According to a 5/14/08 article on CNNmoney.com, Ford Motor Company is recalling more than 655,000 Ford F-150 and Lincoln Mark LT pickup trucks to fix a hose that could affect the vehicles’ braking power. 

The recall affects 2005-2006 versions of the trucks with 5.4 liter 3-valve engines according to a posting Wednesday on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A Ford spokesman stated more than 600,000 of the trucks are in the United States and about 50,000 are in Canada. About 1,500 are in other countries around the world.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a defective vehicle or other product, contact the attorneys at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606.

More than 90,000 Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicles are being recalled because the third-row seat belts may not secure child safety seats tightly enough to prevent injury to the child during a collision. This recall applies to 2008 model gas and hybrid Highlanders. Dealerships have been asked not to sell affected models until the problem has been resolved, and current owners will be notified by Toyota starting in June.

On July 1, 2008, California will institute a new hands-free cell phone law. Drivers over the age of 18 may still use a cell phone with a hands-free head set. Drivers under the age of 18 will not be allowed to use a cell phone at all while driving.

If caught using a cell phone while driving, the first offense will be a $20 fine. Every citation afterwards will be $50. There is not a grace period.

The use of cell phones while driving has been the number one cause of driver distraction in the state of California for the past six years according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Senator who instituted the bill believes that the use of hands-free devices will help to save between 300 and 900 lives every year. Despite the belief that hands-free devices will help to prevent injuries and fatalities, studies continue to indicate that the use of cell phones, whether hands-free or hand-held, is a significant driver distraction.

Overall, the bill is intended to prevent and decrease the amount car wrecks and the resulting injuries and fatalities. Car wreck attorneys are working on cases in which serious injury and fatality has resulted from driver distraction and neglect.