Auto Development Comes With Auto Safety Despite Increasing Fuel Price

By Joe Thompson

SUMMARY: Amidst the looming of new gas prices increase in the future, the automotive industry' continue developing new 'pre-crash' safety technologies that target the crucial milliseconds before a crash or help drivers avoid the crashes in the first place.

Although automakers face soaring gas prices, the automotive industry still prioritizes safety amid the fast-paced race to which brand is the best in terms of fuel-economy.

The industry's new 'pre-crash' safety technologies target the crucial milliseconds before a crash or help drivers avoid the crashes in the first place, according to a report by the Associated Press.

On the other hand, according to the survey conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), gas prices are pegged to reach more than $4 a gallon by 2015 and over $5 a gallon by 2020. The US auto industry has long resisted this, according to the academic survey released early this week, but it seemed inevitable now.

The UMTRI said it surveyed more than 100 power train experts, including chief executives, from across North America for the report.

"There is a consensus that fuel economy and emissions regulations will not just continue but substantially increase over the next decade," said UMTRI researcher Bruce Belzowski in a statement.

Rising gasoline prices last year prompted U.S. consumers to move away from large fuel-guzzling sports utility vehicles to smaller, fuel-efficient cars and crossover vehicles.

"This survey shows that though manufacturers are developing alternative power trains, they may not be working fast enough to meet the challenges imposed on them by government regulations or by potential dramatic increases of fuel prices," Walter McManus, director of UMTRI's automotive analysis division said.

However, despite such economic difficulty caused by the unending turmoil in the Middle East, the auto industry still manages to pursue what they have been doing since then; that is serving the consumers with innovative systems; an now with safety.

Technologies under development are as follows:

• Nissan is developing bracelets to be placed on young children that relay signals to vehicles in the area. Drivers passing through are told, "Children nearby, please be careful."
• Volvo has shown an XC60 crossover concept with a radar system that monitors vehicles about 20 feet in front of the car. When a collision is likely to happen, the technology helps the driver avoid a rear crash by automatically activating the car's brakes.
• Mercedes-Benz already offers advanced safety features such as long-range and short-range radar to avoid crashes by automatically hitting the brakes if the driver fails to stop in time. It also has developed a feature called 'Night View Assist', which uses infrared beams to detect roadway obstructions far beyond the headlights' reach and transmits an image on the instrument panel.
• General Motors has been developing vehicle-to-vehicle technology, which helps vehicles communicate with other vehicles up to a quarter mile away to alert each other against dangerous conditions.
• Ford has experimented using four-point seat belts, similar to belts used by race car drivers, and inflatable seatbelts. These seatbelts have with small air bags inside that deploy in a crash.

Nonetheless, company officials say the advancements still are being evaluated.

Tire Pressure Monitoring Is Not Just For Show

By Sarah McBride

SUMMARY: The tire pressure monitoring system is made up of just four little sensors that you can find on your vehicle. When one of your vehicle's tires suddenly starts to lose air, the system would actually alert you while you are driving so that you would know about your tire's situation.

The tire pressure monitoring system is an electronic system and what it does is it monitors the level of air pressure or your vehicle’s tires. That way, you would not have to park your car somewhere, get out of your car, and go around just to check if all your car’s tires are still inflated just right.

However, unlike your vehicle’s external Mitsubishi OEM parts, your vehicle’s tire pressure monitoring system has been actually created not just for you to boast about it but to actually help you save your life.

Come to think of it, the tire pressure monitoring system is made up of just four little sensors that you can find on your vehicle. When one of your vehicle’s tires suddenly starts to lose air, the system would actually alert you while you are driving so that you would know about your tire’s situation. You see, if you drive with under inflated tires or over inflated tires, you and your passengers have a great chance of meeting accidents and being in a very dangerous driving condition. On the other hand, if you do have your tires inflated just right, you benefit a lot out of it. Not only are you safe, but you also get pluses. Your vehicle gets to perform at its best and in different aspects – from steering to comfort, to noise, to fuel economy to braking, and even to cornering.

Jim Gutting, the director of General Motors’ Tire Wheel Center, shares, “Tire pressure monitoring is wonderful technology that has the potential to help make our roads safer. But it’s no substitute for being conscientious about tire maintenance. All vehicle owners should familiarize themselves with TPMS, how it works and what it can tell them about basic tire maintenance.”

If you think that the amount of air pressure your tires have inside it are no big deal, then perhaps you should let the statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) change that thought for you. You see, according to the mentioned group’s data, there are about 660 fatalities each year which are actually caused by vehicles with low tire pressure. However, that is just the one part of the whole picture. There are also some 33,000 injuries per year to add to that.