1970 was a terrifying time to drive a car if you were a woman, just ask Goodyear. The manly tire company approved this ad which let American men know that its Polyglass tire would keep the little woman safe, even if she had to drive to the airport…alone! Slide over lady; let a man take the wheel.
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A strange yet nearly practical idea from designer Hanyoung Lee, this virtual wall could spell the way forward for increased pedestrian safety in large urban centers.
The virtual barrier is created using a plasma laser that, while not strong enough to damage humans or vehicles, provides a stunningly powerful visual effect that would seem to effectively communicate where vehicles should stop before crosswalks. The wall would clearly indicate to cars when and where to stop by projecting the laser “walkers” exactly where the crosswalk begins, making it easier for cars to see than the current system of stripes painted on the pavement (though we’d guess it to be abjectly more expensive as well).
Making the whole operation more plausible is the idea that the same laser walls could be used to project advertisements while commuters wait. Check out some renderings of the concept in our gallery below.
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Smart’s Fortwo minicar received top marks in a U.S. government side-impact crash test, despite the car’s driver-side door opening during the simulation.
The Fortwo scored five out of five stars for side impact crashes, while earning four stars for drivers and three starts for passengers during head-on impacts. While the problem of the opening door wasn’t enough to mar the perfect rating for Smart, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did note, “A door opening during a side impact crash increases the likelihood of occupant ejection.”
Smart has been selling the Fortwo about as fast as they can bring them into the country, with the American public seeming more and more receptive to small, fuel efficient vehicles. Roger Penske of the Penske Automotive Group recently said that he could sell as many as 15,000 more units than the 25,000 Fortwos he has been allocated for this year.
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Motorcycle gear manufacturer Dainese has been testing a new air bag suit which deploys to protect a rider’s upper body. Specifically, the D-Air suit protects areas that are usually left unprotected by traditional safety means, such as the collarbone, neck, and shoulders. While other air systems have been developed, Dainese claims their model is above and beyond the competition due to the fact that the entire unit is mounted on the rider’s shoulders and back.
It takes only 40 milliseconds for the suit to deploy, but it’s not triggered from the bike itself. The rider’s suit is loaded with accelerometers and gyroscopes. A computer makes sense of an “event” and deploys the bag before the rider hits the ground.
Click through to see a video of the suit in action during a race.
It seems like almost a daily occurrence for news out of Hollywood to be peppered with tales of celebrities making bad decisions regarding drinking and driving. Mostly they just choose to do it far too often.
It’s that tendency towards wanton behavior that makes a new idea by music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs seem so sensible. Saying that he would like to “make sure everyone’s partying responsibly,” Combs is planning to launch a car service to ferry celebs from the club to their homes. Though we mortals might think that a taxi or even limousine service should be all that sloshed stars need, Diddy probably has a better read on the needs of young Hollywood (re: special treatment always).
Excessive as an exclusive nightclub “drunk bus” may sound, anything that helps to keep the L.A. streets safer is fine by us.
(This colorful Hummer might make a good choice for Diddy’s taxi, check it out below.)
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It was August of last year when Nick Bollea, son of wrestling super-star Hulk Hogan, crashed his modified Toyota Supra while allegedly street racing. While Bollea only suffered minor injuries, his unfortunate friend John Graziano sustained serious head injuries from the crash, and is still hospitalized. Since the crash Bollea has been charged with felony reckless driving involving serious bodily harm, being underage while driving drunk, and others.
The Clearwater, Florida police department recently released a group of photographs of the twisted Supra, and the scene of the crash, which help to illustrate just how severe the accident was. It seems astonishing that anyone could have survived this wreck, let alone walk away without serious injury.
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The automaker has released a new Japanese driving guide specifically for women drivers, which purports to erase “all your fears about driving.” The pamphlet-sized guide contains instructions on how to do such everyday chores as pumping gas, transporting children and pets, and how to park. The guide also advises aging female drivers about fuel saving, environmental awareness, and safety.
While most women we know would find such a pamphlet remarkably insulting, Honda claims that it just has the best interest of women at heart, saying in a statement, “We would like to let all women know how to drive safely. We would like to minimize accidents of women drivers.” When asked if its guide implied that women were inferior drivers, a spokesperson replied, “We don’t think so. There are some specific cases of women drivers, and we focus on those cases.”
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He said, “Every year, almost like clockwork, 42,000 people are killed in motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. Several million more are injured, many of them badly. Our reaction to this problem is to write even more regulations. It’s not working.”
He noted that it comes down to one determining factor; seatbelts. That’s right, seatbelts. We, here in America, can force the automaker to produce the safest cars and crash-test the hell out of them, but if no one’s wearing a seatbelt, what’s the difference?
McElroy pointed out that while we do have laws in place, we have the weakest laws compared to countries with far better safety records. The difference is stricter seatbelt requirements. If an accident occurs causing serious injury, and the person wasn’t wearing their seatbelt, in other countries, that’s their fault. No reasonable blame can be thrust on the automaker and insurance companies are stricter on seatbelt-less insureds.
According to a study by AAA, auto accidents cost Americans more than a $1,000 a year. The report said that’s 2 ½ times what congestion costs Americans, according to CNN Money.
The AAA study quantified the accidents by considering the costs from medical care, emergency services, property damage, lost productivity, and quality of life – costing a grand total of $164.2 billion annually.
The study showed that congestion costs Americans $67.6 billion annually, or $430 a person. The study aimed to “put a price tag on accidents” as citizens seem to be more concerned with congestion.
Executives from Indian automaker Tata have said that they will bring the Nano microcar to Europe, only if the car can achieve the highest possible safety rating.
Tata’s director of the Nano program, Girish Wagh, said, “We will only bring the Nano to Europe if it achieves a four-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test.” That’s a tall order for a car that currently doesn’t even have airbags. Though, as Wagh pointed out at the car’s European debut in Geneva, the Nano does have a full protective frame to help it meet Indian safety standards.
Managing director for Tata Motors, Ratan Tata, is sure that the Nano will be added to the European sales mix, though the time frame for that is still unclear. Tata did make it clear that the plans include bringing the Nano to all parts of Europe.
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Chrysler beefed-up security at its Belvidere, Ill. plant yesterday after rumors of vandalism and violence circled through the plant after Chrysler announced it would eliminate the plant’s third shift.
“We’re aware of rumors of potentially threatening or disruptive behavior,” said Chrysler spokesman Michele Tinson. “We do have a police presence there in order to offset any negative behavior.”
There’s a survey for every conceivable automotive notion regarding British drivers and roadways. This time, a Zurich-based insurance survey revealed that one out of every three drivers in the UK has been victims of road rage in the last three years.
That’s nearly 10 million drivers experiencing some sort of dangerous outburst from a fellow commuter. The survey also revealed that 10 percent have had the angered driver pull over to confront them. No word on how many of those confrontations led to physical violence.
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