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Continue reading VIDEO: Turkish man miraculously survives train-truck-pedestrian collision

VIDEO: Turkish man miraculously survives train-truck-pedestrian collision originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sometimes you come across a story that makes you say, "I get it... But I don't get it..." A computer consultant in a rental car recently showcased his unflagging trust in technology, and just barely lived to tell the story. Following the instructions the GPS was giving him -- religiously, in this case -- he was told to make a right turn... onto train tracks. And he did it.

We can't ever imagine a case in which making a right turn onto train tracks could be an acceptable course of action, no matter who's giving the command. Especially in light of some of the places our own GPS has tried to lead us. And not only did the driver make the turn onto the tracks, but he got stuck there -- just as a passenger train was coming. Not being known for their ability to stop on any amount of coinage, and in spite of the man's waving, the train plowed into the car in a "fiery crash."

No one was hurt in the crash -- the driver got out of the way in time. However, the 500 passengers who were stranded for hours probably wanted to do unkind things to him once they found out he was all right. Yet if he's not hurting now, the bill he gets from the rental car company might change that. Even if he checked the comprehensive option, we can't imagine that a train and 250 feet of damaged railroad tracks are covered in the rental company's Loss Damage Waiver.

Thanks for the tip, Brian!

[Source: MSNBC]

Man follows GPS directions, runs into passenger train originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Will the Nav direct you to a coffee joint? New Volvo safety systems originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nissan Skyline to adopt Pop-Up Engine Hood

Nissan Skyline to adopt Pop-Up Engine Hood originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We get the whole omelet and broken eggs equation, but after seeing all the photos of Enzos wrapped around poles, we still find it hard to wrap our own heads around the notion that someone would take a million-dollar exotic and purposely crash it into a wall.

Unfortunately, the realities of safety certification demand that even an exclusive and expensive supercar like the record-shattering McLaren F1 still needs to be tested, to some extent, for road worthiness.

The video after the jump shows what happened - or rather, what didn't happen - to the supercar as it was crash-tested at the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) facility in England. You'll notice how the front structure of the Macca's carbon fiber monocoque chassis absorbed all the impact, leaving the rest of the car intact. Amazingly, the car was reported as the only car ever to be driven away from a MIRA crash test.

Warning: If you suffer from a heart condition, polarized emotional tendencies or depression, Autoblog does not advise viewing the video after the jump. Viewer discretion is advised.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Continue reading VIDEO: McLaren F1 crash test

VIDEO: McLaren F1 crash test originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lexus has already talked about a variety of impressive pre-crash safety systems for its upcoming LS flagship sedan (see our post on the LS 600h L), but so far it has all revolved around the front end of the luxury sedan. Toyota is now saying that the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) version of the LS 460 will get a rear collision detection system, which is believed to be the first of its type in the world.

The system uses a rear-facing radar sensor to detect imminent rear collisions, and illuminates a warning lamp for the driver as it measures the position of the front seat passengers' heads and adjusts the position of the vehicle's headrests accordingly to help reduce the risk of whiplash neck injuries.

More information has also trickled out about the front-collision detection technology in the LS, with the automaker stating that the twin front-mounted "stereo" cameras will use infrared illuminators mounted in the headlamps to provide detection and ranging capabilities. Such a system will be capable of detecting pedestrians as well as vehicles, which will give it an advantage over radar-based systems (the Lexus has one of those, too).

[Source: Japan Times]

Japanese-market Lexus LS460 to get rear-collision detection originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Aug 2006 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the world of large sedans* equipped with side airbags, some do a better job than others at protecting occupants according to the latest results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Achieving the top score of "good" are the Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Camry (this serious group of testers does not issue any scores of "excellent" or "exceptional" or even "super marvelous"). The Buick Lucerne and Hyundai Azera both earned an "acceptable" rating, while the Chrysler 300 and Buick LaCrosse came in with a "marginal" score.

The IIHS points out the importance of side-impact test scores by noting that in collisions involving modern vehicles, more drivers die in side impacts than in collisions of the frontal nature. Indeed, with the dramatic improvement in frontal protection, most vehicles now receive a rating of "good" from the institute in this measure of performance, with the most significant distinctions in safety now being in the realm of side impact protection.

*Concerning the comments that came up during our last post on "large cars" - we're not the ones who call these "large sedans", as that assessment is made by the EPA. We know that a Lucerne is not as large as your grandpa's Electra 225. We're also aware that it is no longer 1965.

[Source: IIHS; more info from the institute is posted after the jump]

Continue reading IIHS issues large sedan side-impact testing scores

IIHS issues large sedan side-impact testing scores originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jun 2006 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What follows should come as absolutely no surprise to any of our readers who have passed drivers' education. According to a recent study, 4 out of every 5 crashes may be attributable to driver distraction. The work performed by the National Highway Transportation Safety Adminstration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, points out that approximately 80 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of "near-crashes" occur a mere three seconds after a driver becomes distracted. The most common distraction is - wait for it - the use of a mobile phone, which along with reading and applying make-up increases the chances of a crash by a factor of three. Reaching for a moving object brings with it a whopping nine-fold increase in the odds of experiencing a collision, and driving while drowsy quadruples the likelihood of a crash.

The parties involved in the study used instrumentation to track the driving behavior of 241 drivers for more than a year.

We here at Autoblog eagerly wait for the day when abritrary enforcement of speed limits is replaced with a system that punishes drivers who aren't paying attention to the task at hand.  

[Source: CNN.com]

Breaking news (yea, right): Distracting driving may account for most accidents originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Apr 2006 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.