There used to be a joke in Florida that if the car in front of you didn’t move when the light turned green, you didn’t know if the driver was dead or just asleep. While this rather lame attempt at humour was a commentary on the number of retirees living in the sunshine state, snoozing drivers is a very real world problem. If fact, according to Volvo & NHTSA there are about 100,000 accidents caused by driver fatigue in the US alone each year.

Adding to a growing number of safety design firsts, Volvo is introducing it’s revolutionary Driver Alert Control on several 2008 models. Rather than actually monitoring the driver, the system watches for erratic driving behaviour such as lane wandering. DAC uses a camera mounted between the rear view mirror and the windshield that measures the distance between the car and road markings. Using these measurements, the system can tell when the car is being driven in an uncontrolled manner. It then warns the driver to smarten up though a combination of auditory and visual warnings.

The system also makes a Lane Departure Warning system possible that alerts the driver of possible unintended lane changes. The LDW system also works with a camera to monitor the vehicle’s position between lane markings. How does the system know that a lane change was intended? Quite simple really, the driver used a turn signal. This system might actually have the spin off effect of teaching drivers to use their signals so they don’t hear a warning.

The downside to all this techie stuff is that it still relies on cameras, meaning that if there are no road markings or the weather affects the camera’s view the system doesn’t work. This means that in inclement weather or on unmarked rural roads the system is just along for the ride.

All the technical details follow in the Volvo press release
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Mazda’s new crossover SUV the CX-7 has just received the highest possible crash test ratings for all tests. In NHTSA testing, the CX-7 received a 5 star rating in frontal and side impact tests. It also received a 4 star rating for it’s roll over test. These are the highest ratings available for an SUV, and have never been acheived by any currently available competitor. Mazda must be proud, this is one tough cookie.

Press release after the break.

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By using a “safety for everyone” approach, the new 2007 Honda Fit has earned a 5 star rating for frontal impacts from the NHTSA. Aimed at keeping adult & child passengers safe, this philosophy also works to keep pedestrians safe in the event of a crash. The hood and fenders are designed to absorb energy in an impact with an adult.

The Honda press release reads:

The 2007 Honda Fit has earned a “5-Star” safety rating for frontal crash performance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. A “5-Star” rating is the highest government safety rating.

Ninety-nine percent of Honda-branded vehicles on a sales-weighted average now achieve this top front impact rating under the federal government’s NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) program.

“The Fit has the highest level of standard safety equipment of any car in its competitive set,” said John Mendel, American Honda senior vice president. “Fit’s 5-Star rating demonstrates once again that Honda customers do not have to choose between safety, utility and fuel efficiency. The Fit has it all.”

Already a leader in vehicle safety as demonstrated by Honda’s “Safety for Everyone” initiative, Honda continues to implement leading airbag technology in all vehicles regardless of size or price. Dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, dual front side airbags and side-curtain airbags are standard equipment on all Fit models. In addition to its six airbags, Fit incorporates 3-point seat belts at all seating positions, as well as two Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) positions in the rear seats. Fit also utilizes active safety systems that include an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake distribution (EBD).

Honda’s commitment to safety extends to pedestrians as well. To help reduce pedestrian injuries in the event of a collision, the Fit’s hood and fender areas are designed to help absorb energy if contacted by an adult pedestrian.

Honda will complete the first phase of its “Safety for Everyone” initiative this year by voluntarily putting extensive levels of standard safety equipment on all its vehicles, with the exception of two small volume models (S2000 and Insight).

Additionally, Honda is the first and only auto manufacturer to list the NHTSA crash test “star” ratings on all new vehicle window stickers. This is the same information available to consumers on the NHTSA safercar.gov Web site.

The 2007 Honda Fit, which went on sale April 20, is designed to take the subcompact market into new territory with its highly-refined and ultra-adaptable functionality, sporty driving demeanor and high levels of standard safety equipment. With a vast array of standard features - including a unique multi-configuration 60/40 split Magic Seat(R) and an estimated EPA fuel economy of 33 mpg city / 38 mpg highway (manual transmission) - the fun to drive Fit is a premium entry vehicle that emphasizes style, functionality, safety and value. In a seven-way comparison test drive, Car and Driver magazine selected Fit as its first choice among vehicles under $15,000.