2008 Honda Accord Lx Sedan Automatic Cruise Ctrl 49k Mi Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Pedestrian deaths increase; cell-phone distractions may be culprit

In Philadelphia, city officials are running a public-safety campaign that implores road users to simply "Put. Phone. Down." In Florida, a similar advertisement reminds people, "Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow." What's unusual about these messages is that they target pedestrians. Amid widespread concern about distracted drivers on American roads, there's a growing body of research that suggests distracted walking is equally problematic. Pedestrians engrossed in their phone, text or Tinder conversations are stepping into intersections without so much as a glance at oncoming traffic. That may be one reason pedestrian deaths are increasing. They jumped 15 percent in a five-year period between 2009 and 2013, according to a study released this week by the Governors Highway Safety Association, with 4,735 killed in 2013. In the same time, overall traffic fatalities have fallen by 3.4 percent. Pedestrian deaths now comprise 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, and approximately one pedestrian death occurs every two hours in the United States. Alcohol is still a top culprit – it's involved in 49 percent of pedestrian deaths on either the part of driver or walker – but as cities rush to implement a wave of slower speed limits, wider sidewalks and street medians to counter pedestrian deaths, there's new focus on holding pedestrians accountable for eliminating distractions. "Undoubtedly, motorists are responsible for many pedestrian accidents," said a July newsletter from the National Motorists Association. "But pedestrians must also assume responsibility for their own safety." This week's report from the GHSA cites growing research that suggests pedestrians aren't yet doing their part. At 20 high-risk intersections, 26 percent of pedestrians wore headphones, 15 percent were texting and 13 percent talked on the phone, according to a 2013 University of Georgia study. More recently, a William Paterson University study issued earlier this year found more than 25 percent of New York City pedestrians were distracted by either their phones or headphones. Half of the pedestrians who crossed with a "Don't Walk" signal were distracted. "Getting smashed at the bar? Don't get smashed walking home." - Minnesota public-safety campaign.

Honda recalling 25k Odyssey minivans over side curtain airbags

Honda's refreshed 2014 Odyssey (now with 100-percent more vacuum power!) launched last year, but is now being called back for issues related to the side curtain airbags. According to Honda, 24,889 Odyssey minivans are affected by an issue that may cause the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) warning light to illuminate or, even worse, cause the side airbags to not deploy in a crash.
What went wrong, exactly? We'll let Honda explain:
During assembly of the electrical coupler for the side curtain airbag on the passenger's side of the vehicle, it is possible that the shorting terminal, which is used to prevent deployment of the airbag before it is assembled into the vehicle, may have been damaged. A damaged shorting terminal may illuminate the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) indicator as well as prevent the side curtain airbag from deploying during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Acura ILX Type S could get 300-hp turbo four

There's good news and bad news when it comes to the new Honda Civic Type R. The good news is that after more than a year of prototypes and concepts, the Japanese automaker's new hot hatch is about to make its production debut next month. The bad news is that it's not coming here, but there is a silver lining in even that dark rain cloud – namely, that Honda plans on slotting its 2.0-liter VTEC turbo four into something that it will actually offer Stateside. Earlier rumors suggested the US donor vehicle would also be a Civic, but the latest intel indicates it could be something different, albeit related. According to Car and Driver, which spoke recently with Acura product planning manager Gary Robinson, Honda's luxury division could be gearing up to shoehorn the engine into the recently updated ILX – which itself is based on the Civic. "Acura is always going to get the best engines Honda makes," said Robinson. "Obviously a 2.0-liter turbo is more of a must-have in the luxury world than it is in the mainstream" market, suggesting that an ILX Type S could be in the works with upwards of 300 horsepower. Getting it to fit, though, could prove a rather large challenge – and could mean the engine swap would have to wait until the next-generation model comes around. Considering that the ILX was just updated for 2016, C/D doesn't expect the full redesign to come until 2018 at the earliest. Here's hoping that if it takes that long, Honda will slot the engine into something else for US showrooms in the meantime. The revival of the Type S badge in and of itself, however, makes for an enticing prospect. The last time we saw it used was on the larger TL sedan, which upgraded the 3.2-liter V6 from the 225 horsepower to 260. Before that, the RSX jumped from 160 horsepower in the base model to 200 in the first Type S, 210 in the second and 217 in the ultimate Type R. As it stands, the new ILX (after dropping the hybrid and base 2.0 models, is powered exclusively by a 2.4-liter inline four with 201 hp on tap.