How do you know when a step stool is safe for a senior to use? This video shows how the Senior Step Stool by Shure-Step was designed with the help of retirement community executive directors.
Adults have gotten the message that it’s safer for kids to ride in the back seat properly restrained, but when it comes to their own safety, there is a common misperception that buckling up is optional. Among adults who admit to not always using safety belts in the back seat, 4 out of 5 surveyed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety say short trips or traveling by taxi or ride-hailing service are times they don’t bother to use the belt.
The new survey reveals that many rear-seat passengers don’t think belts are necessary because they perceive the back seat to be safer than the front. This shows a clear misunderstanding about why belts are important, no matter where a person sits in a vehicle.
Before the majority of Americans got into the habit of buckling up, the back seat was the safest place to sit, and the center rear seat was the safest place of all in 1960-70s’ era vehicles. In recent decades, high levels of restraint use, the advent of belt pretensioners, load limiters and airbags, plus crashworthy vehicle designs have narrowed the safety advantages of riding in the rear seat for teens and adults.
The rate at which people file insurance claims for theft is highest for versions of the 2007-09 Cadillac Escalade, a luxury SUV, followed by the Ford F-250 crew pickup, Infiniti G37 luxury car, and Dodge Charger with a HEMI engine. Theft rates for these vehicles are 3 to 5 times as high as the average for all vehicles. These are the latest theft loss results for passenger vehicles 1 to 3 years old published by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Drivers of vehicles that perform well in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's side-impact crash test are much less likely to die in a real-world left-side crash than drivers of vehicles that do poorly, a new analysis finds. The study includes only passenger vehicles with side airbags, demonstrating that airbags, while crucial, are far from the whole story in side crash protection.
After controlling for driver age and gender and vehicle type and weight, a driver of a vehicle rated good for driver protection in a side impact is 70 percent less likely to die in a left-side crash compared with a driver of a vehicle rated poor. A driver of a vehicle rated acceptable is 64 percent less likely to die, and a driver of a vehicle rated marginal is 49 percent less likely to die.
ConocoPhillips Company, the nation’s fourth-largest lubricants supplier, today introduced an inspiring testimonial featuring one of its long-time Kendall Motor Oil customers who has put more than 500,000 miles on his car, reinforcing the oil’s benefits to passenger car motorists including remarkable engine wear and friction protection. Jim White of Shreveport, La., is featured in a testimonial video (www.youtube.com/OfficialKendallOil) in which he proudly shares his personal story and appreciation for the value provided as a result of his consistent use of Kendall Motor Oil.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52198-conocophillips-kendall-motor-oil-car-shreveport-mileage-mile-500000-engine
The list of winners of the Institute's TOP SAFETY PICK award is longer than ever this year, with vehicles in nearly every size category the Institute evaluates earning accolades. From minicars to sedans to pickups, consumers have a record number of choices among 2012 models.
In all, 69 cars, 38 SUVs, 5 minivans, and 3 pickups earn TOP SAFETY PICK. The award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on ratings in Institute evaluations. The ratings, which cover all 4 of the most common kinds of crashes, help shoppers pick vehicles that offer the highest levels of crash protection. Because the federal government now requires all 2012 and later passenger vehicles to have electronic stability control to help drivers avoid loss-of-control crashes, ESC no longer is a requirement to win as it was in prior years.
The winners’ circle includes 18 new recipients for 2012, while 97 models that previously qualified for the 2011 award carry over to 2012.
Today, the all-new MICHELIN® Defender™ tire, the greatest standard passenger car tire the company has ever made, hits the North American market, just in time for spring driving season. Offering a 90,000 mile warranty, increased safety and greater levels of fuel-efficiency than the previous generation, the MICHELIN® Defender™ tire marks a significant breakthrough for the standard passenger car tire segment.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55497-michelin-north-america-launches-the-defender-tire-90000-miles-saves-fuel
Designed to delight shoppers and defy convention, two all-new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe models make their world debut today at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. The third-generation Santa Fe crossover family introduces the two-row, five-passenger Santa Fe Sport and the long wheelbase (LWB) three-row, seven-passenger model called Santa Fe. The all-new Santa Fe family showcases the brand’s cutting-edge capabilities through “Fluidic Sculpture” design, impressive fuel economy and a host of features to delight drivers and passengers with high expectations for functionality and comfort. The all-new 2013 Santa Fe Sport will go on-sale late this summer, with the larger Santa Fe introduced to dealers in January 2013.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55437-hyundai-santa-fe-2013-models-debut-new-york-international-auto-show-nyias
Azamara Journey arrived today in New York City calling at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal for the first time. The intimate 694-passenger ship will be overnighting in the heart of the city before concluding its current itinerary and embarking on a chartered Titanic Memorial Voyage, marking the 100th anniversary of that voyage.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/azamaraclubcruises/55591
Installing child restraints can frustrate even the most capable of parents. A system called Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children is supposed to make things easier by standardizing attachment hardware, but a new study shows that many automakers aren’t paying attention to the key factors that make LATCH work. Only 21 of the 98 top-selling 2010-11 model passenger vehicles evaluated have LATCH designs that are easy to use. This is the main finding of joint research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
The production version of the new three-row, six/seven-passenger Santa Fe makes its world debut today at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, joining the two-row, five-passenger Santa Fe Sport which has been on sale since August. The all-new Santa Fe delivers Hyundai’s recipe of bold design, high-output powertrains with Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) and a host of features to please drivers and passengers with high expectations for functionality, versatility and comfort. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date early next year.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59332-hyundai-2013-six-seven-passenger-santa-fe-2012-los-angeles-auto-show