Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/530037
ByJustinPritchard TheAssociatedPress LOS ANGELES California state officials released re- ports Thursday detailing six accidents that involved self-driving car prototypes, reversing a policy that had shielded details of how the next-generation technology is performing during test- ing on public roads. The disclosure came af- ter The Associated Press successfully argued to the Department of Motor Ve- hicles that the agency was improperly withholding the information. According to the reports, most of the cars were in self- driving mode when the ac- cidents happened, and the other driver caused the ac- cident. None of the crashes were serious enough to in- jure the person the state requires to sit behind the wheel, and the reports say none of the people in the other cars were treated for injuries either. The companies that op- erated the cars — tech titan Google and parts supplier Delphi Automotive — sub- mitted their own accounts of the accidents. Police have only confirmed investigat- ing the Delphi crash. Led by Google, self-driv- ing cars have been running on public roads since 2009. It was only in September, however, that the DMV offi- cially began permitting the testing — and specifically requiring companies to file accident reports. Until now, the agency said it could not reveal de- tails about self-driving car accidents, citing state law making collision reports confidential. The fact that the agency refused to release the re- ports bothered critics, who said the public should know how the cars of the future were faring today. After the DMV denied a public records request, AP argued that the agency was incorrectly citing the confi- dentiality requirement and that the public has an inter- est in understanding how these experimental vehi- cles are performing as they drive public streets and highways. In a letter that accompa- nied the documents, DMV attorney Roger Sato wrote, "After further review, DMV has determined that it is possible to release the fac- tual information related to the autonomous vehicle re- ports" as long as the driv- ers' personal information and other details such as insurance information is blacked out. While eight companies have permission to test 82 self-driving cars in Califor- nia, Google has driven the most miles driven (about 1.8 million) and licensed the most prototypes (53). TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY California reveals details of self-driving car accidents ERICRISBERG—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE A Google self-driving car goes on a test drive in Mountain View. By Lisa Leff and Martha Mendoza The Associated Press BERKELEY Rotting wood and other issues can cause balcony collapses, some- times with terrible conse- quences. Six people died Tuesday in Berkeley when a balcony failed and an estimated 6,500 people were injured in deck failures in the past decade. However, the Consumer Product Safety Commis- sion, which analyzed emer- gency room visits for The Associated Press, found deaths are rare from col- lapses. Before the accident in Berkeley, there had been just 23 fatalities since 2002. The review estimated that 4,600 emergency room visits were associated with deck collapses, and another 1,900 with porch failures. With millions of ER vis- its a year in the U.S., "the type of incident that hap- pened in Berkeley ap- pears to be rare," com- mission spokesman Alex- ander Filip said based on the data collected from 100 hospitals to make the projections. One of the worst col- lapses occurred in 2003, when a porch collapse in Chicago killed 13 people. The commission identi- fied just 10 fatalities that occurred since then. Those 10 fatalities do not include the students, including five from Ire- land, who died while seven others were injured in Berkeley when a crowded deck cracked from a build- ing, tossing them 50 feet to the pavement below. Family members who arrived from Ireland were planning funerals and vis- iting Thursday with those who were injured. Experts and city of- ficials have said the 40 square foot balcony might have snapped off because supports had dry rotted, a problem that structural engineers say can be pre- vented through proper design, construction and maintenance aimed at sealing out water. Left unrepaired, dry rot can weaken balconies and create collapse haz- ards, said structural engi- neer David Helfant, who has inspected thousands of decks and balconies. "It's all about creating a safe structure that has endurance, that has a rea- sonable life expectancy," said Helfant, who identi- fied potential flaws in de- sign and construction af- ter inspecting the Berke- ley balcony that collapsed. Dry rot occurs when wa- ter gets into poorly venti- lated areas of buildings and a fungus starts to de- cay the timber. If left un- checked, wood can fall apart or turn to powder. BERKELEY About 6,500 injured in deck collapses since 2003 By Amanda Lee Myers The Associated Press LOS ANGELES The nation's largest state bar failed to consistently protect the public from bad lawyers by settling hundreds of com- plaints, many without ade- quate discipline for botched cases or ethical violations, according to a scathing au- dit released Thursday that also found the organization has spent money with little financial accountability. The audit is the lat- est blow to the California State Bar, an organization plagued by years of infight- ing and allegations that mismanagement and dys- function allowed bad at- torneys to continue prac- ticing law. As the state bar scur- ried to settle more than 5,100 backlogged com- plaints in 2010 and 2011, the severity of discipline imposed against attorneys decreased, according to the California State Audi- tor's report. In 2012, the California Supreme Court rejected set- tlements reached with 27 attorneys because of insuf- ficient discipline; 21 of those attorneys later got harsher punishments, including five who were disbarred, the au- dit said. Additionally, 131 at- torneys whose complaints were settled in 2010 and 2011 later were disciplined after new complaints were filed, including 28 disbar- ments. "To reduce its backlog, the state bar allowed some attorneys whom it other- wise might have disciplined more severely — or even dis- barred — to continue prac- ticing law, placing the pub- lic at risk," State Auditor Elaine Howle wrote to the governor and legislative leaders Thursday. The bar also lacks finan- cial accountability, Howle wrote. She pointed to $76.6 mil- lion the bar spent in 2012 to buy and renovate a build- ing in downtown Los Ange- les, more than triple the $25 million the bar told the Leg- islature it would cost just four months before the pur- chase. Additionally, the bar partially paid for the build- ing with funds that were supposed to be saved for specific programs, includ- ing one aimed at eliminat- ing bias in the justice sys- tem. To practice law, attor- neys must be members of the bar, a public corpora- tion created by the state Legislature. The bar has more than 249,000 mem- bers and collects yearly dues that largely fund its operations. The bar said in a state- ment that it has formally accepted each of the audit's findings and has agreed to address recommendations that include increasing fi- nancial oversight and trans- parency and better allocat- ing resources to address the complaint backlog. "We embrace the recom- mendations, many of which we began addressing late last year, before the audit began," bar President Craig Holden said in a statement. "We appreciate the assis- tance of an independent ex- pert in this effort." Holden declined to com- ment further, citing ongo- ing litigation between the bar and its former executive director, Joseph Dunn, also a former Democratic state senatorfromOrangeCounty. The bar fired Dunn last year for "serious, wide- ranging allegations." Within days, Dunn sued, alleging "glaring injustices, unethical conduct and mas- sive cover-up that has crip- pled the state bar's ability to function." CALIFORNIA BAR ASSOCIATION Audit: Attorney discipline falls short RUNNINGS ROOFING SheetMetalRoofing ResidentialCommercial • Composition • Shingle • Single Ply Membrane Ownerisonsiteoneveryjob ServingTehamaCounty 530-527-5789 530-209-5367 NoMoney Down! "NoJobTooSteep" " No Job Too Flat" FREE ESTIMATES CA. LIC#829089 STOVEJUNCTION The TheNorthState'spremiersupplierofstoves 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Over 25 years of experience Tues-Sat9am-5pm• ClosedSun&Mon Now Carrying! GreenMountainGrills & Accessories Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties www.tehamafamilyfitness.com Tehama Family Fitness Center 2498SouthMainSt.RedBluff 528-8656 A Couple Of Losers Weight Loss Competition Needtolosesomeweight?Haveafriendorfamily member that would also like to lose a few pounds? Well we've got a contest designed just for you! "A Couple of Losers" is a partner weight loss competition based on your team efforts! Your success will be based on the total percentage of weight lost by and your partner combined! Choose your partner wisely, you will both be responsible for each other success! Registrationandweighin's 10am-12 Saturday May 16th Final Weigh in July 11th $20 per person-Top team will be awarded At Tehama Family Fitness 528-8656 | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015 6 A