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question of the day
crash test dummies
Federal Crash Test Ratings To Be Updated: We All Drive Death Traps Again
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NAMBLA) is updating their star ranking system for vehicle safety for the first time since it was introduced in 1994. After 14 years of manufacturers designing for the ratings, along with advancements in active and passive safety systems, the scores had become meaningless — nearly every vehicle scored a four- or five-star ranking in 2007 (with a few notable exceptions). What's changing and when after the jump. More »
industry news
IIHC Wants Car-Like Truck Bumpers, Has Never Seen Aftermarket
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) will today formally petition the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to consider bumper standards for light trucks which are more car-like. For the sake of argument, let's forget about that whole BlockerBeam system on Ford trucks, and how the difference in vehicle mass contributes to the damage as much as relative contact geometry. We also have to forget about retrofit diamond plate bumpers and grille guards, and lifted trucks too, but we're getting sidetracked by details. The core question is, "why would the IIHS be interested in seeing lower bumper standards on pickups and SUVs?" More »
2008 smart fortwo
2008 Smart Fortwo IIHS Crash Film Leaks To Web
Thanks to the NYT, we already knew the folks at NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) noted a "safety concern" after the driver's door on the new US-Spec 2008 Smart Fortwo popped open during a side-impact crash test. Although the little Smart got a five star rating for protecting the head and chest of the dummy we just learned a lot from, the door "issue" could potentially "increase the likelihood of occupant ejection." Ouch. Well, now IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has taken a 40 MPH run at an offset barrier in the small-yet-feels-somehow-smaller Smart for the US market. Although the video and ratings haven't yet been made public, somehow the video of the crash has made it out in to the wilds of the web. More »
new cars
Brilliance BC3 Turbo Coupe Coming To China For $15,000
Brilliance, the automaker most recently associated with crashtastic Euro NCAP testing, plans to release the BC3 coupe shown at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year. First Brilliance plans to drop the 170 HP turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder two-door in the local market this year, Europe in 2008 and perhaps even as a US offering the year after. We'll wait and see — first they've got to get through NCAP and then, more importantly, NHTSA crash testing. [via Edmunds]
nhtsa's press nazi
Hey Auto Journalists, NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason Is Waiting To Take YOUR Call!
The NYT Wheels Blog tipped us off to a little issue with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It seems that NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason, a Bush appointee who's taken a page out of the Cheney book of governmental transparency, has forbid the staff at the US Government's agency for safety in all forms of transportation from talking on the record to reporters. That means if a reporter's calling to ask a specific technical question about an issue as mundane as the LATCH system for children's seats — they're not allowed to receive an "on the record" quote from anyone at the agency who might actually know anything — like the subject matter expert — and instead have to wait to snag time with NHTSA chieftain Nason herself. We spoke with a couple of folks who don't have the foggiest idea why she's doing it. We're always willing to speculate, and we think it's because maybe she's trying to run for public office and wants to make sure she's getting her name in print as much as possible. So let's help her out. If you're a transportation-related journalist, let's make sure we're giving her the opportunity to have her voice heard and see Nicole Nason all the way from the bright screens of the interwebs press to the dirty ink of the print world. And since she's taken it upon herself to act as the subject expert sans expertise, give her some tough questions. Some thoughts on potential questions to ask after the jump. More »
ouch, that smarts!
NHTSA Gives Toyota A Four-Star Black Eye On Tundra Crewmax To Match The First
Our boy Mike at PickupTruck has the scoop on what appears to now be two black eyes NHTSA's given the new Tundra truck from ToMoCo. That's right, the folks from the super best number one most awesome automaker from the land of the rising sun have received their second sub-five star frontal crash rating — this time for the new Tundra CrewMax pickup. This comes after the regular cab received similar frontal crash test ratings. Although we still haven't seen the double cab crash ratings, we're assuming the new kids to the medium-size pickup truck game aren't going to be very happy to see these results. All we've got to say is that it's not the size of your truck that matters, it's how well it can take a punch to the face. More »
commentary
Your Future Belongs to Us: NHTSA Embraces Orwell's Darkest Visions
As some of you know, the NHTSA has mandated that all new cars sold in 2012 have stability control as standard equipment. And trust us, during the Mayan apocalypse, you're going to need it. However, it turns out that stability control is just the beginning. Newer regulations will begin mandating technology like always-on adaptive cruise control. Or cars that steer for you in order to prevent a collision. The NHTSA's current leader, Nicole Nason, explains "automakers may have a hard time selling cars that automatically detect a dangerous situation and override the driver's commands." They may have a hard time? Gee, you think? The future looks bleak, my pistonhead brothers and sisters. Remember what O'Brian said to Winston towards the end of 1984, "If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever." Or in this case, a boot stamping on your brake pedal - forever. More »
news
Toyota Continues The Tundra Two-Step On Truck's Four-Star Rating
We've got an update on the four-star rating ToMoCo received on the Regular Cab Tundra in NHTSA testing, and it looks like the boys and girls over at PickupTruck.com have the scoop:"In a phone call this morning with Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong, Kwong tells PickupTruck.com that, 'We're surprised with the results from the NHTSA tests. During our internal testing, which was all done according to NHTSA criteria, we consistently showed (simulated) ratings of five stars from the get go for the Tundra. Right now our engineering team is reviewing the results but it's going to take several weeks to sort out. When we finish (reviewing the data) we'll determine what we might need to fix to make it right.'"Good to hear ToMoCo wants to make things right to get that five-star rating, but somehow I don't think that's going to stop the General, FoMoCo, the German-American hybrid and Nismo from trying for a bite as they're probably already smelling the blood in the water. More »
news
Tundra Breaks Nose, Only Gets Four Stars In Front-End Crash Test
The Tundra's just not having a very good day today. First we heard ToMoCo's offering $2000 to dealerships to give up their current parts-haulers, and now this news. According to the folks obsessed with personal mass-market passenger vehicles that haul, carry and tow, NHTSA just awarded ratings for driver and passenger safety to ToMoCo's Tundra. The pickup, the super number one awesome best automaker from the land of the rising sun's first entry into the full-size hauler market, received four stars out of the star-too-far five stars needed for "perfection" — aka, a score matching the 2007 Chevy Silverado, the new Ford F-150 and the Dodge Ram 1500. We'll let the boys at Pickuptruck.com explain why that's important, and provide you with a video of the crash test just below the jump. More »
news
Goat Tipping: Group Calls on Pontiac GTO Investigation
Lutz may be trying to remind us why the GTO failed as a car in terms of sales, but the NHTSA may soon be trying to remind us why it failed in a more serious way. The Center for Auto Safety called on the NHTSA to investigate the Holden Monaro-based GTO due to 65 complaints involving tire wear caused by the cars struts scraping against rubber. At issue is the width of the tires in America. According to the CAS, the strut was redesigned in 2006 so this applies to 2004 and 2005 models. More »
news
Oh, What A Recall! Toyota Calls In 30,000 Scion tC Over Random Side Airbag Deployment
Toyota's bringing ScionBack (yeah!) — 30,000 Scion tCs to be specific, produced from March 2004 to early March 2006 — over a problem involving side airbags randomly deciding to deploy (under certain conditions, anyway). According to the NHTSA alert bulletin:"The seat-mounted side airbag and side curtain airbags on certain tCs may inadvertently deploy if the door for that side of the vehicle is closed very forcefully while the tC's ignition is in the "ON" position or within 90 seconds of turning the ignition key from the "ON" position to the "OFF" position. There have been 17 cases of this condition reported."Nothing quite like an airbag exploding to the side of your face to let you know your door is fully closed, eh? Full bulletin after the jump. More »
news
Black Box Bogey: NHTSA Says Carmakers Must Tell Buyers They're Being Watched
The Feds have spoken: No exposure without disclosure. This week, the NHTSA gave automakers a green light to put black-box data recorders aboard new vehicles, but from 2011 onward they must inform car buyers if a model carries such a box. (Currently, 60% of new cars have them.) That'll give regulators and manufacturers plenty of time to work up a standard-triplicate disclosure document (yours is the pink copy) buyers will likely sign and date at purchase time. The agency will also set a baseline requirement for the amount of data the boxes collect during a crash at 15 pieces, including speed, seat belt use (binary), and which pedal a driver hit beforehand. That last one would indemnify carmakers in cases of accidental acceleration. Thanks, Big Bro. Er, sort of. More »
news
Pig & Bear Get Their Revenge -- Caliber Crashed Into Wall; Receives Five Stars
Looks like Pig & Bear were able to finally get theirs — NHTSA took a brand new Dodge Caliber and smashed the crap out of it just to rate how well it withstood the impact. Lo and behold, it received 5 stars for taking it in the face like the little slut of a CUV it is — proving even if he had taken Pig & Bear to the meadow, he'd have taken them there safely in the front seats and in a frontal collision at 35 mph. Yup, this li'l whore is anything but cute — and Pig & Bear can finally rest in peace. More »
news
Breaking News! It's the Ambiguously Environmental NHTSA!
Flippety-Flop! Flippety-Flop! That's the sound coming out of the offices of Ace and Gary over at NHTSA today. Cause it looks like they finally decided, after years of hee-hawin' and flip-floppin', to make a clear and un-ambiguous statement on fuel economy when it comes to trucks and SUVs. And that statement is: More »
news
He's Ba-a-ck!
Yup, the man who truly made domestic automakers feel unsafe-at-any-time, Ralph Nader is doin' a bit of back to basics by focusing on the auto industry yet again. The consumer watdog cum presidential candidate cum consumer watchdog is barkin' at both the US government and US automakers. He's now calling NHTSA and the feds "a consulting firm" for US automakers. Listen Ralphie, if you think the US government is acting as a "consulting firm" for the autos, we got something we be wanting to show you. But...to make this worse, he wants to move and open up an office in Detroit. Oh noes! More »
jalopnik emissions
• NHTSA says half of fatal car crashes on St. Paddy's Day in 2004 were alcohol-related. Come on boys, lets see if we can beat the record (in bed)! We kid...on both counts. [Anchorage Daily News]
• We love the nerds at CNet. They come up with funny headlines so we don't have to work as hard. Case in point: "Roomba takes Frogger to the asphalt jungle." [CNet]
• We don't want this guy anywhere near our cars. [Chron.com]
• That's automobile abuse buddy. And we aren't gonna take it. You are totally getting off easy, no matter what your wife did to you. [Durant Daily Democrat]
• Looks like when things are looking good, you can raise your prices a bit, eh? [Detroit News]
• Finally, despite a certain someone we know believing it is nothing but "stupid sports", y'all know which team one of us is rooting for. [appletreegallery]
Jalopnik Emissions: St. Paddy's Day Edition
• NHTSA says half of fatal car crashes on St. Paddy's Day in 2004 were alcohol-related. Come on boys, lets see if we can beat the record (in bed)! We kid...on both counts. [Anchorage Daily News]
• We love the nerds at CNet. They come up with funny headlines so we don't have to work as hard. Case in point: "Roomba takes Frogger to the asphalt jungle." [CNet]
• We don't want this guy anywhere near our cars. [Chron.com]
• That's automobile abuse buddy. And we aren't gonna take it. You are totally getting off easy, no matter what your wife did to you. [Durant Daily Democrat]
• Looks like when things are looking good, you can raise your prices a bit, eh? [Detroit News]
• Finally, despite a certain someone we know believing it is nothing but "stupid sports", y'all know which team one of us is rooting for. [appletreegallery]
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