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Women are more likely to die or be injured in a crash, and one reason might be that we’ve been using crash test dummies based on the average male (as shown above).When crash test companies wanted to represent women, sometimes they used a scaled-down male dummy, but soon they may be able to use a new, better-designed dummy, thanks to the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.Crashes do different things to the average male and female bodies, given size and muscle differences.You can learn a lot from a dummy, especially if it’s a better representation of the average woman. For decades, crash test dummies were based on the average male body size, leaving the average woman less protected in crashes. We’ve known about this since at least 2013 when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a safety report that found that women were more likely to be killed or injured in a crash and were especially “susceptible to neck and abdominal injuries.” The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) published a report with similar findings in 2019.More to KnowOne of the researchers whose name was on all of those papers is Astrid Linder, director of traffic safety at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (known as VTI). Linder recently told the BBC about the work she and her team have done to develop a dummy that accurately mimics the average female body. This is not the first female-based dummy. IIHS has been using female crash test dummies since 2003, for example, and some crash test sites use scaled-down male dummies that represented women inaccurately. Linder said the one VTI developed is more than just a better size at five feet, three inches tall and weighing 97 pounds; the way it moves better represents how female bodies move in a crash, given their different muscle strengths.Automotive safety engineers have worked on solutions for the past decade, too. In 2012, researchers published a paper on neck injuries in crash tests using “a new female dummy prototype.” Work continued on crash dummies that better represented female bodies. European researchers, for example, explored how better-designed dummies could help with whiplash injuries (2017) and quickly moved on to a broader discussion of how more representative “occupant models” would help more people in society (2019). “We have differences in the shape of the torso and the center of gravity and the outline of our hips and pelvis,” Linder told the BBC.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.First crash test dummy designed to protect women – BBC NewsWatch onJust because we now have a better way to test the impact of crashes on both male and female bodies does not mean that vehicle safety features will change tomorrow. No laws anywhere require crash tests to use male and female dummies, and engineers can’t fix problems they can’t identify. Some automakers are already using gendered dummies in their crash tests, but Linder said she hopes their use becomes much more widespread. After all, she said, all parts of the population deserve to be safer in vehicles.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Clocks across the U.S. will be set back an hour this weekend, and one unintended consequence is that more deer will probably be struck by a vehicle next week.New research published in Current Biology found that the week after the fall time change sees an average of 16 percent more deer-vehicle collisions.How much more dangerous dusk driving will be in the coming week depends on where you are. Counties on the eastern edge of a time zone are likely to see more deer being struck than those on the western side.Criticisms of how the United States handles daylight saving time are about as old as the practice itself. We now have one more reason to think about not switching the clocks every six months: more roadkill.A new study published in Current Biology by researchers from the University of Washington found that the week after the annual shift back to standard time sees a 16 percent increase in deer-vehicle collisions each year. Without falling back out of daylight saving time, the U.S. would see 36,550 fewer of these collisions—including 33 human deaths and over 2000 human injuries—and save $1.2 billion in collision costs each year, the researchers estimated. On average, around 2.1 million deer-vehicle collisions happen in the U.S. each year. These incidents are responsible for over $10 billion in economic losses as well as 59,000 human injuries and 440 human deaths.The reason there are more collisions when the clocks fall back is relatively easy to understand. The researchers found that deer-vehicle collisions are 14 times more frequent in the two hours after sunset than before sunset. Animals, of course, stick to their pattern no matter what human clocks say, going about their lives even as traffic patterns shift to an hour “earlier” and causing more driving at dusk. Moving our clocks in November increases the amount of low-light traffic, which puts more deer and vehicles at risk. The potential for deer-vehicle interactions is already increased in November because that’s when white-tailed deer (and some other ungulates) have their short breeding season.Deerly DepartedThe study’s authors also found that there is a difference between eastern and western areas within a given time zone. Counties on the eastern edge (which have earlier sunrises and sunsets compared to the western side and a correspondingly higher amount of low-light dusk driving) had an average of 1.4 times more collisions than counties on the western side of a time zone. These findings extend to the expected changes in deer-vehicle collisions should the U.S. permanently move to daylight saving time (as the U.S. Congress is considering), with some states, like Kansas, seeing an expected 2.5 percent increase in such collisions. In comparison, Maine would see an 8.3 percent decrease. If the U.S. got rid of biannual clock shifts and instead shifted to using only standard time, researchers estimate, deer-vehicle collisions would increase all across the country by an average of 5.2 percent, resulting in an expected additional 66 human fatalities and more than $2 billion of economic loss each year. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

If you didn’t watch the replay of Ross Chastain’s last lap at Martinsville Speedway last week at least twice, you may be the only one.We interviewed the NASCAR driver ahead of this weekend’s championship runoff and got him to tell us what it was like to make such a bold move, and what he was thinking before, during, and after.Chastain will go up against Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, and Christopher Bell in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway Sunday, Nov. 6, at 3 p.m. ET. We’d watch if we were you.Even if you don’t know NASCAR from the Nasdaq, you saw Ross Chastain make history at the 2022 Xfinity 500 on Martinsville Speedway last week. Down the points needed to progress into the Championship runoff at the final race, the driver of the TrackHouse Racing #1 Camaro had to pass at least two cars on the final lap of the race. Unlike in a Fast and Furious movie, you can’t just downshift 47 gears in a stock car, hit the NOS, and blow past the competition. How It HappenedInstead, Chastain took the car up the track and slid it against the wall around the final two turns of the race. Like a little sibling flung off a merry-go-round, Chastain’s car went flying past the drivers who took the turn on the standard line, and he finished the race in fifth place, one spot in front of his nearest rival, Denny Hamlin, whom he bumped out of the championship running. It’s been nicknamed a “Hail Melon” pass (since Chastain’s nickname is Melon Man, a nod to his family’s long history of watermelon farming). This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Ross Chastain’s video game move to advance to the Championship 4 | NASCARWatch onThis weekend we’ll see if Chastain can turn that bold move into his first Cup championship, but even if he doesn’t lead the pack at Phoenix Raceway this Sunday, he has already raced his way into NASCAR history. We managed a quick chat with Chastain about the move, and what he was thinking—or rather, not thinking.C/D: Is this something it that’s always been in your mind as a possible move, or did you just come up with it during that race last weekend?RC: It popped into my head on the final lap when we took the white flag. My spotter, Brandon McReynolds, was telling me we needed two spots and it was the white flag, last lap. The only option was to run the outside and I had a clear path to the corner and so I did it. I had not put any thought into it or any practice or simulation work. I mean, the last time I really did that move would’ve been playing Nintendo Game Cube with my brother. That was the 2005 game, so it’s pretty wild that it worked then and it worked now.So it’s not something you guys talk about over beers, like, “Wouldn’t it be crazy? Do you think this would work?” No. I mean, look, we’ve seen other guys do it. I saw Carl Edwards do it years ago and I saw Kyle Larson try it, and that I saw from the driver’s seat last year at Darlington. He was second, trying to pass Denny for the win. I watched those guys try it, but I never thought I would do it. I never thought that I would be in an opportunity where it would work or be worthwhile, but for this to transfer to Phoenix, it was worth the risk and the reward is really sweet.So, Talk Us through It . . .Okay, so talk us through it You’re in the car, you see the white flag, you’re talking to the spotter and physically what are you doing? What are you thinking? You don’t have a lot of time to make this decision, this is all happening very fast. Top speed at Martinsville is normally 105, maybe 110 [in the straights]. The whole track is a half mile long. So I was a little more than a quarter mile away from where I decided to do it. It just popped in my head and then I had less than an eighth of a mile on the back stretch climbing from, I don’t know, somewhere around 75 miles an hour to the normal 105. And then at that point where I normally would’ve slowed back down to 75, I grabbed another gear up to fifth and went 130 and got against the wall and it didn’t slow down. It all happened in the span of about 10 seconds, maybe 12 seconds from the time it first popped into my head to when I grabbed fifth gear and kept going instead of slowing down.Stacy Revere|Getty ImagesWhat did it feel like? Could you tell how fast you were going? Did it feel radically different?It did. Before I even hit the wall, I realized I’m moving fast and then I hit the wall and it’s not pleasant. I mean the walls and the cars are built to protect us, but hitting each other, they don’t like it. So, it’s something that I don’t really want to ever experience again. There’s a lot of talk right now about, “Where else will we do it? Will everybody be doing it?” I can speak from experience, I’m not looking to do that ever again. But yeah, the sensation of speed was high before I hit the wall. Once I got against the wall, I realized I’m not slowing down, which is a good thing. I was really happy and then I got about halfway around the corner, the whole time the thing is violently hitting the wall, and I know I’m still going at a pretty good speed, but I couldn’t see anything.Did you do anything in the car at that point, or just hold on?[Coming up to the last turn] I remembered that the crossover gate off turn four is there for the semi haulers to get in and out and I’m about to hit it with the side of the car. So, I took my hands off the wheel and the wheel was violently shaking and I just stayed in the gas and as soon as I felt it hit, it pushed me on the straightaway and when I knew I wasn’t hard against the wall anymore, I grabbed the wheel and held it up high across the line and tried not to crash anybody else.Was anybody mad at you afterward?I don’t think [Denny Hamlin’s] happy that it happened, but I don’t think he’s . . . He’s been a lot madder at me earlier in the year anyway.What kind of damage was done to the car? Were you hurt at all?I’m fine. Everything’s good here, but the car is hurt. All of the suspension on the right side is either bent or broken. The right front upper control arm is broken, but we’ve not actually taken the car apart to really see. It finished the race and it’s up at TrackHouse near the front lobby on display for fans and people to come see it. Do you think it’s going to go in the NASCAR Hall of Fame?I don’t know. They’ve asked. It’s up to Justin and Pitbull [Justin Marks and Armando Christian “Pitbull” Perez, owners of the TrackHouse Entertainment Group team]. They can decide, it’s their car. I’m definitely all for keeping it as a little token of history. But the thing is we only have seven cars total to work with. We’ll be racing these same cars again next year, so we might need to race this again. There’s so much concern that we’ll see this tried all the time, but it sounds like it’s really a last-lap Hail Mary, not something that we’re going to see a bunch, because you’re just going to wreck a car.Right. Yeah. As soon as I got on the straightaway, it was obvious something was broken. The brakes are gone. The brakes don’t work. So it was one corner and that was it.”Wait a Minute, [That] Guy Is Me”Have you absorbed how radical this move was? I don’t think so. I mean, no, I haven’t. We didn’t physically celebrate together right after the race, because we didn’t actually win the race, we still only finished fifth and ultimately fourth. I’ve probably watched the video 15 times. Watch it, replay it, watch it. Trying to physically, in my brain, comprehend what I’m watching and then also say, “Wait a minute, the guy in the car doing that wild move is me.”Look, if I wasn’t driving these race cars on Sunday, I would be farming with my family and then watching the race on the weekend. I’m a fan of this sport and always have been and always will be. The fact that I get to do this and do something that’s never been done before is really meaningful to me. So now we get to go to Phoenix and fight for a championship with TrackHouse. To be the one, as I watch the video, be the one doing it is mind-blowing. I really cannot comprehend it.Watch Chastain go up against Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, and Christopher Bell in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway Sunday, Nov. 6, at 3 p.m. ET.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

The Zeekr 009 is a new electric minivan built by Geely, which also owns Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus.The 009 packs either a 116.0- or 140.0-kWh battery, and the dual-motor setup produces 536 horsepower and 505 pound-feet of torque.The interior features a 15.6-inch screen for the second-row captain’s chairs and a 20-speaker Yamaha surround sound system.While Volvo’s path into the era of electric cars is being led by a slew of SUVs—from the XC40 and C40 Recharge to the upcoming full-size EX90—another brand owned by Volvo’s parent company Geely is taking a different approach. Zeekr, sold exclusively in the China market, started production of its first EV last year, with the 001 taking the form of a slinky station wagon. Now Zeekr has revealed its second electric vehicle, the 009, which arrives sporting a block minivan body with brutalist styling.GeelyThe 009 rides on the same platform as the 001, which also underpins the Smart #1. Two versions of the electric minivan are available. One packs a 116.0-kWh battery that provides 436 miles of range, and upgrading to a massive 140.0-kWh battery nets 511 miles of range on China’s test cycle, which typically produces more optimistic results than the test run by the EPA. Zeekr claims the 116.0-kWh battery can recharge from 10 to 80 percent in 28 minutes. The 009 also shares the dual-motor powertrain found in the 001, giving the all-wheel-drive minivan 536 horsepower and 505 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough shove to scoot this brick to 62 mph in 4.5 seconds.ZeekrAlong with impressive performance figures, the 009 stands out thanks to its unorthodox design. The blocky front grille features a series of vertical LED light strips and a shiny chrome finish, and while the front lights are a simple upside-down U-shape, the taillights feature dozens of intricate LED units. Despite the chunky styling, Zeekr claims a drag coefficient of 0.27 for the 009. The 20-inch wheels are supported by an unequal-length control arm suspension up front and a multi-link design in the rear and air suspension all around.ZeekrZeekrWith the 009 stretching 205 inches long, its interior is cavernous and luxurious, with space for six and leather-wrapped, massaging captain’s chairs in the second row. The dashboard centers around a 15.4-inch touchscreen, with a 10.25-inch screen in place of a gauge cluster, while the second row is treated to a 15.6-inch ceiling-mounted screen. There’s also a 20-speaker Yamaha surround sound system. The 009 is dripping in futuristic tech, with voice and face recognition, an artificial-intelligence virtual assistant, and 30 advanced driver-assistance systems operating via a dozen cameras and 13 radar sensors. More New EVsThe 116.0-kWh version will start at the equivalent of $68,450 at current exchange rates, while the 140.0-kWh 009 will cost $80,660. Deliveries are to start in January, and while the 009 will most likely never reach U.S. shores, we hope that the outside-the-box thinking migrates to Geely’s other brands: Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

• With a Holman Moody 427-cubic-inch V-8 and a four-speed manual transmission, this Cobra is the apex of American 1960s performance machinery.• Cobra production wound down in December 1966, so this is one of the last of a breed.• The 427s were better sorted out than the narrow-body cars, though both are highly desirable. This auction on Bring a Trailer will be one to watch for any Cobra fan. It ends on November 14.There’s an old joke that goes, Q: How do you know if a Cobra is real or a replica? A: It’s a replica. One of the most beloved 1960s racing machines is also one of the most copied, and there’s nothing wrong with that. A well-set-up Cobra replica is just the thing for blowing out the fall cobwebs with some V-8 thunder. But here comes the real deal.Bring a TrailerUp for auction this week at Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a genuine 1966 Cobra 427 Mk III. Yep, that’s 427, as in cubic inches of displacement, some seven liters of Ford side-oiler muscle in a chassis that weighs just over 2500 pounds. As a friend of mine is fond of saying, that is the Big Stove option.Bring a TrailerWith 10 days to go, bidding sits at a very satisfying $950,000. But grab your popcorn, folks, because this is one of those auctions where the dollar value quickly exceeds “I could buy a house for that kind of money” and sky-rockets into “This, or a P-51 Mustang and a hangar to put it in?”From Our ArchivesWhen Car and Driver road-tested the Cobra 427 in 1965, driving impressions included noting the more refined handling. Early Cobras were a handful and a half. “Everyone at Shelby is more than candid about admitting that the handling of the original Cobra was considerably less than optimum.” With a fully independent suspension, the Cobra 427 got that power to the road.Bring a TrailerAnd what power it was. Clocked through the quarter-mile in just 12.2 seconds, this broad-shouldered machine was unrivaled by anything other than the big-block Corvettes, and perhaps not even them. The Cobra might have been a more resolved product, but it was still punchy and raucous. There’s a reason so many companies will sell you a photocopy of this icon of 1960s performance.Bring a TrailerThe example for auction at Bring a Trailer is particularly tasty. Chassis number 3283, it left Shelby American with a tamer 428-cubic-inch V-8 but was almost immediately treated to performance upgrades. Ford’s official race-car contractor, Holman Moody, was tapped for a built 427-cubic-inch engine, fitted with dual four-barrel carburetors. With the exhaust routed out the back, rather than side-exit, the driver can more properly hear the induction roar of fuel and air being sacrificed on the altar of speed.Bring a TrailerIt was returned to its original factory shade of dark green in 2013, and there’s a brutish elegance to this Cobra. The subtlety evaporates, of course, the moment you start up that big V-8, but the green-on-black color treatment pays homage to the original British ACs from which Cobras were born.For the lucky auction winner with the deepest of pockets, this car will provide an unmatched driving experience. And, should you be out and about on a sunny morning, and this Cobra rumbles past you, maybe you’ll recognize it for what it is. Because statistics say that any Cobra you spot is a replica. But the real ones are out there too. This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Alfa Romeo has shown updated versions of the Giulia and Stelvio.They feature new headlights and taillights and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster inside.We expect these changes to arrive in the U.S. for the 2024 model year.You might think that Alfa Romeo’s Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV would be due for a redesign soon, given that they’ve both been out for around for five-plus years with few changes. But it appears that the 2024 editions of these models will feature minor changes, as previewed by these Europe-market updates. An Alfa Romeo spokesperson told C/D that U.S.-specific information about the 2024 Giulia and Stelvio will be coming in the middle of next year.Alfa RomeoNew headlights and taillights highlight the exterior changes, and the headlights feature LED matrix technology. The “3+3” accent lights are meant to tie these models in with the new Tonale crossover’s lighting signature. The taillights, meanwhile, have rearranged LED elements. The interior benefits from a new 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with three display modes: Evolved, Relax, and Heritage.Alfa RomeoAlfa RomeoMore on Alfa RomeoThere aren’t any changes to the cars’ base powertrain, a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 280 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Alfa hasn’t made any announcements about changes to the Quadrifoglio performance variants, which feature a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 with 505 hp.Look for these updated Alfa Romeos to arrive in the U.S. late in 2023, with base prices slightly higher than the current versions which start at $45,875 for the 2023 Giulia and $48,170 for the 2023 Stelvio.This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Porsche tested two 911 prototypes with jacked-up suspensions and off-road tires on the side of a volcano.The prototypes were heavily modified versions of the 911 Carrera 4S, which has all-wheel drive and 443 horsepower.Along with stripped-down interiors and safari-esque styling, the prototypes scaled the volcano with an enhanced drivetrain and a handy winch. The Ojo del Salado in Chile is the highest volcano in the world. With slopes made of treacherous terrain and areas where temperatures are well below freezing, it’s the last place anyone would expect to see a Porsche 911. Well, look again, because as these photos show, Porsche has literally taken its iconic sports car to new heights by testing a pair of safari-style 911 prototypes on the side of a volcano. Are they a sneak peek at the rumored Dakar version? It kinda seems that way.PorscheNot Your Lawyer’s 911Obviously, the two prototypes involved in this wild experiment aren’t ordinary 911s. While they’re both based on the 443-hp all-wheel-drive Carrera 4S, the 992-generation coupes have been heavily modified. Porsche did keep their original seven-speed manual gearboxes, though. Bravo! On the other hand, the rest of the cars are barely recognizable with their extensive exterior alterations that include flared fenders, meaty off-road tires, rooftop cargo racks, and custom liveries. One of the latter’s color schemes is the same as Porsche’s 963 LMDh race car and the other features a 911 theme created by Weissach designers. PorscheVolcano-Scaling HardwareFitted with heavy-duty portal axles, the 911 prototypes have a towering 13.7 inches of ground clearance. That’s a half-inch more than the Ford Bronco Raptor. The high-riding Porsches also feature lower gear ratios for improved crawling ability at low speeds and manual locking diffs for max traction. The 911s have underbody protection made of tough heat-resistant synthetic fibers, too. We’re not sure if it can protect against lava, but the Ojo del Salado is a dormant volcano—so we’re told.PorschePorscheIt’s not clear what type of suspension the 911 prototypes are using, other than it’s clearly not a stock setup. It buoys a quartet of 12.2-inch-wide tires, all of which are mechanically linked by a device that Porsche calls a “warp connector.” We’re told it’s designed to maintain maximum traction during extreme wheel articulation. Should either of the lifted 911s get stuck (as seen below), both have a front-mounted winch to yank ’em out. PorscheHow’s the Weather Up There? The team that tested the Dakar-esque 911 prototypes was led by adrenaline junkie, er, adventurer and endurance racer Romain Dumas. He took the jacked-up sports cars as high as 19,708 feet. Not only were temperatures said to be around -22 degrees Fahrenheit, but the air was paper thin. The journey included such obstacles as boulder-strewn slopes, ice fields, and walls of snow. You know, typical stuff that 911 drivers encounter. However, Porsche says Dumas and his team accomplished their mission. Porsche”This was a truly memorable and special moment in a place that’s both beautiful and brutal at the same time, ” said Dumas. “I guess the only machines anywhere in the world higher than us today were aircraft!”This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Toyota is looking to increase pricing at a rate “limited by customer expectations” pertaining to individual models, Automotive News reported.The expected increases are coming after the company experienced regional operating losses in its fiscal year which ended in September.The price increases are also expected in Europe, where the company also experienced regional quarterly losses. Death, taxes, and rising car prices: three unending guarantees. Following quarterly regional losses and sharply increasing input costs, Automotive News reports, Toyota is planning to pass rising costs down to the consumer. The paper reports that Toyota executives just need to decide exactly how significant the increases will be. A Toyota spokesperson contacted by Car and Driver declined comment.”We are really racking our brains trying to come up with the appropriate pricing level,” chief communications officer Jun Nagata said at Toyota’s November 1 quarterly earnings announcement. “We have begun to reflect those higher prices into the vehicle as much as possible.”More on PricingIt’s common for new-vehicle MSRPs to increase by amounts at least by a few hundred dollars every year, and in some years, to see an increase midyear. One solution Toyota is looking into, according to the report from Automotive News, is increasing the frequency of price jumps. Another method of raising prices that a lot of automakers, including Toyota, have been using recently is to drop base models, effectively raising the price of entry. Just last month, the company dropped the base L sedan from its Corolla lineup, resulting in an $1125 higher starting price . Pricing for the hatchback Corolla jumped by $1800 on the SE, and $2315 on the XSE—although Toyota also cut the starting price of the Corolla hybrid by $1250. Dropping the base option generally means losing the car with the lowest profit margin for manufacturers. It also effectively raises the floor of ownership for buyers. According to the report, consumers’ expectations of pricing is one of the factors Toyota executives are using to gauge increases. The warning of impending price increases came during a quarterly earnings announcement on November 1. According to the report, the company needs to make adjustments to offset regional operating losses for the North American arm of the company. Automotive News Europe notes that Toyota is also considering price increases are also in Europe, and for similar reasons.The automaker has revised its annual production target downward, with purchasing chief Kazunari Kumakura partly blaming an ongoing semiconductor-chip shortage and commenting, “I don’t know when the chip shortage will be resolved.” This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More