Jalopnik: Safety

Would These Racers Have Survived This Crash Without A HANS Device?

Raphael Orlove — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

Matt Messer brutally crashed his Ultra-4 truck in last weekend's King of the Hammers race in the desert east of Los Angeles. Unable to see through the dust, he went from charging to zero in an instant. His safety gear likely saved his life. Warning: NSFW language More »

Don’t forget to pee before a motor race

Peter Orosz — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST

The latest edition of the FIA’s A Driver’s Guide to Safe Motor Sport has just been published. It’s a short, very good read if you’re considering getting into any sort of motorsport, covering basics like helmets, fireproof suits, good shoes, attention, and, of course, the management of your precious bodily fluids.The guide is illustrated with Sergio Pérez’s huge crash in qualification at the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix, a rather understated way of showing how far safety in motor sport has come: while Pérez was out of the race and decided not to take part in the one after, the almost exactly same crash of Karl Wendlinger at the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix put the Austrian driver in a coma for weeks and basically ended his Formula One career.A Driver’s Guide is not about Formula One. It’s for everyone racing a car in any sort of way. And remember: “It is a good idea to empty the bladder and bowels before driving…nerves may act as natural reminders of this.” Kimi Räikkönen must be an enthusiastic reader.You can download a PDF of the guide from the FIA’s website. More »

Gory German work safety video is ironically NSFW

Raphael Orlove — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST

Before they start making you drive a forklift at your factory job, watch this video. Otherwise you might not know how you're about to brutally murder all of your coworkers. As usual, it's the hard-nosed Germans to the rescue in this ironically NSFW video. More »

Are electric cars safe?

Wes Siler — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST

After a Chevy Volt caught fire in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) junkyard three weeks after it was crash tested, the agency's now investigating the safety of Lithium-Ion batteries in all electric cars. Is an environmentally-safe vehicle safe for your family? In a word, yes. More »

Is your local drag strip safe?

Brian Lohnes, Bangshift — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EDT

A busy drag racing season's been highlighted by more than just quick times, with a series of high-profile incidents revealing tracks with empty ambulances, locked firetrucks, and untrained volunteers. BangShift wants to know: is your local drag strip safe or just pretending to be? — Ed. More »

How Car Crash Modeling Technology Could Predict Offshore Drilling Disasters

Kyle Wagner — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EDT

It's the billion-dollar question for offshore drilling giants: Could the Deepwater Horizon disaster have been prevented? Researchers at MIT's Impact and Crashworthiness Laboratory may have found at least a partial answer—the same kind of computer modeling that predicts whether car components can hold their own in a crash could also forecast whether pipes will fracture at offshore drilling sites. A fractured pipe can mean the difference between a stable operation and a massive oil spill. More »

Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra get top safety pick honors

Justin Hyde — Thu, 12 May 2011 16:00:00 EDT

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says it rolled the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra something fierce until each earned a "top safety pick." Nissan, GM and Chrysler marketers mumbled they don't care about no poncey safety grade anyways. More »

Ford expands F-150 air bag recall to 1.2 million

Justin Hyde — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:35:27 EDT

After arm-twisting by U.S. auto safety regulators, Ford will expand a recall of F-150 and Lincoln Mark LT trucks to 1.2 million vehicles from 2004-2006 model years, due to air bags that could deploy without warning. More »

Cincinnati impounding cars with oversize wheels

Justin Hyde — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EDT

Cincinnati residents who enjoy a higher view of the road thanks to oversized wheels are having their vehicles impounded by the Cincinnati police who only return them after an inspection, saying rims are suddenly a safety issue. More »

Study: Old cars safer than new ones during flu season

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EDT

Put the Purell down. According to a new Australian study, what you really need is a clunker. Well-sealed new cars trap infectious particles inside, but your old car leaks airborne germs like it leaks oil. More »

U.S. D.O.T. says 2010 traffic fatalities lowest they've ever been

Aaron Richardson — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:01:00 EDT

United States Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that traffic deaths in 2010 were the lowest they've ever been, falling three percent from 2009's record low. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projections, traffic fatalities fell from 33,808 in 2009 to 32,708 in 2010. [Autoblog.com] More »

Kids now locked into rear-facing child seats until two years old

Justin Hyde — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:45:00 EDT

The new guidelines for strapping your children into cars: Use a rear-facing seat until they are two years old (up from one) and a booster until they're taller than 4 feet 9 inches — no matter how old. More »

Truck guards fail to stop fatal wrecks

Justin Hyde — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:01 EST

The guards on tractor-trailers designed to stop the back of a truck full of 20-gallon mayonnaise drums from decapitating you in a rear-end collision are often worthless even in crashes as slow as 35 mph, according to insurance industry tests. More »

What It Looks Like When A Semi Almost Crashes Into You

Justin Hyde — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 07:30:00 EST

What happens when a truck carrying 40 tons of sand loses control and crashes through an interstate barrier? As frightening as you might think, based on a dashcam from a nearby car. Surprisingly, no one was injured. (Thanks James!) [CP24.com] More »

'80s Police Training Video: Prepare To Be Stabbed... IN THE FACE

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST

This police training video from the 1980s makes it fairly clear to the green highway patrolman he needs to worry about one thing and one thing only: knives. They're everywhere. And swords. And bums. FACE STAAAAAAAAB! Mildly NSFW. More »

Ford Slow To Respond To Fatal Windstar Defect, Gets Brian Ross'd

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST

Last night, Ford received the full Brian Ross Investigative treatment in a segment over the company's tardy recall of 600,000 Windstar minivans. To summarize the tone: "This will be the first Christmas for Sean Bowman's family without dad." More »

Buckle Your Family Into The YouTube Ad Of The Year

Justin Hyde — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST

The winner of the first YouTube competition for best ad worldwide was this public service announcement from England about wearing seat belts. C'mon, it can't be that good...what the...wow, no, I'm fine, it just got really dusty in here. [Copyranter] More »

School Buses Testing Fingerprint Scanners

Vinny Minchillo — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 16:30:00 EDT

A new fingerprint scanning system is designed to make sure kids don't get let off at the wrong stop. Seems like a good idea. Privacy advocates, well, they're not so sure yet. More »

Spanish Hookers Forced To Wear Reflective Safety Vests

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EDT

Sex workers in rural Spain are being forced to wear yellow fluorescent safety vests while renting their bodies in traffic or pay a fine. It's just another way the Spanish are embracing the concept of safer sex. [The Telegraph] More »

U.S. Transportation Secretary Hates Facebook, Twitter While Driving

Justin Hyde — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EDT

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's fatwa against distracted driving could grow to include a ban on all in-car cellphone use and new tech automakers have already rolled out. Distracted driving is dumb; so are over-reaching regulations buffaloed into existence. More »

Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar... In A Car

Justin Hyde — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:45:00 EDT

The debate on distracted driving hasn't reached this aspiring shredder practicing his craft in a minivan on Interstate 5 in California. Bet he plays like he drives: fretless. [L.A. Can't Drive] More »

Insurers Say Texting Bans Not Cutting Crashes; Mt. LaHood Erupts

Justin Hyde — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EDT

The Highway Loss Data Institute says texting bans in four states did not reduce crashes, and in three states crashes actually increased. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood erupted on his own blog labeling the report "misleading." More »

How Not To Forget Your Kids In The Car

Justin Hyde — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EDT

Some 41 children died in the United States this year from being left alone in a hot car. Safety advocates want rules requiring new technology to solve the problem; automakers say there's nothing yet guaranteed to work. Or is there? More »

Texting And Driving May Not Lead To More Crashes

Justin Hyde — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:45:00 EDT

The top auto safety expert for the nation's insurance companies says U.S. Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood is getting "irrational" about the dangers of distracted driving. His explanation: Texting and talking may just replace other bad driving habits, like reading newspapers. More »

Junkyard Hazards, Part XXVII: Bee Careful!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EDT

When I lived in Georgia, I learned that sticking your hand into a junkyard car's trunk is a good way to get a trip to the emergency room with multiple cottonmouth bites. Snakes aren't the only junkyard wildlife, though! More »

Ford's Next-Gen Airbag Spares Ribs, Looks Like A Saggy Butt

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:01 EDT

The 2012 Focus debuts Ford's next-generation airbag, designed with an internal tether which shapes the bag to reduce pressure and injuries to the ribs and abdomen. It also makes the airbag look like an old lady's bottom. More »

Feds Open Probe Into 1.4 Million F-150s Over Fuel Tanks

Justin Hyde — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:15:00 EDT

NHTSA opens probe after 32 complaints of fuel tank straps failing on F-150 pickups from 1997-2001. [NHTSA] More »

U.S. Highway Deaths Drop To 60-Year Low

Ray Wert — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:15:00 EDT

U.S. highway deaths drop to 60-year low. Thanks, dead people! Also, using the seat belts dead people test. [Bloomberg] More »

How A Cadaver Made Your Car Safer

Justin Hyde — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:45:00 EDT

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. More »

Adventures In Automotive Reading Comprehension

Murilee Martin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:00:00 EDT

The wonky lettering on this '87 Maxima's alarm indicator looked goofy, but at least drivers had no problems interpreting its meaning. Not so for this '81 Pontiac Bonneville's parking-brake pedal! More »

How The U.S. Government Killed The Safest Car Ever Built

Justin Hyde — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:15:00 EDT

Thirty-five years ago, the U.S. government built a fleet of cars that were safer than anything on the road. Twenty-five years ago, the government shredded them in secret. Two escaped the crusher. This is their story. More »

SFI Decertifies Impact Racing Gear Over Alleged Counterfeiting

Murilee Martin — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EDT

We're pretty sure things got quite exciting at the offices of Impact Racing on Friday, when the foundation used by most racing organizations to certify safety gear announced they were decertifying Impact Racing's products. More »

Have You Read Unsafe At Any Speed?

Murilee Martin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

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It's the law: when the Corvair's name comes up, this book's name comes up. Most of you no doubt have very strong feelings about Ralph Nader, but how many of you have actually read his book? More »

This Is A Good Seatbelt Ad

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST

Seatbelt ads are usually preachy and don't connect with consumers on an emotional level. This British ad avoids the first and succeeds in the second. We swear, it's just a bit of wayward sparkle dust in our eye. More »

How My Youthful Junkyard Scrounging Habit Got My High School Evacuated By The Bomb Squad

Murilee Martin — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST

After reading the tale of the science-geek kid whose innocuous Gatorade-bottle-based motion-detector project got the bomb squad on his ass and his life ruined forever, I was reminded of my own similar experience involving a '75 Ford LTD seatbelt buzzer. More »

Brain Bucket (What You Need to Know)

Rob Krider — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

After reading post after post about racing in the 24 Hours of LeMons you've finally drunk the Kool-Ade and you're thinking about doing some crap-can racing. You'll need a brain bucket, Jalopnik is here to help. More »

LA Times Toyota Floor Mat Investigation Discovers What We Already Knew

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:20:00 EST

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An L.A. Times investigation into the "fiery floor mat death" issue doesn't surprise us. Most of this can be summed up in the recall timeline we published last month. More »

Washington, D.C. Needs The Dues, Junks Car Safety Inspections

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST

With little data suggesting they're helpful, D.C.'s saving $400,000 by ditching safety checks. If it's a good idea wouldn't the insurance industry push every local government to do it. (H/T to Michael!) [USA Today] More »

Cracked Brake Hoses, Baaaad. New Brake Hoses, Gooooood.

Murilee Martin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Much as I like to get my parts at the junkyard, I tend to feel a little uncomfortable using junkyard brake hoses. Anyway, there's been a real Spridget drought at my local self-service yards. More »

Smashing Safety: 12 New Cars Crashed In Eurocarnage Video Gallery

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:15:00 EST

The latest round of European NCAP crash testing's complete, which means our video-bin horn o' plenty overfloweth with clips of a dozen Euro cars getting the stuffing smashed outta them. Thank you NCAP, you've made this the best Smashgiving ever! More »