Man given ticket after getting run over by his own truck

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Chevrolet

Let it be noted that the best way to stop an out-of-control car with no brakes is to try engaging the parking brake. That being said, it's also a terrifying occurrence, so logic is sometimes thrown out the window in lieu of more of a reflex-oriented response. Brian Reynolds, 40, found himself in the latter scenario when the brakes on his Chevrolet pickup failed near a park in Salem, Massachusetts. While it isn't clear whether Reynolds attempted to engage the parking/emergency brake, at some point he opened the door and tried pulling a Fred Flintstone, using his foot to try and stop his truck.

At some point after opening his door, the Salem Patch reports that Reynolds fell out of his still-moving truck. The pickup ran over his leg before continuing down the street, only to crash into a fire hydrant. Although the specific injury wasn't reported, Reynolds was hospitalized, and adding insult to injury (in the most literal sense of the phrase), the local police reportedly ticketed him for operating a vehicle with defective equipment.

Man given ticket after getting run over by his own truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Euro NCAP will soon require auto-braking for five-star safety rating [w/video]

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Safety, Technology, Videos

From the 2014 model year, any manufacturer hoping to score five stars on the Euro NCAP safety ratings will need to make sure the vehicle in question is equipped with AEB, or Autonomous Emergency Braking. Among other features provided by systems like Pre-Safe from Mercedes-Benz and Collision Mitigation Braking System from Honda, it warns a driver if their closing speed on the vehicle ahead is outside of a preset safe braking parameter, and if they neglects to make any inputs, the vehicle will brake for him and prep the safety systems.

A study by the Euro NCAP organization found that "Real world performance data suggests AEB systems can reduce accidents by up to 27%," but it is only available on 21 percent of the cars sold in Europe. The organization hopes to speed fitment of the system to the remaining 79 percent of autos sold in Europe by putting them out of reach of the five-star rating.

The European Union wants to cut down on the current rate of auto fatalities by 50 percent, getting them down to 15,000 per year, by 2020. Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen said AEB could save 8,000 lives per year, and that following te introduction of AEB testing, enhanced pedestrian safety systems would join the testing protocol from 2016. We're guessing the U.S. government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be watching this development closely.

Check out a video explaining auto-braking technology from Euro NCAP by scrolling down.

Continue reading Euro NCAP will soon require auto-braking for five-star safety rating [w/video]

Euro NCAP will soon require auto-braking for five-star safety rating [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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