Categories
Formula 1 Safety Issues

Increased driver protection “inevitable” for F1

FIA Institute roll-hoop test

The fallout from the dramatic first corner crash at the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix continues calls for increased driver protection.

Commenting on the incident, in which Fernando Alonso’s head was missed by inches, McLaren’s technical director, Paddy Lowe, said, “You see it time and time again and think ‘that was lucky’. One day it won’t be lucky. At the same time it is an open cockpit formula so we have to protect that, but it should be technically possible one way or another.”

According to Lowe such measures could be in place within 18 months. “I think 2014 is intended, as we started the project a year ago,” he added. “Personally I think something is inevitable because it is the one big [safety] exposure that we have got.”

Back in May we showed you an amateur rendering of what a closed-cockpit F1 car could look like. It didn’t look too bad, but Lowe seems to think a completely covered cockpit won’t be the direction taken.

Categories
Audi Ford Kia Renault Safety Issues Volvo

Audi A3, Renault Clio & Volvo V40 among latest five star pupils

Audi A3

In the most recent test results published by Euro NCAP the newest Audi A3, Renault Clio and Volvo V40 models were all awarded the maximim possible five star safety rating.

The A3 scored 95% for adult occupants and was praised for its strong performance in the side barrier test. However, Euro NCAP state the A3’s bonnet design resulted in marginal to poor protection for pedestrians.

Renault’s fourth generation Clio rated best in the safety assist criterion with 99%, but registered only marginal protection against whiplash in the event of a rear-end collision.

A perfect score was recorded by the Volvo V40 for its safety assist systems. With a score of 88% for pedestrian safety the V40 was praised for its under-bonnet airbag.

Pictures and links to the full reports and videos can be found after the break.

[Source: Euro NCAP]

Categories
Accessories & Tech Safety Issues

Mandatory Autonomous Emergency Braking coming soon

Euro NCAP pushing for compulsory AEB systems

A decision by Euro NCAP to include Autonomous Engine Braking (AEB) in its testing from 2014 onwards has forced the European Commission to make the technology mandatory for commercial vehicles by November next year. You’d expect a similar regime to apply to passenger cars shortly thereafter.

Euro NCAP describes AEB as such:

Autonomous Emergency Braking systems can help to avoid crashes or to mitigate their severity by warning the driver and supporting his braking response and/or by applying the brakes independently. The technology generally uses forward-looking radar, lidar and video systems to provide a complete, accurate, real-time image of the road ahead.

As well as the obvious reduction to injuries and road deaths—a study shows mandatory AEB can cut accidents by as much as 27%—Philippe Jean from the European Commission says the economic benefits should also be recognised.

“Our studies indicate that the resulting reduction in congestion due to accidents would represent an economic value of about €100 million (£78.5m) in Germany alone,” Jean explained.

The decision by Euro NCAP to include AEB testing means it will soon be impossible for a car to achieve a coveted five-star safety rating without the system being fitted.

Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP hopes their decision will help motivate decision makers into action.

“A faster penetration of these technologies into new cars will make it more realistic for the European Union to reach its target to cut road deaths by 50% by 2020,” van Ratingen said.

“Consequently, Euro NCAP has decided to include AEB assessments as part of the overall star rating from 2014 onwards and hopes that European authorities will soon require AEB as mandatory on all new vehicle types.”

Earlier this year Euro NCAP conducted a fitment survey to learn more about current models fitted with AEB systems. The results are available here.

[Source: The Telegraph & Euro NCAP]

 

Categories
Safety Issues Video

It’s just the luck of the draw

Russian highway accident

Metal safety barriers separating dual carriageways are supposed to be safe, right? Sometimes things can go wrong, as this video from Russia shows. And when things are out of your control, sometimes all that separates you from life and death is nothing more than dumb luck.

This rather frightening video shows two accidents. We can’t say what the outcome of the first impact was, but we can say, despite the graphic brutality of what happened in the second incident, that nobody was hurt. That’s just down to luck; half a metre either way and the occupants of this Golf Plus would have ended up a statistic.

[Source: Carscoop]

Categories
Mercedes-Benz Safety Issues

Mercedes-Benz to trial seatbelt airbag

Mercedes-Benz beltbag

Seatbelts are one the most important safety features of any car. Yet, in the event of an accident the level of their effectiveness can almost be measured by the severity of the marking left to the driver or passenger. Of course, that’s a much better solution that flying unhindered through a windscreen.

However, Mercedes-Benz brings word that they are developing an answer to this problem by incorporating an airbag into the seatbelt. They’ve called it the Beltbag and describe its function like this:

Should the crash sensors detect a severe frontal impact, the airbag control unit will trigger deployment and inflation of the Beltbag. A gas generator then inflates the multi-layered belt strap with Velcro seams to nearly three times its normal width. The resulting larger surface area is able to better distribute the force acting on the seat occupant, thereby reducing the risk of injury.

Let’s just hope no stray gasses or poweders leak during inflation.

Categories
Safety Issues Subaru

Subaru BRZ awarded 5-star ANCAP rating

Subaru BRZ

Just days ahead of its official Australian launch the Subaru BRZ has been awarded a five star safety rating by local authority ANCAP.

The BRZ scored a very respectable 34.4 points, from a possible 37, and the summary of ANCAP’s report states:

The BRZ scored 14.97 out of 16 in the offset crash test. The passenger compartment held its shape well. There was a slight risk of serious chest injury for the passenger and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the driver and passenger. The vehicle scored 15.43 out of 16 in the side impact crash test. There was a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver.

Other vehicles to receive a maximum rating in the latest round of testing include the Holden Colorado and Hyundai i30. You can see video of the BRZ’s test after the break along with ANCAP’s official release. Use the source link below to access a copy of the full report on the BRZ assessment.

[Source: ANCAP]

Categories
Accessories & Tech Safety Issues Vauxhall

An airbag didn’t save my life

Opel Insignia Euro NCAP crash test

In mid-November 2010 Ron Smith, a Scottish engineer from South Bents in northern England, was involved in a six-car accident. The airbag in his Vauxhall Insignia deployed and it appeared he had survived the crash without suffering any serious injuries.

However, during the impact the airbag was cut open by a slice of glass and some white powder was expelled and subsequently inhaled by Smith. Soon after, he began suffering from shortness of breath and coughing fits.

His wife explained: “We used to walk everywhere and he was always out every night with the dog, but he got so bad that he couldn’t even walk a few steps without my help.”

Smith was admitted to hospital on 5 January 2011, where he was given a chest x-ray and placed in intensive care. Mr Smith, aged 59, died on 31 January 2011, just over two months from the original accident.

An inquest into Mr Smith’s death took place and South Tyneside Coroner Terence Carney declared: “I accept that the death was attributed to bronchial pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis and that it was developed after this incident in November, and the deceased’s exposure to noxious substances.

“This man died as a result of this incident and more pointedly because of the explosion of his airbag, and this death should be recorded as misadventure.”

It’s believed to be the first documented case of a person dying from the inhalation of chemicals discharged from an airbag.

An airbag exploding is quite a violent procedure and is set off when sodium azide is heated to release nitrogen gas. Sodium azide is very toxic, but is mixed with other chemicals to lessen its effect. Looks like car manufacturers may need to go back to the drawing board.

[Source: The Shields Gazette & The Huffington Post | Pic: Euro NCAP]

Categories
Audi BMW Hyundai Mazda Peugeot Safety Issues

BMW, Hyundai, Mazda and Peugeot latest to achieve Euro NCAP 5 star rating

Euro NCAP crash testing

In the latest round of Euro NCAP testing the BMW 3 Series, Hyundai i30, Mazda CX-5 and Peugeot 208 have been granted the maximum five star safety rating.

Euro NCAP say their thresholds surrounding pedestrian protection have increased significantly in 2012, making it harder for manufacturers to reach the highest possible rating. The results from the four tests show manufacturers are taking the new regime on board, but there is still some work to do.

Of the four cars mentioned here the BMW 3 Series achieved the best pedestrian protection result achieving 78%. Euro NCAP has described this as “commendable” for a medium sized saloon with no active bonnet, as seen on the Volvo V40. Meanwhile the Peuegot 208 returned a score of 61%, narrowly surpassing the 60% minimum required to contribute to an overall five star rating.

Audi has also received the Euro NCAP Advanced reward for the “Pre sense front plus” technology available on its new A6. The system employs two long range radars to monitor cars ahead and will activate the brakes to mitigate or avoid an accident if the driver fails to act.

Euro NCAP’s press release can be read after the break, along with videos and pictures of the four cars tested. The next round of results from Euro NCAP will be published in August.

[Source: Euro NCAP]

Categories
Safety Issues Volvo

Volvo V40 brings world’s first pedestrian airbag

Volvo V40 with pedestrian airbag

“People are soft and cars are hard,” says Thomas Broberg. He’s the Senior Technical Advisor Safety from Volvo and has been charged with overseeing the company’s current safety goal, which states: “By 2020, nobody shall be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo.”

So, with that objective in mind, the thought of a pedestrian airbag makes a lot of sense. The technology will be fitted as standard equipment to all new V40s.

Broberg explains how the system works: “The airbag has two functions. Firstly, it raises the bonnet to create distance, and secondly it cushions the impact around the hard parts of the area near the windscreen.”

An airbag shooting up from below the bonnet seems a bit of a loopy idea when you first think about it, but we expect most leading manufacturers will employ similar concepts within the next few years. There’s more from Volvo after the break, including a video with Thomas Broberg talking us through the world’s first pedestrian airbag technology.

Categories
Formula 1 Safety Issues

Will we ever see closed-cockpit F1 cars?

Closed-cockpit Ferrari F1 concept rendering by iacoski

This futuristic and rather cool looking concept rendering shows what Formula One cars could look like in the future. The image has been sourced from iacoski.com, the creator says he began work on the closed-cockpit concept after Felipe Massa’s freak accident at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Turns out it was a prophetic move, too. In response to Massa’s accident the Formula One Technical Working Group asked the FIA Institute, charged with improving motor sport safety and sustainability, to investigate ways to prevent similar injuries happening again. The institute has has since tested two technologies that could find their way onto F1 cars of the future.

In July last year they tested polycarbonate screens, first a simple windshield and then a full canopy from a jet fighter, by shooting a 20kg F1 wheel and tyre into them at 225km/h. They followed that test a few weeks ago by firing a wheel and tyre into a forward-facing roll hoop.

FIA Institute technical adviser Andy Mellor said the canopy was the more successful of the two polycarbonate tests. “The full canopy manages to deflect it [the wheel and tyre] over the top, and very little damage, if any, was visible after the test. There were tyre transfer marks on both windshield and canopy, but on the canopy there was no apparent fracture. It shows that it’s quite an elastic material and that it’s very efficient at providing a load path to keep the wheel and tyre away.”

Speaking about the roll-hoop Mellor explained the test showed an unexpected benefit. “The roll-hoop basically did a very good job. It was able to keep a wheel away from a driver’s head. We tested it both by firing the wheel down the centre of the car, and also coming at it from an angle.

“The impact deflated the tyre during both tests. We tend to think that’s a good thing—it means that the wheel doesn’t bounce as much. It stops much more quickly if you can deflate the tyre.”

If the Technical Working Group decides F1 should go down the path of closed-cockpit design, let’s hope they look some like the Iacoski rendering.

Video of the two FIA Institute tests can be viewed after the break.

[Thanks to Chris for the tip]

Categories
Safety Issues

The impossible texting and driving test

Dont text and drive

Bravo to the Belgian authorities who came up with this anti-driving test. It’s a wonderful example of the dangers of inattention while driving. It needn’t be something obvious like texting and driving, either, the lessons learnt here are wide ranging.

Thankfully, no driving instructors were harmed in the making of this film. Enjoy it, have a laugh, and make sure you keep your eyes and mind on the road and traffic ahead when you’re behind the wheel.

[Thanks to Tim for the tip]

Categories
Motorsports Safety Issues Video

VIDEO: Four minutes of madness

Crazy crash video

The video you’re about to see takes us back to a world before the six-point safety harness. Indeed helmets seem optional and the creator of the HANS device would have been laughed out of town.

Some of the footage is shocking, some of it genuinely amazing—that people got up and walked away from some of these crashes has to be seen to be believed. All we can say is, thank goodness they don’t crash ’em like this any more.