We don’t know if this is a factory 800-horsepower Super Snake or a privately tuned GT500, but something went very wrong during this dyno test... It might have happened due to insufficient cooling or a faulty component - we just don't know. Whatever the cause, the owner is one unhappy guy. Follow the break and watch the engine going up in flames and a cloud of smoke.
By Csaba Daradics
_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________
Thanks for the tip Glen!
Source: Slowdown , Link: Apple App
_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe breakfast show, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated: "There's a lot of technology out there now that can disable phones and we're looking at that. That's one way. But you have to have good laws, you have to have good enforcement, and you have to have people take personal responsibility. That's the bottom line."
The semi-official announcement comes as the DoT launches a new online video campaign called, “Faces of Distracted Driving”, where victims speak about how it has changed their lives. Mr. LaHood went on to state that the deadly phenomenon has claimed 5,500 lives in the last year, with 500,000 more injured.
Paul Atchley, a scientist as the University of Kansas, thinks the true numbers could be much higher, and that things will only get worse:
"When we ask young drivers about drunk driving, they say that judges should throw the book at drunk drivers, but not the person texting while driving. The bottom line is that people want to use these devices. And things are going to get worse before they get better."
There are no federal laws in the U.S. that limit the use of a cell phone while driving, though many states do prohibit texting. Others have made it illegal to use a cell phone without a headset / voice dialing.
It is unlikely that cell phone jammers will be built into cars, as the Federal Communications Commission has made these illegal (for obvious reasons). The DoT is therefore seeking a software solution that could use cell phone towers to estimate a car’s speed.
Mr. Atchley, however, is convinced this won’t work, as these methods are voluntary and the software is not difficult for tech savvy users to work around. Instead, Atchley believes we must change people’s attitudes.
Though given the failings of similar campaigns against speeding and drunk driving, this may not be as easy as it first seems.
*Update: The U.S. Department of Transport is not considering mandating cell phone blocking technology in cars. The U.S. DoT is simply evaluating these technologies so that individuals and companies may voluntarily use them in the near future. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has clarified this in a blog post.
By Tristan Hankins
Via: MSNBC
While no one was hurt as a result of the accident, unfortunately, the laws of physics that state an object that is in motion will not change its velocity, were not suspended and the family of four received a well deserved lesson in safety procedures.
Via: Wreckedexotics
_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________
According to DIA, drivers give too much emphasis on the actual skidding, instead of taking precautionary measures, which can help them to avoid the problem in the first place.
For starters, make sure you leave on time from home and prepare your vehicle for the journey. There's nothing worse than a stressed out driver in a rush, constantly tempted to floor the gas pedal on slippery roads.
It's also very important to prepare your car. In winter, windows will gather frost (minus these) and there's a good chance that the entire car will be covered in snow. If you don't clear the windows and the car, which by the way, is an offence in many countries, you'll be endangering yourself due to the lack of visibility as well as those around you by blinding them with the snow falling off your car.
We consider that letting the engine idle for a few minutes in freezing temperatures is a good idea as well, because it's going to extend its lifecycle. Madly revving a cold powertrain just to clear the driveway can cause damages.
Don't forget to check the fuel, antifreeze and windscreen washer levels, and consider pulling the wipers away from the windshield if the car remains stationary for longer periods of time to prevent the rubber from freezing onto the glass.
If you have done all this, you're ready to go, unless of course you don't have winter tires,. Most people tend to neglect this aspect, but it's a big mistake. Tire companies say that normal rubber will lose grip even at 7 degrees Celsius (44.6 F), not to mention below zero (33 F) temperatures. If that's the case, you won't be better off with four-wheel drive either. You might get a bit further than two-wheel drive vehicles, but that's about it without a good set of tires.
But let's say you have winter tires and you're on the road. You should keep a safe distance from other vehicles that have not been cleared, to avoid flying snow and ice that can blind you or even shatter your windscreen.
If there's a steep street ahead, wait for the other cars to reach the top before continuing your drive. Should they slip back, you will be a sitting duck if there's not enough distance between vehicles.
Use a higher (third instead of second, for instance) and if your car has an automatic transmission, check if it has a winter mode. Always accelerate progressively and plan ahead when braking. Use engine braking if possible and avoid locking the brakes. As long as the wheels are turning you can still change the direction of the car, while with locked wheels you'll spin around uncontrollably.
Pay attention to road surfaces. On bridges and flyovers the cold wind can cause the surface to freeze. Sheltered areas can also be hazardous: if the sun doesn't reach them for a few hours you might end up driving on "black ice". Road markings might not be visible, so think twice about stopping in certain spots.
If you live in areas with severe snowfalls, it's a good idea to keep some supplies in your car (drinks, food, blankets, waterproof clothing etc.) and consider buying a shovel and chains in case you get stuck. In extreme conditions, your survival can depend on them, so every penny will be well spent.
Foremost, use common sense. If something feels wrong, don't do it. Once, I saw a sticker on a Land Rover Defender that said, "Caution! This machine has no brain. Use your own". How true is that?
By Csaba Daradics
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
So what gives me the right to chide American drivers for resisting such a basic piece of road design as the humble roundabout? Well, that's simple: in Australia we've been using roundabouts for years.
The New York Times reports that, for some oddball reason (probably because the French are so fond of them), Americans are actively resisting the introduction of the roundabout across their great, proud nation. This comes despite the fact that roundabouts have long proven to be safer, more efficient and better for the environment than that other piece of road design: the intersection.
Eugene R. Russell Sr, a civil engineering professor at Kansas State and the chairman of a national task force on roundabouts, elaborates:
"There's a lot of what I call irrational opposition. People don't understand. They just don't understand roundabouts."
What's to understand? It's a big concrete circle that you drive around counter-clockwise, turning off on the exit that you want. If you're turning left or making a U-turn, you keep to the inside lane, if you're turning right, you keep to the outside lane. You give way to the left like you would at an intersection, and to any vehicles already transversing the roundabout. That's it.
So why don't Americans like roundabouts?
Well, there are a few potential reasons. First, there's the resistance to change: intersections have been a staple of American towns for at least sixty years. There's also some confusion between what a roundabout actually is: traffic circles, like Dupont Circle in Washington D.C., are not roundabouts. Roundabouts are typically smaller, traffic moves more slowly and do not feature traffic lights.
There are, however, signs that attitudes are changing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety interviewed 1,802 drivers across six communities and found that just 34% support roundabouts before construction, but that this generally increases to 57% shortly after construction was finished and 69% after more than a year had passed.
There are roughly 2,000 roundabouts across the United States, most of which were built in the last ten years according to Edward Myers, the senior principal at transport engineering firm Kittelson and Associates. Hundreds more are planned for the immediate future, so it seems American drivers will have no choice but to go accustomed to, and learn how to use, these rotary roadways.
By Tristan Hankins
Source: NYT , Photo/Video: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
You might have to watch it again to get the full effect. With the steering wheel still hard over, the driver realizes he or she has gone too far. Rather than hitting the brake, he or she hits the accelerator instead and the car surges forward, demolishing a door and slamming into the side of another parked car.
It's one of those things that has to be watched over and over again (I know I did). Feel free to leave your jibes, chides and other remarks in the comments below
By Tristan Hankins
Via: Gawker
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP's Secretary General, commented:
"It is clear that vehicles from China, India and other emerging countries will in the next few years become commonplace on European roads. Euro NCAP will ensure that consumers know what levels of safety are offered by these vehicles. By highlighting differences in safety performance, we aim to drive the safety of all cars towards and beyond the high levels we see from more well established manufacturers. We are confident that Landwind and others will rise to this challenge".
This is not Lanwind's first foray into the European market. In 2005 they tried to attract buyers with the X6 SUV, based on Isuzu Rodeo/Opel Frontera underpinnings, but failed miserably after ADAC conducted a crash test and rated it with zero stars.
The MPV fared better, but it's still considered to be poorly equipped. Euro NCAP pointed out that side airbags, increased head protection and electronic stability control would have helped it achieve a better score. The test vehicles were early examples of Euro-spec models, as Lanwind plans to officially launch the CV9 in early 2011.
You can read the official Euro NCAP assessment below.
By Csaba Daradics
Adult occupant
Inspection of the vehicle after the frontal impact, and examination of its performance during the test itself, revealed that structures surrounding the passenger compartment were at the limit of their load-bearing capacity. As a result, the passenger compartment was deemed to be unstable as an impact at a higher speed was expected to lead to significantly greater collapse. Protection of the driver's chest was rated as marginal. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the front seat occupants' knees and femurs. However, structures in the dashboard presented a risk of injury to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions, and protection was rated as marginal. The steering rack was pushed rearwards during the frontal test, heavily distorting the driver's footwell and tearing the metal. This represented a risk of injury to the driver's feet and ankles and the car was penalised. The CV9 has no side protection airbags and, in the side barrier test, protection of the chest area was rated as weak and that of the abdomen as marginal. In that test, three doors were seen to have opened during the impact. Landwind have attributed this to weak springs in the door latches and intend to fit stiffer springs to try to overcome the problem in future vehicles. As the car has no head protection device, no side pole test was performed. The seats supplied for whiplash tests were not consistent with the ones in the test vehicles. As the seats in the test cars were damaged from the full scale tests, no valid assessment could be made of the whiplash protection offered by the CV9.
Child occupant
In the frontal impact, forward movement of the head of the 3 year dummy, sat in a forward facing restraint, exceeded recommended limits. However, in the side barrier test, both the 3 year and the 18 month dummies were properly contained within the protective shells of their restraints. The passenger airbag cannot be disabled to allow a rearward facing restraint to be used in that seating position and the label warning of the dangers of doing so was unclear and not permanently attached. Markings on the restraints of both dummies were not permanently attached and points were lost.
Pedestrian
The protection offered by the bumper to pedestrians' legs was good in places and poor in others. The front edge of the bonnet offered poor protection and scored no points in Euro NCAP's tests. Tests in some areas at the centre of the bonnet indicated good protection for a child's head but was poor elsewhere. The protection offered to the head of a struck adult was also predominantly poor.
Safety assist
A seatbelt reminder system is standard equipment for the driver and front passenger seats. Electronic stability control is not currently available on the CV9.
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________
The Telegraph newspaper reports that the Bristol resident, Ronald Pemberton, was taken to court over the matter and found guilty by the Bristol Magistrates Court. Nicholas Rowland, the Court Recorder, banned Pemberton from driving for 12 months and order he pay over £1,900 in fines, court costs and compensation.
Recorder Rowland had this to say to Mr. Pemberton after delivering his verdict:
"It is an expensive lesson for you. I hope you will think long and hard before you do anything like this again. No doubt you were severely irritated with the long-existing parking problem. It's very sad to see somebody of your age in court at all but I'm afraid you can't go taking the law into your own hands."
Sarah Regan, the prosecuting lawyer, added:
"The way you deal with it is to leave a note on the windscreen and have a word when [the drivers] come back. You don't use your car to move it."
Mr. Pemberton had rented the garage, located near his home and across from a local school, for the past twenty years. His lawyer argued that he had never had problems with the police, and it was only after he grew increasingly frustrated by people parking in front of his garage that he took this drastic course of action.
By Tristan Hankins
Via: Daily Telegraph
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
The NHTSA says the new protocols will also test "side-pole" accidents and crash-prevention systems, as well as using new dummies (hopefully these will be set up properly). One new addition will be the use of a smaller "female" dummy to gauge accidents involving women. Also, new "injury criteria" will be implemented, as well as the use of an Overall Vehicle Score.
NHTSA Administrator David Strickland says, "We want consumers to embrace these new safety technologies as a way to make vehicles safer. We believe electronic stability control, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning offer significant safety benefits and consumers should consider them when buying a new car." Well, yeah.
By Phil Alex
Also, how fast do you have to be going to launch the spare tire out of the trunk? If anyone knows what event this was or what specifically was going on (other than putting that poor white Sonata into a mound of dirt), give us a shout.
By Phil Alex
_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________
