Archive for the ‘Safety’ Category

We have some good news. The federal government has released an early estimate of traffic fatalities for the first half of this year, and the results are positive, with overall fatalities down about seven percent versus the same period last year.

Even adjusting for the fact that people are driving a lot less, the fatality rate is showing another pronounced decline—at a record-low 1.15 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), versus 1.23 in the first half of 2008.

According to the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Traffic Safety Facts summary, the second quarter of 2009 looks to be the 13th...

At the 2001 Detroit auto show, Ford debuted some intriguing technology: airbag-enabled seat belts. After years of additional testing and refinement, it appears that the devices are finally ready for prime time. They'll soon be available as an option on next-gen Ford Explorers; afterward, they'll debut in Europe and other markets. While we're waiting for news about their appearance on other Ford vehicles in the U.S., there's a short video about the belts below. Pretty nifty stuff.

[Freep]

The iPhone-remote-controlled "Spirit of Berlin" Dodge Grand Caravan that we posted about just earlier today is pretty wild.

In case you missed, it you'll want to check out the video clip demonstrating almost full vehicle operation, from the much-loved Apple handset. To a soundtrack by Yello, of course.

Then you'll probably also want to recall the scene below in Tomorrow Never Dies, where James Bond uses a special smartphone to drive his BMW 7-Series remotely from the backseat.

When will you be able to buy a new car that can respond remotely? It looks like some remote-controlled vehicle features—not driving, silly—might be relatively common...