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☆ Safety group calls for Amazon to use new tech in delivery vans to prevent crashes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

About half a million light vans are sold in the United States every year, with many of those going to companies like Amazon and FedEx. Light vans are those with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 10,000 pounds. Lane departure prevention technology could have helped prevent or, at least, reduce the seriousness of, about 11% of those fatal crashes. That tech could help prevent 37% of fatal crashes involving delivery vans, the Institute said. In more than 60% of crashes and more than half of fatal crashes, the occupant of another vehicle or a pedestrian or cyclist was killed or injured.

Persons: Ram ProMaster, Ram, Van Organizations: CNN —, Amazon, FedEx, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, Institute, Stellantis, IIHS, Ford Locations: America, United States

☆ US safety regulations will require better automatic braking
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New rules from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require improved automating braking systems on new cars sold in the United States by September, 2029. Even though automatic emergency braking, or AEB, is already common on new vehicles sold in the US, these new requirements will save hundreds of lives per year, NHTSA officials said in a statement. AEB is standard equipment on a large majority of new vehicles sold thanks to a voluntary agreement most automakers signed in 2016. If the driver fails to respond in time or with enough braking force, AEB systems apply the brakes automatically. Research by the privately funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed today’s AEB systems reduced rear-end collisions by about 50%.

Persons: Sophie Shulman Organizations: CNN, National, Traffic, Institute for Highway Safety, Vehicles, NHTSA Locations: United States

☆ Federal investigators look into crash of Mustang Mach-E equipped with driver assistance tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Investigators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating a fatal crash involving a Ford Mustang Mach-E equipped with advanced driving assistance technology. Ford shows off the new model 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT during the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place convention center in Chicago, Illinois on February 8, 2024. Federal investigators are looking at dozens of crashes involving so-called advanced driver assistance, or ADAS, systems. ADAS systems handle basic driving tasks such as keeping the vehicle in its lane while maintaining a safe distance behind vehicles ahead, usually in highway driving only. Fourteen of these systems, including two from Ford, were recently rated by the private Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Persons: Jacek Boczarski, Ford, IIHS, Jennifer Homendy Organizations: CNN, National, Traffic Safety Administration, National Transportation Safety, Ford, of Highway Safety, NTSB, Chicago Auto, McCormick, Getty, NHTSA, Wall Street, Federal, General Motors, Volvo, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Locations: “, San Antonio, Chicago , Illinois, Anadolu, Ford, Texas

☆ Fmr. Ford CEO Mark Fields weighs in on IIHS grading Tesla and Ford driver-assist tech 'poor'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFmr. Ford CEO Mark Fields weighs in on IIHS grading Tesla and Ford driver-assist tech 'poor'Hosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

Persons: Mark Fields, Brian Sullivan, “ Organizations: Ford, CNBC

☆ A safety group graded 14 driver-assistance systems. Tesla's self-driving option was the worst.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Camilo Fonseca | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Automated driving systems are lacking in the safety department, according to a new report. Tesla's Full Self Driving system earned the worst marks, but most of the 14 systems tested poorly. Some say that autonomous and assisted driving systems are responsible for fatal crashes. AdvertisementYou may want to think twice before flipping on your autonomous driving system on the highway. The agency tested 14 systems, 11 of which received a "poor" overall safety rating.

Persons: —, David Harkey, Tesla, Ford Organizations: Service, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, National, Traffic Safety Administration, CNN, Ford, Mercedes, Benz, Nissan, General Motors, Insurance, Google Locations: California, Los Angeles, San Francisco

☆ Tesla Autopilot and similar automated driving systems get ‘poor’ rating from prominent safety group
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which rates cars and SUVs for safety, examined so-called advanced driver assistance systems such as Tesla Autopilot and found them wanting. Of the 14 systems tested by the agency, 11 earned a “poor” rating including Tesla’s Autopilot and so-called Full Self Driving systems. Insurance Institute test drivers also looked at what would happen if the driver became incapacitated with the automated driving system in use. Of the systems tested, only GM’s Super Cruise handled that sort of situation the proper way, according to the Institute. The Insurance Institute will continue to monitor software updates and improvements and will periodically retest the systems, Harkey said.

Persons: ’, David Harkey, Harkey, “, ” Harkey, ” Nissan, Ford, BlueCruise, ” Ford Organizations: CNN, The Insurance Institute for Highway, Ford, Nissan, ”, Insurance, ” Insurance, Traffic, Administration, The Insurance Institute, Institute, The, . Insurance, Cruise, Tesla, GM, Insurance Institute for Highway, Insurance Institute

☆ Drivers of boxy SUVs and pickup trucks are more likely to kill pedestrians, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Researchers at the institute looked at records of almost 18,000 incidents in which vehicles struck pedestrians. Tall front ends are common among full-size trucks and SUVs but they aren’t exclusive to very big vehicles. In general, vehicles with box-shaped front ends, even when they’re only medium height, are roughly 26% more likely to kill a pedestrian, according to the IIHS. NHTSA has also proposed adding pedestrian safety tests to its regimen of crash tests and other safety measurements for new vehicles. But automakers should also consider pedestrian safety in the design of their vehicles, IIHS president David Harkey said in a statement.

Persons: aren’t, IIHS, ”, Wen Hu, “, that’s, Motors, Ford, David Harkey Organizations: CNN, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Research Transportation, Vehicles, Institute, Traffic, Administration, ”, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, NHTSA, U.S

Motor vehicles with higher, more vertical front ends raise risks for pedestrians, according to a highway safety organization. But among vehicles with hood heights between 30 and 40 inches, a blunt, or more vertical, front end increases the risk to pedestrians. Vehicles with hood heights of more than 40 inches and blunt front ends angled at greater than 65 degrees were 44% more likely to cause fatalities. “There’s no functional benefit to these massive, blocky fronts.”While sloping front ends did not reduce the risk posed by vehicles with the tallest hoods, they did make a difference for vehicles with hood heights of 30 inches to 40 inches. There was a 25% increase in the risk of a fatality for vehicles with flat hoods — those with angles of 15 degrees or less — compared with vehicles with more sloping hoods.

Persons: ”, Wen Hu, “ Organizations: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IHS, Research Transportation Locations: U.S

☆ Large pickup trucks fare poorly in protecting rear seat passengers - study
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Four large pickup trucks fared poorly in tests measuring how rear seat passengers fare in some crashes, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Tuesday. "Like most other vehicle classes, large pickups don't perform as well in the new moderate overlap evaluation as they do in the updated side test," said IIHS President David Harkey. IIHS said front seat safety has been boosted by improved airbags and advanced seat belts typically not available in the rear. The updated test uses a heavier barrier traveling at a higher speed to simulate the striking vehicle. In traffic crashes in 2021, 60% of pickup drivers who were killed were unrestrained - higher than other categories of vehicles.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, IIHS, Ram, David Harkey, Stellantis, David Shepardson, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Ford Motor Company, North American, REUTERS, Rights, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Ford, General Motors, Silverado, Toyota, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S

☆ Car theft surged more than 10% in one year. See the most stolen models.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is the most frequently stolen vehicle in the US, a nonprofit says. The nonprofit said it identified the top stolen cars from 2020 to 2022 based on a review of claims per insured vehicle. As you might expect, pricey cars like the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, which can cost more than $80,000, topped the list. AdvertisementAdvertisementThieves favor the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat the most, stealing it about 60 times more frequently than the average car, IIHS said, landing it a relative claim frequency of more than 6,000. Here's the full list of the most stolen vehicles, according to IIHS: (as a reference point, the average relative claim frequency across all vehicles is 100):

Persons: IIHS, — Organizations: Dodge, Kia, Hyundai, Service, FBI, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Roadway deaths in the U.S. are mounting despite government test data showing vehicles have been getting safer. Subaru, which has performed well in IIHS pedestrian crash avoidance tests, considers visibility its first line of safety, according to spokesperson Todd Hill. Thanks to vehicle improvements, seatbelt laws and other changes, fatal crashes in the U.S. trended downward for decades, hitting a low of 29,867 in 2011. Government estimates of fatal crashes in 2022 show a 43% increase to 42,795 — partially thanks to increases in speeding and drunk driving and decreases in seatbelt use. Fatal crashes also increased as a percent of total miles driven.

Persons: — Alyssa Milligan, Alyssa, ”, Jessica Cicchino, they’re, ” Cicchino, Todd Hill, Transportation’s Volpe, Billy Richling, Jessica Hart, Allie, ” Hart, “, didn’t, ” John Capp, we’re, I’ve, — Organizations: Nashville —, National Association of City Transportation, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Insurance Institute for Highway, Subaru, Consumer, U.S . Department, Transportation’s, Transportation’s Volpe Center, Volpe Center, Silverado, U.S, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, National Association of City Transportation Officials, D.C, Ford Transit, General Motors, GM Locations: Tenn, Tennessee, Nashville, U.S, Washington

☆ Vehicle-related deaths are rising even though cars are built safer than ever. The popularity of larger vehicles may be to blame.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Vehicles are built to be safer than ever before, but pedestrian and cyclist deaths are rising. A rise in the popularity of larger vehicles, like vans and trucks, may be a factor in this increase. Ronald E. VanHoose/Associated PressRoadway deaths in the U.S. are mounting despite government test data showing vehicles have been getting safer. Fatal crashes also increased as a percent of total miles driven. AP Photo/Mark SchiefelbeinHart is now an advocate with the Washington chapter of Families for Safe Streets, a nonprofit working to end fatal crashes.

Persons: —, Alyssa Milligan, Alyssa, Ronald E, Jessica Cicchino, they're, Cicchino, Todd Hill, Transportation's Volpe, Billy Richling, Jessica Hart, Allie, Allie Hart, Mark Schiefelbein, Hart, didn't, Mark Schiefelbein John Capp, we're, Mark Schiefelbein Hart, I've Organizations: Service, Nashville —, Associated, National Association of City Transportation, Insurance Institute for Highway, Subaru, Consumer, U.S . Department, Transportation's, Transportation's Volpe Center, Volpe Center, Silverado, U.S, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, National Association of City Transportation Officials, D.C, AP, Ford Transit, General Motors, GM Locations: Tennessee, Nashville, U.S, Washington

The lawsuits come after thousands of Hyundai and Kia thefts that use a method popularized on TikTok and other social media channels. The cities suing Kia and Hyundai include New York, Cleveland, San Diego, Milwaukee, Columbus and Seattle. Kia and Hyundai vehicles represent a large share of stolen cars in many U.S. cities, according to data from police and state officials. Many Hyundai and Kia vehicles have no electronic immobilizers, which prevent break-ins and bypassing the ignition. In May, the automakers agreed to a consumer class-action lawsuit settlement worth $200 million over rampant car thefts of the Korean automakers' vehicles.

Persons: Edgar Su, Immobilizers, David Shepardson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Singapore, REUTERS, Rights, Korean, Hyundai Motor, Kia Corp, Hyundai, Kia, Traffic Safety Administration, Insurance Institute, Highway, Data, Thomson Locations: Singapore, New York, Cleveland, San Diego, Milwaukee, Columbus, Seattle, U.S

☆ Auto safety regulators propose rules requiring automatic braking
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed new rules this week that would require that new cars be equipped with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Automatic emergency braking, or AEB, is already standard on most passenger vehicles sold in the United States. If the driver fails to respond in time or with enough braking force, AEB systems will apply the brakes automatically. A recent study by the IIHS found that AEB with pedestrian detection reduced the risk of injury to pedestrians by about 30%. And pedestrian detection systems would need to demonstrate effectiveness in low light.

Organizations: New, New York CNN, Traffic Safety Administration, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Vehicles, NHTSA Locations: New York, United States, America

☆ ‘The federal government is not doing their job,’ NTSB chair says about automated driving tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy sharply criticized federal regulators Thursday for not doing enough to monitor and test automatic driving technologies. “The NTSB has called on regulators to set performance minimums for these features, to test vehicles rigorously against those standards and provide the results to consumers. That’s because the IIHS and Consumer Reports worked directly with automakers to get them to add it. “Consumer Reports and IIHS tried to get ahead of this because there was no movement from regulators,” she said. Consumer Reports test drivers will still use an actual interstate highway to test features that only function when the car recognizes that it’s on a divided highway.

[1/3] The Gateway Arch is seen across from snow covered banks of the Mississippi River during cold weather in St Louis, Missouri, U.S. February 11, 2021. "Big corporations like Kia and Hyundai must be held accountable for endangering our residents and putting profit over people,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones. Many Hyundai and Kia vehicles have no electronic immobilizers, which prevent break-ins and bypassing the ignition. Since May 2022, St. Louis police received more than 4,500 reports of thefts of Kia or Hyundai vehicles. Sixty-one percent of vehicles stolen in St. Louis have been Kias and Hyundais, St. Louis said.

☆ Congress sat back and let trucks become heavier, taller, and deadlier. Now pedestrian fatalities are at a 40-year high.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

As trucks get bigger and bigger, so do the blind zones in the front and to the side of the cars. He didn't expect to find that an M1 Abrams battle tank had better a sightline than some everyday trucks. Due to the shape of the hood, a modern truck's blind zone can extend to more than a dozen feet out in front of the vehicle. According to NHTSA data, there were 240 estimated nonoccupant deaths by forward-moving vehicles in the United States in 2016. The legislation was never brought to a vote, but Blumenthal told Insider he had plans to reintroduce the act this session of Congress.

☆ Tesla confirms DOJ has requested documents on Autopilot, ‘Full Self-Driving’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Matt Mcfarland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“Full Self-Driving” steers the vehicle on city streets, but also may stop for traffic signals and make turns to reach a destination. Tesla said that it’s not aware of any ongoing government investigation that has concluded any wrongdoing occurred. NHTSA first investigated Tesla’s driver-assist technology after reports that Autopilot-engaged vehicles were crashing into emergency vehicles stopped at the scene of earlier crashes. The investigation raises the stakes for Tesla and its claim of self-driving technology. IIHS found that 42% of Tesla Autopilot users were comfortable letting the system drive the vehicle without them watching what was happening on the road.

☆ Many U.S. drivers treat partially automated cars as self-driving, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Drivers using advanced driver assistance systems like Tesla Autopilot or General Motors Super Cruise often treat their vehicles as fully self-driving despite warnings, a new study has found. Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened 37 special investigations involving 18 deaths in crashes involving Tesla vehicles and where systems like Autopilot were suspected of use. Tesla says Autopilot does not make vehicles autonomous and is intended for use with a fully attentive driver who is prepared to take over. GM, which in August said owners could use Super Cruise on 400,000 miles (643,740 km) of North American roads and plans to offer Super Cruise on 22 models by the end of 2023, did not immediately comment. Nissan said its name “is clearly communicating ProPILOT Assist as a system to aid the driver, and it requires hands-on operation.

☆ Many U.S. drivers treat partially automated cars as self-driving - study
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Mike BlakeWASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Drivers using advanced driver assistance systems like Tesla (TSLA.O) Autopilot or General Motors (GM.N) Super Cruise often treat their vehicles as fully self-driving despite warnings, a new study has found. The IIHS study of 600 active users found 53% of Super Cruise, 42% of Autopilot and 12% of ProPILOT Assist owners "said that they were comfortable treating their vehicles as fully self-driving." GM, which in August said owners could use Super Cruise on 400,000 miles (643,740 km) of North American roads and plans to offer Super Cruise on 22 models by the end of 2023, did not immediately comment. IIHS in contrast noted ProPILOT Assist "suggests that it’s an assistance feature, rather than a replacement for the driver." Nissan said its name "is clearly communicating ProPILOT Assist as a system to aid the driver, and it requires hands-on operation.

☆ Confused drivers think they have ‘self-driving’ cars. That’s dangerous, an insurance group warns
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Matt Mcfarland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington, DC CNN Business —Drivers are putting too much trust in their vehicles’ driver-assist features, which may lead to dangerous situations, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). These systems are all driver-assist features that combine adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems, primarily to keep a car in a lane and following traffic on the highway. The IIHS called for automakers to design these driver-assist features to promote proper use. Drivers were more likely to conduct non-driving tasks like these when using the driver-assist features. The findings were based on phone and online surveys of roughly 600 regular users of SuperCruise, Autopilot and ProPilot Assist.

☆ Many U.S. drivers treat partially automated cars as self-driving -study
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Mike BlakeWASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Drivers using advanced driver assistance systems like Tesla (TSLA.O) Autopilot or General Motors (GM.N) Super Cruise often treat their vehicles as fully self-driving despite warnings, a new study has found. The IIHS study of 600 active users found 53% of Super Cruise, 42% of Autopilot and 12% of ProPILOT Assist owners "said that they were comfortable treating their vehicles as fully self-driving." In August, GM said owners could use Super Cruise on 400,000 miles (643,740 km) of North American roads and plans to offer Super Cruise on 22 models by the end of 2023. In contrast, IIHS noted ProPILOT Assist "suggests that it’s an assistance feature, rather than a replacement for the driver." Nissan said its name "is clearly communicating ProPILOT Assist as a system to aid the driver, and it requires hands-on operation.

☆ U.S. theft claims soar for Hyundai, Kia vehicles, non-profit group says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hyundai vehicles are lined up in the company's presentation area during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - U.S. theft claims were nearly twice as common for Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) and Kia Corp (000270.KS) vehicles compared with all other manufacturers among 2015 through 2019 model-year vehicles, a non-profit group said Thursday. Hyundai said engine immobilizers became standard on all vehicles produced after Nov. 1, 2021, while Kia said it added immobilizers in all vehicles during the 2022 model year. The majority of Kia vehicles in the United States are equipped with a key fob and 'push-button-to-start' system, making them more difficult to steal." But they were standard on only 26% of 2015 model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles, it said.

☆ Review: The $23,000 Hyundai Venue Denim compact SUV is an absolute steal for the price
▼ + stars: | 2021-09-09 | by ( Alanis King | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

But when a 2021 Hyundai Venue Denim recently showed up at my door for a two-week test drive, I realized maybe the Denim wasn't the ugly one. The Hyundai Venue Denim. Hyundai Venue Denim ($22,050): adds LED headlights as well as "Denim" appearance package with blue body, white roof, and blue interior. Blue, blue, blue. The Hyundai Venue Denim.

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