Rust, child seats, defensive driving
The effect of rust on collision safety, crash tests on rear-facing child seats, and a partnership with a defensive driving program for young drivers were among the items promoted by automotive organizations and automakers recently.
• A set of crash tests in Sweden warn that body rust can significantly compromise a vehicle's safety in a collision. The insurance company Folksam and homeowners' organization Villaägarnas Riksförbund tested Mazda6 and Volkswagen Golf vehicles which had been affected by corrosion after several years of driving on winter roads. The tests, conducted at the British facility Thatcham Research, found that the vehicles held up better than expected but still had a number of vulnerabilities. These included an increased chance of objects intruding into the vehicle cabin, an altered distribution of crash forces, and decreased effectiveness of the airbags.
• Other research has confirmed that rear-facing child restraint systems are still the most effective way of protecting young children from injury, even when a vehicle is struck from the rear. The engineering company SAE International conducted 12 tests using an impact sled to simulate a rear impact crash. Researchers found that rear-facing child seats were effective in supporting an infant's head, neck, and spine and preventing injuries. The study said preventing these injuries is especially important in children under the age of two; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends keeping children in rear-facing seats as long as possible, moving them to forward-facing seats once their height or weight exceeds the manufacturer's recommendation.
• Kia has renewed its partnership with the B.R.A.K.E.S. program, or Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe. The program holds a number of driver education events for teen drivers and their parents, and claims that graduates of the program are 64 percent less likely to be involved in a crash within three years of graduation. Kia is a financial sponsor of B.R.A.K.E.S. and also provides 44 vehicles for use in the program's training.