Summer safety
Drivers may be surprised to learn the late summer months present some not-so-safe driving conditions. For instance, the month of August had the second highest number of fatal car accidents – 3,037 – in 2014, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Also in 2014, June, July, and September each had over 2,800 fatal accidents. Esurance shares some of the most common of these dangers:
- More teens on the road. When school’s out, more teen drivers hit the roads, and data shows that teens are more likely to be involved in accidents than other age groups. Indeed, their lack of experience can lead to questionable judgment, increasing the risk of an accident.
- Drivers on vacation add to road congestion. Congested roads make for harder driving conditions and the potential for road rage, so plan ahead and watch out for drivers who might cut you off.
- Lack of familiarity. Vacationing drivers are often unfamiliar with the roads, as well, which can lead to slow, erratic or unpredictable driving.
- Tire blowouts. Hot weather causes the air inside the tires to expand, which can lead to a blowout in well-worn wheels, according to the AAA. It’s important to check one’s tires regularly, especially during heat waves.
- Summertime is a popular time for road construction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that construction and maintenance work zones averaged 773 driving fatalities per year, from 2005 through 2014.
- Sun and excess heat. The summer sun can dehydrate passengers, so it’s wise to keep a bottle of water handy. And, running the air conditioner increases the chance that the engine will overheat. If this occurs, the driver should pull over and let the engine cool down.
By knowing what you might encounter, you can keep yourself safe and enjoy the better weather. For more information visit https://www.esurance.com/info/car/dangers-of-summer-driving.
Taking a stroll
Walking is healthy…until it’s not. U.S. pedestrian deaths jumped in 2016 and researchers cited distraction as likely the biggest factor. Indeed, pedestrian deaths are climbing faster than motorist fatalities, reaching nearly 6,000 deaths in 2016 – the highest total in more than two decades, according to an analysis of preliminary state data recently released. Increased driving due to an improved economy and lower gas prices, together with more people walking for exercise and environmental factors, are some of the likely reasons behind the estimated 11-percent spike in pedestrian fatalities in 2016. The figures were prepared for the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices. But, while difficult to confirm, researchers say they think the biggest factor may continue to be that more drivers and walkers are distracted by cellphones and other electronic devices.
The report is based on data from all states and the District of Columbia for the first six months of 2016 and extrapolated for the rest of the year. It shows the largest annual increase in both the number and percentage of pedestrian fatalities in the more than 40 years that the national records on such deaths have been kept, with the second largest increase occurring in 2015. Pedestrian deaths as a share of total motor vehicle crash deaths increased from 11 percent in 2006 to 15 percent in 2015. For more information visit https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-pedestrian-deaths-spiked-in-2016-1490871774?mod=cx_picks&cx_navSource=cx_picks&cx_tag=poptarget&cx_artPos=6#cxrecs_s.
Is lighter safer?
Recent research suggests that lighter, more fuel-efficient cars are safer, according to a Green Car Report by John Voelcker. Unfortunately, the analysis is flawed. The researchers, who published the NBER analysis, collected weight data for vehicles sold in the U.S. from 1954 to 2005, and analyzed reports of 17 million crashes from 1989 through 2005. For each one, they noted the weights of the vehicles involved and whether the crash caused one or more fatalities. Vehicle weight started to decline after the original set of CAFE standards were introduced in 1975 and a first round of lighter vehicles began to hit the roads over the next 10 years. The original argument that lighter-weight vehicles may increase injuries or deaths from crashes between vehicles works if you lighten one vehicle while keeping the other at a constant weight. But that’s not what’s happening. As CAFE standards continued to make new vehicles more fuel-efficient, every new vehicle got lighter. At the same time, crash-safety tests have gotten more stringent. The paper, however, appears to lack any discussion — or even recognition — of the fact that safety standards notably strengthened for all new cars sold between 1989 and 2005, the period of the crashes studied. In 1989, only a few cars had even a single airbag, for instance, while by 2005, six airbags was the standard. Without addressing the mandated improvement in crash safety and survival equipment in cars during the period studied, the conclusion that lighter cars actually improve safety seems unwarranted. For more information visit http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110294_lighter-more-fuel-efficient-cars-are-safer-study-says-ignoring-safety-rules.
A growing connection
The connected car devices market is expected to reach USD 57.15 billion by 2021.
The major factors responsible for the growth of this market include the introduction of advance technologies, such as adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning systems in premium and mid-segment cars, and rising awareness about vehicle, driver and pedestrian safety. The global connected car devices market is dominated by the globally established players such as Continental AG (Germany), Denso Corporation (Japan), Delphi Automotive, PLC (U.K.), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), and Autoliv Inc. (Sweden). The key growth strategies adopted by these players include expansion and new product development.
For more information visit http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/connected-car-devices-market-to-reach-usd-5715-billion-by-2021-300453605.html.
Speed
Land Cruiser, Toyota’s iconic go-anywhere four-wheel-drive sport-utility vehicle, has earned myriad accolades and records over the 60-plus years it’s been in production. Today, it’s earned the title, “World’s Fastest SUV,” thanks to a record speed of over 230 mph, attained by the custom 2,000-horsepower Land Speed Cruiser driven by former NASCAR driver Carl Edwards.
For more information visit http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/toyota-land-speed-cruiser-claims-worlds-fastest-suv-title-300452070.html.
Lithium battery spurs popularity of electric vehicles
A new report by Variant Market Research projects that the global lithium-ion battery market is estimated to reach $56 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 10.6 percent from 2016 to 2024. Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable and therefore the lithium compound plays a crucial role, acting as an anode. The report indicates that lithium cells can produce voltage from 1.5 V to about 3 V based on the types of materials used. These batteries have a potential to achieve an exorbitant energy and power solidity in high-density battery applications, such as automotive and standby power. Lithium-ion batteries are now widely implemented as the power or energy source of a wide range of products, from portable electronics to electric vehicles, increasing adoption of smartphones, tablets and digital cameras around the world. For more information visit http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/growth-of-lithium-increases-popularity-of-electric-vehicles-621297943.html.