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.
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.
A group of four minivans recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for protection in small overlap front crashes shows some of the worst possible outcomes for this type of crash, with only one vehicle performing acceptably.
The Nissan Quest, the Chrysler Town & Country and its twin, the Dodge Grand Caravan, all earn poor ratings. The exception to the disappointing pattern is the 2015 Toyota Sienna, which earns an acceptable rating. It joins the Honda Odyssey, which last year earned a good rating in the test, in the ranks of TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners.
Child restraint manufacturers continue to roll out new booster seats that do a good job of improving the way an adult safety belt fits a typical booster-age child. This year, 19 of 31 new models evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earn the top rating of BEST BET, and one model is a GOOD BET.
The Institute began rating boosters five years ago because research indicated that most seats weren’t doing a good job of fitting safety belts correctly and consistently on children in a variety of vehicles. Boosters earn a rating of BEST BET, GOOD BET, Check Fit or Not Recommended, based on a protocol that involves measuring how three-point lap and shoulder belts fit a child-size test dummy seated in the booster on a stationary test fixture under four conditions that span the range of safety belt configurations in passenger vehicles. The evaluations focus on safety belt fit and don’t involve crash tests.
When IIHS began its booster seat ratings in 2008, most models failed to consistently provide good belt fit — the main purpose of a booster. This year, all new models evaluated by the Institute provide good or acceptable fit for typical 4 to 8 year-olds in most cars, minivans or SUVs.
Out of 23 new models evaluated, 20 earn the highest rating of BEST BET, meaning they are likely to provide good fit for a 4- to 8-year-old child in almost any car, minivan or SUV. Another three models are rated GOOD BETs, meaning they provide acceptable fit in most vehicles. There are no new models in the Not Recommended category, nor are there any with the Check Fit designation, which identifies seats that may work for some children in some vehicles.
A new crash test program from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety aims to ensure that manufacturers pay attention to the safety of front passengers as well as drivers.
The test was developed after it became clear that some manufacturers were giving short shrift to the right side of the vehicle when it comes to small overlap front crash protection. A good or acceptable passenger-side rating will be required to qualify for the Institute’s 2018 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.
The first test group in the passenger-side small overlap front test program did better overall than vehicles IIHS previously evaluated for research. Ten out of 13 midsize cars tested earn a good rating, while one is acceptable and two earn a marginal rating.
In contrast with a group of 2014-16 model small SUVs tested for research, none of the 2017-18 midsize cars had a poor or marginal structural rating. Instead, the biggest problem in the new group was inconsistent airbag protection in five cars, which would put passengers’ heads at risk.
http://www.goherefor.me/now/941
When one of my facebook contacts grabbed my attention by reporting 4 figure days on a consistent basis....
I had to know how to do it and fast.
I put all the details on my blog -
http://www.goherefor.me/now/941
HOKA ONE ONE® is proud to announce the signing of 2012 Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano, who specializes in the 1500-meter and mile distances, to a multi-year agreement.
Manzano, 29, was a five-time NCAA Champion at the University of Texas, and has been ranked among the top three milers in the U.S. for the past seven years. A model of consistency, he has made every U.S. Olympic and World Championships team since 2007. Known for his signature kick, Manzano was in sixth place coming off the final turn at the London Olympics before storming up the homestretch to earn a silver medal—the first Olympic medal of any kind for the U.S. at 1500 meters since Jim Ryun in 1968.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/7160651-hoka-one-one-signs-olympic-silver-medalist-leo-manzano
Life is unpredictable and can be even more so when you have allergies. During this fall allergy season, your runny nose, sneezing or itchy, watery eyes just might earn you top honors in Allegra's new Allergy Adventures contest on Facebook. Allergy sufferers are invited to upload a short video showing their daily challenges with allergies for a chance to win $5,000 toward a fun-filled adventure where they can enjoy life – without worrying about allergies.
Over 40 million adults suffer from indoor and outdoor allergies in the United States. During the fall, many people suffer from allergy triggers such as ragweed and dust mites. The contest is meant to help people say farewell to disruptive allergy symptoms now that fast (starts working at hour one), long-lasting, non-drowsy relief is available over-the-counter from Allegra.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/allegra/50885/
WhatsWhat.me (Beta) -- a safe, secure, “kids-only” social network for “tweens” ages 7-13 -- launches today using patent-pending facial recognition technology, moderation and kid-friendly features to teach kids positive online behavior, Internet safety and related life skills (www.whatswhat.me). Compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), WhatsWhat.me (Beta) provides an age-appropriate, “no-bullying allowed” community that requires parental permission to join. WhatsWhat.me (Beta) members can create profiles, interact with friends, join groups, play games, earn points and win prizes, in a fun kids’ social network that focuses on building skills while fostering appropriate online behavior. For parents, WhatsWhat.me (Beta) offers its online Parent Resource Center providing expert advice, news, Internet safety tips and information on cybersafety for children (www.whatswhat.me/parents).
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/whatswhat/48109/
Barclaycard, the payments business of Barclays in the United States, today unveiled an innovative travel reward feature that enables cardmembers and non-cardmembers alike to earn miles by simply participating in the new Barclaycard Travel Community (BarclaycardTravel.com). The new program will reward registered community members with Participation Miles for creating a travel profile, sharing their travel stories, and receiving kudos from other registered community members. And now, for the first-time, non-cardmembers are eligible to earn miles they can redeem for Amazon.com e-certificates each time they accumulate 2,500 miles.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/64221-barclaycard-travel-community-members-earn-miles-for-participation
