Speed limits on some US roads, particularly rural interstates, have been going up. Texas is the latest example, raising speed limits to 80 mph on more than 500 miles of roadway. This has been the trend since the late 1980s — higher and higher speed limits followed by faster and faster travel speeds. Read More »

A vehicle is classified as rolling over if it tips onto its side or roof at any time during a crash. Many rollovers lead to partial or full ejection of occupants, which increases the likelihood of injury or death. Read More »

Single-unit trucks or tractors pulling one or more trailers qualify as large if they weigh more than 10,000 pounds. Potential hazards of these vehicles involve both their drivers; particularly how long they work at a stretch, and the equipment including the brakes. Read More »

Bumpers on today’s cars include a plastic cover over a reinforcement bar plus energy-absorbing material to reduce vehicle damage in lowspeed collisions. But lots of expensive-to-repair damage still occurs. Read More »

Can your lungs collapse if you crank up the bass on your car stereo? Did the wife of singer James Brown really try to get out of a traffic citation by claiming she had diplomatic immunity because her husband had been given the honorary title "Ambassador of Soul?" Can putting a banana in a vehicle's tailpipe cause it to stall? Read More »

Institute research findings are published in scientific journals and presented at national and international forums. For easier access, some of the most important findings plus relevant information from other sources are distilled into Q&As covering highway safety topics from A to Z — airbags to zero-tolerance laws. Read More »

Newer cars, primarily from the "Big 3" in Detroit, as well as foreign manufacturers, seem to have no place on the front bumper to mount a license plate. Does the California Vehicle Code still require front license plates to be displayed on passenger vehicles? Read More »

Question: My wife and I both drive a good distance to our jobs every day, and the cost of gas is really taking a toll on our household budget. Read More »

My husband and I are paying our insurance company $60 per month for my daughter to drive with her permit. Read More »

Question: My daughter recently received her driver’s license, and we are wondering: Since she can’t drive alone with her friends for the first year, if I go along with her and her friend, do I have to sit in the front seat, or can we allow her friend to sit in the front seat with her and have me sit in the back? Read More »