Consumers who choose a 2017 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award winner shouldn’t have trouble seeing the road on nighttime drives. Good or acceptable ratings in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new headlight evaluations set the latest crop of qualifiers apart. Thirty-eight models earn the “plus” accolade, and 44 earn TOP SAFETY PICK.
IIHS toughened the criteria for TOP SAFETY PICK+ to reflect new headlight evaluations launched in 2016. The recognition program is meant to encourage manufacturers to offer state-of-the-art protection for people in crashes, along with features that help drivers avoid crashes in the first place. In addition to good or acceptable headlights, the latter includes automatic braking technology, which has been part of the criteria since 2015.
For both awards, models must earn good ratings in the Institute’s small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention with standard or optional autobrake. Headlights are factored in only for the top award.
Drivers of late-model pickup trucks are likely to find themselves squinting into the darkness or temporarily blinding other drivers, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's latest headlight ratings show.
All four small pickups evaluated are available only with headlights that earn a poor rating. The same goes for 3 out of 7 large pickups. Only one large pickup, the Honda Ridgeline, is available with good-rated headlights, though all but the most expensive trim levels come with poor ones.
Pickups are the third vehicle category to be put through the IIHS headlight evaluations. Midsize cars were the first in March, followed by small SUVs in July.
IIHS launched its headlight ratings after finding that government standards based on laboratory tests allow for huge variation in the amount of illumination headlights provide in on-road driving. In the Institute's evaluations, engineers measure how far light is projected from a vehicle's low beams and high beams as the vehicle travels straight and on curves. Glare from low beams for oncoming drivers also is measured.
Not a single small SUV out of 21 tested earns a good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s headlight evaluations, and only four are available with acceptable-rated headlights.
Among the 21 vehicles, there are 47 different headlight combinations available. More than two-thirds of them are rated poor, making this group of vehicles even more deficient when it comes to lighting than the midsize cars that were the first to be rated earlier this year.
Headlight performance in today’s vehicles varies widely. Government standards are based on laboratory tests, which don’t accurately gauge performance in real-world driving. The issue merits attention because about half of traffic deaths occur either in the dark or around dawn or dusk.
As with midsize cars, the IIHS evaluations of small SUVs showed that a vehicle’s price tag doesn’t correspond to the quality of headlights. More modern lighting types, including high-intensity discharge (HID) and LED lamps, and curve-adaptive systems, which swivel in the direction of steering, also are no guarantee of good performance.
Drivers of vehicles with good small overlap front ratings from the Insurance Institute from Highway Safety can expect to be protected well in a frontal crash involving the left corner of the vehicle. But how would the passengers sitting next to them fare in a right-side small overlap crash? A new study shows that good protection doesn’t always extend across the front seat.
The Institute conducted 40 mph passenger-side small overlap tests on seven small SUVs with good driver-side small overlap ratings. Only one of the vehicles, the 2016 Hyundai Tucson, performed at a level corresponding to a good rating, and the others ran the gamut from poor to acceptable.
The results have prompted IIHS to consider instituting a passenger-side rating as part of its TOP SAFETY PICK criteria.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7856251-ad-council-embrace-refugees/
Think “muscle car” performance, and images of speed and power are more likely to come to mind than crash tests and safety ratings. Because no one buys a sports car to drive in the slow lane, the best all-¬ around occupant crash protection is crucial. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently put a trio of iconic sports coupes through their paces, and unlike more sedate sedans, none earns the scores needed to clinch a TOP SAFETY PICK award.
IIHS evaluated 2016 models of the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang in the full battery of crashworthiness evaluations. The Mustang comes closest to earning TOP SAFETY PICK, while the Camaro falls shortin one category and lacks an available front crash prevention system. The Challenger is most in need of improvement.
To qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK, vehicles must earn good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations and have a basic-¬rated front crash prevention system. To qualify for the Institute’s highest award, TOP SAFETY PICK+, vehicles must earn good ratings in the five crashworthiness tests and an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.
When it comes to home décor, one of the easiest ways to update a room is with a fresh coat of paint. This year, FrogTape® brand painter’s tape is proving how simple it is to heighten your home’s appeal with the inaugural Paintover Challenge™ room makeover contest. The contest runs through May 25 and tests the design skills of six DIY home décor bloggers as they transform a space in need of a makeover.
The challenge is simple; all six bloggers must makeover their space using three things: paint, painter’s tape and a $1,000 budget. To up the ante, each blogger has been assigned one of the 2016 FrogTape® Design Trends identified by celebrity interior designer, Taniya Nayak, as this year’s hottest styles for the home. The process will be documented on their blogs and on paintoverchallenge.com with before, during and after shots of the room transformations. The winning blogger will be selected through public voting – which begins May 31 – and will receive $5,000 to donate to their favorite charity and appear in an upcoming national FrogTape® magazine advertisement. The winner will be announced on June 27.
“With the launch of the FrogTape® Paintover Challenge™, we’re hoping to inspire both expert and novice DIYers alike to step out of their comfort zone and push their creative limits – while showcasing the diversity of paint and painter’s tape,” said Allison Shagovac, influencer marketing manager, ShurTech Brands, LLC. “The participating bloggers each have their own unique styles and personalities, and we can’t wait to see what they create as they compete for a good cause.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7721331-frog-tape/
Three out of seven large pickup trucks evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in a new round of crash tests earn an acceptable or higher rating for occupant protection in a small overlap front crash.
IIHS evaluated two body styles of each 2016 model-year pickup — crew cab and extended cab. Crew cabs have four full doors and two full rows of seating. Extended cabs have two full front doors, two smaller rear doors and compact second-row seats.
IIHS last year decided it would test the two most popular variants of large pickups instead of just one after discovering that the Ford F-150 extended cab lacked structural countermeasures that helped the crew cab earn the top rating of good in the small overlap test. The test replicates what happens when a vehicle runs off the road and hits a tree or pole or clips another vehicle that has crossed the center line.
Ford improved the 2016 model F-150 SuperCab to clinch a good rating in the small overlap crash test, up from the 2015 model’s marginal rating. The F-150 is the only large pickup in the latest test group to earn the Institute’s top rating in the test. It joins the F-150 SuperCrew in earning a 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK award when equipped with Ford’s optional basic-rated forward collision warning system.
Vehicles that earn a basic rating for front crash prevention plus good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK. To qualify for 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the five crashworthiness tests and an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.
Over 80% of Americans want to spend their last days at home, with friends and family. Yet, despite these desires, 75% of Americans will spend their last days in a hospital room. Many people will spend hours each day getting painful and often useless treatments and tests, and be asked to take dozens of debilitating drugs. For many, the cure is worse than the disease. This often has negative and lasting effects on family and friends who are often left with feelings of guilt and regret for years to come.
Hospice Support Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting end of life care at home rather than in a hospital so patients can spend their last days in dignity and peace, pain-free in familiar, comfortable surroundings with friends and family.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7785451-hospice-support-fund-end-of-life-care-psa/
The Toyota Prius v is the only midsize car out of 31 evaluated to earn a good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s first-ever headlight ratings.
The best available headlights on 11 cars earn an acceptable rating, while nine only reach a marginal rating. Ten of the vehicles can’t be purchased with anything other than poor-rated headlights.
A vehicle’s price tag is no guarantee of decent headlights. Many of the poor-rated headlights belong to luxury vehicles.
The ability to see the road ahead, along with any pedestrians, bicyclists or obstacles, is an obvious essential for drivers. However, government standards for headlights, based on laboratory tests, allow huge variation in the amount of illumination that headlights provide in actual on-road driving. With about half of traffic deaths occurring either in the dark or in dawn or dusk conditions, improved headlights have the potential to bring about substantial reductions in fatalities.
Today, Church & Dwight, Co., Inc., the makers of First Response™ pregnancy and ovulation tests, announced the launch of First Response™ Pregnancy PRO Digital Pregnancy Test & App Access – their latest innovation and the first and only Bluetooth Smart-enabled pregnancy test on the market. First Response™ Pregnancy PRO connects to a woman’s smart device through a mobile application. Once synced, the app provides her with pregnancy-related content only available with Pregnancy PRO, and delivers a personalized user experience throughout her entire pregnancy journey.
“We are thrilled to be unveiling the next generation of in-home pregnancy testing on a stage like CES, where so many technological advancements have made their debut,” said Stacey Feldman, Vice President of Marketing, Church & Dwight. “With Pregnancy PRO, we’ve leveraged unique consumer insights to develop a product that not only revolutionizes the pregnancy test category, but more importantly, provides women with the information they need during their journey.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7725251-first-response-pregnancy-pro/
Nearly 50 vehicles meet tougher criteria for 2016 to take home the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, earning good ratings in all five IIHS crashworthiness evaluations and an advanced or higher rating for front crash prevention. An additional 13 models qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK.
The baseline requirements for both awards are good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as a standard or optional front crash prevention system. The 48 winners of the “plus” award have a superior- or advanced-rated front crash prevention system with automatic braking capabilities. These vehicles must stop or slow down without driver intervention before hitting a target in tests at 12 mph, 25 mph or both. Models with a basic-rated front crash prevention system, which typically only issues a warning and doesn’t brake, qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK.
IIHS inaugurated TOP SAFETY PICK in the 2006 model year to help consumers home in on vehicles with the best safety performance. The TOP SAFETY PICK+ accolade was introduced in 2012 to recognize vehicles that offer an advanced level of safety.
Back for the 10th Edition is the world's premier freeride mountain bike event, Red Bull Rampage - the contest that puts the “mountain” back in mountain biking. All disciplines of riders including downhill, slopestyle and freeride mountain bike athletes converge on the demanding terrain of Virgin, Utah to compete for glory and bragging rights in one of the biggest tests of skill and guts in the world. The event will be broadcast live and on demand beginning October 16th at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT exclusively on Red Bull TV as part of the Red Bull Signature Series, a collection of the most innovative and progressive events in action sports.
The stage is now set as the best riders from around the globe have arrived in the desert outside Zion National Park to begin practicing their runs. The only things that will separate a rider in the start gate from standing atop the podium 2,000 vertical feet below are the narrow, exposed ridgelines, 70-foot jumps over rocky canyons, and the near vertical drops. But for those who step-up to the challenge of man versus mountain, only one will be crowned king of the hill. Who will it be? Defending champion Andreu Lacondeguy from Spain? Can two-time winner Kyle Strait make it an unprecedented third? Or will regular contender for the Best Trick award, Cameron Zink, see his name listed at the top of the leader board? Watch Friday to find out!
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7627331-red-bull-signature-series/
