vLane Blog

Articles Matching “safety”

• Old school Bentleys on the road

  Fred Cox on July 1, 2009

  It's not often you see a museum worthy car being driven at all, much less on the road where gawking drivers can run into them, but here are a couple of 80 year old Bentleys in all their glory.

  

  I was lucky enough to come across these on Vancouver Island last week. They had just returned from an adventure up the West Coast of Canada and Alaska with other Bentleys of various vintages. According to the event's website, one of these cars had 13 tire changes, so it wasn't easy going by any means.

  These were the days before almost any safety rules or equipment existed, so no bumpers, even. Active safety was the word of the day.

  Read full article | Comments (1) | Filed under safety, speed, Classic, Bentley, lifestyle, tires, windshield, rubber, rims, maintenance, Vintage Motorsports, brakes, shock absorber, exhaust, headlights, antique, sports sedan, performance, muscle car, Cash for Clunkers

• Airbags for your…knees?

  AshleyW on May 5, 2009

  Airbags have come a long way, and play a significant role in reducing injuries among occupants in vehicles. The knee airbag isn't a new idea but can be found standard in some vehicles — as opposed to the luxury option it used to be.

  Knee airbags aren't a new concept, but are popping up as standard safety features. The purpose of this airbag is to keep the driver from moving around during a collision. Sometimes, a driver may slide or move a certain way that can cause further injury. The knee airbag keeps an occupant in place and also reduces injuries that could occur above the knee.

  The coming-soon Volkswagen Golf GTi features a drivers side knee airbag for the first time. Some Toyota models, such as the Avalon, Camry, Venza and Highlander come equipped with driver's side knee airbags. The Audi TT has standard driver and passenger knee airbags.

  Other vehicles with knee airbags include.

  • Mitsubishi Lancer
  • Dodge Caliber
  • Dodge Caravan
  • Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  • Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  • Ford Fiesta
  • Lexus RX350

  Click through to see a video of a crash that activates the knee airbags.

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under Luxury, Lexus, safety, features, features, Mitsubishi, AMG, Technology, airbag, dodge, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Safety, Volkswagen, kids, knee, highlander, avalon, camry, venza, knee airbag, collision

• News: Safer car seats introduced by Volvo

  AshleyW on April 25, 2009

  Moving people safely in cars is a priority for automakers. Volvo, known for many developments in car safety, has done it again with new car seats launched in Sweden. North American Volvo owners will miss out though, because these new car seats aren't allowed here.

  

  Last week, Volvo launched three car seats that can be used for infants and children up to the age of 10. They will not be allowed to be used in the U.S. and Canada due to the fact that these car seats are specifically for Volvo cars. Even if you happen to own a Volvo you won't be able to use them.

  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that car seats must be used in all vehicles and not specific to one particular vehicle. What Volvo has done is developed car seats that will have a child seated facing the rear for a longer period of time. Volvo claims that children should be seated facing the rear because their necks have not fully grown and their heads are much larger in proportion to the rest of their bodies. Most children can be seated facing forward after the age of 3 in other car seats. The new child seat from Volvo is positioned to face the rear for children up to the age of 6 and the booster seat has 11 settings so that it can be adjusted according to a child's height.

  Click through for more, and how you can install your current child seat safely.

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under Government, safety, News, Europe, Safety, Volvo, family, kids, parents, Car seat, sweden, asia, child seat, booster seat, infant

• Opinion: Driving pet peeves

  AshleyW on April 16, 2009

  Picture this: you are driving onto a ramp to enter a highway. You're on your way to some exciting place, and you're stuck behind a driver who does not know the rules of the road. Why is it that some people think that the speed you drive on a ramp (where I live, 30 mph) is the same speed you drive once you merge onto the highway? Hello!? Keep it moving, people!

  

  [Photo credit: Hamed Saber on Flickr.

  As I was taught in my drivers ed courses, the speed you are doing at the end of that ramp should be the speed limit posted on the highway. Not 30, still, as you attempt to merge — and impede a car who is doing the speed limit in the next lane beside you. Not only are you slowing traffic of the cars that are directly behind you, it's an easy way to have an accident.

  This has happened to me way too many times and I don't understand where some drivers learned to drive a car…

  Has this annoying incident ever happened to anyone else? Sound off in the discussion!

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under drivers, driving, merging, safety, speed, highway, on ramp, ramp, How-To, WTF, Misc, Advice , Humor, Safety, Discussion