TEEN DRIVER FROM CHEVY:
SAFETY OR SPY?
As an injury lawyer, I am not surprised to repeatedly hear that crashes are the leading cause of death of 16- to 20-year-olds. Inexperience, poor judgment, peer pressure, and a feeling of invincibility conspire to cause reckless behaviors, and dangerous over-reactions while driving.
Teens don't really understand just how long or fragile life is, or how much pain their loss would cause their family and friends. Nevertheless, we all remember the scare tactics of Driver’s Education class: Blood-filled movies of real car accident victims, shown dead on the highway.
General Motors seems to think there is a better way. They call it “Teen Driver.” It is intended as a teaching tool.
The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu features this factory-installed, hard-wired technology that seems to touch almost every part of the vehicle. It will be rolled out to more vehicles soon, and Ford has a similar system as well.
Teen Driver mutes the stereo system until both driver and passenger seatbelts are fastened. Parents can even set volume limits on the radio and program speed maximums that will sound an alarm. While kids might ignore the alarms, they will face the fact that Mom and Dad will have a “Report Card” reflecting all of the following juicy information:
1. Every time a set speed parameter was broken
2. Every time a forward collision alert sounded
3. Every time a lane departure alert went off
4. Every time the safety devices, like anti-lock brakes, triggered.
In theory, the teen would also be able to prove that he or she was, in fact, driving safely. And, they may be much less likely to text or be distracted if they are mindful that swerving is recorded. While some teens are likely to see it as spying and resent the intrusion of the privacy many covet, I think it will help develop better habits behind the wheel for teens.
Given that the teen death rate is about triple compared those over 20 years old, any progress is represented as less teen funerals.
We can all agree that safer teen driving is a very good thing.
Showing posts with label GM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GM. Show all posts
Monday, February 1, 2016
Monday, June 29, 2009
GM to abandon taxpayers it hurt with defective products
Urgent Action Alert — Contact the White House THIS AFTERNOON to Protect Catastrophically Injured Victims of Defective GM Cars
Unless we act TODAY, the White House will allow General Motors to abandon over 300 consumers seriously hurt by defects in GM vehicles by extinguishing the company's responsibility for these victims. This is a cruel, immoral and un-American result because GM decided last Friday to take responsibility for injuries caused by vehicles in the future. But the company is washing their hands of consumers they have already hurt. PLEASE CALL OR FAX THE WHITE HOUSE TO STOP THIS TRAVESTY: PHONE: 202-456-1414. FAX: 202-456-2461.
What kind of company would abandon a catastrophically injured child, a woman paralyzed from the neck down, and hundreds of others who have been injured by defective GM cars? How can our government leave these consumers with no protection -- especially when these are the same consumers who bailed out GM in the first place? And who would want to buy a car from a company that treats consumers this way?
Time is running out. On Tuesday, General Motors will attempt to officially leave these injured families behind in the bankruptcy process. We must take action today to make sure that GM is responsible for the cars they have put on the road -- as well as cars they build in the future.
The Obama Administration's "Auto Task-Force," which is lead by the Treasury Department, is directly responsible for this decision. There are only a limited number of hours left in the bankruptcy process. Contact them THIS AFTERNOON to make sure that they know Americans will not stand for leaving hundreds of injured families behind in the GM bankruptcy process. Tell them we will not buy their cars until these families are protected. And we will not stop speaking up until GM takes full responsibility for injuries caused by all GM cars. PLEASE CALL OR FAX THE WHITE HOUSE TO STOP THIS TRAVESTY: PHONE: 202-456-1414. FAX: 202-456-2461.
Thank you,
Les Weisbrod
AAJ President
Unless we act TODAY, the White House will allow General Motors to abandon over 300 consumers seriously hurt by defects in GM vehicles by extinguishing the company's responsibility for these victims. This is a cruel, immoral and un-American result because GM decided last Friday to take responsibility for injuries caused by vehicles in the future. But the company is washing their hands of consumers they have already hurt. PLEASE CALL OR FAX THE WHITE HOUSE TO STOP THIS TRAVESTY: PHONE: 202-456-1414. FAX: 202-456-2461.
What kind of company would abandon a catastrophically injured child, a woman paralyzed from the neck down, and hundreds of others who have been injured by defective GM cars? How can our government leave these consumers with no protection -- especially when these are the same consumers who bailed out GM in the first place? And who would want to buy a car from a company that treats consumers this way?
Time is running out. On Tuesday, General Motors will attempt to officially leave these injured families behind in the bankruptcy process. We must take action today to make sure that GM is responsible for the cars they have put on the road -- as well as cars they build in the future.
The Obama Administration's "Auto Task-Force," which is lead by the Treasury Department, is directly responsible for this decision. There are only a limited number of hours left in the bankruptcy process. Contact them THIS AFTERNOON to make sure that they know Americans will not stand for leaving hundreds of injured families behind in the GM bankruptcy process. Tell them we will not buy their cars until these families are protected. And we will not stop speaking up until GM takes full responsibility for injuries caused by all GM cars. PLEASE CALL OR FAX THE WHITE HOUSE TO STOP THIS TRAVESTY: PHONE: 202-456-1414. FAX: 202-456-2461.
Thank you,
Les Weisbrod
AAJ President
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