As the number of urban kayakers on the Chicago River continues to grow, we join those who have expressed concern about safety issues and urge kayakers, whether renting or owning, to take precautions to avoid injury.

The lack of “rules of the road” for kayakers is leading to some close calls, experts say. Given that kayaks are relatively small in size (12 feet long), kayakers can be knocked about by waves or choppy wakes left by large boats. If a kayak capsizes, it’s not always easy to get back on. And some express concern about the water quality, which may contain disease-causing ...

For most 15-year-olds, driver’s education classes are an exciting rite of passage where they get to put all the Illinois Rules of the Road classroom knowledge into practice behind the wheel. But car safety issues are compromising most Chicago-area driver’s ed programs, according to a Chicago Tribune story.

In Chicago, public school students practice their driving skills in what the Tribune calls “some of the oldest and worst-rated driver’s education cars in the state.”  Safety ratings of the cars students learn to drive in vary dramatically. Crash-test ratings for the ...

They somewhat resemble an ordinary candle, but those portable firepots that hold gel fuel have caused serious burns and even death. We agree with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who wants the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall all gel fuel products.

The Commission says that 57 injuries and two deaths have been reported as a result of the pots. They are investigating the cases and the products on the market to determine why such accidents have occurred.

In firepots, the flame is fueled by gel that comes out of a bottle and burns without a wick. The products have ...