Robocop Fights Drink-Driving in NHTSA’s New PSA

Robocop has landed a leading role in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) new anti-drinking advertising campaign. Aimed at discouraging drivers from drinking and driving, the campaign is called “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and cost some $7.5 million (€5.5 million).

In the first ad featuring Robocop, the superhero finds drunken drivers and pulls them over. “Be ready to move in on my request,” Robocop says and then asks a driver to drop the keys. “I’d put those down now if I were you.”

The commercial also features actors Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman, as well as clips from the Robocop science fiction action movie, opening in theaters on February 14.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

NHTSA Upgrades Fire Probe on 253,000 Mercedes C-Class Models

Like they say, where there's smoke there's fire. After opening an investigation this past July on the 2008-2009MY Mercedes-Benz C-Class over 21 complaints alleging tail lights failures that could lead to fire due to shorts, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it is upgrading and expanding its probe to include 252,867 C-Class cars from the 2008-2011MY.

The government agency said that in its expanded probe, it looked into 114 complaints, among which, there were five reports alleging fire including one injury allegation because of this issue.

"ODI has received a total of 114 complaints reflecting an ongoing and increasing trend," said NHTSA. "In each report, one or both rear light assemblies fail completely (i.e., all lights housed within the assembly extinguish, including the stop, tail, and turn signal functions) when the electrical ground connection is compromised as a result of high resistance and subsequent thermal over-heating."

Mercedes-Benz told the agency that the over-heating of the ground wire is "caused by corrosion between the connectors in the ground circuit to the tail light".

We'll keep an eye on the issue and bring you any updates as soon as they come in.

PHOTO GALLERY

NHTSA Pushing for Use of Breathalyzer Interlocks for First-Time DUI Offenders

All of the US’ fifty states have laws permitting the use of ignition interlocks that can only be bypassed if the driver proves he or she has not been drinking, by taking their own breathalyzer test each time they set out.

However, from that point on, legislation varies from region to region, and cannot be enforced with the same strictness everywhere, as NHTSA Administrator, David Strickland, would like.

The official, speaking on behalf of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, urged all states to start requiring these devices for first-time drunken driving offenders, in order to “protect sober motorists and ensure that individuals convicted of drunk driving learn from their mistakes.”

The Detroit News says that in the state of Michigan, for instance, the law prevents the device from allowing you to start your car, if the blood-alcohol reading is higher than 0.0025, and will then still subject the driver to random tests on the move.

The price for all this safety is about $50 to $75 per device to buy and have installed, then another $50 to $75 in monthly maintenance and monitoring costs.

The NHTSA says drivers of cars equipped with these interlocks are 75 percent less likely to go about their drunken driving ways again, and that’s why it’s funding a $7.5 million advertising campaign to raise awareness during the holiday season.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO