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.

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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

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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.