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Road Safety
Older drivers - Safe or unsafe?
By Gizmag Team
15:28 January 18, 2010 PST
The world's population is aging rapidly, with implications in numerous areas, not the least of which is that the number of male drivers over the age of 70 will double in the next 20 years, and the number of female drivers over 70 will treble. Does this pose a greater risk on the roads? A new in-depth report released today by the UK's IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists contradicts the common assumption that older drivers are a danger on the roads, comprehensively proving that drivers over 70 are no more likely to cause crashes than any other driver, and are indeed, considerably safer than younger drivers. Read More
Textecution app stops kids from texting while they drive
By Loz Blain
21:55 January 13, 2010 PST
Motor vehicle accidents are the single highest cause of death for young people - and the dangerous practice of texting while driving is on the rise among teens and young adults. Textecution is an Android app that parents can install on their kids' phones. It's designed to shut down all texting functions - sending and receiving - if the phone handset is moving at more than 10mph. It's a flawed solution, but a first step towards combatting a very serious issue that's only going to become worse as smartphones proliferate. Read More
Driving the Spira 3-wheel prototype
By Mike Hanlon
17:23 December 11, 2009 PST
The Spira three-wheeler is a unique vehicle. It's one of the finalists in the Automotive X-Prize but its frugal fuel consumption and low emissions are only part of the vision of making it a car for the people. The Spira starts with a scooter, uses everything but the frame, and all those parts bolt into a foam composite tub to create a lightweight (137 kg) three-wheeled two-seater with immeasurably greater crash protection for the occupants. Gizmag visited the Spira's home in Thailand to drive what inventor Lon Ballard hopes will become a machine for the people, and came away mightily impressed. Read More
Dosun J-1 LED safety pedal for bicycles
By Paul Ridden
16:25 October 28, 2009 PDT
Taiwan's Dosun Solar Technology has added a flashing LED bike pedal to its range of safety lighting gadgets. As well as sporting the familiar orange reflective plastic strips on the front and back, each outer corner of the J-1 Pedal Light holds four bright LEDs which start to flash when the rider begins to pedal. Read More
Putting the brakes on running red lights - Mercedes Benz 'Smart Stop' technology
By Mick Webb
02:16 October 16, 2009 PDT
Taking driver-assist technology to the next level is the “Smart Stop” system currently in development by Mercedes Benz. The wireless safety system, which allows intersections to communicate with vehicles, would automatically cause a car to stop at a red light should a driver fail to heed it. Read More
Spooklight signals your cycling intentions with a wireless indicator and brake light
By Darren Quick
22:20 August 13, 2009 PDT
City cycling is an activity fraught with danger but cyclists’ safety can be enhanced by increasing their visibility and also by signaling their movements to fellow road-users. Options such as the Safe Turn Indicator help in that department but now there’s a new product called the Spooklight that could achieve the same feat without the need to strap LED lights to your wrists. Read More
The bike lane that travels with you
By Jude Garvey
03:17 June 26, 2009 PDT
The first automobile crash in the United States is said to have occurred in 1896, in New York City, when a car crashed into - surprise, surprise - a bicyclist. Even today, despite the introduction of reflective gear, helmets and lights, cyclists are still very vulnerable, particularly at night. Enter LightLane – a clever concept that uses lasers to project a virtual bike lane on the ground behind and around the cyclist. Read More
Mercedes-Benz's ESF2009 Experimental Safety Vehicle showcases safety systems of the future
By Loz Blain
00:26 June 18, 2009 PDT
When Mercedes-Benz produced its last safety demonstrator car back in 1974, it showcased exotic new technology like airbags, head restraints and seatbelt tensioners - things which have become almost ubiquitous on new cars 30 years down the track. So it's worth taking a good look at some of the wild and crazy innovations on Benz's ESF2009 Experimental Safety Vehicle if you want to see where Mercedes thinks road safety is going in the next few decades. How about high-beam multi-zone headlights that intelligently dip only the LEDs shining directly at oncoming cars? Or inflatable metal structures that pop up for extra strength in a crash? What about a huge inflatable braking airbag that pops out under the car to provide a massive high-traction contact patch and doubles your braking power in an imminent crash? Amazing stuff, and there's more. Read More
Honda demonstrates V2V communication system for motorcyclists
20:52 October 22, 2008 PDT
No matter what your skill level, being aware of what's going on around you is THE most critical safety factor for all road users - if you don't see it coming, you are in big trouble. For motorcyclists, who are simply less visible on the roads and face a much greater risk of death or serious injury in the event that an accident does occur, this factor becomes even more important. In the past, the technology dedicated to inter-vehicle communication has been limited to blowing the horn or perhaps catching a radio report of an accident up ahead, but things are changing fast. This brings us to Honda's latest innovation in the field. The company has debuted a new Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication (V2V) system aimed at reducing road casualties of both motorcyclists and car drivers which links vehicles within a defined radio range via a wireless LAN network to provide immediate access to data on vehicle location, accidents, congestion or other potential threats that lie ahead. Read More
TAG HEUER Night Vision eyeglasses for safer driving
By Mike Hanlon
23:39 August 6, 2008 PDT
August 7, 2008 Driving at night is far more dangerous than driving in daylight according to the statistics. Though only 10% of road miles are driven in the dark, 48% of road fatalities occur at night. That’s primarily because at night our pupils dilate, and we become short-sighted, though glare, halos, and reduced peripheral vision all contribute to ocular tiredness. TAG Heuer has released a set of ophthalmic Night Vision glasses specifically designed to correct dark-induced myopia, reduce glare, contrast the dark blue surroundings without changing colour perception and ultimately offer safer driving after dark. Read More
Reptile friendly tunnel improves road safety for the cold blooded
By Emily Clark
23:23 June 25, 2008 PDT
A new tunnel designed by multi-disciplinary consultancy firm Scott Wilson will allow reptiles to pass under the road at a UK airport to ensure their safety. The tunnel was created with the reptiles’ biology in mind, providing a warm and inviting space to enter using LED lighting and heating coils. Read More
Europeans buses trial road safety sensor systems
By Emily Clark
19:51 May 28, 2008 PDT
Vehicle-based sensors that link back to centralized infrastructure are seen as a promising solution to traffic management and road safety in our increasingly clogged cites. Last year we reported on Nissan's efforts, now European researchers are trialling a similar system on buses. Read More
Tummy Shield seat belt keeps mother and baby safe
By Jude Garvey
19:13 May 8, 2008 PDT
According to a recent study by the University of Michigan, if all pregnant women wore a car seatbelt, approximately 200 fetuses could be saved each year and an estimated 370 fetuses die as a result of car crashes each year in the United States. However, stretching a seat belt across a growing abdomen is not the easiest job, nor is the belt comfortable across your tummy. A team of Australian engineers has come up with a novel seat belt especially for pregnant women. Unlike traditional seat belts which fit across the abdomen, the Tummy Shield is designed to be worn around the thighs, therefore protecting the abdomen from trauma resulting from a car collision. Read More
envisionCAM video camera, GPS and G-force Event Data Recorder
01:51 April 29, 2008 PDT
April 29, 2008 Big brother has found his way into the company car, so leadfoot drivers beware; he sees, and remembers, and tells all. We wrote recently about the CarCam Voyager, basically a small dash videocam that acts as an infallible witness in accident situations - but the envisionCAM from Advanced EDR systems takes the concept to another level entirely. Read More
Lane departure data collection system for commercial vehicles
By Emily Clark
22:44 March 30, 2008 PDT
March 31, 2008 Traffic management technology maker Iteris has released the first commercially available lane departure warning (LDW) data collection system for the heavy truck market. Safety Direct analyzes real-time data captured by Iteris’ LDW system and relays the information directly to fleet operators through integration with the truck’s existing fleet communications system. Read More
Intelligent brake system could reduce rear-end collisions
19:21 March 27, 2008 PDT
March 28, 2007 Brake lights on automobiles are limited in the information they can convey - you're either stopping or you're not. Having some indication of just how hard the driver in front is pressing the pedal would undoubtedly add to road safety, and that's the thinking behind this intelligent brake light system developed by researchers at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering. Read More
The self-inflating tire
23:16 March 24, 2008 PDT
March 25, 2008 How often do you check your tire pressure? For most of us the answer is "not often enough". Gradual tire deflation over time is a key factor in relation to on-road safety and reduced fuel economy, not to mention the expensive exercise of replacing tires that wear out before the end of their expected life-span. The solution from Czech Republic based CODA DEVELOPMENT s.r.o. is to take the human out of the equation entirely with an integrated system that inflates itself using atmospheric air as you drive. Read More
Radar car collision prevention systems put to the test
By Kyle Sherer
16:34 February 14, 2008 PST
February 15, 2008 British Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre Thatcham has put three of the car industry’s most hyped collision prevention technologies to the test – and they’ve emerged with flying colors. The Volvo City Safety, Mercedes Distronic Plus, and Honda CMBS use radar systems to mitigate and prevent low speed collisions – which, as a category, make up 75% of all motor accidents. Read More
Safe Turn: the fully-automatic indicator for cyclists
By Emily Clark
21:31 January 21, 2008 PST
January 22, 2008 Environmental and health factors have been a catalyst for increased numbers of cyclists in metropolitan cities with bike sales exceeding that of cars in places like Australia in recent times. With more recreational and commuter cyclists sharing the roads with automobiles it follows that rider safety - and technology that enhances it - is more important than ever. The Safe Turn Indicator is a compact (40 mm/1.6 in) and lightweight (19g/0.67oz) bicycle light indicator designed to fit your glove or wrist that consists of three LEDs which flash in a similar fashion to a vehicle or motorbike indicator and emit the same orange light. Using an internal tilt switch to pick-up the change in angle rather than motion-detection, the product differentiates itself from other indicators on the market by virtue of its ability to automatically switch on when an arm is raised to execute a normal hand signal for turning and remain flashing until the arm drops back down. Read More
Car crash warning system could prevent the accident waiting to happen
By Jude Garvey
03:37 January 17, 2008 PST
January 17 , 2008, According to the World Health Organization an estimated 1.2 million people lose their lives every year due to car accidents. With the hope of reducing that number, European researchers are developing a Collision Warning System (CWS) for cars, an early warning device which will warn drivers of dangers ahead and may give them enough time to avoid a crash. Read More
New Mercedes-Benz system warns sleepy drivers
16:55 December 11, 2007 PST
Alcohol and speed are rightfully targeted as major causes of road accidents, but another deadly factor - falling asleep at the wheel - is not always given the profile it deserves in developing strategies to combat the road toll. In an effort to make driving safer for both the occupants of the vehicle and their fellow road users, Mercedes-Benz is working on a system that recognizes tiredness-related changes in personal driving style and warns the driver when it's time to take a break. Now entering the final stages of development and expected to go into series production in 2009, the Attention Assist system constantly monitors typical driving patterns to establish an individual profile and makes a decision on whether the driver is becoming tired when there is deviation from this saved data. Read More
Solar powered road studs offer 10-fold visibility improvement
17:16 November 20, 2007 PST
November 21, 2007 As drivers we tend to ignore "cat's eyes" until we strike inclement weather or unfamiliar roads at night, at which point their safety value in showing us the road ahead comes very much to the fore. Standard reflective road studs rely on illumination from the headlight beams of the approaching vehicle and are effective to a distance of up to 90 meters, a situation that is being greatly improved by the application of solar power to the create stand-alone, self-powered illumination devices. The latest generation of solar road studs has just been announced by pioneering British company Astucia - the SolarLite™ “smart” road stud uses stored solar power to run built-in Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), providing an effective guide for drivers at up to a distance of 900 meters and extending reaction times from 3.2 to over 30 seconds when driving at 60mph. Read More
Active care safety features a top priority according to new research
By Emily Clark
23:40 October 16, 2007 PDT
October 17, 2007 According to a new study from ABI research consumer demand is growing for active safety features in cars with technology advancing rapidly as a result. Radar- and lidar-based obstacle-detection systems continue to develop at the high end of the automobile market, and ultrasonic sensors dominate the low end. Read More
Belkin update TuneBase FM transmitter for iPods
By Darren Quick
22:30 September 19, 2007 PDT
September 20, 2007 iPod accessories continue to multiply exponentially, and why not with over 110 million iPods sold to June 2007 according to Apple. The latest add-on to catch our attention is Belkin's updated model of its TuneBase FM transmitter which includes new Clearscan technology - a feature that automatically seeks out the clearest FM frequency through which to relay your music. Read More
Lexus active driver safety system prevents accidents caused by innattention
By Loz Blain
19:59 September 5, 2007 PDT
September 6, 2007 With the aim of reducing the many road accidents caused by simple inattention, Lexus has introduced an active and intelligent new driver safety system using six cameras that monitor your face as you drive. If there’s an obstacle in your path and your head’s turned the wrong way, this clever car will hit the anchors for you. The system also incorporates active headrests designed to minimize injury in the event of a rear-end collision. Read More
Mr Stiffy
- February 9, 2010 @ 06:26 UTC
