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On Choosing Cars: 5 Necessary Safety Features

June 5, 2013 by PDDC

When one plans to purchase a car, one tends to focus only in the car’s engine performance and aesthetic appeal. While both these two aspects are important, buyers must also remember to check for a car’s safety features. Automotive safety is no joke, and thus one must be aware of what basic safety features to look for in a car. Here are 5 of the EXTREMELY NECESSARY safety features a car must have for it to be ready for actual road usage.

1.)    Seat belts

Seat belts are at the core of automotive safety. They are designed to keep you firmly attached to the seats when strong impacts from events such as accidents cause you to be jolted inside. They are an absolute necessity and therefore should be present in the car you intend to buy.

2.)    Air bags

Air bags may be regarded as plan B during heavy impact while driving. In the event that the seatbelts fail to keep you firm in your seat, especially your head, the air bags automatically puff out of the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield.

3.)    Head Restraints

Head restraints are the extensions of the car’s seats whose function is to limit head movement in strong car impacts, thus preventing neck injury.

4.)    Traction Control

Traction control systems maintain the stability of a vehicle by controlling how far the wheels can slip during the application of excess power. This happens very often during acceleration, in which the Traction control system automatically adjusts engine output and applies braking force to the selected wheels.

5.)    Weight

Statistics on car crashes reveals that the weight of the car plays an important role in car safety. It has been shown that the heavier cars, possibly due to the material used, offer more protection for the passenger than lighter cars in the event of collisions and crashes.

Other safety features which one may opt to put in their checklist in buying cars include Electronic Stability Control (offers automatic control in extreme steering maneuvers) and Anti-lock Brake system (prevents wheels from locking during panic breaking). The simpler necessary features include the type of tires, the reliability of the car locks, head injury protection, and steering and suspension. So if you are to buy a car any time soon, check this out, make a list, be guided, and be safe.

Category Vehicle's Conditions | Tags: , automotive safety, car features, car safety, safety features | Comments Off
Off Roading Laws In California

June 2, 2013 by PDDC

The California State Laws give some rules and regulations regarding off roading and ATVs within their area. In general, all laws are strictly governed and must be followed by everyone with no exemptions. Also, laws are being passed not to give additional burden to the people or riders instead to give them enough protection on their off road trip. So, to start with, all persons who are riding ATVs should wear a helmet that is approved by ATV Safety authorities during an off road drive within the public land of California.

Also, passengers of off-road vehicles are strictly prevented to drive on public lands unless their off road vehicle and ATVs are designed and capable to carry passengers.

The law also sets particular speed limit when driving 50 feet of campsite, campground or if the location is drowned with animals and people. This speed limit is approximately not more than 15 miles per hour.

Moreover, age limitations are as well strictly governed. In order to drive an off road vehicle in California’s public land, he must not be under 18 years old or if he is under the required age, he must at least meet several requirements. For people under 18 years old, he must be currently enrolled and taking ATV safety training course from a certified off road Safety Instructor. Or, he must be under the supervision of at least one adult who owns a safety certificate that was issued by California.

Aside from requirements that can be met by the driver alone, California also requires a vehicle that is properly registered. Therefore, street legal vehicles that will be used in off road drive must apply for additional off-highway license because if not, and used in off road parks, they may be subjected to pay some fees.

Category California, Laws, Rules And Regulations | Tags: , California, Off Roading Laws | Comments Off
Safety Standards Regarding Warning Devices

May 25, 2013 by PDDC

The safety standards for warning devices established several requirements regarding the devices’ choice. Definitely, the devices must not need any energy sources so that it can be installed in motor vehicles. The warning devices are used to warn the driver for an approaching traffic since it can sense the presence of stopped vehicles. In addition, these devices are designed to become permanently attached to the car. The standard aims to reduce the incidents of injuries and deaths from rear end collision that usually happens during a moving traffic or between two or more disabled vehicles.

In every regulation, people must understand the real definition of certain terms. So, the article defines some of the important terms that must be well known to the public.

Fluorescent is the device that emits visible light that may result from the radiation absorption of shorter wavelengths that are usually beyond the visible spectrum.

Reflex reflective is a reflection of lights to the directions that are close to the incident light directions. It may offer wide range of light variations that may be seen in the incident light direction.

Reflex reflective devices as well as fluorescent devices that meet the required standards must be attached to both warning devices’ faces. Also, red reflective material and dual purpose orange fluorescent the also meet the following standards must be attached to both faces where fluorescent and reflective materials are placed.

Definitely, every warning device must be protected from deterioration and damages in order to provide maximum service and performance. It must also be designed and installed in erected position and must be replaced from where it is installed without the need to use of any kinds of tools. The warning devices must also be marked legibly and permanently by the manufacturer’s name, year and month when it is manufactured as well as the symbol DOT.

Category Rules And Regulations | Tags: , Warning Device | Comments Off
Into the Future: Rise of the Car Airbags

May 9, 2013 by PDDC

One of the biggest concerns one has in buying and driving cars and other vehicles is safety. Due to the increasing number of car technologies that enhance passenger safety, the number of fatalities and casualties due to vehicular accidents in the US has declined through the years.

Among the car technologies that take part in this car safety trend are airbags. One would think how such a seemingly simple device with a quite simple concept can help so much in car safety. However, one must take note of the numbers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), frontal airbags reduce driver fatalities by 29 percent and fatalities of front-seat passengers age 13 and older by 32 percent in frontal collisions. That is why, car developers all over the world are constantly improving airbag technology: to provide drivers and passengers alike with a safer driving experience. Here are some of the frontiers in the future of car airbag technology.

Front Center Airbag. This airbag deploys from the right side of the driver seat and positions itself between the front row seats near the vehicle’s center. The developers say that the new airbag is designed to provide restraint during passenger-side crashes when the driver is alone, and also acts as an energy-absorbing cushion between driver and front passenger in both driver- and passenger-side crashes.

Inflatable Seatbelts. This, as the name implies, is a cross between airbags and seatbelts. The developers designed it to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear-seat passengers, who are often children and the elderly and who can be more vulnerable to such injuries.

Knee Airbags. This is designed to minimize injuries to the lower limbs as they make contact with the dashboard. Knee airbags are located in the foot well, below the steering column on the driver side and under the glove box on the passenger side.

These are just among the many new airbags introduced by car companies in their new car models. However, these airbags don’t always increase a car’s safety, as a car’s design is another crucial factor to be considered. But for a world where borders are constantly being challenged, the development of car airbag technology are among the many promises the future has for the human race.

Category Vehicle Features | Tags: , airbags, automotive safety, car safety, car safety features | Comments Off
Windshield Wiping And Washing Systems

April 11, 2013 by PDDC

Windshield wiping and washing system is a standard that specifies particular requirement about using and installing windshield wiping as well as in washing apparatuses. This regulation applies to buses, trucks, multipurpose passenger vehicles and passenger cars.

In order to further understand the meaning of this rule and regulation, let us first identify several terms.

Overall width is the maximum and overall dimension of body width.

Glazing surface reference line is a lone that results from the intersection between a horizontal plane with 635 mm above the reference point of seating and the glazing surface.

Daylight opening is the maximum opening without any kind of obstructions throughout the whole glazing surface.

Plan view reference lines for vehicles that are equipped with bench-type seats, are lines that are parallel to the longitudinal outboard centerline of the centerline’s steering wheel. However, for cars equipped with individual-type seats, these lines may be either a line that is parallel to the longitudinal line of the vehicle that passes all throughout the center of the designated seating position of the driver or a line that is parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. The latter makes the geometric center positioned on the vehicle’s longitudinal centerline of the designated seating position of the driver.

Shoulder room dimension is the room dimension offered for the front shoulder.

95% eye range contour is the 95^th percentile of cutoff that is specified in the SAE Recommended Practice J941.

In general, each vehicle must be equipped with power-driven and windshield wiping apparatuses that meets the requirements given by the authorities. Basically, each windshield wiping device must have not less than two speeds or two frequencies. One speed or frequency shall be not less than 45 cycles per min even without considering the engine speed and engine load.

Category Rules And Regulations, Windshield | Tags: , Washing Systems, Windshield Wiping | Comments Off
Techno Frontiers: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

April 10, 2013 by PDDC

Among the many technological frontiers that society enjoys at present are innovations in car technology. Such technologies include the series of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems that are now being installed in the more recent car models.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are systems to help the driver in the driving process. When designed with a safe Human-Machine Interface it should be able to increase car safety and more generally road safety. They too are designed to be very user-friendly and with an impressive independence to monitoring the car’s systems. Here are among the latest and trending ADAS that are now being developed:

In-vehicle navigation systems. This is a system of satellites that provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage. Through this innovation, cars with installed GPS are able to identify their location. This is helpful in determining how far one is from his/her destination and in avoiding traffic jams.

Driver Drowsiness Detection. Various studies have suggested that around 20% of all road accidents are fatigue-related, up to 50% on certain roads. This is what pushed car makers to developing the Driver Drowsiness Detection, which is a very new technology wherein the system monitors the car’s movements and assesses whether the vehicle is being driven in a controlled or uncontrolled manner. If the system detects a high risk of the driver being drowsy, the driver is alerted via an alarm signal.

Collision Avoidance System. Also known as precrash system, this car technology is designed to reduce the severity of a car accident. Different car makers have different versions of this system, but the general technology employs radar and sometimes laser and camera sensors to detect an imminent crash.

Automotive Night Vision. This system is designed to improve a vehicle driver’s perception and seeing distance in darkness or poor weather in distances beyond the headlights’ reach. This system combines an LCD display, a navigation system, a camera, and a pulsed light source to create a clear image of the road during heavy rains or in deep darkness.

These are only among the several new technologies offered by different car companies to improve the safety of passengers in a car during unfortunate situations. Such technologies include Traffic Sign recognition, blind spot detection, automatic parking, adaptive light control, and hill descent control. In addition to a safer drive, these systems also provide comfort and ease that in future years, will be the norm of the automotive industry.

Category Vehicle Features | Tags: , ADAS, Advance Driver Assistance Systems, automotive safety, car safety | Comments Off
Automobile’s Controls And Displays Laws

March 24, 2013 by PDDC

This law specifically tackles about the performance requirements for indicators, telltales, motor vehicle control illumination, color, identification and location. The purpose of this law is to make sure that motor vehicle controls are easily accessed, viewed and found. Also, it facilitates proper control selections during nighttime and daylight conditions. With this, safety hazards and driving dangers from the diversion of attention of the driver from his driving task due to selection of controls are greatly reduced. This law is generally implemented to all vehicles including buses, trucks, multipurpose passenger vehicles and passenger cars.

In order to implement this law, the driver must be familiar with the controls usually found inside the car. Therefore, the law consists of definition of terms and controls found in the car. So, this article will give you some important terms that were given too much emphasis in this law.

Common space is the area where identifier, indicator, telltate and other message will be displayed. However, the appearance of the display may not come out simultaneously instead it happens one by one.

Control means a device part that is usually hand-operated. This device enables the driver as well as the passenger to change the functioning and state of the car or the whole subsystem of the vehicle.

Indicator is the device that allows the driver to see the physical characteristics and the magnitude that other device must sense and identify.

Multi-task display allows you to see number of messages and controls simultaneously. This allows you to see everything that is happening inside the car.

While multi task display let the driver see everything that is happening in the car, multi task control gives the driver the permission to control the buttons and state of the vehicle simultaneously. It also means that the driver may use different buttons and controls to make sure that the car is properly working.

Category Laws, Rules And Regulations | Tags: , Controls And Displays | Comments Off
Reflections: Proper Use of Rear View Mirrors

March 22, 2013 by PDDC

Rear View Mirrors have always been an important aspect in one’s driving. They are a basic part of automotive design, and almost always, rear view mirrors are the very first things a driver adjusts when preparing for a drive. Not only is it required by law to have rear view mirrors, but also as a safety measure to avoid road accidents.

The earliest known rear view mirror attached to a motor vehicle appeared in Ray Harroun’s Marmon racecar at the inaugural Indianapolis 500 race in 1911. Although Harroun’s is the first known use of a mirror on a motor vehicle, Harroun claimed he got the idea from seeing a mirror used for the same purpose on a horse-drawn vehicle in 1904.

Although everyone with a car and a driver’s license practically use their rear view mirrors, not everyone can use it to their fullest potential. So, how should one position his/her rear view mirror? According to a rearview mirror adhesive company, they should be adjusted in such a way that the driver can see what’s behind the vehicle as well as the sides. This way, the rear view mirror interacts with the side view mirrors for maximum visibility.

In addition to a well-adjusted rear view mirror, one must also ensure that the mirror is securely placed in its position, as a loose rear-view mirror can be fatal especially during night time or during heavy traffic. And when these situations occur, drivers resort to superglue or other temporary adhesive products which in the end come out as ineffective and can put them in the same risky road situation all over again.

Rear view mirrors may be relatively simple compared to other car safety features such as airbags or seat belts; however, they play an important role mainly in a car’s interaction with other vehicles on the road. They determine how far or how close one car is from the other, and in some cases, a careful glance at the rear view mirror can save one’s life.

Category Vehicle Features | Tags: , automotive safety, car features, car mirror, car safety, rear view mirrors | Comments Off
Car Seatbelts: Importance on Automotive safety

March 22, 2013 by PDDC

One of the most basic features of any car is the seat belts. It is standard protocol for all car companies to put seat belts in the design of the cars they manufacture. That is why seat belts aren’t included in the features or specs posted by these companies as a means of advertising because it is common knowledge to anyone that all cars have seatbelts. Thus, why is there a need to discuss it and why is it important?

First of all, we have to be aware that there a number of people in the U.S. and many more in other countries who take for granted the use of seat belts whenever they drive. As an attempt to address this ignorance, here are the reasons why it is necessary to wear your seatbelts every time you hit the road.

First of all, not wearing of seatbelts is against the law in most if not all countries. People tend to neglect this law due to the fact that most law enforces make a habit of not imposing this law with utter strictness. The fines of not wearing seat belts are also not as penalizing as it should be.

But most importantly, seatbelts are important because they play a very great role in car safety. In Newton’s Laws of Motion, he mentioned inertia, which partially states that a body in motion will remain in motion unless disturbed by an unequal and opposite force. In the event of a sudden stop or a collision, seatbelts work by stopping your body from being thrown forward. A three point harnessed seatbelt’s is designed specially to protect the ribs and other vital internal organs. Seatbelts also protect a passenger from whiplash.

Statistics also prove how important seatbelts are to car safety. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, occupants of a vehicle have a 50% increase of fatal injuries if no seatbelt is worn. Due to car accidents, on average there are 40,000 deaths each year. Of the deaths in children due to not wearing a seatbelt 80% of them could have been avoided by properly restraining the child with a seatbelt.
Thus, anywhere you go, however short the distance you travel, always wear seatbelts.

Category Vehicle Features | Tags: , car design, car safety, car seatbelts, seat belts | Comments Off
Low Speed Automobile Laws

February 15, 2013 by PDDC

Low speed automobiles are mostly known as the four-wheeled and electrically-powered vehicles, except those low-speed or motor automobiles that are used specifically for horticultural and agricultural purposes. Also, golf cart does not belong to low-speed automobiles even if it has maximum speed that is more than 20 miles per hour and speed that will never be more than 25 miles per hour.

Every low speed automobile that is operated and driven in highway must have parking brake, emergency brake, reflex reflectors, tail lights, brake lights and head lights. It must also consists vehicle identification number, safety belt system, each wheel brake, odometer, speedometer, more than one windshield wipers, internal rearview mirror and external rearview mirror.

Aside from vehicular accessories needed by low speed vehicles to drive in highway, it must also have up-to-date license and registration. However, emission and safety inspections are not necessarily needed.

Low speed cars are allowed to be driven on public highways especially in highways with maximum speed limit of no more than 35 mph. On the other hand, driving low speed vehicles in roads where local governing bodies and Department of Transportation have highway control will never be permitted in order to ensure the safety of all commuters.

Also, low speed cars must only be driven on public roads and highways by a person who is holding a driver’s license.

Therefore, in order to keep the safety and proper driving activities, the rules on driving low speed vehicle mentioned above must be strictly followed. Aside from safety benefits, it will also provide organization of vehicles inside the highway. It will also prevent traffic that may result from misused of low speed vehicles within the highway and public roads. So, always remember to keep following every rule in driving a low-speed vehicle because it may help you prevent damages and accidents.

Category Laws, Rules And Regulations | Tags: , Low Speed Vehicle | Comments Off

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