Recent Midsize SUV Crash Tests Show Need for Improvements
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Passenger-side crash tests of midsize SUVs by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety revealed a range of problems, including structural collapse, an airbag nondeployment, hard hits to the dummy's head and an open door.
A small overlap crash occurs when just the front corner of the vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole - 6 of the 8 vehicles managed to earn a good or acceptable rating for passenger-side small overlap front protection.
"Although some vehicles in this group offer very good protection, in other models, the airbags, safety belts and structure showed serious deficiencies," says IIHS Chief Research Officer David Zuby. "In those SUVs, a front-seat passenger would be at risk of injuries to the head, hip or leg in a right-side small overlap front crash."
Read the article at Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
‘Unrealistic Expectations’ Being Set by Autonomous Driving Aids
Terms such as “full self-driving capability” and being “capable of driving autonomously” are giving the false impression of a level of autonomy not yet available.
Current systems are capable of what is termed level 2 autonomy, meaning that the driver has to pay attention to the road at all times and may have to suddenly take over.
“We are starting to see real-life examples of the hazardous situations that occur when motorists expect the car to drive and function on its own,” said Matthew Avery, the head of research at Thatcham Research. “Specifically, where the technology is taking ownership of more and more of the driving task, but the motorist may not be sufficiently aware that they are still required to take back control in problematic circumstances.”
Read the article at The Guardian.
Off-Lease Cars Flood Market Raising Used Car Prices
Defying past predictions, the average price of a used car has hit a 13-year high, up 17.6 percent compared to the same period five years ago.
With an average price of $22,685, the average three-year-old used car only spent 41 days on the market. That's tied with last year, a number that has fallen from 55 days in 2005.
“Off-lease cars are flooding in the market,” said Ivan Drury, senior analyst at Edmunds website. But with more motorists ready to rid themselves of their jalopies in a strong economy, "the market is doing a good job of absorbing the large quantity."
Read the article at USA Today.
The American Sedan Is Dying. What Does That Mean for Fleets?
By Mark Boada, Executive Editor
It’s time for fleet managers in North America to face facts: we are witnessing the death of the American sedan.
In April, Ford rocked the automotive world when it announced that after this model year it’s no longer going to make any sedans in its U.S. factories. That lightning bolt came just a few months after FCA let on that it’s taking the axe to its two mid-market sedans, the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200. While at the time FCA said nothing about the luxury Chrysler 300, it appears to be headed for a similar fate: CEO Sergio Marchionne told analysts this month that starting next year the company’s factories here will be exclusively devoted to Jeeps, the Pacifica minivan and pickup trucks.
Which leaves GM as the only traditional car-maker in the U.S., with sedans a-plenty from its Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac divisions. But are they long for this world? With a possible exception of a few, the answer here is no, for a couple of reasons.
Advice from a Relatively New Fleet Manager
This relatively new fleet manager now has four years of experience, and he says that NAFA has made a very positive difference in his career.
