News

USA- Mednews365.com writes that while e-cigarette manufacturers promote their products as a valuable tool to aid smokers in their efforts to quit, studies indicate that the products are not effective for this purpose.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any vaping products as ways to quit smoking, nor has the administration agreed with manufacturer claims of the product being a safer alternative to cigarettes. The FDA now requires that the manufacturers of these products take such unsupported claims out of their advertisements.

The American Lung Association (AMA) also states that information dispersed about e-cigarettes is often untrue. The AMA published data indicating that the products have led to hospitalization and death in users, that nicotine in e-cigarettes will not help smokers fight their addiction, that e-cigarettes are still tobacco products and not safe, and the vaping products can contain dangerous metals and toxic ingredients which can potentially lead to lung disease.

Research indicates that the people who use vaping products do not stop smoking. These people are inclined to smoke when it is permitted and vape when they are in scenarios where they cannot smoke.

Rather than improving the health of those addicted to nicotine, vaping increases the risk of a person developing asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and other chronic lung conditions.

The press has widely published accounts of the new vaping-related lung illness, but it is important to point out that the full impact of vaping is not well known. The products are still fairly new, and it could be two or three decades before we understand the long-term effects of using e-cigarettes.

The FDA and the AMA suggest that those wishing to quit smoking try one of the approved methods rather than using e-cigarettes.

USA- Baynews9.com writes that Toyota issued a recall of about 700,000 vehicles sold in the United States due to problems with the fuel pumps. The faulty devices have the potential to cause the vehicles’ engines to stall and can lead to crashes.

Numerous models are included in the recall, including Corollas, Avalons, 4Runners, Camrys, Land Cruisers, Highlanders. Siennas, Tacomas, Sequoias, and Tundras. Additionally, some models of Lexus vehicles are subject to the recall.

Toyota is still working to develop the repair plan for the vehicles, and owners are expected to receive notifications by March of 2020.

The defects can cause an elevated risk of collisions and injuries.

Manufacturers issue recalls when a vehicle poses a risk to occupants’ safety. The decision to recall a vehicle is often made voluntarily by the manufacturer, but in some cases, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will issue the recall.

Once a recall is made, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to provide repairs to the vehicles, or in rare cases, to replace the defective vehicle or buy it back from the consumer.

Drivers are notified of recalls by the manufacturer. This is why it is important to register the vehicle and keep such a registration up to date.

The NHTSA also offers to send recall information to consumers via email. Car owners can sign up for such notifications on the website, or download an app that will notify about any recalls or safety issues with their vehicle.

If your vehicle is recalled, follow the instructions for how to stay safe and when to take the vehicle to the dealer for repairs.

USA - Lohud.com writes that the number of pedestrians killed around the country continues to rise across the United States. Within the last ten years, the number of such fatalities increased by an alarming 50 percent. While the national numbers increase, New York managed to lower the number of fatal pedestrian incidents on its streets.*

FORT MEYERS, FL- Nbc-2.com writes that a driver struck a cyclist on US-41 in Fort Meyers this week in an early morning crash. The driver then fled the scene.

Reports indicate that the victim, a 55-year-old man, was cycling on the shoulder of the roadway when a northbound vehicle struck him.

Responders rushed the injured man to the hospital, but he died a short while later from the injuries he sustained in the crash.

A police officer who was driving past the accident scene collided with the victim’s bike, which was in the roadway. Officers towed the police car and the mangled bike away from the scene.

Police are asking that anyone with information about the crash contact Crime Stoppers or the Florida Highway Patrol.

No description of the vehicle involved has been released.

Hit-and-run crashes are increasing in the United States. Most of the victims are cyclists and pedestrians who are more at risk of sustaining severe injuries when struck by a vehicle. Oftentimes, the incidents occur at night, and there are few or no witnesses around to identify the driver. Motorists who flee accidents are statistically more likely to be drunk or driving on an invalid license than those who remain at the scene.

Florida has the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities, the highest rate of cyclist fatalities, and comes in third when it comes to hit-and-run data crashes.

While fleeing the scene of a crash is a criminal act that comes with harsh penalties, drivers often manage to evade police. The arrest rate for this crime is fairly low, which means that even the harsh penalties, including jail time and fines, are often not enough to deter these drivers.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay region of Florida claims some of the deadliest areas in the nation for pedestrians. An exhaustive analysis of the nearly 50,000 pedestrian deaths in the U.S. from 2008 to 2017 shows that the Tampa Bay region in particular and the state of Florida, in general, is dangerous for pedestrians according to a report appearing on abcactionnews.com. The analysis was performed by a non-profit organization called Smart Growth America and released its findings in the latter part of 2019. The group found that pedestrian deaths increased by 35% from 2008 to 2017. About thirteen people are struck by a car each day in the United States.

Smart Growth American analyzed data from fatal pedestrian crashes across the United States generated over ten years to determine which metropolitan areas in the country are the most dangerous. Smart Growth America rated various metropolitan areas based on the number of pedestrian deaths based on the population of the region and devised a dangerousness index. Smart Growth America then ranked the country’s most dangerous areas as generated by that formula.

Smart Growth America ranks Florida as the deadliest state in the country for pedestrians. The Tampa Bay region, specifically, is incredibly dangerous. According to Smart Growth America, the area of North Port, Sarasota, and Bradenton is the fourth-worst area in the U.S. for pedestrian accidents. The area of Lakeland and Winter Haven is the fifth-worst area in the country. The Tampa and St. Petersburg area was slotted at the ninth-worst in the country, despite claiming the most pedestrian fatalities — 900 in over nine years.

Smart Growth America attributes the increase in pedestrian deaths to roadways that are no designed to accommodate all of the potential users. Instead, the roads are designed to accommodate an ever-increasing volume of cars on the road.

The Florida Department of Transportation increased the height of the jersey barrier lining the median of U.S. 19 in Pinellas County to deter people from trying to cross the six-lane highway.

Our pedestrian accident attorneys in Jacksonville, Florida report that a study published shows Jacksonville is the sixth-deadliest state in the U.S. for walkers

ORLANDO, Fla. — Smart Growth America, a non-profit organization, released a study dubbed “Dangerous by Design” recently which showed that Orlando has the sixth-highest per capita pedestrian fatality rate from 2008 to 2017 in the country. Moreover, using Smart Growth America’s “Pedestrian Danger Index” metrics, The Orlando metropolitan area, which includes Kissimmee and Sanford, is the deadliest metro area in the country for pedestrians, according to Orlando Weekly. Overall, a total of seven Florida areas landed in the top ten deadliest metropolitan areas for pedestrians as the country itself became deadlier over ten years. The number of pedestrians who died in the U.S. increased by 35% over that timeframe.

The results of the study might not surprise many Orlando residents. Some say that the city is notoriously bad for people who must walk. The city of Orlando has an utter lack of infrastructure that helps keep pedestrians safe. The lack of safe areas for people to walk most heavily impacts lower-income neighborhoods. To be sure, the study conducted by Growth Smart America indicated that people who live in lower-income neighborhoods have an elevated chance of dying in a collision with a motor vehicle while walking. Additionally, African-Americans or other “people of color” were over-represented in the number of pedestrians killed. The elderly, no matter in what neighborhoods they reside, were also in danger.

In the Orlando metropolitan area, 656 pedestrians died in collisions with motor vehicles from 2008 to 2017. That amount is the sixth highest in the country per capita for an area with a population of over 100,000 people. Also, the Pedestrian Danger Index developed by Growth Smart America shows that Orlando has a rating of 313.3. This number tries to quantify how deadly an area is based on the number of people killed, taking into account the number of people who live in the area. Creating a metric like the PDI helps compare geographic areas despite the different population sizes.

Unlicensed Driver Strikes and Kills Child in Stroller in NYC NEW YORK, NY- Nydailynews.com writes that a child and his mother exited a Dunkin Donuts and began to cross First Avenue in a marked crosswa...

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A series of traffic mishaps on Staten Island call attention to how dangerous driving, walking, and bicycling in New York has become in less than one year. There seems to be less ...

FARMINGDALE, Long Island, N.Y. — A lunchtime trip to the Subway in Farmingdale on a recent Saturday afternoon was anything but ordinary. Around 1:45 p.m., a small Honda sports utility vehicle plowed t...

NEW YORK, N.Y. — The City Council will receive proposed legislation that would require protective barriers at every bus stop in New York City. Although the measure seems costly and time-consuming, adv...

HICKSVILLE, Long Island, N.Y. — A three-car collision near the intersection of North Broadway and Bethpage Road in Hicksville injured three. The crash spread debris across the road surface and caused ...