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DRIVE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2015

AUTO SAFETY RATINGSTO INCLUDE COLLISION PREVENTION SYSTEMS

BY JOAN LOWY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Thegovernment has announcedplans to update its safetyrating system for newcars and trucks to includewhether the vehicle hastechnology to avoid crashes,in addition to how wellit protects occupants inaccidents.

The 5-star rating systemnow uses crash tests toassess how well people insideare shielded from injuryor death in front, side androllover crashes.

While that will remain abig factor in the ratings, theyalso will t ake into accountwhether the vehicle hasnine technologies that canhelp prevent or lessen theseverity of crashes. Thosetechnologies include sensorsthat can detect an immi nentfrontal collision and applythe brakes, or warn driversabout vehicles in their blindspots or that they’re driftinginto another lane.

Some technologiesautomatically switchheadlight high beams to lowbeams when another vehicleis approaching, help preventrollovers, and employ amberrear turn signal lightsthat drivers are quicker toidentify as indicating a turnrather than braking.

In addition, the ratingswill include a new typecrash test designed tosimulate cars that collideat an angle. Crash tests willalso use improved crash-test dummies that betterrepresent how accidentsimpact the human body.And the rating system willreward cars designed toprotect pedestrians who arestruck by them.

“We’re going to raisethe bar when it comesto protecting vehicleoccupants,” saidTransportation SecretaryAnthony Foxx.

The department’s goal,Foxx said, is to ulti matelyprevent crashes altogether.He said he’s hopeful that will

happen in his lifetime.The rating system posts

a rating of one to five starson the window stickers ofnew cars to help shoppersidentify the safest vehicles.The new system will alsoinclude half stars as well asfull stars t o get at nuances

in safety features, saidMark Rosekind, head of theNational Highway TrafficSafety Administration,which administers theratings system. For example,a vehicle might get a halfstar for technology thatautomatically warns driversof an impending frontalcollision, but a whole starif t he system automaticallyapplies the brakes, he said.

The changes proposedfor the system are subjectto a 60 -day public comment

period, and final rulesare to be issued next year.Consumers would beginseeing the new ratings oncars in model year 2019.

The new crash dummieswill have over 100 sensors,including four in the ribcage, while current dummies

have only 50 or 60 sensorsand just one in the rib cage,NHTSA officials said. Thedummies also reflect morerecent knowledge of howinjuries occur, they said.

An estimated 17 millionnew cars and trucks areexpected to be sold t his year.Traffic fatalities droppedin 2014 to less than 33,000,but data from the first halfof this year indicates theyare increasing steeply againas the economy continuesto improve and the price of

gasoline drops.Both automakers and

safety advocates applaudedthe proposed changes.

“Crash-avoidancetechnologies can be life-saving innovations thatwe’re eager to see consumersembrace,” the A lliance of

Automobile Manufacturerssaid in a statement. “Lookingahead, a significant portionof future highway safetygains will likely comefrom these advancedtechnologies.”

William Wallace, a policyanalyst for ConsumersUnion, the advocacy armof Consumer Reportsmagazine, said the updates“will create a powerfulincentive for automakers tomake the latest life-savingtechnologies available on

more vehicles more quickly,and that’s great news forconsumers.”

One of the government’saims in updating the ratingsystem is to put pressure onautomakers to include crashprevention technologiesin all vehicles, not just

more expensive luxurymodels, Foxx said. In thepast, automakers havevoluntarily included moresafety technology in vehiclesin an effort to earn morestars, but many of the ni netechnologies proposed for therating system are primarilyavailable in a limited numberof higher end vehicles.

Over 90 percent of newvehicles today earn a fouror five star rating, but thosevehicles would likely earnonly about three and a half

stars under the updatedsystem, Rosekind said.

The NationalTransportation SafetyBoard, which i nvestigatesaccidents, has recommendedthat NHTSA simply requireautomatics to include moreadvanced safety technologies

in new cars. Automakersoppose requiring the newtechnologies, saying itshould be up to consumerswhether they want to pay foradditional safety features ornot.

“Whether thesetechnologies are mandatedin the future or not, wethink this is marketchanging stuff that isgoing to impact safety tothe good,” Foxx said.

Today’s automobiles comewith more gadgets than everbefore. New car buyers cannow choose from a host ofamenities geared towardmaking roads easier tonavigate and long trips morecomfortable.

Whereas nonessentialamenities once cost buyersa substantial amount ofmoney, nowadays manyauto manufacturers i ncludeoptions once consideredluxuries in their standardpackages, meaning moredrivers have the chance toenjoy their new vehicles instyle. While not all amenitiesare free, and some may stillcost drivers a considerableamount of money, thefollowing are a handful offeatures drivers may find tooirresistible to ignore.

Satellite radio: Satelliteradio has been around forawhile, but only recentlydid it begin to become a

standard offering in newvehicles. Drivers who buya new car may find a dealwhere their initial satelliteradio subscription, whetherit’s a few months or a fullyear, is included in the costof the vehicle, while othersmay need to foot the fill for

their subscriptions from jump street. But many newcars are satellite-compatible,which is good news to driverswho want to expand theirmusical horizons beyondthe offerings of their localterrestrial stations.

Television: The vehiclesof today often mimic mobileentertainment systems, andno such system is completewithout television. Built-in televisions are nothingnew, and many a parent hasexpressed gratitude thatin-car televisions and DVDplayers can serve as mobilebabysitters when taking thekids on long road trips. Butsome auto manufacturershave begun to offer broadcasttelevision in their vehicles,which is made possible by abuilt-in television antennathat is capable of picking upnearby channels.

Massaging seats: Heatedseats have a reputation of

being a luxury well worththe extra investment whenbuying a new car. Butmotorists with some extracash to spend may want toconsider massaging seats.Such seats are typicallylimited to the backseats, butthey work in similar fashion

to massaging armchairs.Passengers or even driverstaking a break on a longroad tip can jump into theback of their cars, reclinethe backseat and then enjoya massage to iron out allthose aches and pains that

developed over the lastseveral hours traversing thehighways.

Adaptive lights: If you’rethe type of dr iver whoprefers his or her amenitiesbe more about functionthan luxury, then adaptivelights might be the perfectfeature for you. Adaptivelights may swivel as anautomobile turns a corner,making it easier for dr iversto see. Some adaptiveheadlights also can sensedarkness, protecting driverswho may be distracted bythe amenities inside theirvehicles and forget to turntheir lights on the momenttwilight arrives or the sun

sets.Today’s automobiles are atestament to innovation, anddrivers may find that certainamenities make drivingmore enjoyable than everbefore.

FUN AMENITIES TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR

NEXT VEHICLE

Today’s new vehicles boast more amenities than ever before, making for amore comfortable and enjoyable driving experience.

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