Car Safety

Getting a perfect score in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) round of crash tests just got that much harder, with the agency introducing a tough new test it says will help spur automakers into improving protection of occupants during severe frontal crashes. The latest test...

As we move closer and closer to a future that involves fully autonomous cars, it’s becoming clear that systems developed for the self driving cars of tomorrow are making cars of today safer. Recent studies prove that technologies like collision detection, lane departure warning, adaptive...

Yesterday we brought you the first details about a new initiative taking place in Germany where a number of firms, including major automakers, are working to develop a common standard for future car-to-car and car-to-object communication technology. Called “Safe Intelligent Mobility -...

Spies have captured the 2013 MINI Paceman, MINI's new compact Countryman-style coupe, testing at the Nordschleife. Ford is moving forward with its car-to-car communications systems, with a new test regimen underway in Germany. Audi's R8 e-tron set a Nürburgring lap record not long ago, and now...

In the future your car will be able to warn you of an impending crash, or perhaps even take action itself to avoid one, by ‘knowing’ well ahead that another car has suddenly stopped in a queue of traffic, is about to cross paths with you at a busy intersection, or is even approaching...

In Europe it’s not uncommon to find law enforcement officials rolling around in luxury models like an Audi A6 or BMW 5-Series. Most major automakers overseas offer a series of modifications to their usual fleet aimed at customers looking for a little extra safety, and some, such as BMW, even...

The 2013 Cadillac ATS and XTS will get some advanced radar-based safety technology, but first, the company had to weed out bad data.

The 2010 Lexus HS 250h is being recalled to fix a suspension arm that might rust and fail.

Several automakers have introduced advanced technology in their cars that can read the road ahead and anticipate whether a vehicle in front is slowing down or a pedestrian or cyclist is nearby. Most of these systems rely on cameras or radar systems monitoring the road ahead, though these can be...

Calling it the Beltbag, Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to introduce inflatable rear seatbelt airbags on a yet-to-be-named “luxury-class model,” likely the new S Class sedan. The inflatable belts have been shown to reduce the potential for rear-seat passenger injuries in frontal...

The 2013 Acura ILX is being recalled together with the 2012 Honda CR-V.

Porsche has issued a recall on the range-topping Turbo models from its Cayenne and Panamera lines, explaining that the turbine wheels from the turbocharging system featured in the cars may fracture under certain conditions. The recall affects all Cayenne Turbo models from the 2012 model year and...

Every now and then we come across a news report where the accounts really do need to be seen to be believed. For example, take this latest story of a crash near Blackduck, MN, where a passenger was ejected from a car yet the driver and another passenger initially failed to even notice. According to...

One of the strongest arguments for the introduction of autonomous cars is the increased safety brought about by eliminating the possibility of human error, believed to be the main cause of crashes. So far the increased safety factor with autonomous cars has generally been assumed but now a leading...

Volvo has issued a recall on its aging sedan flagship, the S80, due to a potential fault with the car’s automatic transmission. The recall is for Volvo S80 sedans from the 2011 to 2013 model years, of which there are some 1,469 examples affected. According to Volvo a software error may...

Volvo has a well-established reputation of building some of the safest cars in the world but the firm believes it can improve on its own standards by reaching the ultimate goal of avoiding car accidents all together and reducing the road death toll (for drivers of its cars) to zero--a goal it hopes...

Swedish magazine Teknikens Värld (Technology World) has hit the new Jeep Grand Cherokee with some serious allegations: in performing an evasive maneuver test that’s become known as the “moose test,” the magazine alleges that the popular SUV exhibited the potential for...

A potential fault with the power steering system could mean owners lose the power assistance of their car's steering.

Driving can be stressful, and stress is a distraction. Driving can also be boring, and that can be distracting, too. So what can be done about it? Ford is working on a system that integrates various biometric measurements like pulse, galvanic skin response, and breathing rate to determine the...

Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall on certain versions of its E350 4MATIC Wagon due to a potential issue involving the affected cars’ rear suspension. The recall only affects 2007 to 2009 E350 4MATIC Wagons built from July 1, 2006, through to April 30, 2009. There are approximately 3,613...