Mercedes-Benz E-Class and it's "Intelligent Partner Assist"

The 2011 E-Class has come equipped with many incredible safety features that have made it catch the nickname "Intelligent partner".  If a collision is imminent the car will automatically brake and if you have someone in your blind spot. These two new pieces of technology along with others help the E-class become one of the most advanced and safest luxury sedans on the road.

 The blind-spot is an area where the vision of the person driving can not be specified to an are of the car. To learn more about blind spots click here. Whenever a vehicle goes into your blind spot the car beeps and a light turn on your side view mirrors signaling to be aware and cautious of your sides. This can help you with driving on a highway if you decide to change lanes.

 The Brake Assist PLUS is an optional safety feature in the cars. The car uses a radar the goes out 200 meters to detect if there are any oncoming objects and can realize if it is going to hit it depending on the speed it is going at. It increases the braking power and completely comes to stop or reduces impact. I believe this can save lives and help distracted drivers.

  Citations:
The new mercedes benz e-class. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cargomotors.co.za/Modules_FE/layout1/displayfull.asp?id=94

Drunk Driving and the Stand Against It

There is new technology being tested that will help keep drunk drivers of the road. Basically if you walk into the car and you just breath normally the car should be able to detect your blood-alcohol level and realize if it is safe enough for you to get on the road if not the car simply doesn't turn on. Another form of detecting if you are to drunk to drive is through tact, or touch. Cars have advanced to a point that now a days people just touch the "Engine ignition button" and they car starts by itself but if you touch this button and the car detects your blood alcohol level is too high it doesn't start. Although this will take many years to perfect I believe that this is a great idea and will help reduce the amount of drunk driving related deaths annually. In 2009 about 11,000 people were killed in the United States due to drunk driving alone, if this technology is released to the public I feel it will help people and save lives. Do you think that this is a good piece of technology and is something that should continue developing ? or Do you feel that this is just a waste of time?

Citations:
Nguyen, T.C. (2011, January 31). New car technology can stop drunks from driving. Retrieved from http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thinking-tech/new-car-technology-can-stop-drunks-from-driving/6167

A Car Changes The Industry

In the late 1950s, early 1960s cars were typically wide and long. The cars during this time were very slow and difficult to drive. The Ford Motor Company change one of its vehicles and launches the four door Thunderbird as a  replacement of the two seater model from the early 1950s but the two seater Thunderbird was so popular that Ford Motor Company was looking for new ways to create something similar to the Thunderbird. After much trail and error Ford released its first mustang concept car in 1962 named "Mustang I" named after the P-51Mustang Fighter planes from World War II.

  In April 16, 1964 the Ford Mustang was aired on television commercials every where from 9:30 to 10:00.  The very next day Ford Motor Company introduced the Mustang to the world for the first time at the New York World's Fair. That day 22,000 orders were placed on the Ford Mustang, something absolutely incredible at the time but so was the Mustang. The Mustang was the first ever "Pony Car" or a sporty, compact, affordable car. This one car was in a class of its own, revolutionizing the car industry to what it is today.Throughout 1964 to mid 1965 ,the Ford Mustang had no competitors but in 1966-1967 the Mustangs competitors (Plymouth Barracuda, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Charger, Pontiac GTO etc.) quickly responded putting bigger, better engines into their vehicles and the era of the large, big block luxury car was not more. What if Ford never decided to release the mustang and didn't care about what the consumers wanted and didn't want to invest/risk their money on something like the mustang ? Do you think you'd be seeing the cars you see today ? I think that we would still be driving modern versions of mammoth style cars.

Citations:
Book: Campisano, Jim. (1997). Mustang. New York, NY: Michael Friedman Publishing Group, Inc.