Car Safety and Regulatory Devices
In the Safety & Regulatory Devices section you'll find tools and technology intended to keep drivers and passengers safe, from car seats and airbags to red-light camera technology.
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You can probably guess what a speed limiter does by its name alone. But how do they actually work? And why would someone want to limit a car's top speed, anyway?
Speedometers have been around since the early 1900s when cars began to grow in popularity and (literally) outpace the horse-drawn carriage.
Seat belts save thousands of lives each year. How can a piece of fabric end up being the difference between life and death? What does a seat belt actually do? Learn how seat belts react in a crash.
By Tom Harris
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Dashcams are inexpensive and easy to install. And they might be provide critical evidence if you're involved in a car accident. So why don't you have one?
The Green Mountain State has introduced a bill to allow motorists to include emojis on their license plates. And we are totally on board.
School buses are some of the safest vehicles on the road. But most also don't have seat belts, leaving the children inside vulnerable to injury in a crash.
Two U.S. Senators have introduced legislation to mandate technology that could end drunk driving as we know it by 2024.
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Who needs the DMV? If Texas HB 409 passes, parents could soon bypass it altogether and make their novice teens legal to drive.
These personal air bags can help anyone prone to falling, including motorcyclists, horseback riders and senior citizens.
The van driven by the recent pipe bombing suspect was literally covered from top to bottom with right-wing stickers. But, for the average law-abiding citizen, how many bumper stickers is too many?
By Oisin Curran
Ever get red light after red light when you're driving? Often, it's because traffic lights aren't synced to each other. But would doing so really fix traffic problems?
By Dave Roos
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We've all been there. The stoplight won't change and you've got places to be. Do you run it or just wait, wait and wait?
When it comes to cracking down on lead-foot drivers, these states aren't playing around.
It may seem unfair that cops can lie in wait for speeding motorists, but legally, speed traps aren't entrapment. Still, some states have imposed laws to limit their use as a revenue source.
It's freezing when you get into your car and you notice a light on your dashboard saying, 'check tire pressure.' You figure it's something to do with the cold, but must you fill up the tires fast?
By Alia Hoyt
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Although driving in inclement weather with your car's hazards flashing seems like a great idea, it might be both illegal and ill-advised.
Depending on where you live and what you drive, a car alarm can be worthwhile. Here's how to know.
By Dave Roos
You wouldn''t do that (right?) but we bet you've been behind people who switched lanes without a signal.
By Dave Roos
Nudging a thermostat, pushing an elevator button and pressing a crosswalk control are satisfying ways to control the environment around us… right? Right?
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You watch somebody zip right through an obvious speed trap — but there are CDs all over the dash and the hubcaps are covered in foil. Is that car really ticket-proof?
So you've been pulled over by the police, and they've put a breathalyzer in your face. You've heard urban legends that address how to pass a breathalyzer, but are any of them true? Find out right now!
We don't give them a second thought now, but when airbags were first introduced, they were controversial. But did they actually make cars less safe?
There's no doubt that airbags are one of the great achievements in automotive safety technology. But could they actually end up hurting or killing the people they're supposed to protect?
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Seatbelts are a way of life for most of us, but some think it's safer to go without them. Could following the rules and wearing a seatbelt actually end up killing you?
Most safety and regulatory devices within your car or truck operate so seamlessly that you may never even know that they're active. So how do you know when your vehicle's traction control system is working?