Ford in Europe is testing smart driver alert technology that could indicate the direction from which people and objects are approaching. The engineers are also testing intuitive sounds such as bicycle bells, footsteps and vehicle noises to warn drivers when other road users or pedestrians are nearby. Initial tests revealed... Read more →

Hyundai is establishing a Safety Test and Investigation Laboratory (STIL) at its Michigan-based research and development center, Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI). The new facility will further augment existing safety testing and analysis. A field crash investigation lab, high voltage battery lab, forensics lab, 500m track and a Vehicle... Read more →

TTTech Auto, a Vienna-based technology leader in automotive safety software, raised US$285 million (€250 million) from Aptiv PLC and Audi in its latest funding round. Aptiv is investing US$228 million (€200 million), while Audi is increasing its existing stake by US$57 million (€50 million). With this latest funding round and... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation Secretary has released the federal government’s new comprehensive National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), a roadmap for addressing roadway fatalities and serious injuries. Almost 95% of US transportation deaths occur on streets, roads, and highways. The rate of roadway fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled... Read more →

Volvo Trucks has introduced a new, patented safety feature for electric trucks: Active Grip Control. The new technology significantly improves stability, acceleration and braking in slippery conditions. Due to the fast response of the electric motors, the force generated between the wheels and the road can be controlled in an... Read more →

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is developing a new ratings program that evaluates the safeguards that vehicles with partial automation employ to help drivers stay focused on the road. The safeguards will be rated “good”, “acceptable”, “marginal” or “poor”. To earn a good rating, systems will need to... Read more →

Honda Research Institute USA is conducting a pilot program in Ohio to evaluate a system that uses GPS coordinates and sensors such as cameras to collect real-time road condition information that can be shared with road operators. Honda is collaborating with the Ohio Department of Transportation and plans to start... Read more →

Iteris, a global provider of smart mobility infrastructure management, and global mobility supplier Continental launched Vantage Fusion, a hybrid traffic detection system that enables real-world vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications and advanced intersection visualization for safer, smarter and more sustainable roadways. The Vantage Fusion hybrid video and radar detection system delivers unmatched... Read more →

Motiv Power Systems announced the successful testing of its Electronic Stability Control System (ESC) on its EPIC4 platform. The Double Lane Change Handling test, conducted by the Transportation Research Center (TRC), examined the use of automatic computer-controlled braking of individual wheels to help operators maintain control in critical or hazardous... Read more →

Honda Motor recently unveiled its work on two key advanced future safety technologies being developed with the goal of realizing “zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles globally by 2050”. The first is artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “Intelligent Driver-Assistive Technology” providing assistance that is suited to the ability and... Read more →

Volvo Cars has invested in the optical and imaging technology start-up Spectralics through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, the company’s venture capital investment arm. The investment gives Volvo Cars access to promising technology at an early stage of development. Coming from a background in aerospace technology development, Israel-based Spectralics creates... Read more →

With the increase in battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs, HEVs and PHEVs) on the road, statistically the risk potential for an accident or technical defect of the inherently safe battery systems also increases. However, for the most part, emergency crews do not have appropriate equipment and/or techniques to counter these fires,... Read more →

Korea-based batterymaker SK On—the recently spun-off battery business of SK Innovation—and Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) signed an MOU to develop technology to maximize the safety of lithium-ion batteries and also to develop related standards. KERI is a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT that conducts... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Half (January-June) of 2021, which shows the largest six-month increase recorded in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history. An estimated 20,160 people died in motor vehicle crashes... Read more →

TTTech Auto and Infineon Technologies have developed key components for a fail-operational electronic architecture for highly automated driving of SAE Level 3 and 4. This enables the safe and reliable processing of, for example, radar or LiDAR camera sensor data and is targeting car and technology manufacturers. The fail-operational architectural... Read more →

Volkswagen of America announced that the ID.4 RWD electric SUV has earned a 5-Star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which runs the government’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). NHTSA has provided consumers with vehicle safety information since 1978. The ID.4 RWD joins the 2021... Read more →

A new study from AAA finds that moderate to heavy rain affects a vehicle safety system’s ability to “see”, which may result in performance issues. During closed course testing, AAA simulated rainfall and found that test vehicles equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB) traveling at 35 mph collided with a... Read more →

Nissan has expanded its Michigan-based engineering center, Nissan Technical Center North America (NTCNA), with a more than $40-million Safety Advancement Lab for vehicle safety testing. The new lab brings more efficiency to the vehicle development process and furthers Nissan’s goal of reaching a future with virtually zero fatalities. The Safety... Read more →

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has named the Volkswagen 2021 ID.4 a a 2021 TOP SAFETY PICK+. To qualify for a 2021 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, vehicles must have good ratings in each of the Institute’s six crashworthiness evaluations. They must also have good or acceptable headlights and... Read more →

General Motors outlined an action plan to address the battery combustion issue afflicting the Bolt EV lineup. (Earlier post.) The action plan includes both hardware and software remedies, some of which are in place with immediate effect. LG battery plants in Holland and Hazel Park, Michigan, have resumed production. In... Read more →

Stellantis is exploring two new connected safety notification technologies—Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) and Safety Cloud—in North America, giving drivers advanced notification warnings of potential hazards in their path. Greater connectivity speeds, improved hardware and expanded software expertise have opened new opportunities for Stellantis with safety systems being one of the... Read more →

by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research. In 2003, Michael Flannagan and I published a detailed analysis of the relative safety of flying and driving in the United States. The flying data were for 1992 through 2001, and thus they included the year of the 9/11 attacks. The analysis showed that,... Read more →

Crash avoidance features and teen-specific vehicle technologies have the potential to prevent or mitigate up to three-quarters of fatal crashes involving teen drivers, according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). We know these technologies don’t stop 100 percent of the crashes they’re designed to... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Quarter of 2021. NHTSA estimates that 8,730 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the first three months of 2021, a 10.5% increase from the 7,900... Read more →

SAE International has released J2464: Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicle Rechargeable Energy Storage System (RESS) Safety and Abuse Testing, a revised recommended practice for establishing safe battery systems. Originating in 1999 when the industry recognized the need for safety and abuse testing of battery systems in the mobility sector, the... Read more →

ArcelorMittal has been selected as the winner of the Altair Enlighten Award in the Lightweighting Enabling Technology category for its GI Fortiform 980, a third-generation advanced high strength steel (AHSS) that provides carmakers up to 20% weight savings in key energy absorption parts in a vehicle such as front and... Read more →

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened a Preliminary Evaluation of the SAE Level 2 ADAS system (Autopilot) in the Tesla Model Year 2014-2021 Models Y, X, S, and 3. The investigation will assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist,... Read more →

Experts from GM and LG have identified the simultaneous presence of two manufacturing defects in the same battery cell as the root cause of battery fires in certain Chevrolet Bolt EVs. (Earlier post.) As a result, GM will be conducting a new recall for the previous population of Bolt EVs... Read more →

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urged owners of select Model Year 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt vehicles to park their cars outside and away from homes due to the risk of fire. Owners of these vehicles should park their vehicles outside away from homes and other structures immediately after charging and... Read more →

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) statistical projection of traffic fatalities for 2020 shows that an estimated 38,680 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. This represents an estimated increase of about 7.2% as compared to the 36,096 fatalities reported in 2019. Preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration... Read more →

Jacobs, Peachtree Corners and Qualcomm Technologies announced joint efforts to deploy end-to-end smart solutions in one of the US’ first smart city environments powered by real-world connected vehicle technology and infrastructure. As a part of the working relationship, Qualcomm Technologies serves as ecosystem enabler by providing technology solutions, while Jacobs... Read more →

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a sensor system called IntelliVent that can prevent dangerous conditions from developing in outdoor battery cabinets. Although energy storage systems with cabinet-type enclosures can be advantageous due to capacity, footprint and access, the cabinets leave little... Read more →

Audi of America and partners Applied Information, Blue Bird, Fulton Co. School System, City of Alpharetta, and Temple, Inc., have completed a cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) connected school zone and buses technology initial deployment (earlier post). With the collaboration beginning in 2020, the deployment leveraged C-V2X solutions provided by Qualcomm Technologies... Read more →

SVOLT Energy Technology, a global advanced technology company and spin-off of Chinese automobile manufacturer Great Wall Motors, is the first to begin commercialization of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) utilizing metallic thin-film separator technology from Soteria Battery Innovation Group (BIG). SVOLT cells made with Soteria aluminum metallized film demonstrate life after nail... Read more →

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its 2021 – 2022 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements; one of the 10 items in the list was “Require Collision Avoidance and Connected Vehicle Technologies on All Vehicles”. These technologies include forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking, which can warn the... Read more →

Blue Bird Corp., one of the largest school bus makers in the US, has joined a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Audi of America, Applied Information, and Temple, Inc., to deploy cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology aimed at helping reduce vehicle hazards that school children face every year. The Fulton County School System,... Read more →

Drivers are using adaptive cruise control (ACC) as a tool for speeding, possibly undermining the feature’s potential safety benefits, according to a new study by researchers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) with colleagues from MIT. Drivers are substantially more likely to speed when using ACC or partial... Read more →

Audi is using high-precision swarm data for the first time to improve its car-to-X service “local hazard alerts”. The new version uses a car-to-cloud application that is based on a novel procedure for estimating the coefficient of friction on the basis of the wheel slip. The technology can detect minute... Read more →

Micron Technology has begun sampling the industry’s first automotive low-power DDR5 DRAM (LPDDR5) memory that is hardware-evaluated to meet the most stringent Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL), ASIL D. The solution is part of Micron’s new portfolio of memory and storage products targeted for automotive functional safety based on the... Read more →

Ridar Systems and HERE Technologies signed a partnership agreement to begin integrating HERE location technology into Ridar’s cloud-based mobile solution. This collaboration will allow Ridar Systems to identify better the location of two-wheelers in order to provide a more accurate position to drivers. Motorcycles, bicycles, scooters and other forms of... Read more →

Researchers at Toyota Research Institute (TRI) are conducting research with Stanford’s Dynamic Design Lab into how to bring together the instincts of professional drift drivers and automated driving technology. Thee goal is to design a new level of active safety technology and share it broadly so that Toyota and other... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a final rule to modernize numerous Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and to clarify ambiguities in current occupant protection standards for vehicles equipped with automated driving systems that are designed without traditional manual driver controls. The rule amends... Read more →

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a consent order with Daimler Trucks North America following an investigation that found the company failed to recall vehicles in a timely fashion and to comply with other reporting requirements. The consent order includes a total civil penalty of $30 million. The consent... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released its annual 2019 traffic fatality data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Traffic deaths decreased nationwide during 2019 as compared to 2018, and alcohol-impaired driving fatalities decreased to the lowest percentage since 1982, when NHTSA started... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the progress of 20 automakers toward manufacturing passenger vehicles with low-speed automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems. This is part of a voluntary effort by automakers in collaboration with NHTSA to equip almost all new passenger vehicles with low-speed... Read more →

Autonomous electric vehicles draw power from two sources: a high-voltage battery and, additionally, a conventional 12-volt battery that supplies the vehicle when idling or in high load situations while driving. Safety-critical systems such as brakes and steering can therefore be connected to two sources of power. But what happens when... Read more →

Volvo Cars is partnering with Waycare Technologies to enable data from Volvo’s Hazard Light Alert and Slippery Road Alert to be shared anonymously with transportation municipalities and the popular Waze navigation app. From model year 2021, Hazard Light Alert and Slippery Road Alert will allow certain Volvo cars to communicate... Read more →

Ride Vision is launching globally the first collision-avoidance technology for motorcycles, an AI-based system for motorcycle safety. Ride Vision is buttressed by $7 million in Series A funding, totalling $10 million to-date, as well as a partnership with Continental AG. There are more than 700 million motorcycles on the road... Read more →

Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) announced four new research projects focused on enhancing advanced technology system designs to be intuitive, easy to understand and to safely engage with drivers. The new projects will be undertaken in partnership with University of Michigan, Miami University, University of Nebraska, Texas Transportation Institute... Read more →

Chevrolet is voluntarily recalling 68,667 MY 2017-2019 Bolt EVs worldwide over the risk of battery fires; the majority of the cars affected—50,925—are in the US. The action is in response to five confirmed instances of vehicle fires that could relate to the high voltage battery in the Bolt. In October,... Read more →