WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2011 — Safety groups, families of truck crash victims, and labor today joined U.S. Representatives Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) at a press conference to support revising the truck driver hours of service (HOS) rule to reduce driver fatigue, a major safety issue.  A House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee hearing scheduled for today entitled “The Price of Uncertainty: How Much Could DOT’s Proposed Billion Dollar Service Rule Cost Consumers?” is stacked with industry witnesses that ignore the true economic, medical and social costs of widespread trucker fatigue.

“This Committee is attempting to drive a Mack truck through the rulemaking process which is moving forward as a result of a legal agreement,” said Representative Speier. “Unfortunately, the Majority has decided to hold a lop-sided hearing that pays little attention to the benefits to jobs and the increased safety of our constituents this rule will create.”

Every year on average 4,000 people are killed in truck crashes and 100,000 more are injured at a cost of more than $40 billion, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Under the current rule truck drivers can drive 77 hours a week and work up to 84 hours a week. Some long-haul drivers can drive even longer hours, up to 88 hours per week, more than twice the 40 hour work week of most Americans.

Agency actions to revise the current HOS rule are the result of a legal agreement between the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and safety and labor groups while a lawsuit is held in abeyance.  The groups have challenged the current HOS rule three times in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.  In 2004, the Court unanimously vacated the Bush Administration HOS rule on the grounds that the government did not adequately consider the effects of longer driving hours on individual truck driver health and safety.  In 2007, the court once more unanimously overturned the rule because the agency did not subject its analysis to public comment.  After issuing the same rule again, as a “midnight” rule in late 2008, FMCSA was sued for a third time which led to the legal settlement.  The revised proposed rule is currently under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

“This Subcommittee hearing is another example of industry’s pervasive and well-funded lobbying strategy in Congress to try to block a Court-ordered revision of the HOS rule,” said Joan Claybrook, Chair of Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways. ”Moreover, the hearing is completely biased with special interest industry views.  It is a hearing on cost to consumers, but there are no consumers on the witness panel.  This so-called billion dollar rule is going to save American taxpayers up to $2.4 billion in lives saved, injuries prevented and reduced health and medical costs.  It also has the potential to create nearly 40,000 new jobs in the trucking industry.”

Ed Slattery of Cockeysville, MD, attended the hearing with his 14-year-old son, Matthew.  Ed’s wife Susan was killed last year in a horrific crash on the Ohio Turnpike when a driver behind the wheel of a triple-trailer truck fell asleep.  Matthew and his brother, Peter, were critically injured, and Matthew sustained lifelong injuries that require round-the-clock care.  “This Subcommittee wants to get information about the cost of DOT’s proposed rule to consumers.  My family’s crash alone cost millions of dollars and Matthew’s lifelong medical care is estimated to be more than $18 million,” said Slattery.  “Unfortunately, while there are five industry witnesses there is no one representing the victim’s point of view about how just one crash involving a tired trucker has imposed a severe and substantial economic cost and traumatic disruption to the lives of our family, not to mention the suffering we experience every day.”

“As a mother who lost her daughter in a preventable truck crash I urge Congress not to put the economic interests of the trucking industry before the safety interests my family,” said Marchelle Wood of Falls Church, VA.  “The profession of driving a truck has been turned into a modern day ‘sweatshop-on-wheels’ where drivers are pushed to drive and work beyond human limits.  Changes to the hours of service rule that put safety first are overdue and urgently needed.”  Wood’s daughter Dana was killed when an overly fatigued truck driver who had HOS violations crashed into her car when she was driving on I-95 in Virginia, returning to school at East Carolina University after fall break.

According to DOT surveys 65 percent of truck drivers report that they often or sometimes feel drowsy while driving, and nearly half of truck drivers admit that they had actually fallen asleep while driving the previous year. Additionally, 79 percent of the public supports returning to the 10 hours of maximum consecutive driving time

Jackie Gillan, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said, “Congress should be focusing on the numbers that show how pervasive fatigue is throughout the trucking industry. If half of the commercial airline pilots admitted to falling asleep while in the cockpit every plane would be immediately grounded, and Congress would take swift action to correct the problem rather than adding more flying and working hours for pilots.”

Fred McLuckie, Legislative Director for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters noted, “Our drivers are more stressed than ever because of increased traffic volume, tighter delivery times and deteriorating road conditions.”

The proposed rule would create nearly 40,000 additional jobs in the trucking industry and result in direct health benefits to truck drivers of as much as $1.48 billion.

The researchers used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), an advanced MRI-based imaging technique, on 38 amateur soccer players (average age: 30.8 years) who had all played the sport since childhood. They were asked to recall the number of times they headed the ball during the past year. (Heading is when players deliberately hit or field the soccer ball with their head.) Researchers ranked the players based on heading frequency and then compared the brain images of the most frequent headers with those of the remaining players. They found that frequent headers showed brain injury similar to that seen in patients with concussion, also known as mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The findings are especially concerning given that soccer is the world’s most popular sport with popularity growing in the U.S., especially among children. Of the 18 million Americans who play soccer, 78 percent are under the age of eighteen. Soccer balls are known to travel at speeds as high as 34 miles per hour during recreational play, and more than twice that during professional play.

After confirming the potentially damaging impact of frequent heading, “Our goal was to determine if there is a threshold level for heading frequency that, when surpassed, resulted in detectable brain injury,” said lead author Michael Lipton, M.D., Ph.D. , associate director of Einstein’s Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center and medical director of MRI services at Montefiore. Further analysis revealed a threshold level of approximately 1,000 to 1,500 heads per year. Once players in the study exceeded that number, researchers observed significant injury.

“While heading a ball 1,000 or 1,500 times a year may seem high to those who don’t participate in the sport, it only amounts to a few times a day for a regular player,” observed Dr. Lipton, who is also associate professor of radiology, of psychiatry and behavioral sciences ), and of the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience at Einstein.

“Heading a soccer ball is not an impact of a magnitude that will lacerate nerve fibers in the brain,” said Dr. Lipton. “But repetitive heading may set off a cascade of responses that can lead to degeneration of brain cells.”

Researchers identified five areas, in the frontal lobe (behind the forehead) and in the temporo-occipital region (the bottom-rear areas) of the brain that were affected by frequent heading – areas that are responsible for attention, memory, executive functioning and higher-order visual functions. In a related study, Dr. Lipton and colleague Molly Zimmerman, Ph.D. , assistant professor in the Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology at Einstein, gave the same 38 amateur soccer players tests designed to assess their neuropsychological function. Players with the highest annual heading frequency performed worse on tests of verbal memory and psychomotor speed (activities that require mind-body coordination, like throwing a ball) relative to their peers.

“These two studies present compelling evidence that brain injury and cognitive impairment can result from heading a soccer ball with high frequency,” Dr. Lipton said. “These are findings that should be taken into consideration in planning future research to develop approaches to protect soccer players.”

Heading is an essential part of soccer and is unlikely to be eliminated from practice or play.

As there appears to be a safe range for heading frequency, additional research can help refine this number, which can then be used to establish heading guidelines. As in other sports, the frequency of potentially harmful actions in practice and games could be monitored and restricted based on confirmed unsafe exposure thresholds.

“In the past, pitchers in Little League Baseball sustained shoulder injuries at a rate that was alarming,” Dr. Lipton noted. “But ongoing research has helped shape various approaches, including limits on the amount of pitching a child performs, which have substantially reduced the incidence of these injuries.”

“Brain injury due to heading in children, if we confirm that it occurs, may not show up on our radar because the impairment will not be immediate and can easily be attributed to other causes like ADHD or learning disabilities,” continued Dr. Lipton. “We, including the agencies that supervise and encourage soccer play, need to do the further research to precisely define the impact of excessive heading on children and adults in order to develop parameters within which soccer play will be safe over the long term.”

The collection is divided into three parts: 1.) Persons recognized as heroes by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, 2.) Persons recognized as heroes by organizations and municipalities and 3.) Persons recognized as heroes by the DogsBite.org community. Many of these heroes express similar responses after receiving recognition, such as Randall McConnell, who said after rescuing Guy Clairoux, 39, from three attacking pit bulls: “Maybe we all have something to do in life, a purpose,” McConnell said. “Maybe that was mine.”

Some of the stories boggle the mind, such as when 16-year old Thomas Moehler burst through his front door to rescue Mark Stanberg, 10, being mauled by a pit bull. At the time, Moehler had a cast on one of his arms; he used it as a weapon to pound the dog and free his friend. In the process, he re-broke his arm. The heroic acts of 23-year old Katie Juneau, who suffers from cerebral palsy, but still managed to pull a pit bull off of a child, evokes the startling capabilities of human beings when faced with a life-threatening situation.

Other stories ignite shudders, such as when Deputy Joe Auckerman arrived to a scene with a pit bull on top of a young girl “shaking her violently.” A portion of the cable unsuccessfully used to restrain the dog was wrapped around the girl’s neck and torso as well. Or, when letter carrier Michael Redice came upon 8-year old Roddie Dumas Jr. being torn apart by his father’s four vicious pit bulls. Roddie did not survive his injuries. During the criminal trial, Redice broke down on the witness stand when he described how he tried to save the boy.

The Hero Stories collection is available at the DogsBite.org Blog starting November 22, 2011. Please visit the link below to view the collection:

http://blog.dogsbite.org/

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V549000 NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: STEERING

Potential Number of Units Affected: 37

Summary:
HINO MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 NE8J TRUCKS. DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS, THE STEERING ATTACHMENT BOLTS MAY HAVE BEEN INSUFFICIENTLY TORQUED.
Consequence:
INSUFFICIENT TORQUE OF THE STEERING ARM BOLTS MAY RESULT IN BOLT FATIGUE AND FRACTURE AND/OR ARM SEPARATION, THEREBY POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:
THE MANUFACTURER IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A REMEDY AND A NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN.
Notes:
OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

Summary:
STARTRANS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005 THROUGH 2011 MODEL MFSAB SCHOOL ACTIVITY BUSES. THE REAR DOOR EMERGENCY EXIT IS PARTIALLY BLOCKED BY THE BUS SEATS. ACCORDINGLY, THESE BUSES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 217, “BUS EMERGENCY EXITS AND WINDOW RETENTION AND RELEASE.”
Consequence:
EGRESS FROM THE BUS MAY BE HINDERED IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE BUS OCCUPANTS.
Remedy:
STARTRANS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE BUSES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING NOVEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT STARTRANS AT 1-574-642-0811.
Notes:
STARTRANS RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS 000314. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

HME / 1871 2009-2012

Manufacturer: HME INCORPORATED Mfr’s Report Date: NOV 04, 2011

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V545000 NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL

Potential Number of Units Affected: 346

Summary:

HME CORPORATION IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2012 FIRE TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 16, 2009, THROUGH NOVEMBER 1, 2011, BUILT WITH MERITOR WABCO ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) SYSTEM MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1, 2011, WITH PART NUMBERS 446 065 020 0, 400 850 179 0, 400 850 195 0, 446 065 027 0, AND 400 850 185 0. UNDER CERTAIN ROAD AND DRIVING CONDITIONS, VEHICLE BODY ROLL AND ROAD INCLINATION CHARACTERISTICS MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT THE SLIP ANGLE CALCULATION OF THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) SYSTEM. THIS MIGHT CAUSE THE ESC TO PERCEIVE AN OVER STEERING SITUATION AND THEREFORE APPLY THE OUTER WHEEL BRAKE ON THE FRONT AXLE UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS PERCEIVED TO BE STABLE.

Consequence:

IF THE DRIVER IS SLOW TO REACT DURING THIS ESC INTERVENTION, THE VEHICLE MAY DEVIATE FROM THE INTENDED LINE OF TRAVEL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy:

HME WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE CONTROL MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED THE AGENCY WITH A NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HME AT 1-616-534-1463.

Notes:

OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

CHG / CF250T V3 2005-2009

CHG / CF250T V5 2005-2009

Manufacturer: CFMOTO POWERSPORTS, INC. Mfr’s Report Date: NOV 08, 2011

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V544000 NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Potential Number of Units Affected: 6,405

Summary:

CFMOTO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005 THROUGH 2009 CF250T V3, AND CF205T V5 AUTOMATIC MOTORCYCLES MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 1, 2005, THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2009. THESE MODELS WERE BUILT WITH A LEFT HAND REAR WHEEL BRAKE INSTEAD OF THE REQUIRED RIGHT FOOT OPERATED REAR WHEEL BRAKE. THEREFORE, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NUMBER 123, “MOTORCYCLE CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS.”

Consequence:

THE ABSENCE OF STANDARDIZED MOTORCYCLE CONTROLS MAY HINDER THE OPERATORS ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY BRAKE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy:

CFMOTO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RIGHT FOOT CONTROL REAR WHEEL BRAKE KIT, FREE OF CHARGE. CFMOTO IS STILL DEVELOPING ITS NOTIFICATION AND RECALL REMEDY SCHEDULE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CFMOTO AT 1-888-823-6686.

Notes:

OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

CHEVROLET / EXPRESS 2012

GMC / SAVANA 2012

Manufacturer: GENERAL MOTORS LLC Mfr’s Report Date: NOV 07, 2011

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V543000 NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: AIR BAGS

Potential Number of Units Affected: 1,798

Summary:

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET EXPRESS AND GMC SAVANA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 2, 2011, THROUGH OCTOBER 17, 2011. THE SECOND STAGE OF THE DUAL-STAGE AIR BAG WILL NOT INFLATE IN A SEVERE FRONTAL IMPACT. ACCORDINGLY, THE AIR BAGS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY NO. 208, “OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.”

Consequence:

AN IMPROPERLY DEPLOYED AIR BAG WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.

Remedy:

GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING NOVEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GMC AT 1-800-462-8782 OR CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020.

Notes:

GM’S RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS 11302. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .