2013

At a recent conference, a researcher from the United Kingdom-based MIRA voiced his concerns about the proliferation of apps that have the potential to distract drivers from their immediate environment, and his opinion is likely shared by anyone who has seen a driver looking down at their phone rather than focusing on the road. He… read more

A Russian company has developed a motorcycle helmet that seeks to dramatically improve safety for riders.  Known as LiveMap, the device features a series of directional and informational feeds displayed directly on the rider’s visor.  In this manner, the rider is able to see a map of the area along with their current path, and… read more

As medical devices become more and more complex, they also may become open to hackers looking to gain access to the device.  Such is the fear of the Food and Drug Administration, which has just released a report to Congress seeking to stress the importance of cyber security. In particular, the FDA worries that oversights… read more

Many changes have been made to our automobiles to improve safety over the years, but one component that has remained relatively stagnant has been the license plate.  The designs might change, but it’s still essentially a piece of metal stamped with an identification number.  In South Carolina, however, that could change if officials agree to… read more

A group of teenagers from Londonderry, New Hampshire has come up with a device that seeks to curtail distracted driving.  Known as the SmartWheel, the technology utilizes a series of sensors placed along the average steering wheel.  These sensors can actually determine if a person has only one hand on the wheel or in a… read more

Things have been somewhat quiet on the autonomous vehicle front, but that doesn’t mean that regulators have forgotten about this promising technology.  Self-driving cars from Google seem to be more a matter of when than if, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the United States Department of Transportation want to make sure that… read more

Increasingly worried about the common nature of crashes related to fatigued driving, particularly in the mining industry, Caterpillar will begin offering drivers a $20,000 system known as Driver Safety Solution that keeps track of signals which could be indicative of a driver falling asleep. Different from other systems in that it doesn’t require any additional… read more

General Motors is taking steps to make the recall process go a lot more smoothly, and they’re doing so by harnessing technology. Until recently, the speed with which a recall could be issued by GM was limited because of the way that information about a potential safety problem was gathered.  If a problem were to… read more

With distracted driving more prevalent than it’s ever been, numerous apps are being rolled out in order to help curb the habit.  A new report takes a look at three such apps, and gaining a better understanding of each could help you choose the system that’s right for your lifestyle. First up for review is… read more

It’s important to draw attention to the threat posed by distracted driving.  When your mind is taken away from the road by a text message or a phone call, you’re unable to react to changes in driving conditions as fast as you otherwise would be able to, and the door is thus left open to… read more

Safety advocates descended on Washington D.C. yesterday to urge the government to act immediately on legislation requiring all new vehicles to come equipped with rearview cameras, the thought being that the increased prevalence of such technology would drastically reduce the number of back-up accidents that occur across the country. At the moment, automakers may elect… read more

Google Glass has the potential to completely alter the way we interact with our surrounding environment.  Basically a pair of glasses that offers up a host of information to the person wearing the device, the technology aims to provide the sort of Heads-Up Display that was heretofore the purview of videogames. But some worry what… read more