In The News

Every day the ARC Network updates the web site with valuable, important industry news. Following are a few articles from last month.

 

Competitive Technologies Expects to Reduce 10,000 Fatalities From Vehicle Rollover Crashes Rollover Sensor Technology Now Available Competitive Technologies, Inc. announced today that it is licensing a new vehicle rollover warning technology to warn drivers when driving behavior or conditions place their vehicles at high risk of a rollover accident. CTT will be issuing licenses for the original equipment vehicle market and for vehicle rear-view mirror upgrades in the replacement market. ``Rollovers accounted for about 10,000 deaths, or 32%, of passenger-vehicle occupant fatalities in 2001 but rollover accidents were only 3% of 10.7 million passenger-vehicle crashes National Highway Traffic Safety 2001 figures show. Meanwhile, auto industry executives, federal regulators, and drivers worldwide are seeking ways to minimize rollover accidents and deaths,'' J. Scott Bechtel, VP Technology Commercialization of CTT, said. ``We believe our technology, designed by Craig Carlson, will help reduce this staggering number of 10,000 fatalities annually.'' The micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) vehicle rollover technology senses dangerous vehicle driving conditions in order to warn the driver of imminent rollover danger. In a true off-road driving environment, the system will also detect dangerous tilt and inclination levels to help drivers avoid crossing unsafe terrain. The low cost, yet sophisticated sensor and electronics fits inside the vehicle's rear-view mirror. The new technology works in all vehicles, including SUVs, motor homes, heavy trucks and off-road vehicles. Read the full article

Rare Volvo Crash Trial Results in Unanimous Defense Verdict Known for Safety, Plaintiff Claimed an Unsafe Roof and Misleading Ads After a six-week trial and five hours of deliberation, a Reno, NV federal court jury returned a unanimous defense verdict in favor of Volvo Cars of North America, Inc. on January 24, 2003. Under current Nevada law, all strict liability cases must be unanimous decisions. Plaintiff Patrick Ricci and his wife Patricia claimed their 1986 Volvo 740 GLE sedan had a weak and unsafe roof. On March 17, 2003 the trial court denied plaintiff's motion for a new trail and upheld the jury verdict. The case resulted from a crash that occurred shortly after 3:00 a.m., July 6, 1997, on Interstate 15 in Clark County, NV. Patrick Ricci and two friends were travelling home after a golf weekend and Amway conference in southern Utah. All three passengers were wearing seatbelts when the Volvo sedan went off the road along a flat, straight and dark stretch of desert highway. As the car veered off the road and onto the median, Ricci oversteered to the right and then overcorrected left, causing the vehicle to overturn and roll three times. Ricci sustained a C-4/C-5 fracture, losing all movement and feeling below his neck. The other two passengers were bruised, with no serious injuries. Read the full article

Ford to appeal $18 million truck rollover verdict Ford Motor Co. said on Thursday it would appeal an $18 million verdict from a Texas jury that found it liable for injuries suffered by the owner of a Ford F-150 pickup truck in a rollover accident. Attorneys for Mario Castro, who was paralyzed after his 1997 F-150 SuperCab pickup went off the road and rolled over, said the ruling included $5 million in punitive damages against Ford for building the truck with a defective roof. Castro had been drinking at the time of the August 2001 accident, according to Ford. The other two passengers in the truck suffered minor injuries. Read the full article

Return to April 2003 Newsletter