Freedom, Freedumb, Autoliv and The Future of Automotive Safety

Jon Summers is the Motoring Historian. He was a company car thrashing technology sales rep that turned into a fairly inept sports bike rider. On his show he gets together with various co-hosts to talk about new and old cars, driving, motorbikes, motor racing, motoring travel. In this episode, Jon reflects on his experiences and the evolving landscape of automotive safety. He delves into the presentation by the airbag manufacturer Autoliv, exploring the company's innovations and their impact on global car safety. Jon also shares his thoughts on the tension between safety measures and the freedom of driving, recounting personal anecdotes and observations on motorcycle riding, driver behavior, and regulatory environments. The episode covers the history and future trends in automotive technology, the role of organizations like the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the broader implications of vehicle autonomy and electrification. ==================== 2001: A Space Odyssey Autoliv have half of the global airbag market The venue - Nordic Innovation House Similar event to the Hawkwind and Lidar pod Sven Beiker and SAE Mobilus Know Thine Enemy ? Safety Fast, not Safety Fast The Motorcycle Helmet law debate - personal choice, or the state’s right to dictate what you do Harley Davidson Roadglide digression Smoking while riding Barry Sheene’s smoking helmet Ned Ludd Saving 35,000 lives a year, targeting 100,000 Safety is a Sherman Tank for the School Run Freedom and Freedumb are a trade off Waymo now (Q4 ‘24) functional in San Francisco, despite the odd phantom driver The Roi de Belge opera seating position and Leopold of Belgium Becker Limos Vis a Vis seating The cliche’d image of the Car of The Future Freedumb makes you happy - exposing yourself to irrational danger makes you fullfilled Exposure to risk makes it an adventure Parrallels between dogs and bikes Honda CBR Racebike lives again An embarrassing fall Bikini chicks and celebrities Forgetting to switch on the CBR fuel tap A eulogy on doing hard things because they are hard Analysis and Statistics suck the Joy out of motoring Running Wild - Free Wind Rider SAE and Standards Hanna Karlssen Bunac Student Exchange program Active Safety vs. Passive Safety $5 milliseconds to get an airbag inflated Only 10ms for side impact airbags The Door Hit; Keith Odor, Mike Hawthorn, JD McDuffie Airbags for big rigs, safely rolling 18 wheelers Airbags in bikes (!!!) Pedestrian airbags in the cowl Run over by a grey Citroen BX “We Must Design For Free Flying Objects in the Cabin” Steering Wheel Cover design Zoox Fireside Seating (new words for Vis A Vis) Safety Focus on Low Speed Prangs Blocking and Tackling of safety - seat belt positions, design of cars noses Saxon - Forever Free ===== (Oo---x---oO) ===== The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net More Information: https://www.motoringpodcast.net/ Become a VIP at: https://www.patreon.com/gtmotorsports Online Magazine: https://www.gtmotorsports.org/ Copyright Jon Summers, The Motoring Historian. This content is also available via jonsummers.net. This episode is part of the Motoring Podcast Network and has been republished with permission.