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Autos archive for Jan. 1, 2017

MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017

Grim reminder

The good news is that the economy is on an upswing. The accompanying bad news is that the chance of dying in a vehicle crash has gone up bit as a result. While improved vehicle design and safety technology has increased chances of surviving an…

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SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2017

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2017

Even small peeves matter

We all see driving behaviors that appear unnecessary, unsafe or downright illegal. Repeated sightings of these acts cause them to be labeled “pet peeves.” I’ve often written of mine, and reader R.S. has some of his own. The first gripe R.S. relayed to me is...

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MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2017

Back to basics

Certain basic driving behaviors most affect our safety. A periodic assessment of how well you know and practice these behaviors is a worthy endeavor. Always be aware of the speed limit and operate your vehicle near or at the posted speed. Differential of speed among…

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MONDAY, JUNE 5, 2017

Signal your intentions

Failure to indicate one’s turning intentions via use of turn signals is a perpetual driver grievance. But it isn’t just non-use that’s an issue. Absent mindedly leaving them on is also unsafe, and rules of the road even specify certain improper use that is illegal.…

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MONDAY, MAY 29, 2017

Trucks for the memories

My column of May 13th explored America’s love affair with trucks, a condition made evident by the top sales spot held by pickups. I suggested the motivation for truck ownership goes beyond utility, including undetermined factors. Whatever intangible cues may be in play, their mix…

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TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2017

Seeing the light

Whether that yellow-orange light reads, “CHECK ENGINE,” or depicts a side-view image of an engine block, when it’s illuminated on your instrument panel, take note. The warning means your vehicle’s on-board computer has detected a fault in one of many engine control systems. That fault…

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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017

MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017

Our love of trucks

Why drive a truck when you can drive a car? I’ve often pondered that query, especially since a pickup, the Ford F150, is America’s top selling vehicle. In fact, it’s been the best seller of all vehicles for over 30 years. Given the available vehicle…

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SUNDAY, MAY 14, 2017

MONDAY, MAY 8, 2017

Score your drives

Good drivers constantly look for ways to assess and improve their driving. Lack of citations and crashes are noteworthy standards to seek, but one entity has identified a few other behaviors to monitor. The entity is EverDrive, a company offering a smartphone app that evaluates…

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SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2017

MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017

Bad drivers: incompetent or indifferent?

Evidently, there are drivers operating motor vehicles who lack the understanding to properly do so. Based on behaviors I observe, if it’s not incompetence, then it’s simply indifference to afford due diligence to the task. The only explanations for seemingly unexplainable driver actions are that…

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SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017

TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017

Driving while impaired

Humans make many mistakes as drivers even when they are alert and attentive. When they are impaired, however, mayhem regularly ensues. And there’s a wide array of impairment-induced influences. The commonly heard expression, “Driving while intoxicated,” is most associated with alcoholic beverages, but such intoxication…

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SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2017

MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017

Give left foot a rest

For decades, cars with manual transmissions were the norm. Whether it was with a three-on-the-tree, four-on-the floor, or a five-speed gearbox popularized in Japanese imports, mastering the friction point of a clutch and selecting an appropriate gear was every driver’s past quest. During the manual…

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SUNDAY, APRIL 16, 2017

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017

Risky reality for young drivers

For youthful drivers, especially teens, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death. Admittedly, part of that reality is that the older driving populace succumbs to an ever-growing list of maladies (heart disease and cancer among them) as they age. Those causes of death…

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SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 2017

MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017

Spring's annual onslaught

Marking spring, every year, an onslaught of bicycles, motorcycles, children and other pedestrians begin mixing with traffic. An “onslaught” implies an event of overwhelming nature, so maybe it’s more of an emergence, since dealing with these entities should not be that daunting. The annual emergence…

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SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017

MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017

Hacking back in news

I’ve previously reported of a “vehicle takeover” performed by a couple of expert computer hackers with a laptop and a Jeep. In 2015, Charlie Miller and Chris Valacek took partial control of a 2014 Jeep Cherokee (could have been any modern vehicle), messing with its…

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SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017

MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2017

Unintended consequences

Sometimes, policies in placed do not achieve their intended goals. Instead of simply having no effect, a policy intended to make things better might make things even worse. For example, late Dutch traffic engineer, Hans Monderman, famously maintained that many of our road regulations, designs…

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