In most places within North America, auto insurance represents one of the most costly ongoing expenses attached to automotive ownership. A monthly or annual cost that varies wildly between driver, we barely understand the number of factors affecting our individual insurance rate. Driver’s age, gender and history behind the wheel plays the key part in establishing what we need to pay in order to venture on roadways legally.

Besides the human factor, your chosen automobile also weighs on the determination for the insurance premium amount. While the calculations of auto insurance quotes differ between companies and policies, a car-insurance.com chart cited that the vehicle accounts for thirteen percent of a driver’s rate. When buying a new car, we assume that a 2012 Porsche 911′s sporty agility will drive car insurance coverage reasonably higher than a fuel-efficient economy car. As automotive consumers, we can assume (often with some certainty) that certain vehicles are high risk for collision. In the case of auto insurance companies, more scientific data collection assists in the conclusion of vehicle rates.

Founded in 1959 as a non-profit organization meant to study vehicle and drivers, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has spawned to cover an array of automotive safety-related topics including new car crash testing. In the 1970s, the IIHS created the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) designed specifically to collect and examine information on human as well as financial loss in automobile accidents. One aspect researched by the IIHS and HLDI is the insurance losses based on a specific vehicle. Among six different types of insurance (Collision, liability, comprehensive, personal injury, medical and bodily injury), the IIHS records the comparable losses of almost every popular newer vehicle.

For the most recent vehicle data based on 2008 to 2010 model year products, data showed that the Scion tC topped the list as the highest overall insurance loss. As an import sports vehicle, the Scion tC caters to younger, riskier group of drivers therefore leading to worse than average insurance loss. In addition, being a Japanese-built vehicle, the collision insurance costs would be understandably high for North American drivers. Since introduction, the Scion tC has been a rated in the overall top-five of the vehicle insurance loss list.

Other vehicles found on the highest insurance loss list between the 2008 and 2010 model years involves a mix of everyday, Luxury and performance. Below the Scion tC coupe on the IIHS list is the long wheelbase variant of the Mercedes Benz S-Class sedan, Mitsubishi Lancer (not specifically the Evolution model) and the Chevrolet Cobalt. While the Cobalt’s appearance on the list could also be cited for sizeable production numbers, the compact Chevrolet joins six of the top-ten highest loss vehicles targeted for the youth market.

On the other side of the insurance data, some of the lowest loss vehicles Subaru Outback wagon, Honda CR-V and the Ford F-150. While the presence a two-door sport compact car at the top of the IIHS list of highest insurance losses is not a surprise, two popular sports cars make an amusing stand on the lowest insurance loss chart. The Chevrolet Corvette and the Mazda MX-5 Miata present lower than average insurance loss data. Topping the list on the lowest insurance loss chart is the Smart ForTwo. From the collection of automobile types assembled on the lowest insurance loss list, it could be assumed sport cars like the Corvette and MX-5 Miata are driven with more care.

When identifying individual vehicles, the insurance loss data displays some interesting observations among vehicle categories. While the insurance loss numbers constructed by the IIHS and the HLDI reveals that many mid-sized sedans are less risky than smaller vehicles, there are several exceptions. For example, the Smart ForTwo, MINI Cooper Clubman and Volkswagen New Beetle all overcome the small car stigma to have lower insurance loss numbers. Perhaps reinforcing the sense many American automobile buyers maintained over the last decade, sport utility and crossover vehicles were rated favourably for insurance loss. Every SUV and crossover vehicle built from 2008 to 2010 model year achieved either average or under the auto insurance industry’s average for loss.

Blind to gender, driving experience or even location in the United States, vehicle insurance loss information collected by the IIHS and HLDI will definitely influence your next auto quote for a late model automobile.

Information source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Photo Source: Chris Nagy

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Merging the particular tastes of luxury car buyers with their popular full-sized sport utility vehicle platform of the 2000s, General Motors’ brand Cadillac adopted the Escalade. After tweaking the Escalade into the 2002 model year, Cadillac struck gold in creating a desirable premium SUV. An eight-cylinder now topping 403 horsepower, four-wheel drivetrain and spacious leather interior with high-tech entertainment items were the exact features Cadillac needed to lure buyers back to American luxury excellence. Expanding to the Escalade EXT pick-up bed truck, extended length ESV and the Escalade Two-Mode Hybrid model, the large premium vehicle rose to become a staple among the contemporary luxury-seeking crowd.

While popularity brought fortunes to a then-struggling Cadillac sales tally, the increased attention to the Escalade line-up has made the full-sized vehicle candy those perpetuating grand theft autos. In August, the Cadillac Escalade (specifically 2008-2010 models) topped a list tallied by the IIHS (Insurance Institute of Highway for Highway Safety) for most preferred vehicles among thieves in the United States. According to the data collected by the IIHS, more than 8 times the average vehicle claims have been filed on the Escalade EXT pick-up model. Revealed as a North American-wide issue, the 2002 Cadillac Escalade was also established as the fifth most targeted vehicle in Canada by the country’s insurance bureau at the end of 2011. The value of the Escalade, as well as its expensive high-end components including Xenon headlamps and custom wheels, has made the sport utility vehicle attractive for parts or as a whole.

Realizing that the Cadillac Escalade owners are now facing a higher-than normal chance of being parted with their over $60,000 vehicle, the 2012 model year sports a new arsenal of factory-installed automotive security. Five individual security enhancements are introduced on the 2012 Cadillac Escalade insuring greater protection among several common thefts.

Standard on all 2012 Cadillac Escalade will be a tougher steering column lock system as well as an improved car key. Designed to greater resist manoeuvring the sport utility vehicle, the new steering column locking mechanism on 2012 Escalade is said to be nearly temper-proof. The only method to unlock the steering column will be the new, improved PASS Key 3+ featuring highly detailed encryption.

Highlighted oddly in the 1980s comedy film ‘Twins’ where Arnold Schwarzenegger deactivated a car‘s alarm system by picking up the rear of a Cadillac sedan, some less sophisticated vehicle warning sirens were electronically programmed to turn off when a vehicle is lifted to a particular angle. A program meant to determine when a vehicle is being legitimately towed, some advanced car thieves have exploited this by using a tow truck to steal an Escalade. An available feature on the 2012 Cadillac Escalade is called an inclination sensor if an unintended change of vehicle angle is detected. The inclination sensor upgrade also prevents flat-bedding or even attempts to steal wheel and tires. Also protecting the lavish wheels of the 2012 Escalade will be a new locking system.

While the Cadillac Escalade can be the objective of some thieves, other criminals settle for the potentially valuable items inside of the sport utility vehicle. Protecting against property theft, the 2012 model year Escalade has an available shock sensor designed to detect breaking of glass.

An OnStar equipped vehicle, the 2012 Cadillac Escalade line-up has electronic tracking technology to relay to law enforcement. In addition, in efforts to slow a fleeing theft, the OnStar system on the Escalade can be used to send a message to the vehicle’s electronic controls slowing the Cadillac safely.

Along with the new security solutions introduced on the 2012 model year Cadillac Escalade, General Motors published the following list of precautions owners of all vehicles should take in reducing car thefts and break-ins:

• Do not leave valuables unattended in unlocked cars, or in plain sight
• Park vehicles in well-lit areas or inside locked garages
• Don’t leave cars running with the keys in the ignition.
• Do not defeat the ignition/key cylinder immobilizers with aftermarket remote- start systems
• Always lock your vehicle with the key fob, which also sets the alarm system
• Use wheel locks with premium wheels
• Do not leave driver’s license, registration or insurance certificate in your car
• Purchase a vehicle with OnStar or the aftermarket OnStar FMV mirror, which will enable your vehicle to be tracked if stolen.

The combination of Cadillac’s new high-tech security advancements as well as the highly prudent actions of the Escalade owners in 2012 and beyond will be key to assure the luxury vehicle loses its flavour to car thieves.

Information and photo source: General Motors

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We knew it was only be a matter of time when an automotive safety alarm bell would sound over an electric vehicle. One of the heaviest promoted vehicles unleashed on the North American marketplace in the past few years, the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt represented a new way that automobile producers and customers could view roads in the near future. A high-profile vehicle, the brand-new Chevy Volt is now facing a publicly visible probe into a potentially dangerous defect that appeared during the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program.

Following a standard side impact pole test in May of 2011 where a Chevrolet Volt was awarded a five-star rating (thanks in part to side curtain airbags), the major drama for the American-built plug-in hybrid car did not develop until three weeks after the crash. In June, a fire that engulfed the crashed car as well as three other vehicles was linked to the Volt‘s electrical propulsion system. Revealed in paperwork filed on the 25th of November, the resulting incident was traced to a failure of the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium-ion battery pack. Like most modern battery-powered vehicles sold or about to be sold in North America, the Volt’s electrical storage is temperature-controlled. Through the initial crash test, the NHTSA team discovered the coolant line damaged following the side impact, which is believed to be connected to excessive heat from an injured lithium-ion battery pack causing the vehicle fire.

Since the June fire, an investigation started by the NHTSA has included an attempt to replicate the condition that created the fire. In early November, three Chevrolet Volts were subjected to identical side impact pole crash test intent in recreating the potential cause of the fire five months earlier. Though those tests did not result in fires of the lithium-ion battery, the retest of the vital Chevrolet Volt component was recorded to have spark and smoke accompanied by an elevation in temperatures that reached up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. While attempting to notify the public of their investigation on the Chevy Volt’s primary energy storage pack, the NHTSA cautions that there are no real-world incidents yet to result in a side impact causing the kind of battery damage occurring in the New Car Assessment Program test.

Reacting to this disturbing news made public, General Motors was prompt in reassuring that the auto company is working closely with the NHTSA in detailing this crash test concern. Senior vice president of global product development Mary Barra has commissioned an engineering team to track down and eliminate any further electrical problems. For owners of the plug-in hybrid Volt feeling uneasy about their Volts for the interim, Chevrolet has extended to them use of another General Motors vehicle for no charge (no pun intended). General Motors also asserts the favourable Chevy Volt crash test results that totalled a 5-Star rating as attributes of the vehicle.

With 5,003 examples of the Chevrolet Volts sold this year up to the end of October, the vehicle enters wide sales distribution across the United States and into Canada against a fair share of public praise as well as criticism. Admirable for its innovative production car powertrain that could be the key to the next generation of automobiles, some doubt the nearly $40,000 (offset partially by federal test credits) Chevy Volt is nothing more than an eco-friendly publicity machine. While some will forgive the plug-in hybrid Volt if a fix to the potential risk of battery overheating is fixed quickly, the hatred for the car by others could be compounded with the NHTSA investigation. Remaining in opposition for the Chevy Volt are some people who has acute techno-fright when it comes to electrified vehicles.

A first major challenge relating to a safety defect (and one can expect a last), the resolution for the Chevrolet Volt is important in determining future acceptance of electrified vehicles. Besides the returning exploration for the Chevrolet Volt sedan, General Motors future premium expression of the plug-in hybrid system in the Cadillac ELR wagers heavily on maintaining confidence in the reduced-emissions technology.

Information source: General Motors, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Photo source: Chris Nagy, General Motors

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For millions of people in North American and a multitude of other motorsport viewers throughout the world, weekends between February to November involves the spectacle of four-wheeled pieces of complex modern technology rushing in competition. Myself included in the sizable collective of auto racing enthusiasts, the sport has become an all-inclusive group realizing the battles and intrinsic pressures some individuals press in acquiring the power and glory of motorsport mastery. Witnessing great auto racing moments and absorbing intimate relationships with automobiles immediately makes me recognize this sport as a favourite exhibition.

On the United States Memorial Day weekend of this year, one of the best motor racing stories I had witnessed panned out as a one-off underdog effort Bryan Herta Autosport was wheeled by INDYCAR champion Dan Wheldon. A British open wheel driver who had compiled 15 wins on the IZOD INDYCAR circuit, Wheldon found himself looked over as a full-time series driver taking the ride for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 unsure for his future in racing. Starting 6th at the beginning of the event in the #98 car, the race played out like clockwork for the orange, white and black car steered by Dan Wheldon. In second place on the final lap, leader JR Hildebrand’s costly misjudgement of the fourth and final corner resulted in what is well known in sports as a “Cinderella story”. Used to seeing super teams of Penske Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing taking a majority of race victories through the past several season, the presence of Dan Wheldon and the Bryan Herta Autosport’s #98 race on the winning stage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway brought forth every great qualify of motorsports. A exciting finish in the final seconds of the Indy 500, a winning effort from a team that would not bow to odds and finally a storied driver celebrating victory with his wife and two young children. In a response in post-race for how he would celebrate the race, the family man Dan Wheldon commented, “I’m taking my kids to Disney, taking my kids to Disney. It’s just an incredible day.”

Observing the life around motorsport for all the glory at the Indy 500, I would have never known this weekend’s IZOD INDYCAR Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway were lead such a dramatic shift in emotions. In what was suppose to be a season finale extravaganza called the IZOD INDYCAR World Championship, a crash occurring on turn 1 at lap 12 has become a haunting image so many of us have seen already. Watching the race, I remembered the sight of smoke through an in-car camera view immediately causing me to feel chills. I have witnessed many crashes in auto racing over 15 years but very few have given me such a prompt, eerie feeling. As 34 cars circled a 1.5-mile oval at speeds over 200 miles per hour, the field was left at peril as one car spun. Within a split-second, one spinning car turned into a scene of carbon fiber race car carnage. With 15 cars swept up in this near instant mega accident, many drivers including Will Power, Paul Tracy and JR Hildebrand were violently caught in the wreckage.

As most drivers left their Indy cars following the crash, the condition of the recent Indy 500-winning driver Dan Wheldon was not communicated. Racing as part of a promotion for a 5-million dollar prize to be shared with a registered motorsport fan, the contest was of no concern to fans and everyone part of the IZOD INDYCAR Series as they all waited to hear news on Wheldon. With a medical helicopter lifting the driver to a near-by hospital, there was a moment on the race track where safe crews covered what remained of the #77 car Dan Wheldon was driving. Having watched serious crashes before, seeing a wrecked vehicle covered on track is a telltale sign of something gruesome. Hoping to hear some sort of good news about the Brit, the IZOD INDYCAR announced roughly two hours after the crash that Dan Wheldon had died at the age of 33.

Upon hearing that news, I like many others drew to sadness thinking for the loss of the driver, husband and father. Through every image shown during a long red flag period on ABC television broadcast, the sight of grief-stricken crewmembers and drivers was powerful. In memory of the lost racer, a three-wide drive by 19 cars around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway accompanied was the touching tribute of putting Wheldon’s 77 car number on the scoring pylon. There was an unmistakable sense of sorrow in the air as five final laps were run in Dan Wheldon’s honour before cancelling the event. However, as tough as it was to the drivers to stage this tribute only moments after losing their competitor and friend, the laps in memorial served as a more last memory of the tragic Las Vegas than the massive crash.

Having watched motorsports for 15 years, the loss of Dan Wheldon is an unforgettable situation. I’ve seen the accidents that took the life of open wheel racer Greg Moore and of NASCAR 7-time champion Dale Earnhardt. While I long-admired those drivers and continue to hold them special as race fan, I can’t say any auto racing driver passing in competition is any more or less impacting.

As soon as the news was delivered on Wheldon‘s death, I thought of his wife and their two young children who mourns a great man made bigger off the race track. I send my heartfelt sympathies to those individuals as well as the Wheldon family and friends who lost someone close.

Planned, organized tributes from fellow drivers and sport dignitaries bring light the community track competitors build around themselves. A matrix of human emotions that turned so somber on the announcement of Dan Wheldon’s death began shedding tears and quickly wanting to share condolences. Selfless, some drivers including Tony Kanaan (speaking prior to the formal announcement of Wheldon’s passing) even voiced an apology to race fans that the race was unable to continue as the entire series awaited word on their motorsport comrade. In a way, Dan Wheldon’s spirit will always remain alive in this racing family.

With more than a day passing now since the loss of the 2005 INDYCAR Series champion and two-time Indy 500 race winner, the media chatter is swiftly turning from bidding condolences. Operating under thoughts, angry concerns as well as questioning points out too many race cars on a crowded, fast track, the use of a race promotion for putting Wheldon in a car and the place of open wheel racing on ovals have become talking points. Perhaps an understandable phenomenon as people wish to claim some understanding and later gain some purpose from the current pains of losing a great human being, I personally find these concerns coming too soon to Dan Wheldon’s passing. Feeling as a person and media member is to account this desperately emotional time, in a matter of time I’ll have to join to analysis of the 15-car crash. Maybe these questions will receive answers greater memorializing the driver’s life with a continuing consideration of protecting the late Dan Wheldon’s racing rivals.

In Dan Wheldon‘s words when signing with Target Chip Ganassi Racing after has 2005 INDYCAR title year, the driver commented, “You know, I’m not in this business to come in second, third or fourth; I’m in it to win. That’s why I do it. I love to win, and obviously I love to challenge myself.” Winning on the track as well as in life, anyone who Dan Wheldon’s 33 years of life has touched won having known the gentleman.

Information source: INDYCAR
Photo source: Chris Nagy, Daniel Incandela, INDYCAR, Jim Haines, Michael Levitt

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Since Thomas Edison perfected the electronic light bulb over 130 years ago, our ability of creating artificial illumination has brightened up the coldness of night. An evolution especially important as the automobile progressed, vehicle lighting has taken strides in becoming brighter and more efficient. At first existing as clumsy lanterns, electric lighting quickly emerged in the time of the motor vehicle reach global acceptance. From tungsten to halogen headlight bulbs, the recent phase apparent is HID (High Intensity Discharge) which uses xenon gas to bring a near perfect white light to the road at about one-third of the power needed for a halogen setup. However, as HID headlamps are coming of age, a new challenge coming from full LED lighting systems (equipped on the Audi A8). Appearing that a competition between HID and LED headlamps is now foreseen on the horizon, a future automotive lighting solution could be found in lasers.

Sounding like something from a space fiction movie, two auto companies ahead of the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show flooded the idea of super-powered vehicle lighting. BMW as well as Audi debuted concept cars expressing, among many potential design and technology themes, laser-based lighting.

Creating a more stir with their BMW i division, the Stuttgart-based automotive powerhouse BMW brought the upcoming brand’s concept vehicles to Frankfurt exhibition. Displaying the i3 and i8 concept cars, the latter BMW design incorporates the shining innovation of laser diode headlamps. Embodied in a styling reminiscent of BMW design DNA and the new electrified vehicle image the German auto manufacturer seeks to advertise, the laser lights projected a blue aura of 1700 lumens. While producing a light as much as a thousand times brighter than a LED, the BMW i8 Concept’s laser headlamp layout claims to operate with under one-half the energy of a comparable LED setup.

While the BMW i concept car lured much of the attention by projecting a future where laser diodes will be trusted upon for primary lighting, Audi’s A2 Concept also presented the advantages of laser illumination. Part of the electrified concept car’s comprehensive range of lighting, the Audi A2 show vehicle features a rear fog light consisting of laser diodes. Perhaps lost in the flowing arrangement of LEDs on the Audi concept car, the red triangle lit by laser-produced was promoted as a powerful warning light for following vehicles.

In concept form on the BMW i8 and Audi A2 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the first major automotive display of laser lighting could pose a road to production that far exceeds the projection of brightness. A major task guaranteeing the widespread application of laser diode lighting rests in calming public perception behind this particular kind of artificially generated light. The reckless uses of certain lasers have made fears the radical headlight beams can cause harm to those exposed. On the system exhibited on the BMW i8 Concept, the auto company quickly pacifies safety concerns by insuring that the pure laser light is not emitted from the headlight system. When the laser light is created, a fluorescent phosphor material processes the brightness into a safe, usable light for the road.

Another challenge in the United States has been the relatively slow adaptation of new technology compared to other world markets. As Asian and European countries allowed the aerodynamic glass and plastic covering over headlights since the 1960s, United States automotive safety bodies rejected the intentions to bring the more stylistic illumination solution. It was not until 1983 when the US Department of Transportation finally permitted automakers to depart from the traditional sealed beam light bulbs. Later in 1997, the first American car to feature HID headlights was Lincoln Mark VIII came 7 years after BMW’s debut of the lighting solution on European 7 Series.

Converting dark into light, the importance of recognizing the best in automotive illumination will ultimately favour the everyday motorist once the conceptual stage is traveled. It will be seen if laser diode lighting will throw light on the roadways of the future.

Information and photo source: Audi AG, BMW

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In the 1950s, most auto company has defined safety features in a more simplistic way. Instead of engineering handling the safety aspects of a vehicle, carmakers tragically left the progression of safety to automotive stylist. Over decades, safety has evolved from being a laughing matter to a realistic intent for saving lives of motorists and passengers. Anti-lock brakes, airbags, electronic stability and better vehicle construction have been effective in reducing deadly accidents to a series of whiplash compensation claims.

With all the great innovations created to protect vehicle occupants and pedestrians, sometimes the quest for safe driving has taken a wrong turn. The following are four leading examples of automotive safety equipment set on a collision course for failure.

Chrysler’s Electronic Voice Alert

In an age where computer technology delighted a first generation of youngsters with Pac Man, one auto company’s idea for modern safety involved treating experienced motorists like a teenager driving their family’s car for the first time with an obsessive parent. Evolving loosely from the early 1980s Speak & Spell education toy, Electronic Voice Alert provided audio messages in addition to the vehicle information center (aka. dashboard warning lights).

Introduced on the upscale K-car models including 1983 Chrysler LeBaron and Dodge 600, the Electronic Voice Alert system was initially admired for its ability to promote safe driving as computer voice warnings were given to buckle seat belts or insure doors were closed. Incorporated in higher scale vehicle in the Chrysler line-up, the Electronic Voice Alert quickly earned a reputation for diminishing the driving experience with the repeated voice warnings. The constant instruction from the Electronic Voice Alert ended up being more of a nuisance than an advantage leading to the discontinuation of the feature after the 1988 model year.

Cadillac Night Vision

Applying military-inspired technology into automobiles is far from a new phenomenon. Finding a widespread citizen use for advances in night vision equipment, the beginning of the 21st century was to witness the vision of objects more clearly in minimum light conditions.

A highlight feature added to the 2000 Cadillac DeVille, General Motors installed the Night Vision system into the full-sized luxury car trying to infuse life to a rather dreary Cadillac division after the 1990s. Operating through a camera mounted behind the grille of the Cadillac sedan, the Night Vision view broadcasted onto the DeVille’s windshield. Allowing views at night to be highlighted in a monochromatic black and white display, the system demonstrated effectiveness on the Cadillac DeVille but failed to win over buyers. The fact the Cadillac DeVille’s Night Vision system was a most expensive $2,000 option did not entice Cadillac luxury seekers forcing the brand to drop the advanced safety unit after the 2004 model year.

Not working for Cadillac, the notion of car-based night vision systems is not an extinct piece of automotive safety technology. Still restricted to luxury vehicles, version of night vision are currently found on the Lexus LS sedan as well as certain Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Rear-Engined Cars

Accepted largely as a design feature created in the interests of practicality or performance, rear-engined vehicles were briefly promoted by auto makers in the late 1940s and 1950s as a safety feature. The safety theory of a rear-mounted powerplant car was to put the dangers of engine fires behind the passenger compartment. If an engine fire would occur at speed, the flames and fumes would not rush into the cabin. In During the post World War 2 era, several high-profile American auto brands sought to master the rear engine configuration.

The 1948 Tucker Torpedo was one rear-mounted powerplant car built around a vehicle that would be seen ahead of its time for multiple safety features. In a lesser-known concept, Kaiser-Fraser Motors featured a rear-engined sedan they believed would be the future of American motoring. Clearly, that future was not realized. At least in a safety aspect, rear-mounted powerplant would not prove itself as a safer alternative to conventional front engined automobiles. The highly publicized campaign against the Chevrolet Corvair pointing at the rear-engined compact’s alleged handling issue did not help.

Automatic Seat Belts

In 1972, Volkswagen engineers began to experiment with a technology that would automatically apply the vehicle safety belt too many drivers continued to avoid. For American driver up to 1979, it seemed that the only way to improve driver seat belt usage was to strap the safety device to their wrist. Mandatory on new vehicles sold in the United States since 1968, a 1983 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration authored by B.M. Phillips found that only 11 percent of drivers were using safety belts. While those numbers of seat belt usage was troubling, the automatic seat belt was a safety solution that did more harm than good.

When the automatic seat belt reached production, the only effective way the system would work was to allow only the shoulder belt to be applied to the driver requiring the driver to still buckle a lap restraint. With only part of the safety restraint engaged, the driver improper usage of the automatic seat belt system compromised protection in an accident. There was also an issue automatic seat belts were rigged on the venerable doorframe rather than a sturdier roof B-pillar.

During the late 1980s, the United States Department of Transportation buoyed the cause of automatic seat belts by allowing automakers to install the devices in new vehicle as an alternative to more expensive driver-side airbags. Naturally, penny-pinching auto company executives during this era attempted to adapt the automatic seat belt hastily in production vehicles. Volkswagen and Jaguar products as well as the Honda Accord were examples employing the automatic seat belt technology during its brief popularity. As time progressed, the automatic seat belt was considered a safety gimmick gone bad and was abolished from new cars as of the mid-1990s in favour of airbags.

Information source: General Motors, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, United States Department of Transportation
Photo source: Chrysler Group, General Motors, Honda, Volkswagen

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With potential obstacles in the road, care-free pedestrians, oblivious animals and incompetent fellow road users; it is important to remain focused on the road ahead and concentrate at all times.

Unfortunately, with technological gadgets becoming a larger presence in our lives there are now far more things to distract us when we are behind the wheel. This was confirmed by a recent survey which was carried out by price comparison company MoneySupermarket, which revealed that ten biggest distractions that are currently faced by motorists.

10. Tweeting on Twitter

Just creeping into the top ten is social networking website Twitter, with 1% of the motorists surveyed admitting to having ‘tweeted’ while driving.

The dangers of this can not be underestimated, with celebrity plastic surgeon Dr Frank Ryan alleged to have lost control of his car and plunged off a cliff in Malibu while tweeting about his dog. Dr Ryan was not lucky enough to be able learn from his mistake, but perhaps it can serve as a warning to others.

9. Updating Facebook

With an alleged 175 million users around the world, it is perhaps unsurprising that Facebook was named as one of the biggest motoring distractions. Despite this, only 2% of motorists admitted to having updated their Facebook profiles while driving.

Unfortunately this is likely to be more a reflection of the number of motorists who own phones with social networking applications. It can therefore be expected that Facebook will only get higher up on this list in the coming years…that is unless Google Plus gains the upper hand.

8. Cosmetics and appearance

Vanity is not in short supply with motorists according to this survey, with 5% admitting to having applied make-up/aftershave/perfume or generally refining their appearance in the mirror while driving.

Motorists considering this may want to remember that they won’t look to good if they are involved in an accident either.

7. Sleeping

Brace yourself…5% of those surveyed admitted that they had dozed off while driving. This is a terrifying statistic, with road safety groups having spent millions on advertising campaigns warning of the dangers of driving while suffering from fatigue.

If you suddenly feel sleepy while in the middle of a long journey, do not think that you don’t have any options other than to fight on; with a number of road side hotels offering cheap accommodation to motorists who are on the look out for a couple of hours sleep before continuing their travels.

6. Texting

With the social networking applications which are available on phones having helped Facebook and Twitter make it onto the top ten list; it is unsurprising to find that texting has also made an appearance with 16% of drivers admitting to this offence.

5. Being a ‘busy-body’

21% of motorists admitted to having taken their attention off the road in order to examine an incident involving other road users; hence increasing the chance of being involved in an accident themselves.

4. Phone calls

Mobile phones have been responsible for half of the distractions which have been named so far (Facebook, Tweeting and texting). This is therefore just another one to add onto the list, with 23% of those surveyed admitting to having made or received phone calls while behind the wheel.

This act will not be viewed favourably by law enforcers, with fines of up to $500 possible in some areas.

3. Eating

Over half of us have eaten while driving according to the results of this survey. This is perhaps unsurprising given our increasingly hectic lifestyles, with Facebook groups having been set up for people who openly admit to eating breakfast on their way to work every morning.

2. Drinking

In at two is drinking, but not of the alcoholic variety. 51% of the survey respondents admitted to having taken a hand off the wheel/gear-stick/hand-brake in order to consume a soft drink.

Not only does it take your attention off the road and reduce your overall control of the vehicle; but it would also make a terrible mess of your interior if you were to be involved in an accident.

1. Music

The statement from the famous song “music makes the people come to together” appears to be surprisingly apt in this case, with 61% of motorists surveyed admitting to having found themselves being distracted while driving by music in their car.

This has been a problem for many years thanks to radios and CD/cassette players; but is perhaps even more concerning now with more and more motorists choosing to use their iPods to play music in cars.

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3. Auto History’s Biggest Safety Feature Follies

I would bet that more than a few of our gearhead readers out there in Automoblog-land are track-tards. C’mon, you know who you are. You didn’t buy that M3 or that 300ZX Twin-Turbo as a commuter car. And is that a set of mounted slicks I see in the back of your garage there? And I’d also bet that more than a few of you out there also ride motorcycles, car nuts and bike nuts do cross over.

Or to boil this all down further: I bet a lot of you out there have to screw around with helmets of some sort or another. No, I’m not going to go off on a helmet law screed (it’s your head, so I got to agree with Crowley: The whole of the [helmet] law is: “Do what thou wilt.”), but something popped up on the nets which seems like a good deal for all of us out there that, for one reason or another, do have to wear helmets from time to time.

Besides being generally uncomfortable, there are two main pains with using a helmet: Putting them on and taking them off. And if you wear glasses, this can be even a bigger pain (I remember seeing a video of Bobby Rahal putting on his helmet in one swift motion WHILE he had his glasses on. How he did it without crushing his glasses to his face still puzzles me). And there’s another facet to the second part of that that has huge safety implications. How do you get a motorcycle helmet off of someone’s head if they’ve been in an accident?

I have a sticker on the back of my lid that says something along the lines of ‘do NOT remove helmet unless you know what you’re doing.’ It makes total sense. The last thing a person with zero medical training (let alone trauma training) should do when they come upon an injured helmet wearer is be wrenching the thing off of their head. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it could make a bad situation turn catastrophic.

But now there’s this outfit called Voztec who are working on a helmet that has what they call a “rear access system” that looks quite interesting, both in terms of ease of use, and also safety. I’ve seen a design like this before used in space shuttle helmets, and it struck me as a good idea at the time, and now it seems like Voztec want to take their version to the general market.

Using the rear access door, the rider/driver puts their melon into the lid and then the door clamps shut behind them. If something goes wrong and you actually have to USE the helmet rather than WEAR it, the helmet can be removed from the person’s skull without having to torque the victims neck, spinal cord, nerves muscles and such this way and that like you’re trying to loosen a drumstick.

Voztec has grand plans with this new design of theirs. They planned to offer models for motorsports, horseback riding, snow spots, firefighters and the military. Hey, a market’s a market, and that money don’t grow on trees, and besides, I think taking care of brains is a good idea, generally speaking. Voztec is even working on a concept design for an NFL version of their helmet.

It’s not out yet though. The version you see here and in the video is the fifth prototype Voztec has developed. It’s presently undergoing testing by a third party. Personally, I hope it turns out the way they want it to and they release it onto the market. The more the merrier I say, when it comes to stuff like keeping your brain healthy.

Source: Autoblog

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3. Auto History’s Biggest Safety Feature Follies

As one of my earliest contributions to Automoblog.net, I compiled a fun article outline one of the more unusual automotive-related laws passed by local, state and even federal governments. An amusing compilation of road rules as well as driving regulations, the first list included a fair share of outdated laws demonstrating everything from old-fashioned chauvinism towards female drivers to some outright outrageous usages of firearms.

While the last list dealt with offenses that are repelled, unenforced or superseded by current highway laws, many of the regulations compelled in this assortment is for the large part still active.

Self-Serve Fuel Filling Stations Prohibited

Place of Jurisdiction: Oregon, New Jersey

For drivers in the states other than Oregon and New Jersey, motorists eagerly seek self-service gas stations as a way to be less gouged by prices at the pumps. Keeping in mind the problem was not caused by the station attendants and staff who may be barely making effort to keep fuel in their vehicles, the quest to save a few cents a gallon at any time causes many to veer towards self-service. While almost every case of refueling a vehicle is uneventful, the potential of accidents in the filling process is higher at self-service stations than at attended full service gas stations. It is for this reason the two states are said to restrict drivers to only full service as they argue it reduces the liability insurance of the filling stations. However, many opponents argue the savings on liability insurance is offset by the additional labour cost. The preservation of those gas station workers’ jobs is another reason the states of Oregon and New Jersey are lobbied to maintain the full-service only rule.

Black Cars Cannot be Driven on Sunday

Place of Jurisdiction: Colorado (Denver)

When buying a vehicle, motorists in Denver, Colorado could want to avert from purchasing a black car. At least according to an odd but largely unenforced law, it was stated to be an offense to driving a black automobile during Sunday. While a black car is a preference by most people, some religious faithful would be house-stricken on a Sunday. While many of us associate Mennonites with horse-drawn carriages, many actually possess automobiles. For some of those motorized Mennonites, they preserve their beliefs by purchasing only black vehicles.

Pickup Trucks Cannot be Parked in Driveway of Home

Place of Jurisdiction: Florida (Cape Coral)

In the community of Cape Coral, Florida, it was once against the law a non-home owner from parking a pickup truck on a driveway or in the streets. Cape Coral repelled the law in 2000 but some pickup truck owners should beware that some homeowner associations in Florida are still enforcing this rule.

It’s Illegal to Lock Your Keys in your Cars

Place of Jurisdiction: Australia, United Kingdom, Switzerland

Referenced on the website www.motors.co.uk, the forgetful act of locking your car keys in the vehicle could result in more than just embarrassment. If a driver leaves their vehicle while the locks are left inside, the motorist could be cited for leaving their vehicle unattended. In a related dumb law existing in the state of Oregon, it is against the law to leave a vehicle door open longer in necessary.

It’s Illegal to Run Out of Gas

Place of Jurisdiction: Germany (Autobahn), Youngtown, Ohio

Sounding like another insult to injury law in the spirit of the punishable restrictions against locking keys in a car, this law has the better interests of road safety in mind. A non-moving motor vehicle could anything from a nuisance to a complete hazard for other drivers. On what is probably the world’s most famous roadway, Germany’s Autobahn is absolutely a thrilling spot when you are able to open up a BMW M3 or Porsche 911. However, if a motorist runs out of fuel on the roadway it creates a very dangerous circumstance for the stopped vehicles as well as for other drivers. By making it an offense to run out of fuel the government hopes drivers will monitor fuel gauges with more diligence. A similar law also exists on elevated roads or ‘skyways’ in some places including parts of Ontario, Canada.

Information source: The Dumb Network, www.motors.co.uk
Photo source: Ford Motor Company

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It was 50 years ago that a book authored by lawyer and public safety activist Ralph Nader caused people to observe the automobile as a risky piece of everyday life. Titled Unsafe at Any Speed, Nader’s book shined a light on various issues of vehicle safety including the rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair. Though the Corvair’s stability was actively disputed by the auto manufacturer and even in court, Ralph Nader did shine light on other aspect of unsafe automotive design practices. Since 1966, NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has committed itself to assure automotive safety standards would be enacted and policed.

For those involved in a serious car accident, survival of all is the desired outcome. According to a 2009 Traffic Safety Facts Annual Report, the measures to protect road users appears to be making a massive impact on what has been a very mobile public in the United States. In 1980, there was an all-time high total of 51,091 deaths measured in United States car crashes leading to a fatality rate of 35.16 per 100,000 motorists. In 2008, the fatality had dropped by almost 28 percent even while there are 50,000,000 more licensed drivers on the roadways compared to 1980.

While the survivability rates in United States car crashes allows more and more individuals to handle post-collision such as a compensation calculator, the loss of lives is still a solid reason why the NHTSA has continued to press safety for vehicles and roadway. Already successfully pushing the mandate for electronically stability control to be fitted to all production vehicles, the NHTSA is now assessing other electronic technologies. Testing the effectiveness of lane departure and other crash detection assist systems, the newest line of vehicle occupant protection is going to involve more active roles for computer-aided accident avoidance.

Lane migration and crash avoidance systems are becoming the latest step forward in on-board, high-tech automobile safety. One of the more monumental systems introduced to production is was the Full Auto Brake system available on the Volvo S60. The NHTSA will be studying the effectiveness of this or similar collision avoidance systems in order to create standards and testing criteria which can be used to evaluate future vehicles.

With 53 percent of fatal car accidents involving impact with another vehicle, automotive engineers and computer technologists realize the newest layer in accident avoidance is to educate the cars. Explored by many auto manufacturers like the Ford Motor Company, vehicle to vehicle communication technology expands electronic assist programs to effectively react to each other. Convening automotive and transportation minds in two California events almost two months ago, Ford exhibited vehicle communication technology using in-car Wi-Fi to relay driving information. Having the ability of perhaps relieving traffic congestion and better optimization of fuel consumption, a Wi-Fi enabled vehicle communication system is also has potentially positive implications for safer roads.

Allowing vehicles to notify following vehicles of trouble areas, car-to-car communication solutions gives vehicles a chance to not just react but anticipate changes or hazards one the approaching roads. Ford and the NHTSA is also bullish on the usage of active vehicle communications to greatly reduce drunk driving (an impairment connected to a recorded 32 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2009) In a 2010 report published by the NHTSA, vehicle communication could prevent up to 81 percent of impaired driving. Through further research by the NHTSA, the agency will study how vehicle communications could be structured safely and effectively on future roads.

With no amount of whiplash compensation around to overcome the shocking and horrible memories of a major traffic accident where injury is involved, the work of auto manufacturers and the NHTSA has insured fewer of those collisions ending in fatality. Continuing work in the arena of safety will work assuring more people will realize the adage “the only good accident is an accident that never happened.”

Information source: Ford Motor Company, NHTSA
Photo source: Ford Motor Company

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3. Auto History’s Biggest Safety Feature Follies

Automoblog main man Chris sent me an interesting email over the weekend. I looked at the pictures, and my first thought was of a guy who had a motorized barstool at a hot rod run I attended once, long ago. A non-gearhead friend of mine asked, in total shock, “Can you motorize something like that?”

“Of course! You can put a motor in anything!” How could I say anything else? You inhabit this machine world long enough, and that becomes far too apparent. Motorized barstools seemed to be just the beginning. Take a look at what some crazies in California have accomplished: Motorized, wheeled bumper cars. And, judging by the license plates, the Golden State has no problem licensing them for use on the public roadways.

On the one hand, the (un-attributed) accompanying text states that ” … a couple have been measured as capable of 160 MPH, which is terrifyingly fast in machines with such a short wheelbase.” Which is indeed terrifying, but not all that unthinkable, given that the bumper cars you see here are motivated by four cylinder Honda or Kawasaki 750s. The move to JDM plants was provoked by the original engines, two cylinder Harley Davidsons, ” … rattled like heck because of the two cylinder vibration … ” according to someone referred to simply as “Tom”.

We can only surmise that “Tom” is the mater, er, “mind” behind this craziness. There are allusions in the email that the bumper cars were recovered from some place called the Long Beach Pike amusement park located “in the outskirts of San Diego” and that “Tom” felt the old, disused bumper cars “needed a more dignified end than the trash heap.” On that I can agree. I’m a firm believer in keeping things based on their aesthetic value alone. If they have some artistic, cultural or motivational value, then so much the better.

I’m not really troubled by that, or even the (alarmingly successful) fact that they got license plates hung on them. That’s great. That’s part of the fine hot rod tradition that makes being an American gearhead so, well, I’ll go with unique and special, yeah, unique and special, that’s it.

What troubles me is the “engineering” that I can make out from the supplied photos. The craftsmanship looks top notch, and not just the body and paint, but the chassis tubes and shock and brake installs look rather well done. And yes, I’ll interject that simply adding brakes onto these guys gives me a certain amount of comfort. It shows that this “Tom” fellow is only certifiable, and not suicidal.

Anyway, is it just me, or does the roll-center and the center of gravity seem a tad high for something that has ” … been measured as capable of 160 MPH?” Sure, sure, that’s probably in a straight line, but I’d be hesitant to whip a quick u-ee in one of these guys doing 16 MPH, let alone something much faster. And although those brakes do seem rather nicely done, I’m sure that standing on the loud pedal for a block, whoa-ing one of these little critter up and hanging a 90 degree left would be an iffy proposition.

Then again, that is, in a lot of ways, the essence of hot rodding. Ever driven or ridden along in the passenger seat of a blown big block T Bucket? I have. And they are not the most directionally stable modes of transportation you can get. But that, as we all know, is what makes it “fun”.

And I bet, when all is said and done, that driving one of these down to the cruise in or swap meet or that appointment with your clinical psychologist is a whole lot of fun. I just wish I could have been at the DMV when “Tom” and his buddies brought these in to get them licensed.

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Her idea boils down to this: Stop signs plainly don’t make sense for people on two wheels, and cyclists should be allowed to ignore them.

Mia Birk is the president of the consulting firm Alta Planning + Design, which focuses on bike issues and is based in Portland, Oregon, a very bike friendly town. But Portland also seems to be a city loaded with pragmatists, and this strikes me as being a manifestly dim and bone-headed idea.

“You see, stop signs are placed at intersections to keep two-ton vehicles from crashing into each other. One- to two-hundred-pound riders on bicycles do not need to come to a complete stop to avoid serious injury. While stop signs are an efficient and effective way to delineate right of way for motorists, cyclists need something different,” Birk wrote in the Portland Tribune.

Get it? Stop signs simply don’t make sense for people on two wheels.

Birk continued, “don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating for throwing out the rule book. When we bike, we should stop and remain stopped for all traffic signals. And when we drive, we should slow down, hang up, yield to cyclists and pedestrians, and chill out. In other words, we can all behave better.”

Right Mia, right. But I see a few flaws in your reasoning.

First off, there’s your assertion that ” One- to two-hundred-pound riders on bicycles do not need to come to a complete stop to avoid serious injury.” Right, sure. One- to two-hundred-pound riders on bicycles do not need to come to a complete stop if they might, possibly, bump into another one- to two-hundred-pound rider on a bicycle. Bumping into another bike at five miles an hour is not nearly as grizzly a proposition as blowing through a stop sign and getting hit by a two ton SUV operated by a distracted mom who just dropped off a couple of her bratty kids at soccer and is now in the middle of a heated conversation with her husband, via cell phone, over what will constitute dinner for tonight. Or perhaps the cyclist would have a nice, mechanical conversation with a six-ton delivery truck doing 30 MPH.

And then there’s this: ” While stop signs are an efficient and effective way to delineate right of way for motorists, cyclists need something different.” Yeah, I think any oil-soaked gearhead might be able to quibble with the efficiency and effectiveness of stop signs – anyone who is stuck at a four-way stop while two dingus motorists try to decide who is going to be nicest and let the other one go has seen just how inefficient and ineffective stop signs can be (although maybe that’s just blaming abysmally poor driving habits on the sign rather than the drivers). No, it’s the ” cyclists need something different”. Oh? They do? Why? Could you enumerate as to why this should be Mia? She doesn’t, really, just takes as true and continues on from there.

“When we bike, we should stop and remain stopped for all traffic signals. And when we drive, we should slow down, hang up, yield to cyclists and pedestrians, and chill out. In other words, we can all behave better.” Yeah, right, hard to fault that and yes, ” we can all behave better,” but that door swings both ways Mz. Birk. I’ve given up counting the number of times I’ve seen bikes do downright stupid and dangerous things let alone show behavior patterns more aligned with toddlers on Big Wheels.

Share the road means just that: Share. Cars got to give a little, but bikes have to share as well. That doesn’t mean, to give just one example, that a cyclist should be able to blithely ride down the middle of a lane doing 15 miles an hour, hold up a dozen cars, and when the road finally widens snarl at the passing cars, “I have the right to use the whole lane y’know!”

Yeah, and I have the right to drink and carry a gun, but that doesn’t make staggering into a bowling alley and using an AK to help pick out my shoes a good idea.

But this is the line that really stood out to me: ” … don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating for throwing out the rule book.”

No, what you’re advocating is having a different set of rules for cyclists than for cars and that is manifestly dangerous. Think about this for a second, and you could see how this would start to look like the chariot race from Ben Hur by the end of the first day.

Say you’re the aforementioned harried soccer mom (or the delivery truck driver). Say that you are actually driving okay, you’re paying attention to the road, you’re driving down the boulevard at 30 MPH (the posted speed limit) and then WHAM! A cyclist has just blown through a stop sign because that stop sign doesn’t apply to them, and they are now all over your grill and windshield like a deer that just bounded out of the woods at the wrong moment.

Cops are called. Ambulances and fire trucks arrive. The remains of the biker are carted away in the back of a dark blue panel van and now the driver has to deal with the cop trying to explain that what the cyclist did was okay, just fine, well within the letter of the law and that it was the driver that was at fault and will now be held liable.

Did Mia Birk not even think it through that far? Did she not even clock to the fact of the obvious negative impact, not just to cyclists (which she seems to think would only benefit from a move like this) but to motorists, the health care system as well as the judicial system?

No, it would seem she didn’t.

It seems that she gave this idea about as much thought as the cyclist that says to themselves, ‘I have the right of way, that semi truck should know that.’ Before they pull out in front of a big rig driven by a guy at the end of another 19 hour day on the road and his bennies are starting to wear off and he’ll barely register the THUMP before he wearily pulls over and will later say to the investigating officer, “Man, I dunno. He just pulled right out in front of me. There wasn’t any time to react, let alone stop.”

Source: Seattle P.I. Photo from Flikr user Jimbohayz

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Ryan Dunn, one of Johnny Knoxville’s Jackass crew, and his passenger died in a crash outside of Philadelphia early this morning.

I could be cynical and say, “What a surprise!” but I won’t.

As one of the sidekick members of Jackass brigade, Dunn was partially responsible for bringing the world one step closer actually being like the movie “Idiocracy”. C’mon, who do you think Mike Judge based the most popular television show, “Ow! My Balls!” in the movie on? Knoxville et al. Or at least that’s my guess. So it seems rather unsurprising that a member of the Jackass retinue would buy the farm by stuffing his Porsche GT3 into a bunch of trees while traveling at triple digit speeds.

Yes, the photo you see above was taken at the scene of the one-car accident that happened in West Goshen, Pa. around 3:30 AM Monday morning, is all that remained of the GT3 when police and fire crews pulled it out of a grove of trees earlier today. Before that, Dunn’s ride looked like this:

At first, the police said they didn’t know whether the 34-year-old Dunn, or the then unidentified person was driving the car. Nor did the authorities know whether alcohol was to blame. But, ironically or maybe just coincidentally, Dunn did tweet the following picture from his Tumblr account hours before his death:

Sure, it could have been a Coke or an iced tea.

The NBC affiliate in Philadelphia reported that “The Porsche shot through about 40 yards of trees before it hit the last one and exploded into flames, according to police.” Which pretty much means that if the impacts (either the final one or the many previous jolts after passing through 120 feet of trees) didn’t kill Dunn and passenger, then the explosion and resulting fire sure as hell did.

MTV, parent network of the Jackass TV series (and producer of the movie spin offs) said, “We’re deeply saddened by the passing of a member of the MTV family, Ryan Dunn. Our hearts and thoughts are with his friends and family.” MTV did this via Twitter, of course. Which is both highly meta and highly ironic, because nothing says, ” deeply saddened” like a 140 character limit.

Now, one could get all moralistic about “what this says about our culture” and “speed kills” and “the wages of sin” and all that, but I will leave that up to the seemingly endless supply of people whose job it is to be morally outraged at something, anything.

What can be said though, is that Dunn seriously overcooked it in a place where the price for doing so was going to be plenty high. Like Clint Eastwood said as Dirty Harry applies (as well as to all things automotive): “A man has got to know his limitations.”

Sure, sure, you could say that this sort of behavior – going stonking fast – should be reserved for the track, and the track only. Which is all well and good and true, but tell me, who of you out there with a Porsche or a Vette or some other such ride, always, always, always follow every rule of the road at all times? Hands? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Right.

The point of doing things like this is knowing when and where you can get away with it. What will happen if, say, I lose it right at this spot in the road doing, let’s say for the sake of argument, 10 MPH over the limit? Well try not to show that you’re the next best thing to Rick Mears if there’s a grove of trees on the outside of a corner. Or if it’s wet … or icy … or, well you get the idea.

Source: Jalopnik

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Even though the auto industry has been affected by the global economic downturn, car manufacturers are still finding ways to offer consumers affordable vehicles that are both efficient and technologically advanced. An abundance of safety features, communication devices, electronics and fuel efficient engines are becoming standard commodities on many models. When purchasing a car with these advanced features, always make sure that whoever you’re doing business with has met the necessary insurance, auto dealer bond and other licensing requirements to guarantee that your investment is protected.

Hands Free Technology

As we spend more and more time in our cars, new developments help drivers stay connected and productive by allowing customizable driving experiences. Kia’s UVO, Ford’s Sync and the MyLincoln Touch are just a few of the new in-vehicle communication and entertainment systems that allow drivers hands-free, voice-activated control of plug-in devices such as USB sticks, PDAs, MP3 players and Bluetooth technology.

Plug-in Hybrids

With gas prices on the rise yet again, new generation gas-electric hybrids offer alternative power solutions to consumers. The 2011 Toyota Prius and 2011 Chevy Volt both offer plug-in capability, which means that their batteries can be recharged with a 110-volt outlet. Drivers who use a plug-in hybrid can save a significant amount of money at the pump while simultaneously gaining a much better overall fuel economy.

Diesel Engine Technology

Since hybrid cars require high initial investments, an alternative solution is to purchase a car with a diesel engine. Diesel engines have not always been a popular option, but modern variations provide extremely high fuel economy, quality, durability and improved power delivery. Two examples include the updated VW Golf and BMW 330d, as both top 40 mpg.

Driver Assistance

Most new car models come with safety features known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). These features assist drivers through blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warnings and night vision. The purpose of these features is to prevent accidents by taking control of the car away from the driver in times of emergency.

New Safety Innovations

In case an accident cannot be prevented, some 2011 model cars are equipped with innovative safety features. A current standard includes side-torso bags, which are airbags that protect occupants from side impacts. Other safety features include rollover protection for SUVs and inflatable seat belts that add to the comfort and overall safety of drivers.

No matter which of these technological advances you value most, be sure to do your research when looking to purchase a new car. Vehicles that have a lot of bells and whistles tend to cost more, and you want to make sure that you’re not taken advantage of by an unruly auto dealer.

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Entrusted with maintaining a vehicle’s fluid rolling and supplying traction when most necessary, the four tires on an automobile are burdened with considerable chore in transporting us from point A to point B. Changing significantly in size, construction and performance, today’s tires can last up to 80,000 miles on a vehicle depending on driving habits as well as maintenance. However, even after 100 years, the infamous tire puncture is still a susceptibility that drivers must endure. A puncture will eventually cause a tire to lose air pressure affecting handling, fuel economy and even safety of the connected vehicle. At the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2011 in Berlin (global sustainability event where the Porsche Boxster E appeared), the famous French tire company exhibited a tire technology that could provide instant aid against punctures.

Promoted as the world’s first self-repairing tire, Michelin has created a unique rubber compound engineered to immediately plug minor tire pressure leaks. So quick in repairing a leak, the tire’s puncture is sealed before even a minute amount of air has escaped. Preventing air the air from venting, the self-repairing Michelin tire will retain its performance as well as its handling properties. Besides the different composition, the Michelin self-repairing tire does not exhibit any negative effects on overall longevity of the rubber compound, safety or fuel economy. Michelin actually promotes the self-repairing tire technology as an environmental solution since it prevents the need for some replacement tires. The Michelin self-repairing tire can also be another incentive for automakers to forego the traditional spare tire. The Chevrolet Cruze and the Nissan Leaf are some current cars already absent an on-board spare tire.

According to their information, Michelin says on average in Europe a tire puncture occurs once every 75,000 kilometers (roughly 46,603 miles). Though Michelin did not release any numbers for tire punctures in the United States, the company did indicate what must be their likely market for a self-repairing tire compound. In parts of Asia, puncturing of a tire is said to happen after just 3,000 kilometers (around 1,864 miles). Since the Asian market is a major growth area in the global automotive economy, the potential of preventing constant puncture repairs could be as significant as the growth of radial-ply tires in the 1960s and 1970s.

Though the self-repairing tire would prove incredibly convenient for upstanding everyday drivers, there might be an issue with such a tire innovation when a police pursuit needs to be concluded. The current spike strip police use in ending prolonged or potentially dangerous driver pursuits could prove much less effective if a tire can reseal itself after running over nails. The deployment of tires using Michelin’s technology will likely require law enforcement authorities to rethink pursuit tactics and/or tools to ending chases.

Without being named for production, the self-repairing tire technology was part of Michelin’s display of potential automotive innovations. Other ideas proposed by Michelin during the 2011 edition of the Challenge Bibendum was a radically small but lightweight 10-inch wheel and tire combination as well as a longer 19-inch diameter designed to optimize automotive hybrid drive systems.

Information source: Michelin Group
Photo Source: Michelin via Newspress UK

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