Autoblog

Calculating the cost of a motorcycle accident

Zach Bowman — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Motorcycle

Like it or not, you're thirty times more likely to die in a motorcycle accident than in an automobile crash. There's little wondering why. As a rider, you're bouncing around at high velocities in close proximity to stationary objects and machines many times your mass. In a best-case-scenario, going off-bike will see you vying with pavement, other vehicles and your own bike with nothing protect you but some Kevlar, a little leather and a bit of Styrofoam.

According to the Government Accountability Office, 82,000 riders were injured in motorcycle accidents and a 4,502 individuals were killed in crashes. All told, the immediate cost of those downs was $16 billion or more. On average, a fatal motorcycle crash costs around $1.2 million, with non-fatal incidents carrying a price tag of anywhere from $2,500 to $1.4 million depending on rider injuries.

So, what's the solution? According to the GAO, the only measurable way to cut those costs is to mandate helmet use. Helmets reportedly cut the fatality rate of motorcycle crashes by 39 percent, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims helmets prevented 1,550 deaths in 2010. Likewise, the Center for Disease Control says the lids saved the economy a total of $3 billion in those crashes. Seems like cheap insurance to us.

Calculating the cost of a motorcycle accident originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E15 not coming to gas stations anytime soon

Autoblog Staff — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially issuing its finalized E15 (gasoline with 15-percent ethanol content) warning label, there's widespread belief that the recently approved biofuel will be coming to gasoline stations soon. Well, it seems that's not likely to be the case. In fact, it won't take place for at least a year.

The Government Accountability Office says that health, safety, cost and environmental concerns will probably keep E15 away from the pumps for more than one year. The GOA claims that nozzles, underground storage tanks and other fuel-dispensing equipment will need to be evaluated prior to E15's arrival. The concern is that leakage, which isn't an issue with E10, could suddenly become a problem with E15.

The GAO continues by claiming that some fuel stations may have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to upgrade equipment in preparation for the arrival of E15. There is also the matter of an ongoing lawsuit that sees automakers trying to overturn the EPA's approval of the blended fuel along with a promise to void the warranties of vehicles with E15 found in their tanks. We'd guess E15 has a very long road ahead of it...

E15 not coming to gas stations anytime soon originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not out of the woods yet: GAO issues warning on automaker pensions

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:19:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Earnings/Financials, UAW/Unions

There's $77 billion owed to the pension plans contributed to by auto industry manufacturers and partner companies and we're to assume that at least seven billion of that is owed by Ford to the UAW's Voluntary Employment Benefit Association. The way Ford is going, it looks likely to pay that off without needing unsavory assistance. When it comes to General Motors' and Chrysler's obligations over the next five years, though, the Government Accountability Office has warned that Uncle Sam still needs to keep a close eye on whether both automaker's debts will be paid on time.

GM has $12.2 billion in pension liabilities, while Chrysler has $2.62 billion due merely to keep up with obligations over the next five years. Even though they came out of bankruptcy and trimmed their workforces, both are still on the hook for to pay white- and blue-collar pensions. The GAO's concern is whether they will be profitable enough in the next five years to keep up with those payments. If not, the hook gets transferred to the government to the order of $14.5 billion.

GM appears to be slowly turning its ship, but we're still in the dark about Chrysler. However, we know the Pentastar has big plans and one figures Marchionne didn't buy the company just to go bust. That means that at the moment, this is only bell-ringing on the part of the GAO. But don't take your eyes off the ball, guys.

[Source: New York Times]

Not out of the woods yet: GAO issues warning on automaker pensions originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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