Malaysia Rear Seatbelt Fine RM300 and RM2000. What??!!

1. Actually I found this interesting picture from Paul Tan. Then, when I read the post, I learned that actually we all will be fined rm2000 if we dont use the rear seatbelt after 6 months of the rear seatbelt law. What??? This news is indeed shocking me, and probably shocking you too. Beam Beam Beam!

2. The RM300 fine will only be in effect only within a “grace period” of between the 1st of January 2009 to the end of June 2009. From the 1st of July 2009 onwards, this fine will be upped to RM2,000 and you could even go to jail for up to 1 year. Wow wow..This is the new thing I learn today. Okay whatever it is, buckle up, it is not because of the scary fine, but for you own benefits. Wear the seatbelt! :D

Penguatkuasaan Pemakaian Tali Pinggang Keledar Belakang Januari 2009

Since tomorow will be the day of rear seatbelt use and enforcement, I thought I should give some information about that. Hope this info will help you to understand the new law.

Source: Pandu Cermat

Bermula 1 Januari 2009, peraturan pemakaian tali pinggang keledar tempat duduk belakang akan dikuatkuasakan ke atas semua jenis kenderaan kecuali kenderaan-kenderaan seperti berikut:

1. kenderaan yang didaftarkan sebelum 1 Januari 1995;
2. kenderaan yang didaftarkan selepas 1 Januari 1995, tetapi tidak dilengkapi dengan anchorage points;
3. kenderaan komersil termasuk teksi dan kereta sewa;
kenderaan penumpang yang mempunyai lebih dari 8 tempat duduk tidak termasuk tempat duduk pemandu; dan
4. kenderaan barangan yang mempunyai had muatan barangan melebihi 3.5 tan.

Bagi kenderaan yang didaftarkan selepas 1 Januari 1995 dan mempunyai anchorage points, tetapi tidak dipasang tali pinggang keledar tempat duduk belakang, pemilik kenderaan tersebut diberi tempoh selama 3 tahun untuk memasang tali pinggang keledar tempat duduk belakang. Tempoh 3 tahun bermula dari 1 Januari 2009.

Kerajaan telah mendapat kerjasama dari pihak industri dan beberapa pembuat kenderaan untuk memasang tali pinggang keledar tempat duduk belakang secara percuma bagi kenderaan yang masih belum dipasang dengan tali pinggang keledar tempat duduk belakang.

Sekiranya bilangan penumpang melebihi dari bilangan tali pinggang tempat duduk belakang, pemandu kenderaan tersebut bertanggungjawab untuk memastikan kesemua tali pinggang keledar tempat duduk belakang yang ada digunakan sepenuhnya. Sekiranya gagal, tindakan undang-undang akan dikenakan terhadap pemandu kenderaan tersebut.

Peraturan Kaedah-Kaedah Kenderaan Motor (Tali Pinggang Keledar) 1978 sedia ada berkenaan pemakaian tali pinggang keledar tempat duduk hadapan adalah masih terpakai ke atas semua jenis kenderaan .

For the frequently asked question (FAQ), below is the answer. Hope this will help too.

Soalan 1 Apakah jenis kenderaan yang dikecualikan memasang tali keledar belakang ?

Jawapan : kenderaan yang didaftarkan sebelum 1 Januari 1995. kenderaan komersil termasuk teksi dan kereta sewa, lori dan bas.

Soalan 2 Berapa lamakah tempoh masa pemasangan yang diberikan kepada pemilik kenderaan persendirian yang diwajibkan memasang tali keledar belakang ?

Jawapan : Pemilik kenderaan persendirian yang didaftarkan pada atau selepas 1 Januari 1995 tetapi belum dilengkapi dengan tali keledar belakang, diberikan tempoh pemasangan selama 3 tahun, bermula 1 Januari 2009.

Soalan 3 Bagaimanakah isu bilangan penumpang yang melebihi dari bilangan tali pinggang tempat duduk belakang ?

Jawapan : Sekiranya bilangan penumpang melebihi dari bilangan tali pinggang tempat duduk belakang, pemandu kenderaan tersebut bertanggungjawab untuk memastikan kesemua tali pinggang keledar tempat duduk belakang yang ada digunakan sepenuhnya. Sekiranya gagal, tindakan undang-undang akan dikenakan terhadap pemandu kenderaan tersebut.

Soalan 4 Bagaimanakah isu pemakaian tali keledar bagi kanak-kanak dan bayi ?

Jawapan : Pemakaian dan penggunaan tali keledar bagi kanak-kanak dan bayi adalah amat digalakkan bagi tujuan keselamatan, namun ianya masih tidak diwajibkan. Pihak JKJR menasihatkan para ibubapa agar menggunakan tali keledar bersama kerusi atau jenis tempat duduk keselamatan kereta mengikut umur /berat kanak-kanak atau bayi.
Kerusi keselamatan bayi – bayi baru lahir hingga umur 1 tahun, berat sehingga 9 kg, tidak berupaya menyokong kepalanya dengan betul. Kerusi keselamatan kanak-kanak – 9 bulan hingga hampir tahun, berat di antara 9 hingga 18 kg. Kerusi penggalas – 4 hingga 11 tahun, berat antara 15 kg hingga 36 kg.(Risalah dilampirkan)

Soalan 5 Apakah risiko atau kesan jika tali keledar belakang tidak digunakan ?

Jawapan : Penumpang belakang yang tidak memakai tali pinggang belakang boleh mengundang risiko dan bahaya kepada pemandu dan penumpang di hadapan. Pada kelajuan 50 kmsj penumpang belakang seberat 60 kilogram boleh menghentam tempat duduk hadapan dengan kesan impak sebanyak 2.4 tan.

Soalan 6 Apakah faedah dan rasional penguatkuasaan pemakaian tali keledar terhadap aspek pengguna dan keselamatan jalan raya ?

Jawapan : Berdasarkan perangkaan tahun 2007, penggunaan tali pinggang keledar belakang oleh semua penumpang kenderaan persendirian berupaya menyelamatkan 175 kematian, 350 kes cedera parah dan 1050 kes cedera ringan.
Pelaksanaan inisiatif tali pinggang di belakang berupaya menyumbang untuk mengurangkan kadar kematian sebanyak 50%, kecederaan parah 45% dan kecederaan ringan sebanyak 50% bagi penumpang di belakang. Ianya juga berupaya menyumbang untuk mengurangkan risiko pemandu dan penumpang di hadapan sebanyak 75%.

Soalan 7 Bagaimanakah isu kos dan pemasangan tali keledar belakang ?

Jawapan : JKJR telah menandatangani MOU dengan pihak PROTON, PERODUA dan HONDA, ketiga-tiga syarikat pengeluar kenderaan ini telah bermurah hati akan memberikan tali keledar dan perkhidmatan pemasangan secara percuma bagi kenderaan keluaran mereka. Sehubungan dengan itu para pemilik kenderaan terbabit yang masih belum dilengkap tali keledar belakang digesa mengambil peluang ini untuk memasang tali keledar belakang dalam tempoh yang ditetapkan. Para pemilik kenderaan juga dipohon agar menunggu makluman atau pengumuman yang dijangkakan pada awal bulan Disember daripada syarikat-syarikat terbabit, melalui media massa berkenaan prosedur untuk mendapatkan pemasangan percuma tali keledar belakang.

Soalan 8 Apakah langkah-langkah yang diambil oleh pihak JKJR bagi memastikan para pengguna jalan raya mengamalkan pemakaian tali keledar belakang bagi mencapai matlamat utama kearah keselamatan jalan raya ?

Jawapan : Bermula 1 Jun 2008 yang lalu, Kerajaan memulakan kempen advokasi pemakaian tali keledar belakang. Ianya merupakan satu pendekatan bagi melaksanakan dasar baru keselamatan jalan raya iaitu pemakaian tali keledar belakang, sebelum tindakan penguatkuasaan dimulakan. Kempen advokasi ini diadakan bagi tempoh 6 bulan, iaitu sehingga 31 Disember 2008. Kempen advokasi ini bertujuan untuk membiasakan orang ramai terhadap peraturan baru pemakaian tali keledar belakang. Jabatan Keselamatan Jalan Raya di seluruh negara telah menggerakkan para pegawai di peringkat Negeri bersama rakan kongsi untuk memperhebatkan lagi pelaksanaan kempen advokasi bagi pemakaian tali keledar belakang.
Dalam kempen advokasi ini para pemandu dan penumpang diberikan nasihat dan maklumat berkenaan kepentingan dan faedah pemakaian tali keledar belakang, kesan negatif jika tidak memakai tali keledar, tempoh kempen advokasi dan tarikh penguatkuasaan, kenderaan diwajibkan dan dikecualikan bagi pemasangan tali keledar belakang serta risalah-risalah dan pelekat “Jom Klik” berkaitan penggunaan tali keledar depan dan belakang.
Pelaksanaan kempen advokasi ini juga telah mendapat kerjasama dan sokongan padu daripada syarikat-syarikat konsesi lebuhraya di seluruh negara seperti PLUS, Besraya, MTD, LITRAK dan NPE bersama rakan kongsi, bagi melaksanakan kempen advokasi setiap hari dengan berlandaskan motto “Tiada Hari Tanpa Advokasi” dalam usaha meningkatkan kesedaran dan kefahaman orang ramai terhadap isu-isu keselamatan jalan raya.
Kempen-kempen advokasi melalui sesi nasihat dan penerangan juga dilaksanakan meliputi program-program penguatkuasaan dan pendidikan keselamatan jalan raya seperti Ops Bersepadu, pameran, ceramah, seminar, ‘e-mailblast’ dan juga program temu bual bersama radio-radio tempatan.

Soalan 9 Menjelang tempoh 60 ke arah penguatkuasaan undang-undang pemakaian tali keledar belakang, apakah saranan pihak JKJR kepada para pengguna jalan raya ?

Jawapan : Menjelang 60 hari kearah penguatkuasaan pemakaian tali keledar belakang, JKJR menyeru agar para pengguna sentiasa mengamalkan pemakaian tali keledar kerana pihak PDRM dan JPJ akan memperhebatkan advokasi dengan mengeluarkan Notis Amaran secara pentadbiran dan tanpa saman kepada para pengguna kereta persendirian yang telah dilengkapi peralatan tali keledar belakang tetapi tidak memakainya, bagi tujuan menyedarkan dan menyediakan masyarakat terhadap pelaksanaan penguatkuasaan undang-undang tali keledar belakang mulai 1 Januari 2009.
Penguatkuasaan pemakaian tali keledar belakang hendaklah dilihat dari sudut keselamatan di jalan raya dan usaha-usaha kerajaan di dalam mengurangkan kadar kematian akibat kemalangan di jalan raya serta usaha mewujudkan budaya kawalan kendiri di kalangan pengguna jalan raya supaya isu-isu keselamatan pengguna-pengguna jalan raya di beri keutamaan demi melindungi pengguna jalan raya daripada kecederaan dan kemalangan maut.

Safety Seatbelt for Pregnant Women Broucher

1. Many thinks that seatbelt can kill unborn baby. Thats the myth. In fact, it is not! Why? I don't have to say it more.

2. Go save the brouchers and read it yourselves. Share this with people you loved, your wife, your sisters and your friends.. Thanks to Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) for sharing this fact with us.

Ford Explorer Vs. Dodge Ram Accident: 1 Killed in Springfield Massachusetts

1. Got this news somewhere in the Internet. These are 2 photos of an accident that happened on September 11 on Boston Road in Springfield Massachusetts. The Dodge Ram Pick-up, was attempting to pass a slower car while the roads were wet from a recent rainstorm, and he lost control and crossed the double yellow line and struck this Ford Explorer head on, ACTUALLY entering the drivers compartment. This is story from the news but I doubt that this is actually a head on collision. This is definitely a side impact collision, looking at the damage at the Ford Explorer.

2. The force of the impact, pushed the Explorer up the curbing and onto the treebelt, killing the driver who was only 18 yrs old. Oh wait, the Ford Explorer was then hitting the treebelt? Now this fact answered the banana-like damage on the side. What is the tree belt actually? I'm confused huhu.

3. There was also a passenger in the Explorer, who escaped with less serious injuries and both the 18 yr old driver and his friend were BOTH wearing their seatbelt at the time of the collision. Seatbelt can't help on this crash as the object (whether tree or Dodge Ram) was already intruded the driver compartment, which lessen the survavibility space for the driver. Hmm what we learn from this crash? Don't drive fast on the wet road, I told you many times already. Hmmm..

5 Steps on How to Stay Safe Alone in a Parking Garage

Many people feel safe at the home parking garage where they usually equip with latest alert technology and decorate it with nice furniture from garage cabinets online. However, without we realize it, on the other hand, many assaults and rapes are committed in parking garages because they are often dimly lit, poorly observed and provide countless places to hide. You can protect yourself in these situations with a little planning and common sense ... and these are top 5 of the simple steps.

1. Pack everything in a rolling suitcase or shoulder-strap bag, including your briefcase and laptop. Keep your hands free. It’s better to make two trips than to be bogged down with bags which makes you a perfect target. If you have cash or expensive jewelry, hide these on your person or in your biggest piece of luggage—not in your purse, which is easiest to steal.

2. Carry a non-folding umbrella with a steel tip on it, if you have no luggage. Use it like a walking stick and walk lively, clacking the tip against the ground. These make pretty good weapons and even if you aren't a fighter, you are still adding complications for the bad guys to overcome.

3. Be aware of your surroundings. Park in the best-lit space closest to your point of entry. Don’t park in a crammed space next to a wall that leaves no exit. Park near other people—there’s safety in numbers.

4. Note your exact location and avoid wandering around when it's time to leave. Look around the area while driving, parking and before leaving your car. If you have luggage, open the trunk from inside, go to it quickly, grab your things, close the trunk and leave. Don’t hang around.

5. Make sure you can see and hear and run and scream. No big hats, spiked heels, eating as you walk or music plugged into your ears. Don't wear anything that someone could hold you with. Tuck scarves, long beads, necklaces, long hair, braids and even purses if possible inside your clothing until you’re inside.

Malaysia Half-Shell (Kura Kura) Helmets Ban in January 2009

PUTRAJAYA: Half-shell helmets may soon be taken off shelves in motorcycle accessories shops. "They are now seen on roads because there is still a loophole in the Motorcycles (safety helmets) Rules 1973 which does not define a standard helmet," said Road Safety Department director-general Datuk Suret Singh.

He said the department was in the midst of amending the law to prohibit the sale, distribution and use of the helmets, and it could come into effect as early as January, next year. "The half-shell helmets are illegal and have never been approved by Sirim." But how come they are so many sold in the market now. Something is fishy.

He also said that the department was working out details on enforcement and whether its officers would be able to go from shop to shop to confiscate the helmets. Although Suret was unsure of how the helmets entered the Malaysian market, he reckoned they could be smuggled from neighbouring countries. Really?

He also said that the department had been organising road shows for the past one year to get motorcyclists to exchange the half-shells for an open-face helmet for free. "Malaysians are generally gullible. The helmets have been illegal all the while, but if they are sold in shops, they will still buy them," he said. Well, I could say that people is usually treasure more things that hard to get.

The fashionable half-shell helmets are distinctive by its bowl shape and is a favourite among superbikers for its comfort and light weight. It is, on average, cheaper than the standard open-face helmet. The price of a half-shell helmet starts from RM20, depending on the brand.

However, the helmets tend to flip up with strong winds or when riding the motorcycle at high speeds due to lack of support behind the head. "Wearing a half-shell helmet is as safe as not wearing any helmet at all," said Suret.

According to a local helmet manufacturer, the helmets are still rampantly sold in small towns where enforcement is lax. "Although it is not sold in the open or out on display, some dealers still stock them."

According to a study conducted by the department, 80 per cent of fatalities involving motorcyclists were due to serious head injuries from not wearing helmets properly or wearing helmets not up to safety standards. This includes the half-shell helmet. It is true, I agree with this.

Perodua Nautica 2008: Price, Colors and Specs

1. For this post, I'll do Car Reviews on The Kembara’s successor - the Perodua Nautica 4WD which was launched few months ago. Thanks to Paul Tan for the resource and Oncar.com for superb services. Perodua seems to be approaching it differently, bringing it as a premium product imported from Japan (a first for a Perodua) with only one variant priced at RM89,900 OTR with insurance. While the Kembara took 60%, Perodua only intends to take 5% of the current SUV market, with sales of about 150 to 200 units monthly. But after months in the market, I heard that less than 200 sold. Hmm..

2. Why? Let's see in the detail. The Perodua Nautica is essentially a Perodua-badged version of the short wheelbase Daihatsu Terios/Toyota Rush. The front bumper and grille is different, and these along with the rear bumper are made locally in Malaysia, while the rest of the car comes completely assembled from Japan. For lighting, you get foglamps and projector halogen headlamps while the rear brake lamp cluster use conventional bulbs.

3. The chassis is based on a derivative of the Toyota Avanza New Car Pictures platform but has additional reinforcements to make it 30% stiffer than its derivative models. The suspension design consists of MacPherson struts at the front and a live axle at the rear.

4. The longitudinally mounted 1.5 liter DVVT engine is the 3SZ-VE producing 109hp at 6,000rpm and 141Nm of torque at 4,400rpm. This engine is also found in the Rush and Avanza 1.5. It is mated to a single overdrive 4-speed automatic, and a full-time 4WD system which has a centre differential lock which can be activated from a button on the dashboard. It locks so that the front and rear axles rotate at the same speed.

5. The shifter for the 4-speed automatic is located in a more conventional position between the two front seats, unlike another more premium-looking design which is available which positions it at an angle more towards the dashboard, allowing it to be much more closer to the steering wheel so that hand movements between the steering wheel and shifter is minimal.

6. Time for some dimensions - the Perodua Nautica weighs 1,200kg, is 4115mm long, 1695mm wide and 1740mm high. Interior space is 1800mm long, 1385mm wide and 1240mm high. The width between the front passengers is 700mm, and seat height is 740mm. The wheels are 16 inch alloys with 215/65R16 tyres. The cargo area takes 380 liters, and the rear seats can be folded down for more luggage capacity.

7. Additional niceties include electrically adjustable and flipping wing mirrors and a multi-info display on the meter panel which displays a clock, average fuel consumption, external temperature and remaining travel range. Understand? Later I'll try to post a New Car Review on different car brand.

100 Vehicles Crash at I-94 Michigan 1 Dead

1. Christmas come again and so do with winter and blizzard. Got this recent 100 vehicle crash from WSBT news. A 100 car pile-up killed one man and closed I-94 near St. Joseph, Michigan for hours Sunday. Police said speed, whiteout conditions and icy roads are to blame. It happened around noon at the 27 mile-marker near the Niles Avenue overpass in St. Joseph. The crash shut down 11 miles of I-94 for hours.

2. "It was pretty bad," said William Walsh, of Le Mont, IL. "Pretty much whiteout conditions." Walsh remembered seeing cars spin out in front of him just before he was hit from behind.

3. Shaun Deckard was driving east bound on I-94 with his wife and four children as passengers. "And cars are just hitting us, hitting us, hitting us," Deckard told WSBT.

4. More than 70 cars and semis quickly piled up on the interstate. About 30 additional vehicles crashed into ditches and guardrails, trying to avoid the pile-up. "I probably dodged 3, 4, maybe 5 cars," said Deckard. "Then I clipped one car and that's when I saw there was a tractor trailer jackknifed right in front of the road. There was no avoiding that. And as soon as I hit that, it was just impact, after impact, after impact hitting us in the back."

5. Tow truck drivers cleared the cars into a nearby parking lot. "One right after another, just as fast as we could get them out of there," said Paul Starkey from Jeff's Towing and Recovery. The snow, wind and blizzard conditions never let up.

6. "It's brutal," Starkey continued. 31-year-old Raymond Candage III of Elgin, IL died in the pile-up when his car hit a stopped semi. But those who lived through it say walking away un-harmed is the best Christmas gift they could ever get.

7. "[We're] very lucky to be alive," said William Walsh. "We are all safe, we are all fine," echoed Shaun Deckard. Aside from the one fatality, police say there were no other serious injuries.

8. Police say this is not the worst pile-up they've seen on that stretch of I-94. Six or seven years ago there was a pretty bad pile-up where I-94 meets State Road 139 in Michigan. Police say there was also a fatality in that crash — but many of the other people involved were hurt pretty seriously.

9. Anyway, watch out on the roads, they can be treacherous at times, leave lots of extra space between vehicles in this weather and slow down, it's better to be late than be in the ditch!

Drive Safe...

New Honda City 2009 in Malaysia: Price, Colors and Specs

1. Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd finally brought us the 2009 Honda City. Before, we are just reading the coverage of Honda City 2009 at the other countries like India, China and Thailand, details of New Honda City and Honda postings can be found HERE. Now the Honda car that we are all waiting for is just arriving on the Malaysia market. Let's see the price, colors and specs of new Honda City 2009, according to my blog resource, Paul Tan.

2. The 2009 Honda City comes in 2 variants, the Honda City 1.5S and the Honda City 1.5E. The 1.5S is the lower end variant, priced at RM84,980 OTR with insurance while the top of the line is the Honda City 1.5E priced at RM89,980 and includes full specs such as larger wheels and paddle shifters.

3. The City 1.5E and the City 1.5S are both powered by the new 1.5 liter SOHC i-VTEC engine producing 120 PS at 6,600rpm and 145Nm of torque at 4,800rpm. No manual option is available. The sole transmission is a 5-speed automatic with two overdrive ratios. Strangely, the Japanese engineers at the Honda City launch claims only one overdrive gear with no specific gear ratio data available, but a quick check from the specs in other countries shows the following gear ratios for the City: 1st - 2.995, 2nd - 1.678, 3rd - 1.066, 4th - 0.760, 5th - 0551. Perhaps they have a different definition of overdrive, or they’ve re-geared it for the Malaysian market.

4. Anyway, if the data I obtained is correct, the City has two overdrive ratios with an additional one designed to lower engine RPM at highway for a quieter and more economical cruise. This transmission is equipped with a paddle shift feature for the 1.5 E model which allows you to swap gears using the left side paddle for downshifts and the right side paddle for upshifts.

5. The City 1.5 S base model’s interior lacks some nice features that the 1.5 E has, such as the compartment under the rear seats (which Honda constantly suggests you put your umbrella there), 60:40 split rear seats with a reclining feature, a rear armrest with cupholder, and it only has fixed rear headrest. Both models have water repellent seats.

6. The meter panel is designed with a triple-gauge design and features a multi-information display that show various “vital statistics” of the car. The two most important features would be distance to empty, which shows you how many km more you can travel on the fuel remaining in your fuel tank, and real-time fuel consumption which shows you how many km you can go per liter of fuel according to your current driving style. You can use this meter to control your driving behavior as it shows you whether your current style is fuel economical or not in real time.

7. The exterior between the two models can easily be differentiated by the front bumper and the alloy wheels. The 1.5 S has smaller 15 inch alloy wheels with 175/65R15 tyres while the 1.5 E has larger 16 inch alloy wheels with 185/55R16 tyres. The front bumper of the 1.5 E model has fog lamps while the 1.5 S does not. The 1.5 E also gains power retractable door mirrors (though both are electronically adjustable).

8. I believe that one of the City’s best advantages over its competitors is the telescopic feature of the steering wheel that is available on both the Honda City models in Malaysia. This allows the driving position to be optimum for tall people. I have always had a problem with finding a comfortable driving position in the City’s competitors. I am relatively tall but what makes it worse is that most of the height is thanks to long legs. Some B-segment sedans and even one C-segment sedan won’t even allow me to push the seat far back enough for me to reach the pedals comfortably. I had no problems in the City.

9. The telescopic steering allowed me to pull the steering towards me until my wrist could touch the top of the steering wheel, I was taught that if I could do this, the steering wheel was near enough to me for the best steering control. In another B-segment car, I was either stretching my arm out to the maximum to hold the steering wheel, or adjusting the backrest angle to a very straight and uncomfortable angle to get close enough to the steering wheel. A comfortable driving position will allow you to control the car properly, and avoiding accidents is always better than relying on airbags and your seatbelt to save you when accidents happen.

10. Coming to the safety features point, both the models are equally equipped. Both the 1.5 E and the 1.5 S has dual SRS airbags for the front passenger and driver, ABS brakes, EBD, Brake Assist, and a driver’s window that automatically stops when something is in its path while it is winding up.

11. Only five colours are available, but sadly no white or red! I asked Honda why did they omit these colours as the red seems to be the new City’s flagship colour while white seems to be quite a popular choice lately, but they said according to customer surveys and the past Honda cars sales colour mix, red wasn’t very popular so they decided to leave it out. The five colours are: Deep Lapis Blue Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, Polished Metal Metallic, Alabaster Silver Metallic, and Bold Beige Metallic.

12. I’ve only covered the equipment and prices of the Malaysian Honda City in this story, but there’s just so much that has gone on under the skin of the City compared to the outgoing model. For more information please read my previous detailed technical brief of the 2009 Honda City. That’s pretty much all I can cover right now, stay tuned next year for a test drive report!

Get New Cashmere Overcoat and Learn Car Safety

1. This is a fact that something that you have to know. Before going into that, let’s first understand the situation. Now people around the world are exciting about the incoming celebration or holidays; hanging out with friends, dinner out together, getting new clothes. Well, talking about cloth, what kind of cloth did you prefer during this winter holidays. Majority of you will prefer mens cashmere coat. It’s winter anyway right? Plus the design and look of the winter cloth is so stylus and beautiful for eyes.

2. As promised before, I want to tell you a fact that you have to consider when driving a car in a winter condition. “You told us about this, you suggest us to look onto black ice on the road and drive slowly, what else now?” Easy bro, this is not related to the road condition or winter itself, as a matter of fact this related to your car seatbelt. “What? Is it really matter?” Yeah, let me explain it.

3. During car collision, there is a system in seatbelt called pretensioner, which is basically will tight you on your seat. The working system is some kind of the same with airbag; Firing out when the delta V is more than 50 km/h. The problem comes is when you wear a thick winter cloth. The thickness of the cloth will increase the time for the pretentioner tightens you on the seat. So during the microsecond’s collision, this is very significant; microseconds can determine your injury severity. The expert in collision, Dr. Ali from Birmingham Automotive Safety Centre (BASC) was once told me that the ideal thing need to be done when driving a car is by not wearing any cloth! Haha but this is just too impossible right as we are quite civilized human. You could wear beautiful mens cashmere coat outdoors, in fact, I really recommended that but when you are driving a car, just don’t wear thick cloth. That’s it.

US Auto Bailout Funny Poster

Thanks to CrashLanding for sharing me this :D

A New Way How to Wear a Lap Seatbelt

Look at how innocent this guy's face. I can't stop laughing. But I salute him for his creativity. You might wonder what is wrong with this picture. It is the safety belt! Look carefully!

BMW 645 Crashed at Autobahn Kaiserslautern, Germany

1. Got this story from the Internet. I found this story interesting because the crash happened at Autobahn highway which I think the only one highway with no speed limit. As told by the police investigator, "the driver of this brand new 645 BMW was going about 125 Mph when he hit the rear end of a Bob-tailed Tractor trailer. Really says something about the safety of the new car designs" He was actually blaming that speed is the issue while I wonder how can he know the speed of the car. No cars on earth will survive when hitting rear end of the lorry.

2. This happened about 2 Kilometers East of Kaiserslautern, Germany on Autobahn 6 back in early March of this year. The driver of the BMW is a 24 year old star for the Kaiserslautern Germany professional Soccer Team. Car cost about ¤100K or more according to the Polizei. He hit the back end of a Bob Tail AAFES truck and spun him 180 degrees around so he was facing the oncoming traffic.

3. The guy I was riding with was about 300 Meters behind the AAFES truck and saw the whole thing happen. BMW driver was doing about 200 Kph in the left of three lanes then a small car cut him off. The only option the BMW guy had was either hit the little red car that cut him off or dive into the center lane where the AAFES truck was.

4. He chose the truck. Never hit the brakes at all. No skid marks; happened too fast. Best thing was both drivers walked away. Truck driver had a bump on his right arm but no other injuries. Really lucky drivers. But shock isn't it? The driver of BMW walked away, with little injuries? Not dead? Hmm Hmm Hmm It is just too impossible ..

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Tested!

1. Another hybrid car brand in the market. Before this Toyota has shown his power by being the best in the hybrid industry. Toyota Prius has been top selling car in the year at US and also Europe. Now Ford don't want to be left behind and venturing towards hybrid technology.

2. The new gas-electric version of Ford's mid-size sedan feature more advanced tech than its competitors, specifically the Toyota Camry Hybrid, and should have best-in-class fuel economy when the official EPA numbers are finally revealed. ABG averaged 43.1 mpg during its First Drive of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, which tells you that Ford has managed to pack Prius-like mileage in a larger, more useful and fun-to-drive package.

Winter Holidays: What Should You Do?

1. Many places in the world at this moment are already taste the “fun” of winter days. Soon, the holidays will arrive and many will go south for travel. Some will use airplane, some will use coach bus, and some will drive on the road. Whatever means of transportation, you have to think about your safety.

2. What should you do during winter? The most important things about winter driving are keeping speed relative to road conditions which could be much lower than posted speeds, and keep lots of distance between vehicles. Be especially careful using on-ramps and off-ramps, that's where a lot of people lose it often on black ice.

3. Something else you need to not forget is about Personalized Holiday Cards. You know it is the time of the year for you to visit your family member and not forget to bring the some nice cards. There are varieties of beautiful and unique Personalized Holiday Cards can be found and you just need to choose one.

4. Maybe somebody of you realize that this year might be the last year that the GalleryCollection.com under the named of Operation Gratitude will sending off care items to the UK troops overseas as the breaking news is that on April next year, no more troop overseas at least at Iraq. Let’s hope that the news is true. Other than that, please enjoy your holidays and be careful wherever you are.

Naza Ria MPV Crash at Temerloh 12 Died 3 Injured

1. This crash was happening on July 24th 2007 at KM 96.2 of East Coast Expressway (LPT) near Lanchang exit. At about 4:30am, Naza Ria MPV with its 15 passengers (human trafficking) was travelling eastbound towards Kuala Lumpur rammed into the rear end of a lorry that fully loaded with iron ore and was instantly pinned under the vehicle. 12 passengers were died and the remaining severely injured in the accident.

2. This was my first case. I still can remember the scene very well, smell of blood which almost made me faint. Well anyway, the first question is how could the Naza Ria MPV could sustain 15 passengers. Can you imagine it? For your information, Naza Kia is a 7-8 passenger seat MPV.

3. This is the question that still been weighing my mind. I have tried all kind of possibilities of arrangment but still looks irrelevant. The most possible arrangement is significantly violate human rights. Anyway, let's talk about something like lessons of the day.

4. Don't drive fast during wee hours at LPT as the highway will be fulled with fogs and the visibility is very low: you can't see clearly what's in front of you. You might end up like this MPV if you are not careful enough.

5. Don't overload you vehicle with extra passenger because it might effect your vehicle stability.

6. Don't mess around with heavy vehicle.

Cheap Volkswagen (VW) Passat in UK Market

1. Breaking news! The new VW Passat CC made its debut at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. It is a 4-door sedan based on the Volkswagen Passat platform, but with a different body styling which has a much more sportier, sleeker roofline, intended to give the car a 4-door coupe look ala the Mercedes Benz CLS.

2. The VW used cars or new Volkswagen Passat CC will have the new 1.8 liter TSI inline-4 with 160 horsepower as one of its engine options, and the top of the line will be a 300 horsepower 3.6 liter V6 FSI engine. The venerable 2.0 liter TFSI from the Audi A4 and the Golf GTI will also join the lineup later.

3. It features a few technologies such as Dynamic Drive Control, which adjusts the suspension damping and power steering assistance characteristics to suit the driving pattern. Another feature is Park Assist, which is a self parking system where the Passat CC takes care of steering control and the driver only has to accelerate and brake to ease the car into a parking spot. ACC Automatic Distance Control automatically brakes and accelerates within a speed range input by the car driver, and also avoids frontal collisions using a radar sensor.

4. The used VW Passat CC can be found easily at the worldwide car shows, especially in the UK market. While the new ones will make its first debut in Q2 2008, the used will be followed later. So get ready to grab it!

Modern Santa Claus on Harley Motorbike

1. This looks funny and interesting one. No more flying deer on the cold winter. Modern Santa can bring you things and gifts with his newly Harley Davidson motorbike. This picture has been taken at Huntington district. Each place has its unique Christmas celebration. The detail of the event as follows:

2. Bob Van Stry, head road captain for the "Lighthouse, Harley Owners group" is dressed as Santa as he prepares to lead a bike rally in Huntington to deliver toys to children at the Sagamore Children's Center in Dix Hills this afternoon. The group biked four miles from the Huntington VFW to the center, bringing more than a hundred gifts - paid for out of their own pocket - including handheld electronic video games, footballs, dolls and action figures. But, a bit different way of celebration was happening at my place.

3. I remembered during my junior year at Minneapolis, United States, a friend of mine had invited me to the Christmas college celebration. Well, I never celebrate this event as my culture is just different but I was curious to attend for new experience. The room was beautifully decorated with Poinsettias. That decoration flowers were really upgrading the ambient of the room which was full with international student like me. When I asked the organizer where they got those beautiful Poinsettias, they said they got them from 1-800 Flowers.

What's Inside Your Engine. Funny Ads.

1. Found this funny ads accidentally. It's really interesting on how Shell company promote their products. I could say this ads is hitting 2 birds with one stone. Do you really know what is inside your engine?

2. At least, we learn something.

How Smoking-in-Motion Effects Road Safety

1. I suddenly thought about this. How smoking in motion effects safety during driving. It is hard to determine whether this could be the reason of road accidents as the evidence of smoking normally vanished with the damaged of the vehicles.

2. Anyway, based on some research, youth worldwide, are involved in a disproportionate number of road accidents, in general, and fatal accidents, in particular. those who smoked while driving used seat belt less, and had a higher involvement rate in road traffic accidents. So meaning, those who smoke has less safety awareness.

3. What can we do? I know that I feel not comfortable when being in the midst of smokers. Maybe you guys too. Something that you could do is to have hepa filter air purifiers to clean the room's air but not sure if this could be used inside the car.

4. In short, smoking is not just bad to our health but also could be the reason of fatal road accidents. I should investigate this possibility more when all the significant reasons like fatigue and DUI solved.

BMW Sell Engines and Transmissions to Fiat and GM?

1. To be honest I was expecting something like this to happen sooner or later. Financial Times Deutschland announced today that BMW is in talks with General Motors and Fiat to sell them engines and transmissions, but none of the three cared to give an official comment.

2. The main reason why I was expecting it to happen was because for over 10 years GM sold automatic transmissions to BMW or 3 and 5 series models.

3. They want to return the “favor”. Anyway, about the engines, BMW is rumored to either provide a 4.4l V8 engines for the Cadillac line or twin turbo.

Even Wonder on How Seatbelts Work?

1. According to a research report from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), seatbelts save approximately 13,000 lives in the United States each year. Furthermore, the NHTSA estimates that 7,000 U.S. car accident fatalities would have been avoided if the victims had been wearing seatbelts. I think this figure applies to Malaysia too, with some uncertainty maybe around 1-5% but still, it can save your live.

2. While seatbelts do occasionally contribute to serious injury or ­death, nearly all safety experts agree that buckling up dramatically increases your chances of surviving an accident. According to the NHTSA, seatbelts reduce the risk of death for a front seat car occupant by about 50 percent. You may not believe what I'm saying but this is not what I'm saying, this is based on the research.

3. When you think about it, this is absolutely amazing: How can a piece of fabric end up being the difference between life and death? What does it actually do? Have you even wonder? In this post, I'll try examine the technology of seatbelts to see why they are one of the most important technologies in any car.

4. The basic idea of a seatbelt is very simple: It keeps you from flying through the windshield or hurdling toward the dashboard when your car comes to an abrupt stop. But why would this happen in the first place? In short, because of inertia. "Dude, what the heck is inertia?"

5. Inertia is an object's tendency to keep moving until something else works against this motion. To put it another way, inertia is every object's resistance to changing its speed and direction of travel. Things naturally want to keep going. You drive 100 km/h and inertia want to keep it at 100 km/h. Anything that is in the car, including the driver and passengers, has its own inertia, which is separate from the car's inertia. The car accelerates riders to its speed. Imagine that you're coasting at a steady 100 km/h. Your speed and the car's speed are pretty much equal, so you feel like you and the car are moving as a single unit.

6. But if the car were to crash into a telephone pole, it would be obvious that your inertia and the car's were absolutely independent. The force of the pole would bring the car to an abrupt stop, but your speed would remain the same. Without a seatbelt, you would either slam into the steering wheel at 100 km/h or go flying through the windshield at 100 km/h. Just as the pole slowed the car down, the dashboard, windshield or the road would slow you down by exerting a tremendous amount of force.

7. It is a given that no matter what happens in a crash, something would have to exert force on you to slow you down. But depending on where and how the force is applied, you might be killed instantly or you might walk away from the damage unscathed.

8. If you hit the windshield with your head, the stopping power is concentrated on one of the most vulnerable parts of your body. It also stops you very quickly, since the glass is a hard surface. This can easily kill or severely injure a person.

9. A seatbelt applies the stopping force to more durable parts of the body over a longer period of time. In the next post (maybe in a few weeks), we'll see how this reduces the chances of major injury.

Who Said Road Crash Investigator Can’t Use Sunglasses?

1. I heard complaints frequently about the lavish things that road crash investigators got during their work. They said that these kind of people (road crash investigators) looks so cool and stylus at the site.

2. They have shining bright vest. They got pretty tough and rough trousers. They have expensive boots. All of these are undeniably justified to have as a safety practitioner; safety is the most priority concern at the work.

3. “Yeah I understand that, but things that I don’t understand are why you guys wear sunglasses? Is it for the style or you really needing that to do your work. I don’t see reason how sunglasses help you during investigation” Easy bro, let me explain it to you. The road crash investigators can’t use any sunglasses randomly; they only need polarized designer sunglasses. This is indeed not a cheap one. In fact, it is the most expensive one among types of sunglasses at the market.

4. Polarized designer sunglasses are looked very cool when you wear it. But that is not solely for the show. They need it as only polarized type can give you clear image and better understanding of skid mark on the road when the accident occurs. Normal observation can't be trusted all the time. You know, there are couple of road marks on the road and they have to differentiate each of them as each has specific and unique meaning behind it.

5. Apart from that, the site is not comfortable like sitting inside the office. It is really hot and the temperature will burn your skin cruelly. Your eyes need some focus. So next time, don't challenge the reason. What you need to do is just ask. :D