Articles by Ryan Beene

U.S. to Update Crash Test Standards and Dummies

U.S. auto safety regulators next year will propose several changes to federal crash testing standards that critics say have failed to keep pace with new vehicle technologies and lag behind other nations. The U.S. New Car Assessment Program will evaluate …

Replacing Car Mirrors With High-Tech Cameras May be Closer Than It Appears

Drivers in the U.S. may one day no longer have to crane their necks to check their blind spots if regulators agree to let high-tech cameras and screens replace the humble side-view mirror. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said …

Automated Driver Assist Cars Still a Work in Progress

To the human driver, it would have been an obvious obstacle: a police car and fire truck, emergency lights blazing, blocking the lane ahead. But to the Tesla Inc. Model S traveling down a Southern California freeway last year on …

Consumer Watchdog Nader Says Boeing 737 Max Should Be Grounded Forever

Consumer advocate Ralph Nader said the larger engines mounted to the Boeing 737 Max represented a design flaw and called for the plane to be permanently grounded. The 737 Max “must never fly again,” Nader said. “It’s not a matter …

Boeing’s Legal Woes Over Crashes Mount with Negligence Suits by Families

Boeing Co. was sued Monday by two Canadians who lost 10 family members in the March crash of a 737 Max in Ethiopia, adding to the aircraft manufacturer’s legal woes stemming from two deadly crashes by the jet. Among the …

U.S. Plans Global Summit on Boeing 737 Max Safety

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration next month will brief international aviation regulators on the agency’s work evaluating when the Boeing Co. 737 Max can return to service, which some countries have signaled they intend to decide on their own. The …

U.S Now Probing 12 Million Air Bags for Possible Deadly Electrical Flaw

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a possible deadly flaw in some 12.3 million vehicles that could prevent air bags from deploying in a crash. The agency is examining air-bag control units supplied by parts maker ZF-TRW …

Records Show Sensors Linked to Boeing 737 Max Crashes Vulnerable to Failure

The crashes of two Boeing Co. 737 Max jets in five months have focused attention on a little-known device that malfunctioned, starting a chain reaction that sent the planes into deadly dives. Pilots have for decades relied on the weather-vane-like …

Honda to Re-Recall 1 Million Cars in U.S. to Replace Faulty Air Bag Parts

Honda Motor Co. will recall more than a million vehicles in the U.S. to replace a batch of faulty air bag parts that were installed as part of the largest auto safety recall in history. A driver in Maryland was …

Dropped Thermos May Have Been Behind Deadly 2017 New York Bus Crash

A dropped thermos wedged between the brake and accelerator pedals of a charter bus may have been behind a 2017 crash in Flushing, New York, that killed three people, U.S. transportation investigators said Thursday. The motorcoach ran a red light …