YONKERS, NY - Consumer Reports has judged the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV a Don't Buy: Safety Risk because of a problem its testers experienced during CR's standard emergency-handling tests. Read More »
10 o’clock, 2 o’clock? Or 9 o’clock, 3 o’clock?
A firestorm of controversy seems to have been sparked by the comment I made to my permit-carrying son with regard to placing his hands at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock on the steering wheel. From John F. Knippel: “The auto manufacturers have changed where items are located near the steering wheel to force us to adapt to the now-advocated positions ... Read More »
Message From Schwarzenegger Inspires, Oops, Cell Phone Call
The e-mail was from the following address: governor@govmail.ca.gov. The e-mail in my in box was from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. I wrote to Arnold, and Arnold wrote back. What he had to say was truly extraordinary. In July, I decided to finally sit down and write a column about cell phone use when driving. Several people had asked me when I ... Read More »
If You Heard the Piercing Shriek I Heard, You’d Let up on That Pedal
I couldn't tell how old she was. She stood on the side of the freeway with her hands pressed flat against her cheeks. As we drove by slowly, we could clearly hear the sound coming from her open mouth. Read More »
Driving Move of the Day
“Honey, do you even SEE those brake lights up there?”
The dictionary defines a backseat driver as 1) A passenger who constantly advises, corrects or nags the driver of a motor vehicle and/or 2) A meddler who insists on giving unwanted advice. Read More »
NHTSA Says Rollover Ratings for SUVs Improved in 2006
Rollover ratings for 2006 model sport utility vehicles (SUVs) show a marked improvement over 2005, according to a recent announcement by the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Read More »
When Used As Directed, Big Passenger Vans Are More Likely To Roll Over
They account for a small share of crash deaths, but passenger vans can be risky Fifteen-passenger vans are intended to transport up to, well, 15 people. But there's a safety downside "” as the occupants pile in, the risk of rolling over goes up. Most rollovers involve one vehicle, and single-vehicle rollover crash risk actually is lower for lone drivers of 15-passenger vans than for drivers traveling alone in SUVs. Rollover_Van.jpg Read More »
National Maximum Speed Limit Repeal Ten Years Later
On December 8, 1995, the repeal of the National Maximum Speed Limit (NMSL) went into effect. The repeal ended the federal requirement that states keep speed limits at a maximum of 65 miles per hour (mph) in rural areas and 55 mph in urban areas. A recent survey of Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) members indicated that 40 GHSA jurisdictions had increased their speed limits since the repeal. Read More »
Road Trip Emergencies – Are You Ready For Them?
Road trips usually mean hours of boredom with, fortunately, a few moments of panic when a deer jumps out of nowhere or suddenly you hit a bit of very slippery road. And while modern vehicles seldom experience brake failures or a tire blowout, they can still happen. Will you be prepared? Read More »
