50 years of safer driving
September marked the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s signing of the National Highway Traffic Safety Act, and 50 years of safer driving standards. The signing was a result of Ralph Nader’s landmark book, Unsafe at Any Speed, which was published the previous year. The book demonstrated how General Motors Detroit consistently prioritized style and marketing concerns over safety. The main cause of automobile occupant injuries, Nader demonstrated, was not the nut behind the wheel, but the inherent engineering and design deficiencies of motor vehicles, which were unsafe and unequipped with seatbelts. For instance, it referred to the faulty rear suspension system on GM’s Corvair – a defect that could cause the car to skid violently and roll over. Following the publication of Unsafe at Any Speed, GM investigated Nader and attacked his reputation, although it later apologized at a Senate hearing. The 1966 auto and highway safety laws have been credited with saving countless lives and accelerating the pace of auto safety innovation.
Autonomous but safe
As the age of autonomous vehicles continues to evolve, ProtectivX has shifted its focus to creating technology designed to notify car owners if their vehicle has been hacked. Vehicles today have interfaces to smartphones, infotainment, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technologies and more, making them a target to a new generation of hackers, fraudsters, terrorists and other cyber criminals. In addition to stealing private information and collecting intelligence, if hackers gain access to an autonomous vehicle, they can take control of its steering and braking, or reroute its point of destination if the driver is using a GPS system. The ProtectivX device sits on a vehicles’ internal CAN-BUS and monitors all electronic control units (ECUs), including the infotainment system, vision safety devices, cruise control, electronic keys and remote engine starters, preventing unauthorized access to information systems or networks. For more information, please visit: https://www.protectivx.com/
New and affordable
To help consumers who are in the market for a new, affordable car, GOBankingRates.com released a list of popular cars on sale now for $300 or less a month. The cars were evaluated on the basis of:
- Manufacturer MSRP
- 20 percent down payment
- Five-year auto loan term
- APR based on excellent, good and fair credit
Most Budget-Friendly Car
- The 2016 Nissan Versa Sedan tops the list, with a monthly car payment as low as $172
Budget Friendly Cars for People with Excellent Credit
American Manufacturers
- Chevrolet: Spark ($182), Sonic ($206), Cruze ($251) and Trax ($292)
- Dodge: Dart ($244)
- Ford: Fiesta ($203) and Focus ($248)
- Jeep: Patriot ($254), Renegade ($259) and Compass ($283)
Foreign Manufacturers
- Fiat: 500 ($244), 500L ($280) and 500X ($287)
- Honda: Fit ($228), Civic Sedan ($268), Insight ($269), Civic Coupe ($274) and CR-Z ($292)
- Hyundai: Accent ($212), Elantra ($247), Veloster ($259) and Elantra GT ($270)
- Kia: Rio ($204), Rio 5-door ($223), Soul ($229), Forte ($230), Forte5 ($260) and Forte Koup ($286)
- Mazda: Mazda3 4-Door ($257), Mazda3 5-Door ($267) and CX-3 ($287)
- Mitsubishi: Mirage ($187), Mirage G4 ($201), Lancer ($253) and Outlander Sport ($282)
- Nissan: Versa Sedan ($172), Versa Note ($205), Sentra ($241), Frontier ($263), Rogue Select ($290) and Juke ($291)
- Scion: iA ($253) and iM ($287)
- Smart: Fortwo ($211)
- Toyota: Yaris ($214), Corolla ($249) and Prius C ($281)
- Volkswagen: Jetta ($254), Beetle ($285) and Golf ($290)
Affordable Rides for People with Good Credit
- Chevrolet: Spark ($225) and Sonic ($255)
- Ford Fiesta ($251)
- Honda Fit ($283)
- Hyundai Accent ($262)
- Kia: Rio ($252), Rio 5-door ($276), Soul ($283) and Forte ($285)
- Mitsubishi: Mirage ($231) and Mirage G4 ($249)
- Nissan: Versa Sedan ($213), Versa Note ($253) and Sentra ($299)
- Smart Fortwo ($261)
- Toyota Yaris ($265)
Affordable Cars for People with Fair Credit
- Chevrolet: Spark ($252) and Sonic ($285)
- Ford Fiesta ($280)
- Hyundai Accent ($293)
- Kia Rio ($282)
- Mitsubishi: Mirage ($258) and Mirage G4 ($278)
- Nissan: Versa Sedan ($238) and Versa Note ($283)
- Smart Fortwo ($291)
- Toyota Yaris ($296)
The prices for all cars listed above are for the newest models on the market, ranging from 2014 to 2017.
Driver off
BMW Group has joined Intel and Mobileye to bring solutions for highly and fully automated driving into series production by 2021. The BMW iNEXT model is expected to be the foundation for BMW Group’s autonomous driving strategy and set the basis for fleets of fully autonomous vehicles, not only on highways but also in urban environments for the purpose of automated ridesharing solutions. The collaborative goal is to develop future-proofed solutions that enable drivers not only to take their hands off the steering wheel, but also reach the “eyes off” (level 3) and “mind off” (level 4) level, transforming the driver’s in-car time into leisure or work time. This level of autonomy would enable the vehicle, on a technical level, to achieve the final stage of traveling “driver off” (level 5), without a human driver inside. This establishes the opportunity for self-driving fleets by 2021 and lays the foundation for entirely new business models in a connected, mobile world. The companies have agreed to a set of deliverables and milestones to deliver fully autonomous cars, based on a common reference architecture. Near term, they will demonstrate an autonomous test drive with a highly automated driving (HAD) prototype. In 2017 the platform will extend to fleets with extended autonomous test drives.
Virtual passengers
According to the CDC, teen drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash, and the risk is particularly high for new drivers.In order to keep teens safe on the road, Top Driver – one of the largest driving schools in the country – has partnered with Autobrain, a leading car safety company created by parents, techies and a volunteer first responder.Autobrain is a small device that reportedly can be installed in seconds, upgrading almost any car into a smart car capable of communicating important safety information in real-time to parents through their smartphone, tablet or computer, enabling them to become virtual passengers alongside their teen drivers.The state-of-the-art technology offers such features as vehicle location, turn-by-turn trip reports (including the cost of fuel for the trip), and dangerous-driving alerts for speeding, hard braking or accelerating too fast.There are also instant alerts for breaking curfew and driving outside the allowed boundary-zone. The device is programmed with additional settings for seniors and families, as well.