Automotive
Self-driving cars: Are Americans ready to give the keys to a computer?
Does the idea of a self-driving car inspire more dread or relief with you? Some drivers are afraid of relinquishing control of the vehicle to a computer. Those in favor of autonomous vehicles say that the benefits – in terms of accidents, fuel, congestion, and dollars – are immense. Under a pilot program, Volvo and the Swedish government […]
Does parking make microcar ownership worthwhile?
Van, SUV and truck drivers may often fantasize over the parking options open to microcar drivers: it seems that tiny cars can park over, around, and in between all other vehicles on the road. Mini Coopers, Smart Cars, the KAIST Armadillo-T, and the Fiat 500 are all easily parkable, environmentally friendly vehicles. But even microcars […]
Should you bother buying a personal breathalyzer?
Nearly all U.S. states have a standard .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) limit in place for drivers. Driving drunk can have life-changing consequence, from injury and death to arrest and skyrocketing insurance premiums. For some drivers, a personal breath analyzer (often known by the brand name, Breathalyzer) may help increase safety on the road. As most […]
Electric school buses coming to California in 2014
By next year, students in San Joaquin Valley, California will breathe only clean air when they hop on to one of the many electric school buses their district is set to buy. Although all-electric cars have been growing in popularity in the U.S. for quite some time, the technology has never been employed in school […]
Driverless pods to be on UK streets by 2015
Milton Keynes, a city near London, is investing £65 million in infrastructure to enable self driving pods to run in the city. The first 100 ULTra PRT transport pods will hit its streets in 2015, and will travel between the town’s shopping center, office parks, and railway station. How the driverless pods will work […]
Golf carts now legal to drive on some city streets
Golf carts aren’t merely the stuff of prepubescent boys’ driving dreams and elderly golfers’ daily lives – they’re street legal in some areas. Supporters claim that golf carts are friendlier to the environment than their gas-guzzling counterparts, cheaper to run and maintain, and that the vehicles are particularly useful for short trips – which are, […]
How loud can my vehicle be?
The law isn’t always loud and clear when it comes to legal noise levels for vehicles. In fact, legal levels vary by area, just as enforcement methods vary, too. What passes for whispering in some big cities might be construed as a shout in a rural area; and the same goes for car exhausts, mufflers, […]
How your car’s color affects your insurance – and safety
Car convention has long dictated that insurance rates are higher for red cars; and, at first blush, the urban legend seems to make good sense. After all, aren’t flashy red Corvettes are more likely to draw attention, and therefore the eye of traffic cops? And aren’t cherry red roadsters are easier to see, and thus […]
Seat belt company buckles in antitrust case
The United States Justice Department’s largest criminal antitrust investigation isn’t concerned with Microsoft or Google – it’s over seat belts, airbags, and other auto necessities. The New York Times
Digital safety signs mean a traffic engineer has given up
We’re delighted to be joined by Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns for this post. You’re driving down an open road you travel every day, thinking more about your work, your kids or what awaits you at your destination than your surroundings. You don’t notice the cones or the construction signs, but when the big digital safety […]
