car safety

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Fuel-Efficiency Standards May Threaten Safety

Experts say tight rules could push automakers to make smaller cars

(Newser) - President Obama’s new vehicle fuel-efficiency rules have safety experts worried that automakers will comply by churning out smaller, lighter cars—the more likely to kill you with, USA Today reports. Smaller vehicles are an easy route to boost efficiency that can also mean thousands more crash fatalities, but administration...

Honked Off: Car Horns More Harm Than Good

Horns are hard to ban, but may make drivers more reckless

(Newser) - The next time you honk your car’s horn, you might want to ask why you're doing it. Grabbing the horn by the bull for Slate, Dave Johns thinks you’re probably too close to do anything but tell your obstacle to get out of the way. That’s because...

Ford Tops Safe Car List
 Ford Tops Safe Car List 
Nov 25, 2008 11:36 AM CST

Ford Tops Safe Car List

With help from Volvo, firm leads with 16 vehicles

(Newser) - The insurance industry named dozens of new cars and trucks, led by Ford and its Volvo subsidiary, to its annual list of the safest vehicles today. Ford and Volvo saw 16 of their 2009 vehicles make the list; Honda followed with 13. Some 72 vehicles received the top safety pick...

Software Blocks Calls While Driving

(Newser) - A new software technology can automatically disable cell phones moving at car speeds, augmenting laws already in place forbidding their use while driving, RealTechNews reports. The developer, Canada's Aegis Mobility, is partnering with Nationwide insurance to offer discounts to adopters. Aegis still needs carrier support but expects the software to...

Missing Airbags Threaten Drivers of Used Cars

Some dealers ditch safety for cash in 'life-and-death scam'

(Newser) - Used-car buyers, beware: Missing or ruined air bags are posing a threat to unsuspecting drivers’ lives, an NPR investigation finds. Some dealerships put greed over safety and sell cars that have been in accidents without replacing the protective pouches. Instead, they may stick faulty air bags back in the car,...

Nissan's New Safety System Uses Bee Logic

Lasers will mimic compound eyes to detect, avoid obstacles

(Newser) - Nissan is set to unveil new collision-avoidance technology modeled on the behavior of bees, PC World reports, with a small robot car to demonstrate the system in Japan next week. The automakers’ engineers have developed laser range-finders that mimic the insects’ ability to adjust their path and avoid collisions by...

High Gas Prices Mean Fewer Traffic Deaths

People are changing where, when, and how they drive

(Newser) - The number of traffic deaths may drop this year to their lowest since Kennedy was president—thanks in large part to higher gas prices, the AP reports. As they rose above $3.20 a gallon, fatalities plummeted 22.1% in March and 17.9% in April, a study found. The...

GM Developing Futuristic Windshield

Looking forward to an aging driver, tech would compensate for poor eyesight

(Newser) - America’s driving population is aging, and GM aims to do something to help older motorists: develop a high-tech windshield that compensates for declining eyesight, the AP reports. The system, now in the research phase, uses lasers and infrared sensors to identify hazards in the road—or perhaps the edge...

Are Car Roofs Tough Enough?
Are Car Roofs Tough Enough?
Mar 3, 2008 2:55 PM CST

Are Car Roofs Tough Enough?

US regulators consider stricter strength-to-weight standard

(Newser) - Three-quarters of vehicles on the road today would fail a proposed tougher standard for automobile roof strength, reports the Wall Street Journal. The current standard, unchanged since 1973, requires that car roofs withstand a force equivalent to 1.5 times the vehicle’s weight, but it exempts those more than...

Nissan Murano Top Pick for Safety Among SUVs

Hummer's H3 does not fare well in industry tests

(Newser) - The 2009 Nissan Murano snagged the best safety rating out of 10 midsize SUVs in industry-run crash tests, the Detroit Free Press reports. The Murano was the only one to receive the top "good" rating in front, side, and rear crashes. The Mazda CX-7 and CX-9, and the Mitsubishi...

Let's All Go for a Ride-Call-Text-Meal-Movie

Dashboard gadgets multiply almost uncontrollably

(Newser) - As if cell phones weren’t distracting enough, car manufacturers are clogging dashboards with enough gadgets to ensure drivers' attention is on anything but the road, the New York Times reports. With driver distraction figuring in 80% of crashes, front-seat DVD players and the like enrage safety advocates. “You’...

Hey, 'Hannah': Buckle Up!
Hey, 'Hannah': Buckle Up!
Feb 12, 2008 10:05 AM CST

Hey, 'Hannah': Buckle Up!

Teen singer ticked off for seatbelt-free ride in hit film

(Newser) - Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, is in hot water, but not for breaking curfew or forgetting her homework. Consumer Reports is on the teen superstar's case for setting a bad example: not buckling her seatbelt. A scene in the 3-D blockbuster Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds shows Miley...

Electric Roadster Ready to Roll
Electric Roadster Ready to Roll
Jan 25, 2008 2:00 PM CST

Electric Roadster Ready to Roll

Tesla's battery-powered vehicle meets federal safety standards

(Newser) - The long-awaited, all-electric Tesla Roadster has passed federal safety tests with flying colors and will finally go into production March 17—albeit with temporary transmissions on the first models, reports DailyTech. The interim transmissions mean the $100,000 Roadster will do zero to 60 in 5.7 seconds, instead of...

Toyota Unveils Driving Simulator
Toyota Unveils Driving Simulator
Nov 26, 2007 1:34 PM CST

Toyota Unveils Driving Simulator

Huge dome rocks and rolls on rails

(Newser) - Toyota today unveiled its new driving simulator, a 7-meter-across dome with 360-degree imaging that mimics the experience of real driving by rocking on a rail. Toyota will use the simulator to test safety features without endangering drivers, see how tiredness and intoxication affect driving, and develop safety features for specific...

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