Automotive
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 […]
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 […]
Rural car accidents may prove more fatal
A recent investigation into 10 years of car accident data provided by the Colorado Department of Transportation suggests that accidents occurring in rural areas are more fatal than those occurring in more urban zones. The investigation, led by I-News at Rocky Mountain PBS, analyzed the decade of traffic fatality information and contrasted it with the […]
NHTSA test shows Tesla Model S safest car ever
The electric Tesla Model S aced a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test, scoring a record 5.4 stars. Although the maximum published rating is 5 stars, actual results reveal that Tesla got a higher score. Tesla disrupts auto industry This rating should silence critics pointing out Tesla’s driving record is unproven since it is […]
WUI? New study blames pedestrian fatalities on booze
A recent study shows that over a third of pedestrians killed in motor vehicle accidents are impaired by alcohol, according to a recent article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer. A report published this month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that total traffic fatalities decreased to their lowest levels since 1949, while pedestrian […]
Traffic accidents eating into developing world’s growth
Traffic accidents kill well over a million people each year throughout the world, with higher rates in poorer countries. That number, while already quite high, is expected to triple to about 3.6 million per year, according to a SmartPlanet, a tech and business blog. A study conducted by the Pulitzer Center suggests that developing countries […]