Honda Cars : 2013 Honda Accord, Cadillac ATS Among Models Set for Federal Crash Tests | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

By Anita Lienert, 

 

Just the Facts:

• The 2013 Honda Accord, Cadillac ATS and Nissan Pathfinder are among the 54 vehicles set to undergo the latest round of federal crash testing, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• NHTSA will rate 33 passenger cars, 16 SUVs, one van and four pickup trucks, including the 2013 Ram 1500 and Toyota Tacoma.
• The testing covers approximately 85 percent of the new model year vehicles available for sale in the U.S., said NHTSA.

WASHINGTON — The 2013 Honda Accord, Cadillac ATS and Nissan Pathfinder are among the 54 vehicles set to undergo the latest round of federal crash testing, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NHTSA will rate 33 passenger cars, 16 SUVs, one van and four pickup trucks, including the 2013 Ram 1500 and Toyota Tacoma. Other new vehicles set for testing include the 2013 Ford C-Max Energi, Ford Fusion Energi, Acura ILX, Cadillac XTS, Dodge Dart, Nissan Altima, Toyota Prius V and Volkswagen Beetle.

The test results, which are posted on the window stickers of new vehicles, help consumers to make informed choices about a vehicle's safety.

The testing covers approximately 85 percent of the new model year vehicles available for sale in the U.S., said NHTSA. Absent from the list are the 2013 Tesla Model S and the Coda electric sedan.

Federal safety regulators will also test certain safety systems, such as lane departure warning and forward collision warning in select 2013 vehicles. They include the 2013 Audi A4, Chevrolet Volt, Ford Taurus, Hyundai Genesis and Subaru XV Crosstrek.

NHTSA tests vehicles with the highest sales volumes and compares them, using star ratings, to highlight which vehicles "go above and beyond what is federally required."

Five stars represent the highest rating; one star represents the lowest.

Edmunds says: Results will be posted online at safercar.gov as vehicles are tested. Ratings for several 2013 vehicles with carry-over designs, such as the 2013 Mitsubishi i, are already posted.

Source;
http://www.insideline.com/honda/accord/2013/2013-honda-accord-cadillac-ats-among-models-set-for-federal-crash-tests.html

Honda Cars : Senate Passes Bill Mandating Vehicle Data Recorders for 2015, House Expected to Do Same | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Interesting....

By Peter Wayner
Is your car going to snitch on you? It’s a question on the minds of many enthusiasts given this year’s version of the annual transportation bill meandering through Congress: It contains a section mandating event data recorders, a.k.a. black boxes, for all cars sold in the U.S. as of model year 2015. The bill also purports to resolve a debate over who owns information gathered by the devices—which, it should be noted, already have been installed in most cars for years—by giving the owner clear control over the numbers inside, but the data still could be accessed by government agencies via court order or in other circumstances.



Quick legislative-branch review: Each house of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, pass different versions of bills. These then have to be reconciled before they become a law. (Thanks, “Schoolhouse Rock”!) In this case, the details in the bill (Senate Bill 1813) could change when this becomes law, as the House is considering a version with slightly different language. (The House is widely expected to pass the measure, however, once the minor discrepancies are resolved.) Either way, it’s still pretty vague. The Senate bill insists only that devices must “capture and store data related to motor vehicle safety” and release this information to an “interoperable data access port.”

Which data is related to safety? The bill doesn’t define that but insists that this data, whatever it is, must be captured for a “reasonable time period before, during, and after” any crash or event that triggers the airbags. The Department of Transportation has already developed a standard set of data that includes 15 different measurements such as direction of acceleration, throttle position, and the moment the airbags fired. (Many manufacturers’ boxes capture additional information.) This structure is likely to be the foundation of the mandated information to be recorded, starting with the 2015 model year.

What the Senate bill does make clear is that the data is owned by the car’s owner or lessee. But if the police or other agencies want to retrieve it without the owner’s consent, they’ll need a court order. First responders such as paramedics would also have access to the data—without a court order, even—in cases where it will help them respond to an emergency.

The sensitivity, of course, comes from the potential incrimination of drivers by using the data. Stuff like intake-manifold pressure and fuel mixture are of interest only to the hardest-core gearheads, but information on raw speed and pedal application could be used against a driver. While finding fault in a fatal accident—or, say, clearing an automaker of unintended-acceleration accusations—are noble causes, what’s stopping agencies from seeking court-mandated access to the box for simple speeding violations? A lot, as it turns out. The requirements for getting a court order for access are likely to be as stringent as they are for issuing a search warrant. Without a warrant, many states’ laws might make it illegal to use black-box data for issuing traffic tickets. In New York, for example, police are not allowed to issue tickets using EZ Pass toll data to calculate a driver’s average speed.

Demands for the data from investigators are not uncommon today, as lawyers begin to look to the devices to help blame someone after a crash. For instance, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2010 that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) subpoenaed a black box taken from the wreck of a Toyota Tundra that killed its driver. There was alcohol reported to be found in the blood of the driver, but the family thought that perhaps Toyota might be at fault because of errant data found recorded by the box. There also is a growing network of professional private investigators that specializes in forensic reconstruction of accidents, and they frequently tap in to the contents of the event data recorder.

Some are pushing Congress to do more than add legal restrictions to data access. “It’s almost a done deal that they’re going to mandate,” said Tom Kowalick, an engineer who helped draft the IEEE standard for event data recorders. “The question is: What’s in it for the consumer?” Kowalick would like Congress to let owners lock up the data with a key that gives the owner physical control of access, and he’s circulating a petition to ask the Obama administration to add tighter electronic controls on the data. The physical key would stop the highly unlikely cases of idle snooping—the Jiffy Lube guy doesn’t care about your driving habits—but it’s an incredibly symbolic gesture: Again, the courts would still be able to demand the data with a subpoena.

Source;
http://blog.caranddriver.com/senate-passes-bill-mandating-vehicle-data-recorders-for-2015-house-expected-to-do-same/

Honda Cars : Auto regulators drop rule for power window safety requirement | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) withdrew proposed rulemaking for an automatic reverse function that would prevent a child’s neck or hand from getting caught in a closing window, if they inadvertently pressed down the switch that raises the window.

There are few fatalities or serious injuries that additional safety requirements could prevent, NHTSA stated in a notice about the nixed rule. Any new regulation “would instead address primarily ‘finger-pinch’ type injuries.”

Vehicle redesigns have largely addressed the issue, and now have window switches that need to be pulled up. Window switches that are pressed down to close automatic windows have been replaced, virtually eliminating the hazard. This leaves only older vehicles with that specific safety hazard.

NHTSA also asked for a delay in requiring backup cameras in cars. Both measures are part of the 2007 Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, for which Consumers Union originally lobbied.

Consumers can check out which vehicles have auto-reverse safety features through safercar.gov
—Maggie Shader

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2011/03/auto-regulators-drop-rule-for-power-window-safety-requirement.html?EXTKEY=I91CONL&CMP=OTC-ConsumeristRSS

Honda Cars : 2011 Honda Odyssey Earns Best-Possible 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score in More-Stringent Federal Government Crash Test Safety Rating Program | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

01/27/2011 - TORRANCE, Calif.
The all-new 2011 Honda Odyssey has earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) best-possible Overall Vehicle Score1 of five stars and is one of the first two vehicles ever to earn five stars in each seating position for all three crash tests, each crash test category and the overall rating, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. The Odyssey joins the 2011 Accord Sedan as one of the few vehicles to date that achieves the federal government's best-possible five-star Overall Vehicle Score and five stars in the combined frontal and side crash safety ratings.

The Odyssey achieved its top Overall Vehicle Score with five-star ratings for the frontal crash safety test and both side crash safety tests2 in all evaluated front and rear seating positions and scenarios. Additionally, the Odyssey received four stars for the rollover rating3, the highest achievable in the light-truck vehicle class using the program's measurement methodology.

The newly introduced Overall Vehicle Score is part of the federal government's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) that is first being applied to 2011 models. As a convenience to new car shoppers, the Overall Vehicle Score represents the combined results of the overall ratings from the frontal crash tests, the side crash tests and the rollover-resistance into a single, summary score between one and five stars. Additional information is available at www.safercar.gov.

Complete NCAP safety rating results for the 2011 Odyssey are:

All 2011 Odyssey vehicles utilize the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. ACE is an exclusive body design that enhances occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal crashes. The ACE design utilizes a network of connected structural elements to distribute crash energy more evenly throughout the front of the vehicle. This enhanced frontal crash energy management helps to reduce the forces transferred to the passenger compartment. Standard safety equipment includes Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control; an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); three-row side curtain airbags with rollover sensor; dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags; a driver's front side airbag; and a front passenger's side airbag with an occupant position detection system.

Overall, the Odyssey improves for the 2011 model year with greater interior functionality, a more distinctive style and higher fuel economy. Significant enhancements to the interior include a new "3-mode" second-row seat design that is more comfortable for center passengers (Odyssey EX and above). A more powerful and efficient 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine features Variable Cylinder Management (standard on all models for 2011) and produces 248 hp while delivering an EPA-estimated4 city/highway/combined fuel economy of 19/28/22 mpg on Odyssey Touring models.

New technology available on certain models includes a rear entertainment system with a 16.2-inch ultrawide split-screen display and an auxiliary High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) video input, an "intelligent" Multi-Information Display (i-MID) with customizable wallpaper, integration of FM traffic data on navigation models and much more.

The 2011 Odyssey is truly an American-made vehicle – designed, engineered and assembled in the United States. The Odyssey is produced exclusively at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama (HMA) using domestic and globally sourced parts.

For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of Honda vehicles, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2011-honda-odyssey-earns-best-possible-5-star-overall-vehicle-score-in-more-stringent-federal-government-crash-test-safety-rating-program

Honda Cars : Honda and Ford has the lowest complaint ratios for any large manufacturer | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

By Mark Kleis

2010 will likely go down in history as one of the most historic years in the automotive industry, with major shifts in paradigms, safety legislation and global alliances. Of the most memorable events will likely be the seemingly endless string of safety recalls that plagued Toyota, and as a result the number of complaints logged by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration were driven to a record high of over 40,0000 valid complaints.

By mid-December of 2010, NHTSA had already received complaints across all automakers totaling over 40,000, which is four times more than previous years based on analysis by Edmunds and The Los Angeles Times. The same data showed Toyota leading with the most complaints of any automaker with nearly a quarter of all complaints.

Toyota’s complaints per 100,000 vehicles climbed from 37 in 2009, to 87 in 2010. The second worst offender was Nissan, logging 62 complaints per 100,000 vehicles sold, followed closely by Volkswagen with 58 complaints. The overall industry average came in at just 47 complaints per 100,000 vehicles sold – a figure bumped from just 30 the previous year.

Ford and Honda had the lowest complaint ratios for any large manufacturers in the U.S.

Source;
http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyota-tallies-most-nhtsa-complaints-in-2010-ford-honda-have-fewest.html

Honda Cars : Jalponik.com : How A Cadaver Made Your Car Safer | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Whoa....gruesome, but it's hard to argue with the results....
A highly-promoted feature in the 2011 Ford Explorer are its new inflatable rear seat belts. The not-so-highly-promoted working stiffs that helped make it happen? Human cadavers. Here's how automakers still quietly use dead people to make your car safer.

When automakers and safety advocates show off the results of crash tests, they inevitably run video showing empty vehicles or crash test dummies; back in the 1980s, they even turned the dummies into lovable cartoon characters. What the industry doesn't like talking about is how much of the safety innovation in vehicles was built around testing cadavers.

Since the 1930s, when researchers at Wayne State University first threw a body down an elevator shaft to see what kind of forces it could sustain, cadavers have been essential to making driving safer. Every part of a car touching on safety — from steering columns and laminated windshields to side-impact air bags — has science from cadaver tests making sure they work.

"It's still very important," said Priya Prasad, a former top safety researcher at Ford. "Even though we have very good math modeling of dummies, human modeling hasn't reached that state yet."

Automakers prefer to keep their names away from such ickiness. When a Swedish researcher told a newspaper in 2008 that General Motors and Saab were using cadavers in research, both companies quickly denied the story. And as far as the denial goes, it's true: automakers don't have the medical resources that cadaver tests require.

But universities do. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funds scores of cadaver tests at schools across the country every year; many of those schools also get grants from automakers. And the data they gather can be shared widely.

That's the case with Ford's inflatable seat belts, an idea it's been testing for several years. The 2011 Explorer will be the first vehicle in the world to offer them, and Ford has made the belts a highlight of the safety features offered to compete against other family haulers.

But before the system could be sold, Ford had to answer myriad questions. Just because it has an air bag doesn't mean the belts would automatically do a better job of shielding passengers from injuries than standard seat belts. It could even be worse: What would happen to children who were sleeping on the belts when they inflated?

Most of Ford's tests used the family of dummies developed by the industry, including ones that mimic children. But without a cadaver test, Ford couldn't know for sure how the inflatable belt would affect internal organs and tissues.

Typically in cadaver tests, as the one pictured above run by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, researchers swaddle the body in stockings, including one over its face, partly for scientific reasons and partly out of respect. The arms and hands, if still attached, are bound in place to keep them from moving during a simulated crash, and sensors record the forces on various parts.

After the test, researchers would likely have used x-rays and autopsies to examine how much damage the cadaver sustained. Ford shared the results with NHTSA but deemed them confidential business information — meaning we can't access them by way of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request — but given that the belts are going on sale, we can guess the tests were successful.

Universities which run such tests have standard procedures for handling cadavers that cover every step of the process, from informing the relatives of a donor what the body will be used for to disposing of the remains.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said the company, like the rest of the industry, was trying to move into digital modeling for crash testing whenever possible. It's far cheaper to run thousands of computer simulations of a crash test with a digital wireframe than to do even one test with a dummy. And either test is less squeamish to the general public than crash-testing involving a once-living, breathing body. It's no wonder they're in no mood to publicize their continued, but still very necessary, use.

"If there's a specific need (for a cadaver test), we will look outside the company to see if someone can help, but most of our work is digital," Sherwood said.

Albert King, a professor at Wayne State who has been working in cadaver research since 1966, said the school's tests had fallen off in recent years; where it used to do one cadaver test a month on average, it now did a few a year if that. King once estimated that such tests saved 8,500 lives a year.

The major reason? After six decades, there's not much room left to improve safety inside the car. With even low-end vehicles offering eight air bags, most research has turned toward how to prevent crashes in the first place.

"We have most of the information we need," King said. "The rest of it we're doing through computer."

But it's not just cars that benefit. Researchers have drawn on Wayne State's cadaver work to design helmets that might prevent concussions in NFL players. NASA has used cadavers to test crashworthiness in the past, and the Defense Department-backed studies rely on cadaver work to better understand traumatic brain injuries.

Prasad says as good as computer models are, they still can't capture the exact essence of how human tissue reacts.

"It's always a good idea when you're developing something to do cadaver testing," he said.

Source;
http://jalopnik.com/5622667/how-a-cadaver-made-your-car-safer

Honda Cars : NHTSA To Update Test Process for Five-Star Safety Ratings | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Just the Facts:
NHTSA will test 55 vehicles using new crash methods.
The new tests will result in a single, easy to compare score.
NHTSA says it will be harder for vehicles to achieve the coveted five-star rating under the new test criteria.

WASHINGTON — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will test 55 vehicles from the 2011 model year, putting them through a new "tougher" crash test and giving them a single overall safety grade at the end. It's part of NHTSA's newly updated five-star safety rating program.

The agency says the changes to the program will make it easier for consumers to compare the safety performance of different vehicles. The safety ratings will also include information about lane departure, forward collision warning and other modern electronic safety features on vehicles. NHTSA says it will be harder for vehicles to achieve the coveted five-star rating under the new test criteria.

The list of vehicles to be tested includes 24 passenger cars, 20 SUVs, two vans and nine pickups, all from the 2011 model year. The list includes the Audi A4 ; BMW 5 Series; Buick Lucerne; Chevrolet Cruze and Malibu; Dodge Caliber; Ford Fiesta, Fusion and Taurus; Honda Accord and Civic; Hyundai Sonata; Infiniti M37; Kia Forte and Optima; Mazda 6; Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Nissan Altima, Sentra and Versa; Toyota Camry, Corolla and Prius; and Volkswagen Jetta.

The SUVs to be tested are the Acura MDX; Chevrolet Tahoe, Traverse and Equinox; Ford Edge and Escape; Honda CR-V and Pilot; Jeep Grand Cherokee; Kia Sorento and Soul; Lexus RX 350; Nissan Murano and Rogue; Subaru Forester and Outback; Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Venza; and the Volvo XC60.

The vans are the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. The pickup trucks to undergo the new NHTSA testing are Chrysler's Ram 1500 Crew and Quad Cab models, the Ford F-150 Super Cab and Super Crew Cab and the Ranger Extended Cab, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended and Crew Cab and Toyota's Tacoma and Tundra Double Cab models.

NHTSA did not give details of the new crash test protocol. The agency also said it will not be possible to compare the new safety ratings to NHTSA's previous ones since the criteria are different. The new ratings will be made available at NHTSA's Web site once they are completed.

Source;
http://www.insideline.com/car-news/nhtsa-to-update-test-process-for-five-star-safety-ratings.html