DEATH PROOFING CARS?

DEATH-PROOF CARS?

The Swedish engineers at Volvo now claim that their formerly “boxy-but-safe” automobiles will soon be death proof!

By 2020, they claim, no one will again suffer a fatality or even be seriously injured one of their new Volvo vehicles!

Fatality-free vehicles are not unprecedented. In fact, some already exist, and they're not just Volvos. According to data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there are nine (9) vehicle models in which no one in the United States has died in at least four years.

Much of that is safety related technology like seat belts, air bags and antilock brakes.  A martial artist will tell you, no one is hurt in a fight that is avoided. Likewise, crash avoidance is the order of the day.

Most of the technology that's required for autonomous driving is already available from Volvo and other carmakers. These are newer technologies that they promise will, essentially, make it “crash-proof.”

Pedestrian and large animal protections: Night vision cameras alert the driver to the drunk in the road, or the suicidal deer. In some models, the car will apply the brakes if you do not.

Adaptive Cruise: Adaptive cruise control is basically distance-sensing radar that allows you to program a speed that is then safely maintained by the car itself. The system does not allow you to run up on the vehicle ahead of you. There are some systems that work the same way even without the cruise engaged.

Lane Departure: The car with this system can see lane lines and road edges. Your seat vibrates to warn you to correct before you run off the road. Newer models actually steer back independently. (This feature frightens me a bit).

Autonomous Cars: Many makers, including Volvo, have announced fully autonomous cars will be in showrooms by 2020. These can be summoned by a phone to come to you and pick you up. No driver will be needed.

Those born today may the last generation to experience the following:

1.              Getting a driver license.

2.              Driving a stick shift.

3.              Riding a bus to school driven by a person.

4.              Traffic deaths killing several of their friends before age 25.

5.              Having a wreck.

6.              Getting a ticket.

That machines are here to stay. Soon, they will be here to pick you up.

DRIVING DROWSY

DROWSY DRIVING

Accidents that are caused by drowsy driving are quite similar in evidence to those caused by drunken driving:

-No skid marks or evidence of braking;

-No evidence of evasion or swerving;
This is sometimes also what we find in texting and driving crashes as well.  Why do we have more drowsy driving car accidents?

-More people are sleep-deprived these days.  With the unusual work schedules now common at places like FedEx, the airlines, fire departments, and others, there are more people working at night than there once were.  Workers who have shifts at night have to fight the natural urge to stay awake during the day and sleep at dark. It takes time to get that reversed, so shift variations actually tend to hurt rather than help.

-School demands study time that usually winds up being at night. Many of us pulled all-nighters while in college or graduate school, only to find out that our performance actually suffered. Still, students like me who often worked and went to school were sleep-deprived for long periods.

-The faltering economy continues to create less jobs and more people have to work two jobs just to get by.  As a result, irregular work hours can create a tiredness that is hard to fight while driving.

-Commutes continue to lengthen. We have come a long way from the European standard of the shopkeeper working downstairs and living upstairs in one building. Currently, work is often a 30-45 minute drive away from home. That is plenty of time to get drowsy.

-Car comforts continue to expand. When I drive my old 1977 Ford pick up truck, it is a loud, windy and vibration-filled experience, even at modest speeds. In my modern vehicles, however, even at interstate speeds, vehicles are warm, smooth and comfortable. This tends to call on the Sandman much swifter than our old beaters would ever allow.
But, technology in some of the newest cars is trying to rescue us from ourselves. For now, it is luxury manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz that offer ways to wake you if your head bobs downward or you leave a traffic lane. Lane departure warnings are even now present in the Suburban models.

Driving drowsy is every bit as dangerous as driving drunk. Don't take the risk.

Mr. Peel seeks justice for those injured in car accidents, work place incidents, medical malpractice, and nursing homes. He often addresses churches, clubs and groups without charge. Mr. Peel may be reached through PeelLawFirm.com wherein other articles may be accessed.

CARS AS CHARACTERS

Cars as Characters

Like most guys, I like cars and trucks. They sometimes represent how we feel about ourselves or what we think is important.

Certain cars seem to reflect a time in our lives. For instance, when I think of the “General Lee” (1969 Dodge Charger R/T) from “Dukes of Hazzard,” I recall scenes form my childhood, usually some after-school snacking.

The highly modified 1969 Dodge Charger had the doors welded shut so you had to climb in and out through the windows. The bright orange Charger featured “01″ on both sides and had a huge Confederate flag on the top. I think I even played Dixie when you blew the horn. What was really amazing was its uncanny ability to squeal its tires on dirt roads! There several of these cars and one sold at auction for $450,000.

Many other vehicles really became their own characters. You can probably add some. I bet you remember these as well.

I now only loved the television version of the Ferrari 308 GTS used in “Magnum, P.I.,” I love my Matchbox and Hot Wheels versions. Affable Tom Selleck made this one famous. He also made all of us want to be head of security for an estate in Hawaii.

A similar series that really made the car the main character featured the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am used in “Knight Rider.” David Hasselhoff was second-fiddle to “KITT,” the black talking car with the cool red scanner in the hood. It even drove itself.

This was not the first cool black Trans Am. Remember “Smokey and the Bandit?” Eastbound and down? The black 1977 Trans Am with the obnoxious golden firebird covering the ample hood? In that movie we learned that, for some reason, Coors used to be illegal east of the Mississippi. Second only to Star Wars that year, this movie was an epic hit.

How is that two of this list are basically the same car? Black Trans Ams. And now, you cannot even buy one, or even a Pontiac at all. Pontiac closed up shop a couple years back.

Speaking of cool black cars, was there even one cooler at the time than the Batmobile? I had no idea what kind of car it was, but turns out it was a 1955 Ford Lincoln Futura concept car. You might recall the silliness of the predicaments Batman and Robin found themselves in, or the childish “Bam!” graphics when Batman really slugged the bad guy, but you cannot forget the Batmobile.

If we are talking silly, another intelligent car must be included. Not because it is cool. It is imposible for a VW to be cool to me, but the “Love Bug,” alias “Herbie,” was a cute little 1964 Volkswagen Beetle.

From silly to scary, I must also mention the creepier cars. “Christine,” the red 1958 Plymouth Fury that terrorized us all. The movie “Ghostbusters” (was that really made back in 1984?) featured the Ectomobile (Ecto-1)which really was a1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance. Who ya gonna call?

But there are two character cars that stand out to me as the coolest ever. I base this on the highly scientific view that I would still want to driver either of these even now. The first is “Bullitt’s” dark green 1968 Mustang GT 390 CID Fastback piloted by Steve McQueen’s fastback through San Francisco in the most famous car chase in movie history. By the way, it was being pursued by a pretty cool black 1968 Dodge Charger 440 Magnum. I was surprised to find that the chase was shot at normal film speed, though it looks downright frenetic.

A very different kind of cool, British cool, is shown by the tastefully powerful 1963 Aston Martin DB5 driven by none other than, “Bond…James Bond,” in “Goldfinger.” It currently sits in The Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. But if it ever sells, it will be a large number. One DB5 used in Goldfinger and Thunderball was auctioned for over $4,000,000. I guess someone else thought it was cool, too.

But the coolest to me, is nowhere near the most expensive. Nor is it the fastest. Shoot, it’s just a V6. But it was the hit Michael J. Fox movie, “Back to the Future” which introduced most of the world to the 1982 DeLorean DMC-12. The stainless steel car had gull wing doors. Oh, and a flux capacitor that sent it back in time. Though made in real life (without the flux capacitor) they were slow and unreliable. When John DeLorean was indicted on drug charges, they became extinct. Oddly, he beat the charges, but the company went bankrupt. I understand a new company has started to make them again, up to more modern standards. They need to at least be faster than a SUV to look that cool.

So there is my list. If you want to drop off a DeLorean for me, please have it turbo-charged first. What would you add to this list?

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