Results tagged “National Highway Traffic Safety Administration” from Road Runner

Nearly 88 percent of drivers in Pennsylvania are buckling up, and it's a new record high, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The seat-belt use rate reached 87.9 percent this year, which is an increase from the previous high of 86.7 percent reported in 2007, PennDOT says.

PennDOT does not release local numbers anymore because seat belt surveys are no longer taken in almost every county. The state transportation department is working with a consulting group, which along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration came up with a scientific method of calculating the statewide rate.

However, Wayne Harper, director of the Center for Traffic Safety, said informal surveys in York County reflect that the seat-belt usage rate is anywhere between 85 and 95 percent. Seat-belt usage is higher on Interstate 83, for example, because people are traveling at higher speeds or going long distances.

The majority of crashes, though, happen within 25 miles of the driver's home and often on a two-way road, Harper said. People can be killed at speeds as low as 12 mph.

Harper said he's happy with the 88 percent, but they still have to reach the remaining 12 percent, which includes young teenagers, pickup drivers and older people who grew up when seat belts weren't installed in vehicles.

"We'll keep plugging away until it's 100 percent," Harper said.

If you own a Toyota or Lexus, the federal government is urging you to remove the driver-side floor mat immediately because it could interfere with the gas pedal.

The warning was prompted by reports that sometimes the vehicles continue to accelerate rapidly after drivers lift their foot off the gas pedal, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It has to do, in part, with the particular configuration of the accelerator pedals in these vehicles.

Drivers should not replace them with any other mat -- either from Toyota or any other brand, the federal government says.

The vehicles affected are:

-- 2007-2010 Camry
-- 2005-2010 Avalon
-- 2004-2009 Prius
-- 2005-2010 Tacoma
-- 2007-2010 Tundra
-- 2007-2010 ES 350
-- 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350

Toyota plans to launch a safety recall of various model year vehicles to redress the problem, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If you have ever had to buy a child safety seat, you know how frustrating it can be to choose one.

Help is on the way, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced last week. It plans to create a new program to help parents and caregivers find a seat that fits in their vehicle.

It's the result of a review ordered by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, according to a news release. He also wants the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop a new side impact safety standard for car seats. Side impact crashes account for one-third of all highway deaths among children under 13 years old.

As a part of the new program, car manufacturers will recommend specific seats in various price ranges that fit for individual vehicles. Some manufacturers, such as Nissan and others in Europe, already provide similar recommendations, the news release states.

Unfortunately, the program will not be instituted until the 2011 models come out next year.

Have you had to buy a car seat lately? Do you find it confusing? How did you end up picking one?