Safer Car Seats for Children

Through the years, cars have undergone a lot of improvements performance wise. But performance is not the only aspect of cars that has received much attention from car manufacturers. The safety aspect has also surely been looked into.

Volvo is the forerunner in producing safe cars and they have raised the bar for safety time and time again. While car safety has much improved from those times that cars have no rear safety belts as standards and employs no airbags, there is still room for improvement that car manufacturers need to work on. At present, car safety does not only depend on how well the brakes work even if it is EBC Greenstuff brake pads being employed. An example of that is the recent findings of consumer watchdog Which? which cites problems on the design of safety belt buckles on some of the cars that are being produced today.

Improvements in the safety of car occupants, specifically children, is what First Seat, LLC is concerned about. This producer of child car seat safety systems has been producing safe car seats since 2003 and is based in Monterey, CA. Their dedication to develop safe child car seats is evident on their recently announced design of a passive child car seat safety system which, when tested, shows that it can protect children in cases of crashes much better than any available car seat system for children in the market. The design of the safety system for toddlers and the good result in its testing promises that this will raise the standard for child car seats.

The design of the car seat is aimed at reducing the risk of injury or death of a child in cases of crashes. Their research shows that side impact is potentially the most dangerous kind of collision since side-to-side rotation of the head leads to internal stretching forces on the brain. These will likely result to the stretching of the output wires of the nerves which will then make them stop them from functioning. Research shows that the damage caused by rapid rotational movements, which is what happens to a car’s occupants in side impact, is more damaging to the brain than those movements suffered from frontal impacts.

To lessen such side to side movements of the head of a child during side crashes, First Seat designed a child car seat that has viscoelastic foam that protects the head of the child. The foam used in the construction of the head protection is the same as the ones used in Formula One racecars. The seat itself is made out of a rigid material that protects the body of the child. The Formula One racing inspired technology employed by the company in producing this seat will introduce a new standard in the industry which presently has no standard on side impact safety of child car seats.

Another safety innovation from the company is their technology for decreasing the stress on the child in cases of front collisions. While contemporary child car seats relies heavily on the belt stretch to decelerate the child as it moves forward, the new car seats from First Seat uses a different patented technology. Their technology allows the car seat to glide forward while gradually decelerating while the child is held firmly onto the seat. This reduces the amount of stress exerted by the seat belt on the body of the child, reducing the risk of injuries.

The product is currently on the final stages of testing and the results of previous tests shows that the child car seat protects the child better on side impacts.

Good Quality Sound System

I for one can’t imagine entering into my daily commute without the sound assistance of a good auto sound system. Music in the morning is as necessary for me as oxygen and caffeine. If I live without any of those above my day is already up and running with wrong foot first. Music is a very important part of any given day for someone like me. My wake up call in the morning comes in the form of my favorite radio station and from that point on I have music as my companion for the vast majority of my morning routine. That is of course with the exception of children and husband and some of their more insistent demands for food, money, and last minute homework crisis. I will gladly take my music and tea most mornings and skip the drama.
The point of all this is that I am not alone in my morning preference. If I were there wouldn’t be so many variations of the music driven alarm clock. Today you can even have CD player alarm clocks in order to get you up and running to your favorite tunes. Of course this brings me to an important point. A good auto sound system will sound much better than your morning music wake up call. Most alarm clocks will not have the best quality of sound. They are designed for minimal space, minimal intrusion, and to be annoying enough that you will get up (eventually) and turn them off. If the music is good and the quality even better, most of us, can manage to incorporate the music into our dreams and go right back to sleep.
While you do not want your auto sound system to necessarily put you to sleep you do want it to be enjoyable to listen to. You are after all most likely shelling out a good portion of a month’s salary in order to pay for it. Some may say this is extravagant but many people spend more time each week in their cars than they do in front of their televisions and are much more inclined to spend a great deal more on big screen or LCD televisions for their homes. I like being surrounded by nice things and music is one of those things. A great auto sound system is one way that I can bring music into my life day in and day out. I am quite certain that there are others out there just like me. Just like the alarm clock radios, there are many wonderful auto sound systems on the market today competing with one another for a slice of the music lover’s pie. That would not be the case if there were only a select few of us who enjoyed great music.
The trick is always going to be finding the sound you like at a price that is just as delightful as the sound they provide. A good auto sound system is not an impulse buy. This is something you consider carefully, shop around, and compare prices on before you make the decision to purchase. Also consider things such as free installation and how they will affect the overall price when the time comes. It could very well be that the same sound system will cost a different amount at several different stores, if one of those stores offers free installation (depending on the cost of installation) it may be a much better deal even if the cost of the system is slightly greater than those at the other competing stores.
There are many things to consider when purchasing an auto sound system for your vehicle. The most important of those things is how well you like the system you are purchasing. This is your money after all and you should spend on the systems that sounds best and offers the most features that you desire.

Top Reasons to Opt for Motorhome Hire

Many of us are compulsive travelers. Be it a weekend, or a week-long break, we just need a reason to pack our bags and travel to our favourite getaways. But then, traveling comes with its own share of hassles – picking the right items for carrying along, packing them appropriately and then maintaining them well throughout the trip, so on and so forth.

It is here that lies the importance of services like motorhome hire. Motorhomes are ‘homes on the move’, ready to accompany travelers wherever they go. By hiring a motorhome, you can get rid of your travel worries and have an amazing, hassle-free experience.

The Internet offers scores of options for people interested in hiring a ‘walking home’ for their journeys. But what is it that draws the common man to opt for such services? Listed below are just few of the answers:

1 You can travel and stay in the remotest of areas without bothering about basic amenities like lodging and sanitation. En route to your destination, you can easily stop by the country side and spend some quality time without losing sleep over small issues. In fact, motorhomes hire are quite useful for people who like attending sporting events, festivals or concerts that are usually spread over three to five days.

2 Hiring a motorhome gives you the freedom of traveling anywhere, anytime; irrespective of the prevalent weather conditions in the region. Having your own ‘home on the wheels’ allows you to visit all kinds of regions without bothering about heat, humidity, rains or cold weather.

3 Most motorhomes can easily occupy up to six people. This means, you can take your children with you wherever you go. In fact, why leave the family pet alone? There’ll be enough space to tag it along!

Many travelers opt for motorhome hire just for the kicks. It is a fairly new service and a number of people have never tried it out. Apart from its utility, the very idea of traveling in your ‘home’ makes it an exciting prospect.

Hybrids are finally shaping up to be what engineers envisioned them to be. With some new driving techniques, many models are achieving the mileage estimates which the makers advertised. The batteries, which the hybrid relies upon for their electric energy source, are now coming with longer warranties and replaceable modules, which keep one from having to replace the entire battery. The waiting lists and prices are slowly going down, too, as more makers come up with their own versions of the hybrid car or SUV. All of these factors are changing the way that people think of hybrids; however, the journey of the hybrid into the mainstream auto industry has not been without some very bumpy moments. There is a population of hybrid owners who have not had their expectations met.

One of the biggest problems which hybrid owners have is not getting the mileage which they believe they should or would. Some hybrids claiming that they will get 50 mpg are only getting 30 mpg. Drivers are frustrated as they attempt to actually relearn how to drive a car. This includes learning how to “pulse and glide,” which helps balance the car’s use of electric and gas when in speeds ranging from 30 to 40 mph. A combination of fancy pedal work and watching arrows on the dashboard, make many drivers feel like they are learning how to drive manual or worse. The other factor that comes into play is how fast one likes to accelerate. Although many of the new hybrids are getting great acceleration performance, punching the gas on a hybrid also reduces one’s mileage performance. If one wants to get great gas mileage on a hybrid, then they have to learn how to drive with more overall patience. There has to be less hard breaking and careful attention to pressure on the gas pedal to get the most out of one’s hybrid.

Complaints of hybrids performing badly in certain weather conditions have also changed some owners’ opinions about their environmentally friendly vehicle. Apparently, the car battery used in hybrids needs some warming up. In full hybrids (or hybrids which can operate completely in either electric or gas mode without needing the other), this problem appears to have worked out to near nonexistence. For mild hybrids, which cannot have the electric or gas components work independently from one another, there have been cases of the hybrid performing poorly or much under expectations in cold weather. Too much heat has been known to wear down on a hybrid’s battery as well, but this is being counteracted with thermal protection systems.

Stalling has also made Toyota have to contact Prius owners. Apparently, stalling or unexpected shutdowns of the engine may affect some drivers due to a software problem. The stalling sounds like a frightening prospect, but Toyota took precautions by inviting owners of that specific Prius to head to dealerships for a free repair. The news was also minimal in affecting opinion about the Prius since only a small number of drivers ever had to submit any complaints.

Some people have been known to complain about one of the strange side-effects of driving a hybrid: the silence. Because of the efficiency of the engine, the engine can drop to near silence when idling. Many say that although motorcycles and some models of regular cars are too loud, at least you can hear them. The silence of the hybrid poses a problem for the deaf and for children who are often too wrapped up in playing to pay attention to cars to begin with. It is no wonder that makers are already considering ways to put the noise pollution back into hybrids to ensure that pedestrians are not the victims of new technology.

For many, it is no surprise that hybrids have been plagued with various glitches. The fact that many non-hybrid vehicles have had their share of recalls despite years of engineers working on them does not make hybrid owners feel better. Consumers who are willing to take the chance with a hybrid purchase are already wondering if their car will be obsolete in a couple years like a laptop computer. There is some comfort, however, that the glitches have not been as numerous as some expected and that the benefits are beginning to outweigh the negatives.

Driving Report Saab 9-3 2.0t: on the Search for the Own I

Saab, was considered in former times as car to individualists. Humans, to stand out want from the mass, away by auto+mobile unit mash, from hard, Swedish steel built for the eternity.

With the assumption the image crumbled to the mark by general of engine somewhat, besides it does not make the small model pallet Sweden easily to become generally accepted on the hard Premiummarkt in Germany. But the 9-3 still certain the something has, even if the sedan does not near-hand to the modern Design of the combination.

Rattle-freely and pleasantly…

Saab will do probably without the key pit in the center console never – well so. Also the self-willed drawn instrument panel, felt substantial like a bloom, has style and remains rattle-free also on bad distances. The materials were refined in the process of the years, do not approach however to the finish of the German competition. The clear Design, which makes the operation the children’s game, is pleasant. Also the Night panel, with which all instruments up to the Tacho are colluded during the night travel, is a pleasant thing. The passengers sit in front very comfortably, in the version Vector on electrically adjustable Gest?hl, in the back happen it for this class rather closely. Also the trunk is rather small with 425 litres.

To the aggregate

A pleasant companion is the 2.0-Liter-Turbo, which brings it on 154 kW/210 HP and really nothing at achievement lets miss. Over an announcement can be pursued, like the loader pressure constructs, the constant thrust already begins starting from approximately 2000 routes and reaches then nearly up to the speed limiter. 300 Newtonmeters maximum torque always provide for quick propulsion. The test car was equipped with a five-stage mechanism, which from the force package little momentum robs, but contributes much to the comfort. That keeps in track on speed 100 takes 8.8 seconds, the propulsion ends with 230 km/h. With dezent full of seeds sound the aggregate entices to the acceleration – which must be paid at the gasoline pump with a deftigen addition. The strong Swede on average, that used 12.8 litres of super is not little.

The chassis Sweden

Saab sets on sport – the driver notices also with the tuning 9-3. With unevenness and short impacts the mad seats iron a part of the taut chassis again away, but here (hardness) more would be less. In fast driven curves the sporty tuning has again its advantages. But that is matter of taste. The 17-Z?ller of the test car let it afterwards-run on the motorway of each groove, impairs the straight line discharge and provides occasionally for the obligation to corrections. The sun roof was fit in bad and strengthened the wind noises otherwise quiet Sweden.

Price structure

36,300 euro costs the 9-3 in the equipment Vector with the strong turbo. Up to leather seats and navigation system equipment then really completely, even xenon light or one is separate adjustable climatic mechanism is also on board. Who orders these extras additionally, comes on over 40,000 euro. Also with the price Saab arrived thus in the Premiumsegment. In the case of so good equipment we can forgive quick Sweden that. That thereby partial levers and switch are used from the GM shelf and work a little cheaply, not.

(ar/os)