German automaker BMW has issued a recall of about 200,000 cars and SUVs due reports of airbag failure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Office of Defect Investigation.

According to reports, wear and tear caused by a people getting in and out of the front passenger side seat can cause the front passenger airbag sensors to deactivate and fail to deploy even in a severe car wreck. The passenger-side head protection airbags remain safe.

This warning applies to the following BMW vehicles: the 2004 to 2005 5-Series standard and sport seat models; the 2004 to 2006 X3 and the 2006 3-Series with sport seats.

The recall will begin in late September.

BMW will also extend the airbag warrantees to cover 10 years from the original registration with no mileage limit on the 2006 6-Series and 3-Series with a standard seat, the 2004 to 2005 Z4, the 2004 to 2006 7-Series; the 2006 X5 and the 2004 to 2006 5-Series with a comfort seat.

If you are a concerned and have questions about this recall or others, you can contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

A string of recent bus accidents in Nevada, Mississippi and Texas have, once again, brought the issue of bus safety to the forefront.

The biggest problem is that many of the buses involved, including the deadly accident in Sherman recently, were operating illegally.

These operators cut corners and delay inspections without regard for passenger safety.

As a result, at least 17 people died, and dozens more were injured, in Sherman when the bus they were riding in crashed, ejecting several passengers through its windows.

Charter and tour buses are not equipped with safety belts or laminated glass windows — safety features that could save lives — but, more importantly, many are not operated and maintained in a safe fashion.

The bus involved in the Sherman accident had defective tires on the front.

This was only one of several fatal Texas bus accidents. Lawyers can help victims gain financial compensation for their losses but that can’t replace the life of a loved one.

The Government Accountability Office has found in a recent study that a significant number of truck accidents or bus accidents were caused by a physical impairment of the driver.

In 2006, 5,300 people died from crashes involving large commercial trucks or buses and 126,000 more were injured. Drivers falling asleep or being disabled by a heart attack or seizure or other physical impairment caused about 12 percent of crashes where the cause could be identified.

In an audit by the Government Accountability Office, more than half a million drivers held commercial truck driving licenses (CDLs) yet were also so disabled that they were eligible to receive full disability benefits. Many of these drivers are still on the road.

According to the report, as of 2006, Texas had more than 16,000 improperly certified truck drivers. The report did not specify how many people were killed or maimed in truck accidents or bus accidents in Texas. Accident attorneys are studying this research.

Companies who hire these drivers should be held accountable. If these numbers are correct, at least 636 people were killed and another 15,000 injured on our nation’s roads in 2006 by improperly certified truck drivers.