Tag Archives: distracted driving

Study: Deadly Daydreaming Distracts Drivers

A new study on distracted driving shows that daydreaming might be more deadly than using a cell phone while driving.

According to Erie Insurance Group, daydreaming while driving cause 62 percent of distracted driving accidents. Only 12 percent of distracted driving accidents were caused by cell phone usage, even though most initiatives targeting distracted driving are specifically about cell phone usage while driving. The study also named other major driving distractions such as eating while driving, managing pets, and talking with other passengers.

This study should change the conversation on distracted driving. The question shouldn’t be how drivers can do more while driving but rather how drivers should focus only on the road while driving. People are driving and thinking about a million things, thinking they can go on autopilot and still drive safely. Clearly, they are wrong. Distracted driving initiatives will be more successful if they start early with driver’s ed classes and target older drivers using public service announcements which focus more on the attitude that drivers can multi-task rather than just cell phones.

Readers, what do you think? Do you use your cell phone while driving? Do you think these public service announcements and initiatives are helpful for stopping distracted driving? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

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Volvo Updates City Safety for Bicyclists, Pedestrians

Auto safety has improved leaps and bounds in the past few years, not only for drivers and passengers but for pedestrians as well. Volvo has been a leader in this regard, presenting pedestrian air bags at the Geneva Motor Show last year, and this week, they unveiled another stunner. New Volvos will be able to sense pedestrians and bicyclists on the road and help drivers avoid a collision.

The new technology is an update to Volvo’s three-year-old City Safety system which reduces distracted driving accidents and accidents caused by human error. City Safety alerts the driver if the car is on course for a collision and applies the brakes if the driver does not respond to the warning. The original system could detect and monitor other vehicles, but the update expands its detection system to include bicyclists and pedestrians. This system does not give drivers the ability to drive without watching the road but rather serves as a safeguard in high-stress driving scenarios.

Doug Speck, Volvo’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service, was optimistic about the new system and what it means for the future of Volvo, stating, “By covering more and more objects and situations, we reinforce our world-leading position within automotive safety. We keep moving towards our long-term vision to design cars that do not crash.”

The new system will be available May 2013 in the V40, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70, and S80, and pricing has not yet been announced. Volvo owners can also expect additional updates in the next few years that cover large animals such as deer or small animals like dogs or cats.

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Distracted Driving Repairs Cost Drivers Greatly

With distracted driving a growing problem in the United States, auto repair shops are seeing a boost in business, but they aren’t necessarily happy about it.

A recent story from KXTV, an ABC affiliate in Sacramento, covered a local auto shop which has seen an increase in fender benders and other incidents caused by distracted driving. Repairs can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars for, as KXTV put it, a few seconds of distraction. A fender bender can cost more than $2000 in repairs, and a side dent can cost as much or more than $500 depending on the vehicle.

Tyler, one of the auto shop employees, encouraged drivers to use technology that is available and on the market such as Bluetooth hands-free devices so that they don’t take their eyes off the road. “That brief second that you take a look to see who e-mailed you or texted you could cost you a significant amount of money.”

Repair shops might be happy about the extra business, but they would rather have safer roads for all drivers. There isn’t a text, a call, or an e-mail worth getting into an accident and putting yourself and others in danger. Get a hands-free system, or for a less expensive option, simply turn off your phone while driving.

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Detroit Auto Show: Hyundai Reveals Motion Sensor Technology

Distracted driving is a huge problem in this country. A driving distraction used to be squirming kids fighting over a Game Boy in the backseat, and now drivers have to block out smart phones, music, and even some of the technology built into the car like GPS and internet access. Every car company has an idea about how to curb distracted driving from hands-free calling to Ford’s driver stress test, and at the Detroit Auto Show, Hyundai unveiled their latest idea to keep drivers’ eyes on the road.

Motion sensor technology has come a long way in the past few years particularly with the Xbox Kinect. Hyundai is integrating motion sensor technology into its connected car technology. Other automakers have used touch screens, but this is the first time I have heard of a car company using motion sensor technology in this way. Unlike most connected systems, the screen is intentionally turned away from the driver and towards the passenger side, and it is meant to be controlled by the passenger, not the driver.

At the Detroit Auto Show, Hyundai showed off how to use the motion sensor technology to access apps, music, and other features. The demonstration also included playing a game of poker.

You can watch the video of Hyundai’s demonstration below.

While it certainly has a cool factor, I’m not convinced that Hyundai’s new system will do much to curb distracted driving. Besides that, the driver doesn’t have any way to check their car’s GPS since the screen is tilted towards the passenger side. I could see more cars integrating motion sensor technology, but otherwise I think Hyundai still has some kinks to work out.

Readers, what do you think? Do you want motion sensor technology in your car, or do you think these systems do more to cause distracted driving than deter it? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

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Heavy Metal, Hip-Hop Music Leads to Aggressive Driving

When I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel. All I wanted to do was crank up the radio and enjoy my first taste of freedom. Unfortunately, when I got behind the wheel, I was in for a nasty shock. My parents had disabled the car’s combination radio/cassette tape deck.

My immature teenage brain went into a tailspin. How dare they take away my music? I was a safe driver – well, safe enough. My grades were consistently good, and while I was far from perfect, I thought I deserved to listen to Shania Twain on the way to choir practice. (“Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”)

As it turns out, my parents might not have been wrong. Confused.com, a car insurance comparison website based in the UK, did an experiment that measured how driving styles were affected by music. Drivers listening to fast-paced music tended to drive faster and be more aggressive than drivers listening to slower-tempo music. Heavy metal was the most dangerous genre for male drivers, and hip hop was the most dangerous for female drivers.

Confused.com included a playlist of 50 songs that they recommended as safe driving music which included “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John, “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, and “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones.

Readers, we want to hear from you! What songs do you love to listen to on the road? Would you change your playlist from heavy metal to easy listening if it made you a safer driver? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

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Car Loan: New Safety Device Offers Easy Escape in Water Car Crash

Back in high school, I had a friend who refused to wear a seatbelt. No matter what he was told about safety and statistics about car crashes, he would not wear a seatbelt. His reasoning was that he had a dream once where he had crashed his car into water, and in the dream, he couldn’t get out of his seatbelt. Helpless to get free of the car, his dream ended with him drowning.

This week, there was some great news for my friend and anyone else who has ever stressed over a faulty seatbelt in water. A Dutch company Fijen has developed a seatbelt that will release when submerged in water. They have dubbed it the Escape Belt. Here is how the Escape Belt works. The Escape Belt attaches to the seat belt clasp, and inside the mechanism is a cartridge with a salt pill. In the event of a crash, water fills the car up to the Escape Belt, the salt pill dissolves, and a metal clip pushes the button and releases the seatbelt.

To see the Escape Belt in action, check out the video below.

This is a pretty amazing device, especially for younger children who are likely to panic in the event of a crash and might not be able to get their seatbelt loose. Besides that, it will help a parent in an emergency situation as well since they won’t have to worry about a stuck seatbelt clasp. I could the Escape Belt being very popular with American parents if Fijen does much advertising in the United States.

Readers, what do you think? Would you buy the Escape Belt for your car? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

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Auto Loan: New NHTSA Proposal Requires “Black Box” Devices in All Motor Vehicles

Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a proposal that starting September 1, 2014, automakers would have to install event data recorders, or EDRs, into all light passenger vehicles. This announcement has been followed with much hand-ringing and unnecessary panic over privacy violations and “Big Brother” government. In reality, this isn’t earth-shattering news, and because there is some misinformation and paranoia, we wanted to take a moment to separate fact from fiction.

First, EDRs have been in cars for almost 20 years. These “black boxes” are not scary new technology. Currently, over 90 percent of new vehicles have EDRs, and they are used in the same way as a “black box” in an airplane, to determine the cause of a crash. Among other factors, they will record the speed the vehicle was traveling in the event of a crash, the time from the beginning of the crash at which the maximum change in forward crash speed occurs, whether the driver applied the brake, whether the driver was wearing their seat belt, and the percentage of the engine throttle.

Second, EDRs are not GPS devices. This is not a means for the government to keep tabs on drivers. EDRs are strictly devices meant to collect information in the event of a crash. They do not record driver conversations or any other personal information, so there is no need to panic that anyone is listening in.

Finally, the information contained on an EDR belongs to the driver. This data can be potentially used in a court of law if it pertains to a car crash, but otherwise no one will ever seen this data except the owner of the car.

If you have any further questions about the proposal, click here or contact the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

Are you looking for a new or used car? Approved Loan Store can help you! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work to get you in the car you want at terms you can afford! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

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Auto Loan: Drivers Still Wary of Driverless Cars, For Now

Trends in automotive technology are clearly moving towards driverless cars or at least cars that need minimal driver input, but surveys show that for consumers are still wary of driverless cars, or at least they are for now.

A recent survey of drivers in the United Kingdom found that 40 percent of respondents would never use a driverless car and 10 percent believed that driverless cars were “irresponsible.” 50 percent thought that a driverless car would not sell very well, and the overall opinion of the respondents was that resources should be put towards better driver’s education.

Even though most of the responses to the driverless cars ranged from skeptical to doomsday rise-of-the-machines conspiracy theories, there was plenty of positive feedback too. When the respondents were told that driverless technology would only cost about $3,000, 20 percent said they would probably or definitely buy it. 1 in 5 respondents could be early adapters to driverless cars. That might not sound like a lot, but consider that this is technology that could completely change automotive culture. At this point, 1 in 5 is great news for companies developing this technology.

Readers, what do you think? If driverless technology was available and affordable, would you get it for your next car? Leave us a comment below and let us know what you think!

Are you looking to get into a new or used car? Approved Loan Store wants to help you! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we work hard to get our customers the car they want at terms they can afford! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and get the latest auto news and buying tips by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

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New Car Financing: Ford Focus Earns NHTSA Five-Star Rating

2012 has been a great year for the Ford Focus. Back in September, the Focus was projected to outsell the perennial favorite, the Toyota Corolla, and become the world’s best-selling car of 2012. This week, the Focus got more good news when it earned a five-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The NHTSA’s Overall Vehicle Score is a combination of the vehicle’s score on its front and side impact crash tests and a rollover resistance test. Broken down, the Focus scored four stars on the rollover resistance and front crash test and scored five stars for the side crash test, earning it the overall five-star score.

The Ford Focus’ high score can be attributed to the new safety technology utilized in the vehicle. Some of these features include the Safety Canopy curtain airbags which protect passengers during a rollover and driver airbags that better protect the chest and ribs in an accident. Also, the SYNC system includes hands-free calls and texting, and the new AdvanceTrac system helps reduce vehicle skidding and automatically makes adjustments to keep the vehicle on track.

While the Ford Focus has already been selling well in 2012, this distinction might give the Ford Focus that boost it needs to outsell the Corolla in the last few months of the year. We will have to wait and see how the numbers ultimately break down at the end of 2012, and we will keep you posted when we know which car will win out as the world’s best-selling car.

Looking to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store can help! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work hard to get you the car you want at terms you can afford! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and get the latest car news and buying tips by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Chevrolet and Disney Take Test Drives to the Next Level

Since it is Friday, we thought we’d send our readers into the weekend with a smile and a touch of magic courtesy of the good people at Disney and Chevrolet.

In just under 3 weeks, one of Walt Disney World’s most thrilling rides Test Track will reopen after a major renovation and upgrade.

Test Track presented by Chevrolet is a high-speed ride that takes park guests through a vehicle test drive. It opened in 1999 replacing the World of Motion attraction and quickly became a popular ride. In Test Track, riders would brave extreme weather, rough terrain, and sharp turns as engineers test the car’s performance.

In recent years, Disney parks have striven to give park goers a unique experience when they come back to a favorite attraction. The recent Star Tours reboot was broken into 3 acts with different beginnings, middles, and endings, creating hundreds of possible combinations for the ride. Also, the recent Radiator Springs Racers at Cars Land has two different tracks and an ending race that changes with each ride.

Test Track took a page from Star Tours and Radiator Springs Racers’ book. Before the upgrade, every guest that rode Test Track had essentially the same experience. Now, guests will get to design their own vehicle before boarding the ride, and the choices they make will affect their ride experience. Melissa Jeselnick of Walt Disney Imagineering explains, “Your input, plus the Chevrolet design know-how and a dash of Disney magic equals your very own concept car with trillions of possible outcomes.”

From concept art, it looks like riders will design their car on a touch-screen computer while in line, but it is not clear exactly how all of these customizable elements will work once the ride is up and running. Fortunately, car enthusiasts and Disney fans will just have to wait a little while longer to see the finished ride. The new Test Track presented by Chevrolet is scheduled to open December 6 at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center.

Are you excited for the new test track? Does the interactive design element make you more or less likely to try it? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you looking for a great new or used car that can stand up to bad weather and rough roads? Approved Loan Store can help! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we want to get you into a car you want at terms you can afford! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and get the latest auto news and buying tips by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!