We can all sleep a little easier tonight: Tesla and Consumer Reports have kissed and made up. The relationship between the ratings magazine and the electric car company led by serial entrepreneur Elon Musk hit a rough patch in April, following Tesla's decision in the fall of 2016 to disable...Read More»
Many of you seem underwhelmed by automatic emergency braking, but earlier this year, more than 20 auto brands vowed to make the technology standard on new vehicles by the year 2022. The only problem? Those vows aren't binding, which leaves car companies free to renege on their promises. The...Read More»
Bit by bit, self-driving cars are edging into showrooms. Lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and other features have slowly begun to shift the burden of driving away from humans and onto computers. By many estimates, chips and transistors will handle much of the driving in new vehicles...Read More»
Last week, Ford showed off its new, predictive pedestrian detection system, which is slated to debut on the 2017 Ford Fusion. But that's not the only safety technology that Ford's been working on. The automaker has unveiled a host of high-tech features that will soon appear on Ford vehicles...Read More»
Modern cars come with a huge array of safety systems to keep drivers and passengers safe. These systems are good at spotting obstacles like pedestrians and other vehicles, but some things confuse them--things like car washes, for example. That might sound like an absurd shortcoming, but if you look...Read More»
For anyone who thinks that autonomous vehicles are the cars of the future, we hate to break it to you, but they're already here. In fact, they've been stealthily rolling into showrooms over the past several years, one feature at a time. Many of us have now become accustomed to those features. As...Read More»
Active-safety systems like automatic braking and collision avoidance minimize the chances that you'll be seriously injured in a crash. Unfortunately, these semi-autonomous systems may not reduce your auto-insurance premium--at least, not yet. That's likely to come as a surprise to many of you...Read More»
Last week, 20 automakers that account for 99 percent of the U.S. car market agreed to make automated braking standard on all new vehicles by the year 2022. Toyota and Lexus fans, however, will see many of their favorite rides equipped with the safety technology far earlier. Toyota says that nearly...Read More»
No one knows for certain when fully autonomous cars will be sold to the public, but as of today, we know when autonomous braking systems will become standard on millions of new vehicles. That's because this morning, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for...Read More»
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has announced that it will join 19 automakers in signing an auto-industry commitment to implement automatic emergency braking (AEB) technology. The pact, originally drafted in December by Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Toyota...Read More»
If you're one of the many folks who's criticized federal agencies for being behind the times on auto issues, we've got good news. The feds have heard you, and they've got a three-point plan to bring themselves -- and automakers -- up speed. SLOW ROLLERS For a while, it seemed as if there wasn't...Read More»
Of all the autonomous car features headed our way, automatic emergency braking, or AEB, is perhaps the one that has safety regulators -- and consumers -- most excited. AEB consists of sensors and software that warn drivers of approaching obstacles and apply the brakes automatically, if necessary --...Read More»
Well, this is curious: a day after we reported on an investigation of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee's automated braking system, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a recall of select 2014-2015 Acura MDX and RLX models for the same problem. ALSO SEE: NTSB Wants Collision...Read More»
Yesterday, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a special report entitled The Use of Forward Collision Avoidance Systems to Prevent and Mitigate Rear-End Crashes. In the 60-page document, the agency laid out some of its near-term hopes and dreams for America's auto industry. As the title...Read More»
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. According to documents from the Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA has received a number of complaints from owners about the Grand Cherokee's collision avoidance system. ALSO SEE...Read More»
Safety technology—including airbags, seatbelts, crash structures, and much more—has saved an estimated 613,501 lives since 1960, according to a newly released report on a statistical model from the federal government. On the heels of that report comes an announcement from Transportation...Read More»
Nissan has been on a high-tech run the past several days. On Friday, the automaker announced its "Emergency Assist for Pedal Misapplication" system, which can apply the brakes when drivers hit the gas by mistake. And on Monday, we heard about a new rear-facing camera on the 2013 Altima that warns...Read More»
If you want advanced safety systems on your next set of wheels but can't afford an expensive luxury ride, you may want to take a trip down to your local Subaru showroom. Later this year, Subaru will roll out the 2013 Legacy and Outback, which will offer a host of safety features like pre-collision...Read More»
The Jeep Wrangler is made for summer: rugged and fun to drive, it's great for a quick trip to the beach or a weekend in the mountains. It's also a popular ride for youngsters looking for something sporty to motor around town or off to college. It's unfortunate, then, that Chrysler has issued a...Read More»
