safety

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teenage drivers are four times more likely to get into a car accident than adults. In fact, driving accounts for the leading cause of death among American teenagers. Armed with those kinds of statistics, Mercedes-Benz USA is launching its own teenage driver training program.

The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is mirrored on a similar program running in the UK, and aims to turn participating new drivers into safe drivers. The Academy is targeted as an additional training program over and above what states require in order to obtain a license, and Mercedes is even in discussions with local DMVs to integrate it into a comprehensive program as well.

Tags: driver training, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz driving academy, safety, teenage driving, training

Safe Summer Travel is All About Planning

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the busy spring and summer travel season, and whether you're planning a road trip with family or an exotic getaway with friends a little planning will go a long way towards making your trip a safe one.

For Road Trips

Pack an emergency kit See this post for a list of essentials and adjust it for the summer months by taking out the blankets and adding in fresh drinking water.

Get your car serviced before you go to reduce the chances of a breakdown.

Invest in a reputable roadside assistance service to prevent a bad situation from getting worse if you do have a breakdown or get a flat tire.

Tags: journeys, safety, summer, summer travel, summer-travel-pedia, SummerTravel, summertravel-pedia, travel

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Lexus Halts Sales of GX460 Due to Reported Tip-Over Risk

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Toyota and its premium division Lexus sure are learning fast about addressing serious safety concerns regarding its vehicles, in North America especially. And good thing they are, because the problems don't seem to be stopping.

The latest stemmed from a Consumer Reports report that placed the Lexus GX460 sport-ute on the dreaded "Do Not Buy" list. The findings indicated that the luxo-ute was prone to tipping over under certain conditions, posing a serious "safety risk".

As a result of the report, Toyota has directed its dealers to halt sales of the SUV until a remedy can be found, indicating that its engineers are coordinating with CR to pinpoint the exact problem so that it can be remedied. The troubled Japanese auto giant is also offering existing owners of the GX a loaner vehicle in the interim.

Tags: consumer reports, gx 460, lexus, lexus gx, lexus gx 460, safety

Winter Travel Emergency Kit: Do You Have One?

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Winter can be a great time to take a trip but traveling through the cold, ice, and snow can pose a real safety risk. Being prepared for the worst is key to preventing the worst, and that means having an emergency kit.

If you're driving the entire way just pack an emergency kit ahead of time and throw it in the trunk. If you're flying and then renting a car pack an emergency kit in something like a small gym bag and pack it into the bottom of one of your checked luggage pieces.

Winter Car Emergency Kit

3lb coffee can, candles, and matches (to keep warm and for melting snow for drinking water)
Whistle and a red bandana/brightly colored garbage bag to call for help/let rescuers know where you are
Some granola or candy bars
A flashlight with spare batteries
A first aid kit (including any essential medications)
A blanket (special foil-type survival blankets fold up to a very small size)
Basic tool kit
Jumper Cables
Ice scraper (most rental cars don't come with them)

Source

Tags: emergency kit, EmergencyKit, journeys, safety, travel, winter, winter travel, winter-travel-pedia, WinterTravel

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Mercedes Showcases New Safety Innovations with S-Class ESF Concept

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has always been as much about safety as it is about style and luxury, which could help explain why so many of the features we now find common in automobiles first appeared in the top-of-the-line Benz. Mercedes isn't about to lose that edge, and so they've worked up this special ESF 2009 concept, based on the S400 Hybrid, to showcase the new safety equipment they're working on.

Among the features included in the ESF concept are new airbags hidden in the seatbelts, in between the seats, underneath the car (to help decelerate in case of an imminent crash) and inflatable metal beams to add extra crash protection while saving weight and space. Mercedes has also equipped the show car, set to debut sometime next week, with seats that move the occupants away from the doors in case of a side collision and reflective tire sidewalls to help prevent them in the first place.

Source

Tags: airbags, mercedes, mercedes esf, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz esf, mercedes-benz esf 2009, mercedes-benz s-class, mercedes-benz s400 hybrid, mercedes-benz safety concept, Mercedes-benzEsf, Mercedes-benzEsf2009, Mercedes-benzS-class, Mercedes-benzS400Hybrid, Mercedes-benzSafetyConcept, MercedesEsf, safety

The Modern Smoke Detector

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

Smoke detectors are a necessary, but sometimes unsightly, part of the home. As a general rule, you only notice them if there is an emergency or if the battery needs to be replaced, but if there is a way to make them even less visible, why not take it? The Modern Smoke Detector was developed to sit flush with the wall or ceiling, attracting minimal notice and, even when you look at it, what it is is not immediately obvious. It has not yet been released, but each detector should be about $129.