Page 12 - rear view safety

Close your eyes and imagine a futuristic car. What does it look like? It’s probably very sleek and aerodynamic, zipping through a modern city. This imaginary car doesn’t have rear or side view mirrors, did it? The future is closer than you think, reports Automotive News.

Mirror less vehicles, cars that are equipped with video screens instead of glass mirrors, improve safety while also raising miles per gallon. The idea has been proposed for years, but recent changes in Japanese laws have given the green light to this modern design.

Ichiko Industries, a Japanese company that supplies mirrors and...

If you’re still new to driving, it can be tricky to stay out of people's way on the highway. Most people don’t know how to handle fast drivers. Here’s what you need to know.

Take Someone With You

Ideally, you would take a few extra driving lessons prior to your test, and spend some time taking defensive driving classes so you can get experience with more advanced aspects of driving. But, if you can’t do that, it’s a great idea to take someone with you when you drive. Maybe you could convince your parent or an experienced friend to come along with you.

Avoid taking a car full of friends on your...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a fatal crash involving a Tesla Model S cruising on autopilot mode. This is the first fatal crash in a semi-autonomous car.

The Verge reports that Joshua Brown, a 40-year-old Ohio resident and Navy SEAL was killed when neither he nor the Tesla’s sensors saw a tractor trailer pulling in front of the car on a Florida highway. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured. Brown’s obituary can be found here.  The crash occurred on May 7^th.

“We learned yesterday evening that NHTSA is opening a preliminary evaluation into the...

Be prepared. It's not only the boy scout's motto, it's also great advice for a road trip. This infographic provided by Driving Test Vic lists 10 things you should always have before in your car before you hit the road.

Source: https://www.drivingtestvic.com/car-safety-10-things-you-should-always-have/  

It’s almost time for the 4^th of July. That means fireworks, grilling in the backyard, and maybe even a trip to the beach with your family. Whatever you end up doing, we want you to be safe. Here are some safety tips for Independence Day.

Firework Safety

While the safest way to enjoy fireworks is attending a public fireworks show put on by professionals, if you light fireworks at home you should follow these tips.

• Never give fireworks to small children.
• Keep a bucket of water/fire extinguisher close by in case of a fire.
• Light only one firework at a time.
• Always wear eye protection when lighting...

Verizon has acquired Telogis, a transportation software provider that offers solutions for mobile workforces, as well as navigation, routing and compliance software. Most of the company’s software is sold to fleet operators. Telogis software is already being used by car companies including Ford and Volvo, as well as by tech powerhouses Apple and AT&T.

A Cinderella startup story, Telogis has raised over 126 million since 2013. Notable investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Fontinalis Partners, a company founded by Ford Motor Company chairman, Bill Ford.

Though the companies have...

To have your teen become a safe, competent driver, he or she needs to develop critical driving skills and practice them in a range of driving environments and conditions. High quality practice driving is crucial because a major reason why teens crash is inexperience behind the wheel. The on-road license test is not going to cover the wide range of environments and challenges your teen will face during the intermediate period of licensure. It’s up to you to work with your teen to find opportunities to provide plenty of quality practice during the learner period. We can help.

Researchers from...

Automotive technology is constantly changing, from autonomous cars, to the rising interest in electric vehicles, there is something new every day. Automotive safety technology and policies are changing just as fast. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will begin testing back seat safety in 2019. Virtual Vehicle, a research-and-development center in Austria is using advanced human-body modeling to test safety. These realistic tests produce more accurate results.

“You see the crash-test dummy leaning out of the window after a crash. That situation has nothing in common with...

While dealers selling new cars are prohibited from selling vehicles with known defects, rental companies are not legally mandated to do the same. Until now. Part of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 requires rental car agencies with fleets over 35 vehicles to fix any and all open safety defects. The FAST act became effective June 1, 2016.

“When a family picks up a rental car on vacation, they should be able to expect it is free of any known safety defect,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “I thank Congress and the safety advocates who helped turn this...

Crash test dummies have long been used to simulate accidents in the front seat. It’s time for them to switch seats. Pressure is on to better protect rear passengers, as ride-sharing programs such as Uber and Lyft are putting more people in the backseat. Starting in 2019, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will test crash test dummies in the back seat as part of its 5-Star Safety Ratings Program. While this program is 38 years old, it has only tested and rated driver and front passenger seats thus far.

“People assume a 5-star rating extends to all seating locations, but it...

There’s a strange new trend. I’m not talking about the latest fashion accessory, social app, or hair style. This is something a lot more alarming. Pedestrians and cyclists are intentionally staging crashes to collect on insurance fraud. Not only is this very dangerous, it’s costing you a fortune. According to the U.S. Coalition Against Fraud, over $80 billion in fraudulent claims are made every year. All of these claims are not from staged crashes, but still, that’s a lot of hard earned money leaving your pocket. Fortunately, there is a simple way you can protect yourself from this unfortunately...

Summer is coming up, and that means barbeques, hot weather, and of course road trips! We want you to stay safe this summer, whether you are traveling along Route 66, Highway One, or simply taking your kids to soccer practice. Safecar.gov, a website powered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has a great interactive summer driving guide.

It’s very important to properly maintain your vehicle, especially if you plan on doing a lot of driving this summer. Solve any issues before they turn into dangerous problems. Schedule a safety inspection right now. I can wait. Ok, you scheduled...

In what has become the largest recall in U.S history, The Department of Transportation (DOT) has ordered automotive parts company Takata to recall 35-40 million airbags. The vehicles are being recalled based on recent data provided by three independent testing groups and DOT experts. These recalls are in addition to the 28.8 million airbags Takata has already recalled. The expansions are to take place in phases between May 2016 and December 2019. The faulty airbags are already responsible for ten deaths and more than 100 injuries in the United States alone. There have been two deaths related to...

On April 26th, Google, Ford, Lyft, Uber and Volvo Cars announced the formation of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. These are some of the biggest names in their respective industries teaming up for one purpose: to advocate for autonomous vehicles. The group will first work with civic organizations, municipalities and businesses to bring the idea of self-driving vehicles to life.

The formation of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets comes at an interesting time in the development of autonomous cars, the whole concept is still very new and not a lot of regulations or standards...

This infographic, courtesy of Woodstock Motors, features tips for car seat safety, facts about child car seats, and will help you decide which type of seat is most appropriate for your children.

According to Seatcheck, about 70% of children in car seats are improperly restrained, while around 96% of parents believe their child safety seats are properly installed. One of the most common installation mistakes is not using age and size appropriate seats.

Source: https://www.woodstockmotors.co.uk/repairs.html

This infographic, courtesy of Hussey Fraser, features facts about motorcycle injuries, important motorbike safety tips, and useful motorcycle road hand signals.

Source: https://www.injury-solicitors.ie/

This weekend families around the United States celebrated Safe Kids Day, an annual event put on by Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to protect kids from preventable injuries. While the national celebration was held at Smashbox Studio in Culver City, California, over 200 Safe Kids Day events were also held all across the country. Preventable injuries are the leading cause of death to children in the U.S, but Safe Kids Worldwide believes that with education and forethought, most of these injuries are preventable. The event raises safety awareness and supports the life-saving...

The demand for electric passenger cars is still rising. Renault just produced its 50,00^th Zoe electric car. More and more commercial vehicles are slowly going electric. Motiv Power Systems, a California electric powertrain manufacturer, made the first electric school bus in America, and also produce other electric commercial vehicles including delivery trucks and refuse trucks.

Motiv have recently partnered with Creative Bus Sales to produce a new zero-emission school bus built on a Ford F59 Chassis with a Motiv all-electric powertrain and a Starcraft body. The Starcraft eQuest XL can hold up...

Other than the hazards of not clearly seeing objects behind you where a Rear View Camera is clearly the solution, distracted driving is a very serious problem. A breathalyzer for your cell phone could be part of the solution.

New York police could soon by using textalyzer phone scanners that act as a breathalyzer for your cell phone, allowing them to quickly see if a phone was used at the time of an accident while also keeping content private.

Assembly assistant Speaker Felix Ortiz and New York Senator Terrence Murphy have partnered with awareness group Distracted Operators Risk Casualties to propose...

As a road safety leader and advocate, Rear View Safety is very proud to announce the Safety Initiative Award.

The Safety Initiative Award is given to companies in recognition of steps taken to protect both vehicle operators and pedestrians.

Rear View Safety is acknowledging companies who are taking important steps towards safety. The Safety Initiative Award is also something to proudly frame on the wall for all to see. By prominently displaying their award, companies can show employees, other companies, and the general public how committed they are to safety.

Want to earn a Safety Initiative Award...