The new transportation bill that was just approved by the United States Senate has a clause that makes these event recorders mandatory on all vehicles of the 2015 model year and later.  A similar measure is now being considered in the House of Representatives as well, and if reports are to believed, that legislative body will likely be approving the mandate too.

The event recorder, or black box, if you will, will adhere to standards set by the Department of Transportation.  The DOT has advised that such boxes gather data under a variety of different metrics.  These 15 categories include such things as what time the firing of the airbags occurred in a crash, what the position of the throttle was, and in which direction the vehicle was accelerating.  These are just to name a few.

Some worry, though, that this is an invasion of privacy.  To that end, though the Senate version of the bill stipulates that the owner of the vehicle is also the owner of the data in the box.  Therefore, any law enforcement officers who want to see the information must first obtain a warrant.  It should be noted, though, that in the event of an emergency, rescue personnel can access the data if it’s critical to helping them do their jobs.

The organization recently received a report about a person dying after being administered the first dose of fingolimid, a multiple sclerosis drug.  After evaluating the circumstances behind that case, the FDA has now said that persons currently on certain medications that help to prevent arrhythmia or who have had a recent stroke or heart attack should probably not take fingolimid, which is used in Novartis and Gilenya.

It could not be proven that in the case studied or other post market and clinical trial data that the fingolimid contributed to any deaths looked into.  However, the FDA has expressed concerns that the drug might lead to bradycardia, and recommends that, after the first dose, the person taking the drug be monitored carefully.  This monitoring should be even longer, they say, in people who are more at risk of suffering bradycardia.

The FDA says that monitoring should include measurements of blood pressure and pulse rate every hour once the first dose is given.  They also think that an electrocardiogram test should be administered both before and after the period of testing is over.

The FDA went through the Diamond Pet Foods plant on April 12, and they found four main failures that compromised the safety of the dog food products and led to 15 people getting sick throughout Canada and the United States.

First, the company failed to include hand sanitizing areas at appropriate coordinates within the plant, namely in those places where employees could expect to make direct contact with finished food.

There was also a failure of plant personnel to conduct proper microbiological analysis on animal fat.  This is done to ensure that pathogens aren’t introduced into the final product, which is exactly what could happen when an employee touches the food or equipment, as the FDA witnessed happening.

The plant also did not adequately maintain such things as containers, utensils, or equipment.  Because of this, certain pieces of equipment had feed residue trapped in hard-to-sanitize gouges.  The fourth failure, which ties into what was just mentioned, has to do with the fact that duct tape and cardboard were used on equipment.  Such things are nearly impossible to properly clean properly, and not unexpectedly, such items maintained food residue, further compromising safety.

Tots in Mind, Inc., who was responsible for manufacturing a number of defective crib tents and play yard tents, has gone out of business.  Those tents were determined to have a safety hazard, and now, to make sure that the items can still get returned properly, Bed Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Amazon, Walmart, and the Burlington Coat Factory have all agreed to give any consumers who purchased the items from one of the aforementioned stores either store credit or a full refund, depending on the store.

The products in question pose an entrapment and a strangulation hazard.  It was because of these hazards that a recall had to be initiated on July 15, 2010.  There have been 27 reported instances of the item malfunctioning and endangering the child inside.  In one of those instances, a boy of just two years old died because he became trapped between rails.  And in another case, another two year old suffered a brain injury due to the crib tent inverting and harming the child.

330,000 units have the potential defect, and various models are encompassed by the recall.  The best way for customers to identity the product is to look for a two inch wide Tots in Mind logo near the top of the tent.

That’s because the State Senate yesterday voted 24-9 to adopt a bill that would increase the fines levied against those persons caught in breach of California’s ban against texting while driving and talking on a cellular device that’s not handsfree.  The bill has been passed on to the State Assembly.

The new bill would make it so that first time violators have to pay $30, a significant $10 increase from what’s currently on the books.  However, this number jumps to $199 when court fees are taken into account.  For persons who have already committed the offense yet get caught again, they’ll be forced to pay around $371.  Their driver’s record will also incur a point.

Not everyone seems completely sold on this idea, though.  Although the proponents of the bill cite statistics which show a decrease in both distracted driving and death resulting from same, other senators believe that regular citizens think the measure is trivial.  One senator stated that he would like to see more emphasis placed on erratic drivers, not just people with phones to their ear or in their hands.

The bill still has a ways to go.  Last year, the governor vetoed a similar measure that drastically raised the first time penalty to $50.  The governor reportedly nixed the bill because he thought that what was on the books was already sufficient.

Researchers believe this correlation has been established for two primary reasons.  The first is that people with low income are often unable to afford a car, and so they’re left to walk a lot more often than persons in areas where the income median is significantly higher.  The second possible influence has to do with the fact that lower income areas can’t provide the type of infrastructure that could protect pedestrians.  This infrastructure could include something as simple as pedestrian crossing signals or traffic lights.

Take Newark, for example.  Statistics show that around 500 people are hit by cars while walking in that city.  Newark’s average income per household is also less than half of what the state’s median is.  One intersection alone, that of Park Avenue and 4th Street, saw dozens of crashes and three serious pedestrian strikes over just 18 months.

To combat this growing problem, the city has approved a $27 million improvement package that will attempt to make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists alike.  Sadly, though, some roads won’t get the tender loving care that they might need.  That’s because certain roads actually are under the jurisdiction of Essex County, not the city.

A Pennsylvanian Congressman has put forth a bill that would provide critical funding to allow the FDA to conduct more inspections in drug factories abroad.  The bill, known as H.R. 3988, would accomplish this by placing a fee on United States-based makers of generic drugs.  The Congressman said that drug makers are behind him on the plan, so long as it means that inspections can be carried out and drugs can make their way onto shelves quicker.

To that end, the bill also aims to speed through the long line of generic drugs currently trying to get approved by the FDA.  It does this by putting money toward the backlog.  If passed, the proponent of the bill thinks that the 30 month approval process could be made more expedient.

The Congressman touting the bill referred to the recent contaminated heparin situation making headlines as the type of thing that could be prevented if the FDA were given more foreign inspection power.  According to him, just shy of $300 million would go to the FDA by instituting the new fee on domestic generic drug producers.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the bill last week.

The State Legislature voted today by a 82-12 margin to approve a ban of texting while driving throughout the entire state of Ohio.  Any violations of this law would be considered a misdemeanor, and fines could reach as high as $150.  However, if a city has a stricter law or steeper penalty for those persons who use their cellphone while driving, the local measure takes precedence.

If a person driving a vehicle is spotted texting and that person is under the age of 18, then he or she can be pulled over and slapped with a primary offense.  However, it should be noted that, for all other drivers, texting will only be considered a secondary offense.  What this means is that adult drivers can’t be pulled over for texting alone.  They must also be committing some other offense that initiated their having to be pulled over.  Only then can a citation be issued.

Although the legislation is widely supported, some worry that it will be hard for officers to make the distinction between teens and adults.  The Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, for instance, say that they would have liked to see texting become a primary offense.  Still, they support the measure because they think it’s a step in the right direction.

To start with, the organization offers up five bicycles that have had to be recalled because of a fall hazard that each of the bikes pose.  These bikes include Fuji Saratoga Women’s Bicycles, 2010 to 2012 Public Bikes Bicycles, 2012 Trek FX and District Bicycles, Bridgeway Bicycles, and 2012 bicycles made by Specialized Bicycle Components that have Advanced Group Carbon Forks.  These units have been recalled for a variety of reasons, from chains, frames, and bolts breaking to pedal cracking and brake disengagement.

The CPSC also wants consumers to be aware of various accessories that could also be potentially hazardous.  The Topeak Babyseat II Bicycle Carrier Seat could amputate a child’s finger if he or she sticks their fingers into a hinge mechanism.  A Chariot bicycle trailer and trailer conversion kit have defects that cause the items to disengage from the bike while in use.  And Little Tricky Bicycle Helmets fail to comply with impact resistance standards.

The list goes on, and concerned consumers should visit the website for more details.  All persons who find that they have a recalled bike product in their possession should contact the maker of the item to figure out the proper steps to take.

For people with allergies to milk, the product poses a threat of causing severe reactions.  No incidents of this nature have been reported at this time, and the seven retailers and single distributor of the chocolate bars have been informed of what’s going on.  11 cases in total were found to be compromised.

Cafe Tasse discovered the defect in Belgium, but many of the candy bars had already been imported into the United States by the Wellesley, Massachusetts-based Belgium’s Chocolate Source.  All the inventory that was found to be improperly packaged has since been destroyed by the company.

Customers can return the chocolate bars to the store for a full refund. They are also being advised to get in contact with the importer, as opposed to the distributor, should they have any questions or concerns.