Declarations

Share the Road Safely

“We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe.”

—U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced recently that the U.S. government has banned hand-held “texting” by drivers of large commercial trucks and buses to avoid the danger of distracted driving. It follows a similar ban in December for drivers of federal government vehicles. LaHood said the prohibition “is an important safety step and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving.” The new ban carries fines of up to $2,750. The National Safety Council, a research and advocacy group, estimates that 200,000 crashes of all types on U.S. roads are caused by drivers who are “texting.”

Toyota’s Tough Times

“If I sat down to write the worst thing that could happen to Toyota, it would be very close to what is happening to them now. They are at the edge of a collapse of confidence in their products. That means their brand is in jeopardy. If they lose their brand they lose the battle. That’s why it’s close to being as bad as it could get.”

—Gerald Meyers, a University of Michigan business professor and veteran auto executive, commenting on the Congressional investigation and auto safety recalls by Toyota Motor Corp. (Reuters)

More M&As

“We expect that various economic, market and political dynamics will begin to improve and both buyers and sellers will be more committed to actively engaging in merger and acquisition activity. Overall, we are taking the ‘glass is half full’ approach to the M&A market for 2010.”

—Hales & Co.s’ Managing Partner Rob Lieblein predicting 2010 will have more insurance brokerage mergers and acquisitions than the previous year. According to his company’s “2009 Insurance Brokerage M&A Activity Summary,” the number of transactions in 2009 was 185, down 40 percent from the record year of 307 transactions in 2008. Year 2009 was the first year to see the number dip below 200 since 2003.

Topics USA