The 3 best roadside emergency car kits of 2021

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky Roadside emergency car kits provide all-in-one assistance in case your vehicle breaks down. Our top picks are full of practical supplies like bandages, jumper cables, and even reflective materials.The is our favorite with 110 pieces, including first-aid.Don't think of roadside emergency kits as "just in case" purchases; if you are ever in a situation where you'd need them, they're invaluable. When my car broke down on the side of the road during torrential ra...
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2021 Nissan Rogue Becomes Perfect SUV for People With Thrill-Seeking Friends

The 2021 Nissan Rogue has bombed the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s front passenger-side crash test with a score of two stars. Since we’re not using the Michelin Guide, this is a stain on the freshly pressed slacks Nissan has put on as part of its all-important restructuring strategy. The automaker has been shedding weight, dropping […] The post 2021 Nissan Rogue Becomes Perfect SUV for People With Thrill-Seeking Friends appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Safety, Testing, Autos, Nissan, Nhtsa, Nissan Rogue, Rogue, IIHS, Crash Test, News Blog, Automotive Safety, 2021 Nissan Rogue, Front Overlap

Honda Recalls 1.4 Million Vehicles in Multiple Campaigns

On Tuesday, Honda announced a bevy of recalls encompassing more than 1.4 million automobiles sold in the United States. Split between several campaigns, the recalls encompass everything from dissolving driveshafts to bum window controls that could potentially result in a vehicle fire. According to reports issued via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the first […] The post Honda Recalls 1.4 Million Vehicles in Multiple Campaigns appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Safety, Repair, Recalls, Autos, Honda, Quality Control, Acura, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Vehicle Safety, News Blog, Vehicle Repair, Driveshaft, Automotive Safety, Corrosion, Vehicle Fire, United States Split

Honda’s Newest Product: Blind-spot Monitoring for Children

While every other developed nation has been struggling unsuccessfully to catch up, Japan remains ground zero for adorable robots and Honda is continuing the trend with its new traffic-safety gizmo. Intended to advise young children on how to proceed through intersections, the product is really more like blind-spot-monitoring for kids than a full-on robotic entity. […] The post Honda’s Newest Product: Blind-spot Monitoring for Children appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Japan, Safety, Robots, Autos, Honda, Asimo, Pedestrian Safety, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Safety Equipment, Ropot

NHTSA Begins Regulatory Proceedings for Autonomous Safety, You Can Help

Safety regulators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said they were opening formal regulatory proceedings to establish new safety standards for autonomous vehicles on Thursday. However, before the NHTSA can get into proposing new rules that will influence how cars that can control themselves will be handled by the U.S. government, it wants […] The post NHTSA Begins Regulatory Proceedings for Autonomous Safety, You Can Help appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Safety, Government, Regulation, Autos, Autonomous Vehicles, Department Of Transportation, Dot, Nhtsa, Ntsb, Avs, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Self Driving, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Safety Regulation

IIHS Study Underlines the Perils of Driver Disengagement

It turns out there’s a name for the false sense of security provided by modern driving aids. According to researchers with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AgeLab, the phenomenon is called “driver disengagement” and it’s assumed to be a contributing factor to roadways fatalities. The duo recently published […] The post IIHS Study Underlines the Perils of Driver Disengagement appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Technology, Safety, Distracted Driving, Studies, Autos, Ads, Reports, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety IIHS, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Studies & Reports, Advanced Driving Aids, Driver Disengagement

Hyundai Being Sued Over Kona Electric Fires, LG Chem on Deck

Hyundai Motor Co. is being sued over a series of battery fires in its electric vehicles in Asia — specifically in relation to the otherwise-enjoyable Kona EV. Though it hardly seems fair to single out Hyundai when General Motors recently issued a recall encompassing 68,677 electric vehicles with batteries manufactured by LG Chem. Interestingly, Hyundai’s 74,000-strong […] The post Hyundai Being Sued Over Kona Electric Fires, LG Chem on Deck appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Asia, South Korea, Safety, General Motors, Recalls, Korea, Gm, Lawsuits, Autos, EVs, Hyundai, Kona, Hyundai Motor Co, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Battery Electric Vehicles

Toyota’s Fuel Pump Recall Reaches 3.3 Million Vehicles in U.S.

Toyota has added another 1.5 million vehicles to the fuel pump recall instituted at the start of 2020, bringing the grand total to 3.34 million units. While the original recall accounts for models stretching all the way back to 2013, the manufacturer announced on Wednesday that the newest additions encompass Toyota and Lexus products assembled […] The post Toyota’s Fuel Pump Recall Reaches 3.3 Million Vehicles in U.S. appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Recalls, Lexus, Autos, Toyota, Toyota Motor Corp, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Safety Recall, Fuel Pump

NHTSA Launching Investigation Into Chevy Bolt Fires

According to the very people trying to sell them, electric vehicles are slated to become the hottest commodity on the automotive market since the Ford Pinto, Pontiac Fiero, or Ferrari 458 Italia. But, following a swath of highly publicized fires, there’s been this creeping narrative that there may be some unaddressed safety concerns pertaining to EVs. […] The post NHTSA Launching Investigation Into Chevy Bolt Fires appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Safety, General Motors, Electric Vehicles, Gm, Autos, Fire Risk, Bolt, Chevrolet, EVs, Nhtsa, Chevy Bolt, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Battery Fires, Ford Pinto Pontiac Fiero

NTSB Claims Half of U.S. Fire Departments Can’t Handle EV Fires

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been outstanding when it some to destroying whatever illusions we’ve built up around ourselves in terms of automotive security. When the Department of Transportation was claiming advanced driving aids would eventually lead us to a future where car accidents were a thing of the past, the NTSB was […] The post NTSB Claims Half of U.S. Fire Departments Can’t Handle EV Fires appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Electric Vehicles, Fema, Autos, Fire Risk, Department Of Transportation, Ntsb, National Transportation Safety Board, National Fire Protection Association, National Transportation Safety Board NTSB, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Car Fire, Battery Fire, Safety Training, Electric Charging, Battery Fires

Motorcycles Set to Embrace Electronic Nannies, Thanks Ducati

On Tuesday, Ducati announced it would be adding adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring to the Multistrada V4 — effectively making it the first production motorcycle in the world to receive such features. While chucking front and rear-facing radar onto an automobile has become relatively common, motorbikes haven’t been getting them. Pricing remains the largest concern […] The post Motorcycles Set to Embrace Electronic Nannies, Thanks Ducati appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Safety, Motorcycles, Ducati, Editorials, Autos, News Blog, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automotive Safety, Motorbikes, Blind Spot Monitoring, Advanced Driving Aids

Honda Confirms Another Death Related to Takata Airbag Defect

On Saturday, Honda Motor Co. confirmed another death linked to faulty Takata airbag inflation units. While this is the seventeenth known fatality within the United States related to the defect, at least 26 deaths have been tabulated globally with nearly 300 injuries on the books since 2009. But it’s assumed the actual numbers are quite […] The post Honda Confirms Another Death Related to Takata Airbag Defect appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Safety, United States, Recalls, Autos, Takata, Honda, Nhtsa, Honda Motor Co, Takata Airbag Recall, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Takata Airbag Defect

Euro NCAP Develops Assisted Driving Assessment, Bashes Autopilot

The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) has finished a study on driver assistance systems and issued some moderately surprising results. While nowhere near comprehensive enough to be the ultimate authority on self-driving cars, it did give us a taste of Europe’s new grading system and how it will be implemented as more vehicles […] The post Euro NCAP Develops Assisted Driving Assessment, Bashes Autopilot appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Europe, Safety, Tesla, Editorials, Testing, Studies, Autos, Autonomous Vehicles, Autopilot, NCAP, Self Driving, News Blog, Euro NCAP, Automotive Safety, Studies & Reports, Safety Tests

J.D. Power Reveals What Owners Find Annoying About Automotive Technology

Today’s automobiles are loaded with the kind of technology our grandparents could only dream about. Unfortunately, some dreams aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, and we’ve often bemoaned the many annoyances associated with modern vehicles. J.D. Power recently shared its Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study, which has been modified to better assess specific features […] The post J.D. Power Reveals What Owners Find Annoying About Automotive Technology appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Technology, Safety, Studies, Autos, Surveys, J.d. Power, Automotive Technology, Reports, News Blog, Pedestrian Detection, Automotive Safety, Automatic Emergency Braking, Studies & Reports, Driving Aids, Advanced Driving Aids

Are Modern Driving Assistance Features Unreliable? AAA Researchers Say Yes

The American Automobile Association (AAA) is recommending automakers limit the use of advanced driving aids after concluding they’re not really up to the challenge of providing reliable safety. Over the past two years, AAA has focused on testing crash prevention systems to see if they’re all manufacturers claim — deciding that while are useful in some […] The post Are Modern Driving Assistance Features Unreliable? AAA Researchers Say Yes appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Safety, Research, Studies, Autos, AAA, Reports, American Automobile Association, News Blog, American Automobile Association AAA, Automotive Safety, Sign of the Times, Automatic Emergency Braking, Studies & Reports, Lane Assist, Driving Assist, Advanced Driving Aids

IIHS Denounces Concept of Total Safety From Autonomous Cars

When the United States began passing legislation allowing automakers to begin testing self-driving vehicles on public roads, it was framed almost entirely as a safety issue. Proponents claimed that the only way to eliminate roadway fatalities was to take the human brain out of the equation and let cars drive themselves. Having enacted a similar […] The post IIHS Denounces Concept of Total Safety From Autonomous Cars appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Technology, Safety, Regulation, United States, Editorials, Studies, Autos, Automotive Industry, Autonomous Vehicles, Self-driving Cars, Car Accidents, Automotive Technology, Nhtsa, Avs, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS

Video: Tesla Slams Into Overturned Truck in Probable Autopilot Failure

A Tesla Model 3 became one with an overturned box truck in Taiwan on Monday, raising another red flag for advanced driver-assist features. Since we routinely crap upon driving aids — which never seem to work when and how you need them — we’ll keep this one under 650 words. Fortunately, our task has been made easier […] The post Video: Tesla Slams Into Overturned Truck in Probable Autopilot Failure appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Video, Technology, Safety, Tesla, Taiwan, Autos, Crashes, Tesla Motors, Automotive Technology, Model 3, Autopilot, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Driver Assistance, Automotive Tech, Advance Driving Aids

Auto Industry Squabbles With FCC, Promises to Use Allocated Bandwidth

Way back in 1999, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set aside frequencies so automobiles could communicate with surrounding infrastructure. Concepts included traffic monitoring, speed mitigation, data analysis, new opportunities for law enforcement, and improved self-driving capabilities. The industry never made much use of it, focusing instead on more independent autonomous vehicles that wouldn’t need help from […] The post Auto Industry Squabbles With FCC, Promises to Use Allocated B...
Tags: Technology, Fcc, Federal Communications Commission, Autos, Mobility, Connected Cars, Automotive Technology, Federal Communications Commission FCC, AAI, News Blog, Automotive Safety, V2X, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, 5.9 GHz, Allocated Bandwidth, Vehicle To Infrastructure

Annoy the Driver: IIHS Offers Its Two Cents on Improving Self-Driving Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has issued a set of guidelines for advanced driving aids, suggesting that the key to automated safety is making sure drivers are perpetually engaged with the vehicle’s operations. Unfortunately, this has turned out to be a Catch-22 scenario due to the way these systems function. Semi-autonomous features are […] The post Annoy the Driver: IIHS Offers Its Two Cents on Improving Self-Driving Safety appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Safety, Editorials, Studies, Autos, Autonomous Vehicles, Reports, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS, Self Driving, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety IIHS, News Blog, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automotive Safety, Studies & Reports, Driving Aids, Advanced Driving Aids

U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Reach Highest Level in Decades

While the preliminary data from the National Safety Council shows 2019 being a safer year for cars operating in America, its report noted continued concerns regarding pedestrian safety. Additional data gleaned from the Governors Highway Safety Association’s (GHSA) assessment of pedestrian deaths by state shows that those traveling outside of cars aren’t enjoying the same safety […] The post U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Reach Highest Level in Decades appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: America, Stats, Autos, Traffic Fatalities, Nhtsa, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Safety Council, Governors Highway Safety Association, Pedestrian Safety, News Blog, Pedestrian Deaths, Automotive Safety, GHSA

U.S. Traffic Deaths Decline for Second Year in a Row

The National Safety Council just released its estimates for U.S. roadway fatalities in 2019, and there’s good news to share. Deaths declined for the second consecutive year. According to the NSC, traffic fatalities reached an estimated 38,800 last year, representing a 2-percent decline from 2018 and and a 4-percent decline against 2017. While the NSC said […] The post U.S. Traffic Deaths Decline for Second Year in a Row appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Safety, Data, Stats, Figures, Studies, Autos, Traffic Fatalities, Reports, NSC, National Safety Council, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Roadway Deaths

GM’s Software Recall Just Causing More Brake Problems

General Motors is recalling around 128,500 vehicles in the United States over a previous fix that didn’t work as intended. The cars stem from a larger December callback that aimed, via a software flash, to mitigate braking problems on about 550,000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Cadillac CT6, and GMC Sierra 1500 models from 2019. GM says the solution […] The post GM’s Software Recall Just Causing More Brake Problems appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Repairs, Safety, General Motors, United States, Recalls, Gm, Autos, Chevrolet, Nhtsa, Onstar, Gmc, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Braking

Lyft Follows Uber, Promises to Prioritize Rider Safety

At the start of this month, Uber released a safety report in a bid to address concerns surrounding rider welfare. Not to be outdone, its main competitor also took steps to convince the masses that it’s also doing everything within its power to keep customers safe. Lyft is forming a council of experts to assist […] The post Lyft Follows Uber, Promises to Prioritize Rider Safety appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Lyft, Uber, Autos, Ride-sharing, Reports, Lyft Inc, News Blog, Ride-hailing, Automotive Safety, Ride-hailing Apps, Customer Safety, Safety Study

It’s a Slow Road to Rear-view Video, but Magna Says It’s Ready

Even though automakers routinely preview concept and prototype vehicles with camera mounts replacing traditional side and rear-view mirrors, you’ll have to wait a while before the technology makes its way to production vehicles. While Japan thinks ditching mirrors for a digital display is sugoi (Japanese for hunky-dory), other nations have maintained some amount of trepidation in […] The post It’s a Slow Road to Rear-view Video, but Magna Says It’s Ready appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Japan, Technology, Safety, Regulation, Autos, Automotive Technology, Mirrors, Magna International, Magna, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Camera Systems

Newly Released Uber Safety Report Focuses On Sexual Misconduct, Murder

Uber released its first safety report on Saturday, primarily to address concerns surrounding rider welfare. The media has become increasingly critical of Uber as a brand after its corporate culture was dubbed toxic — allegedly loaded with sexism and financial progress by any means necessary. Following a fatal accident involving one of the company’s autonomous test […] The post Newly Released Uber Safety Report Focuses On Sexual Misconduct, Murder appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Uber, Safety, Studies, Autos, Ride-sharing, Reports, Uber Technologies, News Blog, Ride-hailing, Automotive Safety, Studies & Reports, Ride-hailing Apps, Customer Safety, Safety Study

Another Gigantic Takata Airbag Recall Could Be Incoming

Automakers could be staring down the barrel of another brutally large airbag recall as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration evaluates the long-term safety of inflators manufactured by the now-bankrupt Takata. Earlier this month, the parts supplier announced a recall affecting 1.4 million additional vehicles following the death of a BMW driver. Several new injuries also stemmed from […] The post Another Gigantic Takata Airbag Recall Could Be Incoming appeared first on The Truth Abou...
Tags: Safety, Recalls, Autos, Bmw, Takata, Nhtsa, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Takata Airbag Recall, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Takata Earlier

Regulators, Mount Up: NTSB Presses NHTSA for Better Self-driving Safety

While the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) job isn’t to establish new regulations, it is obligated to enforce the country’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards while conducting crash investigations and making recommendations to other agencies on ways to improve vehicular safety. Lately, that job involves telling the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an agency that does write […] The post Regulators, Mount Up: NTSB Presses NHTSA for Better Self-driving Safety...
Tags: Safety, Regulators, Regulation, Autos, Autonomous Vehicles, Nhtsa, Ntsb, National Transportation Safety Board, Avs, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Self Driving, News Blog, Autonomous Systems, Automotive Safety, Autonomous Testing

IIHS Wants Bigger, Harder Crashes for Its Side Impact Tests

While the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has gradually evolved its testing procedures since its inception, it has hit the accelerator over the past few years, eager to crash into a new era of knowledge… Alright, so it actually just wanted to assess problematic crash trajectories and headlight safety for insurance companies. Still, they’ve been […] The post IIHS Wants Bigger, Harder Crashes for Its Side Impact Tests appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Safety, Autos, Automotive Industry, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS, News Blog, Automotive Safety, The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety IIHS, Crash Testing, Side-impact Crashes

Uber Establishes Oversight Board for Self-driving Development

Uber has formed an independent board tasked with overseeing its autonomous vehicle program. As outsiders, they’ll have no official authority within the company. But the six-member group will have direct access to executive years, and will be using them to advise the business on how best to test and deploy new technologies. Dubbed the Self-Driving Safety and […] The post Uber Establishes Oversight Board for Self-driving Development appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Uber, Safety, Autos, Autonomous Vehicles, Self-driving Cars, Oversight, Avs, Uber Technologies Inc, News Blog, Automotive Safety, Autonomous Safety, Uber Establishes Oversight Board

More Evidence Pedestrian Detection Systems Have Some Problems

It hasn’t even been a full month since the American Automobile Association (AAA) released a study showcasing the shortcomings of advanced driving aids and another damning report has come in — this time from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). While not nearly as bleak as the AAA study, the IIHS research put several models on […] The post More Evidence Pedestrian Detection Systems Have Some Problems appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Technology, Safety, Studies, Autos, AAA, Reports, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety IIHS, Pedestrian Safety, News Blog, American Automobile Association AAA, Pedestrian Detection, Automotive Safety, Advanced Driving Aids