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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Autos archive for Jan. 1, 2017

SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

Safety checks unpopular with locals

After my recent column exploring vehicle safety inspections, many readers “voiced” opinions on the topic via email. The tally of those comments revealed 70% of the responders saying “no” to mandatory checks, 20% thinking “maybe” and only 10% in favor of them. In support of…

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SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2017

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

Worsening driver distraction

Other than individual reform, there is no way to substantially end driver distraction caused by behavior like roadside rubbernecking, fiddling with vehicle controls, or daydreaming. We’ve been doing those things for years, along with disciplining children, grooming, changing CDs, et cetera. Drivers may have even…

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

MONDAY, FEB. 27, 2017

Do we want inspections?

Where do you stand on mandatory, periodic safety inspections for vehicles registered to operate on public roadways? It’s yet another level of government involvement and increased regulation, but given the operating condition of certain automobiles, inspections might have merit. As for one concerned driver, reader...

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THURSDAY, FEB. 23, 2017

MONDAY, FEB. 20, 2017

A noteworthy trend

Automobiles were barely invented when the death toll resulting from vehicle crashes was tallied for 1899. 26 individuals lost their life that year in a trend that would move markedly upward. For each successive year, U.S. fatalities increased to the point where nearly 100 motorists…

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TUESDAY, FEB. 14, 2017

When to use the left lane

Periodically, the topic of left-lane louts arises. Those are drivers who perpetually occupy the left lane of multi-lane roadways without due cause. This time it came up when a young driver told me that he has a right to drive in that lane if he...

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SUNDAY, FEB. 12, 2017

MONDAY, FEB. 6, 2017

Dashcam consideratiions

Driver use of dashcams (dashboard cameras) is rising worldwide, including popularity gains in the United States. They were first widely employed in Russia as a defense against police corruption and insurance fraud. Mounted via suction cup, adhesive or Velcro to the dashboard or windshield, they…

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SUNDAY, FEB. 5, 2017

MONDAY, JAN. 30, 2017

Do cars still matter?

Yesterday, I conducted an informal survey, noting the vehicles that were passing through my residential neighborhood for about 20 minutes. The traffic consisted of fathers, mothers and others who were picking up picking up kids from school. Maybe the survey results are skewed with this…

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SUNDAY, JAN. 29, 2017

MONDAY, JAN. 23, 2017

Mixed bag of EV predictions

Last year, I wrote about a recent EV (electric vehicle) development resurgence. After the first wave of marginally successful EV marketing, Google, Apple, General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Nissan, Toyota, Tesla and others are at it again. Limited range, high cost and difficulty finding…

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SUNDAY, JAN. 22, 2017

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18, 2017

MONDAY, JAN. 16, 2017

Driver distraction persists

I’ve written columns devoted to driver distraction many times over the course of a decade or so. And writing about it can evidently only raise awareness, since it has remained rampant despite reporting by me and countless others. While drivers have always been distracted by…

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MONDAY, JAN. 9, 2017

What self-driving cars won't do

I pondered erratic driver behavior during a recent drive on a two-lane Washington highway. It could have been in any state or on any highway, since certain ill-advised, unexplained driver actions seem to surface everywhere. The crazy act I endured for over ten miles was…

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SATURDAY, JAN. 7, 2017

TUESDAY, JAN. 3, 2017

MONDAY, JAN. 2, 2017

More readers weigh in

I received much communication in response to my column making a plea for additional lanes on US Highway 195. One of those emails came from M.D. who drives 195 every day. But instead of the section south of Spangle, he drives the northerly four-lane stretch…

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