Autoblog

Pedestrian fakes hilariously bad hit, foiled by Russian dash cam

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor, Russia

After the Good-Samaritan-fest that was the last Russian dash cam video, it's back to our regularly scheduled program of scamming and madness. This time, it's a woman who attempts to pretend she's been hit by a car and rendered unconscious, the same tired con-job that happens to be one of the primary reasons that Russians probably perform more surveillance on themselves than the state does.

It's a remarkably bad job of method acting on the woman's part (is she drunk?), but we'll give her credit for persistence. The worst acting job you'll see all day is on video just below.

Continue reading Pedestrian fakes hilariously bad hit, foiled by Russian dash cam

Pedestrian fakes hilariously bad hit, foiled by Russian dash cam originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 May 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Florida cop under investigation for pedestrian hit-and-run caught on camera

Zach Bowman — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Videos, Police/Emergency

We can't say for certain, but we imagine that "don't run down pedestrians" is somewhere near the top of every police officer's daily to-do list. One patrolman in Orlando seems to have missed that memo.

Three months ago, officer Michael Fiorentino-Tyburski struck 36-year-old Tetris Nunn as he was attempting to cross the street at a crosswalk. The policeman exited the vehicle, asked Nunn if he was harmed, blamed him for being in the street against the signal and left after a few minutes. Nunn subsequently called 911 to report being hit, and later, a witness called 911 saying Nunn needed medical attention, whereupon the responding officers found him at fault for being in the road. The entire incident was captured on a traffic camera.

Fiorentino-Tyburski has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident, but the Orlando Police Department is allowing the officer to continue his patrols as the investigation continues. You can watch a local WFTV video news report on the incident below for more information.

Continue reading Florida cop under investigation for pedestrian hit-and-run caught on camera

Florida cop under investigation for pedestrian hit-and-run caught on camera originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvos will brake for bicyclists with new detection technology

Michael Harley — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:44:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Volvo

Anyone who pedals a bicycle knows that one of the biggest dangers to riders is a motorized vehicle - Volvo estimates that nearly 50 percent of all cyclists killed in European traffic have collided with a car. In the United States alone, 618 riders lost their lives in bicycle/motor vehicle crashes in 2010, and the number of injuries surpassed 52,000.

To help drop those numbers, Volvo has just announced Cyclist Detection with full auto brake - a technology that detects and automatically applies a vehicle's brakes when a cyclist swerves in front of a moving car. The basic components of the system include a radar unit integrated into the front grille, a camera fitted in front of the interior rear-view mirror and a central control unit. The radar is tasked with seeing obstacles in front of the vehicle and calculating distance, while the camera is responsible to determine what the object is. The central control unit, with rapid processing capabilities, monitors and evaluates the situation.

The technology, which will be sold bundled with its Pedestrian Detection and called Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection, will automatically apply full braking when both the radar and camera confirm a pedestrian or cyclist are in the immediate path of the vehicle. According to the automaker, the technology will be offered on the Volvo V40, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80 models from mid-May in 2013.

Continue reading Volvos will brake for bicyclists with new detection technology

Volvos will brake for bicyclists with new detection technology originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo protecting pedestrians with airbags on outside of new V40 [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Europe, Government/Legal, Safety, Technology, Videos, Hatchback, Volvo, Design/Style

Above all else, Volvo is known in car circles as being the foremost innovator in technologies intended to improve the safety of its vehicles. While we most often think of the safety of a car's internal occupants, it's important to remember than a two-ton weapon of mass destruction moving at highway speeds is also extremely dangerous to pedestrians outside the car.

In addition to a new Pedestrian Detection system, Volvo has introduced the world's first external airbags on its new five-door V40. Located at the base of the windshield, the airbag deploys from a cavity that expands upward from the rear of the car's hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

We like this solution to the strict European legislation for pedestrian safety, as it doesn't require significant changes to a car's overall styling while still helping to save lives. Check out a brief demonstration of the technology in a rendered video below, along with a related press release that covers all of the V40's safety equipment.

Continue reading Volvo protecting pedestrians with airbags on outside of new V40 [w/video]

Volvo protecting pedestrians with airbags on outside of new V40 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Traffic fatalities fall to lowest levels since 1949

Zach Bowman — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released the findings of its 2010 national fatality and injury rate study. Last year, traffic fatalities fell to 32,885, marking the lowest level since 1949. The decline came despite the fact that American drivers covered 1.6 percent more ground than they did in 2009 by driving an additional 46 billion miles over the course of the year. In addition, 2010 carried the lowest fatality rate ever recorded by the federal agency with just 1.10 deaths per 100 million miles traveled. NHTSA attributes the decline to the agencies tireless efforts to push toward ever safer vehicles, though there are several factors at work here.

While fatalities declined in nearly every vehicle category, including minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks, 2010 also saw a decline in crashes involving drunk drivers. A total of 10,288 people passed away in those incidents, marking a decline of nearly five percent.

There were areas that saw an increase in fatalities, however. Specifically, 2010 was a bad year for pedestrians, motorcyclists and occupants of large trucks. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Traffic fatalities fall to lowest levels since 1949

Traffic fatalities fall to lowest levels since 1949 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patent shows Porsche working on pop-up hood for next 911

Aaron Richardson — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Safety, Technology, Porsche

Europe is a dangerous place to be a pedestrian. With crowded cities characterized by gridlock and narrow streets, you have to be on your game every second to avoid getting bowled over by a raging, overzealous motorist. All too often, that spells tragedy.

With one-sided car-on-human accidents on the rise, automakers are feeling increased pressure from their governments to make their cars safer, not just for the guy behind the wheel, but the guy they might hit.

Porsche is apparently working on a pop-up hood for the upcoming 911, which would raise up in the event of a collision with a pedestrian and, with any luck, reduce the severity of their injuries. The system works via a set of time delay-controlled actuators, which helps ensure that the system protects unfortunate passerby as effectively as possible.

Patent shows Porsche working on pop-up hood for next 911 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.K.-based team develops hood-mounted airbag for pedestrian safety

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Safety

These days, it's nearly impossible to find a new automobile that doesn't come equipped with a barrage of airbags to keep the driver and passengers safe in the event of an crash. That's all well and good, but what about the pedestrians that happen to be in the vehicle's line of fire?

A team in the U.K., led by Roger Hardy of Cranfield University, has developed a new hood-mounted airbag system that would theoretically improve the safety of pedestrians that come face-to-face with the windshield of your car. When not in use, the U-shaped airbag hides away underneath the car's hood at the base of the windshield and doesn't restrict the driver's view.

Just prior to impact, the airbag would deploy to protect the unfortunate pedestrian from making contact with the car's windshield or A-pillars. At the same time, the car's hood would rise to provide added crumple room over the engine compartment. The team believes its system could be put into production within five years without a substantial increase in cost while cutting pedestrian injuries in half.

[Source: Telegraph]

U.K.-based team develops hood-mounted airbag for pedestrian safety originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 May 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyoda proves you can never have enough airbags

Michael Harley — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Japan, Safety

First came driver airbags, then passenger airbags. Side airbags were followed by curtain airbags. Then knee airbags appeared. With many vehicles on the road already equipped with six or more airbags for passenger safety, and seemingly no interior room left for additional inflatable supplemental restraints, Toyoda Gosei (it's an offshoot of Toyota) is showing a prototype fitted with airbags designed to protect pedestrians--yes, those "innocent victims" outside the vehicle. With a large exterior airbag on each end of the hood (one for the initial hit on the thigh, the other to cushion the secondary skull impact), and even an airbag inside the rear hatch, Toyoda Gosei is touting the concept as having "360-degree airbag protection." Effective or not, we question why the responsibility of pedestrian safety is shifting from the traveler on foot to the driver behind the wheel. Can't we just teach people to stay out of the the street? Thanks for the tip, Diego!

[Source: technabob]

Toyoda proves you can never have enough airbags originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan continues to build a better traffic light

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Nissan

Nissan is about to begin a new phase in its ongoing intelligent transportation system (ITS) project. The idea is that traffic signals can incorporate new technology to help reduce traffic congestion and pedestrian accidents. Using a section of roadway at the company's Kanagawa campus show above, Nissan has fitted new signals and roadside monitors to gather data about traffic flow and pedestrian movements. Some employee cars are actually fitted with data acquisition devices, but they won't need to be as the technology progresses. Rather, the signals themselves will eventually be able to collect all the data in the future.

Of particular interest are things like the length of signal cycles that allow pedestrians to safely cross the street, and the fact that during light traffic times, pedestrians often ignore signals, sometimes with disastrous results. With "smart" traffic lights, the system could offer a walk signal to pedestrians during light traffic for longer periods of time, thus discouraging the practice of jaywalking. There are even implications here for environmental advancements, as signal timing can reduce the idling and stop-and-go situations that add a considerable amount of pollution to the air.

The full release is after the jump.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan continues to build a better traffic light

Nissan continues to build a better traffic light originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Ferrari F 50 autocrosser misses apex, hits corner worker

Scott Davis — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:22:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Supercars, Ferrari

If this doesn't define the phrase "money can't buy brains," then nothing does. It shows what we hope to be the vehicle's owner attempting to autocross a Ferrari F 50 in the wet. Fortunately for us, everything is caught on tape from both inside the car and out. Unfortunately, the only thing that this guy manages to hit is a corner worker, who he nearly runs over and then lands on top of after his hands-on lesson in understeer.

[Source: Winding Road]

VIDEO: Ferrari F 50 autocrosser misses apex, hits corner worker originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japanese-market Lexus LS460 to get rear-collision detection

Eric Bryant — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 15:56:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Technology, Lexus

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.

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