Car Safety

A study undertaken by the American Automobile Association (AAA) has found car crashes involving 15-17 year old teenagers cost the U.S. over $34 billion each year. The study takes into account a number of quantifiable factors related to crashes including the cost of medical expenses, lost work and...

Tests undertaken by America’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveal that a number of popular 2008-model midsized sedans have shown marked improvements in their side-impact safety ratings. However, the news isn't all good as the majority of cars tested saw only marginal...

Ford has unveiled two new features designed to aid visibility, the first a simple blind spot side-view mirror and the second is a new radar based blind spot monitoring system. The new side-view mirror will be fitted as standard equipment from next year onwards and features an integrated convex...

A new system has been developed that measures driver inputs and determines if they are 'aggressive' or not. The system, developed by US company GreenRoad Technologies, works by measuring g-forces acting on a car and compares them to pre-determined 'safe' driving limits. The software in the system...

Scientists from Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) in Germany have revealed a major flaw in vehicle keyless entry systems by demonstrating a new device that can ‘learn and record’ radio codes used to lock and unlock car doors. In the same way that a universal remote control can mimic commands...

Incredible demand has created a waiting list for buyers trying to get their hands on a Smart ForTwo in its first year of official U.S. sales. Strong fuel efficiency, easy urban maneuverability and a very positive image have all contributed to the sales success, but now that the NHTSA's first round...

Ford has made a commitment to fit 80 to 90% of its future vehicles with electric power steering (EPS) systems by 2012. Currently the 2008 Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, and their respective hybrid models are fitted with EPS, and next in line to receive the fuel-saving device are the Ford Fusion...

We’ve all sped up at a yellow light only to slam the brakes upon seeing a traffic light camera ahead, or at least we’ve seen someone else do it. A new study has found that this phenomenon often leads to more accidents and injuries than would be caused without the cameras present. Study...

The U.S. Supreme court asked a California appeals court to review the amount awarded to a woman who was paralyzed when her Ford Explorer rolled over. An inordinately weak roof structure was to blame for the injury, and according to the appeals court's review, the award will stand. Of the $82.6...

Volvo has always been regarded as a leader in automotive safety technology and with new features such as the latest CitySafe system, a device that can detect other vehicles and automatically apply the brakes if it predicts a collision could occur, the carmaker is only set to improve upon that...

First Volvo unveiled a new driver-distraction warning system, now the company is presenting a fully integrated in-car alcolock system called Alcoguard. Scheduled to be introduced as an option for the XC60 to begin with, and then the S80, V70 and XC70 models early next year, the new system will...

Nissan’s Navara pickup may have failed Europe’s tough NCAP crash test but its 2009 Murano SUV has been voted the safest choice by America’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the midsize SUV category. Testing showed that midsized SUVs have become safer, but side and...

Tricksters can no longer dodge traffic through carpool lanes by using dummies or pets to fill that required extra seat. New technology developed at Loughborough University detects the number of occupants in the car through a device that measure water and blood content, meaning that Rex is no longer...

Mazda will commence public road trials of its ASV-4 advanced safety vehicle in Hiroshima next month as part of the Japanese government’s efforts to promote technologies aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents. Mazda’s latest system uses a vehicle-to-vehicle communications...

Electronic braking systems have been a major source of interest in the motor industry for years now but the idea of replacing slow and outdated hydraulic systems with instant-response electronic systems is nothing new. The aeronautical industry has been using electronic set-ups for years while the...

Last month a study found that on average seat widths and the thickness of their padding in cars hadn’t changed much over the past ten years despite increases in the size of the average driver’s waistline over the same period. This is also the case with seatbelts. In fact, federal...

The days when driving beyond a posted speed limit is impossible could soon be upon us with news coming out this weekend that Canada is trialling a new anti-speeding device that can automatically slow down a vehicle against a driver’s will. The new device uses a GPS locater, and a speed map...

In what seems to be a growing trend, Volvo cars was found guilty of manslaughter in a 1999 accident. Just a few weeks ago, a former Mitsubishi Motors head and several other executives were found guilty in the death of a man driving a defective truck that went out of control and hit a wall. The...

Independent new car assessment organisation Euro NCAP released the results for six more cars today: the Daihatsu Materia, Mazda 2, Honda Civic, Mercedes Benz C Class, Renault Laguna and the Volvo V70. The Mazda and the Volvo had been previously tested, but had experienced issues with airbag...

Volvo has long been recognized as one of the leaders in automotive safety technology, and this is a reputation its likely to keep thanks to a raft of new technologies the carmaker will be rolling out in coming years. Collision warning with automatic braking for pedestrians, collision avoidance by...