SafetyNewsOnline

Jan 1., First thing to do in 2012: Get the carhs.training SafetyCompanion 2012!

Now even more valuable for your daily work: The 12th edition of the SafetyCompanion features now 44 pages of SafetyWissen. Newly added are amongst others: overviews on worldwide NCAP-Tests (C-NCAP, Latin NCAP and ANCAP), regulations on the safety aspects of electric vehicles and the first test procedures for Collision Mitigation Systeme. The new SafetyNavigator allows you to find all SafetyWissen now much easier and guides you to the requirements in different regions of the world. Beside the SafetyWissen you fill find detailed descriptions of more than 80 training courses, education programs and events in active and passive safety as well as computer-aided engineering (CAE) inside the SafetyCompanion. The new Safety Companion 2012 can be ordered now for free as print or pdf edition (S/H may appy).

Read more: carhs.de/training/order

Jan 1., ASEAN New Car Assessment Programme (ASEAN NCAP) MOU signed by FIA and MIROS

Global NCAP together with Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) has proposed a pilot project to elevate motor vehicle safety standards and encourage a market for safer vehicles through the development of a New Car Assessment Program for the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nation) region. Global NCAP and MIROS both represented by Secretary General, David Ward and Director General, Professor Dr. Wong Shaw Voon have signed a collaborative MOU on 7th of December 2011 to establish a pilot project for an ASEAN-NCAP with an initial phase of crash testing of popular passenger cars for sale in the ASEAN market. (Image source: Global NCAP)

Read more: fiafoundation.org/news

Jan 1., ANCAP presents new 5-star test results

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has announced 5-star safety ratings for a suite of new cars: BMW 1er Series, Citroen C4, Citroen DS3, Ford Falcon FG Mkll sedan und ute, Ford Kuga, Holden Captiva Serie 2, Kia Optima, Kia Rio, Mazada BT-50, Mercedes-Benz M-Klasse, VW Jetta and VW Golf Cabriolet. (Image source: ANCAP)

Read more: ancap.com.au/news

Jan 1., 2011: Number of traffic fatalities in Germany increases by 7% to 3,900

The longterm positive trend in traffic safety in Germany has in 2011 only continued in a few areas. According to estimates by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) will the number of fatally injuried increase in 2011 for the first time in 20 years by 7% to 3,900. Nevertheless the number is still lower than the years before 2010. The estimates also predict an increased total travel volume of 716 billion vehicle kilometers in 2011 (plus 1.5 %). The travelbased risk of being killed in road traffic has slightly increased to 5,4 death per billion kilometers travelled. (Source: BASt)

Read more: bast.de/presse (pdf, in German)

Jan 1., TRW unveils New Generation of Adaptive Passenger Airbags

TRW Automotive has announced the next generation of adaptive frontal passenger airbags. TRW's dual contour passenger airbag is capable of adjusting both the airbag pressure and size to help tailor protection according to occupant size and other variables of a crash. The dual contour airbag that utilizes sensor inputs to determine occupant size and can tailor the bag size and shape to smaller or larger occupants through the use of a tether activation unit that will present the right size and shape of the bag based on the particular crash variables. (Image source: TRW)

Read more: trw.com/news

Jan 1., Impact Pole with segmented Force Measurement

Continental Safety Engineering has developed an impact pole with integrated force measurement. The measurement of impact forces on different structural areas is common nowadays for full frontal crash tests. With the new pole such measurements are now possible for pole impacts. The pole design consists of 12 individual force elements which each contain a 3-axial sensor.

Read more: carhs.de/news (pdf)

Jan 1., German Insurers expect only limited Improvement of Road Safety through Vehicle Communication Technologies

In order to evalualte if an early warning of the driver through vehicle communication systems has an influence on road safety, the accident research unit of the German Insurers (GDV) had TRANSVER GmbH conduct a research project. From the analysis of the accidents on rural roads, general requirements for advanced driver assistance systems were deducted. It could be shown, that the exchange of information between the infrastructure and the vehicle will only marginally improve road safety while requiring significant technical and financial efforts. Such technologies may prove useful in special cases, i.e. large traffic interchanges.

Read more: udv.de/verkehrsinfrastruktur (German)

Dec. 1, Latin America’s top selling Cars not safe enough says Latin NCAP

During the 2nd phase of Latin NCAP tests, some of the top selling cars in Latin America have shown high risk of life threatening injuries. According to Latin NCAP, the frontal impact tests carried out at 64kph reveal that poor structural integrity and the absence of airbags are putting the lives of Latin American motorists at risk and lead to unsatisfactory 1-star ratings. Vehicles equipped with airbags performed much better. Find all the results in the press release.

Dec. 1, NHTSA opens a Safety Defect Investigation on battery-related Fire following a Crash

On November 25, 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated a formal investigation of Chevy Volts on the risks of a battery-related fire following a crash. This has come as a reaction on the fire of a Chevy Volts three weeks after a side impact crash test in May 2011 and further fires on Volt batteries in November.

Dec. 1, The Most Accurate Crash Test Facility in the World

Messring Systembau GmbH has, according to a recent press release, build the most accurate crash test facility in the world in Blainville, Canada. It is also the first crash facility in North America which can simulate frontal, side and rear impact collisions. The 15 Mio. C$ facility is owned by Transport Canada and has remarkable key data: the crash block weighs 300 tons, the 1,600 hp propulsion system allows to accelerate vehicles up to 40 tons and to achieve velocities up to 120 kph.