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[REPORT: NHTSA to mandate lane departure warning and auto-brake systems?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/03/report-nhtsa-to-mandate-lane-departure-warning-and-auto-brake-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/03/report-nhtsa-to-mandate-lane-departure-warning-and-auto-brake-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/03/report-nhtsa-to-mandate-lane-departure-warning-and-auto-brake-s/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about to add some more safety measures to your next new car? According to The Detroit News, they might be. The Motown daily says that government officials are pondering whether or not they should require new vehicles to be fitted with lane-departure warning systems and automatic braking systems that trigger upon warning of an impending accident. Both systems are currently available only in very small percentage of new passenger cars - primarily luxury vehicles. According to the DetNews report, safety experts believe that the systems "show significant promise" in their ability to reduce traffic accident-related fatalities and injuries.

NHTSA will decide whether to require such systems in 2011 after further cost-benefit analysis, including looking at insurance company data and estimated manufacturing costs. It has already added new components to its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) for 2011 vehicles, including a test that measures the effectiveness of lane-departure warning systems and a different frontal-crash program.

NHTSA hopes to announce its findings by the end of the year.

[Source: The Detroit News]

REPORT: NHTSA to mandate lane departure warning and auto-brake systems? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto safetyAutoSafetybike absBikeAbscar safetyCarSafetylane departurelane departure warningLaneDepartureLaneDepartureWarningmotorcycle absMotorcycleAbsNCAPnew car assessment programNewCarAssessmentProgramnhtsaFri, 03 Jul 2009 13:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Consumer Reports debuts crash-in theater]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/23/consumer-reports-debuts-crash-in-theater/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/23/consumer-reports-debuts-crash-in-theater/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/23/consumer-reports-debuts-crash-in-theater/#commentsFiled under: ,




Oh how we all love a good car crash, but finding good, slow-motion automotive carnage on the Web hasn't been all that easy to find. Until now. Consumer Reports has put hours of crash-test video from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety online, free for anyone to see.

We've already lost hours of productivity to CR's new Crash-In Theater and we're sure you will too. We highly recommend watching the frontal offset test of the 2000 Dodge Neon. It's just amazing how bent out of shape the door frame gets and surprising how much air the rear tires achieve. Oh, and the narrator says the steering wheel actually snapped off from the steering column. That can't be good.

While we found the videos highly entertaining, used- and new-car shoppers will surely find the videos and accompanying analysis beneficial. For those shopping for a used Pontiac Transport, you really, really should watch that video. For those squeamish about seeing a crash-test dummy pretty much destroyed, you really, really shouldn't.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Consumer Reports debuts crash-in theater originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Aug 2007 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto safetyautomotive safetyAutomotiveSafetyAutoSafetyConsumer ReportsConsumerReportscrash test videoscrash testsCrashTestsCrashTestVideosIIHSThu, 23 Aug 2007 11:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Forbes names least safe cars of 2007]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/01/forbes-names-least-safe-cars-of-2007/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/01/forbes-names-least-safe-cars-of-2007/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/01/forbes-names-least-safe-cars-of-2007/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

In an obvious effort to keep its readership alive (and in turn circulation numbers up) Forbes magazine has made a list of the least safe cars of 2007. Before the flame wars start, note that cars on the list are not necessarily unsafe, but instead are not as safe as other cars available. Therefore, they are the least safe 2007 model year cars.

Most of the vehicles on the list are there because they don't have standard side air bags. But three -- Saturn's Ion, as well as Suzuki's Aerio and Forenza -- made the cut even with side air bags. To understand why these particular vehicles were named in the article, Forbes outlines its methodology, which includes crash tests, injury claims and the opinions of Consumer Reports' researchers.

The seven models named by Forbes are after the jump.

[Source: Forbes Magazine]

Continue reading Forbes names least safe cars of 2007

Forbes names least safe cars of 2007 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Nov 2006 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>air bagsAirBagsauto safetyAutoSafetychevrolet cobaltChevroletCobaltchevy cobaltChevyCobaltcorollacrash testingCrashTestingford focusFordFocusionleast safe carsleast safe vehiclesLeastSafeCarsLeastSafeVehiclesmazdamazda3 safetyMazda3Safetysafety ratingssafety ratinsSafetyRatingssaturn ionSaturnIonside air bagsSideAirBagsSuzuki aeriosuzuki forenzaSuzukiAerioSuzukiForenzatoyota corollaToyotaCorollaWed, 01 Nov 2006 18:41:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Animation of Audi's trick Side Assist]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/21/video-animation-of-audi-s-trick-side-assist/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/21/video-animation-of-audi-s-trick-side-assist/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/21/video-animation-of-audi-s-trick-side-assist/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The new Q7 SUV from Audi will feature a nifty safety device called Side Assist that uses radar to sense approaching vehicles in adjacent lanes and warm the driver of their impending passing. If the Q7's turn signal is activated when another vehicle is in range, LEDs embedded in the rearview mirrors will visually alert the driver of the danger. The LEDs appear to vary their intensity as well as blink rate depending on how close the approaching vehicle is to passing.

Audi's Side Assist technology recently won the "Innovation of the Future" award from Germany's largest consumer mag, Guter Rat. Since the Q7 has been on sale in Europe since March 10th, nearly 25-percent of all units have been ordered with the 550 Euro safety feature.

Foursprung has posted a video of the Side Assist feature in action that originated on Fourtitude.

VIDEO: Animation of Audi's trick Side Assist originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Mar 2006 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiauto safetyauto technologyAutoSafetyAutoTechnologyside assistSideAssistTue, 21 Mar 2006 17:00:00 EST