Petikan Berita Harian. Semua kenderaan baru keluaran syarikat automotif tempatan akan diberi penarafan keselamatan satu hingga lima bintang bagi membolehkan orang ramai menilai ciri-ciri keselamatan model kenderaan yang dipasarkan oleh pengeluar ketika membeli kenderaan.
In conclusion, MyVap is one of the solution. It will help you to decide which car is safe and which car is not. MyVap is merely a stepping stone before going to high end rating system like NCAP. But can you agree that we must have started somewhere? I'm begging you to support MyVap, not only for your own safety, but for you child, and the next future generation. Love Life.
The driver was still alive but the car, as you can see, is totaled. I doubt there's any amount of buffing that'll get those bumps, bruises and breaks out. Here's video that just barely misses the crash, but does manage to pick up the final run:
Source: Human4Planet
Before we venture into the safety of multiple articulated vehicles or super-long goods vehicles, it is important that we understand the term of road train and its concept. As found in wikipedia, A road train is a trucking concept used vastly in remote areas of Argentina, Australia, Mexico, the United States and Canada to move bulky loads efficiently. The term "road train" is most often used in Australia. In the U.S. and Canada the terms "triples," "Turnpike doubles" and "Rocky Mountain doubles" are commonly used for longer combination vehicles (LCV). A road train consists of a relatively conventional tractor unit, but instead of pulling one trailer or semi-trailer, the road train pulls two or more of them. These should not be confused with land trains, which are relatively lightweight vehicles used for moving passengers.
So we back to the question whether is it safe or not? Wait a second, safe to whom? The truck operators or other road users? I believe many people only concerns of their lives and majority of this kind is in fact not the truck operators! Such a pity clarification but well...Thus, let's focus on the safety of road train to other road users who are your family, your friends, your neighbors, yourself and me. It is a very long vehicle and as such, it is very dangerous to overtake. However, road train is only be used in rural areas i.e. less likely found too often on the road. As long as we don't overtake it, our lives will be spared. Not believing me? Try overtake it! Below are some example of the road train photos from compilation work done by cars world blog. Take a look and beware of the road train.
The yellow American-style school bus has been fitted with a jet engine from a Phantom fighter plane, allowing it to reach up to 367mph. Paul Stender and his team from Indy Boys Inc, based in Indianapolis, USA adapted the bus which uses a full tank of 150 gallons of fuel in just one quarter-mile run.
Research shows that a driver can be as much as 23 times more likely to get into an accident if he or she is texting while driving. New legislation in Washington aims to ban texting while driving by forcing states to adopt the federal mandate or risk losing federal highway greenbacks. One group is fighting the legislation, and it's not teen drivers or multimedia addicts, it's our nation's truck drivers. Truckers, the guys who drive around in 18 wheelers which take 2-3 times as much road to stop when compared to the typical car, often have touch screen computers on the dashboard and keyboards on their laps. They use the multimedia tech to map routes and converse with dispatch, saving minutes (and money) in the hyper-competitive shipping business.
Drivers told The New York Times that they're all but forced to communicate with such computers, as pulling off the road to send a message can cost their companies $1.50 per minute, and the driver risks having his or her pay docked. Clayton Boyce, spokesman for the American Trucking Associations, called the bill "overkill," going so far as to say that banning such devices "won't improve safety." But safety advocates counter that the measure would effectively be underkill, and they have some stats to back up their argument: Heavy trucking deaths in the U.S. have steadily climbed over the past decade, as big rigs now account for 12% of all highway fatalities (4,808 deaths in 2007) versus 11% (4,777) in 1997 – in spite of the fact that passenger cars and trucks are now far safer than they have ever been.
Americans like low prices, and fast, efficient shipping helps keep costs in check. And at the same time, we like to be safe and sound as well, and truckers looking down at a keyboard while driving a 40-ton truck 60 mph just a few feet from strikes us as hazardous to our nation's health. Should truckers be able to text and use computers while driving? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section after the jump.
A tank of 97 octane fuel will not turn your Proton Wira into a Mitsubishi Evo Lancer, sorry. The extra octane in premium unleaded gas does no special favors for engines with low to moderate compression, that are designed to run on regular 92 octane. And while “over-octaning” at the gas station won’t necessarily harm the average engine, it is a waste of money -- cash that could be better spent on the upcoming tips to maintain your car.
Here’s a great example of how to spend the money saved by following my No. 10 tip to maintain your car. Let’s say you save RM0.40 per litre by skipping unnecessarily high-octane gas and filling with regular. If you have a 20-litre tank, that’s an instant RM8 saved with every fill-up; that’s enough for a basic car wash in many places. Regular washing and waxing preserves paint and prevents rust from gaining a foothold. Remember to show the interior some love too, by vacuuming and detailing.
Whether it’s the impending gloom of raining season, hot road trips or anything in between, seasonal changes mean you need to prep your car accordingly. For many drivers, raining and hot season are the most demanding on their cars‘ batteries, coolant and tires, among other components. Extra attention to those critical areas could mean the difference between getting there and getting stranded.
Recalls and technical service bulletins (TSBs) are sometimes issued by manufacturers, but not all make the evening news. It’s up to you to research them and keep your car alive longer by heeding their information. This tip to maintain your car is easy to follow by signing up for newsletter alerts like Automotive News who just informed us to remove the floor mats from certain Perodua models because they may cause the gas pedal to stick, causing unintended acceleration. Read up and maintain your car.
The notorious "Check Engine" light gets a bad rap for overdramatizing trivial onboard diagnostic (OBD) codes like a tabloid newspaper, but in fairness, it also reports news you can use. Most shops and auto-parts stores can scan the codes and translate the issues. It could be a loose gas cap or it could be a serious powertrain issue developing -- knowing makes all the difference.
You should already understand that your car’s redline is not the starting point for throttle position; if you don’t, the painful sound of bouncing off the rev limiter should smack some sense into you. Less obvious is that you can also damage your car by spending too much time at the lower end of the performance spectrum: Extended idling, even in cold climates, is pointless and wasteful. At the very least, it can promote carbon buildup and catalytic converter deterioration, all while wasting gas and pumping more emissions into the atmosphere than necessary.
Following the engine and transmission maintenance recommendations in your owner’s manual will extend your car’s life and save you money in the long run. Don’t delude yourself into thinking that you can skip the cost of upkeep and still have a vehicle that runs efficiently for very long. When you try to buy time, there’s a good chance you’ll also buy more parts and labor in the future.
To follow through on the previous tip to maintain your car, you can’t just turn the key and drive every time, and you can’t just roll into the shop every day for maintenance. You need to keep tabs on fluid levels and tire pressure. Checking lights and signals at the same time doesn’t hurt, either. Make it a regular habit and you’re less likely to get caught by surprise.
Don’t overthink it, just do what you need to do when it comes to engine oil. Your owner’s manual spells out accepted viscosities and possibly even the recommended brand. If you see Mobil 1 listed, for example, don’t take it as none-too-subtle advertising: It probably means your car was born with that brand in the crankcase and was designed to run best with it.
When your car acts up between maintenance intervals but no obvious repairs are needed and the Check Engine light isn’t lit, don’t just hope the issue will go away. Don’t avoid taking action because it hasn’t been 15,000, 10,000 or even 3,000 KM, either. If you sense even the slightest odd behavior, have your auto tech check your car. It’s better to heed this top tip to maintain your car and spend a little time at the shop than to allow conditions to worsen and repairs to become even more expensive.
1. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) was recently testing crash on 3 small or mini cars which were Smart for Two, Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris with a middle car. The purpose of the test crash is to determine whether the mini cars are crashworthy during collision with a bigger-size car or not. What they found as follows...All three models tested — the Honda Fit, the Toyota Yaris and the Smart Fortwo— fared poorly in the collisions. By contrast, the midsize models into which they crashed fared well or acceptably. Both the minicars and midsize cars were traveling 40 miles per hour, so the crash occurs at 80 m.p.h.
3. It is a matter of fact that during any collision, a lighter car tends to absorb more collision energy. For example, if Perodua Kancil collided with Mitsubishi Pajero, Kancil is more likely to have great deformation due to according to mass ratio theory, the bigger the weight difference, the bigger the severity to the lighter vehicle will have.The argument over weight versus safety is not a new one but took on greater significance when gasoline prices rose sharply last year, making minicars more popular. Consumers also seek out vehicles that burn less fuel so they will contribute less to global warming. Production of carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas, is proportional to fuel use, and the Smart claims to be the highest-mileage car powered by gasoline on the American market.
1. Recently National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has rated Acura 2009 sedan as the best car in term of safety based on their 2 crash tests result at Tochigi Japan, and the other in Raymond, Ohio.For the first time in the history of automotive safety crash testing, an automobile nameplate has simultaneously earned top government and IIHS safety ratings for every vehicle in its line-up.
On March 25, 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA*), as part of its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing, awarded the all-new 2009 Acura TL performance luxury sedan a 5-Star rating - its top rating - for side impact crash safety for both front and rear passenger seating positions. In earlier NHTSA testing, the 2009 TL achieved top safety ratings (a 5-Star rating for frontal crash performance for both driver and front passenger along with a 5-Star rating for Rollover resistance) meaning the 2009 TL now ranks as a top performer in all governmental safety ratings.
In November 2008 the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2009 Acura TL performance luxury sedan its top safety rating of "GOOD" for Frontal Offset Crash Test, Side Impact Crashworthiness Evaluation (SICE) and Rear Crash Evaluation. Furthermore, all Acura vehicles employ Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), an electronic stability control system that, when combined with GOOD ratings in Frontal, Side and Rear crash protection allow every 2009 Acura model to earn the IIHS' prestigious TOP SAFETY PICK rating.
"Acura's achievement means that no matter which Acura model buyers choose, they're getting a high level protection for the most common types of real-world crashes," said IIHS president Adrian Lund.
The 2009 TL's top safety ratings, combined with the rest of the Acura line-up's top safety ratings from NHTSA and IIHS, mark the first time in history that an automotive nameplate has achieved top honors for front, side and rear crash worthiness for all of the vehicles in its lineup.
"No other automotive brand has accomplished what Acura has, nor can make the safety claims that Acura can," said John Mendel, executive vice president of automobile sales. "When consumers think safety, they really should think Acura."
The NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings are a direct result of Acura's "Safety Through Innovation" initiative that is based on the brand's commitment to leadership in safety. The initiative's goal is for all Acura models to provide a high level of occupant protection along with injury mitigation to pedestrians, as well as increased crash compatibility with other passenger vehicles - regardless of vehicle size or price.
For 2009, all Acura models include as standard equipment the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure along with a host of other standard safety equipment including Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), anti-lock braking system (ABS), dual-stage/dual-threshold front airbags, front-side airbags with passenger side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), side airbags for all outboard seating positions, front seats with integrated active head restraints, front seatbelts with automatic tensioning system and load limiters, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and Daytime Running Lights (DRL).
Acura's ACE™ body structure is designed to help absorb the energy of a frontal crash, while also helping to minimize the potential for an "under-ride" or "over-ride" phenomenon that can occur during frontal impact with a significantly larger, smaller, higher or lower vehicle. ACE™ channels frontal crash energy to both upper and lower structural elements, including the floor frame rails, side sills and A-pillars. These specially engineered load pathways help distribute frontal impact forces through a greater percentage of the vehicle's total structure and away from the passenger compartment.
Acura engineers have the advantage of being able to utilize two ultra-sophisticated crash test facilities, including the world's first indoor multi-directional car-to-car crash testing facility, located in Tochigi, Japan. This facility has played a crucial role in the development of enhanced designs for occupant and pedestrian safety as well as vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility.
Acura engineers also utilize the company's Raymond, Ohio, Automotive Safety Research Facility to perform advanced testing on all U.S.-developed models. The facility features the world's first pitching test sled, which aids efficiency by enabling economical, repeatable and quick crash test simulations with certain interior safety components (such as seats and seatbelts) prior to conducting a crash test with an actual vehicle. The lab also features one of the world's highest resolution impact barriers, which enables precise measurement of the distribution of impact load forces on a vehicle allowing for even more advanced vehicle designs.
Acura has been the first to market on many safety technologies including: the first production vehicle in the U.S. to offer a 4-channel anti-lock braking system; the first car to have dual-stage driver- and passenger-side airbags; the first luxury SUV to receive a 5-Star crash safety rating from NHTSA; and the first production vehicle to offer Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) that varies the deployment of the passenger side airbag depending on the occupant's body location.
As part of its commitment to improving safety for all road users, Acura has also led the U.S. industry in the application of features designed to reduce injuries to pedestrians in a collision (such as collapsible hood hinges and breakaway windshield wiper pivots) with a focus on reducing severe head injuries which account for 60 percent of pedestrian fatalities. In addition, the company sought to better understand the dynamics of pedestrian collisions, thus it developed the POLAR II safety test dummy which is widely recognized as the world's most advanced pedestrian safety test dummy.
3. The first two numbers 4 0 will tell which week of the year has it been manufactured. Note: One year has 52 weeks. The last two numbers represent the year of make. Therefore, *4002* shows that the said tire is manufactured in the 40th week of the year 2002. *4099* this shows that the tire is made in the 40th week of 1999.
1. According to a research report from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), seatbelts save approximately 13,000 lives in the United States each year. Furthermore, the NHTSA estimates that 7,000 U.S. car accident fatalities would have been avoided if the victims had been wearing seatbelts. I think this figure applies to Malaysia too, with some uncertainty maybe around 1-5% but still, it can save your live.
9. A seatbelt applies the stopping force to more durable parts of the body over a longer period of time. In the next post (maybe in a few weeks), we'll see how this reduces the chances of major injury. 
1. Shocked! As reported in the news, a trader who turned COOKING GAS CYLINDER into a natural gas vehicle (NGV) storage unit to power his van died hours after the tank exploded at a petrol station. The explosion is believed to have been caused by a spark from the engine, which was running at that time. The self-modified cooking gas cylinder was placed under the driver's seat and covered with a canvas. Looks how creative Malaysian is. This is one example of creativity that leads to deaths.
2. Let me to tell you this, some of you might aware of the label on the airbag pad. Majority of cars nowadays has SRS airbag system. What is SRS? Well, that is stands for Supplemental Restraint Systems. “So what dude? This doesn’t help to make me wear seatbelt?”.
