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Handheld safety devices provide emergency-out in car accidents
By Kyle Sherer
20:12 August 5, 2007
August 6, 2006 More than 43,000 people died in car accidentsin the US during 2005 – 500 of whom died as a result of being trapped in their vehicle before rescue teams could extricate them. In case of a collision, many buses buses and trains are equipped with emergency hammers, but the average trapped automobile driver has to wait for the Jaws of Life to arrive with emergency services – leaving them vulnerable to further injury from leaking batteries or fuels, unexploded airbags or debris whilst still trapped in the vehicle. LifeHammer and ResQMe are personal devices to cut through seat belts and punch out windows that are designed to form an effective first line of defense in case the unthinkable, but statistically likely, happens. Read More
Nissan test advanced road traffic system aimed at reducing accidents and easing congestion
By Mike Hanlon
22:00 September 17, 2006
September 18, 2006 Nissan is set to begin testing an intelligent transportation system in Japan that allows vehicle-to-infrastructure communication to help reduce traffic accidents and ease congestion. The system uses information obtained from nearby vehicles and roadside optical beacons to wirelessly alert drivers to potential danger from approaching vehicles. It also provides drivers with fastest-route information with Nissan’s probe server collecting city –wide traffic data from the mobile phones of Nissan’s CARWINGS navigation service subscribers, taxi services, and vehicle data collected by mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo. This information is then sent to the driver’s navigation screen where it is displayed as real-time maps showing the traffic flow and density. Screen shots and diagrams here. Read More
Good vibrations could cut accidents by 15 percent
By Mike Hanlon
22:00 September 25, 2005
September 26, 2005 Vibrating the hands, bottoms and feet of car drivers could cut accidents by 15 per cent, according to research at the UK's Oxford University, bringing a whole new meaning to "driving by seat of your pants". Dr Charles Spence, who lead the research team, has predicted that vibrating warning devices, pioneered by Citroen in the C4 and C5 models, could be common within a few years, along with 'earcons', directed audible warnings that will call a driver's attention to the direction of an approaching hazard. Soothing smells - another technology pioneered by the French car maker - will also be used to reduce road rage. Read More
Hidden sensor offers protection from parking accidents
By Mike Hanlon
22:00 July 19, 2003
Sunday July 20, 2003: The Taurus T123 is an electro-magnetic reversing sensor that operates along the full length of the bumper and alerts the driver when any object is 0.8 metres from the rear of the vehicle. Developed in Europe and now available in Australia - where more than 12,000 "at-fault" collisions from avoidable reversing incidents occurred in 2001... Read More
