All safety articles
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ArticleEuropean suppliers focus on innovation
CLEPA's jury awarded 12 innovation prizes across 4 categories (Photo: Arjen Bongard)ROME -- European automotive suppliers gathered here last week to honor a range of companies and products that will likely play a key role in the transformation of personal mobility.The European suppliers association, CLEPA, awarded innovation awards to ...
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ArticleSandy Lobenstein, Toyota USA VP connected vehicle technology and product planning
Lobenstein: Connectivity can one day lead to zero car accidents (Photo: Arjen Bongard)LAS VEGAS ”“ Toyota believes connected cars will eventually lead to a sharp reduction in accidents, but before autonomous and fully connectedvehicles make this vision a reality, a lot of investment will still be needed. The Japanese ...
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ArticleEU Commission moves to adopt eCall emergency system by 2015
Europe moved one step closer Thursday to an automated emergency calling system for all cars with the adoption by the European Commission of two pieces of legislation to turn the plan into reality.The executive body of the 27-nation European Union adopted a regulation outlining the type-approval requirements needed for the ...
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ArticleCES: Lexus research vehicle has next-gen driver assistance
Lexus has equipped the research vehicle with a broad array of sensors (Photo: Arjen Bongard)LAS VEGAS -- A research vehicle based on the Lexus LS showed the direction safety technologies are likely to take in coming years, Toyota said.The Japanese carmaker showed a vehicle that is equipped with a ...
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ArticleUS wants all cars to have "black boxes" in 2014
Data recorders can provide information on the cause of a car crash (Photo: Wikimedia)The US administration wants all cars to be equipped with event data recorders (EDRs) from September, 2014.The proposal by the US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would mean automakers have  to ...
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ArticleFord to debut inflatable rear seatbelt in Europe
Ford first introduced the inflatable seatbelt on the 2011 Explorer in the US (Photo: Ford)Ford will introduce an inflatable rear seatbelt in Europe next year, when it launches the latest version of its Mondeo sedan.The US carmaker said the airbag-seatbelt combination will help reduce head, neck and chest injuries because ...
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ArticleContinental combines inertial sensors, occupant safety divisions
Continental says its systems approach will make it easier to offer automakers integrated safety solutions (Photo: Continental)Continental, which sees its ability to offer integrated solutions as a major competitive advantage, has combined its inertial sensors and airbag control segments into a new unit, Passive Safety & Sensorics.The German automotive supplier ...
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ArticleGentex to provide camera with driver-assist for Ford Explorer
Gentex is a leading maker of auto-dimming car mirrors (Photo: Gentex)Gentex said it will supply a new auto-dimming mirror with a camera-based driver assistance system for the 2013 Ford Explorer.The Michigan-based supplier said the system will use a multi-function camera combined with algorithmic decision-making to provide high-beam control, lane keeping ...
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ArticleCadillac expects "self-driving vehicle" by mid-decade
Cadillac says it will be ready to build a self-driving or "semi-autonomous" vehicle by the middle of this decade.The luxury car brand of General Motors said it already has the technology to let cars manage themselves with the use of adaptive cruise control and lane centering software. Those technologies, which ...
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ArticleUS expert panel: in-car electronics require more supervision
A US expert panel says the public needs to be reassured that complex electronic systems in cars will work (Photo: Delphi)The proliferation of in-car electronics raises new safety issues that need to be monitored and addressed, a report by a US expert panel said this week."The increasing role of electronic ...
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ArticleDaimler's r&d chief: Autonomous driving possible soon
Daimler’s safety technology could enable autonomous driving if the law allows it (Photo: Daimler)DETROIT -- Daimler’s r&d chief, Thomas Weber, expects autonomous driving to be available in cars in the not too distant future.“By 2015 the preconditions for autonomous driving will be in place,” said Thomas Weber in an interview ...
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ArticleFord Europe study: Handheld in-car mobile phone use stays high
Ford visited 28 cities in 11 countries this summer to demonstrate new safety systems (Photo: Ford)A poll conducted by Ford in major European markets found that drivers continue to use handheld mobile phones, despite increased legislation aimed at curbing driver distraction.The survey of more than 4,300 drivers in Spain, Italy, ...
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ArticleBMW, VW show how to avoid accidents at intersections
BMW’s left-turn assistant warns a driver of danger when making a turnA group of 11carmakers, suppliers and research institutes has been working on new technologies that improve safety at intersections.One project effectively lets a driver look around the corner. Another prevents accidents from occurring when a car turns left.Such systems ...
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TRW integrates seatbelt pretensioner and automatic brakes
TRW Automotive has linked its seatbelt-pretensioner and emergency-braking systems, in an effort to better protect passengers and reduce the impact of a crash.The US supplier said the combination of its automatic emergency braking (AEB) and active control retractor (ACR) seatbelt technologies will mean safety systems kick in marginally faster, which ...
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ArticleWSJ: US top safety regulator focuses on technology
David StricklandTechnology will play a major role in a US push to make driving safer, says the country’s top auto-safety regulator, David Strickland.According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, Strickland, who heads the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, wants to address issues presented by new technology. A ...
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Article1st combined test of vehicle “platooning” successful
Development teams have carried out the first combined test of “vehicle platooning,” a European-Union sponsored program aimed at changing the way cars and trucks use Europe’s roads.The test was carried out on the Volvo proving ground near Gothenburg, Sweden, as part of the SARTRE project."This is a major milestone for ...
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Detroit auto show: Volvo crashes C30 Electric
Detroit ”“ The electric vehicles that seem to dominate this year’s Detroit auto show all look good, with one exception: the Volvo C30 Electric. The Swedish carmaker, now owned by China’s Geely, decided to stay true to its safety image. It brought to the show a severely mangled C30 ...
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ArticleUS govt proposes mandatory backup cameras for bigger cars
VW’s Routan van has a rearview cameraThe US government is proposing mandatory backup cameras for bigger vehicles.The new safety regulation follows the 2007 so-called “Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act,” which resulted from the death of a child that was killed when his father accidentally backed over him in his ...
