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The smallest car sold in America has been crash tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), earning the highest rating of Good for both frontal offset and side-impact protection. Previously, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had tested the Smart, giving it four stars of five for driver, three stars for the passenger, and five stars for side impact. Both organizations noted that the driver’s door became unlatched during the side test, citing potential risk though no related injuries occurred in the testing. This good performance is impressive for such a small car--one that measures 40 inches shorter than a Mini Cooper. There is very little crush space, putting greater reliance on the performance of the safety belts. The driver’s head did pass through the airbag in the IIHS frontal test, though head measures did not indicate a significant injury was likely. As with all front crash tests, the results are only comparable to models in the same class. However, there are no other “microcars” sold in the United States. A stiff structure and seat-mounted side airbags are credited to protecting the dummy in the side-impact test, which uses a moving barrier...
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No parent will be surprised that most teens consider themselves to be good drivers, yet their behavior tells a different story. According to a new survey conducted by Erie Insurance, only about a third (34 percent) of respondents say their friends are good drivers and nearly all (97 percent) teens reported seeing other teens taking risks (speeding, not wearing seatbelts, etc.) while driving. The survey was conducted this spring among 2,127 licensed drivers aged 16-19 years old. Key findings include: Cell phone use among teens is high (76 percent regularly talk on a cell phone while driving). Text messaging while driving is common among teens (57 percent sometimes or often read or send text messages while driving). Most teens (93 percent) play loud music when they drive. Nearly half (48 percent) admit they're easily distracted when friends are passengers. For more on teen driving, read: 10 Tips for Parents of Teenage Drivers Giving Teens a Driving Edge
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Ford will launch a two-pronged effort to reduce the potential risks posed by vehicle blind spots, using an inset side mirror and a radar-based monitoring system. This move follows the company’s Volvo division introducing its BLIS system, which similarly illuminates a light by the driver or passenger A-pillar to indicate to the driver that a vehicle may be in blind spot and on what side. The blind-spot mirror is a secondary convex spotter in the top outer corner of the side mirror, aimed exclusively at the driver's blind spot. A frugal, low-tech safety aid, this appears to be similar to a stick-on mirror available at any parts store. In consumer research, Ford found that nearly 76 percent of the participants said the mirror improves their confidence while driving. This simple, yet effective, feature will be standard on many upcoming Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln models. Decidedly more sophisticated, the radar-based Cross Traffic Alert feature can assist drivers in backing up by warning of impending traffic. The radar can sense moving objects within a 65-foot range from either the left or right side of the vehicle. It also works when backing out of angled parking spaces. Using the same...
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All seven family and luxury sedans in the latest crash test group evaluated by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ) earned a Good rating for occupant protection in frontal crashes. Only one fell short of the top rating in the side crash test, the Kia Optima. However, results for the rear crash test were quite mixed. In all, this group’s performance shows that indeed cars are getting better with each generation, through structural improvements and increased standard safety equipment. All seven of these vehicles included side and side-curtain airbags. “The side impact results represent a huge change from just four years ago,” says Institute Senior Vice President David Zuby. “In 2004 we tested 10 mid-sized moderately priced cars, and all 10 were rated Poor in their standard configurations without side airbags.” In the 2004 tests, only the previous generations of the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Chevrolet Malibu earned Good ratings when tested with side airbags, which then were optional equipment. “A major change is that side airbags are standard in every one of the seven mid-sized cars we tested this time around. Auto manufacturers have been moving quickly to make side airbags...
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Nearly 40 years after the Corolla was introduced to American drivers, a redesigned, 10th-generation 2009 Corolla hits the road with numerous improvements and a Good overall crash-test rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ). In a recent test, IIHS rated the Corolla Good for structure, restraints, and most injury measurements on its crash dummies. Head/neck got an Acceptable rating, the lowest mark for this sedan. Performance was undoubtedly aided by side- and side-curtain air bags—welcomed features in any vehicle, especially a small car. The ’09 Corolla also includes anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist for emergencies, and neck-protective active front headrests. While it may have matured, the new Corolla remains true to the brand's role as a subcompact sedan, with dimensions similar to the model it replaces. But it offers an all-new body with a lean, muscular shape, and it delivers increased interior and luggage room, more power, more economical engines and an all-new chassis and suspension. Read our road test of the 2009 Toyota Corolla , in which we wrote: “For someone moving out of an older Corolla or almost...
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The societal cost of crashes is a staggering $164.2 billion annually, nearly two and a half times greater than the $67.6 billion price tag for congestion, according to a new report from the AAA. The study conducted by Cambridge Systematics says that crash expenses equate to an annual per person cost of $1,051, compared to $430 per person annually for congestion. These safety costs include medical, emergency and police services, property damage, lost productivity, and quality of life, among other things. In 2006, traffic crashes killed 42,642 people in the United States – about 117 deaths per day and nearly 5 every hour. The report includes several recommendations to improve safety, including support for a national safety goal of cutting surface transportation fatalities in half by 2025, as recommended by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission. The cost for car crashes is staggering on a national level and tragic on a personal level. This is report is a good reminder to factor safety highly among the attributes you seek in your next car and practice good, courteous driving techniques daily to help make the roads safe for all. Learn more about automobile...
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Volkswagen of America has announced that it will make electronic stability control (ESC) standard equipment on every 2009 model year Volkswagen vehicle, including its growing range of passenger cars, SUVs, and minivans. By offering ESC as a standard feature, Volkswagen poised to be the first non-luxury manufacturer to include an electronic stabilization system at no additional cost on every vehicle it sells -- well ahead of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's ( NHTSA ) deadline requiring all 2012 model year light-duty vehicles to have such systems. (Learn more about the 2012 ESC requirement .) The addition of ESC, the government says, will cut traffic fatalities by 5,300 to 9,600 a year and reduce injuries by 168,000 to 238,000 per year. The government estimates that adding ESC to every vehicle will up the cost to consumers by $111 a vehicle assuming the vehicles already offers anti-lock brakes. ESC works by using sensors in the wheels and steering mechanism to keep an eye, so to speak, on the intended steering path, and the overall yaw rate and lateral acceleration of the vehicle. When the system detects a deviation from the driver's intended path—i.e. the...
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The 2009 Nissan Murano was the best performer in the latest crash tests conducted by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ). Results from this group of midsized SUVs saw span the safety spectrum, with only the Murano earning a Top Safety Pick award for good performance in front, side, and rear tests and including electronic stability control as standard equipment. All is not perfect for Nissan; The recently redesigned Murano has also been the subject of a safety recall to address airbag-related software. Results were largely mixed from the other nine SUVs. For example, the lowest-ranked model, the Kia Sorento did earn a good rating for front crash protection and a good for rear protection, a score many vehicles fall short of. However, it got the lowest rating of poor for side protection, despite being equipped with front and rear head-curtain airbags. The rear measure assesses mainly the whiplash risk. While whiplash is a very common, often long-term injury, it is seldom fatal. The greater physical risk is with a harsh side impact that can cause significant trauma, hence the greater importance for the side rating. The general rule that vehicles are getting better every year...
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As snow storms grabbed headlines this weekend, many drivers found their vehicle lacked the traction necessary to safely transport them to work, school, or the grocery store. While winter's days are counting down, it is clear from the number of roadside mishaps that not everyone was properly prepared. (Check out this Weather Channel video.) Being safe is a combination of the right tires, the right driving techniques, and simply common sense. You may find that the tires that came on your car are perfectly adequate on most days. Do you truly know what the tires are and what conditions they were engineered for? Many drivers think that an M+S (mud and snow) rating stamped on their tires' sidewalls assures decent traction in sloppy conditions. Granted, more-aggressive tread patterns such as those on all-terrain or even mud-terrain truck tires can offer better bad-weather traction compared to some pavement-friendly skins, but tire manufacturers actually engineer tires for specific low-grip conditions. (Learn more about winter tires .) A main difference among winter tires, all-season-tires, and summer tires is the pliability and durability of their rubber at different temperatures....
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Speed cameras prove effective in reducing speeds, according to a new report by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The study is based on evaluation of the effectiveness of speed camera enforcement in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Montgomery County, Maryland. Prior to the speed-camera enforcement program, 15 percent of drivers were traveling faster than 75 mph on sections of a busy urban freeway with a 65 mph posted limit in Scottsdale. Once the cameras were in place on Loop 101, the number of violators plunged to 1-2 percent. Speeds were also reduced on the same freeway 25 miles outside of the enforcement area. Surveys also indicate that speed cameras garnered the support of local drivers. Montgomery County, Maryland, tested speed cameras in residential areas and school zones with compelling results. The proportion of vehicles going more than 10 mph faster than posted limits fell by 70 percent on roads where cameras were operational and by 39 percent on roads with signs warning of enforcement but where cameras weren't yet in place. Given the strength of these results, and sway of the IIHS, expect more such programs to roll out across the country. No word was given on how...
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The Automobile Association of America (AAA) has released a list of useful winter driving tips . For those traveling in Northern climes, start with the basic advice to make sure you have good all-season, or winter, tires on the vehicle and simply take your time. Seems obvious, but judging from the number of vehicles seen slid off the road, we could all use a quick reminder. More specifically, the AAA advises: Increase your following distance. Build in a six-second time gap. Pick a marker or sign and begin counting when the car ahead passes it --"one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two..." Exercise caution. Ice is most likely to form first and be slipperiest in shaded areas, bridges, overpasses and intersections. Improve visibility. Clear snow and ice from the entire car. Brush away snow from the hood, roof, trunk, turn signals, lights, windows, mirrors, and fender wells. Drive with headlights on low-beam. Lights at low-beam provide better road illumination in snow and fog than do high-beams. Slow down in bad weather. Remember, posted speed limits are set for ideal road and weather conditions. Avoid sudden starts, stops and turns. Accelerate carefully so car wheels don't spin...
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