Automotive
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 […]
Commuting: just how wasteful is it really?
Does that old axiom, “It’s the journey, not the destination, that matters” apply to the topic of commuting? For many, posits Crikey, an Australian alternative news site, the tired cliche still rings true. Despite the bad rap commuting gets – common complaints that spring to mind are gridlocked traffic; road rage-suffering drivers; overstuffed subways… and […]
U.S. license plates vs. EU’s: humor vs. efficiency?
Most of us have played the license plate game on long road trips, or taken a picture of a funny personalized plate like “IMLAWST” or “WHO5 HOT.” License plates do more than just entertain–they help our countries keep tabs on us in more ways than one. Interestingly enough, license plates were created before the dawn […]
Power tripping: How green are electric cars?
Electric cars have been touted as the green wave of the future ever since George Jetson first shot across the animated small screen in his aerocar. But just how environmentally friendly — and, dare we ask, just how cost-effective — are they? At least one researcher is asking exactly those questions. Ozzie Zehner, author […]
Prudent speed limits? Impossible in the U.S.
The U.S. Interstate System Since the beginning of the 20th century, personal vehicles have allowed quick travel across the United States. The Model T, an early affordable car, had a top speed of 45 mph. People traveling across the country found themselves on unpaved roads better suited to horses. The ensuing decades saw changes in […]
U.S. 36 transformation underway
The story of U.S. 36, a Colorado highway connecting Boulder with Denver, is similar to that of other roads throughout the country: it’s overworked and under-equipped. According to the New York Times, after opening in 1952, built to carry 3,000 cars daily by 1980, the highway was serving 14,000 cars daily by 1966. Today’s figures […]
New regs needed for single-unit trucks?
After analyzing a five-year-long study which discovered that single-unit trucks were involved in an inordinate amount of fatalities, The National Transportation Safety Board has assembled a host of safety recommendations that, if heeded, will affect highway safety for all drivers who share the road. For the uninitiated, single-unit trucks are considered large trucks with a […]
