Car Safety

  • Dr. Robert Hubbard (right), HANS co-creator dead at 75

    One of the main developers and co-creator of the Head And Neck Safety (HANS) device, Dr. Robert Hubbard, passed away Tuesday after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was 75 years old. Hubbard's work to create the HANS revolutionized motorsports safety, and today, a HANS is the global standard for amateur and professional racing leagues and sanctioning bodies. Formula One, NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, the SCCA, and numerous others all require racers use HANS devices to ensure the drivers' safety in the event of a crash. The HANS device works to restrict neck movement in the event of hard...

  • Self-driving Mercedes-Benz S-Class prototype
    Mercedes-Benz says an uncrashable car is possible

    Mercedes-Benz believes it can build a car capable of avoiding crashes, and it plans to show its vision with a new concept vehicle this year. Australian website Motoring reported Sunday Mercedes-Benz global research and development head, Ola Kalennius, thinks an uncrashable car will come sooner than...

  • Hyundai multi-collision airbag system
    New Hyundai airbag system will protect you in secondary collisions when others won't

    Air bags save lives and protect automobile occupants from injury, but they don't always go off. Hyundai wants to protect drivers in the event of a secondary collision when other airbags might not work. The Korean brand introduced the first multi-collision airbag system on Saturday. Unlike standard...

  • Lidar-equipped de-icer truck in Knoxville, Tennessee
    Lidar, big data could make de-icing roads more efficient

    Future de-icing vehicles could use data and lidar to help ensure better city coverage and safer roads. The city of Knoxville, Tennessee, will put the technology to the test this winter with one specially equipped de-icing truck. Digital Trends reported on the technology last week, which was...

  • 2019 Audi e-tron first drive  -  Abu Dhabi UAE, December 2018
    2019 Audi e-tron has cameras instead of mirrors*, but do they really work?

    The 2019 Audi e-tron will skip out on one piece of technology when it arrives in the United States, hence our asterisk in the title. U.S.-spec e-trons will not receive the futuristic camera-as-mirror technology. Thank outdated regulations for that. Instead, we'll receive standard side mirrors...

  • Volkswagen logo
    Another scandal at VW: Automaker sold pre-production vehicles as used cars

    Volkswagen's 2015 diesel emissions scandal isn't entirely in its rearview mirror yet, and now another scandal threatens the automaker. VW confirmed this week that it sold thousands of pre-production Volkswagen vehicles as used cars, which did not meet regulations in the United States and Europe...

  • ZF exterior curtain airbag

    German supplier ZF has developed external crash safety airbags for cars that could make their way to production in as little as two years. The company showed off an external airbag system at the recent Airbag 2018 Symposium in Germany. The system is quite similar to current technology used for airbags found inside cars. The airbag is two to three times larger than a standard interior airbag, though, and another major difference is the need for multiple inflators. ZF developed the concept system for the side of the car, which would deploy in the event of a side-impact crash. In testing, ZF...

  • Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse
    Lamborghini recalls Gallardo for faulty dashboard warning lights

    A small number of Lamborghini Gallardo models will need to return to dealerships after the Italian firm issued a recall for the supercar. In documents filed with the NHTSA in late November and published this week, Lamborghini said 1,152 Gallardo models suffer from faulty dashboard warning lights...

  • 2015 Maserati Ghibli
    Maserati Quattroporte, Ghibli recalled for damaged fuel lines

    Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli owners should keep an eye on their mailboxes for a recall notice. The Italian brand has recalled 6,301 Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans over potentially damaged fuel lines. The brand said in documents filed with NHTSA in November that the damaged fuel lines could...

  • Mercedes-Benz self-driving Cooperation Car
    Daimler concept shows how self-driving cars could communicate with pedestrians

    It will require years of research and technology implementation before self-driving cars are a common sight. Until then, some automakers aren't only working on the tech itself, but also developing ways for self-driving cars to communicate with pedestrians. Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler showed off...

  • A visual showing how your head and neck move during a crash without a HANS device
    This is why you should wear a HANS device

    It stands for Head and Neck Support, and the HANS device is a vital piece of safety gear every race car driver should be using. The Motorsport Safety Foundation has put together a video showing exactly why you need to be wearing a HANS device when you're out on the racetrack. A fire suit-wearing...

  • This is what happens if you run a red light
    Here's what could happen if you run a red light

    From texting to drunk driving, some folks don't understand that driving is a privilege and not a right. Keep your eyes on the road and stay safe, because if you don't you might run a red light. This is what that could look like. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has put together a...

  • 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

    Faulty floor mats have prompted Jeep to recall a number of 2018 Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk models. In total, the recall affects 4,822 units. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles filed documents for the recall with NHTSA in late October. According to the agency, the driver's floor mat may not provide sufficient clearance between the floor and accelerator pedal. The floor mat could thus get stuck, which wouldn't allow the accelerator to return to its neutral position. Obviously, unintended acceleration increases the risk of a crash. No injuries have been reported due to the floor mat defect, and FCA...

  • Lexus Safety System+ and Toyota Safety Sense
    All that fancy safety tech in your car could hike your repair bills

    Cars are safer than ever. There are whole hosts of systems onboard with the goal of keeping drivers and passengers safe. This tech is great at keeping you out of harms way, but it might come back and bite you should any of it need repairing. According to AAA, all of the safety tech in our newest...

  • Audi Matrix LED headlight technology
    US to finally allow modern, self-dimming adaptive headlights

    While automakers have implemented advanced headlight technology in other markets for years, outdated regulations in the United States have kept advances from the market. That will soon change as the U.S. will soon allow self-dimming adaptive headlight technology. The National Highway Traffic and...

  • Chevrolet Cruise AV self-driving car
    Feds look to loosen rules holding back self-driving car development

    Companies in the self-driving car space have been clamoring for a loosening of road rules originally designed for cars with human drivers, which the companies say are impeding the development of the technology—the main one being the requirement for a human onboard at all times. Regulators are...

  • Bentley Mulsanne Hallmark Series Silver
    Bentley Mulsanne recalled over rearview camera quirk

    Even the pinnacle of luxury can fall victim to recalls. In this case, it's Bentley's range-topping Mulsanne sedan. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration recieved notice on September 14 that Bentley will recall 10 vehicles over a rearview camera defect. According to NHTSA and the...

  • Are expensive tires worth the price?
    Are expensive tires worth the price?

    Everyone likes to find ways to save money. With respect to your car, there are times when you can opt for lower octane fuel, more affordable oil, and non-OEM parts. But should you skimp when it comes to buying tires? Recently, Engineering Explained looked at the performance variation as your tires...

  • Tesla Model 3 dashboard in Autopilot testing with IIHS [CREDIT: IIHS]

    The turn signal is one of the most essential passive safety measures onboard every single new car. Yet, millions of drivers choose to ignore the ability, and let's face it, the decision puts other drivers at risk. Tesla appears ready to flick the indicators whether a driver likes it or not. The Silicon Valley-based electric car manufacturer has filed for a patent that flashes the left or right turn signal when drivers forget (or choose not to) use them. According to the patent, the technology relies on the Autopilot electronic driver aid to sense if other cars are nearby. If it detects the...

  • Ford Fusion Hybrid automated driving research vehicle
    Ford outlines steps to ensure safety of its self-driving cars

    Ford has promised to deliver a self-driving car by 2021. The automaker is targeting Level 4 self-driving capability, meaning the car will drive on its own but be limited on where it can go and in which whether conditions it can handle. A more capable Level 5 car that can completely replace a human...

  • Tesla Autopilot
    You'll soon be able to compare safety of electronic driver aids across vehicles

    Most major automakers offer electronic driver aids these days, some of which like Tesla's Autopilot can control the steering of a car. However, the performance levels of driver aids vary across brands and road conditions, in some cases dramatically. Currently, there's no independent body that...

  • Third Lamborghini Centenario US delivery, photo credit: Robert Grubbs
    Lamborghini Aventador, Veneno, and Centenario recalled

    About 1,700 Lamborghini Aventador coupes and roadsters should check in with the ranch soon, according to the automaker. Lamborghini recalled the rare Italian supercar June 12 for an engine software issue that could stall the car at low speeds. All Aventador models sold in the U.S. will be recalled...

  • Ford technology patent to detect lane-splitting motorcyclists
    Ford patents lane-splitting safety tech to help protect motorcyclists

    The practice of lane splitting gives motorcyclists a reprieve from stop-and-go traffic, but it also opens up new risks for both riders and motorists. Ford may have a here-and-now solution to reduce safety risk and help protect riders. The automaker received a patent for safety technology that will...

  • Volvo Cars and Volvo Trucks  Connected Safety hazard-alert service
    Volvo cars and trucks can now inform each other of hazards

    A new cloud-based service called Connected Safety will allow Volvo cars and trucks to automatically alert each other to hazardous traffic situations. Volvo Cars and Volvo Trucks are actually separate entities but with the Connected Safety service the two are able to share real-time data to help...

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