Tag Archives: Highway

Mazda CX-5 Earns Top Rating in IIHS’s Newest Crash Test

WASHINGTON, May 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) introduced the 2023-2024 Mazda CX-5 earned the best ranking of their latest crash check.

IIHS lately up to date its reasonable entrance overlap crash check, the place 40 % of the motive force aspect entrance finish of a automobile impacts a stationary barrier at 40 mph. The forces on this check are much like these in a frontal offset crash between two autos.

In IIHS’s authentic model of this check, solely a driver dummy was used. In 2022, to handle the necessity for higher rear occupant safety, a second dummy was added within the second-row seat behind the motive force. The up to date analysis incorporates superior standards centered on stopping accidents to rear-seat occupants.

Along with most autos initially evaluated on this new, difficult check, the 2021-2022 mannequin 12 months Mazda CX-5 acquired a poor ranking. Dedicated to steady security developments and listening to data-driven steering from valued companions like IIHS, Mazda shortly made enhancements. Rear seat belt pretensioners and cargo limiters have been added not simply to Mazda’s CX-5, however to all new Mazda autos, serving to to cut back forces to belted rear occupants within the occasion of a crash.

As a consequence, the 2023-2024 mannequin 12 months CX-5 has now earned a very good ranking within the IIHS up to date reasonable entrance overlap check. 2024 mannequin 12 months Mazda3 Sedan and Hatchback, CX-30, CX-90, and 2023-2024 mannequin 12 months CX-50 earned the identical prime, good ranking on this check earlier this 12 months. 

“Mazda is proud to make these improvements to better protect our customers and their passengers,” mentioned Mazda North American President and CEO Tom Donnelly. “We will continue to listen, learn, and evolve, as we execute our safety vision for zero fatalities by 2040.”

To be taught extra about superior security at Mazda, please go to the MazdaUSA.com web site –  https://www.mazdausa.com/why-mazda/safety.

The IIHS is an impartial, non-governmental safety-testing group, funded by the insurance coverage business. For extra data, go to https://www.iihs.org/ratings/top-safety-picks.

About Mazda North American Operations

Proudly based in Hiroshima, Japan, Mazda has a historical past of subtle craftsmanship and innovation, and a objective to complement life-in-motion for these it serves. By placing people on the middle of the whole lot it does, Mazda aspires to create uplifting experiences with our autos and for folks. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the gross sales, advertising, components and customer support assist of Mazda autos in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Colombia by way of roughly 795 sellers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario; operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City; and operations in Colombia are managed by Mazda de Colombia in Bogota, Colombia. For extra data on Mazda autos, together with images and B-roll, please go to the net Mazda media middle at information.mazdausa.com. 

Follow @MazdaUSA on social media: FacebookInstagramXYouTube, and Threads

What Engine Is In The Dodge Scat Pack & Just How Fast It Can Be

Whether on the racetrack or freeway, the Scat Pack contains a few of Dodge’s strongest vehicles. However, energy does not essentially correlate with pace. If that have been the case, we might see much more heavy-duty engines competing. So, how briskly can the Scat Pack automobiles go then?

Naturally, you must be fairly quick to make it into the Dodge Scat Pack. The iconic grouping of Chargers and Challengers can all run 1 / 4 of a mile in 14 seconds or much less, so the barrier for entry is fairly excessive. The 2023 Dodge Charger Scat Pack has a prime pace of 175 mph and may go from zero to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, giving it ample time to finish the Scat Pack’s initiation. The Charger Scat Pack Widebody accomplished the usual automotive check in the identical time, reaching zero to 60 in 4.3 seconds. The Hellcat, Hellcat Redeye Widebody, and the Widebody Jailbreak all ran sooner instances, however the Scat Pack continues to be one of many quickest Chargers available on the market.

Similarly, the Dodge Challenger Scat Pack is not the quickest that cash should purchase, nevertheless it holds its personal among the many automobile’s different speedy trims. The 2023 Dodge Challenger tops at 203 mph, with the Scat Pack and Widebody finishing zero to 60 in 4.2 seconds, barely sooner than the Charger, with solely the Hellcat and Super Stock trims clocking sooner instances.

How it Works: Nitin Gadkari’s Satellite-based Toll Collection System

Highway travels within the close to future is not going to embrace lengthy strains at toll plazas, serving to you save time

Over a decade in the past, the gathering of tolls on highways was purely executed in money or by way of playing cards, till FASTags had been launched in 2014. The introduction of FASTags made the toll fee course of faster and extra seamless, however Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is planning to make FASTags and even toll plazas utterly out of date with a brand new satellite-based toll assortment system. Learn extra about what it’s and the way it works on this detailed article.

What Is GPS Based Toll Collection

Unlike our conventional method of paying tolls whereas travelling, the place there are toll assortment plaza on highways the place you must cease, wait in line, and pay the toll by way of FASTag; the GPS or satellite-based toll assortment system will incorporate monitoring programs put in in automobiles that may measure the gap travelled by your automobile and the toll might be charged based mostly on the gap you may have lined. 

Also Read: 3 Ways Hybrids Could Become More Affordable In India

In this course of, because the information from the monitoring gadget is shared straight with the satellite tv for pc, the presence of toll plazas is not going to be required which is able to make the drive much more handy by serving to you save the time you spend ready in strains.

How Will It Work

The implementation of this new methodology is not going to be straightforward and it’ll take a couple of years for each automobile to be outfitted with the know-how. However, if carried out efficiently, that is how the method will work.

  • The automobiles should be outfitted with an OBU (on-board unit) which is the aforementioned monitoring gadget.

  • The OBU will observe the coordinates of your automobile when you’re driving on highways and people coordinates might be shared with the satellite tv for pc to calculate the gap you may have travelled.

  • This system will work utilizing GPS (Global Positioning System) which is able to function utilizing the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) that may assist preserve accuracy within the distance calculation.

  • The cameras positioned on these highways can be utilized to make sure that the gap is being measured correctly by evaluating the coordinates of the automobile with the picture taken. The digicam may assist in discovering out which automobiles don’t have OBUs by working the quantity plates.

  • Initially, this toll assortment system might be carried out on choose highways and expressways throughout the nation.

  • With this methodology of toll assortment, the quite a few toll plazas positioned on the highways and expressways might be eliminated, and you wouldn’t must decelerate which might make your journeys barely faster.

The OBUs will not be already current in automobiles however should be put in externally. As of now, there is no such thing as a details about how and the place to get these OBUs, however the course of won’t be so troublesome, and is likely to be just like FASTags after they had been initially launched. This is how we expect the method might be.

  • Much like FASTags, these OBUs might be out there by means of authorities web sites, the place you’ll have the ability to get them organized by placing your automobile’s registration quantity and finishing a KYC.

  • Once you apply for the OBU, you’ll must get it linked to your checking account.

  • After the implementation of this toll assortment system, automobile producers would possibly simply begin promoting their automobiles with pre-installed OBUs, which you’ll then hyperlink to your checking account.

  • Just like FASTags, banks and personal firms may also begin promoting OBUs.

  • After putting in the OBU within the automobile, based mostly on the gap travelled, the toll quantity might be robotically deducted out of your linked checking account.

Will It Work In India?

The GPS-based toll assortment system will not be one thing new because it has already been carried out in nations like Germany and Singapore, and this method has labored in these nations. In India, the transfer in direction of digital transactions and know-how is at a quick tempo, which could simply make this new toll assortment system work, and its adoption may even not take a lot time as soon as vast scale implementation begins. 

Also Read: Tata Nano EV Launch: Fact Vs Fiction

However, to do that, the present infrastructure based mostly round FASTags should be eliminated, the brand new infrastructure should be created, which is not going to solely take time, however may even be costly. The price of changing your complete infrastructure might find yourself on the shopper within the type of elevated toll costs. 

As of now, the thought of this new system appears nice, however the implementation and adoption is not going to be straightforward. If the federal government begins to work on it now, we’ll have to attend for round a decade for it to be carried out throughout the nation.

LiveWire S2 Del Mar Recalled For Incorrectly Tightened Rear Axle Fasteners

On March 22, 2024, LiveWire EV LLC filed a security recall report with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning the 2024 S2 Del Mar.

Not to be confused with an earlier S2 Del Mar recall associated to a possible engine software fault that was filed in February 2024, this explicit recall pertains to incorrect tightening torques utilized to some rear axle and decrease rear shock mounting nuts. 

Per LiveWire, this will lead to zero clamp load within the affected areas, which may in flip result in lack of management of the bike, thus growing the danger of a crash. Only a particular vary of 2024 S2 Del Mars could also be affected, as they have been reportedly inspected by a 3rd celebration that apparently didn’t apply the proper torques to the {hardware} in query.

Approximately 165 bikes could also be affected, which represents an estimated 58 p.c of the inhabitants. Affected bikes have been produced between July 31, 2023 and November 30, 2023. The affected VINs vary from 1HD3GCYB0RB550041 to 1HD3GCYB0RB550699 and are non-sequential.

What Happened?

According to LiveWire’s official chronology of the problem, the LiveWire Service Team first turned conscious of a possible drawback in January 2024. After going by way of the correct channels, a proper investigation started in February 2024. In early March 2024, LiveWire made the choice to subject a security recall. 

The recall report attributes the problem to “an improper third-party inspection process [that was] performed on certain motorcycles within the build range.”

What LiveWire Is Doing

LiveWire is notifying its vendor community between March 21, 2024 and March 28, 2024. Additionally, it’s notifying registered house owners of affected bikes between March 26, 2024 and April 2, 2024, in order that they know what’s occurring and might take applicable motion to treatment any points.

Please word that S2 Del Mars outdoors the recall inhabitants vary aren’t affected by this recall and that it solely applies to a particular manufacturing vary of this mannequin 12 months and machine.

LiveWire can be notifying its vendor community that it might promote however not ship affected 2024 S2 Del Mars till after this recall service is carried out.

What Should Owners Do?

If you are the proprietor of a 2024 LiveWire S2 Del Mar that’s affected by this recall, you will must contact your native approved LiveWire vendor to rearrange for a recall service.

This service will include a radical inspection of the {hardware} in doubtlessly affected areas. If mandatory, LiveWire technicians will then tighten the nuts to the suitable torque specification.

Should any harm have occurred to the elements affected, LiveWire technicians will exchange any broken elements, freed from cost to the client. As an everyday matter after all, no elements are deliberate to get replaced except there’s harm in any other case famous in the course of the inspection.

In the meantime, house owners might contact LiveWire Customer Service at 1-855-387-4337 concerning LiveWire recall quantity 1002. Owners may contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov

Most Automakers Get Poor IIHS Rating for Driver Monitoring Systems

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) does not consider automakers are preserving an in depth sufficient eye on drivers as they use superior driver-assist programs. A new report from the agency gave 11 out of 14 monitoring/safeguard programs available on the market in the present day a poor score, whereas two are ranked marginal, and only one is labeled acceptable. None earn a superb score.

According to IIHS requirements, a superb score requires programs to watch the motive force’s eyes and hand place and have two alerts inside a 10-second span. If the motive force remains to be deemed inattentive by 20 seconds, a 3rd alert must be carried out or the automotive ought to start emergency motion to gradual the automotive and safely exit the street. Regardless of the alerts, 35 seconds of inattentive motion ought to have the automobiles slowing and exiting the street.

Monitoring programs also needs to require people to provoke lane modifications. Lane-keep help shouldn’t disengage if a driver makes guide changes whereas it is lively, as this encourages drivers to actively drive. Similarly, adaptive cruise management shouldn’t routinely resume after a protracted cease, presumably in heavy visitors the place issues might be hectic. Lastly, if seat belts aren’t fixed or computerized emergency braking is disabled, the monitoring system ought to stop the motive force assists from activating.

The IIHS examine coated automobiles from Ford, General Motors, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Genesis, Lexus, Nissan, and Volvo. Lexus has the excellence of incomes the suitable score, with General Motors and Nissan receiving the 2 marginal rankings. The examine concedes that Ford will get near a greater score, however the takeaway is that each driver monitoring system within the group falls brief in a number of areas.

“The shortcomings vary from system to system,” mentioned IIHS Senior Research Scientist Alexandra Mueller. “Many vehicles don’t adequately monitor whether the driver is looking at the road or prepared to take control. Many lack attention reminders that come soon enough and are forceful enough to rouse a driver whose mind is wandering. Many can be used despite occupants being unbelted or when other vital safety features are switched off.”

While the examine is essential of those programs, the IIHS believes fixes might be achieved largely by way of software program modifications.

“These results are worrying, considering how quickly vehicles with these partial automation systems are hitting our roadways,” mentioned IIHS President David Harkey. “But there’s a silver lining if you look at the performance of the group as a whole. No single system did well across the board, but in each category, at least one system performed well. That means the fixes are readily available and, in some cases, may be accomplished with nothing more than a simple software update.”

NHTSA Investigating 250,000 Hondas Over Unintended Auto Emergency Braking

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) just lately launched an investigation into sure Honda Insights and Passports following a number of complaints of phantom braking incidents. The group is presently searching for extra info relating to attainable unintended activation of the brakes.

The investigation, launched March 7, focuses on Insights and Passports constructed from 2019 by way of 2022. A doc from the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) states that 46 complaints have been obtained relating to the system, alleging the brakes had been utilized unexpectedly with no clear obstruction to set them off. Of these situations, three resulted in both a crash or fireplace, and two resulted in reported accidents. The doc lists an estimate of 250,712 autos as a part of the investigation.

Crash Testing Will Get Even Tougher In 2025, Says IIHS

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety makes it tougher yearly to earn the group’s Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards. The group is now outlining the modifications to the standards for 2024, and confirmed to Motor1 the modifications it plans to make to the assessments for 2025. 

There are vital modifications to the IIHS award standards for this 12 months. For 2024, score from the IIHS is now crucial for the aspect crash check with a heavier barrier for a TSP or TSP+ award. Previously, the group had separate day and night time pedestrian entrance crash prevention evaluations. Now, it is combining them into one check with runs in each circumstances so {that a} car cannot excel throughout only one time of day and get an award. An acceptable or good score is important to be eligible for both honor.

During its entrance overlap check final 12 months, IIHS started putting a dummy behind the driver. To get a Top Safety Pick+ in 2024, a car should rating an appropriate or good score. The group can also be revising the way it scores the small overlap entrance crash check. The driver- and passenger-side evaluations are actually a single class, and the score is the decrease of the 2 outcomes. All trim ranges of a car have to obtain good or acceptable scores for the mannequin to be eligible for both award.

 

Things are going to be even more durable subsequent 12 months, in accordance with the group.

“We will raise the bar again with more challenging criteria for 2025 Top Safety Picks, though the updates will be more modest,” IIHS spokesperson Joe Young advised Motor1. “The changes will relate to our updated moderate overlap crash test. A good or acceptable rating in that test is one requirement for the 2024 Top Safety Pick+ award. In 2025, the “plus” award will require a good rating, while the regular Top Safety Pick will require an acceptable rating.”

The IIHS award standards bases its award standards on the calendar 12 months, not a car’s mannequin 12 months. This means even when 2025 fashions start arriving in showrooms later this 12 months, the group will nonetheless use the 2024 guidelines for testing them. 

So far, there are 22 Top Safety Pick+ winners and 49 autos with the Top Safety Pick for 2024. For comparability, there have been 28 TSP+ autos and 20 TSP fashions when the IIHS announced its 2023 criteria.

Most-watched IIHS crash exams of 2023

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) routinely publishes movies of its crash exams to YouTube. While it is actually satisfying to observe new automobiles get smashed to items, the clips additionally present a singular perception into how security is engineered into new automobiles. These are the IIHS’s most considered crash check movies from final 12 months. 

5. 2023 Rivian R1S Updated Moderate Overlap Crash Test

Taking the fifth spot is the 2023 Rivian R1S. It’s the costliest automotive on this checklist, and the one purely electrical automobile. We can perceive the general public’s curiosity right here — Rivian is a brand new model, and it is all the time attention-grabbing to see how battery-powered automobiles stack up towards exams initially designed for gas-powered automobiles. The reply? Not properly, at the least with reference to the up to date average overlap check, the place the R1S scored a “marginal” score. 

4. 2023 Toyota Camry Updated Moderate Overlap Crash Test

Next on the checklist is the 2023 Toyota Camry. While it is not a really thrilling automotive, it is simple to see why this crash check was so in style. The Camry is the best-selling sedan within the United States, shifting practically 300,000 models in 2023. Buyers, homeowners, and Uber passengers alike are possible curious to know the way this automotive would fare in a crash. Like the Rivian, it was in a position to rating properly in each crash class save for the check you see above, the up to date average overlap check, the place it too scored a score of “marginal.”

3. 2023 Ford Maverick Updated Side Crash Test

The IIHS’s exams of the Ford Maverick try to reply a query we’re certain is on each pickup proprietor’s thoughts: Can a pickup truck nonetheless be protected if it is small? Sure, an F-150 can tank just about any affordable affect you throw at it, however what about Ford’s entry-level unibody truck? The public’s curiosity was sufficient to raise the Maverick’s aspect crash check video to 3rd place. While it was in a position to obtain a “good” score on this check, it was solely given an “acceptable” score for its average overlap.

2. Volvo XC60

Volvo is touted as one of many most secure automotive manufacturers on the market, so it is fairly massive information at any time when considered one of its automobiles would not ace a crash check. That’s precisely what occurred right here in the course of the XC60, the place within the IIHS’s up to date aspect crash check, the SUV was solely in a position to rating an “acceptable” score (one score under “good”). The XC60 was in a position to ace each different check, although, so we suspect it is nonetheless fairly protected. 

1. Toyota Grand Highlander

The most-viewed video from the IIHS in 2023 goes to the Toyota Grand Highlander’s driver-side small overlap crash check. We suspect this video was so in style for a similar causes the Camry’s crash check was so broadly considered: Because lots of people will purchase this automotive, they usually merely need to know the way it performs in a crash. The Highlander is the go-to alternative for large households, which means dad and mom are possible curious to know the way it’ll carry out. The automotive earned an “acceptable” score right here, the one check the place it carried out under “good.”