vehicle safety -

Distraction is one of the most important topics on the minds of safety advocates and lawmakers across the country.  With citizens across the world more connected than ever before, distracted driving has become a commonplace occurrence along the roadways.  But the Transportation Department has just announced a measure that aims to curtail this threat.

The agency has issued guidelines asking automakers to stop featuring in-car technologies that have social media and Internet capabilities.  In addition to limiting social connections, the department has also urged manufacturers to create dashboard screens and navigation features that won’t require a driver to avert their eyes from the road for more than a couple seconds.

These are just guidelines at this point, and they won’t even come into action until 2016.  But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is in the midst of reconfiguring current automobile ratings systems, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see technology like what’s described above playing a role in a vehicle’s overall safety rating.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, though, has some qualms with the guidelines that have been announced.  They point to NHTSA data which shows the vehicle system only accounts for a scant 2% of distracted driving-based accidents, with all other crashes stemming from such things as cellphone usage and other distractions.

The announcement comes on the heels of a study from the Texas Transportation Institute showing that manual texting and voice-activated texting are equally distracting.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may soon reconfigure its ratings system slightly to take into account how certain subsets of the population might react during a crash.  When a new automobile comes onto the market, the NHTSA rates it as part of something known as the New Car Assessment Program.  Since 1978, a vehicle has been able to garner between one and five stars, and consumers can compare statistics between multiple vehicles to get a sense of the automobile that’s right for them.  Now, though, the NHTSA wants to add a silver rating and a family rating to the existing standard.  The former would designate whether the vehicle is safe for older drivers while the latter would concern how safe the vehicle is for children.  It might take up to four years for these ratings to be rolled out.

For more about the proposed ratings, click here.

As automobiles become more complex, so do the reasons for recalls.  Today’s modern motor vehicle operates by way of a complicated series of processes interwoven together, and if anything goes wrong with the vehicle’s software or a mechanical component, the results can be disastrous.

A new article looks at this phenomenon in greater detail by focusing on the recent recall of Acura MDX and Acura RL sedans and Pilot sport utility vehicles.  Honda issued that recall of more than 250,000 vehicles once it was discovered that they can brake without the driver pressing the pedals.

One Massachusetts driver related her experience with the defect, which is thought to stem from the onboard electronics taking over from the driver and pressing down on the brakes for a substantial period of time without warrant.  Honda believes that the issue is prompted by a loose bolt or wiring oxidation that can inadvertently activate the electronic stability control, which is only supposed to initiate braking to when doing so would assist the driver.

A member of Safety Research & Strategies worries about the fact that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration currently doesn’t have benchmarks in place for such electronic systems.  Right now, standards are voluntary and subject to a 2011 distinction from the International Organization of Standardization.  Automobile producers can elect to put vehicles through a safety assessment meant to turn up threats while design is ongoing, but the SRS representative believes this should be a requirement.

Recently, the way the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigates and classifies recalls has been called into question.  Although recalls issued following an investigation were said to be at nearly an all-time high last year, some wonder whether that has less to do with improved methods and more to do with new accounting practices.

That’s because the way recalls were grouped together changed about ten years ago.  At that time, recalls stemming from a single issue were all considered the same issue.  That’s different now, though.  According to the Center for Auto Safety, of the 134 investigation-based recalls issued last year, 19 revolved around the installation of a single faulty sunroof that could cause a problem.  So even though one component was to blame for a safety hazard, that one component was available in multiple vehicles, and thus the NHTSA is able to claim that 19 recalls were the result of a single NHTSA investigation.

The NHTSA believes that we should be looking to the numbers.  Investigations still led to nine million vehicle recalls last year, even if investigations over the past three years were near historic lows.  The chief of the NHTSA believes this has to do with evolved data collection and analysis methods.

He also says the NHTSA must be careful not to issue a recall until a full investigation has determined a safety risk and that talks with vehicle producers are common prior to a recall.

Additional hybrid and electric vehicles are seen along the highway every year.  Regular automobiles are getting better gas mileage than ever.  The newest vehicles on the road are equipped with safety systems that do such science fiction-seeming things as hit the brakes to avoid a crash or alert the driver when he or she is drowsy.  Google is even testing a squadron of self-driving cars that could completely turn travel on its head.

We’re truly living in an era of innovation when it comes to vehicles, and a new article shows us that we might be just beginning.  The subject of that report is the Urbee 2, a vehicle which its makers believe could make it to New York from San Francisco using only ten gallons of gas.  But before that benchmark is reached, designers have some work to do, and they need an investment to do it.

Some information is in order.  The Urbee would be the first vehicle consisting of 3D-printed materials.  A printing facility is responsible for creating microscopic layers of molten polymer that are painstakingly heaped on top of one another, with overseers able to produce additional rigidity and thickness where needed.  It’s all part of a process known as Fused Deposition Modeling, and when each part of the vehicle is complete, a process which can take hundreds of hours, it can be added to the main body of the car.

All in all, it would take about 50 3D-printed pieces and 2,500 or so hours to make an entire vehicle.  But the Urbee would necessarily have a couple parts consisting of metal.    The chassis would be metal, as would the hybrid engine that operates off of a 36 volt electric motor.  A fuel tank will take over the operation when the vehicle reaches 40 miles per hour.

Once the vehicle is done, engineers explain that there’s a good chance operating it will require the same license one would need for a motorcycle.  Its three wheels and lightweight structure (1,200 pounds) mean that it has more in common with that than your standard automobile.

But this lightweight nature, combined with a preponderance of components made of plastic, means that safety concerns might arise.  To that end, designers have been putting the Urbee through rigorous simulation testing, but they’re waiting on investors before they take such tests further.  The team will also place a metal cage in the vehicle in order to encase the driver safely.  The vehicle will also come equipped with all those things we take for granted in regular automobiles:  headlights, turn signals, and more.

There’s no word on when the vehicle will be available to purchase, but there’s already a short list of ready buyers.

At this time of the year, you never know when a winter storm is going to move through parts of California.  That’s why you must always be prepared for such an occurrence.  When snowy and slick conditions threaten the safety of roadways, it becomes imperative to know what to do to protect both oneself and his or her fellow travelers.  To that end, make sure that you consider some winter driving safety tips from the North Carolina Highway Patrol should you ever find yourself out in the elements.

The best thing you can do to cut down on risk is to stay off the roads as long as you can.  But we understand you have work to do and errands to run, and thus ceasing driving completely might not be possible.  Therefore, take whatever other precautions you can.  Put on a seatbelt and drive at a speed that’s acceptable given the circumstances.  Take into account slick roads by giving the vehicle in front of you more room than you otherwise would.  So that you’re not pushing yourself past safe limits, make sure to leave plenty early and account for the poor driving decisions of others.  And if you happen upon a bridge, watch your speed.  These sections of the road are far more likely to have buildups of ice.

If your automobile was outside while snow fell, you might awake to find that it’s been veritably buried.  Should this happen to you, take time to defrost and clear your windshield and all other windows.  Don’t cut corners, as that one area you missed could create a blind spot that hides a vehicle right in the path of your lane change.  Also be sure to clear your headlights of snow so the road is properly illuminated at all times.

One vehicle feature has no place in winter weather:  cruise control.  This automatic feature can’t take into account slicker roads and dangerous conditions, and the hindrance to control can compromise your safety.  Leave this function off so that you’re ready to go into action should a danger be presented.

Also understand what you need to do should you get in some type of accident.  Hopefully you’ve prepared yourself with a blanket and a fully charged cellphone.  Call emergency services, yet take into account the weather when evaluating how long it’s taking the responders to arrive.  If you’re not hurt and your vehicle is still in driving condition, see if you can move the automobile out of the road and onto an area where it won’t compromise other travelers.

Finally, if the accident brings your vehicle onto a non-road surface, resign yourself to the fact that it might be stuck there for a couple days.  Call for someone to pick you up, and wait until the elements improve before attempting to facilitate movement.  Consider alternate travel options in the meantime.

A new article discusses the prevalence of companies touting the latest and greatest safety features of automobiles at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.  One such company that looks to revolutionize vehicle safety is QNX, a software firm.  That company is looking into the possibility of placing a GPS on the dashboard as opposed to the central console so as to minimize the possibility of distraction.  Distraction would be similarly curtailed with the company’s Bluetooth syncing system currently in development.  Subaru was on hand at the trade show to talk about Eyesight, which aims to alert drivers to the presence of nearby obstacles thanks to onboard cameras.

For more about the safety features on hand, click here.

Yesterday, we talked about how Californians traveling to areas of the country affected by snow could stay safe while on the roads.  Taking the proper precautions behind the wheel is absolutely essential amid streets that have been compromised by buildups of snow and ice.

But one thing we must also consider is that in addition to ourselves, our vehicles also have to be prepared for that kind of travel.  In Los Angeles and nearby environs, we tend to worry more about how our brakes and gas lines can handle the stop-and-go traffic of the city, paying little mind to whether our automobile is suited to intense winter weather patterns.

Thankfully, a new report relates some vital winter car care tips from the the Car Care Council.  If you’re leaving for a Christmas vacation, then you must consider the advice.

Those brakes we mentioned above are going to be your biggest aid on snowy roads or your worst enemy if not up to snuff.  Bring your brakes in for necessary maintenance before your trip.  That way, you can be sure that your automobile is capable of stopping in time on the slickest streets.

Cold can wreak havoc on your battery and other vehicle components.  To that end, the battery is something that should also be checked to ensure it won’t give out on you when cold, bitter wind howls outside your car windows.  To further protect yourself from the elements, you ought to have a professional verify that the heater is in working order as well.  And while they’re at it, have a check of the exhaust system conducted so that you know there are no leaks that could lead you to sustain carbon monoxide poisoning.

There are also steps that you yourself can take that don’t necessarily require you to bring the automobile in to a maintenance facility.  New antifreeze should be placed into the automobile every couple years, the same amount of time that the cooling system should as a whole be cleaned and flushed out.  You can check your wiper blades for wear and tear, with an eye toward replacing them every half a year or so.  Wiper fluids should also be filled as necessary.  Also flick on your headlights and interior dome lights to be sure they work properly.  Clean the mirk from the former if you need to so that you know you have adequate lighting and thus warning of any potential hindrances to safety.

Finally, top off the gas tank and make sure your tires can handle the winter roads and have sufficient pressure and tread depth.  You might even think about purchasing a set of tires designed to grip the road better by way of winter-geared tread patterns and depth.

Event data recorders, or as most people might know them, black boxes, have been a fixture of airplanes for years due to their ability to give investigators an accurate representation of the events that led to a crash.  A couple years ago, Congress looked into the possibility of passing a law that would mandate these systems on all new automobiles, but a consensus could not be reached.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration thus took up the matter, and the White House Office of Management and Budget has just given its approval to the proposed measure.  The move paves the way for regulations to be enacted in the early part of 2013.

There are certain privacy issues that must first be taken into consideration, according to a spokesperson with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.  Many states currently require approval from the court before data can be obtained from the recorders, and many would like to see such measures kept in place to ensure privacy once the devices are made mandatory.

Privacy considerations aside, though, consumers should realize that these black boxes already come standard on most new automobiles.  Vehicle manufacturers typically have to put in a request with the car owner before they can access the recorded data.

The benefits of black boxes should not be underestimated.  When reports of Toyotas accelerating out of control were circulating through the news, for instance, many of the incidents were reportedly found to result from driver error.

Owners of Ford Escape and Fusion automobiles of the 2013 model year were recently warned of a potential safety issue pertaining to these vehicles.  The 1.6L engines on the vehicles are reportedly in danger of overheating, which could then lead a fire to break out.  Consumers were warned of this hazard through a dashboard warning light and a chime noise.  These were meant to signify to drivers that it was time to pull over as soon as safely possible.

With drivers reporting this issue to the company and to the NHTSA, a recall was thus issued for those vehicles that suffered from the issue.  For the Ford Escape, it was the capper to a year of woes for the beleaguered vehicle, which saw five different safety recalls issued, including yet another fire hazard discovered in September.

Even though a recall was announced, it was not known what a remedy would consist of.  As such, Ford advised consumers to get in touch with a dealer to obtain some alternative transportation for the time being.  Now, though, Ford appears to have come up with a solution that will consist of a software update.  The fix should be available as soon as next week, just in time for Christmas.

Until that time, drivers should continue to use the loaner vehicle supplied by the dealer.  There’s no need to jump the gun and endanger yourself and other vehicle occupants.