "Study Backs Systems to Aid Auto Stability"

          A new study by the insurance industry says that the stability systems available in some cars and trucks can greatly reduce the likelihood of an accident. The technology, which applies brake pressure to help a driver maintain control of the vehicle, was found to reduce the chances of a fatal crash by 34 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. More...

The Washington Post, "Suicide alert on giving antidepressants to kids"

          The federal government ordered yesterday that all antidepressant drugs carry a prominent "black box" warning to alert doctors that the medications increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior among children and adolescents. More...

The New York Times, "FDA Toughens Warning on Antidepressant Drugs"

          Heeding the recommendation of an advisory committee, the Food and Drug Administration ordered pharmaceutical companies yesterday to add strong warnings to antidepressants, saying the drugs could cause suicidal thoughts and actions in some children and teenagers. More...

The New York Times, "U.S. Orders New Warnings on Antidepressants Used by Children"

          After concluding that the use of antidepressants could increase thoughts of suicide among children and adolescents, the Food and Drug Administration said today that it was ordering manufacturers of all such drugs to post "black box" warnings on their products. More...

The American Lawyer, "Welding Rod Dangers: Are Welding Rods The New Tobacco?"

          A jury just awarded a Madison County, Illinois, man $1 million for neurological damage he suffered as a result of long-term exposure to toxic fumes released by the rods. [Welding rods, when melted, are used to fuse pieces of metal together.] More...