Articles by Keith Laing

Tesla Faces Increase in Complaints Over ‘Phantom Braking’

Tesla Inc. is facing stepped-up scrutiny from US regulators who have received 758 complaints of cars made by the company that suddenly brake at high speeds, more than double the number of reported incidents earlier this year. Complaints alleging unexpected …

Average Age of US Cars Hits Record 12.2 Years in Fifth Straight Annual Increase

Cars on US roads are as old as they’ve ever been, potentially complicating efforts to expand the use of new safety and emissions-reduction technologies. The age of light vehicles domestically is now 12.2 years on average, up almost two months …

Can a Self-Driving 40-Ton Truck Be Safe? Developers Say Yes But Others Are Skeptical.

Shipping companies and software developers are experimenting with self-driving trucks as a way to solve a driver shortage worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic, drawing fire from safety advocates who call the technology a risk to motorists. J.B. Hunt Transport Services …

Safety Advocates Are Worried As Teen Truckers Hit the Road

Dezjion Henson has wanted to be a truck driver his whole life. When he turned 18 last year he jumped at the chance and signed on as an apprentice with Total Transportation of Mississippi, LLC in Richland, Mississippi. “Growing up, …

Infrastructure Bill Includes Safety Technology Mandates for Cars, Trucks

New cars will be required to have technology to detect drunk drivers and a system to keep children from being accidentally left in vehicles on hot days under a series of long-sought safety measures included in the infrastructure bill awaiting …

Three Disasters Show Gaps in Infrastructure Plan

Three times this year, major pieces of U.S. infrastructure have failed: first the Texas power grid, then the East Coast’s main gasoline pipeline, then a freeway bridge over the Mississippi River. The crises disrupted businesses and lives, cost billions and …

Debate Over Liability Holds Up Self-Driving Car Legislation in Senate

A debate over who to blame — or sue — when a self-driven car hits someone is holding up legislation the industry says it needs to advance. “If another driver hits you, it’s clear who the driver is,” Sarah Rooney, …

U.S. Safety Agency Investigates Air Bags Made by Takata Successor Joyson

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating potentially faulty air bags made by Joyson Safety Systems, the successor to defunct manufacturer Takata Corp. that is at the center of one of the biggest recalls in history. The agency, …

Trump Administration Eyes Pilot Program for 18-Year Old Interstate Truck Drivers

An 18-year-old can’t buy a beer in most U.S. states, but pretty soon he or she may be able to drive a commercial truck across state lines — and that has safety advocates alarmed. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration …