Auto Trends

Cell phones while driving, originally uploaded by paddyd85f

Folks used to think that driving while on the phone was bad, but today we have those who are typing on a miniature keyboard while maneuvering themselves through heavy traffic. And it is not just that. Many folks are also sorting through MP3 players, talking to the passengers in the rear seat, eating a sloppy burger, and keeping an eye peeled for attractive members of the opposite sex. That’s a lot to ask of just one brain and two hands.

It didn’t take long for the texting craze to capture the attention of safety commissions who decided to crack down on this fad. Some states have even passed laws against these activities while in a moving vehicle. The problem is, how do you stop someone from doing something while they are alone in their own car? Well, in today’s high technology society, the very problems that are created by technology, can also be fixed by that very same technology… or at least we hope.

Solutions to Texting While Driving
Kicking Tires clued us into a few of these solutions that various companies are coming up with, and you can already imagine that one of these is going to be voice-to-text technology. Of these, you have Vlingo ($18 for the application) and Mobivox ($0.29 per message), which work by transferring your voice messages into written text, thereby keeping your hands free for the most part. The only the distractions of talking and watching the text appear in the message box at the same time. Okay, so maybe that’s not the greatest idea.

The next line of technology coming up amongst the ranks, is a smart blocking system that will disable a cell phones keypad the moment a vehicle is set into motion. The one exception to this rule will be emergency situations, such as if Buffy’s boyfriend, Hank, called Susan a three letter work, so Biff was planning on… well, no, we’re probably talking more about police or ambulance sorts of emergencies, but nice try.

These type of smart sensing phone applications will require GPS location technology, and will cost anywhere from $6 to $12 a month for Aegis Mobility- DriveAssist, or $100 for the system known as Key2SafeDriving, by Safe Driving systems. These phone systems may also give various insurance policy holders a discount on their premium. DriveAssist has already signed a deal with Nationwide Mutual Insurance, so there is a good chance that more companies will follow suit.

Yes, technology brings with it many wonderful things, such as costing money, costing even more money to undo its wrongs, but then it evens things out by giving you a discount somewhere along the way. Ain’t progress great!

Source: Kicking Tires

originally uploaded by Li Song

Minding your carbon footprint has always been a very noble cause, and I for one applaud that. However, for those of you who have recently made the switch to one of these small, fuel efficient models, such as the Smart Fortwo, Honda Fit, or Chevrolet Aveo, you have a new enemy to watch out for besides your footprint…

I am of course talking about the other drivers who are not driving small, fuel efficient vehicles.

Watch this video presented by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to see exactly what I mean:

There are of course many sides to the argument against small vehicles, but the argument that cannot be denied, is that a small car (no matter how safe it has been built), is no match against a 6,000 pound SUV, or even a 4,000 pound mid-size sedan for that matter. In a perfect world, everybody would prefer, afford, and drive equivalent vehicles. This would put everybody on equal ground as far as their safety in concerned.

But it is not an equal world, and therefore the choice to be economical and sustainable, can be a choice to put yourself at increased risk of injury or death during an accident. If you ask the small car manufacturers about these results, they will point to their excellent crash ratings (running into a stationary object, or vehicle of equivalent size and weight).

The Smart Fortwo for example is a very well received vehicle as far as its safety ratings go. Just as safe as most mid-size sedans. The problem is, when a Fortwo is faced with a much larger vehicle, instead of the impact ratio being the same, it is actually decreased for the large vehicle and increased for the Fortwo. The math is simple.

As you can see from the video above, the mid-size Mercedes-Benz C-Class has the advantage of weight and size over the Fortwo. Upon impact, the C-Class continues traveling forward, thereby relieving some of its impact for its passengers. The Fortwo on the other hand, is stopped abruptly, thrown back into the air, and obviously receives the brunt of the damage and impact.

Alternatives to Sub-Compacts
This is not to say that you shouldn’t buy these vehicles, but to be aware of the increased risk and your other alternatives. Mid-sized hybrids offer the best of both worlds (such as the Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry). The hybrid engines offer equivalent economy and carbon reduction as smaller vehicles, but its overall larger body style offers longer crash zones, which translates to a reduction in impact for its passengers.

The only problem with this equation, is often the luxury of owning a larger hybrid translates into a significantly higher price tag. For instance, the 2009 Smart Fortwo averages $12,200 to $17,100, while the Toyota Camry Hybrid averages $25,600. This puts quite a few folks in a bit of a pickle. However, with continued advancements in technology, the vehicles of the future will be much lighter, helping to level out the playing ground.

Until then, remember to buckle up, keep both eyes on the road, and always be aware of the other drivers around you. Especially the ones in the really big vehicles!

Auto Insurance (traded), originally uploaded by Obsessive Creative

A simple proposal by the California government is being touted to have the potential to reduce emissions, gas use, traffic congestion, accidents, and unfair premiums for those who hardly drive. It is called the Pay-As-You-Go auto insurance premium. How could such a simple concept accomplish so much you ask? Well, lets consider the possibilities…

The way auto insurance works today, is by a system of averages and perceived risk level. You are assumed to be driving so much each month and are then charged accordingly. Whether or not you actually are driving that much is unimportant with the current system. Now let’s imagine that you could purchase so many miles of insurance, use them at your leisure, and then purchase more whenever you needed.

The idea behind this proposal by Steve Poizner, California’s current insurance commissioner (and government hopeful), is that by dangling these incentives over the heads of drivers, they will choose to use their vehicles less. The end result will be less vehicles on the road, less pollution in the air, and quite possibly even a wee bit more money to pass around the struggling economy.

This plan would particularly be agreeable to those who rarely drive, for others however, it might prove to be rather disagreeable. The good news for those in California who make their living on the open road, is that this program would be by option only (at least for now). In other words, drivers would have the choice of adopting the program, or opting out and going with the more traditional insurance premium.

This will allow the focus of the pay-as-you-go program to be taken off the punishment of those who drive a lot, and concentrated on the incentive for those who do not. The program is currently past the public commentary stage, and is now taking all changes into consideration before making it a permanent bedfellow to the Californian way of life.

Source: Autoweek