Nearly five dozen 2019 models meet stricter criteria to qualify for a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK+ or TOP SAFETY PICK award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 30 first-tier “plus” award winners earn the highest rating for passenger-side protection in a small overlap front crash and have good-rated available headlights, while the 27 winners of the second-tier award qualify with an acceptable or higher rating in the newest IIHS crash test and the nighttime headlight evaluation.
All 57 vehicles in this elite group earn good ratings in the Institute’s five other crashworthiness evaluations and have an available automatic emergency braking system that rates advanced or superior for front crash prevention.
IIHS now requires a good rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test to earn a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK+ versus an acceptable or good rating for the 2018 award. An acceptable or good rating in the passenger-side test is a new criterion to earn a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK.
This marks the sixth time that IIHS has raised the bar to earn the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award since introducing it in the 2013 model year to recognize vehicles that offer a superior level of safety. The TOP SAFETY PICK accolade launched in the 2006 model year to help consumers identify vehicles with the highest ratings. Over the years, IIHS has added to and strengthened criteria for both awards to encourage manufacturers to speed up safety advances.
Building on the results of the largest behaviour change study on physical activity, Vitality and its global network of insurers have collectively committed to improving the health of millions over the next seven years. This is in line with the World Health Organizations’ Global Action Plan on Physical Activity, which aims to address the dramatic growth in lifestyle diseases, caused in part by a lack of exercise.
Incentives and Physical Activity, conducted by leading independent research institute, RAND Europe, found an average 34% increase in activity levels of participants using Vitality Active Rewards with Apple Watch. The study examined the behaviours of over 400 000 people in the UK, US and South Africa.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8458751-vitality-insurers-people-more-active-2025/
Just over half of 2018 model vehicles evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are available with headlights that do an adequate job of lighting the road at night and limiting glare for oncoming drivers, but most good-rated headlights are optional or bundled with other features that can raise the price of the vehicle.
Since IIHS released its first headlight ratings for passenger vehicles in 2016, most manufacturers have focused on improving this key safety component. That year, only 2 of 95 headlight systems on 2016-model vehicles evaluated earned a good rating.
For the 2018 model year, the best-available headlights on 32 of 165 models evaluated earn the highest rating of good, and the best-available headlights on 58 models earn the second-highest rating of acceptable. Thirty-two models have only marginal-rated headlights, while poor-rated headlights are the only ones available for 43 models.
Olive Oils from Spain, the promotional brand of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional, in collaboration with the European Union, and guest of honor Seamus Mullen, an award-winning chef, cookbook author, and health & wellness expert, kicked off the U.S. campaign of the “Olive Oil World Tour” at the Cervantes Institute, last night.
“We are thrilled to be in New York City for the North American launch of the ‘Olive Oil World Tour’ campaign with Seamus and dignitaries from the Spanish Government,” said Pedro Barato, President of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional. “The ambitious three-year, multi-channel program was created to encourage wellness-minded individuals to be inspired by the pillar of the Mediterranean lifestyle, olive oil, and who better to exemplify a healthy way of living than Chef Seamus Mullen. Seamus recently came out with a new cook book, ‘Real Food Heals: Eat to Feel Younger + Stronger Every Day.’ In it he uses our beloved millenary juice, olive oil, as a key ingredient in many of his recipes.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8365451-olive-oils-america-world-tour/
In a new round of evaluations, 5 of 7 small SUVs earn good ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for occupant protection in a passenger-side small overlap front crash.
The ratings bring to 16 the number of small SUVs the Institute has evaluated in the passenger-side small overlap front test, which was introduced in 2017 to encourage manufacturers to offer the same level of protection for front-seat passengers as drivers in this type of crash.
The BMW X1; Chevrolet Equinox and its twin, the GMC Terrain; Jeep Compass and Mitsubishi Outlander earn good ratings in the passenger-side small overlap front test. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport earns a marginal rating, and the Ford Escape earns poor. For the 2018 model year, the Equinox shed weight to join the small SUV size class. Earlier models were classified as midsize.
None of the newly rated 2018 models earns better than acceptable marks for structure. (The Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 are the only small SUVs evaluated so far to earn good ratings for structure in the passenger-side small overlap front test.) The Outlander Sport is marginal, and the Escape is rated poor. Both the Outlander Sport and Escape allowed too much intrusion into the occupant compartment on the right side.
Parking crashes usually don’t result in serious injuries, but repair costs can quickly mount, along with the hassle of going without the family vehicle while waiting for the body shop to finish work. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has launched a rear crash prevention ratings program to help consumers identify models with the technology that can prevent or mitigate low-speed backing crashes. Two systems earn the highest rating of superior, and four earn the second-highest rating of advanced.
Rear crash prevention encompasses several technologies. Parking sensors issue warning beeps and/or seat vibrations when the equipped vehicle gets too close to another vehicle or object directly behind it, or, in some cases, in front of it. Rear cross-traffic alert warns drivers of approaching vehicles that might cross their path as they back up. Rear automatic emergency braking systems detect objects behind a reversing vehicle and may automatically brake if the driver doesn’t heed alerts to stop.
IIHS engineers evaluated rear autobrake systems on six popular 2017 model vehicles — the BMW 5 series sedan, Cadillac XT5 SUV, Infiniti QX60 SUV, Jeep Cherokee SUV, Subaru Outback wagon and Toyota Prius hatchback.
Under the three-tier rating scheme, models with optional or standard rear crash prevention systems are rated superior, advanced or basic. Ratings are determined by whether the vehicles have available rear autobrake and, if so, how it performs in a series of car-to-car and car-to-pole tests with different approach angles. The availability of parking sensors and rear cross-traffic alert also is factored in.
The Outback and XT5 earn a superior rating when equipped with optional rear autobrake, parking sensors and rear cross-traffic alert. The Cherokee, 5 series, QX60 and Prius earn an advanced rating with this optional gear.
Just 15 vehicles qualify for the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award from IIHS after the requirements were strengthened to include good-rated headlights and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in small overlap front crashes.
Another 47 vehicles earn the TOP SAFETY PICK award, which now requires acceptable or good headlights. In contrast, headlights weren’t factored in for 2017 TOP SAFETY PICK, and an acceptable headlight rating was enough to bump a 2017 award winner into "plus" territory.
The inclusion of a passenger-side crash test is a first for any IIHS award. The Institute developed the passenger-side small overlap front crash test after it became clear that some manufacturers weren't paying sufficient attention to the passenger side as they made improvements to achieve better performance in the driver-side small overlap front test.
Clayton home building group, a national home builder and Manufactured Housing Institute’s 2017 Manufacturer of the Year, today unveiled its newest home building facility in Athens, Texas designed to transform industry standards with focus on team member experience, sustainability and innovation.
After listening to the needs and wants of Clayton team members through an in-depth survey, the company analyzed how best to support their team members throughout the off-site construction process in their home building facilities. The response was a 160,000-plus square foot facility that has since surpassed those needs, which started with simply making team member jobs easier and more enjoyable.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8011657-clayton-home-building-facility-athens-texas/
Thirteen out of 16 new booster seats for 2017 earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's highest rating of BEST BET, bringing the total number of boosters on the market with that designation to 118.
The BEST BET rating means a booster provides good safety belt fit for typical 4 to 8 year-olds in almost any car, minivan or SUV. Boosters that are rated GOOD BETs provide acceptable belt fit in almost any vehicle, while those rated Check Fit could work for some children in some vehicles. Seats designated "Not Recommended" don’t provide good belt fit and should be avoided.
Researchers at global public health organization NSF International, Harvard Medical School, the United States Department of Defense and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands (RIVM) recently identified four unapproved, DMAA-like stimulants in six over-the-counter weight-loss and pre-workout products currently available online. The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Toxicology.
The potentially harmful compounds – including banned stimulants 1,3-DMAA and 1,3-DMBA as well as octodrine and a newly identified DMAA analog – were not listed as ingredients in the products and may have been disguised as “2-aminoisoheptane” or extract of Aconitum kusnezoffii. These stimulants may cause adverse cardiac events, hemorrhagic strokes or sudden death, especially if taken prior to strenuous exercise or combined with caffeine. Extreme heat and dehydration may also increase the health risks.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8216951-nsf-international-banned-stimulants-2-aminoisoheptane/
A new crash test program from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety aims to ensure that manufacturers pay attention to the safety of front passengers as well as drivers.
The test was developed after it became clear that some manufacturers were giving short shrift to the right side of the vehicle when it comes to small overlap front crash protection. A good or acceptable passenger-side rating will be required to qualify for the Institute’s 2018 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.
The first test group in the passenger-side small overlap front test program did better overall than vehicles IIHS previously evaluated for research. Ten out of 13 midsize cars tested earn a good rating, while one is acceptable and two earn a marginal rating.
In contrast with a group of 2014-16 model small SUVs tested for research, none of the 2017-18 midsize cars had a poor or marginal structural rating. Instead, the biggest problem in the new group was inconsistent airbag protection in five cars, which would put passengers’ heads at risk.
A new online resource is now available to help people recognize and find high quality care for alcohol use disorder, which affects more than 15 million adults in the United States. The Alcohol Treatment Navigator, designed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, is a comprehensive, yet easy-to-use tool to help individuals and their loved ones navigate the often-complicated process of choosing treatment for alcohol problems. With many treatment options available, the navigator makes the search easier by telling them what they need to know - and what they need to do – to find appropriate, quality care.
“We developed this tool to help address the alcohol ‘treatment gap,’” said NIAAA Director George F. Koob, Ph.D. “In any given year, less than 10 percent of individuals diagnosed with alcohol use disorder receive treatment, and many of them do not receive the type of care that best fits their needs. A big reason for that, we believe, is that people with alcohol use disorder often don’t know where to turn for help. The Alcohol Treatment Navigator offers a comprehensive strategy to help people search for professionally-led, evidence-based alcohol treatment, which should improve their chances for success.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8179051-niaaa-alcohol-treatment-navigator/
