Automotive Archive

First Responder Distraction a Risk to Other Drivers

March 22nd, 2010. By Hunter West

In the rush to get people to stop texting on their cell phones, playing with their GPS devices or even working the laptop sitting on the passenger seat beside them WHILE DRIVING, a large segment of the driving population has been all but ignored in the debate.

Emergency service workers—the police, firefighters and paramedics who are first responders to an emergency. 

Have you seen inside a modern ambulance lately? Or a police car? It’s a tech heaven.

Computers and keypads, high-end GPS. The list goes on. 

There is little doubt that such rolling technology is having a positive impact on the capacity to respond to an emergency, and to save a life. 

But what has been forgotten—at least until a New York Times article came out on March 11^th drawing attention to the issue—is the potential for distraction by first responders who are multi-tasking behind the wheel and shouldn’t be.

As the article highlighted, drivers are supposed to key in, upload and download information while the vehicle is stopped. Once moving, that task is entrusted to the accompanying paramedic, or police officer. The partner. 

However, there have been instances where the riding paramedic is in the back, attending to the patient. The driver, intent on shuttling a patient in obvious distress to hospital in the quickest time, will not wait for vital information to come before weaving into traffic. Should that data become available while en route— Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Accidents, Automotive | No Comments »

Congratulations Lawyers–you may get in accidents, but you don’t speed!

March 16th, 2010. By AbiK

Or is it that you just don’t get caught?

Yes, believe it or not, according to the top 10 list of crash-prone professions that was put out by Quality Planning Corp. and Insure.com at the end of last year, lawyers rank only above social workers for getting speeding tickets. However…

When you look at accidents, well, that’s a bit of a different story.

Here’s the break down on the top 10 crash-prone professions (journalists, pat your backs—you’re not on it). The accidents and speeding tickets are per 1,000 professionals in each category:

1. Doctors: 109 accidents and 44 speeding tickets

2. Lawyers: 106 accidents and 37 speeding tickets

3. Architects: 105 accidents and 72 speeding tickets

4. Real Estate Brokers: 102 accidents and 39 speeding tickets

5. Enlisted Military Personnel: 99 accidents and 78 speeding tickets

6. Social Workers: 98 accidents and 33 speeding tickets

7. Manual Laborers: 96 accidents and 77 speeding tickets

8. Analysts: 95 accidents and 40 speeding tickets

9. Engineers: 94 accidents and 51 speeding tickets

10. Consultants: 94 accidents and 50 speeding tickets

If you’re thinking this was an outlier kind of year, not so. Five years ago, in 2004, the same report listed these groups as the top 5 for being accident-prone:

1. Students

2. Doctors

3. Lawyers

4. Architects

5. Real Estate Brokers

Tags: Accidents, Automotive, Highway Safety, Speeding
Posted in Accidents, Automotive | No Comments »

Vintage Cars Rock as Hard Drive on Wheels may be Hell on Wheels

March 12th, 2010. By Hunter West

I have a prediction: this whole Toyota mess is going to spawn a re-birth of vintage cars.

 

I have a friend who has a vintage Volkswagen Beetle. An original Veedub. It was made at the original Wolfsburg factory in Germany, has a carburetor and no pollution controls. It coughs, and wheezes. Despite the obvious fact that it’s loads of fun to drive, my pal has had it parked for a few years now due to his attempt to respect the environment—even though legally he can drive it as is—given the fact the car is so old it is grandfathered and is not governed by modern-day pollution control standards. 

He would sit there, at the red light, an obvious Old-World stench belching from the exhaust pipe, cowering under the scorn of other drivers sitting behind the wheels of their gleaming Toyotas that didn’t stink so much. 

So he parked the car. There it sits in the garage, replaced by a more modern vehicle. He’s aware there are others in the vintage car communities who have done the same. They’re driving their vintage cars less, if at all, out of respect for the environment. Besides, newer cars are that much safer. 

Or, are they?

Don’t be surprised if you see more old cars out on the road now. Cars that drive by mechanics, not electronics. The only circuit you’ll find is the battery that connects the starter, the headlights, the horn, the wipers and the radio.

That’s it. Cars according to KISS: ‘keep it simple, stupid…” 

Are cars getting too complicated? 

Toyota has been beleaguered with trouble. We all know that. We’ve all heard about the recall, and the sticky pedals. We’ve all heard that Toyota said it was NOT electronics that were at fault, then say they weren’t sure, and then say again as late as this week that in their view the electronics are fine. It’s sticking pedals and floor mats that are causing unexplained acceleration. 

And yet we hear of reports where Toyota owners have experienced more incidents whereby their recalled cars have sped away seemingly under their own power AFTER the safety repairs were made. This week a guy driving a Prius is lucky to be alive after his car sped up along a California Interstate. He said the pedal stuck and wouldn’t let go. He even tried to pry it free with his hand. It wouldn’t budge. Floor mats were not the issue.

His car wasn’t on the recall list. 

On Wednesday a woman was just heading out of her driveway when her Toyota suddenly lurched forward, sped up and she slammed into a retaining wall across from her property. 

Okay, so is the problem mechanical? Or electronic? Or a combination of both? Do you ever recall a 1964 Impala doing this kind of stuff?

Most agree that cars are getting increasingly complicated. Some say, too much so. Well if that’s you, then you don’t want to ever meet up with the 2010 Lexus HS 250h, manufactured by Toyota. 

More computing power than a moonshot 

Here is a car that can literally drive itself. Roman Mica, a reporter and producer for CNN reviewed Toyota’s latest marvel, calling the Lexus HS 250h a technological ‘tour de force.’ You don’t drive the car any more, Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Toyota, toyota recall
Posted in Accidents, Automotive, Emerging Issues | 1 Comment »

Cuomo’s Helping Hand to NY for Toyota Recall

February 24th, 2010. By AbiK

This just in…been affected by the Toyota recall mess and live in New York? NY State Attorney General Cuomo’s got your back—at least when it comes to making the process of getting your car repaired a bit easier.

According to nypost.com this morning, Toyota has agreed to guarantee New Yorkers who’ve been thrown into the recall mess the following:

• Pick up of the vehicle at the owner’s home
• Return the vehicle after it’s been repaired
• Pay for out-of-pocket transportation costs
• Offer drivers free rental cars during repairs

That’s good news especially considering the number of emails and comments we’ve received from Toyota drivers who are concerned about driving their cars–even to the dealership–until the repairs are made. Cuomo, himself, gave a nod to this very issue in his prepared statement:

“It is unacceptable that New York consumers should face additional burdens when dealing with a safety problem that is Toyota’s responsibility,” Cuomo said in a prepared statement obtained by the AP before a scheduled noon announcement. “New Yorkers who own recalled vehicles understandably may be reluctant to drive their cars and assume the risk of harm to themselves and others on the road.”

If you’re in NY and you’ve got a recalled Toyota sitting in your drive, there’s also a website that’s been set up to provide further information: nytoyotahelp.com.

Tags: Cuomo, NY, Toyota, toyota recall
Posted in Automotive, Defective Products, Emerging Issues | No Comments »

Your Toyota Recall Stories…Got one? Share it!

February 13th, 2010. By AbiK

Here’s what some of our readers have been experiencing with their Toyota’s and the Toyota Recall. Got a Toyota story? Share it!

From Mervin…

I have a 2010 toyoto corolla I bought it in august 2009 it is the worst money I ever spent . I have had it to the dealer about 12 times with problems . The car will just stop running and will take 45 minutes to an hour before I can gey it to start again . This happens two or three times a week if any body out there has such problems please contact me . Thank you.

From Jim…

I have 1999 Toyota Sienna that my wife and i both encountered the same problem. Once we press the gas pedal, it was stuck and wouldn’t come back, you need to repeatly press couple of times so it then can be released. We thought it is the structure defect, has more metal contact so it is not easy to return.

Now we are a little bit scared if the Sienna has the same behavior like other recalled cars, what are we going to do?

Besides, the sliding door handles are too easy to broke. We changed the handle, and it still gives us the feeling “will be broke” again.

From C.R….

With all information Toyota kept secret, who knows which cars are really affected? My niece died last month in a Toyota Yaris in a mainly residential neighborhood. No skid marks at the scene. It does make you wonder and worry for anyone driving a Toyota right now and the fix they are proposing  seems rediculous. I wouln’t trust it.

Tags: Toyota, toyota recall
Posted in Automotive, Defective Products | No Comments »