Lane Departure Warning – this technology uses a set of cameras to monitor the white and yellow lines on the road. When the vehicle crosses a line without the turn signal being activated the system informs the driver by sounding an audible alert. This helps keep sleepy or inattentive drivers from veering off from their lane. Other advanced lane departure warning systems can actually attempt to steer the vehicle back into the lane or apply the brakes slightly.

Read the rest of this entry »

Exciting innovations in automotive technology are introduced every year: from new safety features to the latest in in-car entertainment amenities. The model year 2009 presents an exciting array of new car technologies that aim to enhance how our automotive experience. Even with a crisis facing the automotive industry, the demand for new technologies that will enhance safety, entertainment, comfort and connectivity will has nowhere to go but up. Here’s a rundown of the top new car technologies for the 2009 model year.

Adaptive Cruise Control – also known as active or intelligent cruise control, ACC uses radar and/or laser sensors usually located behind the grille to determine the speed and distance of the vehicle in front. It maintains the vehicle’s pre-set speed and adjusts it accordingly to maintain the proper distance between vehicles in the same lane. For instance, if the vehicle in front slows down, the system sends a signal to the engine or braking system to decelerate. The system accelerates to the last speeds setting when it detects that the distance is safe again.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ford Motor Co. helps keep teen drivers safe with the introduction of an innovative technology called MyKey that is designed to help parents encourage their teenagers to drive safer.Ford MyKey allows parents to program a special ignition key with a pre-programmed list of vehicle options designed for better safety.

For instance, parents can program the MyKey to limit the vehicle’s top speed to 80 mph as well as restrict the car stereo’s audio volume to 44% of the maximum volume. It also encourages the use of safety belts with Ford’s Beltminder system that provides a six-second reminder chime every five to six minutes if seatbelts are not worn.

Alerts are also sounded whenever the vehicle reaches 45, 55 and 65mph. The MyKey also prevents the traction control system, which limits tire spin, from being deactivated. The new Ford MyKey will come standard with the 2010 Ford Focus and will be available as an option in models for 2010 onwards.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ford Motor Company further beefed up its reputation for safety and technology with the recent announcement of its latest vehicle safety breakthrough advanced “active” collision-avoidance technology called Collision Warning with Brake Support. This new technology uses radar to detect moving vehicles directly ahead.

When the device detects a possible collision, it warns the driver through an authoritative beep and a red warning light that is projected on the windshield above the instrument panel. Collision Warning with Brake Support is just one of three new radar-based active safety and driver-aid technologies that Ford is introducing in a range of vehicles from 2008 to 2009.

The other new technologies are Adaptive Cruise Control and BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert. These three technologies use radar to detect the relative position of other vehicles and warn the driver with a combination of visual and sound alerts. The new technologies further strengthen Ford’s top safety ratings which includes the most 5-star government ratings of any automaker and most number of Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Seat belt use in the state of California has increased to an all-time high of 95.7%, up by more than 1 percentage point over the 94.6% figure recorded in 2007, state officials announced. California’s seat belt usage is one of the highest in the nation. “These numbers show that the overwhelming majority of Californians have gotten the message that seat belts work,” said Dale E. Bonner, Secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. “They save lives, prevent injuries and reduce the societal costs of collisions.”

In fact, the state’s seat belt usage has been rising steadily since the Click It or Ticket campaign started in 2005. That year, seat belt usage stood at 90.4%. Since then, an estimated 1.25 million motorist in the state have started buckling up regularly. The Click It or Ticket campaign was launched to increase awareness of the legal and monetary consequences of failing to wear seatbelts. Fines for first time offenders can reach up to $90 while penalties for improperly restraining children under 16 years old can cost four times as much.

The Tiguan, Volkswagen’s compact sport utility vehicle (SUV), is the Top Safety Pick for 2008 of the Insurance Institute for Highway Travel. The award is the highest rating from the non-profit research organization. It recognizes the vehicles that perform best in passenger safety through a series of evaluations: front, side and rear crash tests. Only vehicles with electronic stability control and head protection airbags are included in the tests.

According to Adrian Lund, IIHS president, the Tiguan earned top marks in the front and side crash tests without a single downgrade for structure or measures of injury likelihood recorded on the dummy. “We are extremely proud when organizations like IIHS recognize the hard work of our engineers who are dedicated to the safety of our customers,” said Stephfan Jacoby, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “This award is further validation of Volkswagen’s Prevent and Preserve Safety System approach to vehicle safety.”

The Prevent and Preserve Safety System consists of 45 safety features that help protect the driver and passengers as well as avoid crashes or keep the severity and consequences of possible crashes to a minimum. The Tiguan comes standard with the Prevent and Preserve Safety System, including ESP and six airbags, with rear seat airbags as an option. Tiguan, the GTI of Compact Sport Utility Vehicles, also features the “fun to drive” handling and performance expected from a Volkswagen.

Via IIHS

Traffic-related fatalities in the United States dipped to a record low in 2007 with 1.37 deaths for every 100 million miles travelled. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were a total of 41,056 traffic deaths last year, a decline of 1,600 from 2006. This is the lowest on record for more than a decade.

The state of California enjoyed the biggest decline of 266 fewer fatalities than the previous year while North Carolina’s death toll increased by 121 fatalities over the past year. “Thanks to safer vehicles, aggressive law enforcement and our efforts, countless families were spared the devastating news that a loved one was not coming home,” Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said.

With improved features such as side airbags and electronic stability control, vehicles are safer than ever. Another important factor in the decline of traffic deaths is gas prices and an overall sluggish economy. As fuel prices continue to soar, Americans are driving less than ever which lowers the chances of fatal road accidents.

Source: CNN
Photo Credit: bigmikelakers

Hyundai has indeed come a long way from being the butt of jokes in its early years in the American market. The fuel-efficient Hyundai Accent was recently named the most dependable sub-compact car by J.D. Power and Associates in its 2008 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). The highly regarded study measures problems experienced by original owners of three-year-old (2005 model year) vehicles.

The study is based on the responses of more than 52,000 owners of new vehicles bought between November 2004 and April 2005. The Accent registered only 187 problems per 1000 cars, an improvement of more than 20% over the 2007 results. The Accent’s scores were boosted by measured improvements in the engine, climate control and seating categories.

This is the highest ranking ever for the Accent, but the honor doesn’t rest solely on the sub-compact car. Hyundai as a brand made dramatic improvements in its overall dependability scores, such as:

The number of problems per 100 vehicles over the entire product lineup dropped 28 points to 200, a 14 percent improvement over 2007, almost tripling the industry average improvement of 10 points.

In the “non-premium” segment, Hyundai improved from 13th place to sixth place.

Hyundai’s score placed it 13th among the 38 nameplates measured in the study and placed it ahead of the industry average for the first time.

Each product in the Hyundai product portfolio improved over last year.

Via The Auto Channel

BMW has unveiled a new car that can read speed limit signposts and variable limit signs and display this information on the instrument cluster. With this technology, drivers are always aware of the speed zone they are in and adjust their driving accordingly especially on roads that have several different speed zones depending on traffic flow.

A small camera installed near the interior mirror constantly monitors the signs along the road and compares this with data saved in the navigation system. The camera will be able to read painted metal signs as well as dynamic digital displays. The date recorded by the camera is given priority and the speed allowed is displayed through the instrument cluster or in the head-up display on the car’s windscreen. This will significantly reduce the risk of breaking the speed limit by mistake.

Still, the BMW Speed Limit Display is an information system only. It will not intervene in the control of the vehicle or its speed. Maintaining a correct and safe speed is still the sole responsibility of the driver. The new Speed Limit Display will be available in the new BMW 7 Series set to be unveiled in Europe later this year.

Source

As the population of Americans 65 years and older is projected to double in the next twenty years, General Motors responds to the need for more elderly-friendly vehicles by developing a new windshield technology that will help drivers with vision problems see more clearly. The technology is still in the research stage but is expected to be very useful in the near future.

Although it will not improve the driver’s vision, it will make objects that could otherwise go unnoticed by aging eyes stand out more. The high-tech windshield will feature a combination of lasers, infrared sensors and a camera to enhance the road view. For instance, during foggy days, a laser projects a blue line into the windshield that follows the edge of the road.

Infrared sensors will also detect objects, such as a person or an animal, in the driver’s path during night time driving; it will project an outline of the object on the windshield to highlight its location.

Other devices track the driver’s head and eye movement so that the image on the windshield isn’t skewed. Aside from GM, only Chrysler is currently working on similar windshield technology.