The technology powering our cars has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, particularly when it comes to safety equipment. But do these new features live up to the hype? A recent analysis by Forbes evaluated these advanced safety systems for effectiveness and found they are making a difference. Advanced Safety System Features Many of the newest, most advanced car safety features are part of what is called Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). These systems use advanced software and an array of sensors and other equipment embedded throughout the car to warn drivers of imminent collisions, help them park safely,

Car insurance companies have started using tracking devices to monitor customers’ driving habits, with the promise of lower insurance rates for safe drivers. Progressive’s program is called Snapshot, Allstate has Drivewise, State Farm has Drive Safe and Save, and Nationwide uses SmartMiles. The programs are currently optional and may reduce your insurance premium if the data the device captures show that you follow proper driving practices. However, some people have raised concerns about privacy and whether using the devices actually saves you much on your car insurance. The discounts these companies promise vary. Nationwide claims that good drivers could see

Every year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) releases a list of the safest automobiles. The list for 2020 is unique because it focuses on certain safety features that the IIHS has never considered before ─ specifically those designed to protect pedestrians and passengers. The IIHS focused on these features in the hopes that more automotive manufacturers will create and implement structural and design changes, as well as continue to include more technology in their vehicles, with the goal of improving safety for everyone. Added Testing for Safety Although the IIHS included pedestrian safety features in its list last

Climate change litigation is on the rise around the world, with lawsuits brought in at least 28 countries, according to a policy report released earlier this year by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. More than three-quarters of that litigation was filed in the United States. Litigation related to climate liability issues involves what the institute called “strategic cases … designed to press national governments to be more ambitious on climate or to enforce existing legislation,” as well as cases against entities that are “major emitters,” seeking damages. The report focused on selected cases and developments

Attorney Chris Mazzola helps parents and educators recognize warning signs, asks fellow lawyers to volunteer There’s no question that bullying among teens and even younger children has become a dangerous epidemic in this digital age. In fact, the tragic story of San Antonio teen David Molak sparked a movement in Texas to combat bullying on all fronts: at school, at home, and through legal action. Molak was just 16 when he died by suicide after terrible online harassment. His family, through David’s Legacy Foundation, has made it their mission to eliminate cyber bullying. One big step forward has been David’s

Texas is the first state to criminalize altered video clips known as “deepfakes,” or footage manipulated using a form of artificial intelligence, according to the legal newspaper Texas Lawyer. The technology has also raised concerns among legal professionals about whether these videos might be used as phony evidence in legal matters. Everyday people might have some experience with deepfakes as jokes, such as the humorous videos that, say, swap the face of actor Keanu Reeves in a scene from the 1999 film The Matrix with that of actor Nicolas Cage, according to Wired magazine. However, the crux of a deepfake

The Origins of Juliana v. United States In 2015, a group of 21 teenagers filed a lawsuit against the United States government. The lawsuit, Juliana v. United States, claimed that the constitutional rights of young people were being violated. The plaintiffs claimed that the government’s fossil fuel policies had led to dangerous levels of greenhouse gases in the air and violated the federal Public Trust Doctrine (PTD) and their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection. The group also claimed they were being denied the right to life, liberty, and property that the U.S. Constitution guaranteed them. Within their