Almost certainly multiplying consumer frustrations, “Toyota is sending new gas pedal systems to its factories, not to dealerships that want the parts to take care of customers' cars.” On Friday, the company said that details regarding the solutions to the acceleration problem will be made available next week and should take about a month to implement. Of course, drivers do not have a month to be without their Toyota for daily uses.

However, as a Chicago car and truck accident attorney, I urge drivers to take this recall seriously. No matter how frustrating and inconvenient it may be, it is imperative to take the necessary precautions to avoid unnecessary injuries.

The November recall targeted a floor mat design flaw that could potentially cause the gas petal to become trapped, which was the suspected culprit in a fatal accident this summer in California. However, even after removing and replacing floor mats, reports of jammed petals continued to plague the automaker.

Two recent accidents in Texas and New Jersey have prompted the NHTSA to consider launching an investigation. Until Thursday, the automaker denied any mechanical or electronic problems with the gas pedal, but is now saying that in “rare instances” there may be a mechanical mechanism malfunction leading to gas pedals to get stuck accelerating.

Although Toyota seems to be making thorough and appropriate recalls, all consumers must be sure to have their recalled vehicles fixed as soon as possible. The issue plaguing Toyota vehicles is one that is more serious than many other recalls. Three major accidents in six months have occurred as a result. Therefore, as a personal injury attorney, I encourage all people to take whatever steps necessary to avoid possible fatal car accidents.

Subaru also announced a recall involving a concern about fire regarding a fuel leak in extremely cold temperatures in the 2002-3 models of the Impreza WRX.

The “Roadwise Review” program is “designed to help older drivers test their abilities through exercises that measure eight physical and mental areas that can predict crash risk, like memory, visual processing speed, leg strength, and head and neck flexibility.”

The program was originally released five years ago to be distributed throughout the AAA network, although no substantive changes have been made to the program, it is not free and accessible to all with an internet connection.

The beauty of the program is that it “allows users to check their driving skills at home,” which can be a non-threatening first step for families with elderly drivers who need to be reevaluated. As a automobile accident attorney, I encourage families with older drivers to try this program to ensure their loved ones are capable of driving safely. To try the program, go to www.seniordrivers.org.

If you have not already seen it check out Mark Stephan's story as told by Mike Leonard on the Today Show.

In fact, not all consumers are comfortable with the idea of a service automatically disabling their phone, and some would rather continue to use cell phones with hands free devices. Ford and Microsoft, for example, “ are selling systems that rely on voice commands to dial phones.” These devices are more popular with consumers, but the auto shut off technology has “caught the eye of large auto insurers,” who are not convinced that hands free chatting is much safer and want to have less payouts for accidents.

As a Chicago attorney who has seen the repercussions of careless phone use while driving tear lives apart, I am intrigued by the new technology. Especially for young drivers, have an automatic cell phone “muzzling” mechanism may lead to a drastic decrease in auto accidents involving new drivers. I encourage all drivers to make sure they are being cautious will cell phone usage, whether hand free or otherwise, behind the wheel and to be sure to abide by any law regulating cell phone usage while driving.

All 2007-8 Jeep Wrangler drivers should act immediately to repair this defect and avoid possible injury. Other drivers may want to routinely check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website for additional recalls.

The pilots told investigators that they lost track of time and location during flight because they were on their personal laptops while the flight was out of communication with air traffic control for 91 minutes. Air traffic control in two states tried a total of eight times to contact the pilots, and even suspected the plane was hijacked.

As a attorney who strives to compensate those whose lives have been harmed by the negligence of others, I am concerned about the careless pilot conduct that came to light in this story. Although I am hopeful that it was an isolated incident, the FAA should take steps to ensure the other pilots are not engaging in similar careless behavior, and should articulate standards for when a suspected hijacking should be reported to Washington.

The vehicles included in the recall are: 2008–10 Infiniti M35 and M45.; 2009 Nissan Cube; 2009 Nissan Murano; 2008 Nissan Rogue. The states included in the recall are: Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

In a limited geographic recall, “automakers are allowed to repair vehicles only from states where the problem is likely to be caused by the weather or regional factors such as salt use.” However, many consumer advocates have long protested the practice, arguing that vehicle consumers travel from state to state and geographic recalls do not adequately protect consumers. As an attorney who has witnessed consequences of automobile manufacturing negligence, I agree that the practice of geographic recalls subjects consumers who move their vehicles between states to additional risks. As always, it is important to stay on top of vehicle recalls and act quickly in addressing the problem.

Last year, more than 37,000 highway fatalities occurred, which was the lowest since 1961. Officials predict the figures for this year will be even lower. Highways deaths have been steadily declining since 2005.

Safety experts have “attributed the declines in highway deaths to the economic recession, record-high seat belt use, vehicle safety advances, and fewer people driving.” As a personal injury attorney who seeks compensation for victims of wrongful deaths, I am pleased to see this decline in highway fatalities.

The actual recall, which may be as early as this coming week, will involve extremely popular models like the Toyota Camry, Prius, Avalon, Tacoma, Tundra as well as several Lexus models – most recalls span 2005 to 2010 models. Toyota spokesman, Irv Miller, warned “a stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop a vehicle...until the company finds a fix, owners should simply take out the removable floor mat on the driver’s side and not replace it.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is working closely with Toyota as it had received reports “of 102 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck.” The NHTSA is alerting owners to this “urgent matter” to the best of their ability, but it is important to spread the word. Toyota’s largest recalls prior to this one only involved 900,000 vehicles, which makes the 3.8 million vehicle recall seem even more ominous. As a Chicago automobile accident and products liability attorney, I want to emphasize how important it is to be aware of vehicle recalls. Toyota and Lexus owners should remove floor mats from the drivers side immediately and visit the NTHSA website or call the hotline at (888) 327-4236 for more information.