Modern semitrailers for the most part do a good job of keeping passenger vehicles from sliding underneath them, greatly increasing the chances of surviving a crash into the back of a large truck, recent tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show. But in crashes involving only a small portion of the truck’s rear, most trailers fail to prevent potentially deadly underride.
Earlier research showed that the minimum strength and dimensions required for underride guards are inadequate, prompting the Institute to petition the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2011 for tougher standards. The Institute also asked the agency to consider applying the standards to other types of large trucks, such as dump trucks that aren’t required to have any underride guards.
Eyeing vast new efficiencies in global fresh produce and fresh-cut flower transport, Maersk Container Industry (MCI) is now partnering with Boston-based technology company Primaira LLC to develop an air cleaning system in Star Cool Integrated refrigerated containers.
Thorough tests and trials have shown the patented technology, Bluezone®, to be an efficient eliminator of molds, fungi and bacteria. Using an ozone concentration 300 times higher than otherwise seen on the market, Bluezone also removes ethylene effectively.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/64186-maersk-container-launch-new-technology
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.
Parking crashes usually don’t result in serious injuries, but repair costs can quickly mount, along with the hassle of going without the family vehicle while waiting for the body shop to finish work. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has launched a rear crash prevention ratings program to help consumers identify models with the technology that can prevent or mitigate low-speed backing crashes. Two systems earn the highest rating of superior, and four earn the second-highest rating of advanced.
Rear crash prevention encompasses several technologies. Parking sensors issue warning beeps and/or seat vibrations when the equipped vehicle gets too close to another vehicle or object directly behind it, or, in some cases, in front of it. Rear cross-traffic alert warns drivers of approaching vehicles that might cross their path as they back up. Rear automatic emergency braking systems detect objects behind a reversing vehicle and may automatically brake if the driver doesn’t heed alerts to stop.
IIHS engineers evaluated rear autobrake systems on six popular 2017 model vehicles — the BMW 5 series sedan, Cadillac XT5 SUV, Infiniti QX60 SUV, Jeep Cherokee SUV, Subaru Outback wagon and Toyota Prius hatchback.
Under the three-tier rating scheme, models with optional or standard rear crash prevention systems are rated superior, advanced or basic. Ratings are determined by whether the vehicles have available rear autobrake and, if so, how it performs in a series of car-to-car and car-to-pole tests with different approach angles. The availability of parking sensors and rear cross-traffic alert also is factored in.
The Outback and XT5 earn a superior rating when equipped with optional rear autobrake, parking sensors and rear cross-traffic alert. The Cherokee, 5 series, QX60 and Prius earn an advanced rating with this optional gear.
A roster of acclaimed chefs return for a second chance to become a member of the Iron Chef culinary society this fall, with the premiere of The Next Iron Chef: Redemption on Sunday, November 4th at 9pm ET/PT. The fifth installment of this top-rated competition series also adds a few newcomers to the mix, who have had their own experiences of not quite winning the crown. The competitors are given new opportunities to prove their skills are Iron Chef worthy, while revisiting some of the memorable moments that sent them home in the past. The culinary battle-royale, hosted by Alton Brown and shot in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, tests the kitchen chops, masterful skills and fortitude of these supreme experts, and culminates with the naming of the newest Iron Chef on Sunday, December 23rd at 9pm ET/PT.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/58135-food-network-next-iron-chef-redemption/
Walgreens (NYSE:WAG)(Nasdaq:WAG) announces the launch of the 2014 Walgreens Way to Well Health Tour with AARP. For six years, Walgreens and AARP have conducted the community outreach program dedicated to providing free preventive and early detection health services to communities across the country. Now through December, Walgreens will use the tour to provide free health tests, assessments, education and consulting services with a renewed commitment to the everyday health of Americans nationwide.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/7158751-walgreens-2014-way-to-well-health-tour-aarp
National Tire Safety Week is an industry-wide initiative that educates drivers about the importance of proper tire care. Summer is the season for road trips, so now is a good time to brush up on your tire maintenance knowledge. Remember though, tire safety is critical all year round.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/7127551-michelin-tire-rack-street-survival-announces-national-program-schedule
Hold your nose. This story stinks…literally! New York is used to its fair share of interesting smells, but for the first time ever, the city had the odorous honor of hosting the Annual Odor-Eaters National Rotten Sneaker Contest, a competition that tests just how offensive sneakers can get. Ready to be judged were seven finalists, ages five to fourteen, from across the nation. They gathered at Ripley's Believe It or Not! in Times Square today wearing the decrepit and redolent rubber-soles that won them regional recognition. Only one competitor's sneakers were declared the stinkiest, and they belonged to 12 year old Jordan Armstrong from White Sands Missile Range, Las Cruces, NM.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/65107-odor-eaters-39th-national-rotten-sneaker-contest-new-york-city-winner
Global NCAP, the umbrella body of consumer car safety testing bodies, welcomes the Indian Government’s initiative to launch a New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) but believes that this positive step should also be accompanied by action to apply the United Nation’s minimum crash tests standards.
India is now the fifth largest producer in the world of passenger cars but new independent crash tests show why the country should use internationally accepted safety standards. Crash tests of Nissan’s Datsun Go and Maruti-Suzuki’s Swift demonstrate a high risk of life-threatening injuries with both cars receiving zero-star safety rating for their adult occupant protection. These risks would be significantly reduced if the cars had to comply with the UN test regulation for frontal and side impact.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/72762582-nissan-suzuki-safety-test-score/
Benzinmotoren mit Direkteinspritzung sind gefährlicher für Umwelt und Gesundheit als bislang angenommen. Das beweisen die Ergebnisse eines neuen Tests, den die Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. (DUH) bei der Abgasprüfstelle der Fachhochschule Bern (AFHB) in Auftrag gegeben hat. Die erstmals auch unter realen Fahrbedingungen gewonnenen Daten machen deutlich, dass der Ausstoß von Nanopartikeln und anderen Schadstoffen, im Vergleich zu den Ergebnissen auf dem Rollenprüfstand, auf der Straße massiv ansteigt. Deutlich höhere Emissionen gibt es jedoch auch im Labor, sobald die Testbedingungen einem realistischeren Fahrverhalten angepasst werden. Aus diesem Grund fordert die DUH eine rasche und umfassende Markteinführung entsprechender Abgasreinigungstechnologie, wie sie bei Dieselmotoren seit langer Zeit im Einsatz ist. Die Abgasprüfstelle der Fachhochschule Bern hatte die Emissionen eines Hyundai 30 GDI (1.6 L) und eines VW Golf VII TSI 1.4 L in verschiedenen Messzyklen sowie in jeweils fünf gleichen Straßenfahrten pro Fahrzeug ermittelt. Zur Messung von Nanopartikeln verwendete die AFHB ein „on board“-Gerät (NanoMet 3). Anschließend vermaß die Abgasprüfstelle beide Autos auf dem Prüfstand nach dem „Neuen Europäischen Fahrzyklus“ (NEFZ) und dem sogenannten Autobahnzyklus, der im Vergleich zum NEFZ einen realitätsnäheren Fahrbetrieb simuliert. Den Autobahnzyklus führte sie beim Golf einmal ohne und einmal mit eingebautem Partikelfilter durch. Während der VW Golf im NEFZ-Zyklus sowohl die ab 2014 als auch ab 2017 geltenden Grenzwerte für Partikelanzahl einhielt, blieb der Hyundai nur unter den schwächeren Grenzwerten für 2014. Auf der Straße zeigte sich dagegen ein gänzlich anderes Bild: Die Emissionen des Golf stiegen stark an und waren höher als die des Hyundai. Der im Golf für einen zweiten Durchlauf eingebaute Partikelfilter verringerte den Ausstoß fast vollständig.
Subaru of America, Inc. and Center for Pet Safety (CPS), a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit research and consumer advocacy organization, announced today the results of the 2015 Crate and Carrier Crashworthiness Studies - a collaborative initiative to examine the effectiveness and safety of pet crates and carriers in the event of a crash. After several eye-opening and informative tests - including instances of complete failure - three top products emerged; CPS has selected the Gunner Kennels G1 Intermediate with 8’ Tie Down Straps as the 2015 Top Performing Crate and both the PetEgo Forma Frame Jet Set Carrier with ISOFIX-Latch Connection and Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed with PPRS Handilock as the 2015 Top Performing Carriers.
To view the multimedia news release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7074157-subaru-pet-safety/
Abbott and the United States Department of Defense today announced a collaboration with the intent to develop portable blood tests to help evaluate potential concussions, also called mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). As part of a multi–phased approach, the tests would be developed for Abbott’s i–STAT® System, a handheld, diagnostic analyzer that is currently used for other point-of-care testing, including among military service members. Concussions are a significant health concern for military service members.1 With the development of new tests, physicians could use the information to positively impact the care of people with a suspected concussion.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7293951-abbott-u-s-department-of-defense-develop-portable-blood-tests-concussions/
