Tag: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Recall Trend Highlights Electronic and Safety Systems

Recall Trend

Pre Collision System OffA disturbing trend appeared in the recalls (2015) we tracked since our last newsletter. Six recalls were issued involving automated electronic systems, including safety systems directly and indirectly. And they simply got more troublesome through the course of the month.

  • First, GM recalled 51,000 Spark, Sonic models for radio, warning glitch. The warning glitch included chimes that would warn of the keys left in the ignition or of a seat belt that is not in use.
  • Next, Nissan recalled 14,595 vehicles for a sticky start/stop button. In hot temperatures, the engine start/stop button in affected vehicles may stick inside the button housing.
  • Ford then recalled 433,000 vehicles for a faulty body control module that can prevent affected vehicles from turning off, even if the key is removed from the ignition or stop/start button has been pressed.
  • Ford followed that up with a 393,623 vehicle recall for electric power steering assist systems that may shut down due to a sensor fault.
  • EyeSight Off Indicator SymbolSubaru then recalled 72,000 cars with its EyeSight active safety system for a brake light switch that can interfere with the software that triggers the automatic braking.
  • And finally, as we were putting this item together, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles issued a recall to address remote hacking of some of its vehicles – after hackers took control of Jeep remotely!

Right now, manufacturers expect drivers to put their safety in their hands in an ever expanding universe of new electronic systems. Over time, car makers fully expect that drivers will eventually agree to cede all control of their cars to the car itself, and thus to its manufacturer.

Power steering that could shut off? Braking that is to rely on the car “seeing” what is ahead? Cars that can’t be shut off or a start/stop button that is stuck? Cars that fall under the control of hackers??

A Call to Action

The industry had better get this right, and while the recalls in these cases are supposed to set things right, things need to be a whole lot righter than they are now. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is actively involved in research into in-vehicle crash avoidance systems, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications that support crash avoidance applications, and self-driving vehicles themselves. We truly hope they have their eye on the ball. These kinds of problems need to be addressed before systems hit the streets – before recalls are needed!

And here’s a question we have not seen asked: When your car gets to truly driving itself, will this mean that the manufacturer will then hold accident liability? Hell, do they now for current automated safety systems? Will we get to cancel our auto policies down the road?

We’ll find out soon enough.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/07/recall-trend-highlights-electronic-and-safety-systems/

Beyond Airbag Recalls: The Danger of Sitting Too Close

Don’t Sit Too Close

We retweet important automotive recall notices for the safety of our followers. Lately the vast majority revolve around the widening recall of Takata air bags. Millions of cars and drivers are affected, and in light of this, I couldn’t ignore something that I had seen some months ago.

While driving a busy four lane highway, I was passed by a young woman in an SUV traveling at a pretty high rate of speed, clearly in a hurry to get wherever she needed to get. But what got my attention was her position behind the wheel. She was sitting bolt upright, using her arms to hold herself forward with her chin literally riding above the steering wheel.

Simply put, if this is her typical sitting posture when driving, and it quite likely is, in the event of the deployment of the driver’s air bag, this young woman stands no chance of survival. Not with a good air bag and certainly not one that has been recalled. She is too close to the wheel.

Air bags save lives and prevent injuries by cushioning occupants as they move forward in a front-end crash. To do this, an air bag must deploy quickly and forcefully. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the force is greatest in the first 2 to 3 inches after the air bag bursts through its cover and begins to inflate.

How Close Is Too Close?

The NHTSA calls those 2 to 3 inches the “risk zone” where an occupant can be hit with enough force to suffer serious injury or death. Conversely, a properly restrained driver or passenger sitting 10 inches away from the air bag cover will “contact the air bag only after it has completely or almost completely inflated.”

The driver I saw was nearly leaning directly against the steering wheel.

This is a failure of us all: driving instructors, license testers, friends, family, anyone who has ever driven with someone who sits too close to the steering wheel and said nothing.

Driving is a learned behavior as is the position and posture we get comfortable with behind the wheel. Changing any of it is not an easy thing, nor will be bringing it to someone’s attention.

But if you know someone who sits too close to the steering wheel, try anyway. Show them the NHTSA website. Show them this article. The life you save might be your loved one.

And start with this: it might be a simple as changing the seat or steering wheel settings.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/05/beyond-airbag-recalls-the-danger-of-sitting-too-close/

Touch or No Touch: Touch Screens Aren’t for Everything!

Touch Screens Aren’t for Everything

The 38th Automotive News World Congress, held as part of last week’s (Jan. 2014) Detroit Auto Show, featured a number of industry executives, including AutoNation boss Mike Jackson. AutoNation is the largest auto retailer in the U.S. with 210 stores coast to coast.

After talking growth and inventory levels, he took some time to discuss in-vehicle technology (at about the 1:40 mark at the link provided).

He said that customers want to “bring their life” into the car, which is to say their smart phone and all its functionality. That’s not news. What is news is what this automotive insider with a bit of experience has to say about touch screens.

Jackson cites Tesla, which uses its center stack (center mounted) touch screen in the Model S to control nearly everything, eliminating nearly all buttons and knobs. No manufacturer has so thoroughly embraced the touch screen. He flat out says “I don’t think that’s the future,” meaning that having to move one’s attention to a screen to find the right spot to touch for just the right amount of time is an unnecessary distraction. And we would add potentially dangerous.

Thanks for the Support

We’ve made this very point before, several times, and it’s truly great to hear someone with some actual clout in the industry back us up. Touch implies the use of only a finger, but the reality is that a touch screen takes more eye attention than a knob or button.

It is true that space for new features is a real issue, but so is keeping a driver’s eyes on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has set voluntary guidelines for touch-screen systems that call for a drivers’ attention be drawn for no more than two seconds at a time, which is still an eternity at 60 miles per hour.

There simply has to be a role for knobs and buttons and rocker switches, etc. Well placed, they can be accessed with just a glance or even by feel.

This of course assumes that solid, error-free voice recognition remains a distant objective.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2014/01/touch-or-no-touch-those-screens-arent-for-everything/

Technology vs Distraction: Technology Charges On

Technology vs Distraction

Two recent articles, one in the New York Times and another from Automotive News, have been on our minds of late. Both discuss the issues of the driver distractions caused by new technologies, primarily touch screens. We noticed that there are potential solutions in the mix.

One of the plusses that accompanies the knobs and levers now being replaced by touch screens is the very sense of touch that is conversely missing from ‘touch’ screens. A driver can reach for a knob with a single glance and know with its movement that an adjustment has been made. Unfortunately, auto makers are simply running out of real estate in the dashboard for new features, and a touch screen can accommodate the additions. The electronics can also receive software updates.

As we noted in an earlier article, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has set voluntary guidelines for touch-screen systems that call for a drivers’ attention be drawn for no more than two seconds at a time and 12 seconds total, which can be an eternity at 60 miles per hour. Solutions are few and far between, but Cadillac is using touch sensitive areas for some functions on its screens that vibrate a bit when manipulated to combat the attention problem. It is a step in the right direction.

Former transportation secretary Ray LaHood was the subject of the New York Times article, which had him railing at the distraction problems being introduced by new technologies. He went so far as to suggest that new, connected devices that steal attention from the task of driving “can be as alluring as alcohol”. And of course, car companies advertise them as fashionable – who doesn’t want to know where the nearest Italian restaurant is when your significant other asks?

He also complained that one potential solution, voice-recognition systems, simply do not yet meet his standard for safety. They can produce errors that can then cause their set of distractions! Add in wind, occupant noise and simple driving noises and there becomes a mountain of problems to overcome.

We still think that instrument panel Warning Lights provide their own unique set of distractions, not to mention Dead Key FOBs so please keep our site bookmarked.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2013/08/technology-vs-distraction-technology-charges-on/

Two Second Rule: Distraction Guidelines Seek to Limit Eyes on Text

Limit Eyes on Text

In order to keep a driver’s eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recommended disabling several operations in a vehicle unless the vehicle is stopped and in park. It is also recommending a limit to the amount of time a driver must take their eyes off the road to perform a single task to 2 seconds and six screen touches in 12 seconds to perform a task. These could include changing the radio station, adjusting temperature or answering a phone call using a car’s built-in hands-free software.

The recommendations are the result of findings from a new NHTSA naturalistic driving study, which showed that visual-manual tasks associated with hand-held phones and other portable devices increased the risk of getting into a crash by a factor of three.

The operations recommended to be disabled, unless stopped and in park, would include manual text entry for the purposes of text messaging and internet browsing; video-based entertainment and communications; and the display of certain types of text, including text messages, web pages, social media content.

Yes, everyday electronics in use while driving trumps random and occasional instrument panel distraction. Our concern is that the issue will remain under the radar until someone is injured or worse, much like the stop light that is only installed after repeated accidents at the same street corner. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Compliance Timeline

Automakers will have three years to retool electronic navigation and entertainment systems in order to comply as the final guidelines are phased in. And NHTSA Administrator David L. Strickland said the agency will consider including the distraction guidelines in its New Car Assessment Program, which is the basis of the government’s five-star safety light vehicle ratings system.

Truly the growing everyday use of electronics while driving are a proven danger and the agency should be applauded for the solid data backing up the guidelines. However, the elephant in the room remains the impact on a driver that a warning light has when it pops on while driving. Or worse, multiple lights. Or worse yet, an associated text message on the information displays embedded in today’s instrument panels. How about the growing use by manufacturers of fuel economy and battery life readouts? The impact on and time used by driver’s in these case should be considered as well.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2013/04/two-second-rule-distraction-guidelines-seek-to-limit-eyes-on-text/