An agreement on proactive safety measures for vehicles, a series of videos demonstrating driver assistance features, the winner of a car design contest, and testing procedures for vehicle fabrics were among the items being promoted by automakers recently.

[naviga:ul]

[naviga:li]The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that 18 automakers are partnering with the department to take a proactive approach to vehicle safety. The DOT says the agreement will improve the quality of data available for analysis, increasing the odds that automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be able to identify issues before a recall is necessary. The DOT says this approach is similar to the relationship between the aviation industry and the Federal Aviation Administration, which has a safety management system to identify and resolve any potentially dangerous problems with air travel. The DOT says the agreement also pledges to improve cybersecurity to protect vehicles' computer system from outside intrusion.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Honda has released four videos to demonstrate its Honda Sensing systems, which are available on all Civic Sedan models. The videos demonstrate the vehicle's collision mitigation braking system with forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation with lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control with low speed following technologies. Honda says that the driver is still responsible for safe operation of the vehicle, especially since the accuracy of the systems can be affected by factors such as speed, road condition, and the weather. However, the systems earned the Civic a Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]An Ohio high school student is the winner of a recent contest by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to imagine the design of a Dodge SRT Hellcat for the year 2025. Ben Treinen, of Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, developed the winning concept. Other people chosen for the top four places hailed from Georgia, Illinois, and Michigan. The top four participants will receive prizes and have their designs recognized at Meguiar's Detroit Autorama in Detroit, taking place from Feb. 26 to 28.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Ford recently shared how it tests its vehicle interior materials to protect against rips, spilled coffee, and other common mishaps. In addition to tests meant to determine how resistant plastics and fabrics are to scratches and stains, one mechanism takes a more medieval approach. The "Mace Snagging Test" puts vehicle fabric on rollers and sends it through 600 revolutions while striking the material with a small spiked iron ball to test its strength. Ford also has its engineers test the scent of various materials.[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ul]