GM Ignition Switch Death Toll Climbs to 52

GM Ignition Switch Death Toll Climbs to 52
2015 Ford Focus Gets ‘Anti-Spinout’ System
Pot Might Not Raise Crash Risks Significantly: NHTSA
Driverless Cars Could Cut Vehicle Ownership 43 Percent
Land Rover Recalls SUVs for Faulty Brake Hoses
Apple Tempting Tesla Staff With Big Cash Bonuses

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The number of deaths attributed to faulty ignition switches in small GM cars has risen to 52.

So far, 52 death and 79 injury claims have been approved for compensation from a fund setup by GM. The number of approvals is expected to continue to rise as 57 new claims were received by fund-head Kenneth Feinberg's office in the final days before the Jan.31 deadline. In total, 4,237 claims have been submitted, including 462 death claims.

It will be "very late spring" before every single one of the claims can be handled according to Feinberg. Many of the late claims were made with little to no paperwork which will prolong the process. So far, 482 of the claims have been deemed ineligible for compensation. All approved death claims will receive at least $1 million.

GM expects the compensation program to cost between $400 and $600 million, while a regulatory filing last Wednesday shows that GM has paid $93 million so far.

[Source: Detroit News]

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2015 Ford Focus Gets ‘Anti-Spinout’ System

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Ford is adding a new feature to the stability control system in the 2015 Focus.

The new setup can predict when a spinout is imminent and brake individual wheels to help the driver maintain control. Known as, "enhanced transitional stability technology," Ford says the system uses real-time data like vehicle speed, steering wheel input and the turn rate of the steering wheel to predict a loss of control between 100 and 200 milliseconds before it happens.

"By recognizing scenarios that can lead to a potential loss of driver control before oversteer has developed, the enhanced transitional stability system is setting the recovery process in motion quicker than ever before – resulting in smoother, more refined control," said David Messih, Brake Controls manager, Ford North America.

Enhanced transitional stability technology has been added to the 2015 Focus as standard equipment.

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Pot Might Not Raise Crash Risks Significantly: NHTSA

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A new survey released by the U.S. government suggests that smoking pot might not significantly increase the risk of a car crash.

NHTSA said the study is the "most precisely controlled" of its kind to date. It suggests that drivers who smoke marijuana are generally more likely to be involved in a traffic accident, but that the increased likelihood is probably coincidental.

"Analyses incorporating adjustments for age, gender, ethnicity, and alcohol concentration level did not show a significant increase in levels of crash risk associated with the presence of drugs," the study reads. "This finding indicates that these other variables (age, gender ethnicity and alcohol use) were highly correlated with drug use and account for much of the increased risk associated with the use of illegal drugs and with THC."

The study was conducted in Virginia Beach, Va., over a 20-month period with 3,000 drivers who were involved in crashes and 6,000 drivers who were not involved in crashes.

"These findings highlight the importance of research to better understand how marijuana use affects drivers so states and communities can craft the best safety policies," NHTSA associate administrator for research and program development Jeff Michael said, cautioning that drivers shouldn't get behind the wheel while they are impaired and that there isn't any question about the fact that smoking pot causes impairment

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Driverless Cars Could Cut Vehicle Ownership 43 Percent

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Self-driving cars could spell a major reduction in the number of vehicles a household needs.

A new study released today by the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) suggests that self-driving cars could reduce vehicle ownership by 43 percent. The study shows that on average there are 2.1 vehicles per household, but that there weren't any overlapping or conflicting trips in almost 84 percent of those households. Because of that, the study says autonomous vehicles with an unoccupied "return home" feature could dramatically reduce the need for multiple vehicles per household.

Some of the world's largest automakers are engaged in an a race to develop and release autonomous vehicle technology, but vehicle manufacturers aren't the only companies developing the technology. Last September, the California Department of Motor Vehicles issued its first permits for self-driving car testing on public roads. It issued 29 permits, of which Google took 25. Audi and Mercedes-Benz split the remaining four permits equally between them.

Ford is also currently developing self-driving vehicle technology. It, among other industry giants including Bosch, GM and Toyota, are conducting testing in a simulated city on the University of Michigan campus.

But the UMTRI study results also said its 43 percent estimate only represents an "upper-bound approximation of the maximum possible effects" that self-driving car adoption could have. The study wasn't able to account for what would or would not constitute an acceptable gap between travel times for household members. The report also cited uncertainty in the timeline for self-driving vehicle implementation as a reason for labeling its results with the caveat.

Last January during the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, Ford CEO Mark Fields said he expects self-driving cars to launch by 2020 and that he is focusing Ford's efforts in hopes that the company will be the first to offer autonomous vehicles at the mass market level.

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Land Rover Recalls SUVs for Faulty Brake Hoses

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Various Jaguar Land Rover models are being recalled for multiple issues.

The British automaker will recall over 104,000 vehicles after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published three notices that focused on safety issues leading to faulty braking and lighting. The largest portion of the recall affects 74,684 Range Rover SUVs built from April 15, 2005 to September 4, 2012. In those vehicles, the company will replace the front brake hoses, which could rupture and slow braking speed increasing the risk of a crash.

The issue also affects 24,679 Jaguar cars built from August 16, 2012 to January 8, 2014 and sport models manufactured from May 7, 2013 to January 8, 2014.

The other recall affects Jaguar XK models built from March 4, 2011 to March 20, 2014 with a total 4,787 units impacted. In those affected cars, Jaguar will update the software for their parking lamps.

All the recalls will begin March 13 and will be carried out at not charge to the vehicle owners.

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Apple Tempting Tesla Staff With Big Cash Bonuses

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Automotive companies aren't the only ones that are poaching on Tesla employees.

At its core, Tesla is an automotive manufacturer but many of its employees are from the technology sector, including several people from Apple in recent years. But Apple is well aware of the talent within Tesla's walls and Elon Musk has said that the tech giant has tried very hard to recruit from Tesla, offering $250,000 signing bonuses and even 60-percent salary increases. Musk added that Apple hasn't been very successful only recruiting "very few people" but you can't say the same for Tesla.

The American automaker hired Doug Field to serve as the company's vice-president of its vehicle program. Field, who also had previous experience at Ford, was overseeing product and hardware design at Apple when Tesla came calling. In fact, Tesla has hired at least 150 former Apple employees. Taking one look at the Tesla Model S you'll also see the influences from those ex-Apple employees, including the sedan's 17-inch touchscreen in center console. That feature was developed by Brennan Boblett, a former Apple designer along with a team of Apple alumni.