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.

If you drive a 1995 Honda Civic, you better employ better anti-theft solutions because this popular model is America’s most stolen car for 2007, according to ‘Hot Wheels’, a report released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau based on information from the National Crime Information Center. The ’95 Civic is followed by another Honda model, the 1991 Honda Accord in the list.

The 1989 Toyota Camry was the third most stolen vehicle while the 1997 Ford F-150 was the highest-listed pickup truck as well as the most stolen domestic-branded vehicle. Other domestic models were the 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 and the 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup, all trucks. Rounding out the top ten perennial favorites of car thieves were the Acura Integra, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Pickup and the Toyota Corolla.

According to the NICB, the types of vehicles being stolen remain consistent year to year. Thieves continue to prey on these older vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts.

To protect your cars from thieves, NICB recommends a ‘layered approach’ by using simple, low-cost solutions to make vehicles less vulnerable to carjackers. These four layers are: common sense, a warning device, an immobilizing device and a tracking device. Common sense means locking the car and taking the keys with you.

Using a warning device or alarm is also an effective deterrent. The third layer encourages the use of an immobilizing device that will prevent the vehicle from being driven such as a smart key or fuel cut off. The fourth layer is the use of a tracking device that law enforcement officers can use to track and recover a stolen vehicle.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or IIHS has chosen the 2009 Acura TSX as recipient of its Top Safety Pick award. The TSX was honored for offering superior overall crash protection for a vehicle in its class. To win the award, a vehicle must receive top ratings of “good” in all front, side, and rear tests as well as excellent electronic stability control. IIHS officials cite the 2009 TSX’s significant improvement over the previous model.

“Criteria to win are tough because Top Safety Pick is intended to drive continued improvements such as top crash test ratings and rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard equipment on the TSX,” said IIHS president Adrian Lund. “Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results.” he added. In 2007, the IIHS added a requirement for the Top Safety Pick award – all winners must feature electronic stability control.

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As the auto industry continues to reel from the negative effects of rising world oil prices, consumers are looking towards buying compact, more fuel-efficient cars. But as buyers are trooping to smaller vehicles, concerns over whether these small cars offer enough protection are rising once again.

Fortunately, latest statistics show that small car safety have actually improved over the last few years. Automakers are making great strides in introducing safety innovations in small cars such as air bags that are designed to disperse energy generated by a car crash away from the passenger compartment. New materials such as high-strength steel are also being used to reinforce the sides.

Automakers are also improving the crash-worthiness of small vehicles by introducing electronic crash-avoidance systems that can detect an impending collision and take preventive measures, such as braking or tightening the seat belts.

Because of these improvements, the death rate for drivers of the smallest cars have dropped to 106 per million registered vehicles in 2006, down from 165 ten years ago. That makes small cars safer than small pickups with 116 deaths per million vehicles but on par with fatalities among large pickup drivers. But the numbers are still significantly higher than those of the safest categories: large sedans with 41 deaths per million vehicles and large SUVs with 33.

Via Detnews

With thanksgiving just around the corner, the winter season is almost upon us. As all drivers should know, driving through winter poses risks and challenges that can be overcome with a few simple tips and pointers. Here are some important winter driving tips from Car Care Council.

Check antifreeze level to protect engine, radiator, and hoses against freezing

Carry emergency kit, heavy bag of sand in trunk; weight will lend traction on icy roads

Check battery; winter weather can cut life in half

Replace windshield wipers if cracked, torn; use specialized winter blades in severe conditions

Keep tires properly pressurized; use specialized tires in extreme climates

Maintain gas tank at least half full to prevent gas lines from freezing

Via Car Care Council

For Volkswagen, a bumper sticker should say more than just a clever proverb or a humorous quip. Volkswagen’s Electronics Research Laboratory is developing a high-tech bumper sticker that will let drivers indicate their mood. The wafer-thin, highly-flexible programmable foil sticker will display text and images like a computer screen. It will continuously update what the driver’s emotional state is, so that the following drivers will know.

This shows how Volkswagen, as well as other automakers, is hard at work to improve communication between drivers. “You can let the traffic behind you know how you are feeling or say whatever you want to say as the mood takes you”, says VW’s ERL based in Palo Alto California. Other ideas on the drawing boards include an on-board heart rate monitor or other vital signs monitor that lets other drivers know the driver’s condition.

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At the recent Convergence Conference held at the Cobo Center in Detroit, General Motors Corp., through luxury brand Cadillac, demonstrated a technology that can revolutionize vehicle safety in the future – vehicle to vehicle communication technology or V2V. This V2V system will enable a vehicle to detect the position and movement of other vehicles on the road, even up to a quarter of a mile away. In effect, V2V equipped cars communicate their relative positions to each other.

A V2V-equipped vehicle can anticipate and react to whatever driving situations there are on the road. It will warn the driver through chimes, visual icons and seat vibrations once it detects any potential collision. If the driver fails to respond to these signals, the vehicle can bring itself to a safe stop, thus avoiding a collision. “V2V technology gives drivers a sixth sense to know what’s going on around them to help avoid accidents and improve traffic flow,” says Larry Burns, GM vice president of research & development and planning.

A new climate control technology will soon eliminate manual defogging in many late model automobiles. The new automatic defrost/anti-fogging system detects cabin humidity and the temperature outside the vehicle then automatically adjusts the climate controls. This prevents fog and dew from forming on the windshields. Usually in current models, drivers will have to fumble with the A/C system and the defrost buttons. With the automatic climate control, drivers will not have to take their attention off the road to adjust the controls, thus making driving safer.

Some newer climate control systems now also offer fuel-saving mode which keeps the humidity higher when it detects no risk of fog. However, the automatic defogger is limited only for the windshield and side windows, not the rear glass. Also, the defogger won’t prevent dew and fog to accumulate in vehicles that are parked outside overnight. Current and upcoming vehicles offering this new technology, generally as a standard feature, include the 2007 Acura MDX; Volvo S80; Audi A8, S8; BMW 3,5,6. Meanwhile, other automakers offer alternative fog reducing features such as heated washer fluid and outside mirrors.

Innovations like these are always welcome. However, sometimes they are not offered as standard equipment in cheaper car models. Usually, they will come as an optional package requiring the car buyer to shell out a few hundred dollars extra.

The all-new Chrysler Aspen, the first SUV from the automaker, will be the first full-size SUV to offer standard Trailer Sway Control Technology when it arrives at dealerships this month. Trailer Sway Control technology is introduced to improve trailer stability and increase towing safety. It helps reduce trailer sway and improves the SUV’s handling especially in difficult driving and towing conditions.

The technology uses vehicle yaw sensors that detect sway caused by the trailer. It then applies brake pressure on one front wheel to counteract the sway caused by the trailer. It will also apply brake pressure on all four wheels to slow down the vehicle. If the trailer sways to the other side of the vehicle, the controls will increase brake pressure on the other side. This ensures that the vehicle and the trailer are under control. “Chrysler Aspen will give customers more peace of mind in towing conditions with segment exclusive Trailer Sway Control,” said Mike Donoughe, Vice President - Body-on-frame Product Team, Chrysler Group.

As part of Toyota’s efforts to help reduce the number of car accidents resulting from drunk driving, the company will offer drivers a chance to experience how it is to drive under the influence of alcohol, according to a report by Japan Today. The “drunk driving” experience program will be offered at Toyota’s safety training center at the Fuji Speedway circuit in Shizuoka Prefecture. Drunk driving and the dangerous consequences resulting from it have become a serious social issue as the number of fatalities and injuries keep rising.

In the program, visitor will drive through a course wearing specially-designed goggles that impair the driver’s sense of distance and peripheral vision. The goggles simulate the impairment of steering and vehicle operation judgment of drivers when drunk. The virtual drunk driving experience will be available to private and corporate participants.