2013

It’s hard to believe that it’s been six months since Hurricane Sandy swept across the East Coast.  The National Research Center of Consumer Reports has conducted an 8,400-person survey to understand the damage that’s been wrought and get a sense of how persons affected by Sandy responded to the disaster. A whopping 75% of people who… read more

Vehicle safety is ever-important, but it’s the viability of one particular component that often goes overlooked:  the tires.  These are literally where the rubber meets the road, and you should do what’s necessary to ensure the tires are in suitable shape.  A new report out of Berlin, Connecticut offers tips on this very matter. You… read more

In a new article, Consumer Reports discusses the dangerous situation that can present itself when an individual elects to purchase an aerosol fire spray in lieu of a fire extinguisher.  As the agency demonstrates, this could be a potentially deadly mistake. One could easily see why a consumer would elect to purchase an aerosol spray… read more

A citizen in Westport, Connecticut has developed a product that aims to inhibit an individual’s ability to use their smartphone when behind the wheel of an automobile.  Known as SafeRide, the Android-ready device works by way of a small device which gets plugged into the vehicle console.  The device then connects to the phone via… read more

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a report focused on a startling side effect that can occur when a patient takes Potiga, an anti-seizure drug.  Meant to be used by adults, the medication apparently has the potential to turn an individual’s skin a blue hue.  This tends to occur in the fingernails and lips… read more

Five and 1.5 ounce packages of Classic Kettle Corn under the Orville Redenbacher’s brand have been recalled by ConAgra Foods because of a potential undeclared allergen threat.  Five lots with expiration dates of either September 2, 3, or 4 of this year are impacted by the recall, and the products were each available across the… read more

Drivers in Florida, a state which finally appears to be on the verge of passing a ban on texting and driving, have voiced their unhappiness with current driving patterns in a new report.  The prevalence of cellphone usage and myriad other distractions at the wheel has apparently led to numerous instances of drifting and inconsistent… read more

Altima vehicles of the 2013 model year have been recalled by Nissan because of a potential issue with the spare tires that came with the automobiles.  A whopping 123,308 vehicles are potentially impacted by the recall, which was initiated once it was discovered that improper inflation could have occurred in said spare tires.  If this… read more

Many people are cognizant of the risks inherent with motorcycles, but did you know that riding a horse leads to more annual injuries?  That’s according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, whose research shows that 200,000 people sustain an injury from riding a horse every year.  70,000 of these are serious enough to warrant a… read more

We’ve previously related safety tips that pedestrians and drivers alike can put into effect in order to cut down on injurious incidents along the road.  But many of those tips fail to take into account one of the areas that accidents make themselves most common:  parking lots.  Prompted by a spat of incidents throughout 2012… read more

A Fresno citizen recently found himself in the middle of a debate over just how far California’s laws against distracted driving extend.  After being slapped with a citation for breaching the state’s mobile device usage bans and appealing the sentence, the court ruled that the traffic officer was in the right in terms of the… read more

When a driver is unable to navigate the roads properly, he or she is necessarily put in danger.  This following recall was issued because of a potential defect that could imperil a driver’s ability to control their speed and/or their braking.  Drivers should thus take note at once. Subaru announced the recall, which pertains to… read more