Car Safety

Racing video games: we all play them, many of us love them. They give us an outlet for the days when we can't get to an actual track, and, for the better simulations, can even help us hone our edge in the off-season. But do they really make us better drivers, or do they make us more dangerous on...

Many of us in the past may have taken the car keys off a friend to prevent them from driving after a few too many drinks. Now, a new piece of technology will leave them high and dry even if you're not there to walk them home. Known as the Driver Alcohol Detection Systems for Safety (DADSS), sensors...

The new 2011 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, revealed late last year and already on sale, both received new looks and a host of updates. Among the improvements are better safety devices and structures, enabling both cars to make the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick list...

At a former Soviet military base in East Germany, BMW hones its armored vehicles and trains some of the world’s best drivers to be able to handle any life-threatening situation world dignitaries, the famous and the very wealthy may encounter while on the road. While BMW’s line of High...

There seems to be no end to Toyota’s recall woes, with the automaker this week announcing a recall of more than 1.4 million vehicles worldwide due to issues including oil leaks, faulty fuel pumps, and fuel lines. Of these 1.4 million vehicles, 245,000 include premium Lexus models sold here in...

The first image that comes into your head when talking cars are mentioned is probably the smiling face of Lightning McQueen from the Disney Pixar film Cars, voiced by Owen Wilson. In reality though the concept of 'talking' cars is less fun-filled but a lot more useful and could save thousands of...

No matter how many electronic accident avoidance measures a manufacturer invents, they're worthless if the basic structure of the vehicle doesn't hold up in a crash. Volvo built its reputation on crashworthiness, and the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance...

Owners of 2010 and 2011 Saab 9-3 models should be wary as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is reporting that Saab has issued a recall on this particular model. The affected cars are those built from June 2010 through to December 2010. Saab claims that certain fuel pumps...

When the subject of small cars comes up, conversation invariably turns to safety at some point. On roads full of 5000-pound trucks and SUVs, many people can understandably feel a little intimidated driving anything smaller than a midsize sedan. Gordon Murray Design has now conducted a crash test on...

Urban mobility is a hot topic these days -- and rightly so. Roughly 50% of the world's population now lives in urban areas, and by 2030, that figure should hit 60%. As cities and megacities grow, navigating them swiftly and efficiently will become critical for economic, social, and safety reasons...

Europe’s SARTRE (SAfe Road TRains for the Environment) project is well underway, having carried out its first successful demonstration of its self-driving technology at Volvo’s proving grounds near Gothenburg, Sweden. The SARTRE project is attempting to launch new technology for...

Volvo has some ambitious plans for the future. In addition to the market launch of a plug-in hybrid in 2012, work is currently under way on evaluating the viability of an entirely electric-powered car as well as range-extended electric car fitted with a hydrogen fuel cell. The automaker well...

Ferrari has reportedly applied for a new patent application that’s said to cover technology that monitors a driver’s mental and physical state in order to adjust a car’s stability and traction control systems in order to help avoid potential accidents resulting from a loss of...

No, you won't be blinded, but you will hopefully be kept awake with the science behind (and inside) the Anti-Sleep Pilot, the first aftermarket device designed to enhance and monitor driver alertness. Expensive and proprietary OEM systems like Mercedes-Benz's Driver Assist have been the only...

In-car tech has come a long way in the last few years--but what if your car isn't brand new, or wasn't offered with handy features like a backup camera or hands-free calling? You could cobble together a range of aftermarket systems, cords throughout the cabin and a 12-volt power strip plugged into...

The Chinese may have called 2010 the year of the tiger, but for us car geeks, it's been the year of the recall. With over 20 million recalled so far, the latest addition of 14,737 Ford and Lincoln pickups and crossovers is just the tiniest of drops in the bucket--but the problem could be huge. An...

Last August Toyota stood before a crested wave of accelerator and floor-mat related recalls, the matter brought to a head by the death of an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer and three members of his family in a dealer-loaned Lexus ES 350. The crash was caused by incorrectly fitted...

If there's one thing you don't want to fail when you're in an accident, it's your seatbelt. The first line of passive defense in a collision, the seatbelt is what keeps you in place to allow the rest of the car's safety mechanisms, such as airbags, crash structures, and active headrests, to work...

Night time driving can be difficult even with excellent vision and good headlights--and it can be especially dangerous for pedestrians at the roadside. But Mercedes-Benz has been tackling this area of road safety aggressively for years now, today announcing the addition of a unique spotlight system...

With the winter months now upon us it’s now more important than ever to ensure that your vehicle is properly equipped to handle the harsher climates. If you happen to live in areas where winter usually means driving in thick snow, not having winter tires may mean the difference between life...