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Truly safe?

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  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Edmunds.com Offers Live Webcast of Thought-Provoking “Truly Safe?” Car Safety Conference


    SANTA MONICA, Calif. — May 20, 2011 — Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, today released the live webcast link for its first-ever Automotive Safety Conference on Tuesday, May 24. A live stream of the conference, which will feature counter-intuitive insights from fascinating researchers as well as updates from the safety establishment, will be available online at http://www.autoobserver.com/2011-car-safety-conference/webcast.html.



    Viewers watching the conference online will also have the opportunity to participate by sending questions or comments. Conference moderators will accept feedback and questions at conference@edmunds.com before and during the webcast. Viewers are also encouraged to post their thoughts on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/edmunds or by tweeting @edmunds using the #safetycon hashtag.



    The safety conference promises to examine the issue of automotive safety from several new – and perhaps controversial – perspectives. Some of these visionary ideas, which are also documented in Edmunds.com’s Car Safety Library, include:



    · “The principles of "shared space" challenge many long-standing assumptions about the meaning of safety, and the use of familiar highway engineering such as traffic signals, curbs and barriers.” (Ben Hamilton-Baillie, Architect, urban designer and movement specialist)

    · “Having your eyes on the road is not the same as having your brain focused on the road. And the health of the driver is an important factor, as the perfectly healthy 75-year-old is far more capable of driving a car than a 60-year-old suffering from Type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease and taking medication that would affect cognition, decision making, speed of processing.” (Bryan Reimer, Associate Director of the New England University Transportation Center and Research Scientist in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab)

    · “While evaluating the effectiveness of new high-tech crash avoidance features, we need to remember that other, lower-tech road design, traffic law, and vehicle improvements also can prevent crashes and injuries.” (Adrian Lund, President of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)



    A full schedule and list of speakers at next Tuesday’s safety conference can be found at http://www.autoobserver.com/2011-car-safety-conference/program.html.
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    We don't drive too fast backwards, but others are driving fast towards the back of our cars all the time.
    I have a Mazda 5 and my kids ride on the rear-most seats often. They are just a few inches from the rear door. I do not know of any evidence that this car or any other car was ever tested for protection against a rear end collision.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "A bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate Monday that would revamp the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) powers and increase minimum penalties the agency can charge an automaker for ignoring a safety defect that leads to a recall."

    NHTSA Overhaul Bill Introduced In Senate (AutoObserver)
  • djsherribdjsherrib Member Posts: 2
    I bought a car for a friend and did all the work to be safetied it .. great safety... she couldnt' take the car as she lives in toronto and doesn't have 30,000 for a parking spot so i drove car for 2wks i love it but have a car..so decided to sell it before safety was up. long story short sold the car...they test drove it loved it bought it...drove away with it... 4days later i get a call that they did a bunch of work on it and they want 617 bucks from me.. said they needed ball joints and alignment etc and brake lines were rusty (not wet not leaking) but they wanted them replaced so they did it) and now they want me to pay for everything!!! what the heck... first they said they want 200 then i get a call they want 617. the total bill... my question is..at the time my safety was done it was done right.... a GOOD SAFETY and now they want more 3weeks later.... do i have to pay this or is the safety good for 36days to "resell or license" it or is it good for items to be fixed..please help..he is treatening to go to MTO and sue the dealership that did safety???
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    edited August 2011
    Hi, djsherrib,

    The folks in the Questions About Private Sale Transactions Forum will probably have some answers for you. Just click the link to get there.

    ClaireS, Host
    Automotive News & Views | Coupes & Convertibles

    MODERATOR

    Need help getting around? claires@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.

    Tell everyone about your buying experience: Write a Dealer Review

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Toyota detailed a 5-year, $50-million commitment to a variety of collaborative safety research projects and brought some of its new safety-research partners and the media to tour a sprawling new $38-million technical center near Ann Arbor, MI, built to enhance the company’s safety-testing capabilities."

    http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/09/toyota-pledges-50m-for-new-safety-research.h- tml">Toyota Pledges $50M For New Safety Research (AutoObserver)
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,349
    I'd think it would be cheaper for Toyota to simply give their septuagenarian customers a refresher course on the the difference between(and the relative locations of) the brake pedal and the accelerator.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Hybrid vehicles do a better job of protecting occupants in crashes compared to conventional vehicles, according to a new study.

    The odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than non-hybrid models, said the Highway Loss Data Institute."

    Hybrids Have Safety Edge in Crashes, Study Says (Inside Line)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    A freelance writer is working on a story about roadside emergency kits for an insurance company magazine. She’s looking for a good, personal example of why you need an emergency kit in your car -- or about that time you really you wish you'd had one. If you’d like to be interviewed, please send a brief overview of your story to Jenny at atfrostyshouse@gmail.com by 12/10/11.
  • 0patience0patience Member Posts: 1,712
    My service truck is considered a commercial truck, so I am required by law to carry flares. :shades:
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "A new frontal crash test may prod automakers to build safer vehicles.

    In the test, 25 percent of a car's driver-side front end strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 miles per hour, with an average-size male dummy belted into the driver's seat.

    The test is designed to replicate what happens when the front corner of a car collides with another vehicle, or with an object such as a tree or a utility pole."

    New crash test may prompt safer cars (Detroit News)
  • kimmillskimmills Member Posts: 2
    There are a number of safety guidelines and laws explaining the dos and donts of driving in the rains. But are these laws followed properly? If yes, then how could so many people hurt or even lose their lives because of improper driving in the rains?
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,349
    There are a number of safety guidelines and laws explaining the dos and donts of driving in the rains. But are these laws followed properly? If yes, then how could so many people hurt or even lose their lives because of improper driving in the rains?

    Laws have very little to do with it- the cause is sheer lack of driving ability. True driver training in the US is virtually non-existent, which is why I sent my son to a two day professional driving school as well as to the BMW CCA Foundation's Street Survival course.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • benjaminhbenjaminh Member Posts: 6,311
    "If you pack a fragile item in a strong box it is more likely to reach its destination without breaking."

    Performed poorly in test: Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Lincoln, etc.

    Only cars to do well: Volvo S60 and Acura TL

    This 3 minute video is interesting to watch as some expensive cars seems to do a poor job at protecting occupants....

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7xh-nYlnpo
    2018 Acura TLX 2.4 Tech 4WS (mine), 2018 Honda CR-V EX AWD (wife's)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Nearly 4 percent of the nation's motor vehicles were involved in a car crash in 2010, a new government report says.

    The report also notes that the last decade saw a big jump in light trucks, especially SUVs, on the nation's roads, but showed little difference in fatality risks among people in cars and SUVs."

    Fatality rate drops for crashes in passenger vehicles (Detroit News)
  • xyz1234xyz1234 Member Posts: 1
    Hello,

    I currently own a 2003 Jeep Liberty that is coming up on 180K miles. If safety were not an issue, I'd probably drive it until it dies, but I recently moved to the Miami area and am concerned about the high rate of accidents here in South Florida.

    After shopping around a bit, I am leaning towards a used Volvo XC90 from around 2009 (Consumer Reports says to avoid the 2010 model, and I wouldn't necessarily let that stop me, but it is probably out of my price range.) Safety, a comfortable driving experience (I am in outside sales and sometimes spend 5+ hours per day in my car), and a price at around $20K if I am not gaining any fuel economy over the Jeep, are my 3 main priorities. I am leaning towards a white 8cyl AWD model if I can find one in that range.

    My main question: Over the past 5 or so years, what is the safest car across all categories? I have viewed the IIHS top picks, but they are broken down into different classes of cars. I am looking for a vehicle (likely a Volvo), that will provide the best protection in a highway accident and have been leaning towards the XC90 as it is big, heavy, and has Volvo's safety features.

    Thank you for any insight you can provide!
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Not sure if you all have seen this. It is worth the time to watch.

    http://www.youtube.com/embed/h-8PBx7isoM
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited January 2013
    "Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the only Republican still in President Barack Obama's first-term Cabinet, said Tuesday he plans to leave the Obama administration."(Idaho Statesman)
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I don't think she would take the job. You do mean Stein???
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    oops, mean to say "oh Joan".

    As in Joan Claybrook.

    Had to look Stein up, but yeah, she has possibilities. :D
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Jill Stein would be more toward the EPA job.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Informal investigations — where weeks or months can go by before potential problems are brought to the public's attention — are becoming more common. And that has ramifications for car buyers, who may not learn the vehicles they own or are considering buying have quietly raised safety concerns at NHTSA and among automakers."

    'Secret' informal car defect probes more common (Detroit Free Press)
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I don't think you can pick any Federal agency that is doing their job protecting US. The FDA is inspecting less than 5% of the seafood coming into the US from sewers in China.

    My take is the Federal Government and its too many agencies are overpaid, bloated and lazy fiefdoms.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,140
    That's not just your take, that's truth for the most part. And connected supposed private industries too....ahem...insurance, etc.

    I trust the Euro nanny orgs more when it comes to safety.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Any industry that is protected by the Federal Government become bloated, insurance, banking and now the auto industry, GM, Fiskers,Tesla etc
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,140
    Also oil, defense contractors, the prison industry, et al.

    But on topic, I don't have a huge amount of faith in the gubbamint when it comes to automotive safety concerns. I guess I should be reassured that seatbelts are mandatory equipment.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,349
    But on topic, I don't have a huge amount of faith in the gubbamint when it comes to automotive safety concerns.

    The emphasis has shifted from "safety" to "protect the most inept and clueless brain-dead idiot from the consequences of his moronic actions- no matter what the cost"

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited February 2013
    If you read my link, you may have noticed our old friend Sean Kane of SRS being quoted - the outfit that supports trial lawyers that got so much press over Toyota's SUA issues. Over the decades the suits and threats of suits have likely done more for implementing consumer protection stuff like seat belts and air bags than Consumers Union/Consumers Reports or the feds.

    SRS is back pushing for tire aging standards most recently (and giving Ray LaHood a "rousing" send-off).
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Lawsuits over bogus EPA mileage figures have done more than anything to keep the auto makers honest. Now how do we keep the EPA honest? Thankfully that worthless Steven Chu is gone. I think he was sniffing or drinking ethanol.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,140
    Exactly. Fail safe stuff for people with a Starbucks in one hand and an iphone in the other. I am surprised there haven't been movements to ban manuals and motorcycles.

    I guess it makes sense though, seeing what is able to pass a licensing exam these days.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,140
    That reminds me, tax refund is in the bank, the Clinton-era tires on the fintail get to be replaced.

    The lawyers have probably done a lot to make safety tech mandatory, but I think the automakers were working on it beforehand. Last thing we need to do is support ambulance chasers :shades:
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    all ya have ta do in New Mexico ta get your NM driver's license is plunk down yer $33 and smile. No tests, no muss, no fuss. You do have to pass a vision test, though, but as long as you wear your stylish eyeglasses you're fine. That New Mexico driver's license is good for 4 years, though, and I think that's pretty cool.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Distracted driving is a big issue," Anwyl said, "but I'm not sure that banning technology is the solution."

    Anwyl said that consumers so love the feeling of being able to stay connected to their social circle that "it's almost an addiction." As a result, many consumers will end up bringing their devices into their cars — regardless of the rules.

    His proposed solution was driver education, not more laws. Anwyl cited a NHTSA statistic: 90 percent of accidents are caused by driver error. He stressed that drivers do not take that fact serious enough, preferring to think that car safety is all about the best technology, crash-test ratings and lots of airbags."

    A Shift in Safety Technology Is Coming
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Safety advocates and two parents who unintentionally hit their children when backing up sued the U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday, asking a court to order the agency to promptly issue a safety rule that was mandated by Congress in 2008 to set federal standards on vehicles' rear visibility.

    Such systems enable drivers to see whether people or objects are in the blind spot behind vehicles. Safety advocates say that each year more than 200 individuals are killed and 18,000 injured in so-called "backover" crashes." Children under the age of 5 account for 44 percent of the fatalities.

    The lawsuit asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to direct the DOT to issue a mandatory rule within 90 days."

    Feds, Safety Advocates Fight Over Rearview Camera Recommendation
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,349
    It's ALWAYS someone else's fault!

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Haven't heard my "there was a wasp in the car" excuse eh?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Only in America :(
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Dallas County sheriff's deputies traveled to Fort Hood earlier this month and picked up their very own International MaxxPro MRAP. This particular truck has never seen any actual combat, having only been deployed stateside for training exercises, so it doesn't have any cool battle scars, but with the dealer's $600,000 price tag knocked down to nothing, and with just 10,000 miles on it, the deal was too good to pass up.

    After making the 160-mile drive back to Dallas from Fort Hood, deputy James Blesoe declared that the vehicle "exceeded expectations,

    http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/09/dallas_county_now_has_its_ver- y.php
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Perfect for driving over bridges to nowhere.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    They will be fine until they need it repaired. Seems like overkill to serve arrest warrants.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    They'll probably take it around to the elementary schools as a recruiting tool.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454

    Cozying up with the regulators?

    "Master lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who did time for stretching the influence peddling rules to the breaking point, distilled the practice to its essentials in his 2011 post-prison memoir, "Capitol Punishment." Once he dangled a lobbying job in front of a congressional staffer, he wrote, "I would own him and, consequently, that entire office. No ruled had been broken … but suddenly, every move that staffer made, he made with his future at my firm in mind."

    The revolving doors may be well-distributed around Washington, but NHTSA has long been viewed as a particular problem child. In 2001, at the request of Sens. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), the Department of Transportation's inspector general compiled a list of NHTSA officials who had moved directly between the agency and the auto industry over the previous 27 years.

    The list ran to 63 names. Those jumping directly to the industry included four administrators (the top job), two chief counsels and dozens of department heads, engineers and attorneys."

    Automakers stay cozy in U.S. capital (latimes.com)

  • euphoniumeuphonium Member Posts: 3,425

    http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/02/25/321433.htm#.UwzzJWablxo.email

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,140

    Good point there, oldsters are healthier than ever, so maybe that will help their driving.
    We can hope so, as there will be proportionally more oldsters on the road in the near future than ever. It could be a disaster, but might also hasten the move to at least partially autonomous cars.

    @euphonium said:
    http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/02/25/321433.htm#.UwzzJWablxo.email

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

    I took the AARP safety course and as a consequence I've cut my freeway speed down to 80! (I'm so proud).

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454

    "A team from Washington State University Spokane, however, has developed a system that detects drowsy drivers through inexpensive electronics that monitor movement of the steering wheel.

    ...variability in both steering wheel movements and lane position were the two best indicators of fatigue."

    Steering wheel system could detect driver fatigue on the cheap (gizmag.com)

  • euphoniumeuphonium Member Posts: 3,425

    Those students should install their devices on their father's farm tractor so he can plow straight and get more wheat per acre.

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited April 2014

    Those GPS gizmos (pardon me, precision farming systems) have been on tractors since 2000 or so. Some of the fancier systems download sat images of the fields and do the calculation for the fertilizer application and then plug the info into the tractor's guidance system. That enables the tractor to auto steer and spray the right amount where it's needed. So nap away. B)

    I bet the autonomous car developers have been plowing through all the ag studies on this.

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited April 2014

    "The furor over General Motors Co.’s deadly ignition switch has the potential to doom the antiquated car key, a technology drivers have been using -- and complaining about -- for 65 years.

    Push-button start, which showed up in Mercedes models in the late 1990s, is now an option in 72 percent of 2014 cars and trucks in the U.S., according to Edmunds.com. In a survey conducted by auto researcher AutoPacific, consumers ranked the technology the fifth most coveted upgrade for $100 or less "

    Deadly GM Switch Spells Demise of Antiquated Ignition Key (Bloomberg)

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited April 2014

    you mean the "antiquated ignition key that didn't cost $400 to replace".

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