Road Safety

It's getting increasingly common for cars to have both dash-mounted and rear cameras – so why shouldn't bike helmets get in on the action?

​Even though road signs already tend to be highly reflective, some night-time drivers still don't notice the things. New technology could help, as it causes signs to reflect in an attention-getting rainbow of changing colors.

After Hyundai nominated its Nexo Fuel Cell SUV for early crash testing, it's become the first production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) ever tested by the IIHS​ in the United States. The crash testing body awarded the vehicle a best-available Top Safety Pick+ rating​.

​​If you're driving at night, which are you more likely to notice: a single spot of light, or an entire illuminated human torso? Colorado-based cyclists Alex Mulvaney and Kathy Vega are betting on the second of the two, which is why they invented the ShineOn Dual Beam bike headlight.​

A Canadian startup is trying to push some pretty out-there new technologies into the motorcycle world. Variable riding position geometry, for one, as well as a traffic-tracking collision warning system designed to give riders an extra margin of safety on the road.

From July 1, any electric vehicle with four or more wheels that wants to be approved for road use in the European Union is going to have to have an "Acoustic Vehicle Alert System," or AVAS, fitted, making a continuous noise of at least 56 decibels if the car's going 20kmh or slower.

Jaguar Land Rover isn't afraid to get a little creative when looking to the future of automotive design. The latest concept imagines a potentially more intuitive form of turn-by-turn navigation, gently warming either side of the steering wheel to guide the driver to their destination. ​

Preview images and the early concept shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2017 indicated that the Honda e would use cameras mounted to the outside as virtual side mirrors, and the company has now confirmed this will come as standard when the the all-electric urban vehicle enters production.

​Starting at the end of next year, some of Vienna's walk-light push-buttons will be disappearing from the city's pedestrian crossings. Instead, a new system will be trialled, that uses cameras and computers to visually detect when people wish to cross the road.

​Last month, Tesla introduced an update for its Autopilot self-driving software designed to allow the car to complete lane changes on its own. But independent testing by consumer-focused non-profit Consumer Reports has uncovered a few shortcomings in the technology.

​According to Chevrolet, teen drivers are far less likely to use a seat belt, so it has incorporated some new technology into vehicles to encourage safer habits. Called Buckle to Drive, the new feature will temporarily prevent teenagers from taking off until their seatbelt is secured.

You can now option up most any motorcycle with blind spot warnings thanks to an aftermarket kit by Taiwanese company Senzar. This little jigger attaches to your license plate holder, adding a radar that looks back some 30 ft (9 m) on both sides of the rider.