Even the lowly automotive crash test dummy had to be adapted to consider the rising number of obese people from all over the world. These human-like substitutes took the place of real people when the tests began to involve lethal forces that would have surely cut short the life of any volunteer (they actually used real people to test the effectivity of seatbelts when they were invented in real crashes). The newest versions of these unsung heroes of the automotive industry have thousands of sensors embedded within them to monitor all aspects of a crash to see whether an impact is survivable or not. Even with current high-power computers, actual crash tests are still conducted for they offer aspects of a crash that cannot all be factored by computers which rely on input. Real crash shows the way an actual human-like body would bounce around giving designers better insight on how to design their cars better.
The results of these crash tests have saved millions of lives with better designs and innovations such as crumple zones that absorb the impact of the crash from reaching the passengers of the vehicles. The reinforcement of the safety cage is also another design result from test crashes wherein a vehicle is constructed in a way to maximize the survival of it’s passengers by maintaining a survivable space in the cab where they are located.
Recent accidents that have involved obese people which are not factored into crash tests due to their falling out of the normal range in terms of body mass and structure resulting in fatal crashes. Auto manufacturers have been forced to reconsider their needs and thus have added a couple of obese dummies in their quest o satisfy all their customers. Obesity is a rising problem in the US and elsewhere with many getting well out of the standard data sets of body size, height and weight proportions crash test dummies were usually designed to, factoring them in allows manufacturers and designers to make their vehicles safe for all people from all walks of life.
Next in line, is technology that is mostly associated with fighter jets rather than cars. Done guessing? Its HUD’s or Head’s Up Display which display’s information onto the windshield eliminating the need, again to turn your head to change the song that is currently being played on the audio system and other car functions such as the current speed. Smarter GPS systems are getting smarter, for as more and more systems go online, so does your car. The LR2 from Land Rover has a GPS navigation system that has the ability to give directions to all the nearest emergency facilities such as hospitals. Along with the many other information such as directions, the nearest restaurant and distance from destination GPS is continuing to become more than a way top track your car and progress but enables the car to become smarter. Some vehicles have rear-view cameras that assists the driver when backing up which is usually the hardest thing to do, especially with large or high vehicles. Voice recognition technology is also finding its way into the auto industry allowing the driver to keep his eyes on the road instead of looking for the volume button or change channel on the audio system. Tied up to all the high tech systems on board, it can be used to control almost anything; the sunroof, cell phone, navigation system and much more. In the US, tire monitoring systems have become mandatory since September 1, 2007 and they have the ability to show the pressure of all four tires. Some models also have smart air pressure systems that automatically add or bleed air to maintain equal pressures as needed.
When we think of the fastest cars on earth, we think big gas guzzling V-8 engines crammed with as much turbos as possible to give the driver that Oomph. Hybrids are those ugly lab experiments that not only fail the “look’s good” category but doesn’t give much power at all. Well, you might have to re-think that notion, for we welcome the entry of the fastest Hybrid Car on earth.
Dodge’s SVS Power Viper, the name is synonymous with power and muscle which was what it was designed to do. The American automobile industry has produced more muscle cars in the automobile’s short history followed by the Europeans with their Porche’s, Buggati’s and McLaren’s and many more.
The ethanol or also called E85 powered Dodge Viper (which by the way uses the same engine as the gas powered version which does get more speed, but hey that’s not the issue here. The Viper can reach a respectable 220 mph. / 352 kmh. which is not all too bad for an alcohol fueled car. This shows how easily existing technology can be adapted to use more cleaner fuels that produce less pollution than their oil-based counterparts. The shift to more environmentally-friendly fuels has become more of a necessity than a fad or technology hype due to ever-increasing environmental problems plaguing us today.
This particular Dodge boasts a twin-turbocharged ethanol powered, 8.3 liter V10 engine that gives it a maximum power output of 1,200 horsepower. Now that’s POWER, for a car that’s categorized as a hybrid that is.
Jaren here… signing on to STUDY DRIVING blog…
This my introduction as I like to do away with formalities.
Thank you very much for a chance to join the crew and share my experiences in driving, car care tips, and a whole lot more.
Watch out for my posts, and I’m sure will have fun while learning the mystical art of driving defensively, and understanding the hieroglyphics we call street signs, and zen of washing cars.
Nope, this isn’t a post about always wearing your seat belt, but an introduction.
I’m Luis, another student of the road, and I’ll be joining Sonnie and Angelo here at Study Driving. This is the first time I’ll be writing about driving per se, so I’m buckling up and getting ready to go.
Of course, since we’ve already brought it up – always wear a seat belt. Why? We’ll discuss that in another post.
This is Sonnie, the blogging hr generalist, now signing on. I will be working with Angelo to give you field reports as we traverse and learn the art of driving in the jungle roads of Metro.
I’ll be filming some videos soon. First up will be the shuffle steering technique I earlier wrote about. Then I’ll probably record something on how to properly drive with a manual transmission. The text I cited was descriptive enough, but audiovisuals are better. And I don’t believe I’ve seen any comprehensive video tutorial online yet (most discuss the _hows_ but don’t really show videos of how you use the clutch properly).
Any other video requests? Just not drifting or trick driving please. At least not until I master them myself (and also get a test car to use as I wouldn’t want to waste my tires and suspension).
Welcome to Study Driving! Here we help you with all sorts of things about cars and driving. We’ll feature guides and articles about better driving, defensive driving, how to save on gas, and even what to look for when buying a car.
The site is still being conceptualized and designed so please bear with us. We’ll be posting updates every so often.
Even the lowly automotive crash test dummy had to be adapted to consider the rising number of obese people from all over the world. These human-like substitutes took the place of real people when the tests began to involve lethal forces that would have surely cut short the life of any volunteer (they actually used real people to test the effectivity of seatbelts when they were invented in real crashes). The newest versions of these unsung heroes of the automotive industry have thousands of sensors embedded within them to monitor all aspects of a crash to see whether an impact is survivable or not. Even with current high-power computers, actual crash tests are still conducted for they offer aspects of a crash that cannot all be factored by computers which rely on input. Real crash shows the way an actual human-like body would bounce around giving designers better insight on how to design their cars better.
