Last year’s fiery death of two adults and seven children in a head-on collision involving a drunk driver in California has prompted the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to recommend all new vehicles in the U.S. be equipped with a device capable of preventing or limiting a vehicle’s operation if driver impairment by alcohol is detected.
The NTSB recommendation calls on the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) to adopt new manufacturing requirements to include passive vehicle-integrated alcohol impairment detection systems, advanced driver monitoring systems, or a combination of both in an effort to prevent impaired drivers from getting on the road.
“Vehicle-integrated passive alcohol detection technologies that prevent or limit impaired drivers from operating their vehicles have significant lifesaving potential; however, development of the technologies has been slow, and additional action is needed to accelerate progress in implementing these technologies,” according to the NTSB report of the deadly 2021 California crash.
That report released in September argues such a device would have likely kept a heavily intoxicated driver off a highway the night of Jan. 1, 2021. The unidentified driver lost control of his SUV at speeds between 88 and 98 mph and crossed the centerline where the SUV crashed head-on with a pickup truck.
The pickup truck was occupied by an adult driver and seven children ages 6 to 15. The truck immediately caught on fire and was fully engulfed before other drivers could extricate the occupants.
The SUV driver and all eight people in the truck died at the scene.
But NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy says the “heartbreaking crash” could have been prevented with readily available technology, “just as it can prevent the tens of thousands of fatalities from impaired-driving and speeding-related crashes we see in the U.S. annually.”
The official findings in the California incident also included a renewed call for the NHTSA to incentivize passenger vehicle manufacturers and consumers to adopt Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems which alert a driver if a vehicle travels above the speed limit. Some newer ISA products can even automatically restrict the vehicle from traveling above a predetermined speed.
However, the five-member NTSB is not waiting for the NHTSA to adopt new manufacturing standards, which could take two or three years.
The agency has publicly called out the Alliance for Automotive Innovation—whose members manufacture nearly all new cars and light trucks sold in the United States—to encourage the development and deployment of technology to combat alcohol-impaired driving.
Data recently released by the NHTSA shows roughly one in three traffic fatalities in the U.S. resulted from crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers. And the number of such impaired driver crashes is increasing.
Arizona is no different, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation, which shows the number of traffic fatalities in the state from all causes rose last year to 1,180, the highest level in 15 years. Of those, 243 deaths were alcohol related, up from six percent from 2020.
The full 2021 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report is available here.
The NTSB is an independent federal agency charged by Congress to investigate a variety of transportation accidents, including aircrafts, railroads, boats, and pipelines. It also has authority to investigate “significant accidents” which occur on highways. Another responsibility of the NTSB is to issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents.
Any of those recommendations concerning highways are made to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation. Among its authorities is the setting of and enforcement of safety standards.
The Arizona Department of Transportation is hoping to protect consumers from having a bad time buying a used vehicles.
An increased demand for certified pre-owned or used vehicles has been seen in recent months in response to manufacturer supply chain interruptions and the increased cost of new vehicles coming off the assembly line. Add that to tightened underwriting rules for new vehicle loans, and the used car market has become the next best option for many Arizonans.
But purchasing a used vehicle comes with its own risks, whether buying from a private party or a car dealer. Which is why ADOT urges consumers to use care in such transactions, and to “walk away” if anything seems off with the car, the deal, or the seller.
Most used cars sold in Arizona come with only an implied warranty of merchantability lasting 15 days or 500 miles, whichever comes first. Therefore, ADOT recommends consumers not buy a used vehicle until a trusted mechanic has performed an inspection.
In addition to checking the vehicle’s general mechanical condition, the inspection should look at whether the odometer was tampered with and whether the vehicle has any water or collision damage which was not reported or properly repaired. Such damage could lead to future malfunctions of the electrical system or engine.
A prospective buyer should also obtain a Motor Vehicle Record to ensure the vehicle’s title is not encumbered by a lien. When a vehicle title has a lien, it cannot be transferred to a new owner without a release first being recorded.
“Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous sellers that go to an auto-title / loan business and receive a loan against their vehicle one day before they sell it. The auto-title / loan business applies a lien to that particular vehicle so it can’t be sold until the loan is paid,” according to ADOT.
A Motor Vehicle Record is available at MVD offices and authorized MVD third party office. Private companies such as CarFax and Experian Automotive also sell similar records, often referred to as a vehicle history report.
A third way to avoid fraud is to ask the vehicle seller to be present with the buyer to transfer the title at an MVD or Third Party office where the payment can be exchanged.
ADOT even has advice for anyone selling a used vehicle, as seller’s too can be targeted by scammers. First, make sure to obtain the buyer’s name and address. Second, make sure to remove the license plate and any handicap placard before the new owner drives away.
It is also critical to complete an ADOT-MVD “sold notice” and submit it to ADOT. This step ensures the seller is not held responsible for any tickets or liability connected with the vehicle after the sale is reported.
Additional consumer information concerning auto purchases is available from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office here.
It was announced last week that two defense contractors with a large presence in Arizona will partner on one of the U.S. Air Force’s most cutting edge weapons—a hypersonic air-breathing missile capable of sustained speeds of Mach 5 or greater.
Tucson-based Raytheon Missiles & Defense has been selected along with Northrup Grumman Corp. to deliver a first-of-its-kind Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) which utilizes a scramjet engine that forcibly compresses incoming air with a hydrocarbon fuel for combustion to travel at least five times the speed of sound.
This allows a HACM to reach its targets more quickly than similar traditional missiles, allowing it to potentially evade defensive systems, according to the companies which have been working together since 2019 to integrate Northrop Grumman’s scramjet engines onto Raytheon’s air-breathing hypersonic weapons.
In July, they conducted the second successful flight test of a Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) for the U.S. Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
During the flight test, the concept weapon was released from an aircraft and accelerated to hypersonic speeds using a scramjet engine. The vehicle then flew a trajectory which engineers designed to intentionally stress the weapon to explore its limits and further validate digital performance models from the first flight test in September 2021.
“The second flight test is a big step toward scramjet technology being mission ready,” Dan Olson, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems for Northrop Grumman said at the time. “Nearly twenty years of scramjet propulsion research and development have come to fruition to significantly advance our nation’s weapon capabilities.”
The contract announced earlier this month now calls for Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Northrop Grumman to finetune development of the concept technologies and deliver operationally ready HACMs to the U.S. Air Force.
“Advancing our nation’s hypersonic capabilities is a critical national imperative, and this was an important step forward,” said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense, in August. “Having back-to-back successful flight tests gives us even greater confidence in the technical maturity of our HAWC operational prototype.”
Hypersonic weapons demand novel design solutions because their speed and maneuverability create challenging operating environments. To develop and validate the system quickly, Raytheon has used digital engineering, specifically modeling and simulation, along with ground testing.
“It’s hard to recreate in the real world the most advanced threat scenarios, and that’s especially true in hypersonics,” Kremer said after the July flight test. “But we have the power to model a hypersonic flight regime. Advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data allow us to develop capabilities at scale in a way that wasn’t possible before.”
While the main focus along the southwest border is on who and what is coming into the United States, the director of one U.S. Port of Entry in Arizona is making the public aware of the strides his officers are having at keeping firearms from getting into the hands of cartel members in Mexico.
Michael Humphries has been the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Nogales Port Director since 2018. His responsibilities include two major border crossings—the Dennis DeConcini POE and the Mariposa POE—as well as the Morley pedestrian gate, the Nogales International Airport, and the Rio Rico railyard.
On Sunday, Humphries tweeted about a southbound vehicle that was preparing to leave the U.S. on Sept. 22 through the Nogales POE.
“As officers spoke to the driver, a K9 alerted to the trunk area of the vehicle and the driver fled,” Humphries wrote. “Officers were able to stop the car before it escaped into Mexico and found 3 AK style semi-auto rifles.”
Just days earlier, Humphries tweeted about a vehicle attempting to leave the U.S. with several firearms hidden in the cargo area.
9/18: CBP officers working outbound ops at the Nogales POE stopped a vehicle attempting to leave the US with 4 AK47 assault rifles and an AK47 pistol hidden in the cargo area of a vehicle. These weapons were most likely intended for Transnational Criminal Organizations in Mexico pic.twitter.com/81owvgVTxJ
— Port Director Michael W. Humphries (@CBPPortDirNOG) September 20, 2022
Federal officials estimate more than 200,000 firearms were illegally trafficked last year from the U.S. into Mexico, particularly through Arizona and Texas crossings.
A tracing program operated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Mexican government shows more than 70 percent of guns used in criminal activity in Mexico came from the U.S.
One of Humphries’ tweets from June featured the seizure of a machine gun, 20,000 rounds of ammunition, and other firearms, all of which were headed into Mexico.
Nogales seized a machine gun, an AR-15 assault rifle, a handgun and 20,000 rounds of ammunition before exiting the US. Thanks officers for keeping these powerful weapons from reaching dangerous criminal organizations. pic.twitter.com/GgIzwAQ6DL
— Port Director Michael W. Humphries (@CBPPortDirNOG) June 7, 2022
A few days before, CBP officers encountered two men attempting to walk into Mexico with assault weapons taped to their bodies.
CBP Officers seized four assault rifles strapped to the body of two males attempting to walk into Mexico. Excellent job #Nogales for your vigilance and protecting both sides of the border. pic.twitter.com/glXSorKjGh
— Port Director Michael W. Humphries (@CBPPortDirNOG) June 9, 2022
And in May, Humphries tweeted about the seizure of 10 rifles concealed in one vehicle headed to Mexico.
SEIZURE OF ASSAULT RIFLES Great work CBP Nogales! @CBP Officers conducting outbound operations seized 10 rifles of which 9 were assault rifles concealed within compartments in a vehicle. Thank you for preventing these powerful weapons from reaching violent criminal organizations! pic.twitter.com/F8hbcWVRNG
— Port Director Michael W. Humphries (@CBPPortDirNOG) May 18, 2022
If the U.S. Senate agrees, the post office in Fountain Hills will be designated the Dr. C.T. Wright Post Office Building.
The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 5650 this month. The bill introduced by Rep. David Schweikert to honor the life of Dr. Wright was co-sponsored by the other eight members of Arizona’s Congressional House delegation.
“The legacy of Dr. C.T. Wright is one that should never be forgotten,” Schweikert said in announcing the House vote. “With the House passage of my bill, we are one step closer to seeing his passion for family, faith, and freedom immortalized in our community.”
When Wright died in 2020, a state biography described his “diverse life experiences” which included being a day laborer in Georgia cotton fields, becoming an elementary school teacher, moving on to college professor and administrator, and being named a university president. He spent much of his education career working at many of America’s historically black colleges.
Wright, who was also a faith leader, later turned his focus to human rights and justice issues. He became a criminal justice expert who developed and supervised several training programs for law enforcement officers as well as an education program for inmates.
Around 1999 Wright moved to Arizona where he went on to serve as a member of the Arizona Electoral College and was appointed to the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency which he later chaired. He also served as a delegate to three national political conventions, was involved with the Fountain Hills Unified School District Governing Board and Fountain Hills Kiwanis Club, and was President of the Arizona African Society.
In 2019, Schweikert presented Wright with the Congressional Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Dr. C.T. Wright’s contributions to Arizona are unparalleled,” Schweikert said after the recent House vote. “I look forward to seeing this important piece of legislation advance in the Senate.”
