Driver Distraction, One More Time

Posted on Aug 25, 2014 in Safety | 1 comment

On a recent trip to New York City, I had a typical cab ride with the driver yammering on his cell phone for most of the trip—and driving pretty well nonetheless. But his doing this irritated the hell out of me, and like most people, I was too polite (read, intimidated) to speak up and start a possible argument. Despite lower national numbers for auto accidents...

Go Ahead, Steal My Car

Posted on Jul 21, 2014 in Safety | 1 comment

Car thefts are going up again, after a year’s decline. In Chicago, crime overall was down 10.6 percent, but car thefts went up 21.8 percent, compared to January 2010. Las Vegas has 20.3 motor vehicle thefts per 1,000 residents; the U.S. average is 3.15. Well, why not? A lot of folks have bad nights at the craps table. “The key is under the seat, Frank.” The...

Should All New Cars Get Backup Cameras?

Posted on Jun 19, 2014 in Safety | 4 comments

If my SUV had a backup camera, I would have been able to sell it. I had no idea how popular these things were until I put my car up for sale, and the first question from everyone who contacted me about it was, “Does it have a backup camera?” Apparently this is even more important than mileage, tire condition, and whether or not the car has an engine....

The Car Features Worth Being Thankful For

Posted on May 16, 2014 in Safety | 1 comment

With ESC… My wife and son were in a car accident earlier this week. Thankfully no one was hurt and the car is being taken care of by the friendly folks in car insurance land. But there’s nothing quite like getting a phone call telling you the people you treasure most have been in an accident, and the relief after learning that they’re perfectly OK. It’s a...

Jamming Cell Phones in Cars: “I think it will be done,” says Ray LaHood

Posted on Apr 18, 2014 in Safety | 1 comment

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation has been on the warpath about cell phone use, particularly texting, in cars, which has killed some 16,000 people in 6 years in the U.S. The department has a new video campaign with heart-rending stories of young people who have been killed in distracted driving incidents. In an interview last Thursday, responding to a...

All-Wheel Drive Could Lead You Into a Ditch

Posted on Mar 10, 2014 in Safety | 1 comment

Keep an eye on the sky, folks, because snow could start falling at any moment! In my part of the world, the white stuff will likely make its first appearance of the season within the next couple of days. While that’s great news for snowmen and skiers, it can seriously suck for the ill-prepared driver. Owning a vehicle with all-wheel drive certainly helps...

Surprising Winner in New NHTSA Crash Test

Posted on Oct 27, 2013 in Safety | 2 comments

If you ever feel like no one cares about you, just remember that the good people at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have got your back. Or at least they are doing all they can to keep you from dying in a car crash. Hey, that’s something, right? The NHTSA has used its Five-Star Safety Ratings System for years to test our nation’s fleet of...

Driving Distractions to Eliminate (and One to Keep Around)

Posted on Sep 25, 2013 in Safety | 2 comments

BAM! You look away just for a second, maybe even a half-second, and suddenly you find yourself intimately familiar with the rear end of a school bus. Conditions in traffic can change that quick, which is made even worse by the sheer number of distractions that tempt drivers to look away from the road these days. Whether the distractions are in the car with us...

Big Toyota Recall, While Corollas Conquer Afghanistan

Posted on Jun 15, 2013 in Safety | 1 comment

Toyota just issued a recall for 1.33 million Corollas, Matrix hatchbacks, and Pontiac Vibes of the 2005-2008 model years (2007 Corolla above). The problem is in an engine control module that can cause stalls or failure to start. NHTSA has reported six crashes and no deaths, and is stepping up its investigations into Corollas. Some 1.13 million of these cars are...