New analysis of FARS data by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety points to crashes being more survivable for drivers of large SUVs than for drivers of smaller cars. While driver death is one measure of safety, there are a number of other criteria that offer a richer story of SUV safety, such as their contribution to emissions and increased dangers to those not inside the vehicle.
cars
Cars park improperly substantially more than scooters or bikes
Micromobility devices, such as scooters and bicycles are sometimes portrayed as scattered about in the public right- of-way, impeding everyone. Looking at the entire right-of-way, how much are bicycles and scooters actually culpable for obstruction? A new paper examines improperly parked scooters, bicycles, and motor vehicles, finding that the biggest offenders are actually motor vehicle drivers.
Internet-connected vehicles may put hackers in the driver’s seat
A pair of researchers remotely attacked a Jeep Cherokee and disabled the accelerator on the Interstate outside St. Louis to demonstrate that increasingly-wired cars need better security. Although connection to the internet is becoming a sought-after feature on cars, it may also allow hackers a portal into the car’s onboard computer and its controls.
Study confirms that 10-foot lanes make safer intersections
Side impact- and turn-related crash rates are lowest at intersections where average lane widths are between 10 and 10.5 feet, according to a study presented at the Canadian Institute of Transportation’s annual meeting last month. This challenges the long-held, but often disputed, assumption that wider lanes are safer.
Automakers designing for pedestrian safety
Traditionally, improving the safety of pedestrians sharing roads with motor vehicles has been accomplished through policies aimed at reducing vehicle speeds and the likelihood of vehicle-pedestrian collisions. However, in recent years automakers have been working to design cars in ways that reduce the likelihood that pedestrians struck by motor vehicles will die or suffer serious injuries as a result.
Pedestrians losing last refuge in the public right of way to bicycles
The entire public street – building face to building face – used to be the realm of pedestrians. As transportation modes changed, the pedestrian got pushed farther and farther towards the edges, first by streetcars, …