Seniors over the age of 70 have long been associated with unsafe driving, with death rates steadily increasing as more elderly hit the road. At least that's what we thought. A new study by IIHS shows that the death rate of elderly drivers has declined by 21% between 1997 and 2006. The decline was far greater than it was with any other age group, which is even more amazing when considering the fact that elderly drivers increased by 10% during that time. Time behind the wheel has increased as well, with seniors logging far more miles than they have in the past. Some reasons for the decline include healthier, more fit seniors and safer drivers. State governments have also been more diligent in getting unfit seniors off the road with regular skills tests. One study shows that seniors are increasingly aware of the dangers of driving, and limiting drive time at night and on the interstate.
It seems that every new vehicle receives a "Five Star" rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) these days. In fact, a whopping 98% of all 2007 and 2008 models achieved four or five stars. NHTSA is planning a new ratings system that will make it more difficult to achieve top scores and the new standards were scheduled to take effect for the 2010 model year. But the agency has decided to delay the new testing standards until 2011, giving automakers another year to plan for the test while providing consumers additional time to understand the new rating system. The delay is welcome news for automakers, concerned that the new standards would cause more financial headaches as they attempt to weather the economic downturn. However, NHTSA critic Public Citizen is unhappy with the postponement, saying that it will make the situation tougher for consumers in the long run.
We can see it now: The Clarkson defense. An Australian man, mistaking the TV show Top Gear for proper driver training and experience, got his 4x4 into an oscillating mess while pulling a trailer and crashed. (Image above is of an art installation outside Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, not the actual accident. Just thought we should clear that up.) The accident unfortunately claimed the life of the man's 85-year-old passenger, and while it's been deemed an accidental death, Richard Browne's justification for his actions is a head-scratcher. "Top Gear... always say to put the accelerator down and get out of it, the worst thing you can do is brake," Browne explained, missing the point that driving dynamics and techniques are rather different when towing. After all, a vehicle that's being wagged by its trailer is an altogether different animal than hanging the tail out when exiting a fast sweeper. Apparently, however, stupid is universal.
Sometimes numbers lie. But we keep them around because they tell the truth more often than not. The NHTSA undertook a two-and-a-half year study that examined 5,471 injury accidents nationwide in order to figure out how accidents were being caused. Government researchers conducted their own evidence gathering at crash sites in order to establish a first-hand account of causation. What did they find? Among other things, that more drivers crashed as a result of crossing the center line (11%) than as a result of speeding (5%). Speeding, in this case, defined by "too fast for conditions," not necessarily above the posted limit.
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Recent testing indicates that new cars are safe, regardless of their relative size. No surprise, then, that most of the latest 2009 model-year small cars tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety performed fairly well. Included in this round of testing were the Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4, and Toyota Matrix. All seven of these machines (remember too that the Pontiac Vibe uses the same underpinnings as the Matrix) scored "good," the highest rating available, for occupant protection in frontal crashes, and only the newest designs -- the SX4, Matrix and Vibe -- scored that high in side crash testing.
The poorest performer of the group, Chrysler's PT Cruiser, also happens to be the oldest design. This being the case, it's lowly "poor" rating in side and rear crashes, due in large part to its ineffective head restraints and lack of rear side-mounted airbags, isn't too shocking. The HHR and SX4 also scored only marginally better in seat/head restraint testing. The latest MINI Cooper was also smashed for science, and it performed fairly well for a car of its diminutive proportions. For a complete recount of the IIHS results, click past the break. Feeling an unhealthy desire to see the aftermath?
Where do supercars go when they die? Some sacrilegious blend between Heaven and Hell where they get chopped up into little bits, but are then given a chance to give other supercars a new lease on life. One such Nissan GT-R met its demise far too young in its life. With only 4,000km on the odometer, some fool t-boned it and it was a goner. In came Australian motorsport outfit Just Jap Racing, who took the wrecked GT-R and cut it down to use as for spare parts for their racing program.
Not quite the first GT-R roadster as some would believe, but something far more important: Proof that, for Japanese sportscars at least, there is life after death.
Despite numerous positive crash test results and assurances from both manufacturers and safety organizations, we still hear people say they'll never trade their bank-safe SUV for one of those little tin cans on wheels. This makes some people wonder what it would take to change folks' minds about automotive safety. A first-hand account from Nick Chambers, an admitted greenie who blogs for gas2.0.org, slammed his Yaris into a dirt embankment then rolled it three times. He not only lived, but walked away from his crumpled Toyota with little more than a bump and a really sore neck. He also admits that before his little off-road excursion in the Yaris, he wasn't completely sold on small car safety. But now he says, "Yes. Yes I would trust my family to a small fuel-efficient car, and I'm miraculously alive and mostly uninjured... so no, it's not a death trap."
According to a report by the UK's Mirror, Jeremy Clarkson has been injured during filming of the BBC version of Top Gear. The story doesn't divulge the circumstances of the crash or what the presenter was driving during the incident, but according to Clarkson, the head-on collision was his first serious crash in 31 years. Top Gear's front-man described his injuries in typical Clarksonian style thusly: "My right index finger looked like a burst sausage, my left shin was fatter than my thigh and my back felt like someone had driven over it with a pile-driver." Clarkson's wife took a call from the Mirror on Saturday and told the tabloid that her husband was fine. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to the Top Gear team's triumphant return on November 2nd.
If you've been following the ongoing roof strength regulation saga, this will likely come as no surprise. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters has again asked for an extension to rewrite the government's vehicle roof strength rule. We've been reporting on this for more than three years, and the delays never seem to end (of course, we can assume the big cheese in Washington have more pressing issues on their plates these days). Rewriting the legislation set back in the 1970s isn't as simple as specifying stronger roof pillars. Beefing up the roof will add weight – potentially making a vehicle more top heavy and likely increasing the possibility of a rollover. The new rules will need to address these concerns, and take into account new safety technologies (curtain airbags, stability control, etc...) that are on our current-generation models. While each previous request for an extension included new deadline dates, this latest appeal didn't. A wise move considering the administration's track record on this issue.
It was bound to happen, but it hurts nonetheless. The KTM X-Bow is hot off the presses, and it didn't take long for some brand new ones to show up on the 'Ring in Germany with their new owners behind the wheel. That hallowed circuit has led to the demise of more than a few machines, not to mention their drivers, and will inevitably continue to claim casualties as racers test their skills on its winding asphalt. The latest victim is one of the aforementioned German-powered, Austrian-built sportscars from KTM. According to reports, the car spent some time skidding on two wheels -- fitting considering KTM's motorcycle heritage -- before meeting the barrier and coming to an involuntary halt. Fortunately, it appears as if the carbon-heavy structure did its job well and protected the owner and passenger. It breaks the heart, but rest assured, it won't be the last. Click on the cropped pic for full-size shots of the carnage.
