News Tagged ‘Washington

NHTSA wants more states to ban texting while driving

nhtsa logoThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has developed a legal template that will help states develop legislation banning the act of texting behind the wheel. The sample law is modeled after the Executive Order issued by President Obama in October of last year that prohibited federal employees from texting while driving.

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New rule bans commercial truckers from texting behind the wheel

Truck Speed LimitsThe Department of Transportation has announced on Tuesday new rules that ban commercial truck and bus drivers from texting while driving. The new rule is part of a growing national effort to crack down on the epidemic of distracted driving that kills 6,000 people every year and injures 500,000 more.

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Distracted driving now an American epidemic

dd 100x100Distracted Driving has become the new epidemic in the United States. It’s a problem that has swept into every corner of the country, killing six thousand people every year and injuring half a million more. Unlike most epidemics, however, the only known cure for distracted driving is awareness and responsibility.

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Distracted drivers cause at least one-third of all US traffic accidents

DWT 100x100According to the Department of Transportation, every year in the United States, more than half a million people are seriously injured in traffic accidents caused by “distracted drivers.” An additional 6,000 people die in distracted-driving accidents, the latest victims of drivers whose attention was fixed on something other than the road. Distracted drivers cause one-third of all the traffic accidents on America’s roads and highways, and some experts say these figures are actually much higher because it’s not always possible to determine the underlying causes of many traffic accidents.

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FDA demands proof that alcoholic energy drinks are safe

sparks 100x100The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on manufacturers of alcoholic energy drinks, giving them 30 days to provide scientific evidence that their caffeinated crossover beverages are safe. FDA letters went out to nearly 30 manufacturers recently, representing the earliest stages in the government’s efforts to curb what researchers consider a dangerous trend: the mixing of alcohol and caffeine.

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Off-label marketing boosts drug company profits

off-label drug marketingOff-label marketing is an illegal yet commonly employed sales strategy that some big pharmaceutical companies practice to broaden the appeal of a drug and boost sales. One of the most blatant examples of off-label marketing involved Bayer Healthcare’s blockbuster birth control pill Yaz. Bayer promoted the drug as a treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) symptoms and to clear up moderate cases of acne when the FDA approved it as birth control only. Bayer stopped the deceptive marketing of Yaz when the FDA cited it for false and misleading advertising.

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Nearly all Americans favor texting and driving ban

c and d testA new poll conducted by CBS and the New York Times found that almost all Americans believe that the government should outlaw texting while driving. Results of the nationwide poll, which was conducted by random telephone interview, revealed that 97 percent of Americans think texting while driving should be illegal while merely one percent felt the practice should remain legal.

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Texting and driving now illegal for federal employees

cell phone banPresident Obama signed an executive order earlier this month prohibiting federal employees from texting while driving. The new law applies to workers who use cars or phones provided by the federal government in addition to those using their own cars and phones for government business. The new legislation is part of the Obama administration’s plans to fight what has become an epidemic of distracted driving on America’s roads.

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Chrysler, GM bankruptcy deals strip victims of legal recourse

capitol 100x100Dozens of accident victims and their lawyers made their way to Washington, DC, and the halls of Capitol Hill last week, urging lawmakers and the Obama administration to protect their ability to pursue medical claims against Chrysler and General Motors.

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CPSC continues investigation of Chinese drywall

chinese drywall 100x100The June edition of the U.S. Consumer Product Commission’s Safety Review says that the agency has received more than 265 reports from residents in 18 states and Washington D.C. from customers who believe their health and / or their homes have been negatively affected by toxic drywall imported from China. Most of the homes that contain the suspect drywall were built in 2006 and 2007 during an unprecedented construction rush. At that time, contractors and suppliers looked to China for a supply of fresh drywall, which began running scarce after the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons.

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