With car crashes at an unprecedented high, the question of car safety is becoming top on every buyers mind. A safe car is a car that protects its occupants during an accident. This protection comes about by the existence of certain safety features in a car. Unfortunately, not all cars have the same level of safety. In short, not every car is safe for you to drive.

Drivers losing concentration while on the road now take up a significant portion of causes for road accidents recorded. Most people lose track on the road when they get embedded in some other activity. Features that help maintain a driver’s consciousness while driving like air-conditioning, power steering, adjustable seat belts, and electronic mirrors should be made available on every safe vehicle. For concentration purposes, it’s also better to go with automatic rather than manual transmission.

How does a Car protect its Driver and Occupants?

Reputable car safety rating agencies arrive at their own safety ratings by conducting crash tests on a car to be rated. The car is run into a resistant block with electronic receptors used to estimate any effects the crash would have on its occupants. Car performance during simulated crashes (front, side, and rollover) is usually a part of the rating process.

During an accident, so many things could go wrong. Detachable and Collapsible objects like steering column, dashboard, roof pillars, doors, pedals and floor panels are especially venerable under different accident situations. In cases of a side impact, reinforcements on all doors are needed in order for them not to cave in so much as to injure the passenger. In cases of rollover accidents, the roof pillars should be strong enough to prevent the roof from caving in. If they cave excessively inwards, they limit the space available to occupants making it harder for them to get out of the car and possibly injuring them in the process. Some car manufacturers put in extra effort to make their cars less venerable during accidents but this does not apply to all of them. This is a reason why every car buyer should be aware of just how safe his car really is.
Here are some Safety Features 

• Dual Front Airbags (highly recommended)
• Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) (highly recommended)
• Headrests (on all seats) (recommended)
• Electronic stability control (optional)
• Curtain airbags (optional)
• Side airbags (highly recommended)
• A seat belt warning device (recommended)
• An anti-whiplash system (optional)
• Automated daytime running lights (optional)
• Load limiters for seat belts (optional)
• Adjustable seat belts (recommended)
• Cargo Barrier - Station Wagon (highly recommended)
Helpful Resources:

Articles

Least-Safe Cars 2007
How Safe is your Car
Forbes Lists 20 Most Dangerous Cars

Car safety ratings

European New Car Assessment Program (ENCAP)
Get Crash Test Results for specific models
Used Car Safety Ratings (UCSR)

The first month of 2008 saw a new milestone set in the global automobile industry. Tata the internationally known Indian car manufacturer announced a car dubbed to be the cheapest car in the world. On January 10, 2008, Chairman of the Tata group, Mr. Ratan N. Tata unveiled the Tata Nano at the 9th Indian auto expo. The Tata Nano would cost Rs 1 lakh, GB£1277, €1700 and US$2,500 respectively.  His words for the cute small car were few - A car designed for the average Indian citizen, a people’s car. As the world’s only second country to have over a billion residents, India’s economic boom has seen more and more of its population getting above the poverty line and reaching for private transport vehicles. Most Indians who cannot afford a car go for tricycles and motorbikes but with the launch of the Tata Nano, people who cannot afford to buy the “usual” cars get a chance to own one.

Introductory session for the Tata Nano unveiling ceremony.

History behind the Nano

History of the Nano dates far back in 2003 when Chairman of Tata Motors, Ratan Tata started a project to build a car that will direct towards Indian families with 2-wheeler transport vehicles. The initial idea was that any car created should be cheap enough for the average family. Being the man behind the dream that brought out the Nano, Ratan Tata had a lot of input in the cars preproduction stages, even reducing the number of front wipers from two to one. Italy’s Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering is behind the design of the Nano.

The Tata Nano is a four-door car. To conserve limited interior space without affecting the overall length of the vehicle, its engines were placed at the rear end of the car. The Nano comes with a 2-cylinder petrol Bosch multi-point fuel injection (single injector) 33horsepower all aluminium 623 cc engine. Due to its 2-cylinder status, fuel consumption estimates for the car are at 22km/Litre. The external dimensions for the Nano are:

Length 3100 mm (122 in)
Width 1500 mm (59.1 in)
Height 1600 mm (63 in)

Tata has announced that the Nano will come in different versions – a standard version and two deluxe versions. The standard version does not include air conditioning but the deluxe versions will. All versions have no power steering. While Tata Motors was able to reduce the size of the Nano by making it even smaller than its nearest competitor - Maruti 800, the Nano has 21% more interior space.

Performance

The Nano’s small engine doesn’t give much room for performance. Its top speed is 105 km/h and acceleration from 0-70 km/h is in 14 seconds. Though the Nano doesn’t provide much speed, it compensates for this with fuel consumption - One litre of fuel provides a 20 kilometre journey.  

Technical Specification

Engine: 2 cylinder petrol with Bosch multi-point fuel injection (single injector) all aluminium 33 horsepower (25 kW) 624 cc (38 cu in)
Value Motronic engine management platform from Bosch
2 valves per cylinder overhead camshaft
Compression ratio - 9.5:1
bore × stroke 73.5 × 73.5 mm
Power: 33 PS (33 hp/24 kW) @ 5500 rpm[18]
Torque: 48 N•m (35 ft•lbf) @ 2500 rpm
Rear wheel drive, 4-speed manual transmission
Steering – mechanical rack and pinion

The 2007 Ford Focus has officially been crowned Britain’s best selling automobile for 2007. This car has seen much success since its introduction to Britain in 1999 as it has maintained the bestseller position for 9 years running. Since its introduction, the Ford Focus has had little competition say for the Vauxhall Astra and another competing car from Ford, the Fiesta. Reliable estimates based on new car registrations by the Social of Motor Manufacturer and Traders put Ford Focus sales at 126,928 for 2007. Below is a comprehensive top ten list of best selling cars in Great Britain according to new car registration statistics by the Society of Motor Manufacturer and Traders (SMMT):

1. Ford Focus   126,928
2. Vauxhall Astra  113,894
3. Ford Fiesta   102,872
4. Vauxhall Corsa  94,120
5. Volkswagen Golf  68,843
6. Peugeot 207  67,185
7. BMW 3 Series   58,544
8. Renault Mégane  55,468
9. Renault Clio  53,907
10. Vauxhall Vectra  50,983

The 2007 Ford Focus comes in four different body styles - the ZX3 two-door hatchback, the ZX4 sedan, the ZX5 five-door hatchback and ZXW wagon.  These four versions also have different model designations from S, SE, to SES, and ST. All models have four cylinder engines and the 5come in a 2.0-liter engine except for the ZX4 ST, which comes in a 2.3 litre engine. ST models for the different body styles come with a 151-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder and five-speed manual transmission. It also has a sport suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes and anti-lock braking system (ABS) an optional with other models. Other models, S, SE, and SES come with less powerful 136-horsepower 4 cylinder engines.

All in all, the Ford Focus is an inexpensive car with prices ranging from GB£6,620 - GB£8,832

Special Features

Traction control is available on the SE, SES, and ST versions. All Ford Focuses include a height-adjustable driver seat and split folding rear seatbacks. Protective front side airbags for the Head and Torso are available. Other optional features include Sunroof, Leather Upholstery, and Heated Front Seats. Safety features found in the Ford Focus include two front airbags, child-safety seat attachments, and child locks on rear doors.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions: The dimensions for the different models are as follows:

4dr Station Wagon   

Model:                SE     SES
Length:  178.4 ”      178.4”
Body width:   66.7 ”      66.7”
Body height:   57.5 ”      57.5”
Ground clearance:   6.5 ”      6.5”
4dr Sedan

Model:   S              SE               SES      ST   
Length:    175.2 “   175.2 ”   175.2”             175.2” 
Body width:   66.7 ”   66.7 “      66.7”               66.7” 
Body height:   56.8 “     56.8 ”   56.8”       56.8”   
Ground clearance:  6.2 “  6.2 “   6.2”              6.2”   
4dr Hatchback
 
Model:                          S            SE       SES
Length:   168.5 ”   168.5 ”              168.5 “ 
Body width:    66.7 ”   66.7 “   66.7 “ 
Body height:   56.8 ”   56.8 ”   56.8 “   
Ground clearance:  6.2 “  6.2 “   6.2 “ 

2dr Hatchback  

Model:   S  SE  SES
Length:   168.5 “  168.5 ”   168.5 ”
Body width:   66.7 ”   66.7 ”   66.7 ”
Body height:  56.8 ”   56.8 “  56.8 ”
Ground clearance:  6.2 ”   6.2 “  6.2 “ 

The first thing you have to do to get the best car insurance is to get as many car insurance quotes as possible, from the car insurance companies. There is no limited to the number of car insurance quotes you request from UK car insurance companies. These quotes can be availed from either the internet or a car insurance company. 

Compare online car insurance quotes to get the best policy

The internet offers faster results as all you have to do is to fill out the online form provided, with basic and personal information. On submitting the form, you will be sent car insurance quotes based on the information you provide in the form. This is why it is important that you provide true information, so that you receive realistic car insurance quotes to compare for the best car insurance policy. 

If you are looking for a cheap car insurance policy, you have to remember a few points that will help you in getting a cheap car insurance policy. It is better to apply for a car insurance policy in the name of your wife, if married. This is because as women are considered to be safer drivers than men, they are offered cheaper and better car insurance policies. 

Safety features in the car reduce your car insurance premium 

The lower is the engine capacity of your car; the lower will be the premium for the car insurance policy. This is the reason why many people even buy their cars based on the insurance premium for the insurance policy. The more safety features you have in your car, the lower are the car insurance premium.

This is because these safety features help in preventing an accident or at least lessen the consequences of an accident. This in turn leads to less damage to the car and thus less of compensation for the insurance company to pay to you. 

It is interesting to learn that your driver’s license is instrumental in getting a cheap car insurance policy. This is because the safer you are in your driving, the lower is your car insurance policy. As a safe driver, the probability of an accident occurring while you drive the car is greatly reduced. 

Safe localities get lower car insurance policies

Even your address is instrumental in getting a cheap car insurance policy. This is because if you live in a locality where there are increased thefts, you will need an increased car insurance premium as the probability of your car getting stolen is quite high. 

You could consider adding an elder person to the policy as you can then avail of a cheap car insurance policy as once again; elder people are generally safer in their driving habits.

Even considering car pools helps in getting a discounted car insurance policy as with car pools, you use your car less than required. And with a low annual mileage, you get yourself a mileage discount. 

So if you consider implementing all these tips the next time you go looking for the right car insurance policy, you find that you can get yourself a cheap car insurance policy.

• You can save money by avoiding taking long spells of warming up of your engines, even in cold mornings. Even 30 - 45 seconds is rather a long time of warming up.

• It is better to idle your engine for a minute, than starting and stopping repeatedly. You consume equivalent amount of gas in both situations; but repeated starting and stopping of the car can harm the engine.

• Once the engine warms up, make sure that the automatic choke gets disengaged. This is because chokes have a tendency of getting stuck, which in turn leads to a bad gas and air mixture.

• It is always better to buy gasoline when the day is cool like in the early morning and late evening. This is because this is when gasoline is at its densest. Remember that gasoline that you buy in the fuel station is sold in terms of volume of the gasoline, and not on the density of fuel concentration.

• You have to avoid ‘revving’ your car engine unnecessarily, especially just before turning the engine off. This is because this only leads to wastage of fuel and also leads to oil getting washed down from the inside cylinder walls. All this is due to a loss in oil pressure.

• Always avoid filling your gas tank to the top. This is because overfilling of the tank leads to sloshing over where fuel falls out of the tank. If the nozzle is automatic, never fill gas past the first ‘click’ you hear in the fuel nozzle.

• The type and brand of gasoline that you choose and buy determines your gas mileage. There are some brands of better quality gasoline that provide you with good mileage. So use brands that look to be more beneficial to you.

• Remember to always remain in the legal speed limit. This is not only for your travelling safety, but also to achieve good gas mileage. This means that if you drive at speeds of 55 mph, you get a maximum of 21% better mileage than speeds of 65 - 70 mph.

• Moreover, the faster you go, the more wind resistance your car has to overcome.  And with fast speeds, in low gears, the car consumes more than 45% fuel than required.

• When travelling at high speeds, keep your windows closed as open windows only cause air drag where mileage is reduced by 10%.

• When you have to traverse hills, make it a point to accelerate before reaching the hill, and not when you are on the hill.

If you adopt all these tips when driving your car, you are sure to experience a better mileage in your car, which proves to be economical to you.

In a bid of maintaining the company’s environmental philosophy, Nissan has launched the Nissan Green Program. This movement is a symbiosis of vehicles, nature and people that involves activities not only in the development and manufacture departments of automobiles, but also in country wide sales and services.

It can be said that this program ensures that all environmental actions are formulated programs where you have targets and aims that relate to business activities for midterm, long term and yearly periods.

The goals of the Nissan Green Program 2010 is three fold; exhaust emission reduction, CO2 emission reduction and the acceleration of recycling efforts. This is not the first plan from Nissan; the company has been holding environmental plans since 1993 where the last effort was in 2005.

It was in January 2007 that the company had started the eco-driving information service provided through its CARWINGS navigation system, in the bid of promoting more economical driving habits.

This was when the emphasis was on achieving widespread ULEV compliance while the present plan emphasizes on the production of viable, green type automobiles. Hybrid vehicles are one product of emphasis of the NGP2010 as Nissan has been slow in this.

Their first hybrid vehicle, the Altima Hybrid is scheduled for release next year, where there is no in-house technology involved in its manufacture. Instead, hybrid technology was used in its manufacture. With the licensing requirements, all Altima Hybrids will be sold at a loss.

The other goals of the NGP2010 includes the implementation of technologies like improvement of fuel economy, while reduction of CO2 emissions, through direct injections in to the engine.

A new two litre diesel engine and a three liter car that can give 100 km on 3 liters of fuel, with hybrid like emissions are lined up for production during the program. A new version of the Nissan Armada SUV that runs on E85 and a model that can run on pure ethanol are slotted for the Brazilian market by the year 2009.

In addition to all this, the introduction of a new fuel cell vehicle to the US market is expected for the first years of the new decade and the creation of a new company that focuses on development, production and marketing of advanced version of lithium-ion batteries.

Fuel efficiency gauges will be added to all the new models of cars from the Japanese carmaker, as a part of the Nissan Green Program 2010. So far, the first US models to get these new gauges are the Infinity G35 and Nissan Altima.

These new gauges will all display both instantaneous and average mileage, along with similar devices as proof of being one of the key tools of hyper-milers. This is all implemented so that drivers become aware of the consequences of accelerator usage. Similarly, it is possible for brake drivers to create their own driving style so that there are potential improvements of 10% or more, but no technological changes.

All this and more have been slotted for the NGP2010, by the great car manufacturer, Nissan.

Global crude oil prices have sky-rocketed in recent years and they seem to be continuing in that direction for a long time to come. With crude oil prices constantly on the rise, you can expect gas prices to rise even higher than they already are. As a gas consumer dishing out up to $3 a gallon the thought of having to pay even higher gas prices can be scary.

There are ways through which you can lessen your gas consumption and I have taken the time to bring some of those ways to you:

Do not drive a gas guzzler -With gas prices skyrocketing, the last thing you are going to want is a car that consumes more fuel than you can afford. A first tip for you in this regard is to get a hybrid car. Though Hybrid cars may not be as fast and rugged as their full-time gas consuming counterparts, you should consider getting one if you are not going to be breaking speed limits any time soon. Hybrid cars are the cars of the future and so why not get a glimpse of these cars now rather than later.

Another tip under this is that even if you are not going to be getting a hybrid, researching gas consumption information before purchasing is a good way to purchase a fuel-efficient car. Different models of the same car most times do not consume the same amount of gas so by just looking at information which you can find on the internet, you still are able to purchase your favorite car with less gas consuming tendencies.

Ideally, it’s better for you to purchase a smaller car than that big SUV you’ve always dreamt of. SUV’s and other cars with above 6 cylinders should be off limit to you. If possible, limit your search to 4 cylinder cars alone.

Car maintenance - Change oil and visit car maintenance as often as your car manual suggests. Remember to keep tires inflated properly as under-inflation can consume more fuel and wear out tires faster. Also, wheel balancing and alignment should be undergone before taking any long trips or at least once every 2 months.

Use proper tires - By making use of snow tires in summer, you definitely will make your car consume more gas than normal.

Keep your car as light as possible - For every extra 250 pound you put in your car, one extra gallon will be consumed per mile.

Drive intelligently - Don’t make sudden stops and allow for gradual acceleration.

Avoid long warm-ups - Two minutes of car warming is enough even on cold winter mornings

Avoid that extra charge by using cash instead of Credit Card as means of payment

Electric cars have been receiving lots of hype over the years as a car that is run using electricity, and not fuel. These cars help in reducing the consumption of fuel, and are thus growing in popularity and economy today.

These electric cars are also called electric vehicles, and battery electric vehicles which are powered using an electric motor. This motor draws power from an on-board battery which you have to recharge periodically to use in the car.

It is possible to recharge this battery using a standard electrical outlet, with either an alternating current or direct current. Of the two, it is proven that alternating current is the better and more efficient choice for charging your electric car.

The electric car is not something new to the car industry as they have been around for some time. In fact, presently, they are the leaders in future cars. It is mainly because of its limited range that most of the BEVs that consumers can access are called NEVs, or neighborhood electric vehicles.

Now you know something about electric cars, the next question you think about is what the performance is for these cars. Basically, its performance differs from car to car however the average range it reaches is 100 miles, at top speeds ranging from 30 to 95 miles per hour.

Of course, the source of energy for the car is electricity which is provided with the help of an on-board battery that is basically Lithium-ion or Nickel metal-hydride. The refuel time for the battery is usually overnight for most cars. When you think of costs of the car, on an average, on an AC or DC motor, the car uses about 0.3 kilowatt-hours per mile.

So if you drive a mile using the car, you will only be spending about $0.03 for fuel. When comparing this to a standard car, the gasoline car that attains 25 miles per gallon, when fuel costs are $3 per gallon will cost you about $0.12 per mile. These statistics give you an idea of the efficiency of the electric car.

There is no need of repeated replacement of the battery of the car. You have to replace it only once in four years, where the cost of the battery lies between $1,000 to $2,000. These cars have to be charged periodically; this is why there are some electric charging stations in the US. However as only an electric outlet is required for recharging the car, there are some states that have public access electric outlets for your recharging purposes.

Advantages of the electric car

The greatest advantage of this car is that they are zero-emission vehicles where there is no emission from the tailpipe. However the electricity that is used to power these cars is produced from an energy plant by combustion of fossil fuels. Though fossil fuels are used here, it is argued that it is better for these fuels to be expelled at the plant than at the tailpipe.

Another advantage to buying an electric car in the US is that there are numerous financial incentives offered when buying an electric car. These incentives include cash rebates, tax credits, free re-charging and even free parking in some states.

Disadvantages of the electric car

At present the greatest disadvantage with an electric car is that it lacks a substantial driving range with each battery charge. The range is said to lie between 50 to 100 miles while the cars can’t reach very high speeds. The maximum speed it reaches now is about 50 mph; this is why this car is used more for local driving and to reach local destinations and not for long distance driving.

The future of cars lies in air cars. The mechanics involved in the functioning of these compressed air cars is compressed air that is released for propulsion purposes. This idea of building compressed air cars have been on the drawing board for many years but is very close to reaching commercial markets today.

In this car, air is compressed into a tank, at high pressure, with the help of an electric pump. This is done with the intention of storing energy, as in a battery. This energy is used for powering the car by allowing the stored air to escape like it does in a combustion engine. With this, the air presses on the vehicle’s pistons, to run the car.

It is possible to recharge the electric pumps of the car using a standard electrical outlet. It should be remembered that this futuristic compressed air car is not a hybrid vehicle because of its pump and outlet. It is just a compressed air car.

Advantages of the car

The advantage of this car over other cars is that it can be used to reach top speeds of about 65 mph, while reaching a range of over 100 miles. In fact, this is a car that offers high efficiency than most other BEVs can actually reach.

When compared to other vehicles, the emissions from this car are mostly cold air and not hot air. If you intend to buy this car, do it soon as some of the currently available models are available in limited quantities. However they are available at low rates, of under $15,000.

There is no need of having any additional form of infrastructure for supporting the car. Moreover, its mechanical designs are rather simple and easy to understand. So there is no problem in getting the car repaired if you find any problems with it.

The greatest advantage of the compressed air car is that there is no fear of the car suffering from any damage that will usually arise from continuous battery use and combustion in other cars.

Disadvantages of a compressed air car

There is basically only one disadvantage with this car, which is the fact that the pump that is used for compressing air requires electrical energy. This electrical energy that is used is currently produced using more of fossil fuels.

There are many models of compressed air cars in the making, where the most exciting model is Tata Motors’ AirCar. This is a car that is estimated to reach speeds of 68 mph, with a range of 125 miles. It is to be retailed for under $13,000 while its electric pump can be recharged in a matter of four hours, while its tank gets filled with compressed air within five minutes’ time.

Now, the next question that comes to your mind is the future of compressed air cars. Basically, with so much of hype covering battery electric and fuel cell vehicles, though compressed air cars have a strong position here, they still have a long way to go in their stages of development.