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☆ ‘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.

☆ California, other states seek recall of Hyundai, Kia vehicles over theft
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Doyinsola Oladipo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and Kia Corp (000270.KS) vehicles represent a large share of stolen cars in multiple U.S. cities, according to data from police and state officials. While most cars in recent years have been installed with industry standard anti-theft devices, the Korean automakers have no push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. Hyundai said its vehicles have engine immobilizers that prevent a vehicle from starting unless the correct key or fob is used, making it compliant with federal anti-theft requirements. "These specific models comply fully with all applicable federal standards, a recall is neither appropriate nor necessary under federal law," said Kia in a statement. U.S. theft claims were nearly twice as common for Hyundai and Kia vehicles compared with all other manufacturers among 2015-2019 model-year vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute said last year.

[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.

☆ Hyundai, Kia offer software upgrade to 8.3 mln U.S. vehicles to prevent thefts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The free upgrade will be offered for 3.8 million Hyundai and 4.5 million Kia vehicles in the United States, the automakers and NHTSA said. USA Today reported last month that two major insurance companies had stopped offering new policies for Hyundai and Kia vehicles at high risk of theft. Many 2015-19 model year Hyundai and affiliate Kia vehicles have no electronic immobilizers, which prevent break-ins and bypassing the ignition. The initial Hyundai upgrade will cover more than 1 million 2017-2020 Elantra, 2015-2019 Sonata and 2020-2021 Venue model year vehicles. All Hyundai vehicles produced since November 2021 are equipped with an engine immobilizer as standard equipment.

☆ American drivers have a blinding headlight problem. It could last for years.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Drivers say they're routinely getting blinded by surrounding cars' headlights. This isn't because headlight regulations have changed — regulations on brightness haven't been altered in decades. This isn't because headlight regulations have shifted — they haven't changed in decades, according to Greg Brannon, AAA's director of automotive engineering. Adaptive driving beams automatically adjust the high beams emitted from LED car headlights in real time to avoid blinding pedestrians and other drivers. So prepare for the immediate future to be even brighter, as the blinding glare problem may get worse before it gets better.

☆ 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.

☆ Luck, Tesla design likely saved family that plunged off cliff, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Tim Stelloh | Tim Stelloh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Four people were rescued after a Tesla plunged over a cliff in Calif., on Monday. Patel, a 41-year-old woman and two children ages 4 and 7 — both of whom were in car seats — were also in the SUV, California Highway Patrol spokesman Mark Andrews said. Nor is it clear what driving mode Patel was using before the SUV careened off the cliff, the California Highway Patrol said. “In my 35 years of working on vehicle safety, I’ve never had an automaker say, 'Look at this crash test we’re doing for extra credit,'” he said. Helicopters were dispatched, and the family was hoisted from the vehicle using rescue baskets, he said.

☆ Tesla Autopilot’s safety questioned after latest fatal motorcycle crash
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Matt Mcfarland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Driver-assist crash data that automakers like Tesla must report to NHTSA was published Monday and revealed that Autopilot was engaged. A Utah motorcycle rider was killed in July after being struck by a Tesla driver using Autopilot. Utah Department of SafetyA Tesla driver using Autopilot struck a motorcycle lying on a road on July 7 at 4:47 a.m in Riverside, California. Motorcycle safety advocates say they’re concerned that the software fails to see motorcycles and lulls Tesla drivers into a sense of complacency and inattentiveness. Europe’s vehicle safety programs test if driver-assist systems identify motorcycles.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Why your car's speedometer goes up to 160 mph
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-10 | by ( Matt Mcfarland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It displayed a classically-styled speedometer that reached 160 mph, an auto industry norm. As early as the 1920s, cars could be purchased with speedometers going as high as 120 mph, according to Bruce Woolsey, president of Michigan-based auto parts supplier Bob’s Speedometer. The first 160 mph speedometer he’s aware of was in the Cunningham C-3 from the 1950s. Apple Carplay's speedometer includes a 160 mph speed limit in one version. AppleFollowing Claybrook, auto safety leaders have turned to other tactics to address speeding.

☆ 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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