Articles by David Shepardson

19th U.S. Death Tied to Takata Air Bag Reported in South Carolina

Honda Motor Co said on Wednesday it had confirmed the 19th U.S. death tied to a ruptured Takata air bag inflator since 2009 — and the 16th in one of its vehicles. The Japanese automaker said that following a joint …

Insight: Tesla Drives on Autopilot Through Regulatory Limbo

The fatal crash of a Tesla with no one apparently behind the wheel has cast a new light on the safety of semi-autonomous vehicles and the nebulous U.S. regulatory terrain they navigate. Police in Harris County, Texas, said a Tesla …

Police to Demand Texas Tesla Crash Data; Musk Denies Autopilot Use

Texas police will serve search warrants on Tesla Inc. on Tuesday, April 20, to secure data from a vehicle that crashed on the weekend, killing two people, a senior officer told Reuters. Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4, said …

Supreme Court Rejects Ford Stance in Product Liability Venue Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled against Ford Motor Co. in a case in which the second-largest U.S. automaker had sought to bar two state courts from hearing product liability suits involving a pair of serious crashes. Ford …

Safety Agency Has 23 Active Tesla Crash Investigations

The U.S. auto safety agency disclosed on Thursday it has opened 27 investigations into crashes of Tesla vehicles, 23 of which remain active, and at least three of the crashes occurred in recent weeks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration …

Reuters: Feinberg to Oversee Boeing 737 $500M Victim Compensation Fund

Prominent attorneys Kenneth Feinberg and Camille Biros have been named to oversee a $500 million victim compensation fund for the relatives of 346 people killed in two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes, a spokeswoman for Feinberg confirmed on Wednesday, the …

U.S. Conducting Probe of 1.9M Toyota RAV4s Over Fire Risk

U.S. auto safety regulators on Monday said they have opened an investigation into nearly 1.9 million Toyota RAV4 sport-utility vehicles over potential fire risks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the preliminary evaluation looking at 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles …

U.S. Fines Boeing $6.6 Million Over Safety Pact Noncompliance, Enforcement Cases

Boeing Co. agreed Thursday to pay $6.6 million in penalties to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after U.S. regulators said it failed to comply with a 2015 safety agreement and cited other safety concerns. The penalties include $5.4 million for …

Aviation Regulator Sees Pandemic Bringing New Safety Risks

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson warned on Tuesday of a changed industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has shaken air travel over the past year and created new safety risks that must be addressed. “The …

Airlines Urged to Ground 777 Jets After United Falling Debris Incident

Boeing Co. urged airlines to suspend the use of 777 jets with the same type of engine that shed debris over Denver at the weekend after U.S. regulators announced extra inspections and Japan suspended their use while considering further action. …