Technology, such as Volvos pedestrian- and cyclist-detecting City Safety system, is no substitute for keeping your eyes open and paying attention.Volvo The safety systems in modern cars designed to make driving easier are actually placing drivers in danger, without them realizing it, according to a AAA Foundation study released Tuesday, reports USA Today.Systems such as adaptive cruise and lane-keep assist are designed to relieve the pressure of driving long distances, but according to the study, are actually making drivers more dependent on such tech, and less attentive while driving.Drivers were nearly twice as likely to engage in distracted driving with these systems activated, the AAA study found.The proof of the pudding is in the eating, er, driving, as weve seen too many videos of people using these systems and ending up in bad situations, or accidents. Its also much easier these days to be distracted by the technology not only on your phone, but in the vehicle itself.So when the safety systems are actively trying to drive for you, humans will naturally pay less attention, since they have so much else to occupy themselves with. While the findings of the study didnt suggest the safety systems themselves were dangerous, it did find drivers should be better educated about their limitations. Were definitely trying to reiterate to drivers that these systems are merely support systems and their role is to remain alert and attentive, said Bill Horrey, the studys project manager and leader of the AAA Foundations Traffic Research Group.The study analyzed a wide range of vehicles including the Tesla Model S, Acura MDX, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Jeep Cherokee and Hyundai
Origin: Report: New car’s safety systems are making you a worse driver
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Tesla driver distracted by dog in car blames Autopilot after smashing into police
A Tesla Model 3 driver was checking on his dog in the back seat when his car, on Autopilot mode, smashed into two parked cars, according to a police report out of Connecticut.The incident happened on the states I-95 highway early morning Saturday, December 7.According to a post by the Connecticut State Police department, one of the vehicles the Tesla struck was a police car pulled over to the side of the road, assisting a separate vehicle accident.Both of the patrol cars assisting with the other accident had their lights flashing, and a flare was set up, so it should have been pretty easy for somebody to see them. Unless, of course, youre relying on your car to drive itself while youre turned around checking on your dog in the back seat, which is exactly what happened.The driver of the Model 3 was issued a misdemeanor summons for Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangerment, but luckily nobody nor any animal was seriously injured in the accident.The CSP issued a warning to remind motorists that although a number of vehicles have some automated capabilities, there are no vehicles currently on sale that are fully automated or self-driving.Tesla has not commented on the incident, and the investigation has not revealed whether or not the Model 3s brakes were applied prior to the collision, by either the driver or
Origin: Tesla driver distracted by dog in car blames Autopilot after smashing into police
BMW driver death sees Takata recall another 1.4 million airbags
A cross-section of a steering wheel showing the airbag.Handout / Mercedes-Benz Takata, the parts supplier behind the largest auto recall ever, told U.S. safety regulators another 1.4 million vehicles need to be repaired over a defect linked to the death of a BMW driver and two other injuries in overseas markets.Components Takata supplied to five of the worlds biggest car manufacturers may absorb moisture that could either cause air bags to rupture or under-inflate, according to a notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations website.The recall involves parts produced from 1995 through 1999 and sold to BMW, Audi, Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi.BMW issued three recalls covering roughly 116,000 U.S. vehicles containing the parts and recommended roughly 8,000 of those should not be driven until theyre fixed, the NHTSA said in a statement. The luxury-car maker is aware of one fatality and one injury in Australia linked to the faulty air-bag inflators, plus another injury in Cyprus, according to filings with the agency. The company told the NHTSA in November it hadnt received reports of similar incidents in the U.S. The callbacks and fatality disclosed Wednesday are the latest twist in a years-long saga that landed Takata in bankruptcy two years ago. The Japanese manufacturer supplied tens of millions of defective air-bag inflators for years that were prone to exploding in a crash and injuring or killing car occupants by spraying metal shards. Takata pleaded guilty as part of a US$1-billion settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over its handling of the issue.Takata was purchased in April 2018 by a unit of Chinas Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp., and the combined unit was renamed Joyson Safety Systems.Past Takata recalls were blamed on its use of ammonium nitrate as a propellant to inflate air bags in the event of a crash. For its latest safety campaign, the company is citing a manufacturing issue that affected inflators containing a non-azide propellant.The parts maker said it produced and sold 4.45 million of the inflators globally during the time period covered by the recall. According to Takatas safety recall report to the NHTSA, the number of inflators it produced for vehicles sold in the U.S. was substantially smaller but is not precisely known at this time. Because of the age of the potentially affected vehicles, only a portion remain in service, the company said.BMW is the only carmaker to have issued vehicle recalls in the U.S. over the inflators so far.Honda is trying to understand which models are affected and cant say how many vehicles are impacted, a spokeswoman for the company said. A Mitsubishi spokesman said the company is identifying the models and countries involved, though the NHTSA said only the Mitsubishi Montero is affected in the U.S.Toyota is investigating the issue and working with the NHTSA and Joyson, a spokeswoman for the automaker said. Joyson representatives couldnt immediately be reached for comment. Audis U.S. unit is cooperating with NHTSA and investigating whether some its U.S. vehicles from model years 1997 through 1999 are affected, a spokeswoman said by
Origin: BMW driver death sees Takata recall another 1.4 million airbags
Driver of Nissan SUV impaled by logs suffers only ‘minor injuries’
The driver of a Nissan Xterra that saw its windshield impaled by several large logs loosed from the trailer of a logging truck not only survived but, according to a local TV news channel, got away with minor injuries.The lumber went through the windshield and all the way to the SUVs rear hatch, seemingly right through the space where the drivers head should be, looking at photos the Whitfield Country Fire Department in Georgia posted to Facebook before they were picked up by the Associated Press.But apparently it wasnt as bad as it looks. The firefighters say the driver was successfully extracted immediately following the October 11 accident, which happened in the Cohutta region, northwest of Atlanta.Local station WTCV-TC even reports the driver got away with only minor injuries, which we find completely baffling. If he had to guess, that persons first step outside those hospital doors is to someplace they can buy a lottery
Origin: Driver of Nissan SUV impaled by logs suffers only ‘minor injuries’
Driver busted doing 228 km/h, say Ontario police
OPP Const. Jacqueline Dowhaniuk pulls a speeder over on Hwy. 401 eastbound. A man is accused of treating the Toronto areas Hwy. 403 like a race track.Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says a 20-year-old from Mississauga was stopped by police for allegedly doing 228 km/h on Hwy. 403 in Mississauga just before 1 a.m. on Thursday.The speed limit on the highway is 100 km/h.20 year old Male from #Mississauga stopped and charged after doing 228km/h on #Hwy403 in Mississauga. Audi S4 impounded for 7 days and licence suspended for 7 days. RV#SlowDown#TooFast#NoExcuse#7DayImpound#7DayLicenceSuspension pic.twitter.com/CZq9VL9Kin Sgt Kerry Schmidt (@OPP_HSD) August 8, 2019The unnamed driver had his licence suspended for seven days and his Audi S4 impounded for seven
Origin: Driver busted doing 228 km/h, say Ontario police
Driver allegedly bear-sprayed during B.C. road-rage incident
In this file photo, officers from the Greater Sudbury Police and Ontario Provincial Police conducted spot checks on Municipal Road 80.John Lappa / Postmedia Network Burnaby RCMP is investigating a road-rage incident in which a man says he was attacked with bear repellent.The man told police he was involved in an accident at the intersection of Lougheed Highway and Madison Avenue in Burnaby, B.C. on the evening of July 14. He was stopped at the intersection when his vehicle was struck by an SUV, believed to be a gold Lincoln Navigator.When the man pulled his vehicle to the side of the highway, the SUV pulled up beside him and a man in the passenger seat unloaded a can of bear spray into his car. The man said the driver of the SUV then repeatedly rammed his vehicle before fleeing the scene.The SUV was described as a newer-model Lincoln Navigator, gold or beige in colour, with a distinct black bumper. The two suspects inside were white men in their 20s, wearing dark clothing.The suspect vehicle is quite unique in appearance so were hopeful that someone will have information about this vehicle that will help further our investigation, said Burnaby RCMP spokesman Cpl. Mike
Origin: Driver allegedly bear-sprayed during B.C. road-rage incident
Driver who filmed video on phone cleared by high court
The high court has ruled that using a mobile phone for certain functions while driving is not necessarily illegal. Ramsey Barreto, 51, was convicted at a magistrates court for using his mobile phone while driving to film a crash in north London in 2017. His conviction was subsequently overturned at crown court last October, when a judge ruled the law did not prevent using a phone to film a video while driving. That verdict was referred to the high court and two judges have now upheld it. They ruled that laws banning phone use while driving, introduced in the Road Safety Act 2006, do not apply in all cases, because of how the law defines a ‘hand-held mobile telephone’. The high court ruling judgment read: “The legislation does not prohibit all use of a mobile phone held while driving. It prohibits driving while using a mobile phone or other device for calls and other interactive communication (and holding it at some stage during that process).” That means the law, as written, only prohibits use of a hand-held mobile device when it is being used to make a phone call, or other “interactive communication”. That potentially means the law does not prohibit filming a video, taking a photo, playing a game or other functions that don’t require two-way communication. However, in their conclusion, Justice Thirlwall and Justice Goss stated it “should not be thought that this is a green light for people to make films as they drive”, noting that such behaviour could result in drivers being charged with careless or dangerous driving. The law banning mobile phone use when driving was written before the widespread take-up of smartphones and it is likely that the loophole uncovered by the ruling could now be closed – although the two high court Justices noted that “whether a review of the regulations is necessary to take account of the myriad current and potentially dangerous uses of a mobile phone or other device while driving is a matter for Parliament, not the
Origin: Driver who filmed video on phone cleared by high court
News Roundup: A confused Acura driver, a bulldozed Ferrari and a train-towing electric F-150
A screenshot from a video of a Vancouver woman driving her Acura SUV down a flight of stairsReddit Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.Here’s what you missed while you were away.Woman tests Acura SUV’s off-road chops on Vancouver city stairsA woman has been fined by police after being caught on camera driving down a set of stairs outside the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver. The Acura SUV driver allegedly went the wrong way after dropping a passenger off at the hotel and ended up pointed down a flight of steps. The video starts with the vehicle already part way down, so it’s unclear if she accidentally or intentionally drove over the edge. Once she was part way down, however, there was no going back. The fine for driving without due care and attention is $368. The repair bill for the underside of the SUV after scraping on all those steps is probably a fair bit more than that. But hey, at least she signals to turn left at the bottom of the steps. Filipino customs bulldoze a rare Ferrari as a warning to smugglersFilipino customs officials are not messing around when it comes to policing automotive imports. This smooshed Ferrari 360 Spider, which was illegally brought in as “auto parts” with the owners intentionally removing pieces to try to skirt taxes, is the latest victim of the Southeast Asian nation’s import policies. Not only did they destroy the rare car (estimated to cost $180,000), but they let the press in to photograph and videotape it, too. It hurts to watch. A guide to getting more perks when buying a car at a dealershipThere are a few ways dealerships can sweeten the purchase of a new vehicle, but it will often be up to the shopper to know what to ask for. In this Troubleshooter guide, we outline some of the most common perks you can request when lining up a new vehicle at a dealership. Depending on the purchase and the dealership, you might be able to score a free or discounted set of winter tires and rims, or a discount on some accessories, or a few free oil changes. To the asker go the perks, so ask away. Jaguar confirms J-Pace SUV will ride on next-gen Defender platformJaguar’s new SUV, the J-Pace, will lean on the fundamentals of the upcoming redone Land Rover Defender, leaving the door open for hybrid or fuel-cell powertrains. JLR recently confirmed the J-Pace, which will compete with the other three-row luxury SUVs from Germany’s Big Three, will share the Defender’s platform, known as MLA. Release dates haven’t been set, but based on the Defender’s slated arrival in 2021, we’ll probably be learning more about the J-Pace sooner rather than later. Ford faces legal troubles for allegedly falsifying F-150 fuel economy ratings A new class-action suit filed by a Seattle law firm alleges the Blue Oval hasn’t been honest about its F-150’s fuel economy, and that drivers may be paying US$2,000 more than expected in gas bills over the truck’s lifetime, estimated at 240,000 km. The Detroit Free Press reports the suit is seeking US$1.2 billion in damages, and quotes the firm’s managing partner calling Ford’s F-150 ratings “all smoke and mirrors.” Ford, meanwhile, says it hasn’t been served the suit yet and asks the public “not to confuse claims with merit.” Watch an all-electric F-150 prototype pull a 1-million-pound-plus trainFord confirmed it’d be producing an all-electric version of its super-popular F-150 pickup truck back in January. Now the brand has teased the product further by using a prototype to tow a train weighing over a million pounds. The YouTube video of the stunt shows chief engineer Linda Zhang driving the e-F-150 prototype hooked to a train loaded with ten double-decker freight cars. With some good ol’ F-150 buds along for the ride, the silent F-150 engine moves the load over 1,000 feet, or the distance of 42 F-150s, seemingly without breaking a sweat. Then they load the trucks into the train and do it again.
Origin: News Roundup: A confused Acura driver, a bulldozed Ferrari and a train-towing electric F-150
Vancouver driver has McLaren impounded 10 minutes after buying it
In what is surely one of the shortest terms of vehicle ownership in Canadian history, a driver in British Columbia had their brand-new McLaren 600LT impounded just minutes after driving it off the lot June 17.According to police reports, the 39-year-old gearhead picked up his supercar in West Vancouver and quickly caned it up to 161 km/h in a 90-km/h zone.The ever-vigilant constabulary nabbed him on Highway 1 and impounded the car.While the officer was conducting the investigation, the driver allegedly stated that they had just left the dealership after purchasing the vehicle, 10 minutes prior, West Vancouver police said in a news release.Price tags on the 600LT can easily crest a quarter-million in this country. It was towed away from the scene and impounded for seven days. In a statement, cops said the driver was ticketed $368 or about 0.1 per cent of the cars value for excessive speeding.Heres a thought: should the cost of tickets be proportional to the value of ones car? After all, a $368 receipt from the gendarmes is about 5.25 per cent the worth of your authors own Dodge Charger. If the miscreant in that McLaren had to pay the same percentage, it would work out to somewhere north of $13,000. Would that be any more of a deterrent to deep-pocketed scofflaws?Thats a deep well of debate best left for another day. For now, know that theres one less McLaren 600LT on Vancouver roads at least for the next week. Stay safe out there,
Origin: Vancouver driver has McLaren impounded 10 minutes after buying it
Road-raging driver in Halifax punches—his own vehicle
When dealing with road rage, nobody wins.Supplied / iStock.com via Getty Images In an odd bit of road rage on the East Coast, a driver is reported to have punched both his own car and a sidewalk curb in a road-rage incident near Halifax on Wednesday. We hope he taught that concrete curb a lesson. According to the police report, cops got a call about a disturbance in the area. A driver had apparently stopped to let a pedestrian cross the street at a marked crosswalk when someone following behind her in a Honda Civic swerved into another lane. He then went on to honk the horn, yell a bunch of nonsense and generally make a needless racket. Could the Civic driver have been embarrassed about being distracted and not seeing the first car stop at a marked crosswalk? Maybe. Not content to let distracted dogs lie, the road-rager pulled his Civic up near the first driver after the latter parked in a residential driveway. The Civic driver then got out of the car and proceeded to punch his own vehicle, causing dents on the hood and roof. He then “punched the air” and, somehow, punched the sidewalk curb. That’s either one very low blow or a mighty high sidewalk. We’ll take this opportunity to remind all hands that road rage is one of the lowest forms of crime, ranking down there with littering and being mean to animals. If someone cuts you off in traffic, take a second to breathe before laying on the horn and offering an extended middle finger. We know it’s hard; there are boneheaded drivers everywhere. Understandably, the cops would like to speak with this guy. He’s described as a 35-year-old Caucasian male with brown hair. Be kind to each other out there,
Origin: Road-raging driver in Halifax punches—his own vehicle
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