Autoblog

Click above to view video of the 2008 smart fortwo crash test

Each year, it seems as if more and more new models are able to ace both the IIHS' and the government's crash-test ratings. In fact, according to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, 97-percent of all new cars available today earn the highest four or five-star ratings from NHTSA. These all-too-similar ratings makes it rather difficult for consumers to make a choice based solely on passenger safety, so the Fed's have decided to take another stab at the current rating system, which was introduced way back in 1979. Though still based on a five-star ranking, the revised 2010 ratings will include additional front-end tests and a new side-impact test meant to mimic the impact of a vehicle that collides with a tree or pole. Also new for the '10 model year is an overall rating meant to make comparisons easier between competing vehicles. More changes are possible for 2012, as NHTSA is still considering whether to make electronic nannies like stability control mandatory.

[Source: The Detroit News]

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]

When manufacturers get a 5-star crash rating for one of their models, the klieg lights and publicity klaxon get thorough workouts. Those tiny ten-sided polygons have gotten to mean so much to consumers that it's not unusual for a carmaker to drop a few hundred large on prime time commercial space and 60-point text to convey the message. Well, not to deflate anyone's... airbag... but Airbag Solutions has broken down the test methodology and what the results mean in real-world cases. It in no way demeans the quality of the rating system or the work done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as well as similar tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but it does show that ultimately the ratings apply to a narrower set of circumstances than one might have thought. For instance, crash test dummies replicate effects only for adults -- babies, kids, and teenagers don't count. If you're in a crash at more than 40 mph, or if you hit a car with a weight differential of more than 250 lbs, the rating scale doesn't apply. One would assume that a 5-star car at 38 mph would still be better in a crash at 70 mph than a 3-star car, but there's a lot of gray area around the well-defined boundaries of the protocols. Click the 'Read' link to get the full story.

[Source: Airbag Solutions]

Ice is one of those things that people can never seem to figure out. For some reason they just keep on driving, no matter what the conditions might be. These Portlanders, apparently, are no different than the rest of us. They learn the hard way that when everything is frozen, the laws of physics rule and a low coefficient of friction leads to wrecked cars. Lots of 'em.

The first vehicle in this video offers us the best example of a driver making an accident much, much worse than it otherwise would be. If you listen closely, you can hear that the accelerator remains depressed in a desperate attempt to regain control. This single vehicle manages to impact with its surroundings eight times in a scant 40 seconds. You'll have to watch the video for the rest of the fun... at least everyone heeds the warnings from the rooftop videographers and no one gets hurt.

[Source: YouTube]

Thanks for the tip, John!

Next time you smash your ride into something, just blame it on the stars. Tell the cop Mercury was in retrograde, causing your driving to follow suit and thus leading to the crash of your Mercury. Watch out if you're an Aries with an Aries - that's a dangerous thing to be.

InsuranceHotline.com, a Canadian website that provides insurance quotes to drivers, conducted a study correlating accident rates to zodiac signs. You'd think age and ability would hold more water, but apparently astrology trumps even changing zip codes when determining how prone a particular driver is to accidents. Libras are the worst, followed by Aquarians. The best were Leos and Geminis. As for that Aries, they have a "me first" attitude that leads them into bad juju. If InsuranceHotline's study is accurate, it appears that everyone on the road is an Aries.

[Source: Reuters via scotsman.com]

The number of fatal crashes on U.S. roads have steadily declined over the last few decades and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has found that this has little do with a safer motoring public and more to do with safer vehicle design.

Their findings confirm what has been assumed for years, that as more safety equipment is added and eventually mandated, drivers who would have been killed years earlier in older models are now surviving with greater frequency.

The study also points to the lack of required seat belt usage in some states and the waning enforcement of DWI charges as worrisome developments. These concerns, coupled with speed limits that have steadily increased across the country, are providing the IIHS a bleak outlook on the future.

One glaring omission in the press release (printed after the jump) is the effect of driver training programs on new drivers and how further driver improvement is a necessity to decrease on-road fatalities.

Few people think about car crashes before they happen, and immediately after one occurs isn't the time to start. Therefore, putting a few minutes into post-crash preparation makes sense before finding yourself staring into a deflated airbag with a dazed look. Doug Flint from The Car Connection has some great tips - he refers to them as "rules" and has good reasons to do so - and we'd recommend giving his list a thorough read.

From our collective crash experience, encompassing everything from parking-lot fender-benders to leaving the road at 105 mph, we can indeed assure everyone that it's tough to keep your wits about you after unintended physics intervenes with driving. Make some plans now for who you'll call for a tow and how you'll pay, and don't leave the scene until things are sorted out with the authorities, medical personnel, and someone who can give a level-headed assessment of your car's drivability. A good roadside assistance plan that covers all the drivers in your family is a great idea (going through your insurance company will probably yield a discount).

Include every driver in your family in on this planning; even if you've got nerves of steel and aren't rattled by bent sheetmetal... odds are good that there's a less experienced crasher in your household.

[Source: The Car Connection]