Security & Safety Briefs — August 3 - August 9
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The Latest Headlines:
- Ford Recalls 1.2 Million Light Trucks and SUVs
- Highway Watch Trains Record Number in July
- ‘Big Dig’ Ramp Reopens Following Tunnel Collapse
- Ryder to Offer LoJack Vehicle Tracking Systems
- 2006 Hurricane Forecast Lowered
- Highway Watch Trains Record Number in July
Ford Recalls 1.2 Million Light Trucks and SUVs
Ford Motor Co. Thursday recalled about 1.2 million trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans on concerns over possible engine fires, the Associated Press reported.The automaker said the speed-control deactivation switch system in some 1994 through 2002 model vehicles was prone to corrosion, overheating and catching fire.
The recall expands upon another carried out by Ford last September on similar worries over engine fires, when it recalled 3.8 million vehicles, AP reported. Transport Topics
Highway Watch Trains Record Number in July
American Trucking Associations said it certified a record 32,000 participants under its Highway Watch program in July.The program trains transportation workers to identify potential safety and security hazards to the nation’s transportation infrastructure. Transport Topics
‘Big Dig’ Ramp Reopens Following Tunnel Collapse
A ramp to Boston’s “Big Dig” tunnel, closed amid safety concerns in the wake of the deadly collapse of a nearby tunnel ceiling, reopened shortly after midnight Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.The ramp was closed shortly after an accident last month that killed a woman whose car was crushed by 12 tons of falling ceiling panels, AP said.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said the decision to reopen the ramp followed a thorough inspection of tunnel repairs and “the state's implementation of an aggressive plan to monitor the reopened areas,” AP reported.
Since the accident, authorities have zeroed in on the bolt-and-epoxy system that failed to hold suspended ceiling panels in place from the accident, AP said. (Click here for previous coverage.) Transport Topics
Ryder to Offer LoJack Vehicle Tracking Systems
Ryder System announced an online partnership with LoJack Corp., under which Ryder will offer LoJack’s vehicle tracking systems to commercial truck fleets via its Web site.LoJack's systems can be installed in trucks and emit radio signals that allow police to track and locate stolen vehicles.
Ryder said its Safety Services Web site will be the exclusive online provider of the LoJack systems.
Ryder is ranked No. 5 on the Transport Topics 100 list of the largest for hire carriers in the United States and Canada. Transport Topics
2006 Hurricane Forecast Lowered
The National Hurricane Center has predicted up to nine Atlantic hurricanes this year, one fewer than predicted earlier in the year, Bloomberg reported.As many as four of the storms could be declared “major,” with winds in excess of 111 miles per hour, NHC said. The center had earlier predicted six major storms, according to Bloomberg.
Gerry Bell, lead seasonal forecaster at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate prediction center, said up to three of the storms could make landfall, Bloomberg reported. Transport Topics
