Automotive  

Takata's faulty airbags, the several deaths that have been linked to the problem, and the massive recall are bound to have a serious impact on the entire auto industry.

The fact that over 14 million vehicles have been recalled worldwide over the past six years due to Takata's faulty airbags, and several deaths have been linked to this problem, makes it a bit different than most recalls that occur pretty frequently. Since the defective airbags have proven to be deadly on a few occasions, it's only natural that the issue has prompted a government investigation, with a couple of U.S. Senators even demanding a criminal investigation. On top of being a major problem for the manufacturer itself, the faulty airbags are bound to have a serious impact on the entire auto industry, as well as customer perception of different car brands and vehicle safety.

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So far, over 100 injuries and four deaths have been associated with Takata airbags, most of them involving metal shards being blown into drivers' and other vehicle occupants' chests and faces, inflicting serious injuries that, as it turns out, can be fatal in some cases. Considering that airbags are one of the most important car safety features, as they are the key element for reducing chest and neck injury in the event of a collision, recalls caused by defective airbags can make consumers seriously reconsider their perception of overall vehicle safety, which is obviously pretty high on every car buyer's priority list.

The ongoing Takata airbag recall is bound to play a big role in people's car buying decision-making process, with the reputation of many automakers taking a serious hit and making consumers avoid the brands that are affected by it. Takata is one of the world's largest airbag suppliers, with some of the biggest global automakers using its products, and so far, vehicles from more than 10 manufacturers have been affected, including the likes of Toyota, Honda BMW, Ford, Mazda, and Nissan. This is why, at least in the short term, consumers are expected to think twice before deciding to buy a car made by one of these automakers, and probably opting for another brand that is not affected by this pretty scary safety issue.

Recently, car makers like Toyota and General Motors experienced firsthand how recalls can leave a huge dent in a company's reputation, as they were forced to recall dozens of millions of vehicles over the past few years due to a variety of safety issues, resulting in settlements worth billions of dollars and plummeting sales. So, although the airbags are not manufactured by the car makers themselves, their brand identity will be a collateral damage, which might lower sales figures in the next couple of months. However, if there is one positive thing that comes out of this massive airbag recall, it's the expected changes to regulations on vehicle safety standards that will likely be prompted by the issue. Laws that have to do with fining automakers for failing to issue recalls in a timely manner clearly need to undergo changes, and lawmakers who have been asking for tougher penalties for these types of violations will now certainly get a significant boost.

By Jordan Perch

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 Driving  

According to reports,  General Motors may soon be including a system in their vehicles that monitor drivers and prevent distracted driving. The safety system uses a series of cameras, motion sensors, and face recognition software, that allows the device to detect signs of distraction.

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n addition to various government agencies and road safety organizations, many car makers have actively joined the battle against distracted driving lately, after becoming aware of the disastrous impact it has on society. There is somewhat of a consensus among transportation authorities, law enforcement, and the auto industry, that technology can help fight distracted driving, and automakers have been urged by the Department of Transportation to try and develop high-tech solutions and strategies to deter drivers from engaging into activities that can take their attention away from driving and focus on the road.

One of the most promising in-car technology solutions unveiled lately is a system that can detect distracted driving behavior, developed by General Motors. As the Financial Times reports, the American car maker has developed an eye- and hand-tracking technology, which is supposed to be implemented in 500,000 vehicles that are set to be rolled out within the next three to five years.

Cameras will track the driver's head movements and facial expressions, and determine whether he/she has turned his/her eyes off the road for more than a couple of seconds, which could lead to a collision.

According to the report, Takata, a company that supplies GM with safety components, has signed a contract with Seeing Machines, an Australian manufacturer of sensing technologies and analytics, to supply the tracking devices that will be installed in various GM models. The solution developed by Seeing Machines involves a series of cameras, motion sensors, and face recognition software, that allows the device to detect signs of distraction. The cameras will track the driver's head movements and facial expressions, and determine whether he/she has turned his/her eyes off the road for more than a couple of seconds, which could lead to a collision.

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Than, if the sensors and the cameras detect some of these potentially dangerous eye and hand movements, the device will alert the driver and remind them that they need to keep their eyes on the road.

On top of the detecting distracted driving feature, the device will also be able to protect cars from theft, with a feature that can determine whether the person sitting behind the wheel is the car's owner, or another authorized user of the car. What's more, it will allow drivers to access mobile apps through eye movements, which will surely help eliminate a lot of potential distractions.

However, while technology is being touted as the ideal solution to distracted driving by some, others argue that it might deteriorate the problem even further. Some traffic safety experts are of the opinion that fitting vehicles with this kind of devices will only encourage drivers to do tasks that are not related to driving, thinking that the sensors and cameras will keep them safe, which does not help raise awareness of the consequences of distracted driving at all.

Be that as it may, in a time when there is no shortage of things that can distract a driver, these types of solutions are a good addition to the campaigns against this risky behavior, and with the introduction of these devices, General Motors wishes to demonstrate its commitment to contribute to the eradication of this epidemic on U.S. roads.

By Jordan Perch

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Author Bio - Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “safe driving” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV.”