Countering Drunk-driving Related Injuries

Driving under the influence, and the injuries sustained thru it is a big headache and cost a lot of dollars, time, inconveniences and lives as well. That is why government regulations are in place as to control the issue and to lessen the incidence of DUI and injuries sustained thru it. What is often referred to as driving under the influence of alcohol or otherwise known as DUI is the act of operating a vehicle after having consumed alcohol, or other drugs to a degree that the mental and the motor skills of the driver will be impaired. Right now all the 50 states in the US and Puerto Rico apply two statutory offenses to driving under the influence of alcohol. The first and considered as the original offense is known either as the driving under the influence DUI, driving while intoxicated DWI or could be operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The offense if of course based upon the observation of the police officer with regards to the driver’s behavior, speech and the result of the roadside sobriety test. The second statutory offense is called the illegal per se that is driving with a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher.

Offenses such as these are closely monitored since driving under the influence and drunk driving causes a number of injuries and cost lives at times. Just how serious is this issue and how important it is to monitor drivers on the road? Just imagine these figures that I researched on the net. In 2006, there were 13,470 fatalities in crashes that involves alcohol-impaired driver. That driver that’s involved in those accidents have been found to have BAC of 0.08 percent or higher! This figure accounts to 32 percent of the total traffic fatalities for 2006. There were 16,005 people killed in the United States in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes and the drivers of these vehicles had BAC of 0.01 or higher. The 13,470 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities for 2006 were almost the same if you compare it to the 13,451 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities that are reported in 1996. This only means that the 10 year progress has yielded the same results and it seems that the campaigns and the rules set up by the government and other institutions have failed. It is for this reason that in order to curb drunk driving-related injuries, laws should be really enforced, public information drive and participation should be done and of course, private entities should also do its share. Thankfully, there is one auto manufacturer that takes drunk-driving and drunk-driving related injuries seriously. That’s Nissan. So how does Nissan fits in the picture? What is Nissan’s role in all this?

Ford Sees Market Realities

Looks like the high price of gas is here to stay. And Ford sees the writings on the wall. The demand for their vehicles have been going down, no thanks to escalating gas prices. It’s a market shift they say, and Ford says that it is scaling down its production. A big reversal after the company has announced a surprising first quarter profits. But it isn’t just Ford who feels the pinch of the times. General Motors and Chrysler also saw their market affected. This is because these two companies heavily relies on profits delivered by their trucks and SUVs. The changing face of the market saw a diminished popularity for SUVs and trucks as consumers find ways to address escalating gas prices. Ford said that they would drastically scale back production and step-up cost-cutting efforts in response to the sharp drops in sales and sport utility vehicles. Ford has now forecasted that the industry demand for cars and light trucks will stand at 14.7 million 10 15.1 million vehicles and this figure is considered as the lowest in more than a decade. Alan Mullaly, chief executive of Ford said that they saw a real change in the industry demand in pickups and SUVs in the first two months of May. He added that this seems to be a tipping point. One indicator of the market performance is the sales of pickups. Pickup sales are closely tied to housing and construction activity. Last year the sales of pickups accounted to 14 percent of the US market, but this year the figure is down to 9 percent.

As a response, Ford will cut down its North American production by 15 percent in the current quarter, as well as 15 to 20 percent in the third quarter and 2 to 8 percent in the fourth quarter. Though production of pickups and SUVs will be cut, it is expected that Ford will increase its output of more fuel-efficient models like the Focus and the Fusion.

Cars For Retirees

Cars are no longer just marketed to the hip segment of the market, to the fashionable, to the young, to the moneyed, the sports minded and to the sports-driven; car manufacturers take the needs of our retirees at the forefront as well. That’s right new cars that are designed right now are not just geared for the young; but these cars are geared for the ‘more mature’ segment of our society. The rationale is simple; to make driving easier and simpler for our retirees.

Right now, both Kia and Hyundai offer vehicles that can guide drivers with less-than-perfect eyesight. Perfect examples are the Hyundai Santa FE SUV and the Kia Sedona mini-van. Both models offer large climate and audio controls with stand-out text. The Acura brand also makes its one model retiree-friendly. The Acura RDX SUV features a driver seat that effectively adjusts to eight different settings. The pre-selected settings will effectively help drivers with limited range of motion in the upper body. These kind of amenities and features should come as a standards to up and coming vehicles since there is a growing market as well for our ‘retiree’ or the consumers that are aged 65 and older. In fact, according to the US Census Bureau statistics, more than 30 million licensed drivers are over 65 years old.

Forbes.com made a listing of what cars are best for retirees. They used a number of factors and these factors include crash-test safety ratings, safety measures such as the air bags, the driver’s seat position in proportion to the vehicle’s controls, the ease of egress and entrance and cargo space as well. So what cars made Forbes short list? At the top of the list is the Honda Odyssey. This vehicle scored high on safety ratings, an eight way power adjustable seats and there’s a sliding door for easy opening. Trailing the Odyssey are the Kia Sedona and the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Hyundai Entourage and the Honda CRV also made the cut.

The Honda Odyssey is a mini van that is produced by Honda and was first released in 1995. This van was available in three generations. There were two related but distinct Odysseys that were produced since 1999. The much larger Odyssey were sold in the North American market and the smaller ones that are sold in Japan and other markets. The Kia Sedona is yet another mini van from the Kia brand. The Honda CRV is a compact crossover SUV that is available in the market since 1996. The design of the CRV is loosely based from the Honda Civic so as to satisfy the need or the public demand for a sport utility vehicle coming from Honda.

Bond’s DBS Take the Plunge

Bond’s service car, the Aston Martin DBS takes the news once again as it takes a plunge. Nope, it wasn’t even part of the script.

*The car used on the first James Bond flick by Daniel Craig.

It was supposed to be an ordinary day for driver Fraser Dunn, to take the Aston Martin DBS to the set for the filming of the new James Bond movie. But what happened next was a movie-worthy scene; the driver took the DBS to the bottom of Lake Garda. The accident happened on Saturday morning near the Quantum of Solace set in Northern Italy. Based on news reports, the driver lost control of the vehicle and ploughed through the crash barriers bordering the lake. The Aston Martin as with other Bond cars, has a special role on the current Bond film. This $265,000 vehicle is specially customized for its role in the movie and this is the only model that is available for the film’s producers.

The movie, Quantum of Solace will be Daniel Craig’s second Bond film in the franchise.

Ready for 2,843 mpg?

Are you ready for a vehicle that boasts of 2,843 in mpg?

Automobile manufacturers right now take pride in their cars that can make a respectable 40-plus or a 50 plus in mpg. That’s quite a feat when it comes to fuel efficiency. Leading the way is of course, the hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius. But then this can be rivaled, at least in theory by a vehicle that registered 2,843 mpg. That’s right, you read it correctly. This green and mean machine took part in the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas that was held at the California Speedway in Fontana, California. The team from the Mater Dei High School of Evansville, Ind developed their three-wheeled combustion-engine vehicle and in the process breaking the record of the said competition. The vehicle achieved 2,843.4 miles per gallon.

The said event was attended by 300 students in 32 teams coming from four high schools and 23 universities from US and as far as Canada and Mexico. Aside from the combustion-powered vehicle of the grand winner; the other entries in the competition featured 25 vehicles that are powered by combustion engines, four vehicles that are powered by fuel cell/hydrogen technology, one by diesel fuel, one by LPG and two vehicles are powered by solar power.

The grand prize went to the Mater Dei High School, and this same school also took the honors for the combustion engine category.  The College of the Redwoods of California netted 304.5 mpg which is powered by diesel; the LPG-powered entry of Schurr High School in Montebello California got 163.5 mpg; Penn State got 1,668.3 mpg and is powered by fuel cell technology and the Purdue University achieved 2,861.8 mpg. Wait insn’t the entry of Purdue University netted a higher mpg? Contest rules do not allow solar vehicles to compete for the grand prize, so the entry from Mater Dei got the prize.

Google Maps on BMW New Models

This will actually start with the BMW 2008 X6 and the soon to be released 2009 BMW models. These Google Maps as we know it will form part of the BMW Assist Safety Plan. A feature that can allow BMW drivers and passengers to send directions, phone numbers and other relevant information from Google Maps to the BMW car.

First a quick look on the BMW Assist. This idea was first launched in 1999 as a way of helping BMW drivers navigate unfamiliar roads and terrains with ease and convenience. This is also envisioned to support the driver at times of emergency and can guide drivers out of the traffic jams. This works with the BMW Navigation System and the BMW preparation for Bluetooth mobile phone with integrated SIM card. But aside from these, the Assist also features the emergency call feature that can send pertinent information to BMW Service Headquarters. The system will actually send an automatic signal once the crash sensors in the airbags are activated in the event of a breakdown. In case you drive your car on the Autobahn, the Assist can also give you reliable and up-to-date traffic information. These are just some of the features of the BMW Assist technology.

So aside from Automatic Collision Notification, Emergency Request, an Enhanced Roadside Assistance; there is also MyInfo. MyInfo feature GoogleMaps for your driving convenience. The MyInfo feature on the BMW will of course allow you to reach your destination faster, conveniently and safer. So how does MyInfo works? First you have to research and to search for business locations and addresses using your home’s pc using Google Maps. With the use of the MyInfo service, you can then transfer these information that you have collected to your BMW. When you are already inside your car, you simply push the MyInfo button at the Assist Menu. With this, you can already call the phone number directly with the Bluetooth linked mobile phone. if your car is equipped with the navigation system, you can start the route guidance.

This feature is actaully available on 2008 and later X6 and all 2009 BMW Assist models, with the exception of the X3 and Z4.

Safety Concerns For Hybrids

For a moment, lets think and imagine a hybrid car cruising our highways. You can almost feel the quality and the smoothness of the ride. Its efficiency is undeniable, and you can almost see fuel economy at its finest. Another thing that makes a hydbrid car unique is the amount of noise or rather, the less noise that it creates once it starts cruising the highways. Sweet sounds, almost light and so sensitive. Contrast that to the sounds of high-performance and muscle cars out there. Noise and growls dominates the  air. That is one reason why a number of people tend to like hybrid cars. But painting these hybrid cars and pushing it on a pedestal can be quite harmful. In fact silent cars that prowl the highways right now can put some people at risk. Yes that’s right; there is always a trade-off. In search for efficient cars and ’silent’ cars, some aspects need to be sacrificed and can even pose threats to some people. The sponsor of a new bill in Congress Democratic Rep. Edolphus Towns says it best:

The beneficial trend toward more environmentally friendly vehicles has had the unintended effect of placing the blind and other pedestrians in danger.

That’s correct. The less-noisier hybrids that we see on the roads right now may revolutionize automotive technology and can be sweet to the ears, but we have to accept the fact as well that these hybrids can pose significant threats to our blind people as well. Though it was noted that there are still no news that reported injuries that are caused by these almost-silent cars on the road, the bill’s supporters thinks that its only a matter of time that something will happen along this line. There was this study that was conducted by the University of California-Riverside that stated that these cars do pose some significant threats. It mentioned that hybrids that operate at slow speeds must be 40 percent closer to the pedestrians than combustion-engine vehicles before they make enough noises for their location to be detected.

The bill that will be filed will require the Transporation Department to conduct a two-year study before issuing safety standards, and in turn the automakers will have two years to comply. The introduction of this bill is helpful, and I guess a considerable study and research should be done as well to check and to validate furthermore that a slow and a noise-free hybrid can be a threat on the road.

Clay Season Unfolds

Clay season for tennis that is. After the hardcourts of Miami and Key Biscayne where Djokovic and Davydenko ruled on the men’s side and Ana Ivanovic and Serena Williams on the women’s side, it is time to signal the start of the clay courts season. Faster surfaces of the hardcourts will yield the spotlight to the red clay, for slower movement of the ball and for slower yet intensified style of playing. Novak Djokovic is the defending champion after he defeated Richard Gasquet of France in the 2007 finals. The Estoril Open at Portugal is a great preparation for the forth coming Roland Garros Open. In fact, world number 1 Roger Federer is set to compete in Estoril with Paris in his mind. The goal is of course to condition his body and mind in preparation for the Roland Garros- which is the only Grand Slam that has eluded his hands for years.

Estoril is often home of clay courters and future champion of Roland Garros. Sergei Bruguera, Thomas Muster, Carlos Moya, Gaston Gaudio, Albert Costa and Juan Carlos Ferrero are just some of the names that played great at Estoril and saw their fortunes improved on the French Open improved as well. The Estoril Open that is set to open April 12 is a combined event of the ATP and the WTA, and another tennis event where Mercedes-Benz has a sponsorship.

Flashing Lights? Better Have Cash

The box-like device is often installed inside the vehicle, usually underneath the car’s dashboard. It seems like an ordinary box and may look like an external modem or a router but the thing is, your car needs no internet connection connection. So what’s this box with six buttons doing inside your car?

Get ready for a device that will wake you up when payment for your car is due. The box is actually an On Time car device that starts to blink when your payment is fast approaching and then starts beeping on the due date itself. This box blinks for a purpose; and that’s to drive the vehicle owner to make their payment on time. Just in case you dismiss the beeping sounds coming from the device and foregoes payment and the resulting code punched in will reset the box, your valued car will not start. The idea behind this smart device came from anti-theft devices based on radio frequency identification or RFID technology. If the driver takes notice and payment is made, the lender will give the car owner a six digit code to input on the device, which of course can stop the device from flashing and beeping at the same time.

Problems with defaults and late payments is a serious issue and this specific problem have been growing for years. In fact the rise of the default rates has been likened to the mortrage crisis. In fact the rate of auto loan defaults has reached a 10 year high of 3.4 percent.

With the introduction of this kind of device, default rates for subprime auto loan borrowers are significantly lowered. What this means is that when repo rates and default rates are down, the dealers and the lenders will feel more secure in offering financing for more valuable and pricier cars. Discipline is also enforced amongst the buyers and the car owners.

End of the Road for Mercedes-McLaren SLR?

Just checking some of the news items and other online sites here when I chanced upon an entry that says it is the end of the road for the Mercedes-McLaren SLR. Is this true? The site reports that Mercedes-Benz is set to end the production of the SLR supercar at the end of 2009. The phasing of this supercar has been started last year, that began with the coupe version of the SLR Mercedes. If indeed the SLR is set to retire in 2009, this supercar will end its brief 5 year stint in the market.

When the SLR was developed and introduced in the market, Mercedes planned for 400-500 SLRs to be produced every year. But its actual production never really took off. For 2007, 275 SLRs were produced and there was 261 SLRs in 2006. With the last supercar produced, it is expected that Mercedes and McLaren will part ways.

It is expected that McLaren is set to develop a new V8 car named P11.