Honda Recalls 204,000 SUVs, Minivans In U.S. For Shift Interlock Problem
Honda is recalling certain 2012 and 2013 CR-V SUVs and Odyssey minivans as well as certain 2013 Acura RDX crossovers to fix an automatic shift problem.
A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected in the U.S. at 204,169.
A statement from Honda on its website said that the recall population is 204,500 in the U.S., affecting approximately 128,000 Honda CR-V, 59,000 Honda Odyssey and 17,500 Acura RDX vehicles.
The problem
According to the NHTSA bulletin, during sub-freezing temperatures, the vehicle’s transmission may shift out of park without the driver depressing the brake pedal. This condition is a violation of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, “Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention.
If the gear selector moves from the park position without pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle may roll away, thus increasing the risk of a crash.
Documentation from Honda (PDF) indicates that the brake-shift interlock mechanism in affected vehicles may have been manufactured improperly. The automaker said it discovered the problem during an internal investigation. No customer complaints, crashes or injuries have been reported related to the issue.
What Honda will do
Honda will notify owners of affected vehicles and dealers will replace the defective brake shift interlock blocking mechanism with an updated one. The service will be performed at no charge. The Honda safety recall is expected to begin May 13, 2013.
In the meantime, owners of 2012-2013 Honda CR-V, 2012-2013 Honda Odyssey and 2013 Acura RDX vehicles with any questions or concerns may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. The recall numbers are: 396 (Honda CR-V), 397 (Honda Odyssey), and 398 (Acura RDX).
Alternatively, owners of vehicles involved in the campaign may contact NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to http://www.safercar.gov. Reference the NHTSA campaign ID No. 13V143000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Screen Test: Five Frustrating Infotainment In-Car Interfaces
Driving sure isn't what it used to be. And while that might apply just as well to how that new car accelerates, steers, or rides, here we're talking about what's inside—namely, that big, bright screen in the middle of the dash.
So-called infotainment interfaces are becoming a center point to the in-car experience—an essential part, if you ask some vehicle shoppers. And yet, these systems, which bring features like navigation, hands-free calling connectivity, music and media management, and all sorts of additional information and productivity into the car—and wrap it all together with a single go-to interface—are quite often maligned.
At best, they're the smooth, cohesive way to do everything you might want or need to do from behind the wheel, while keeping your eyes on the road and keeping you from picking up a hand-held device. But at worst, these systems can be distractions in and of themselves.
What makes some of these systems feel natural and others frustrating? Whether considering MyFord Touch (Ford), CUE (Cadillac/GM), iDrive (BMW), COMAND (Mercedes-Benz), MMI (Audi), Uconnect Touch (Chrysler), the elements that make up these interfaces aren't not all that different, fundamentally. Even though their hardware might be significantly different, you have a display screen (touch-sensitive, or capacitive in some cases); there's a rotary or toggle controller on most; voice control is deployed to some degree; and then you have some back-up buttons on the dash and/or steering wheel, with a corresponding graphic array and menu system.
Comparable hardware, very different implementation
“It's the nuance of it that makes them so distinct,” says Mark Boyadjis, a senior analyst at IHS Global insight.
And more than the actual capability of the system—the resolution of the display, or the amount of storage, for instance—it's in the fine user-interface details where some of these systems can delight, or frustrate, Boyadjis notes.
Ford may have jumped the gun in getting its MyFord Touch (voice- and touch-screen-based system) launched several years ago; at first it pushed ahead without regard to some of the fine details—resulting in issues like screen freezes, fonts that changed appearance, and menu options that intermittently disappeared. Although the automaker has fixed many of these hiccups and it's now quite good, notes Boyadjis.
To some degree, it's also the cost of being a forerunner. BMW quite famously first launched its iDrive more than a decade ago with a haptic-feedback rotary controller essentially replacing a sea of buttons. The design result was breathtaking and elegant, but buyers ended up bewildered by the interface, which concealed some relatively common tasks in nested menus, within other menus. Over the years, BMW has brought out several better versions, added better voice control, and brought back some of those buttons; although it's still on our list of frustrating interfaces.
A lot of disappointment out there...
Yet disappointment and dissatisfaction with the hands-free features, as related to these systems, is widespread, and satisfaction with original-equipment navigation systems and interfaces is falling. The market research firm J.D. Power attributed infotainment issues to a tumble in its 2012 Initial Quality Study (IQS), which looks at issues in the first 90 days of vehicle ownership. Hands-free systems not recognizing voice commands was the single most-reported problem, while owner-reported problems with factory hands-free systems has climbed 137 percent in four years.
At the same time, as certain tasks and apps—everything from customized music streams to text-to-voice features to turn-by-turn navigation—are becoming smartphone based, the role of such systems is rapidly changing, going well beyond a hands-free phone interface and a menu system for navigation. For instance, in J.D. Power and Associates' 2012 U.S. Navigation Usage and Research Study, 47 percent of vehicle owners polled indicated that they used a smartphone app for navigation in the vehicle, while 46 percent said that they either “definitely would not” or “probably would not” purchase another factory-installed nav system, if smartphone navigation were integrated.
"Navigation systems are no longer viewed as a stand-alone component, but as part of a media, safety and infotainment package, and are expected to seamlessly work together, but in many cases are falling short of owner expectations," summed J.D. Power analyst Mike Van Nieuwkuyk at that time.
Read the rest of this entry »
Black Box Recorders: Groundbreaking Safety Devices Or The End Of Privacy?
We're all familiar with event data recorders -- or as they're more commonly known, "black boxes". EDRs are standard equipment on airplanes, and any time there's a mishap, news programs are full of journalists making guesses about what the recorders will reveal.
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that EDRs are coming to cars, too. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has backed legislation to make the devices mandatory on all new vehicles, beginning with the 2015 model year.
What you may not know is that the new legislation would only affect around 4% of vehicles sold in America. Why? Because the other 96% already have EDRs. If you drive a car made by a big-name automaker like Ford, General Motors, or Toyota, chances are good that there's a black box sitting in your dashboard.
In other words, the vast majority of vehicles sold in the U.S. today come with EDRs, and soon the gizmos will be found on all of them. Barring a huge shift in politics and/or technology, this situation isn't likely to change.
However, there are plenty of lingering questions about the mandatory installation of EDRs. Most of those questions revolve around privacy: (a) how should manufacturers notify new-car shoppers about the presence of the recording device, (b) how long should data be stored on the device, and (c) who owns that data?
AAA attempted to raise concerns about all three issues late last year, and the Associated Press has just picked up on the matter in the new video posted above. But so far, nothing has happened at the legislative level to address privacy concerns in a substantial way.
OUR TAKE
On the one hand, traditional notions of privacy seem to be changing. In an era when people are more than happy to share their locations on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks, privacy ain't what it used to be. As a result, EDRs might not be seen as overly intrusive.
Also, EDRs stand to boost auto safety by noting technological and mechanical problems in our vehicles. And in the long term, devices similar to EDRs may play a key role in vehicle-to-vehicle communications, which could eliminate thousands of collisions each year.
On the other hand, just because our definition of privacy is in flux doesn't mean that there's no such thing as privacy anymore. There are still plenty of lines in the sand that few folks want to cross.
For example, even if federal legislation doesn't stipulate that warrants are required to tap EDR data, one good lawsuit would likely find in favor of an individual's right to privacy. Courts have also questioned the usefulness of black box data, expressing wariness about the idea of EDRs as dispassionate witnesses to accidents. In fact, one judge in Nevada agreed that black box data "constitute[s] unreliable hearsay".
And of course, EDRs could provide one more way for identity thieves to steal vital personal info. (Thankfully, someone's already working on a fix for that.)
Does your car already contain an EDR? Are you worried about how the data on that device might be used? Or do you think such concerns are overblown? Sound off in the comments below.
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
GM, Ford To Build Nine-, Ten-Speed Automatics Together
General Motors and Ford will partner to build a new generation of automatic transmissions--nine-speed and ten-speed automatics that the companies will use to boost fuel economy across their lineups.
The U.S. automatic have worked together in the past to engineer automatic transmissions, to reduce the engineering and development costs. The six-speed automatic installed in many large GM and Ford crossovers--the Ford Flex, the GMC Acadia, and the Chevy Traverse among them--is a result of the companies' more recent joint efforts. So far, the companies have built more than 8 million gearboxes from that project.
The new transmissions will be used across both companies' lineups, in both front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive applications.
Ford and GM won't be the first to develop nine-speed automatic transmissions. Chrysler has one on the way in the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, while Land Rover announced recently that it's working on a nine-speed transmission with ZF. Ten-speed automatics would be a new development.
The transmissions are expected to hit the road within the next three years, with differences in programming to give each automaker its own approach to shift quality and economy.
Both GM and Ford rely heavily today on six-speed automatics, while some competitors like Lexus and Chrysler have moved quickly to eight-speed automatics, in the hunt for better fuel economy in their larger vehicles.
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Airbag Recall Affects 4 Japanese Automakers, BMW, GM
A massive worldwide recall of some 3.4 million vehicles built between 2000 and 2004 for a defective airbag that could catch fire or injure passengers affects at least 1.4 million vehicles in the U.S. Included in the safety recall thus far are Japanese automakers Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda, along with BMW and General Motors.
A report in The Detroit News and other media outlets said the problem is blamed on a faulty airbag part manufactured by Takata Corporation, the world’s second-largest supplier of airbags and seatbelts.
Reuters reports that in some of the recalled vehicles, the airbag may not properly inflate due to a manufacturing defect in the propellant used in the airbag inflator. The result is an increased risk of fire breaking out or passengers being injured by “metal fragments shooting up toward the windshield or down into the passenger footwell.”
Toyota
At Toyota, an estimated 510,000 vehicles are involved in the recall, including certain Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Tundra, and Lexus SC 430 models built from 2001 to 2003. The automaker said that while it estimates that 170,000 of the vehicles may contain the defective part, all 510,000 may need to be inspected to locate the suspect inflators.
Owners of Toyota and Lexus vehicles subject to the recall will be notified by first-class mail. Upon inspection of the front passenger airbag, if it is equipped with an affected inflator, a newly manufactured inflator will be installed as a replacement. The service will be performed at no charge.
Owners with any questions or concerns may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or visit www.toyota.com/recall, and Lexus at 1-800-255-3987 or go to www.lexus.com/recall.
Honda
In a statement, Honda said that it will recall approximately 561,000 vehicles in the U.S., including about 426,000 2001 through 2003 Honda Civic compact cars, some 92,000 2002 Honda Odyssey minivans, and an estimated 43,000 2002 and 2003 Honda CR-V SUVs.
The automaker said it is aware of one crash in which an airbag deployed with too much pressure, causing the casing to rupture, but that it is unaware of any injuries or deaths related to this issue.
Honda will advise owners by mail in late May 2013 to take their vehicles to a Honda dealer for inspection and repair, as necessary, at no charge. After the owner notification, owners will also be able to check if their vehicles are subject to the recall by going to www.recalls.honda/com or by calling Honda at 1-800-999-1009, and selecting option 4.
Nissan and Mazda
The Detroit News reports that Nissan, which will recall about 480,000 vehicles worldwide, will recall some 265,000 in the U.S. These include the 2001 through 2003 Nissan Maxima, Pathfinder and Sentra, the Infiniti FX crossover and Infiniti QX4.
Mazda said it will recall just 149 vehicles in the U.S., certain 2003 and 2004 Mazda6 and 2004 RX-8 vehicles. Worldwide, the Mazda recall population is estimated at 20,000.
General Motors
As reported in the Los Angeles Times, General Motors said it will recall about 55,000 Pontiac Vibe small cars from the 2003 model year. These vehicles were sold in the U.S. and Canada. Per Alan Adler, a GM spokesman, since the Pontiac line has been discontinued, Vibe customers will be taken care of at other GM dealerships.
BMW and other automakers
Airbag supplier Takata reportedly told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it had also provided defective inflators to BMW. For its part, according to The Detroit News report, the German automaker said it is not clear how many of its vehicles might be impacted.
Both Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group said they are not affected by the Takata airbag problem.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Cheap Car Or Ugly Car: Which Would You Pick?
Car models are refreshed about every seven years, and just before the "new and improved" versions debut, many dealerships offer discounts on outgoing models.
Which raises an interesting question: would you rather get a good deal on a new car that's built on a seven-year-old design, or would you prefer to wait for the sparkly, contemporary version, which should age a bit slower?
That's essentially the question that AutoTrader asked its website visitors, and the answer shouldn't come as much of a surprise: 57% of respondents said they're not concerned about having a car with the latest design.
Even less surprising, given America's recent economic hardships and today's culture of instant gratification: 79% of those surveyed said they'd rather get a good deal on a current vehicle than wait around for the newer version.
Now, it's not as if looks don't matter. They do, indeed (cf. the Pontiac Aztek and the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet). In fact, a recent J.D. Power survey revealed that 33% of car shoppers had avoided a particular model specifically because they didn't like its exterior styling, and another 19% turned up their noses at a vehicle's interior. What the AutoTrader study shows, however, is that most drivers don't rank "trendy looks" as their #1 purchase criteria.
That makes good shopping sense. Aside from price and availability, there are other reasons to pass up new models in favor of their outgoing predecessors -- namely, new models often suffer from flaws in their design and/or technology.
Consider the completely revamped 2013 Ford Fusion and 2013 Ford Escape. Both have been the subject of multiple recalls, stemming from problems associated with their engines, headlamps, brake lines, and most recently, child safety locks. We love both vehicles, but waiting for the 2.0 versions might've been the wiser choice, giving technicians the chance to work out some kinks.
And even for folks who fixate on style, there's no guarantee that a redesigned model will look any better than the one it replaces. Remember the criticism leveled at the unattractive 2012 Honda Civic after its debut? Shoppers who grabbed discounted 2011 models were probably patting themselves on the backs.
Are you looking for a new vehicle? Is the refresh/redesign cycle of your preferred ride a factor in your shopping plan? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Parents Who Don’t Wear Seatbelts Don’t Buckle Up Their Kids, Either
Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration unveiled results from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey. The survey examined the everyday use of seat belts and other safety restraints, with an entire section dedicated to car safety for kids.
On the whole, the results of the survey were encouraging, but as you'll see, there's still plenty of room for improvement.
METHODOLOGY & FINDINGS
The data for the latest National Occupant Protection Use Survey comes from 2011. That year, researchers fanned out across the country to cover 1,356 intersections, where they logged information on 38,215 vehicles containing 54,475 occupants. Data was collected only while vehicles were stopped at traffic lights or stop signs.
That would seem to make for a fairly solid study, though there's one major caveat to consider: researchers didn't actually interview drivers or passengers, they only observed them from a distance. With regard to things like seatbelt usage, that's not much of a problem, but when it comes to subjective assessments of occupants' age or race, the approach seems a little dicey.
With that in mind, here are some of the study's major findings about children and safety restraints:
- Overall, the percentage of children (perceived to be) under the age of eight who were wearing safety belts or buckled into car seats rose in 2011. In fact, researchers noted that 91% of kids in that age group were secured, the first time that the survey has ever recorded a score above 90%. (The lowest points were in 2004 and 2005, when restraint usage fell to 82%, down from 88% in 2002.)
- On average, 94% of kids younger than eight years old were spotted riding in the back seat. (That's pretty remarkable, since only nine states require children to do so.) Among kids below the age of three, the average was slightly higher.
- Folks out West were most diligent in buckling up their kids, with 96% doing so. The Northeast followed close behind at 94%, and the Midwest came in third at 90%. Drivers in the South performed the worst, with only 84% bothering to restrain Junior on the road.
- Drivers of vans and SUVs were most safety-conscious, with 97% strapping in their kids before hitting the highway. Owners of passenger cars came in a full ten points behind, at 87%. Pickup truck owners came in at the bottom, with only 83% buckling up the rugrats -- a slide of 1% from 2010.
- The worst performers -- the least safety-minded of all -- were drivers who weren't wearing seatbelts themselves. Folks who'd buckled up made sure their kids did the same 95% of the time. Among those who hadn't strapped in, though, only 67% used child restraints.
- Perhaps the most alarming data concerns kids riding in the front seat, which is unsafe for young people, even when they're wearing seatbelts. Children in back seats were restrained 93% of the time, but only 72% of those up front were buckled in -- a slide of 9% from 2010.
There's a lot more data where those figures came from. You can check out the complete PDF by clicking here.
[via DCAutoGeek & John Voelcker]
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Chrysler Recalls 200,000 Cars, SUVs, Trucks In 6 Campaigns
Chrysler is recalling more than 200,000 vehicles in the U.S. to address a variety of complaints. The six separate recalls involve Chrysler and Dodge cars, Dodge and Jeep SUVs, and Ram 1500 and heavy-duty trucks.
Airbag warning light recall
In the largest safety recall, some 119,000 2011 and 2012 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger cars are being recalled over an improper airbag warning light illumination issue. Affected vehicles were built from April 11, 2011 and December 14, 2011.
Chrysler said that after a small number of customers reported intermittent illumination of the airbag warning light, the company launched an investigation. The problem was a seat side-airbag wiring harness terminal not up to specification.
Chrysler will notify owners of affected vehicles and dealers will upgrade the connection at no charge.
Heat shield recall
Chrysler also issued a recall of approximately 61,400 older SUVs in the U.S. to fix a heat shield that can loosen and contact the driveshaft, causing wear and possible breakage over time. The safety recall affects 2008 and 2008 Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty 4X2 SUVs. The automaker said that 4X4 SUVs are unaffected.
Chrysler will notify owners of vehicles involved in the campaign and dealers will install a bracket to hold the shield in place. The service will be performed at no charge.
Fuel tank transfer tube recall
About 20,500 2012 Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass SUVs built between October 18, 2011 and May 7, 2012 are being recalled “to improve fuel flow when the vehicles are subject to certain driving conditions,” said a notice on Chrysler’s website.
The automaker said the problem stemmed from a worldwide material shortage that forced a design change to the vehicles’ fuel tank transfer tube. An investigation by the company discovered that tubes made with the new material and new process did not readily maintain the required shape. The result is that fuel flow may be restricted, creating the possibility of engine stall during operation in high altitudes, at high temperatures, and use of fuel with high vapor pressure.
Chrysler said it is aware of one accident but no related injuries to this condition. Chrysler will notify owners of affected vehicles and dealers will fit them with new fuel tank transfer tubes at no charge.
Parking brake recall
Some 6,600 2013 Ram 1500 pickups built at the Warren, Michigan Truck Assembly plant from December 17, 2012 through January 22, 2013 are being recalled to fix potentially faulty parking brakes. Chrysler said that more than half of the Ram 1500 trucks are still in dealer hands. The problem, discovered during a routine audit, was that a small number of vehicles had parking brakes out of compliance with mandated performance standards. The automaker said there have been six field reports alleging insufficient parking brake function, but no related accidents or injuries.
Chrysler will notify owners of affected vehicles and dealers will inspect and repair them, as necessary, at no charge.
Engine cover recall
Only about 500 2103 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups in customers’ hands are affected by a recall to replace engine covers. An additional 50 vehicles are in Canada, while the rest of the total recall population of 7,000 trucks remains in dealer hands.
Discovered during routine post-production testing, the problem is that the cover for the 6.2-liter diesel engine has less heat resistance than intended. The automaker said that no accidents, injuries or customer complaints related to the condition have been reported. Chrysler will replace the engine cover with an alternate design, at no charge to owners.
Rear brake caliper recall
Only about 46 2013 Dodge Dart compact cars in the U.S. are affected by a recall to address an issue that may compromise parking brake function. Vehicles affected by the recall were built during a 24-hour period in November 2012 with brake calipers that do not meet specification.
Chrysler will replace the rear brake calipers of affected vehicles at no charge to owners.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Ford Doubles Down With New 2014 F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition
Ford's looking to capitalize on the success of the F-150 SVT Raptor by adding a new Special Edition model for 2014. The idea of this new trim level is to give customers the ability to make their Raptor even bolder.
The new 2014 F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition takes the existing Luxury Package and kick it up a notch by adding new graphics to the exterior; Brick Red seat bolsters with black inserts with cloth honeycomb highlights; a new console-top finish panel, along with center-stack and door-panel accents. The Special Edition Raptor will be available in either Ruby Red Metallic or Tuxedo Black Metallic. Both of these are new colors for the Raptor, and they are only available on the Special Edition.
All of the new features introduced for the 2013 model, such as beadlock-capable wheels, HID headlights, and SYNC with MyFord Touch, are all available on the 2014 model.
All F-150 SVT Raptors are powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 engine rated at 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque. Power is handled by a six-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel drive system featuring a shift-on-the-fly transfer case. The front axle has a Torsen differential with 4.10 to 1 gearing, while the rear axle has a 4.10 to 1 gearing along with an electronic-locking differential.
Ford reports that F-150 SVT Raptor sales are up 14 percent in 2013, with five of the past six months seeing record sales. In 2012, more than 13,000 Raptors were sold.
Pricing will be announced closer to launch, later this fall.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
NHTSA Proposes Older Driver, Family Vehicle Safety Ratings
In an effort to provide more relevant and useful vehicle safety ratings for specific audiences, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing two new safety ratings geared toward older drivers and families.
In a posting to its website, the NHTSA said it is considering updating the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and is currently studying a “silver” rating that would assess the safety of vehicles for the older driver, and a “family” rating for how effectively a vehicle protects rear-seat passengers, especially children.
The NCAP system provides vehicle information that enables consumers to compare safety performance and features in new vehicles.
According to the NHTSA announcement, both ratings would be in addition to the existing NCAP five-star safety ratings, which have been in existence since 1978. Overhauling the NCAP system could take between three and four years.
Older drivers
The tidal wave of older drivers, dubbed the “silver tsunami,” is well underway. According to the AARP, 16 percent of licensed drivers in the U.S. today are 65 and older. By 2025, says the AARP, one in five U.S. drivers will be 65 or older. By 2030, there will be 57 million elderly drivers on the road, compared with 37 million today.
In proposing the silver rating for older drivers, the NHTSA said that older vehicle occupants are typically less able than younger occupants to be able to withstand crash forces.
The ultimate goal with the silver rating is for older consumers to provide information that helps them choose vehicles that might be safer for them. NHTSA cited inflatable seat belts and technologies that help prevent low-speed pedal misapplication as two safety features with potential benefits for older vehicle occupants.
Federal crash statistics show that older drivers account for the highest death rate in serious accidents.
But, as an article in The Los Angeles Times pointed out, labeling cars and sport utility vehicles as safe for seniors might prove alienating to the audience it’s intended to benefit. Jake Nelson, director of traffic safety advocacy and research for AAA, said that “seniors don’t typically want ‘older people’ cars.”
Nelson remarked that the AAA ran into the dilemma some five years ago when developing its smart car features for older drivers program. “It’s more about seeking the best features for the particular conditions seniors face,” Nelson said, “and they can be very different.”
Older drivers suffering from arthritis may find automatic seat belts, push button start systems and thicker, easy-grip steering wheels beneficial. Shorter drivers may feel that adjustable pedals for the brake and gas and telescoping steering columns to be helpful.
For more information on the AAA’s Smart Features for Older Drivers, click here.
Also check out our earlier article on the ten auto-related safety technologies that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab and the Hartford Insurance Group identified that may be most beneficial for mature drivers.
Families
The NHTSA said that families could use the new rating to compare which cars on the market best protect rear-seat passengers.
“The agency is aware that consumers often wish to know which vehicles are the safest for their children,” said NHTSA. “Thus, providing a crashworthiness rating for vehicles based on the protection they offer both front-seat adult occupants and rear-seat child occupants would support consumer interests.”
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the trade group representing the Big Three Detroit automakers, Volkswagen AG, Toyota Motor Corp., and others, said that it will work with NHTSA on the proposal.
The NHTSA is also seeking comments on other possible additions to the NCAP, including:
- blind spot detection (BSD) technology
- advanced frontal lighting for enhanced nighttime visibility
- lane departure prevention or automatic lane-keeping technologies
- crash imminent braking (CIB) and Dynamic Brake Support (DBS) technologies
View the proposed rules in the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office here. Consumers who wish to comment online should cite federal Docket No. NHTSA-2012-0180.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
