Category Archives: safety

Volkswagen Pleads Guilty on Felony Charges in Dieselgate

Volkswagen AG will plead guilty to three criminal felony counts and pay a $2.8 billion criminal penalty because of the company’s long-running Dieselgate caper that sold ~590,000 diesel vehicles in the U.S. using a defeat device to cheat on emissions tests. Continue reading

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FAA Changes Pilot Medical Rules. Implications for Drivers?

The new regulation has further potentially broad implications for drivers since it dovetails with two other federal actions or desires. Continue reading

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Autoliv: Learning Intelligent Vehicle to Debut at CES Tomorrow

“As vehicles become safer, in a sense we become worse drivers. We no longer need to control the vehicle unless it needs or wants us to.” Continue reading

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CARB, CDOJ Whack VW for Another $66 Million in Ongoing Dieselgate Scam

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Department of Justice today announced a partial Dieselgate consent decree for violations of the Clean Air Act caused by a “defeat device” in 3-liter diesel crossover SUVs sold by Volkswagen, Audi … Continue reading

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NHTSA Funding Technology to End Drunk Driving

The goal of the DADSS research program is to advance the state of passive alcohol detection technology by developing a system that is fast, accurate, reliable and affordable. Continue reading

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DOT Wants Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication

NHTSA estimates that safety applications enabled by V2V and V2I (vehicle to infrastructure could eliminate or mitigate the severity of up to 80% of non-impaired crashes, including crashes at intersections or while changing lanes. Continue reading

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Michigan Makes Rules for The Research, Testing, Use, and Ultimately Public Sale of Autonomous Vehicles

The law establishes the Michigan Council on Future Mobility, as part of the Michigan Department of Transportation, that will recommend policies to set industry standards. It also will regulate connected vehicle networks and how traffic data, such as vehicle crashes, will be collected and shared.

Lobbyists from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Ford Motor, General Motors, Toyota Motor, and Google, as well as ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft had a large say in the regulations.
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NHTSA Hastens Replacements of Deadly Takata Air Bags

There are currently 46 million recalled Takata air bag inflators in 29 million vehicles in the United States. A combination of time, environmental moisture and cycling high temperatures contribute to the degradation of the ammonium nitrate propellant in the inflators. Such degradation can cause the propellant to burn too quickly, rupturing the inflator module and sending shrapnel through the air bag and into the vehicle’s cabin. Continue reading

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Swedish Government Leaves Vehicle Inspection Intervals Intact

The EU Commission wants to modify the remuneration system to avoid financial links between technical services and manufacturers, which could lead to conflicts of interest and compromise the independence of testing. Continue reading

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Honda NeuV Automated EV Debuts at 2017 Consumer Electronics Show

Honda today announced that “Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem” is the theme for its participation at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas highlighted by the NeuV concept an automated EV commuter vehicle with artificial intelligence (AI). Continue reading

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VW Diesel Emissions Settlements – Wisconsin Tax Rules

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue has issued guidance on the sales tax implications of the VW and Audi diesel emission fraud settlements. Continue reading

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Bosch CEO – Car as We Know It Will Soon Be History

Between 2017 and 2022, the global market for connected mobility is expected to grow by nearly 25% annually. Just a few years from now, cars will be an active part of the internet of things (IoT), able to communicate with other connected modes of transportation, and even with the smart home. Continue reading

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Rail Roads Can Save Lives

The OneRail Coalition released a new study today, “Rail Safety in the United States” that highlighted a 31% decline in rail accidents over the past 10 years, making rail transport significantly safer than other transportation. Continue reading

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FAA Evaluates Drone Detection Systems Around Denver

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), aka drones, that enter the protected airspace around airports can pose serious threats to safety. Continue reading

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Chinese Ride Hailing Ucar Partners With BitTiger

It’s all part of a global race to develop a road ready self-driving car where engineering talent is in high demand. Ucar (神州专车) booked approximately 15% of car chauffeur services in China in 2015, and are backed by Alibaba. Continue reading

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