Launch of the Perodua Bezza

Live coverage of the launch on the 21st of July 2016 was provided by Paul Tan on their You Tube page:

 

Besides Perodua's good reputation among Malaysians, the Bezza also has achieved five stars in the ASEAN NCAP safety assessment for the 1.3L Advance variant (first Perodua car to get 5 stars) and four stars for the other variants.

 No wonder Perodua has reportedly received more than 4000 orders in first five days.

New Infiniti Q30 achieves Euro NCAP five-stars

The new Infiniti Q30 has received the maximum five-star in the latest Euro NCAP Assessment.

The Infiniti Q30 gained top scores in each of these four testing categories: occupant protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist.

Occupant protection scored highly in the rigorous test program with an 84 per cent rating for adult safety. As well as a driver knee airbag, the Q30 has driver-, passenger-, front hip-thorax side and front-to-rear curtain airbags.

An automated system in the front passenger seat will turn off the front passenger airbag when someone fits a rearward facing child seat.

For Pedestrian Protection, the Q30 scored 91 per cent, a score which is determined from tests to the most important vehicle front-end structures, such as the bonnet and windshield, the bonnet leading edge and the bumper. The Q30 is equipped with a sensor that detects a pedestrian’s legs contact with the bumper and causes the hood to pop up to give more clearance between the hood surface and the hard parts of the engine to protect pedestrians.

An 81 per cent score in the Safety Assist category was due to the latest safety technologies fitted to the Q30 as part of Infiniti’s acclaimed Safety Shield system. They include Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Speed Limit Alert.

Click the link below for a detailed report of Euro NCAP’s findings:

http://www.euroncap.com/en/results/infiniti/q30/22031 .

New Infiniti Q30 achieves Euro NCAP five-stars

The new Infiniti Q30 has received the maximum five-star in the latest Euro NCAP Assessment.

The Infiniti Q30 gained top scores in each of these four testing categories: occupant protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist.

Occupant protection scored highly in the rigorous test program with an 84 per cent rating for adult safety. As well as a driver knee airbag, the Q30 has driver-, passenger-, front hip-thorax side and front-to-rear curtain airbags.

An automated system in the front passenger seat will turn off the front passenger airbag when someone fits a rearward facing child seat.

For Pedestrian Protection, the Q30 scored 91 per cent, a score which is determined from tests to the most important vehicle front-end structures, such as the bonnet and windshield, the bonnet leading edge and the bumper. The Q30 is equipped with a sensor that detects a pedestrian’s legs contact with the bumper and causes the hood to pop up to give more clearance between the hood surface and the hard parts of the engine to protect pedestrians.

An 81 per cent score in the Safety Assist category was due to the latest safety technologies fitted to the Q30 as part of Infiniti’s acclaimed Safety Shield system. They include Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Speed Limit Alert.

Click the link below for a detailed report of Euro NCAP’s findings:

http://www.euroncap.com/en/results/infiniti/q30/22031 .

There is no federal law requiring rental car companies to warn consumers if the vehicle they are renting is under a safety recall.

So... whip out your smart phone or tablet before renting a car, and see if it's been marked for recalls, then check with the rental car agency to see if they state that they have sent their cars, especially the one you are renting, to the dealership for recall work to be completed

http://4.nbcla.com/EAdgD6B

Skoda Superb joins list of top safety achievers

According to the latest safety test results released by Euro NCAP, the Skoda Superb achieved 5 Stars, thanks to robust crash protection and its Autonomous Emergency Braking systems. The Superb is also equipped with crash avoidance technologies awarded under the Euro NCAP Advanced Rewards scheme such as Multi Collision Brake and Crew Protect Assist.

Among other cars tested, the Hyundai i20 supermini acheived 4 stars which is quite good for its segment, but misses out on the 5 stars due to a lack of an AEB system.

However, the Fiat Panda Cross recveived a modest 3 star rating. The supermini, based on the third-generation Panda 4x4 launched back in 2012, lacked assist technologies and also did not fare well in the latest full width crash test designed to evaluate the protection offered to smaller occupants in the driver and rear passenger seat.

Given below is the list of car safety ratings for 2015 so far, from the Euro NCAP website.

nothing mentions if there was a transmission safety shield... but I don't see one. You make more than 400 horsepower at the engine, you better shield your feet my friends

Other than a hole in the hump you can pass a basket ball through, is that a look at a shield, a blanket, the garage floor? I don't know.

Found on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mopar-Style-The-Visual-Art/268199166661403

most amazing thing you'll see today

stay on the lookout my friends... you never know WHAT you might see, or save

Found on http://tdff-us.com/?p=284

Samsung anticipates trucking companies wanting to make it safer for cars to pass truckers. Wishful thinking and trying to invent a market to improve sales?

We've all been stuck behind a truck on a small road for several miles after we've run out of patience.

 With this great temptation to overtake the truckers, but faced with the reality that visibility and trucks do not always mix, Samsung has placed on its trucks in Argentina a revolutionary screen.

 This system called "Safety Truck", motorists can know when to pass safely. A camera placed in front films the road in front of the truck and screens placed behind display the view ahead of the semi to reveal when motorists may overtake safely.

http://www.lavenir.net/cnt/DMF20150616_00665018?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialVV&utm_content=article&utm_campaign=seeding

never get complacent and forget that dangerous stupid people are everywhere, and will do surprising dangerous things while you are in their vicinity

a red SUV stopping in the left lane of an intersection at 87 Avenue and Anthony Henday Drive on an amber light on Saturday. The driver then quickly reverses at an angle after the light turns red and a driver turns left in front of the vehicle.

The red SUV continues reversing at an angle from the left lane into the right lane, while the motorcyclist in the right lane manages to jump off the bike as the driver hits it. After a slight pause, the SUV driver continues reversing over the entire bike, only coming to a stop with the machine lodged under it.

According to the Edmonton Police Service, the driver was given a $500 ticket for careless driving. Police say the collision was due to driver inexperience.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2015/06/08/edmonton-driver-was-ticketed-for-backing-into-and-over-a-motorcycle

Found on https://www.facebook.com/noel.alford?fref=nf

always have that dash cam running, because sometimes, some unbelievable stuff happens when you are just minding your own business and driving safe

Found on https://www.facebook.com/Fail.T.T.F.M?fref=nf

ethical/moral dilemma question. I see this on the front of a truck in a parking lot. Is it wrong to let the air out believing that doing so probably prevents a traffic wreck about to happen on the freeway, with people in a hospital

In cases like this, I ask my advisory committee. You all. 

I believe the term that may apply is "crazy"

Darla Renee Jackson, 25, who has 4 restraining orders against her that cited hundreds of threatening phone calls and text messages, pleaded not guilty today to a murder charge and faces 15 years to life in prison for ramming the motorcycle from behind, pushing him 300 feet and then running over the 39-year-old rider, identified by friends as Zachary Buob, after he kicked her car.

Jackson was heading north on Interstate 5 in Chula Vista when she got angry with a man riding a red Ducati motorcycle near her Nissan Altima about 5:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The rolling altercation continued as the two passed through National City and merged onto eastbound State Route 54, CHP public affairs Officer Jake Sanchez said.

http://fox5sandiego.com/2015/06/02/1m-bail-set-for-woman-accused-of-running-down-motorcyclist/

http://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-charged-murder-us-navy-sailors-traffic-death/story?id=31490394

telling other people what to do? Not the best idea, especially when you can tell they are pricks (on a cell phone behind the wheel of a beemer in LA) and voila, hit and run. THAT was predictable

Don't start a fight you can't win when on a bike. The car driver got away, cops haven't identified him yet.

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/s/driver-runs-motorcyclist-yells-stop-205458513.html?soc_src=unv-sh&soc_trk=fb&fb_ref=Default

the irony of telling you to not act like either of these two antagonists is not lost on me

Renault Espace and Suzuki Vitara awarded 5 stars

The latest Euro NCAP safety test results for this year is out and the new Renault Espace (large MPV) as well as the Suzuki Vitara (supermini) has been awarded 5 stars. The later received points for its Autonomous Emergency Braking system (included in the rating scheme since last year).

Also included in the report published this month are the results for the Fiat 500X in the Small MPV category and the Mazda 2 in the Supermini category. Both cars were awarded 4 stars.

Honda Supports Creation of a New Law to Increase Vehicle Recall Completion Rates

Honda announced its support for legislation that would require any outstanding safety recall to be completed before a vehicle could be legally registered in a state, thereby increasing vehicle recall completion rates. The bill was introduced today by Senators Edward Markey (D- Mass) and Richard Blumenthal (D- Conn.).

"Our goal is to achieve a 100 percent repair rate for every recall in order to prevent injuries and save lives, and this legislation will help achieve that. We look forward to working with Senators Markey and Blumenthal, the Congress and other safety stakeholders as this proposal works its way through the legislative process," said Rick Schostek, executive vice president of Honda North America, Inc.

About a third of all cars and trucks recalled in America for safety defects are never brought to the dealer for repair. While newer vehicles enjoy higher completion rates when a safety recall is initiated, the completion rate is much lower for older vehicles. As a result, too many of the required repairs are never made and, unfortunately, drivers and passengers in the affected vehicles are unnecessarily exposed to the risk of death or injury. This legislation provides an additional avenue to ensure recalled vehicles are brought in for repair.

Honda first called for this this type of legislation on November 20, 2014, in testimony before the Senate Committee on Energy and Commerce, on which both Senators Markey and Blumenthal sit. Prior to the hearing, Schostek met Stephanie Erdman, who was seriously injured by a ruptured Takata airbag inflator in a 2002 Honda Civic.

In support of the new Markey-Blumenthal bill, and based on their shared concern for the safety of the driving public, Schostek and Erdman co-authored a commentary that appears in today's edition of Automotive News.

"We are working together on a proposal that we believe will help prevent injuries and save the lives of others by significantly increasing the repair rates for vehicles recalled in America," Erdman and Schostek write. "In the coming days, we will work together to move this proposal forward. When it comes to ensuring that safety-related recalls are completed, automakers, government and concerned citizens need to work together to protect drivers, passengers and others on the road. Everyone has an important stake in making sure these vehicles are repaired." (A full copy of this commentary is attached to this news release.)

Honda has been taking significant steps to encourage owners of Honda and Acura vehicles affected by a recall or safety improvement campaign due to Takata airbag inflators to take immediate action to make the needed repairs at an authorized dealership. This has included millions of mailed notifications in both English and Spanish, phone calls, the use of social media, sending notices by registered mail and overnight delivery services and even enlisting the services of special investigative firms to locate registered owners.

"Unfortunately, far too many affected vehicles remain unrepaired. Honda believes that requiring the resolution of open recalls before completing registration would greatly reduce the risk of death and injury that can occur to people in unrepaired older model vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators," Schostek said.

Nissan Datsun Go crash test results

The Nissan Datsun Go car which is aimed at the Indian market was recently tested for safety. The car failed spectacularly getting 0 out of possible 5 stars. The car comes without air bags and looking at the video of the test, it would not have done much good even if the car had been fitted with them. If the car can get this badly damaged at just 40mph speeds, I am just wondering what would happen at UK highway speeds of 70mph.

MNCs need to stop pushing lousy products into the emerging markets. And India definitely needs to have some minimum safety standards put in place.

Tesla Model S 2014 scores 5/5 in Euro NCAP crash test

The Tesla Model S electric car has scored 5 stars (the maximum) safety rating after testing by the Euro NCAP.

The 4 door saloon falls under the executive class.

Read the full report here.

Why now is the time to have your say on MoT testing

THERE is less than a week left to have your say about proposed laws which could spell the end of the MoT if - like me - you've got a car made before 1988.

Over a pint last night I spent a good twenty minutes trying to explain the implications of the European Roadworthiness Directive to my tame mechanics, who for the crime of being classic car specialists get the dubious honour of rescuing both my MGB and my MX-5 from their various mechanical maladies. It left me a bit worried - if two classic car mechanics aren't quite up to scratch with what the British Government are currently consulting over, what chance do the rest of us petrolheads have?

Unpeel the proposals from the EU bumph however, and it's fairly simple; in the plainest Northern English possible, the British Government has agreed to implement some form of MoT exemption for cars over 30 years old, as long as - and here's the tricky bit - they haven't had "substantial changes".

As it's a directive from Brussells rather than a fully-fledged law, however, it's entirely up to the boffins at Whitehall to work out exactly what substantial change is, which is why the Department for Transport is currently carrying out a consultation on the issue (albeit one that's not exactly been massively publicised).

It is a hugely divisive issue in the classic car world. I've always been of the opinion that ALL cars should have to go through an MOT (and I was definitely against pre-1960 cars being given MoT exemption) but I know plenty of people who reckon it's a good idea to exempt 30-year-old cars too, plenty of people who'd like classic cars to be tested every two years instead, and plenty of people who just want the European Union to get off our back and let us deal with our own motoring matters ourselves.

Whatever happens though, the important thing is to go on the consultation and get your thoughts across sooner rather than later - the consultation ends next Friday (24 October), so time's of the essence.

Hopefully, someone in Westminster or Whitehall will take note.

Launch of the Proton's compact car - Proton Iriz in Malaysia

Malaysian car company is launching their new compact car the Proton Iriz today. Blogger Paul Tan is streaming the launch live.

Even before the launch of the car, it has received five-star rating in Adult Occupant Protection and four-star rating in Child Occupant Protection by the New Car Assessment Programme for Southeast Asian Countries (Asean NCAP).

The car will come in 3 Trim lines and 8 variants and in 7 colours.

Prices of the car (on-the-road) will be between RM42,438 and RM62,888.

Road resurfacing is an annoying but effective way to slow drivers down

IT WAS the ping-ping of my Mazda’s paintwork being repeatedly bombarded which made me realise it. Sefton’s powers-that-be have inadvertently won the war on speed!

I can’t have been the only motorist left last week in the peculiar position of struggling to keep within a 20mph speed limit but unwilling to venture above the pace of any half-decent cyclist on the Formby Bypass. A strategy of having every major road resurfaced almost simultaneously turned seeing friends and family into a game of rat-running roadworks and crawling along temporary surfaces, listening to the crackle of my MX-5’s surfaces being chinked and chipped away by the stones being chucked up.

It is, of course, better than the alternative – a North West criss-crossed with roads so badly potholed they’re suitable only for the Lunar Rovers last deployed on NASA’s Moon missions. However, I still pondered which clot had signed off resurfacing the Coastal Road in Ainsdale, stretches of the Formby Bypass, Altcar Road in Formby, and several of Southport’s more important thoroughfares almost simultaneously. Surely redoing ALL of them wasn’t a particularly bright idea?

Then it hit me. The combined threat of destroying the paintwork on your pride and joy and skidding to a fiery death if you drove one of these resurfaced roads at speed had succeeded in reducing the average pace – even on a dual carriageway – to the sort of speeds I normally do on my mountain bike. The roadworks have succeeded where that favourite strategy of the Speed Kills lobby – 20mph speed limits – failed.

Not convinced? Well, nationwide research by the Institute of Advanced Motorists into the effects of dropping 30mph limits by a third showed that the number of accidents actually went up by over a quarter, with less severe accidents increasing by 17%. Logically, you’d reason that the nation’s go-faster drivers are utterly unmoved by a lower speed limit, but I bet they’d think twice about ruining the optional metallic paint on their Audi A4s.

I’m sure I can’t be the only person a bit peeved with the policy of redoing roads with noisy, slow, paint-removing substances en-masse, but you can’t deny it got even the most ardent of speed freaks to back off for a change.

The conclusion’s a simple one. A rubbish road is a safe one.