BUY LANEFX AND SAVE |
Double Lane Change Increases SUV Rollover Risk
Drivaware reports on a new double lane-change test that is designed to stimulate an emergency maneuver to determine SUV handling. The test is important because the more controllable and secure
a vehicle is when pushed to its handling limits the better chance the SUV occupants will avoid an accident. In situations where an obstacle is in the way, due to the compromising nature of SUVs
in general, steering around it can cause the vehicle to go out of control and result in an SUV rollover. Double lane-change SUV rollovers are more common than passenger cars because of the higher
center of gravity that makes SUVs more prone to rollover, especially if swerving abruptly.
The aspect of SUV safety has most often focused on risk of rollover. The National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said the rate of SUV rollover
is two to three times greater than a passenger car. Height of a SUV makes the vehicle more top heavy than one that sits lower, which is why consumers interested in purchasing a SUV are advised
to choose one lower to the ground if not needing a vehicle with high ground clearance.
Accident avoidance is an important aspect of vehicle safety and the ability to sharply swerve to avoid hitting an object or a person. In a SUV, the sudden cornering forces or double lane-change
can cause the SUV to tip onto two wheels and cause it to rollover. Especially after the Ford/Firestone SUV rollovers in 2000 left hundreds dead and even more injured, focus on SUV safety, like
double lane-change SUV rollover risk, greater.
When shopping for an SUV, check for the availability of a blind spot exposure system, such as LaneFX. In addition to rollover resistance technology and such a wide range
of vehicle options, becoming informed consumers can reduce safety risks. |
LATEST REPORT
Most Drivers Say They Don't Use Turn Signals
Maybe you've asked yourself: What is the big deal about a turn signal? Is it hard to find? Difficult to use? Why is it that 57 percent of drivers say they don't use one? Won't-use-a-signal drivers
are simply not motivated properly, according to a national survey by Response Insurance, a national car insurer.
- 23 percent say they're too lazy.
- 42 percent say they don't have enough time.
- 17 percent don't signal because they forget to turn the signals off after turning.
- 12 percent say they change lanes too often to bother.
- 11 percent say it's not important.
- 8 percent say they won't signal because other drivers don't.
- 7 percent actually say they forego the signal because it "adds excitement to driving."
(The total exceeds 100 percent because some drivers picked more than one reason.)
With LaneFX, drivers have experienced a 38% increase in consistent turn signal utilization compared with their driving habits prior to owning the system. |
| NHTSA estimates that 1 out of 25 accidents on US highways is due to improper lane change or lane merge. Get in on the latest and coolest
mobile electronics technology. Car gadgets are interesting, but who are you going to trust to show you the vehicles in your blind spot area? Lane FX is safe, reliable, affordable and universal:
It works in any vehicle (sedan, truck or SUV) equipped with power mirrors for lane change and also for parking assist. LaneFX is also available with ParkFX Park Assist and Curb Exposure
System. ParkFX tilts your side mirror(s) downward when you put the vehicle in reverse to show you the curb
(during parallel parking) or the parking boundaries around you. Get ParkFX and avoid giving your rims costly "curb rash"! |
Study shows cell phone use decreases driver likelihood to check vehicle's blind spots
Thursday November 12, 7:20 pm ET
ANN ARBOR , Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Drivaware inc. reported on Friday its preliminary findings on the impact of cell phone use and driver's checking of
blind spot zones prior to changing lanes. Based on a survey of 231 participants, survey results show that drivers talking on a cell phone were 52% less likely to (manually) check their
blind spot prior to changing lanes. Study further shows that same drivers using a more advanced form of blind spot exposure (such as Drivawar's LaneFX) were only 18% less likely to
check their blind spot prior to changing lanes when they are using a cell phone. The benefits of new auto safety technologies such as LaneFX is that it is positively improving drivers' on-road
awareness despite the increasing number of in-cabin driver distractions. Drivaware inc. indicated that the complete study findings will be published in
October of this year. -KAS 09/21/2006
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Key Strategies for Total Driver On-Road Awareness
Defensive Driving is the Number One Key to Safe Driving Habits
If you've been out on the roads, you know that not everyone drives well. Some people speed aggressively. Others wander into another
lane because they aren't paying attention. Drivers may follow too closely, make sudden turns without signaling, or weave in and out of traffic.
Aggressive drivers are known road hazards, causing one third of all traffic crashes. But inattentive driving is becoming more of a problem as people "multi-task" by talking on the
phone, eating, or even watching TV as they drive. We can't control the actions of other drivers. But learning defensive driving skills can help us avoid the dangers caused by other people's bad
driving.
Skills That Put You in Control
Before you get behind the wheel of all that glass and steel, here are some tips to help you stay in control:
Stay focused. There are a lot of things to think about when driving: road conditions, your speed, observing traffic laws and signals, following directions, being aware of the
cars around you, checking your mirrors - the list goes on. Staying focused on driving - and only driving - is key.
Distractions, like talking on the phone or eating, make a driver less able to see potential problems. It's not just teen drivers who are at fault: People who have been driving for a while can
get overconfident in their driving knowledge and let their driving skills get sloppy. All drivers need to remind themselves to stay focused.
Stay alert. Being alert (not sleepy or under the influence) allows you to react quickly to potential
problems - like when the driver in the car ahead slams on the brakes at the last minute. Obviously, alcohol or drugs (including prescription and over-the-counter drugs) affect a driver's reaction
time and judgment. Driving while tired has the same effect and is one of the leading causes of accidents. So rest up before your road trip.
Watch out for the other guy. Part of staying in control is being aware of the drivers around you and what they may suddenly do so you're less likely to be caught off guard. For
example, if a car speeds past you on the highway but there's not much space between the car and a slow-moving truck in the same lane, it's a pretty sure bet the driver will try to pull into your
lane directly in front of you. Anticipating what another driver may do prepares you to react.
Seven Secrets to Total Driving Awareness
When you drive defensively, you're taking control of the situation and keeping your eyes open for aggressive or inattentive drivers who might cause an accident. Here are seven easy things you
can do:
- Think safety first. Avoiding aggressive and inattentive driving tendencies yourself will put you in a stronger position to deal with other people's bad driving. Leave plenty
of space between you and the car in front. Always lock your doors and wear your seatbelt to protect you from being thrown from the car in a crash.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Check your mirrors frequently and scan conditions far ahead of you. If a vehicle is showing signs of aggressive driving, slow down or pull over
to avoid it. If the driver is driving so dangerously that you're worried, try to get off the road or highway by turning right or taking the next exit if it's safe to do so.
- Assume the worst. Assume that drivers will run through red lights or stop signs and be prepared to react. While driving, imagine that other drivers (especially truck drivers)
don't see you when you are making your way into their path. Also, keep an eye on pedestrians and pets along the road.
- Stay cool, calm, and collected. It's best to avoid making eye contact with aggressive drivers. As hard as it can be, ignore any aggressive facial or hand gestures. And don't
race aggressive drivers - you run the risk of inciting their road rage. Other drivers do stupid things. The best drivers don't get mad or try to get even.
- Get the authorities involved. If you see an aggressive driver or trouble ahead, get to a safe place to pull over and call authorities or the police. Any information you can
provide - a description of the vehicle, its license plate number, the direction it's going - will be helpful. Some areas allow you to use your cell phone to call the appropriate authorities with
special numbers like #77. If an aggressive driver crashes or causes an accident, try to stop safely a good distance from the scene. Wait for the police to arrive so that you can tell them about
the aggressive behavior you witnessed.
- Don't drive if you are under the influence or very sleepy. Alcohol, illegal drugs, and some prescription medications affect a person's judgment, including the ability to make
important braking and steering decisions on the road. That means you'll be less able to react quickly and drive defensively. Sleepy drivers can be just as bad as intoxicated drivers, so make
frequent rest stops or let a friend drive if you're tired.
- Don't take risks. When in doubt, don't pass. And keep a safe following distance. That way you can avoid a collision, stay in your lane, and not get rear-ended if the driver
in front of you slams on the brakes.
If you're interested in taking a full defensive driving course, contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles. All states keep a list of defensive driving courses that are approved by the
state - even some that are online. They cost money, but some insurance companies give people who've taken the course a discount in insurance rates.
Happy (defensive) driving!
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Are All Blind Spot Mirrors the Same?
The areas most commonly referred to as blind spots are the rear quarter blind spots, areas towards the rear of the vehicle on both sides. Vehicles in the adjacent lanes of the road may fall into
these blind spots, and a driver may be unable to see them using only the car's mirrors.
Other areas that are sometimes called blind spots are those that are too low to see behind and in front of a vehicle. Also, in cases where side vision is hindered, areas to the left or right can
become blind spots as well.
Beware of Setting Your Mirrors "Wide"
Mirror alignment is often done incorrectly by drivers. There is a tendency to want to provide context for the side mirror view by having the rear of the driver's own vehicle in the mirror frame.
When improperly aligned the side view mirrors widen the perspective offered by rear view mirror, but still not providing full coverage of the blind spot areas around SUV's, light trucks, minivans
and even commercial vans.
Even with a head-turn, the driver should continue to look forward, in the direction the car is traveling. This is accomplished by using the correct blind spot mirrors or blind
spot detection system. Exaggerated head-turns, where the driver actually faces backward for a moment to check the blind spot, are dangerous because the vehicle in front
may come to a sudden stop just at that instant resulting in a rear-end collision. |
ParkFX For Your SUV - Prevent a Tragedy
At least once a week a child in America is run over, typically in backup (reversing) accidents
Are you extra aware and alert when you're in the vicinity of a sport-utility vehicle, van or a pickup truck that's backing up? Are you especially watchful for children when you're behind the wheel
of a tall-riding vehicle—be it a van, truck or SUV—and you're backing it up?
You should be. According to Consumer Reports, the blind spot behind a tall vehicle such as a Chevrolet
Avalanche truck can extend as much as 51 feet in the case of a small-stature driver about 5 feet 1 inches tall. Even for an average-sized driver, 5 feet 8 inches tall, the blind spot can
extend nearly 30 feet behind the Avalanche, according to the consumer advice publication.
"No one is telling people there's a bigger blind spot in these vehicles," said Janette Fennell, founder and president of the child safety advocacy group Kids
and Cars.
Pointing out her statistics showing at least one child a week in the United States is killed in a "backover" incident, Fennell urges that some kind of "backover warning and prevention
device" be made mandatory on all vehicles. |
Don't Forget About Your Backup Blind Spots
Available ParkFX is the best park assist system to show you the parking boundaries and dangers around you when you're backing up
Kids ‘N Cars, a consumer organization working to make it safer for children to be around cars, is calling attention to the problem of the blind spot--that area behind the vehicle that you can’t
see from the driver’s seat. The organization notes that at least 58 children were backed over and killed last year alone.
How big can the backup blind spot be? We measured a sedan, minivan, SUV, and pickup to find out. We used a 28-inch-high traffic cone, measuring how far behind the vehicle it would have to be before an
average (5 feet 8 inches) and short (5 feet 1 inch) driver could see it. Larger vehicles tend to have a significantly larger blind spot. (Studies show the length of each blind spot; lighter for an average-height
driver, darker for a shorter driver.)
Later in 2006, tests will be published on backup sensors and rear-view video backup warning cameras that could help to reduce the blind-spot problem. It’s best to always look carefully behind the
vehicle before you get in and again before you put the car in gear. Also, always back up slowly. |
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