Two bills to put additional restrictions on young drivers and distracted drivers are moving to the state Senate after approval by the House Tuesday. One limits the number of passengers that junior drivers, those age 16 and 17, can have in their car, and requires junior drivers to wear seat belts or risk being stopped [...]
Philadelphia’s tap water has been laced with fluctuating levels of radioactive iodine since at least 2007, but city officials say they only recently learned of the problem. Iodine-131, which has no taste or smell, is a carcinogenic isotope, but federal environmental officials apparently weren’t concerned enough to tell you that it’s in your drinking water. [...]
Philadelphia Police officers are preparing to saddle up. The department’s mounted patrol unit expects to start trotting through the streets, fighting crime, later this spring. Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said horses are good for crowd control, patrolling parks, and other areas it’s tough for cars to reach. “So, should the Phillies win and we have [...]
The Southwest Airlines jet that was cruising at 35,000 feet Friday when a hole opened in the roof was current with maintenance checks, including a major inspection last year, according to federal air-safety investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board said the hole in the plane was caused by fatigue cracks in the aluminum underskin of [...]
The Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday that Google agreed to settle a complaint that it violated its own privacy promises to consumers when it rolled out its Buzz social networking application. The settlement requires Google to adopt a comprehensive privacy program and to submit to an independent privacy audit every two years for the next two [...]
Proposed federal funding for alcohol-detection devices could make them available as a new car option within 10 years, but some hope — and others fret — it will speed installation in every car. “What we’d like to see is it used as much as possible,” says Laura Dean-Mooney, national president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). [...]
Today’s teenagers came of age at the same time cellphones displaced spare change in every purse or pants pocket, so it’s no surprise that younger people are more at ease chatting while they drive. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Monday used another survey showing just that to launch an effort to help parents and teachers [...]
Hundreds of thousands of baby bassinets made by Burlington Basket Co. were recalled Wednesday because of concerns that they could collapse if not assembled properly. The recall involves about 500,000 bassinets — all bassinets made by the company before June last year. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the bassinets can collapse if the support [...]
Almost 800,000 child seats are being recalled because their harnesses may not hold the child securely, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday. The recall covers a wide range of booster, convertible and infant seats, including some sold as part of a stroller travel system, made by the Dorel Juvenile Group of Columbus, Ind. [...]
Red-light cameras may be controversial, but — according to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety — they save lives. The analysis, released Tuesday, found that camera enforcement at city intersections cut the death toll from drivers running red lights by almost a quarter, on average. The study is the first to [...]
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