New crash tests and analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety demonstrate that underride guards on tractor-trailers can fail in relatively low-speed crashes -- with deadly consequences. The Institute is petitioning the federal government to require stronger underride guards that will remain in place during a crash and to mandate guards for more large trucks and trailers.
The Ad Council, in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), announced today the launch of a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring Smokey Bear designed to raise awareness about wildfire prevention. As a continuation of the longest running PSA campaign in U.S. history, the new ads include the well-known tagline, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires,” and for the first time feature Smokey Bear rewarding Americans with hugs after acting safely with fire.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/62468-ad-council-smokey-bear-gives-bear-hugs-wildfire-prevention-psa
Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG), Inc., a division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A), and the nation’s largest juvenile products manufacturer, announces the launch of a new, premium collection - the S1 Series by Safety 1st - offering premium design with safety in mind. S1 Series is the first collection of its kind designed to meet exceptional standards of both safety and style, providing parents with high quality products for travel, meal time, and play. The line, which includes a travel system, play yard and high chair, is now available exclusively at Babies“R”Us stores nationwide and online at Babiesrus.com.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/safety1st/48342/
The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced its first-ever, national advertising campaign aimed at parents of children ages 8-14 to make sure their kids are consistently and properly wearing their seat belt every time the car is moving.
“Buckling up is an important habit to instill in children at a young age. As parents, we need to lead by example and reinforce the message to make sure it sticks,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This campaign urges parents to never give up until their kids buckle up.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7467951-psa-kids-seat-belt-safety-ad-council/
Fifteen of 17 booster seats introduced in 2012 earn the top rating of BEST BET from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, evidence that more than ever, manufacturers are designing seats to provide good safety belt fit for booster-age children.
The improvements mean that BEST BET boosters now outnumber seats in any of the three other categories for the first time since the Institute released its inaugural booster ratings in 2008. Boosters are supposed to improve how adult lap and shoulder belts fit children so the belts can properly restrain them in crashes. BEST BET boosters correctly position belts on a typical 4-to-8-year-old child in almost any car, minivan or SUV.
Vehicles are doing a better job of protecting people in crashes, but a new crop of advanced technology aims to prevent many crashes from happening altogether. A new study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) finds that one kind of advanced forward collision avoidance system is working to prevent about a quarter of the common low-speed crashes that happen in everyday commuter traffic.
The study of insurance claims found that Volvo XC60 midsize SUVs outfitted with a standard collision avoidance feature called City Safety are far less likely to be involved in low-speed crashes than comparable vehicles without the system. City Safety is designed to help a driver avoid rear-ending another vehicle in slow-moving, heavy traffic. Claims under property damage liability coverage — the insurance that pays for damage to vehicles that an at-fault driver hits — were filed 27 percent less often for the XC60 than other midsize luxury SUVs.
For more information: www.iihs.org
The aluminum-body 2015 Ford F-150 crew cab swept the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s full slate of crashworthiness evaluations to qualify for a 2015 TOP SAFETY PICK award. The F-150 extended cab turned in a good performance in 4 of 5 assessments but stumbled in the small overlap front test. The results are the first ratings for large pickups in a group the Institute is evaluating this year.
The F-150 crew cab, which Ford calls the SuperCrew, earns good ratings for occupant protection in all five IIHS crashworthiness evaluations — small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations. The extended cab, or SuperCab, earns good ratings in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations but just a marginal rating for occupant protection in a small overlap front crash.
Six of 13 small cars recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earn the TOP SAFETY PICK award, and none earn a poor rating in any of 4 tests. This is a turnaround from a few years ago when small cars struggled to earn top safety ratings. The new tests include hybrids and gasoline-only models that are among the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the U.S. market.
The ratings are based on performance in front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations. Cars that earn the top rating of good in each test and have available electronic stability control (ESC) qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK. Winners are the 2012 Ford Focus and Honda Civic, along with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, Lexus CT 200h hybrid, Nissan Juke, and Toyota Prius hybrid. The Civic, CT 200h, Elantra, Focus, and Prius have at least one version with a government fuel economy rating of at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The Dodge Caliber, Honda CR-Z and Insight hybrids, Nissan Sentra and Versa, Scion xD, and Suzuki SX4 also were rated but didn’t earn TOP SAFETY PICK.
The latest small overlap front crash test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveal a range of performance among many of the best-selling small cars in the U.S. market. Of the 12 models evaluated, half earn a good or acceptable rating and qualify for the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.
The 2-door and 4-door models of the Honda Civic are the only small cars to earn the top rating of good in the test. IIHS evaluated the Civics earlier this year and released the results in March. The Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and 2014 model Scion tC earn acceptable ratings.
The first all-new 2017 Subaru Impreza rolled off the assembly line at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA), officially launching the first-ever American-built Impreza from the automaker. The Impreza had historically been produced only in Japan. The start of Impreza production marks the culmination of more than three years of preparation and highlights the consistent growth in Subaru demand in the United States (U.S.). The positive economic impact of that growth is clear in the investment Subaru made to increase SIA’s production capacity and prepare for Impreza production. SIA invested $1.3 billion over the past four years, and hired an additional 1,400 associates in the past year.
“In a time when some manufacturers are moving work out of the United States, we’re proud to be bringing Subaru Impreza production to the heartland of America,” said Tom Easterday, Senior Executive Vice President of SIA. “The move has allowed us to create hundreds of new jobs not only at SIA, but also at our suppliers in Indiana and across the country.”
The all-new 2017 Subaru Impreza is the first vehicle built using the new Subaru Global Platform architecture that is designed to enhance safety, comfort, agility and driving pleasure. Available in sedan and 5-door models, the 2017 Impreza is equipped with new driver assist technology, multimedia features and standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. The new Impreza will be available in base, Premium, Sport and Limited trim lines starting in late 2016.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7673252-subaru-impreza-first-2017-american-made/
Nestlé Health Science will unveil its pediatric closed system formulas with the new SpikeRight® PLUS port at the annual American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition’s (A.S.P.E.N.) Clinical Nutrition Week meeting being held in Orlando January 21-24. The introduction marks a significant step in supporting the provision of safe enteral (tube) feeding.
Enteral tubing misconnections, where feeding solutions are wrongly administered through intravenous (IV) tubing or other non-enteral systems, have been a concern for nearly thirty years. Most commonly occurring in intensive care settings, where patients have multiple types of tubing connections, an enteral tubing misconnection can result in catastrophic complications and possibly death.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/53580-nestle-health-science-launches-next-generation-spikeright-plus-pediatrics
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today the initiation of its Phase III clinical program called Cdiffense to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of an investigational vaccine for the prevention of primary symptomatic Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a potentially life-threatening, spore-forming bacterium that causes intestinal disease. The risk of C. diff increases with age, antibiotic treatment and time spent in hospitals or nursing homes, where multiple cases can lead to outbreaks. The investigational vaccine is designed to help protect at-risk individuals from C. diff, which is emerging as a leading cause of life-threatening, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) worldwide.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/62652-sanofi-pasteur-initiates-phase-iii-study-of-investigational-vaccine