Six Rules Of The Road You Should Observe (But Probably Won’t)
Journalists who cover the auto industry drive a lot of cars.
Which means we like to think we know a little more about driving than other people.
Not you, of course. Statistically, you know you're a better driver than most other people on the roads. We're talking about those other ones.
But each of us gets behind the wheel of several dozen cars a year and racks up tens of thousands of miles, on everything from racetracks to Manhattan streets, ranging from high-speed freeway cruising to irksome stop-and-go suburban Saturday shopping.
What follows are six rules for safer driving that you should be observing.
After all, you're the sole pilot of a two-ton machine that can travel at more than 100 mph.
Based on what we see through the windshield, though, you're probably not observing all of these rules--and some of you aren't observing ANY of them.
(1) Check your mirrors every 30 to 60 seconds.
It's painfully clear that many drivers have no earthly idea what's behind them.
That would seem to be because they're not using any of the three mirrors--one on the windshield, one on each front door--to glance at what's happening behind them.
No, this shouldn't come at the expense of looking ahead.
But it's critical to know what's going on behind you.
If you can't say whether there are vehicles behind you in each lane or not, you're not looking in your mirrors often enough.
Is there, for instance, an over-eager adolescent kid in a lowered car parked 18 inches off your rear bumper at 65 mph?
If so, the sooner you move over, the quicker he can roar past you--thereby taking you out of the range of a potential accident or road-rage incident.
And this is especially important now that various blind-spot warnings are displayed in the door mirror as well, from lights that illuminate when there's a car in your blind spot to specially angled second-mirror insets that show what's next to you.
(2) If you're not passing another car, stay OUT of the left lane!
The left-most lane on roads with two, three, or more lanes in the same direction is NOT just for travel. It's called the passing lane. And there's a reason for that.
We can't do any better than to quote the full text of a graphic that's been making the rounds on social media (see diagram, which we found via Wade Brown).
It doesn't matter if you're going the speed limit. You may feel like you're doing the right thing by slowing a speeder down, or you may feel it's your RIGHT to drive in any lane you 'darn well please.'
You're not. It's not. And you ARE breaking the law.
Here's how it is DESIGNED to work: You're in what you think is just like any other lane except that it's 'fast'. One of us approaches you from behind at 74mph (and you look down to see you're going 67mph and you switch to your smug 'justified' face because the sign says 65). While rather close in proximity, the driver begs you to move over.
Oh, how you should.
But you don't.
The driver tries to be patient and now cars start lining up behind both of you. There's a quick flash of the brights, and if you look up from your phone you either move over, or your ego decides that you'll be stubborn (and in some cases actually slow down ON PURPOSE). In most cases you don't even notice the signal but you just start complaining about the guy riding your bumper.
Now there's four or five vehicles lining up behind you while you have a LOT of distance ahead of you and enough room to move over. Now the sixth vehicle back finally jets across two lanes of traffic to go around not only you and the cars behind you, but but also around the slower cars in the two lanes to your right, only to find that there's no GOOD reason for you to be IN THE WAY.
Note that he used the 'SLOW' lane to do this in.
Move over. You don't have to be stubborn.
It's not your lane. You don't have to be self-righteous.
Please be part of the solution. Don't cause traffic jams and contribute to road rage.
The general rage among drivers at oblivious left-lane hogs was rewarded in March, when a Maryland woman was ticketed for blocking the passing lane and failure to keep right.
The "keep right" rule is also taken seriously in Georgia, we gather.
On the West Coast, though, the rule has apparently been forgotten entirely--helped along, we suspect, by the legality of passing on the right on multi-lane freeways.
(more...)Better Gas Prices & Housing Sales Give Trucks & SUVs A Boost
Official auto sales stats won't be released until tomorrow, but early signs point to strong numbers for April -- particularly in the truck and SUV segment.
Not so long ago, pickups and SUVs seemed to be caught in a death spiral. With fuel prices edging higher and fuel economy the #1 factor for many car buyers, sales of compact and midsize cars have been booming. Crossovers and hybrid trucks tried to jump start the two segments, but without much success.
But now, two factors have aligned to rekindle the public's interest in trucks and SUVs: lower prices at the pump and strong housing sales.
Some analysts have argued that gas prices don't have much of an effect on vehicle sales: if someone wants a truck, she's going to buy a truck. She won't be swayed into purchasing a Prius just because it gets better gas mileage.
But what those analysts leave out of the equation is the fact that customers have come to expect gas prices to rise and fall in specific patterns, which may temper their fears about high fuel costs. Prices generally spike in spring and fall, as gas stations switch from regular fuel to summer blend and back again. But if prices shot up and stayed there -- due to an increased gas tax, a fuel shortage, or some other reason -- consumer response might be more pronounced.
Thankfully, that's not an issue at the moment. Fuel prices currently rest at around $3.50 a gallon, a full 31 cents below this time last year.
Sweetening the deal for truck and SUV fans is the strength of the U.S. economy -- particularly the housing market. Contractors, subcontractors, and small companies of all kinds are taking this opportunity to invest in new vehicles and grow their businesses.
In fact, early figures suggest that large pickup sales for April will ring in a whopping 26% above April 2012. Crossovers -- especially compact crossovers -- should see a year-over-year boost of around 23%. Together, those segments will comprise around 25% of the U.S. auto market, up from 21% last year.
April's seasonally adjusted sales rate is likely to come in around 15.25 million, which would make this the sixth month in a row that the figure has remained above the 15 million mark.
We'll run through the official numbers as they're released tomorrow. Stay tuned.
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Visit our redesigned used cars section today -- over 2 million live classified listings for sale: Used Trucks, Used SUVs, Used Toyotas, Used Fords and more.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2014 Subaru Forester Recalled For Floor Mat “Curling”
Subaru is recalling certain 2014 Forester Wagons for a floor mat manufacturing flaw that may result in curling of mats when exposed to heat.
A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website said that the safety recall affects 2014 Subaru Forester wagons built from January through March 2013.
Documentation from Subaru (PDF) submitted to the NHTSA indicates that the number of Foresters potentially affected is 10,137 vehicles.
The problem
According to the NHTSA bulletin and Subaru, the floor mat backing was not manufactured to specification. Subaru said that the resin composition used for the mats was out of spec and, as a result, can cause curling of the mats under heat exposure.
Such a curling condition of the mat on the driver’s side could distract the driver and/or interfere with the operation of the vehicle’s clutch, brake and/or accelerator pedals. The NHTSA bulletin warns that “brake or accelerator pedal interference may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash.”
Subaru discovered the problem April 1, 2013 at the Vancouver, Washington port where 21 Forester wagons were found to have curling mats. The automaker began an investigation and determined that a recall was necessary on April 15.
What Subaru will do
Subaru will notify owners and dealers will replace all four floor mats at no charge. The Subaru safety campaign, identified as WQH-44, is expected to begin with owner notification by the end of April.
In the meantime, owners of 2014 Subaru Forester wagons with any questions or concerns may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
Alternatively, owners of vehicles involved in the campaign may contact NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to http://www.safercar.gov. Reference the NHTSA campaign ID No. 13V159000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: $51,995 And Up
Owning a high-performance sports car can be a true joy, even if you're not the type to take it to a race track. With the debut of the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, priced from $51,995, it doesn't even have to break the bank.The new base price is an increase of about $2,000 over the sixth-generation Corvette. With that price rise comes a slate of new and improved features.
Interior design and materials will be some of the most-noticed and most-desired upgrades for the seventh-generation Corvette Stingray. A shortcoming in the last Corvette that now appears to be remedied.
Dramatic new exterior styling also sets the 2014 Corvette Stingray apart from both the previous model and the competition. Edgy, technical, with functional aerodynamics and vents, the new Stingray makes no bones about being a sports car.
A new LT1 6.2-liter V-8 engine generating 450 horsepower is also part of the package. Standard features include eight-way power-adjustable seats; five-position drive-mode selector; seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Matching; dual eight-inch driver/infotainment screens with Chevrolet MyLink and rear-view camera; Bose 9-speaker audio system with SiriusXM, Bluetooth, USB/SD, and auxiliary input; keyless entry; and more.
A Z51 performance package upgrades suspension, braking, and electronic traction management systems, making the 2014 Stingray capable of up to 1 g in lateral grip and 0-60 mph runs in less than four seconds, according to GM.
The 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible starts from $56,995, also including destination fee.
A range of packages including interior and performance modifications are also available. As shown at the North American International Auto Show (with a striking brown and carbon fiber interior), the 2014 Stingray Coupe priced out to $73,360, and was equipped with the following packages:
- 3LT interior package, with leather-wrapped interior ($8,005)
- Z51 Performance Package ($2,800)
- Competition sports seats ($2,495)
- Exposed-carbon-fiber roof panel ($1,995)
- Magnetic Ride Control with Performance Traction Management ($1,795)
- Dual-mode exhaust system ($1,195)
- Carbon fiber interior trim ($995)
- Sueded, microfiber-wrapped upper interior trim ($995)
- Red-painted calipers ($595)
- Black-painted wheels ($495)
Included in the 3LT package is a Bose 10-speaker surround sound system; color heads-up display; navigation; Napa leather seating; leather-wrapped dash and instrument panel, console, and door panels; and heated and ventilated seats with power lumbar and bolster adjustment.
For more information on the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, visit our preview. Look for our full review, with driving impressions and much more, later this year.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Best Used SUV 2013: The Car Connection’s Picks
New vehicles with untouched powertrains, mint interiors and intact warranties can be easy purchases. Used vehicles? It's a whole other process, one that's more confusing altogether, with variables of mileage, reliability, quality, and satisfaction all coming into play.
No matter what data they have in hand, or reviews they've read, many new-car buyers go with their gut and their emotions when they buy a used vehicle. Choices center heavily on price and vehicle type, maybe even more so than with a new-vehicle purchase.
We think there's other helpful information that should come into play when you're shopping for a used vehicle--and that's why we're putting together a series of guides to help you narrow down the field of used cars, trucks, crossovers and minivans to a smaller set of best-in-class bets.
We've arrived at these groups of vehicles by comparing three sets of data. To make our Best Used lists, a vehicle must score
- at least an 8.0 rating on The Car Connection's full reviews from three years ago--in this case, the 2011 model year
- at least four circles on J.D. Power's predicted-dependability rankings, or at least average reliability on Consumer Reports
- at least four stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
In this list, we've examined the field of sport-utility vehicles--including crossovers--and come up with 18 of the best used SUVs on the road today, with the bottom line from our 2011 review:
With a few notable flaws in styling and features, the 2011 Acura MDX still impresses us with its friendly handling and gutsy power. Read more »
The 2011 Audi Q5 is one of the best upscale picks in a compact crossover, thanks to its sleek lines, practical interior, responsive feel, and city-savvy size. Read more »
(more...)Study: Hands-Free Texting Is No Safer Than Typing
A debate is raging about taking and making hands-free calls behind the wheel. Some folks think the practice is perfectly safe, while others (like the National Transportation Safety Board) believe that all conversations are distracting, whether or not drivers hold a phone to their ear.
But what about other hands-free activities -- like dictating text messages to friends? A new study from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University reveals that sending those messages using voice-to-text software is just as distracting as looking down at your phone and typing messages by hand.
To reach those conclusions, the Institute put 43 drivers on a test track and measured each on three separate tasks:
1. Driving without texting at all.
2. Driving while typing a text message on a cell phone.
3. Driving while dictating a text message using voice-to-text software.
The similarities between scenario #2 and #3 were striking. Eye-contact with the road declined in both cases, and although subject felt more comfortable dictating their messages than typing, their reaction times were the same in both situations. Most importantly, those reaction times were twice as long as when the subjects weren't texting at all.
As anyone who's used voice-to-text programs can attest, lead researcher Christine Yager noted that using dictation software to compose texts took more time than typing. That's largely due to the still-evolving state of that software, which doesn't always do a great job of transcribing. As a result, drivers had to spend considerable time correcting their dictated text messages before they sent them.
Yager explains her team's findings using language that the NTSB has used before: whether typing or speaking to a computer, "You're still using your mind to try to think of what you're trying to say, and that by proxy causes some driving impairment, and that decreases your response time".
Which only confirms what we've known for some time: when you're driving, you should probably focus on driving.
[h/t John Voelcker]
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Visit our redesigned used cars section today -- over 2 million live classified listings for sale: Used Trucks, Used SUVs, Used Toyotas, Used Fords and more.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Nissan Pathfinder, Infiniti JX Recalled For Faulty Brake Part
Nissan is conducting a safety recall of certain 2013 model year Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti JX SUVs due to a potentially defective brake part that may fail and make it harder to stop the vehicles.
A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected at 19,256. Affected vehicles were built from December 2, 2012 through January 29, 2013 at the Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.
Documentation from Nissan (PDF) indicates that some 14,168 2013 Nissan Pathfinders and 5,090 2013 Infiniti JX35 SUVs are involved in the safety recall.
The problem
According to the NHTSA bulletin, the front brake torque member was cast improperly, resulting in structural weakness that can lead to premature failure and cracking.
As a consequence of the brake torque member failing, the brake caliper may move and contact the inside of the road wheel, resulting in reduced braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.
Nissan said it began an investigation after a March field report of a brake failure.
What Nissan will do
Nissan will notify owners and dealers will inspect the manufacturing date of the vehicles’ torque members, replacing one or both of them, as necessary, at no charge. The safety campaign is expected to begin in early May 2013.
In the meantime, owners of 2013 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti JX35 SUVs with any questions or concerns may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Alternatively, owners of vehicles involved in the campaign may contact NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to http://www.safercar.gov. Reference the NHTSA campaign ID No. 13V139000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Honda Recalls 204,000 SUVs, Minivans In U.S. For Shift Interlock Problem
Honda is recalling certain 2012 and 2013 CR-V SUVs and Odyssey minivans as well as certain 2013 Acura RDX crossovers to fix an automatic shift problem.
A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected in the U.S. at 204,169.
A statement from Honda on its website said that the recall population is 204,500 in the U.S., affecting approximately 128,000 Honda CR-V, 59,000 Honda Odyssey and 17,500 Acura RDX vehicles.
The problem
According to the NHTSA bulletin, during sub-freezing temperatures, the vehicle’s transmission may shift out of park without the driver depressing the brake pedal. This condition is a violation of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, “Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention.
If the gear selector moves from the park position without pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle may roll away, thus increasing the risk of a crash.
Documentation from Honda (PDF) indicates that the brake-shift interlock mechanism in affected vehicles may have been manufactured improperly. The automaker said it discovered the problem during an internal investigation. No customer complaints, crashes or injuries have been reported related to the issue.
What Honda will do
Honda will notify owners of affected vehicles and dealers will replace the defective brake shift interlock blocking mechanism with an updated one. The service will be performed at no charge. The Honda safety recall is expected to begin May 13, 2013.
In the meantime, owners of 2012-2013 Honda CR-V, 2012-2013 Honda Odyssey and 2013 Acura RDX vehicles with any questions or concerns may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. The recall numbers are: 396 (Honda CR-V), 397 (Honda Odyssey), and 398 (Acura RDX).
Alternatively, owners of vehicles involved in the campaign may contact NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to http://www.safercar.gov. Reference the NHTSA campaign ID No. 13V143000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Screen Test: Five Frustrating Infotainment In-Car Interfaces
Driving sure isn't what it used to be. And while that might apply just as well to how that new car accelerates, steers, or rides, here we're talking about what's inside—namely, that big, bright screen in the middle of the dash.
So-called infotainment interfaces are becoming a center point to the in-car experience—an essential part, if you ask some vehicle shoppers. And yet, these systems, which bring features like navigation, hands-free calling connectivity, music and media management, and all sorts of additional information and productivity into the car—and wrap it all together with a single go-to interface—are quite often maligned.
At best, they're the smooth, cohesive way to do everything you might want or need to do from behind the wheel, while keeping your eyes on the road and keeping you from picking up a hand-held device. But at worst, these systems can be distractions in and of themselves.
What makes some of these systems feel natural and others frustrating? Whether considering MyFord Touch (Ford), CUE (Cadillac/GM), iDrive (BMW), COMAND (Mercedes-Benz), MMI (Audi), Uconnect Touch (Chrysler), the elements that make up these interfaces aren't not all that different, fundamentally. Even though their hardware might be significantly different, you have a display screen (touch-sensitive, or capacitive in some cases); there's a rotary or toggle controller on most; voice control is deployed to some degree; and then you have some back-up buttons on the dash and/or steering wheel, with a corresponding graphic array and menu system.
Comparable hardware, very different implementation
“It's the nuance of it that makes them so distinct,” says Mark Boyadjis, a senior analyst at IHS Global insight.
And more than the actual capability of the system—the resolution of the display, or the amount of storage, for instance—it's in the fine user-interface details where some of these systems can delight, or frustrate, Boyadjis notes.
Ford may have jumped the gun in getting its MyFord Touch (voice- and touch-screen-based system) launched several years ago; at first it pushed ahead without regard to some of the fine details—resulting in issues like screen freezes, fonts that changed appearance, and menu options that intermittently disappeared. Although the automaker has fixed many of these hiccups and it's now quite good, notes Boyadjis.
To some degree, it's also the cost of being a forerunner. BMW quite famously first launched its iDrive more than a decade ago with a haptic-feedback rotary controller essentially replacing a sea of buttons. The design result was breathtaking and elegant, but buyers ended up bewildered by the interface, which concealed some relatively common tasks in nested menus, within other menus. Over the years, BMW has brought out several better versions, added better voice control, and brought back some of those buttons; although it's still on our list of frustrating interfaces.
A lot of disappointment out there...
Yet disappointment and dissatisfaction with the hands-free features, as related to these systems, is widespread, and satisfaction with original-equipment navigation systems and interfaces is falling. The market research firm J.D. Power attributed infotainment issues to a tumble in its 2012 Initial Quality Study (IQS), which looks at issues in the first 90 days of vehicle ownership. Hands-free systems not recognizing voice commands was the single most-reported problem, while owner-reported problems with factory hands-free systems has climbed 137 percent in four years.
At the same time, as certain tasks and apps—everything from customized music streams to text-to-voice features to turn-by-turn navigation—are becoming smartphone based, the role of such systems is rapidly changing, going well beyond a hands-free phone interface and a menu system for navigation. For instance, in J.D. Power and Associates' 2012 U.S. Navigation Usage and Research Study, 47 percent of vehicle owners polled indicated that they used a smartphone app for navigation in the vehicle, while 46 percent said that they either “definitely would not” or “probably would not” purchase another factory-installed nav system, if smartphone navigation were integrated.
"Navigation systems are no longer viewed as a stand-alone component, but as part of a media, safety and infotainment package, and are expected to seamlessly work together, but in many cases are falling short of owner expectations," summed J.D. Power analyst Mike Van Nieuwkuyk at that time.
(more...)Black Box Recorders: Groundbreaking Safety Devices Or The End Of Privacy?
We're all familiar with event data recorders -- or as they're more commonly known, "black boxes". EDRs are standard equipment on airplanes, and any time there's a mishap, news programs are full of journalists making guesses about what the recorders will reveal.
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that EDRs are coming to cars, too. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has backed legislation to make the devices mandatory on all new vehicles, beginning with the 2015 model year.
What you may not know is that the new legislation would only affect around 4% of vehicles sold in America. Why? Because the other 96% already have EDRs. If you drive a car made by a big-name automaker like Ford, General Motors, or Toyota, chances are good that there's a black box sitting in your dashboard.
In other words, the vast majority of vehicles sold in the U.S. today come with EDRs, and soon the gizmos will be found on all of them. Barring a huge shift in politics and/or technology, this situation isn't likely to change.
However, there are plenty of lingering questions about the mandatory installation of EDRs. Most of those questions revolve around privacy: (a) how should manufacturers notify new-car shoppers about the presence of the recording device, (b) how long should data be stored on the device, and (c) who owns that data?
AAA attempted to raise concerns about all three issues late last year, and the Associated Press has just picked up on the matter in the new video posted above. But so far, nothing has happened at the legislative level to address privacy concerns in a substantial way.
OUR TAKE
On the one hand, traditional notions of privacy seem to be changing. In an era when people are more than happy to share their locations on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks, privacy ain't what it used to be. As a result, EDRs might not be seen as overly intrusive.
Also, EDRs stand to boost auto safety by noting technological and mechanical problems in our vehicles. And in the long term, devices similar to EDRs may play a key role in vehicle-to-vehicle communications, which could eliminate thousands of collisions each year.
On the other hand, just because our definition of privacy is in flux doesn't mean that there's no such thing as privacy anymore. There are still plenty of lines in the sand that few folks want to cross.
For example, even if federal legislation doesn't stipulate that warrants are required to tap EDR data, one good lawsuit would likely find in favor of an individual's right to privacy. Courts have also questioned the usefulness of black box data, expressing wariness about the idea of EDRs as dispassionate witnesses to accidents. In fact, one judge in Nevada agreed that black box data "constitute[s] unreliable hearsay".
And of course, EDRs could provide one more way for identity thieves to steal vital personal info. (Thankfully, someone's already working on a fix for that.)
Does your car already contain an EDR? Are you worried about how the data on that device might be used? Or do you think such concerns are overblown? Sound off in the comments below.
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Visit our redesigned used cars section today -- over 2 million live classified listings for sale: Used Trucks, Used SUVs, Used Toyotas, Used Fords and more.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
