Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: Ten minutes of rally crashes devoid of butt-rock soundtrack]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/13/video-ten-minutes-of-rally-crashes-devoid-of-butt-rock-soundtra/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/13/video-ten-minutes-of-rally-crashes-devoid-of-butt-rock-soundtra/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/13/video-ten-minutes-of-rally-crashes-devoid-of-butt-rock-soundtra/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Finns crashing with pure engine sounds - Click above to watch the video

It's often said that the Finns are drunk and walk around carrying axes the best rally drivers in the world. There's been lots of speculation as to why. Some say it's their relative isolation -- large distances between places makes for lots of fast, back roads driving. Others speculate it's their tough Viking blood that makes the Finns fearless in the face of death. Still others feel it's the sheer boredom of living in Finland that fosters a devil may care attitude towards life and limb.

But after watching this video, we have a new theory. The Finns are the world's best rally drivers because they crash so dang much. We're not kidding. If practice makes perfect then the country of Finland as a whole is... well, we can't say perfect now can we? Watch for yourself, after the jump.

Continue reading VIDEO: Ten minutes of rally crashes devoid of butt-rock soundtrack

VIDEO: Ten minutes of rally crashes devoid of butt-rock soundtrack originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AccidentsCrashesFinlandFinnish RallyFinnishRallyRallyFri, 13 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Oh, Buck! Study says deer-automobile accident rate up by 18% over last 5 years]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/oh-buck-study-says-deer-automobile-accident-rate-up-by-18-ove/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/oh-buck-study-says-deer-automobile-accident-rate-up-by-18-ove/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/oh-buck-study-says-deer-automobile-accident-rate-up-by-18-ove/#commentsFiled under: ,



What do New Jersey and Nebraska have in common? If you said "absolutely nothing," you'd be right - on any other day but today. Turns out that the Garden State and the Cornhusker State share a very curious stat. Both have seen a 54% increase in deer-related automobile accidents over the last two years. That 54% increase is the largest in the nation, which shows that the problem of deer-related car crashes isn't confined to just one location, but rather a national problem.

According to a new State Farm study, the number of cars on the road has grown by 7% over the last five years, but the number of deer-related accidents has swelled 18% in that same time period. No reason why is given in the article, but we'd wager it's a combination of 1) more deer and 2) more and more humans living closer to deer populations. The study does, however, provide some pretty eye-opening statistics.

For examples, State Farm estimates that between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009 there were 2.4 million accidents in the United States involving venison deer. In other words, that's one deer-car mashup every 26 seconds. The worst state for smashing into a deer is and remains West Virginia, where your odds of making contact with a Bambi-like creature are 1 in 39. Michigan remains second most deer-dangerous, though is twice as safe as West Virginia (odds are 1 in 78 that you'll make contact with a deer). And Montana has moved up three places in the rankings, from eighth to fifth. The safest state? Hawaii, where your odds shrink to about 1 in 10,000. Full press release with all the stats after the jump.

[Source: State Farm | Image: Hulton/Getty]

Continue reading Oh, Buck! Study says deer-automobile accident rate up by 18% over last 5 years

Oh, Buck! Study says deer-automobile accident rate up by 18% over last 5 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AccidentsDeerinsuranceState FarmState Farm InsuranceStateFarmStateFarmInsuranceTue, 29 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[US DOT report confirms speed not major cause of accidents]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/us-dot-report-confirms-speed-not-major-cause-of-accidents/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/us-dot-report-confirms-speed-not-major-cause-of-accidents/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/us-dot-report-confirms-speed-not-major-cause-of-accidents/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sometimes numbers lie. But we keep them around because they tell the truth more often than not. The NHTSA undertook a two-and-a-half year study that examined 5,471 injury accidents nationwide in order to figure out how accidents were being caused. Government researchers conducted their own evidence gathering at crash sites in order to establish a first-hand account of causation. What did they find? Among other things, that more drivers crashed as a result of crossing the center line (11%) than as a result of speeding (5%). Speeding, in this case, defined by "too fast for conditions," not necessarily above the posted limit.

In accidents where driver error was the cause, speeding also came in last as a causative: the 8% who drove too fast were tied with the 8% who fell asleep or had heart attacks while driving. What's more, the NHTSA's causation percentages are strikingly similar to the percentages found in an independent study conducted by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In its study of crashes in 2007, the VDoT found that 2.9% were due to speeding -- dead last -- while 3.8%t were due to drivers falling asleep or falling ill at the tiller.

What will this mean to the politicians setting and revising speed limits based on the "Speed Kills!" mantra? Probably nothing. But it's nice to know, and nice to have the government researched numbers to back it up.

[Source: The Newspaper]

Continue reading US DOT report confirms speed not major cause of accidents

US DOT report confirms speed not major cause of accidents originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentaccidentscar accidentcar crashCarAccidentCarCrashnhtsaresearchspeedingstudytraffic accidentsTrafficAccidentsThu, 18 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Nissan looks to the Bumblebees for tips on crash avoidance]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/29/nissan-looks-to-the-bumblebees-for-tips-on-crash-avoidance/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/29/nissan-looks-to-the-bumblebees-for-tips-on-crash-avoidance/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/29/nissan-looks-to-the-bumblebees-for-tips-on-crash-avoidance/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Volvo has its locusts, Nissan has its bees. With 300-degree vision via compound eyes and instantaneous reflexes, bees don't run into things the way cars do. Nissan wants to halve the rate of car crashes by 2015, versus the company's 1995 tally, and is using bees to come up with a new generation of crash-avoidance systems that will be able to respond to obstacles in ways superior to humans.

Whether bees or locusts, the key to making the technology work has yet to be created: allowing the car to act on information instantly, without complex processing. Information from the bees' eyes doesn't get kicked around their noggins first, it goes straight to the wings which immediately react to keep them out of trouble. More simply: they don't think about what they need to do -- they just do it. When bees do that, they end up unhurt. When humans do that, they end up on the evening news.

To start down that road, Nissan's made a Biomimetic Car Robot Drive (BR23C) that knows how to act like your annoying sibling: it goes around you if it thinks you're in the way. Yet, even when the basic technology can be transferred to vehicles, there is still the issue of dimensions: the BR23C can rotate in any direction to sidestep barriers, but your car has a narrower range of options. Until the guy next to you can also respond instantly -- or we're all driving Nissans and Volvos -- we'll have to see how the technology shakes out.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan looks to the Bumblebees for tips on crash avoidance

Nissan looks to the Bumblebees for tips on crash avoidance originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accident avoidanceAccidentAvoidanceaccidentsbr23cnissansafetytechtechnologyMon, 29 Sep 2008 08:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota under spotlight for possible Tacoma sudden acceleration]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/10/toyota-under-spotlight-for-possible-tacoma-sudden-acceleration/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/10/toyota-under-spotlight-for-possible-tacoma-sudden-acceleration/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/10/toyota-under-spotlight-for-possible-tacoma-sudden-acceleration/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Audi went through it in the '80s. Jeep went through it a couple years ago. Other makers have been accused of it, and now it's Toyota's turn: the NHTSA is considering investigating Tacoma pickup trucks from 2004-2008 due to claims of unintended acceleration. In one instance, a man said he turned off his cruise control to exit the freeway, and the truck surged on him, forcing him to dodge a few vehicles -- even as he had his foot on the brake pedal.

Toyota says there is nothing wrong with the Tacoma's drive-by-wire system. The trucks that have been inspected have not shown the error codes Toyota would expect if the throttle and accelerator pedal were out of whack. The company wrote to the NHTSA and said, "Toyota believes that it is likely that many of the consumer complaints about the general issue of unwanted acceleration ... as well as many of the complaints about this subject that have been received by Toyota, were inspired by publicity."

We can't comment on the claims of unintended acceleration, as we have no idea if they are true or publicity driven. But we can wonder out loud why the brakes suddenly don't work. No matter what a car does -- even at full power -- the brakes should still do their job. After Audi's debacle, the NHTSA conducted a 2-year investigation of the issue and found nothing wrong with those cars, and everyone who sued Audi lost in court. Perhaps the folks in Tokyo should make time for a call to Ingolstadt.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Toyota under spotlight for possible Tacoma sudden acceleration originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Professionals earn pockets full of cheese usually because they do whatever it is they do better, faster, stronger than anyone else. Sometimes, though, they get the big bucks because they'll do something again after having nearly killed themselves the first time. That is: they'll get right back on the horse when a lot of non-professionals would instead grab a gin and tonic and watch reruns of I Love Lucy.

Jorge Lorenzo earned his money and a stay in hospital over the weekend during practice for the MotoGP China Grand Prix. On one run the bike bucked under him coming out of a turn, sending the 21-year-old rider up out of his seat like he was riding a bronco, but he managed to keep the bike upright and moving. On a following run he wasn't so fortunate, highsiding, somersaulting, and suffering a fractured left ankle, a painful right ankle, a cut heel, a knee abrasion, and forearm compression.

But here's where Lorenzo really impresses: he still got on the bike to qualify on Saturday, and came in fourth in Sunday's race. Follow the jump to check out the videos of the bucking incident and the highside. And from now on, the word you're looking for to describe Jorge Lorenzo: pro.

[Source: Axis of Oversteer]

Continue reading VIDEO: Sometimes it's best to quit while you're ahead

VIDEO: Sometimes it's best to quit while you're ahead originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 May 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentscrashesjorge lorenzoJorgeLorenzomoto gpmoto gp 08MotoGpMotoGp08motorcycle accidentmotorcycle racingMotorcycleAccidentmotorcyclecrashMotorcycleRacingyamaha fiatYamahaFiatMon, 05 May 2008 13:57:00 EST<![CDATA[UK Department for Transportation to set standards for satnav systems]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/31/uk-department-for-transportation-to-set-standards-for-satnav-sys/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/31/uk-department-for-transportation-to-set-standards-for-satnav-sys/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/31/uk-department-for-transportation-to-set-standards-for-satnav-sys/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



The UK's Department for Transportation (DfT) is trying to put an end to situations like the one you see above. A woman headed to a christening party, paying attention to her satnav -- and little else, apparently -- drove down a road marked "Unsuitable for motor vehicles," and then drove into a swollen river because that's what her navi told her to do.

The DfT wants satnav makers to improve their directions, and also wants them to start providing alternate routes depending on the particular car. In addition to consumer complaints, the DfT is also reacting to increasing incidents of truck drivers getting stranded on narrow country lanes. The 2,000 times it happens each year are estimated to cost £10 million and create 5,000 hours in delays.

The DfT will essentially issue a seal of approval that it wants buyers to look for as a sign of directional quality. We still don't know what they plan to do about drivers who ignore signs that say, "Don't drive down this road," and people who think its OK to ford a river just because the little voice inside their cars says so.

[Source: WhatCar?]

UK Department for Transportation to set standards for satnav systems originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentsdepartment for transportationDepartmentForTransportationgpslorrynavigationsatnavukMon, 31 Mar 2008 16:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Irony: Red light cameras a safety impediment]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/14/irony-red-light-cameras-a-safety-impediment/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/14/irony-red-light-cameras-a-safety-impediment/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/14/irony-red-light-cameras-a-safety-impediment/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Red light cameras are nothing more than a surreptitious tax. Oh sure, they're sold to municipalities as a safety benefit, but what else would you say if you wanted to be paid to install, administrate, and monitor your little ticket-writing bots? The cities and towns that put the cameras greedily snap up the extra revenue generated by dangerously short yellow lights and overzealous cameras. Patrick Bedard has been poking holes in the theory that traffic cameras are the salve for behind the wheel idiocy, and a recent study by the University of South Florida Public Health agrees that the cameras actually cause accidents. Other studies also back up the findings that drivers are quicker to slam on their brakes at yellow lights when they spot the cameras. While it should not play out with a rear ending, nobody maintains a safe following distance, or even pays attention. In some cases, the rate of red light running is low enough that the cameras cause a spike in incidents, proving that the cure can sometimes be worse than the sickness.

[Source: Kicking Tires, Photo: Morning Chu Hi]

Irony: Red light cameras a safety impediment originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentaccidentscameracrashfloridainfractionred lightRedLightrevenuesafetystudytickettraffictraffic cameraTrafficCameraviolationFri, 14 Mar 2008 09:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Spring Forward... into the car in front of you]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/09/spring-forward-into-the-car-in-front-of-you/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/09/spring-forward-into-the-car-in-front-of-you/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/09/spring-forward-into-the-car-in-front-of-you/#commentsFiled under: ,

Today is the day we give father time back the hour we stole from him last fall, and we're all a little tired as a result. If you're a frequent traveler or you don't have a 9-5 job, the change may mean little to you. For those of us with a set schedule, however, pushing forward the alarm clock increases your chance for a car accident.

The Detroit Free Press obtained from the Michigan State Police crash statistics for the average Monday vs. the Monday after the time change, and the numbers are pretty crazy. On an average Monday in March, there are 1,022 accidents in the state of Michigan, but on the Monday after the clocks are moved forward, the average amount of accidents between 2002 and 2006 jumped to 1,396. The good news, if there is any, is that there are fewer fatalities than average on Spring Forward Monday. Experts say sleep deprivation could be part of the problem, but bad weather could have also play a factor. Either way, try to hit the hay early tonight, make a beeline to the local beanery for some breakfast blend, and double-check the seat belt before you head to work tomorrow.

[Source: Freep]

Spring Forward... into the car in front of you originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentsMichigan State PoliceMichiganStatePolicesleepspring forwardSpringForwardSun, 09 Mar 2008 09:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Are cars too safe to be... safe?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/01/are-cars-too-safe-to-be-safe/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/01/are-cars-too-safe-to-be-safe/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/01/are-cars-too-safe-to-be-safe/#commentsFiled under:

Rescue toolsImmense amounts of money, research, effort, time, and science have gone into making cars safer. Your economy car is so safe now that you'll survive an accident with a larger vehicle. But it's also so safe now that the traditional blades, jaws, and saws that fire departments would use to extricate you are no longer strong enough to get through the car's metal.

There are also myriad other features lurking in a car's bodywork that can do more damage than the accident. Rescuers need to make sure they don't cut the pressurized gas canisters that would inflate an airbag, or the battery cables in a hybrid. Once in the car, they need to make sure they don't do something that will make the airbag suddenly go off if it hasn't already. It has meant that rescuers first need to peel back the car's shell to see what's beneath before they begin digging out the passengers.

All this has added time to the rescue effort, which might mean the difference between staying here or checking out the hereafter. It's also ballooned budgets, as crews need to buy the equipment they need to get the job done. Maybe carmakers should start making the tools necessary to break their cars open in an accident. The Jaguar Jaws of Life, anyone? Thanks for the tip, JaysonAych!

[Source: AP]

Are cars too safe to be... safe? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever been in an accident and wished you had in-car camera footage so you could explain to everyone what really happened and why it wasn't your fault? If so, Brickhouse Security has the device for you: the rearview mirror camera recorder. Using a small camera mounted on the back of the rear view mirror, it records everything happening in front of your car. The footage is displayed on a 2.5-inch LCD screen on the face of the mirror, which also includes handy playback controls in case you just want to see the instant replay immediately, or relive the commute to work when you get there.

Recording begins when the engine comes on and ends when the engine goes off. The media records to an SD memory card, is stamped with the date and time, and can be played back on any computer or a television. If there's any down side, it's that the mirror needs to be plugged in to your cigarette lighter to work. But that's the price of CSI ingenuity, and it will, heaven forbid, pay for itself the first time you can prove that "no-fault" accident was actually very much the other person's fault. Thanks for the tip, John!

[Source: Brickhouse Security]

Rearview mirror DVR captures everything in front of you originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentscollisionsin car cameraInCarCamerarearview mirror cameraRearviewMirrorCameraWed, 06 Feb 2008 09:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Driver kills cyclist, sues victim's family for damages]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/29/wtf-of-the-day-driver-kills-cyclist-sues-victims-family-for-d/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/29/wtf-of-the-day-driver-kills-cyclist-sues-victims-family-for-d/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/29/wtf-of-the-day-driver-kills-cyclist-sues-victims-family-for-d/#commentsFiled under: ,

In 2004, 17-year-old Enaitz Iriondo was cycling after sunset near the town of Haro, in Spain. Spanish businessman Thomas Delgado, doing 100 MPH in his Audi A8, hit Iriondo, killing the teenager instantly. The Spanish court found both parties at fault: Iriondo for not wearing any reflective clothing in the dark nor a helmet, Delgado for doing triple-digit speeds. Delgado's insurance company then paid the Iriondo family €33,000 for the death of their son. Cased closed.

Well, not exactly. See, Delgado's car suffered €10,000 in damage, and Delgado spent another €6,000 on rental cars while his was being repaired. So in 2006 he sued Iriondo's parents for €20,000 for his expenses -- and, we guess, a little extra for pain and emotional suffering. His rationale, according to an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais: "I'm also a victim in all of this, you can't fix the lad's problems, but you can fix mine," and "It's the only way I have to claim my money back."

We don't know if we have the words to describe such an efficiently ruthless reasoning. For Iriondo's mother, Rosa Trinidad (pictured), "Before the lawsuit we thought the poor guy would find it hard to live the rest of his life with the thought of having caused our son's death. This was the final straw, a kick in the teeth." That will have to do for now. To say the least.

Thanks for the tip, Aki!

[Source: The Daily Mail]

Driver kills cyclist, sues victim's family for damages originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentscyclist deathCyclistDeathel paisElPaisenaitz iriondoEnaitzIriondorosa trinidadRosaTrinidadthomas delgadoThomasDelgadovehicular homicideVehicularHomicideTue, 29 Jan 2008 18:55:00 EST<![CDATA[fortwo billed as birth control for teenagers?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/28/fortwo-billed-as-birth-control-for-teenagers/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/28/fortwo-billed-as-birth-control-for-teenagers/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/28/fortwo-billed-as-birth-control-for-teenagers/#commentsFiled under: ,

Click above to see how "teen-friendly" the smart fortwo is.

We all know what teenagers do in the back seats of cars, don't we? Since the smart fortwo only comes with two seats, it's something that any parent will never have to worry about. And Dave Schembri, SmartUSA president, wanted to put everyone's fears to rest when he said, "After all, what better car to have for your teenager than one without a backseat."

But Schembri was actually talking about the far more dangerous backseat activity for teens: distracting the drivers in the front seats. (I don't know what else you might have been thinking). Since more than one accident has been caused by a rowdy -- or just plain distracting -- group of kids on the rear bench, it's another thing fortwo drivers won't have to worry about on the commute.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Gallery: smart fortwo

fortwo billed as birth control for teenagers? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Car accidents inspiring bouts of nationalism aren't all that new. However, this could be the shakiest case of it that we've heard of recently. Wang Zhan, the Chinese owner of a Mercedes S350, rear-ended a DongFeng van. In spite of the rather severe damage done to the car, the airbags didn't deploy, and Zhan and his daughter had to make a trip to the hospital. When the medication wore off, Mr. Zhan knew immediately what he needed to do: hold a press conference and announce that he'd only be buying Chinese goods for the rest of his life.

Based on the damage, it looks like he was doing some serious speed when it happened, and it's clear that the airbags should have deployed. Mr. Zhan said Mercedes never gave him a satisfactory answer as to why they didn't. Still, it happens, and we can imagine a number of other vehicles in which such an accident would have prevented Zhan from doing anything else, ever -- like, oh, some models from China. And we wouldn't mind knowing how the DongFeng van fared. Yet while we all know this never would have happened in a Geely, we might recommend that Zhan perhaps try something from Sweden first...

[Source: Winding Road]

Chinese man crashes Mercedes S350, vows to only drive Chinese-built cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In one of those who-would-have-believed-it accidents, an 18-year-old car wash worker was killed in Michigan when he got pulled into the machinery. Ricardo Martinez was cleaning the equipment at the end of the day with a pressure washer when, somehow, he became entangled in the machinery and received fatal injuries. While we've never really considered what would happen if a person went through a car wash, we didn't think the things were deadly. "Come summer, the work gets kind of hard," indeed.

[Source: Winding Road]

Car wash worker killed when sucked into brushes originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentsWed, 05 Sep 2007 09:42:00 EST<![CDATA[NHTSA: Back-up cameras are expensive and unreliable]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/nhtsa-back-up-cameras-are-expensive-and-unreliable/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/nhtsa-back-up-cameras-are-expensive-and-unreliable/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/nhtsa-back-up-cameras-are-expensive-and-unreliable/#commentsFiled under: ,

Congress asked the NHTSA to put together a report on electronic measures available in vehicles to help prevent fatalities from people being backed over. The NHTSA doesn't have exact stats on how many people are killed in these kinds of accidents because they mostly happen on private property. However, the agency does have a clear take on what it thinks of reversing cameras: they are "expensive, unreliable, and [give] drivers a false sense of security."

Some commentators have taken that to mean that there is something wrong with reversing cameras, in columns with titles like "Rear-View Cameras Not Foolproof." To put it simply: nothing is foolproof. True, there are rear view camera systems that don't provide much field-of-view or no nighttime visibility. And the gigantic backsides of some SUV's can make it difficult to get everything in the rather small screen used for the navi. Nevertheless, rear-view cameras are meant to be an aid to sound driving, not a preventive that can assure you never run over anyone when you reverse as long as you're looking at the screen.

The NHTSA is working on getting better numbers, but in the mean time it "plans to work to improve the use of detection systems to potentially help alert drivers to backovers."

[Source: Yahoo!]

NHTSA: Back-up cameras are expensive and unreliable originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentscongressfatalitiesgovernmentnhtsarear-view cameraRear-viewCamerastudiesWed, 22 Aug 2007 10:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Crumple zones save lives ... and hide damage]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/31/crumple-zones-save-lives-and-hide-damage/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/31/crumple-zones-save-lives-and-hide-damage/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/31/crumple-zones-save-lives-and-hide-damage/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A study by AutoBild reveals that modern crumple zones can actually hide serious damage to a car's structural integrity because of the way they're designed. There are two issues: the first is that crumple zones don't just deform in the case of an accident, they are now constructed to bounce back into shape after the collision; the second is that crumple zones are now so large, by government mandate, that crumple zone deformation might extend to points quite distant from the actual impact. By returning, even partially, to a pre-accident state, it is claimed that inspectors and mechanics might not realize how much damage has actually been done, nor exactly where.

AutoBild used a laser to assess the integrity of a car that had been in an accident. Hidden underneath bodywork that was only mildly scuffed they discovered a buckled frame. According to the magazine, a visual inspection even by an experienced mechanic wouldn't discern the damage. In fact, unless a mechanic was using a specialized and expensive machine to ascertain the extent of the damage, it probably wouldn't be caught. It is akin to the issue with helmets, wherein an accident that only scratches the helmet can render it useless. However, it's much easier to replace a Shoei for a few hundred than an entire car because of a fender bender. .

[Source: Auto Express]

Crumple zones save lives ... and hide damage originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentscrumple zonesCrumpleZonesdamagerepairsTue, 31 Jul 2007 11:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Steer clear of the youngins on the road and get behind the old guy]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/steer-clear-of-the-youngins-on-the-road-and-get-behind-the-old-g/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/steer-clear-of-the-youngins-on-the-road-and-get-behind-the-old-g/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/steer-clear-of-the-youngins-on-the-road-and-get-behind-the-old-g/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For drivers between the ages of 16 and 24, the price of insurance can seem more than a little unfair. While $125 per month could insure a luxury vehicle for someone in their 30s, a 16 year-old couldn't get such a rate for a Pinto. There's a very simple reason for this disparity; young motorists are by far the most dangerous drivers on the road. A study by the Rand Corporations shows that while 13-percent of all drivers are between the ages of 16 and 24, 43-percent of all accidents come from that age group. It's a good thing everybody seems to be on the phone while driving, it may not hurt as much when you don't see that pimped out Neon coming.

While young drivers are an accident waiting to happen, those over the age of 65 are much safer than their unearned reputation may suggest. Senior citizens make up 15-percent of all drivers, but only cause 7-percent of the total accidents. Maybe it's because people are a little more careful when they see a Crown Victoria on the road, but that AARP discount appears to be well-deserved anyway. Next time you're on the freeway and you see a Buick Roadmaster in the right lane, get behind it, it's probably one of the safest places on the road.

[Source: Reuters]

Steer clear of the youngins on the road and get behind the old guy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>65accidentsDrivingElderlyinsuranceTeensMon, 23 Jul 2007 11:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Surprise, surprise: U.S. ranks 42nd out of 48 countries in deaths per capita]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/surprise-surprise-u-s-ranks-42nd-out-of-48-countries-in-death/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/surprise-surprise-u-s-ranks-42nd-out-of-48-countries-in-death/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/surprise-surprise-u-s-ranks-42nd-out-of-48-countries-in-death/#commentsFiled under: ,

When you hear that the US is 42nd out of 48 countries when it comes to number of deaths per capita, it might sound like a good thing. Until you find out that the rankings go from lowest to highest -- which means, yes, that of the measured countries, there are only six places where driving is more deadly than the Land of the Free. (Tip: you might want to avoid driving in Russia and Lithuania for a few more years.)

The posited reasons are varied and numerous, and include the brevity of driver training, lax laws, weak enforcement, no emphasis on public transport, little public awareness, and a lack of Federal legislation. Regardless of the causes, the effect is that it's riskier to get behind the wheel here than it is in the Poland or Estonia. This is despite the fact that cars have gotten exponentially safer, and the US leads the world in the adoption of electronic stability control, said to be "the greatest life-saving technology since the seat belt."

If there's any consolation, it's that the US does considerably better in the number of fatalities per mile driven, where the US comes in at number 11. Before you celebrate, in 1970 the US was number one. Which country has the lowest number of fatalities per capita? Malta.

[Source: New York Times]

Surprise, surprise: U.S. ranks 42nd out of 48 countries in deaths per capita originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentsdeathsfatalitiesrankingsstatisticstrafficMon, 23 Jul 2007 09:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Misguided youth: Teen driving distractions]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/22/misguided-youth-teen-driving-distractions/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/22/misguided-youth-teen-driving-distractions/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/22/misguided-youth-teen-driving-distractions/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Many have observed the recent uptick in teenage drivers having accidents while text messaging, often with tragic consequences. Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions have recently carried out research that shows texting to be the list-topping distraction among the more than 900 teens they polled. SADD and Liberty Mutual have been collecting data for seven years about teen behavior, attitudes and decision making while driving. They've amassed a treasure trove of information about what kids do while they should be driving, and how effective their parental units are at laying out and enforcing rules.

Rather than merely yell about the sky falling while burying their heads in the sand, Liberty Mutual and SADD have developed a set of recommendations for parents when it comes to teen drivers. The suggestions are all good, and mostly common sense; things such as being familiar with your state's graduated licensing laws, following through with consequences for flouting rules, you know, all the stuff we used to be worried about our parents doing. We hope the effort has some effect - even without the distraction of electronic toys while driving, teenagers are the least experienced drivers on the road, and thus need to be the most vigilant about having all their facilities concentrated on the task of keeping a 3,000 pound potential weapon in control.

follow the jump to see what other top distractions affect teen drivers

[Source: SADD]

Continue reading Misguided youth: Teen driving distractions

Misguided youth: Teen driving distractions originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Jul 2007 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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