Ever wanted to test out your car on some of the world’s most exhilarating roads? Ever dreamed about pushing your vehicle to its limits whilst taking in some of the world’s most beautiful scenery? If the answer is ‘yes’, then leave those traffic jams behind and check out this collection of some of the world’s top dream test tracks.

Col De Turini

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A mountain pass, high in the French Alps, Col De Turini is probably most famous as a stage of the Monte Carlo Rally. A combination of high speed long straights, tight hairpins and awesome views makes this stretch of road, not only one of the most dangerous and exciting stages in the WRC, but also one of the best driving roads in the world. This Col De Turini featured in series 10 of BBC’s Top Gear, when the presenters went in search of the world’s greatest driving road.

B500 The Black Forest

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One of the ‘must do’ roads for all driving enthusiasts, the B500 runs along the spine of the Black Forest between the cities of Baden-Baden and Freudenstaft in Germany. A seemingly endless number of deserted roads, sweeping bends, elevated sections above the forest and sections that feel like a race track, makes this road a real drivers dream.

Transfagarasan

Constructed between 1970 and 1974 as a strategic military route, Transfagarasan twists and turns for 90km and up to 2,000 metres above sea level, through the tallest sections of the Southern Carpathians in Romania. This spectacular road has more viaducts and tunnels than any other road in Romania, including one which is an amazing 884 meters long. Transfagarasan closes between October and June because of poor weather conditions.

Stelvio Pass

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Another road which featured on Top Gear’s World’s Best Driving Roads is the Stelvio Pass in Italy, the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps. Driving enthusiasts should head south from Davos, Switzerland to Stelvio, Italy where they will find found the kind of road that brings a car alive. As well as miles of deserted road, testing bends (including 60 hairpins) and wonderfully acoustic tunnels, there’s plenty of breathtaking views.

Nurburgring

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Said by some to be the greatest track in the world, the Nurburgring is a motorsport complex built around the village of Nürburg, Germany. The Nurburgring features both a modern Grand Prix circuit and the longer old North loop track originally built in the 1920s. The Nordschleife (Northern Loop) is still in use today, for motor racing, vehicle testing and even public access. The cost of driving a single lap of the Nordschleife is €24 per car, but remember, whilst there are no speed limits, the police do observe from the air using helicopters and will prosecute for ‘poor driving’.

San Bernardino Pass

The San Bernardino Pass is a mountain pass in the Swiss Alps 2,066 metres high located in the far east of the Western Alps connecting the towns of Hinterrhein and Misox. Whilst the pass has its fair share of challenging bends and hairpins is more well known for its stunning views and smooth roads. Part of the route also includes a 6.6 km long tunnel. Following the completion of the San Bernardino road tunnel in 1967, traffic on the pass has been significantly reduced, benefiting those choosing to take this more scenic route.

The Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is a 151 mile route along the south east coast of Australia, connecting the cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. Built over 13 years, between 1919 and 1932, by soldiers returning from the first Word War, The Great Ocean Road combines ocean and mountain views, travelling through the Port Campbell National Park. They say that everyone should drive this road twice – once to experience the drive and a second time to take in the views.

A70 ‘The Lang Whang’

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Running a total of 74 miles from Edinburgh to Ayr, the A70 in Scotland, also known as ‘Lang Whang’, winds its way through desolate moorland, reaching heights of up to 1000 feet above sea level several times over its length. Rated as one of the five most dangerous roads in Britain due to its series of tight bends, blind summits and undulating terrain the Lang Whang offers some of the most breathtaking views over Central Scotland.

Hahntennjoch

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Hahntennjoch is a mountain pass in the Austrian Alps in the Bundesland of Tyrol, connecting the upper valley of the Inn River with the Lech River valley. This amazing drive features steep rocky walls, sheer drops, steep gradients and sweeping cambered bends all on perfectly tarmacked roads and offering truly stunning views. Just to make it a little bit more interesting the pass is also prone to avalanches, falling rocks and mudslides.

Route 25

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Route 25 in California is one of the best driving roads in the world offering 50 miles of deserted bliss past the Pinnacles National Monument. This single carriageway offers driving enthusiasts everything from long, open straights to zig-zagging bends. Believed to be a test track used by Porsche, Route 25 provides the perfect road to test the ability of your car, and the views aren’t bad either!

Have you even driven on any of these roads?

This list was compiled on behalf of HotelClub; where you can book great hotels.

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BMW got a lot of attention this past December with their “The Fastest Christmas Card In The World” web video. It featured the new M5, stunt driver Urs Inauen and Illustrator Gavin Patterson. What ensued was a Christmas card unlike any we’ve any we’ve seen before….the result of 560 horsepower, says BMW. We caught up with Swiss stunt driver Urs Inauen to ask him a few questions about the shoot, the new M5 and his career in stunts.

When did you first start working with BMW?

Well, normally what I do is stunts for movies and stuff. I started working with a few different promotional and advertising agencies, and got in contact with an agency that does work for BMW here in Switzerland. I’ve done some other work with them, such as on the MINI Eat Snow Campaign.

So how did you get involved with this particular shoot, it is something the creative team came up with?

Yeah. The business is short call, which means you have to be ready on short notice and they needed a highly trained professional stunt driver for that job, so they selected me. They first let me know about the shoot a week before we shot it, and the location a day before. The track [Circuit de l’anneau du rhin] is in France, about 30 minutes from the border and 2 1/2 hours from where I live. It is 3 kilometers long.

The experience was a lot of fun. It was fun working with an artist next to me, and interesting because the idea was to display the power of the car on camera and show the viewer how much G forces that car can take. The car (BMW M5) is a beast (in a good way) with its 560 horsepower, and really good at drifting. It also is very smooth and elegant when you drive it normal.

Man we almost get nauseous just watching it; can only imagine if we were in the car and trying to draw….

Yes, the Illustrator (Patterson) actually was getting a bit sick. I really tried to shake him, I wasn’t driving clean or within the lines or anything, aiming to shake the car and slide around. Our top speed was around 220-250 k/mh…high speed wasn’t the goal.

When did you first get involved in stunt work?

I started in 2007, so about four years ago. I started doing some stunt work here, and then I went out to California [Los Angeles]. A friend helped out and I went into training, meeting coordinators and stunt people who were used in big movies. For example, I was able to train at Bob Yerkes place. He is a legendary Hollywood Stuntman and he lets young people train with his equipment. Stunt people are out there at his place two times a week and some well-known stuntmen lead the trainings out there as well.

So was it something that you were interested in since you were real young? What did you do prior to this?

Well, when I was young I was interested in gymnastics and movies. I met Swiss stuntman Oliver Keller and worked with him as a helping hand in the beginning. Then as I did that, he had me help out on things and I told him I wanted to do stunt work. Originally I worked in a sporting goods shop and then I got my truck drivers A license so I could be more flexible with the upcoming stunt work. I did truck driving part-time when I first started doing stunt work but not anymore as I’ve been doing this full-time on a professional level.

So do you spend most of your time in Switzerland or is part time?

Most of the time in Switzerland. I have spent a few winters in Los Angeles though. I am working on getting the O1 visa for the United States right now. I have projects I could work on and some coordinators are waiting for me there to have a highly trained professional Swiss Stuntman for U.S shoots. This BMW project has been funny though because it was originally done for BMW Switzerland. Then HQ saw it and liked it and spread it all over the world. I’ve got calls, texts and e-mails from people all over the world about it.

You need your visa so you can come out and do more stunts. What are you driving right now in Switzerland?

Yes, I do need that visa! But there is a little problem with that;. a lot of people can’t give me jobs without a visa, but obtaining a visa requires some more jobs. So it is a catch-22 right now, but I already have a big agency that supoorts me and I am sure I will get it soon.
And I’m driving a Jeep right now. We use it with Kstunts (www.kstunts.com), towing trailers and the like. I doubt I will be driving it for much longer though. Regulations are strict here, unlike in California. I’ve been around BMWs growing up, my dad has a 325i.

What is your most memorable experience?

Well the BMW shoot was quite exciting and I loved that, but the most memorable was a car crash stunt we did. There was two parked cars and we hit it at about 62 mph. The car crashed and rolled over twice. There is a clip of that and other things I’ve done on my website (www.ursinauen.com).

So is there any other shoots in the works right now with BMW or otherwise?

Right now it is pretty quiet with work as it is winter here in Switzerland. I spoke with the agency about some upcoming stuff that might happen soon, but there is nothing set yet. The stunt team I work with, Kstunts, is working on some new shoots though. Planned for next month is a car cannon shoot where we flip over a vehicle. Car cannons have been done before, but never in Switzerland.

We’re looking forward to checking that out, and other projects that Kstunts has in the works. Stay tuned!

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With potential obstacles in the road, care-free pedestrians, oblivious animals and incompetent fellow road users; it is important to remain focused on the road ahead and concentrate at all times.

Unfortunately, with technological gadgets becoming a larger presence in our lives there are now far more things to distract us when we are behind the wheel. This was confirmed by a recent survey which was carried out by price comparison company MoneySupermarket, which revealed that ten biggest distractions that are currently faced by motorists.

10. Tweeting on Twitter

Just creeping into the top ten is social networking website Twitter, with 1% of the motorists surveyed admitting to having ‘tweeted’ while driving.

The dangers of this can not be underestimated, with celebrity plastic surgeon Dr Frank Ryan alleged to have lost control of his car and plunged off a cliff in Malibu while tweeting about his dog. Dr Ryan was not lucky enough to be able learn from his mistake, but perhaps it can serve as a warning to others.

9. Updating Facebook

With an alleged 175 million users around the world, it is perhaps unsurprising that Facebook was named as one of the biggest motoring distractions. Despite this, only 2% of motorists admitted to having updated their Facebook profiles while driving.

Unfortunately this is likely to be more a reflection of the number of motorists who own phones with social networking applications. It can therefore be expected that Facebook will only get higher up on this list in the coming years…that is unless Google Plus gains the upper hand.

8. Cosmetics and appearance

Vanity is not in short supply with motorists according to this survey, with 5% admitting to having applied make-up/aftershave/perfume or generally refining their appearance in the mirror while driving.

Motorists considering this may want to remember that they won’t look to good if they are involved in an accident either.

7. Sleeping

Brace yourself…5% of those surveyed admitted that they had dozed off while driving. This is a terrifying statistic, with road safety groups having spent millions on advertising campaigns warning of the dangers of driving while suffering from fatigue.

If you suddenly feel sleepy while in the middle of a long journey, do not think that you don’t have any options other than to fight on; with a number of road side hotels offering cheap accommodation to motorists who are on the look out for a couple of hours sleep before continuing their travels.

6. Texting

With the social networking applications which are available on phones having helped Facebook and Twitter make it onto the top ten list; it is unsurprising to find that texting has also made an appearance with 16% of drivers admitting to this offence.

5. Being a ‘busy-body’

21% of motorists admitted to having taken their attention off the road in order to examine an incident involving other road users; hence increasing the chance of being involved in an accident themselves.

4. Phone calls

Mobile phones have been responsible for half of the distractions which have been named so far (Facebook, Tweeting and texting). This is therefore just another one to add onto the list, with 23% of those surveyed admitting to having made or received phone calls while behind the wheel.

This act will not be viewed favourably by law enforcers, with fines of up to $500 possible in some areas.

3. Eating

Over half of us have eaten while driving according to the results of this survey. This is perhaps unsurprising given our increasingly hectic lifestyles, with Facebook groups having been set up for people who openly admit to eating breakfast on their way to work every morning.

2. Drinking

In at two is drinking, but not of the alcoholic variety. 51% of the survey respondents admitted to having taken a hand off the wheel/gear-stick/hand-brake in order to consume a soft drink.

Not only does it take your attention off the road and reduce your overall control of the vehicle; but it would also make a terrible mess of your interior if you were to be involved in an accident.

1. Music

The statement from the famous song “music makes the people come to together” appears to be surprisingly apt in this case, with 61% of motorists surveyed admitting to having found themselves being distracted while driving by music in their car.

This has been a problem for many years thanks to radios and CD/cassette players; but is perhaps even more concerning now with more and more motorists choosing to use their iPods to play music in cars.

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Guoliang Tunnel Road, China

Many local villagers died constructing this 1,200 metre long tunnel cut into the Taihang Mountains located in the Hunan Province of China. Just 4 metres wide and 5 metres high, driving through the Guoliang Tunnel Road is a hair-raising experience many would rather avoid.

Splugen Pass, Italy

This crazily zigzagging road contains an incredible 42 hairpin bends and is a dizzying 2,113 metres at its summit. As if the road itself wasn’t a white knuckle test for even the most experienced rally drivers, a succession of dark tunnels adds to the kamikaze factor of the Splugen Pass. Take the San Bernardino Tunnel, it’s far safer!

Lysebotn Road, Norway

Yikes. Lovely as the scenery is, this bizarre route is exceptionally challenging so keep your eyes on the snaking road before you. A total of 27 hairpin bends will test your steering skills before a 1,100 metre tunnel tries your nerves. Only for the brave, this is a beautiful drive.

Atlas Mountains Road, Morocco

Looking like an immense python coiled around the Atlas Mountains, this perilous dust track would be dangerous enough without the questionable driving skills of the locals for whom the road is a genuine lifeline. The scorching sun bearing down on your vehicle makes it even harder to concentrate.

Leh-Manali Highway, India

The simply stunning Leh-Manali Highway stretches over 297 miles along the Himalayas mountain range reaching a vertiginous altitude of 3 miles above sea level at the highest points. Rusted crashed vehicles litter the way hundreds of metres beneath the road, hardly inspiring confidence. Only open six months of the year due to heavy snowfall, this one takes backbone to traverse.

Halsema Highway, Philippines

At 150 miles long the Halsema Highway is easily one of the most treacherous roads in the world. During the rainy season it becomes a veritable death trap as mud and rock slides render it impassable. Climbing up to 7,400 ft at its summit, there are no guard rails and it’s a long way down!

Col de Turini, France

This Gallic 15.3 km mountain pass through the Alps comprises a stage of the Monte Carlo Rally and has many hairpin turns along its impossibly tight road. Until fairly recently, crazy drivers would even speed along Col de Turini at night, their high beam lights causing the event to be named the Night of the Long Knives

Cotopaxi Volcan Road, Ecuador

Running approximately six miles up and around Cotopaxi Volcano, one of the world’s highest active volcanoes at 5,897 metres, your vehicle might need asbestos body paint if it decides to blow its top. Even the coolest driver is sure to feel a little hot under the collar during their ascent.

Taroko Gorge Road, Taiwan

Unfortunately, the scenic beauty of this road adds to its danger, as tourists make the winding mountain pass even more congested. The tunnels cut out of the mountain are a dazzling feat of engineering, but don’t marvel at the architecture too long, there are only tiny blocks to prevent your car from toppling off the mountain and becoming part of the panorama.

North Yungas Road, Bolivia

Would you choose to use a road the locals call El Camino de la Muerte? That’s the Road of Death to the English speaking thrill-seeker. You would have to be completely barmy to drive along this road by choice, which has an approximate death rate of 300 motorists a year. A single -lane 40 mile nightmare, if you don’t spin off the road to your doom there’s always the frequent landslides to tremble over.

This is a guest post on behalf of VroomVroomVroom.co.uk – a car hire comparison website based in the UK.

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It can be a hassle to head to the gas station to fill up every week or two. So when you’re standing at the pump, have you ever topped off your tank thinking it will save you time between trips? Or to round the price up to the nearest dollar? If so, read below to learn the top five reasons why you shouldn’t top off your tank.

Why topping off your tank is a bad idea

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), topping off your tank is a waste of money and dangerous to you, your car, other people and even the environment. Find out why you should always skip this all-too-common practice.

1. The gas can spill when overfilled. No one likes getting gasoline on their hands or clothes. It’s also problematic for a variety of other reasons:
   - It’s hazardous
   - It’s flammable
   - Spilled gasoline can seep into the ground, potentially polluting the water and harming wildlife
2. The fumes are toxic. Gasoline vapors are harmful to breathe and toxic to the ozone layer. According to the EPA, evaporation and fumes from spillage contribute to the pollution problem by releasing toxic air pollutants such as benzene, which is not only toxic and flammable but carcinogenic.
3. It’s a waste of money. Once you hear the first click of the gas pump, did you know any gas you pump after that isn’t going into your car’s tank? You’re actually paying for gas that is filling up the hose, ready to be pumped into the next customer’s car. Any additional gas you try to pump into your tank may be drawn into the vapor line and fed back into the station’s storage tanks.
4. It can cause the gas pump to break. Most gas stations have a vapor recovery system. When you top off your gas tank, you can cause it to break or become inoperable. This problem can add to the air pollution problem and cause the gas pump to fail for the next person in line.
5. It can ruin your car. Have you ever wondered why your vehicle won’t allow you to add more gas once you’ve been alerted that your tank is full? Because gasoline needs room to expand, your tank needs extra room for that expansion. If you try to top off, the extra gas you’re trying to add may actually evaporate into your vehicle’s vapor collection system. This can ruin the mechanism, making it work improperly, and cause your car to run less efficiently.

Once you understand the dangers of this common practice, hopefully you’ll think twice before ever topping off your gas tank again. Avoid the risks of personal injury, vehicle damage and environmental harm when you play it safe at the pump. Another way to stay safe is to have auto insurance to keep you protected on the road. Many insurance companies also offer roadside assistance programs to give you the peace of mind, wherever you are.

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As one of my earliest contributions to Automoblog.net, I compiled a fun article outline one of the more unusual automotive-related laws passed by local, state and even federal governments. An amusing compilation of road rules as well as driving regulations, the first list included a fair share of outdated laws demonstrating everything from old-fashioned chauvinism towards female drivers to some outright outrageous usages of firearms.

While the last list dealt with offenses that are repelled, unenforced or superseded by current highway laws, many of the regulations compelled in this assortment is for the large part still active.

Self-Serve Fuel Filling Stations Prohibited

Place of Jurisdiction: Oregon, New Jersey

For drivers in the states other than Oregon and New Jersey, motorists eagerly seek self-service gas stations as a way to be less gouged by prices at the pumps. Keeping in mind the problem was not caused by the station attendants and staff who may be barely making effort to keep fuel in their vehicles, the quest to save a few cents a gallon at any time causes many to veer towards self-service. While almost every case of refueling a vehicle is uneventful, the potential of accidents in the filling process is higher at self-service stations than at attended full service gas stations. It is for this reason the two states are said to restrict drivers to only full service as they argue it reduces the liability insurance of the filling stations. However, many opponents argue the savings on liability insurance is offset by the additional labour cost. The preservation of those gas station workers’ jobs is another reason the states of Oregon and New Jersey are lobbied to maintain the full-service only rule.

Black Cars Cannot be Driven on Sunday

Place of Jurisdiction: Colorado (Denver)

When buying a vehicle, motorists in Denver, Colorado could want to avert from purchasing a black car. At least according to an odd but largely unenforced law, it was stated to be an offense to driving a black automobile during Sunday. While a black car is a preference by most people, some religious faithful would be house-stricken on a Sunday. While many of us associate Mennonites with horse-drawn carriages, many actually possess automobiles. For some of those motorized Mennonites, they preserve their beliefs by purchasing only black vehicles.

Pickup Trucks Cannot be Parked in Driveway of Home

Place of Jurisdiction: Florida (Cape Coral)

In the community of Cape Coral, Florida, it was once against the law a non-home owner from parking a pickup truck on a driveway or in the streets. Cape Coral repelled the law in 2000 but some pickup truck owners should beware that some homeowner associations in Florida are still enforcing this rule.

It’s Illegal to Lock Your Keys in your Cars

Place of Jurisdiction: Australia, United Kingdom, Switzerland

Referenced on the website www.motors.co.uk, the forgetful act of locking your car keys in the vehicle could result in more than just embarrassment. If a driver leaves their vehicle while the locks are left inside, the motorist could be cited for leaving their vehicle unattended. In a related dumb law existing in the state of Oregon, it is against the law to leave a vehicle door open longer in necessary.

It’s Illegal to Run Out of Gas

Place of Jurisdiction: Germany (Autobahn), Youngtown, Ohio

Sounding like another insult to injury law in the spirit of the punishable restrictions against locking keys in a car, this law has the better interests of road safety in mind. A non-moving motor vehicle could anything from a nuisance to a complete hazard for other drivers. On what is probably the world’s most famous roadway, Germany’s Autobahn is absolutely a thrilling spot when you are able to open up a BMW M3 or Porsche 911. However, if a motorist runs out of fuel on the roadway it creates a very dangerous circumstance for the stopped vehicles as well as for other drivers. By making it an offense to run out of fuel the government hopes drivers will monitor fuel gauges with more diligence. A similar law also exists on elevated roads or ‘skyways’ in some places including parts of Ontario, Canada.

Information source: The Dumb Network, www.motors.co.uk
Photo source: Ford Motor Company

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Ryan Dunn, one of Johnny Knoxville’s Jackass crew, and his passenger died in a crash outside of Philadelphia early this morning.

I could be cynical and say, “What a surprise!” but I won’t.

As one of the sidekick members of Jackass brigade, Dunn was partially responsible for bringing the world one step closer actually being like the movie “Idiocracy”. C’mon, who do you think Mike Judge based the most popular television show, “Ow! My Balls!” in the movie on? Knoxville et al. Or at least that’s my guess. So it seems rather unsurprising that a member of the Jackass retinue would buy the farm by stuffing his Porsche GT3 into a bunch of trees while traveling at triple digit speeds.

Yes, the photo you see above was taken at the scene of the one-car accident that happened in West Goshen, Pa. around 3:30 AM Monday morning, is all that remained of the GT3 when police and fire crews pulled it out of a grove of trees earlier today. Before that, Dunn’s ride looked like this:

At first, the police said they didn’t know whether the 34-year-old Dunn, or the then unidentified person was driving the car. Nor did the authorities know whether alcohol was to blame. But, ironically or maybe just coincidentally, Dunn did tweet the following picture from his Tumblr account hours before his death:

Sure, it could have been a Coke or an iced tea.

The NBC affiliate in Philadelphia reported that “The Porsche shot through about 40 yards of trees before it hit the last one and exploded into flames, according to police.” Which pretty much means that if the impacts (either the final one or the many previous jolts after passing through 120 feet of trees) didn’t kill Dunn and passenger, then the explosion and resulting fire sure as hell did.

MTV, parent network of the Jackass TV series (and producer of the movie spin offs) said, “We’re deeply saddened by the passing of a member of the MTV family, Ryan Dunn. Our hearts and thoughts are with his friends and family.” MTV did this via Twitter, of course. Which is both highly meta and highly ironic, because nothing says, ” deeply saddened” like a 140 character limit.

Now, one could get all moralistic about “what this says about our culture” and “speed kills” and “the wages of sin” and all that, but I will leave that up to the seemingly endless supply of people whose job it is to be morally outraged at something, anything.

What can be said though, is that Dunn seriously overcooked it in a place where the price for doing so was going to be plenty high. Like Clint Eastwood said as Dirty Harry applies (as well as to all things automotive): “A man has got to know his limitations.”

Sure, sure, you could say that this sort of behavior – going stonking fast – should be reserved for the track, and the track only. Which is all well and good and true, but tell me, who of you out there with a Porsche or a Vette or some other such ride, always, always, always follow every rule of the road at all times? Hands? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Right.

The point of doing things like this is knowing when and where you can get away with it. What will happen if, say, I lose it right at this spot in the road doing, let’s say for the sake of argument, 10 MPH over the limit? Well try not to show that you’re the next best thing to Rick Mears if there’s a grove of trees on the outside of a corner. Or if it’s wet … or icy … or, well you get the idea.

Source: Jalopnik

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Even though the auto industry has been affected by the global economic downturn, car manufacturers are still finding ways to offer consumers affordable vehicles that are both efficient and technologically advanced. An abundance of safety features, communication devices, electronics and fuel efficient engines are becoming standard commodities on many models. When purchasing a car with these advanced features, always make sure that whoever you’re doing business with has met the necessary insurance, auto dealer bond and other licensing requirements to guarantee that your investment is protected.

Hands Free Technology

As we spend more and more time in our cars, new developments help drivers stay connected and productive by allowing customizable driving experiences. Kia’s UVO, Ford’s Sync and the MyLincoln Touch are just a few of the new in-vehicle communication and entertainment systems that allow drivers hands-free, voice-activated control of plug-in devices such as USB sticks, PDAs, MP3 players and Bluetooth technology.

Plug-in Hybrids

With gas prices on the rise yet again, new generation gas-electric hybrids offer alternative power solutions to consumers. The 2011 Toyota Prius and 2011 Chevy Volt both offer plug-in capability, which means that their batteries can be recharged with a 110-volt outlet. Drivers who use a plug-in hybrid can save a significant amount of money at the pump while simultaneously gaining a much better overall fuel economy.

Diesel Engine Technology

Since hybrid cars require high initial investments, an alternative solution is to purchase a car with a diesel engine. Diesel engines have not always been a popular option, but modern variations provide extremely high fuel economy, quality, durability and improved power delivery. Two examples include the updated VW Golf and BMW 330d, as both top 40 mpg.

Driver Assistance

Most new car models come with safety features known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). These features assist drivers through blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warnings and night vision. The purpose of these features is to prevent accidents by taking control of the car away from the driver in times of emergency.

New Safety Innovations

In case an accident cannot be prevented, some 2011 model cars are equipped with innovative safety features. A current standard includes side-torso bags, which are airbags that protect occupants from side impacts. Other safety features include rollover protection for SUVs and inflatable seat belts that add to the comfort and overall safety of drivers.

No matter which of these technological advances you value most, be sure to do your research when looking to purchase a new car. Vehicles that have a lot of bells and whistles tend to cost more, and you want to make sure that you’re not taken advantage of by an unruly auto dealer.

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Entrusted with maintaining a vehicle’s fluid rolling and supplying traction when most necessary, the four tires on an automobile are burdened with considerable chore in transporting us from point A to point B. Changing significantly in size, construction and performance, today’s tires can last up to 80,000 miles on a vehicle depending on driving habits as well as maintenance. However, even after 100 years, the infamous tire puncture is still a susceptibility that drivers must endure. A puncture will eventually cause a tire to lose air pressure affecting handling, fuel economy and even safety of the connected vehicle. At the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2011 in Berlin (global sustainability event where the Porsche Boxster E appeared), the famous French tire company exhibited a tire technology that could provide instant aid against punctures.

Promoted as the world’s first self-repairing tire, Michelin has created a unique rubber compound engineered to immediately plug minor tire pressure leaks. So quick in repairing a leak, the tire’s puncture is sealed before even a minute amount of air has escaped. Preventing air the air from venting, the self-repairing Michelin tire will retain its performance as well as its handling properties. Besides the different composition, the Michelin self-repairing tire does not exhibit any negative effects on overall longevity of the rubber compound, safety or fuel economy. Michelin actually promotes the self-repairing tire technology as an environmental solution since it prevents the need for some replacement tires. The Michelin self-repairing tire can also be another incentive for automakers to forego the traditional spare tire. The Chevrolet Cruze and the Nissan Leaf are some current cars already absent an on-board spare tire.

According to their information, Michelin says on average in Europe a tire puncture occurs once every 75,000 kilometers (roughly 46,603 miles). Though Michelin did not release any numbers for tire punctures in the United States, the company did indicate what must be their likely market for a self-repairing tire compound. In parts of Asia, puncturing of a tire is said to happen after just 3,000 kilometers (around 1,864 miles). Since the Asian market is a major growth area in the global automotive economy, the potential of preventing constant puncture repairs could be as significant as the growth of radial-ply tires in the 1960s and 1970s.

Though the self-repairing tire would prove incredibly convenient for upstanding everyday drivers, there might be an issue with such a tire innovation when a police pursuit needs to be concluded. The current spike strip police use in ending prolonged or potentially dangerous driver pursuits could prove much less effective if a tire can reseal itself after running over nails. The deployment of tires using Michelin’s technology will likely require law enforcement authorities to rethink pursuit tactics and/or tools to ending chases.

Without being named for production, the self-repairing tire technology was part of Michelin’s display of potential automotive innovations. Other ideas proposed by Michelin during the 2011 edition of the Challenge Bibendum was a radically small but lightweight 10-inch wheel and tire combination as well as a longer 19-inch diameter designed to optimize automotive hybrid drive systems.

Information source: Michelin Group
Photo Source: Michelin via Newspress UK

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One of the most complex machines in everyday life, automobiles requires a great duty of care to operate safely. Knowledge, skill, attention, best judgment and even luck are components to safe driving. However, when there is a lapse of control, the result can be property damage as well as human harm. Varying in severity, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated around 6,024,000 reported traffic accidents occurred in the United States in 2007. Though too many accidents continue to involve serious injuries and death, advanced safety systems such as air bags, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control has assured the majority of traffic incidents in the United States (4,275,000 in 2007) involve only property damage.

If an individual ever enters into the uncomfortable ordeal of an auto accident, committing to memory a number of steps will make sure the event will dissipate in a relatively controlled fashion.

Attempt to Preserve You Calm

When in the position to do so, all existing parties in a vehicle accident the axiom of “let cooler heads prevailing”. After being fortunate enough to endure a car crash, human life always take precedence over property. Understanding that other thoughts would apply when individuals injured in a car accidents, keeping a positive and clear mindset is the best way to deal with the aftermath of a car crash.

Inspect for Injures and/or Property Damage

Check on the well-being of yourself as well as everyone else involved in the accident. Immediately call for 911 emergency if there is anyone hurt in the crash. For many traffic accidents where damage is limited only to vehicles and other property, it is important to observe and record document the accident scene. When collecting information, consider anything that be relate to how the incident transpired including road and weather conditions. As many cell phones equipped with high resolution cameras, this technology serves as marvellous tools in recording damage done in a collision. For those accepting lower-tech lives, keeping a disposable camera in the glove box will suffice.

Exchange information and/or Call Police

At an accident scene, the sharing of driver and vehicle relevant information is required. Possessing a driver’s license and proof of insurance will not only safeguard against violating state driving laws but will expedite the uncomfortable moments where parties may not be enthused on long, civil conversations.

Even if parties are cooperating at the scene of an accident, calling the police might prove an option. While not required for minor so-called fender-bender accidents, the presence of law enforcement authorities can corroborate the actual event as an impartial figure. Police officers can document damage as well as the characteristics of the accident. Be aware the wait for a police officer at the scene for a minor property damage-only crash could be lengthy.

Contact Insurance Company

Following the car crash, the time resolution often comes by reaching an auto insurance provider. Operating as a sort of forced savings and loan plan against property damage and/or personal injury, liability, collision and even more severe whiplash claims are cases where insurance plans provide guarantees to otherwise unaffordable financial conditions tolerable. While a relationship with an insurance provider could go swimmingly when the monthly or yearly payments are simply flowing from the motorist, these companies can sometimes serve as an intimidating force for customers who want to be compensated for their loses. Some might find an on-line compensation calculator as a reasonable reference to determining if your insurance company is appraising your losses properly.

Everything mentioned is suggestions for a situation in which you may be fortunate enough to avoid. Drive carefully!

Information source: NHTSA
Photo source: General Motors

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Look, you don’t have to think about it very hard to realize that red light cameras are a pretty stupid and lazy idea. I’m not the only one to think this way. Even the jaundiced eye of security heavyweight Bruce Schneier thinks red light cameras as the bunk.

Not only do they play to the low denominators in the American character (i.e. laziness and willful stupidity), but they are also a demonstrable profit center for both municipalities and the private companies that supply the “service”. What? You didn’t know these things were provided by private companies that get a cut out of every ticket? Yeah, they do. Now, honestly, do you think that given the opportunity to make more money by simply tweaking light intervals or fudging the calibrations, a company or a county wouldn’t do that? Of course not Dorothy, they’re the police and/or a corporation, they’d never every do anything like cheat. Ask Rodney King or Ken Lay.

So into this milieu walks one Bill Kroske, vice president of business development at American Traffic Solutions Inc. American Traffic Solutions is based in Scottsdale, Arizona and provides red light cameras to anyone with the cash and political will that can fill out a purchase order.

What did Mr. Kroske do? He decided to pull on the old sock puppet and start commenting on some message boards run by newspapers. Specifically, it seems that (so far at least) Mr. Kroske decided to comment on the Seattle Post Intelligencer website. And in these comments, Kroske promoted the virtues of American Traffic Solutions to help out traffic in the greater Seattle area. And then it turned out that Kroske was caught doing the same thing on the websites for the papers of Spokane, Washington (The Spokesman-Review) and Everett, Washington (The Herald). Seems that Kroske wasn’t clued into the fact that your posts can be tracked by things like ISP address and whatnot. Not to mention that Kroske signed up for the Herald’s website using his real name and work email. Derp!

It seems that a reporter for the Everett Herald was covering the ongoing discussion over the city’s “Photo Red” program when he noticed that one commenter using the handle of “W Howard” had been letting the pro read light camera comments fall like snowflakes. Then the reporter noticed that the commenter’s account was linked to a specific company and was being used to promote that company’s business. And, of course “W Howard” never identified himself as an employee of American Traffic Solutions.

Oops!

Or, as Charles Territo spokesman for American Traffic Solutions put it, “… he did it the wrong way. We believe that you should be authentic and honest when engaging.” Charlie (can I call you Charlie, Mr. Territo?) also added that Bill Kroske (nee Howard) was someone who cares very passionately about the industry and was trying to counter misinformation about their product.

Howard, er, Kroske wrote things such as “If you are successful you can be smug…and the city will say Bravo,” and, after more than a few readers had the temerity to post comments actually criticizing the cameras, Kroske/Howard deemed that their response “is just why we need the cameras.”

He also had such helpful additions to the online discussion such as “It is that same lack of common sense and emotional control that is found in aggressive and dangerous driving.”

After one of the papers ran an editorial in January 2010 that questioned the cameras’ effectiveness since the statistics revealed that crashes had actually increased at those intersections, Howard/Kroske implies that the accidents may be a citywide trend because of “one of our worst winters in many years.”

Right. The weather. The last time I heard sniveling equivocations like that, they were uttered by Jake Blues on his knees in front of an AR-15 wielding Carrie Fisher.

But here’s the real rub: Herald editor Neal Pattison said that he was not surprised. Adding that “It was almost common knowledge that the companies marketing red-light cameras were active in drumming up grass-roots support, but the newspaper staff was surprised Kroske registered using his company email.”

So, in other words, it’s been “common knowledge” for some time that red light camera companies do phony astro-turf campaigns and shows of support for their outfits to extract money from the road-going public under the auspices of the law.

Comforting in so many ways.

“This has been a learning experience for American Traffic Solutions,” company shill Territo said.

Oh, it wasn’t just a learning experience for your company Charlie, it seems like a lot of us learned from this.

Source: The Spokesman-Review Picture from Flickr user functoruser.

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A requirement in most states, auto insurance is an important companion on every venture out on the road. As some motorists face the risk of serious penalties if driving without insurance, all drivers seek affordable car insurance. While there are some criteria to a car insurance policy that cannot easily be changed (gender, age or previous driving record) there may be some auto insurance customers to gain a value-added advantage.

Many auto insurance providers have been attracting customers with the promise of rewarding drivers with special benefits. In order to provide a fulfilling driving experience under their insurance umbrella, some insurance companies offer perks such as good driver and steady customer discounts. Almost every insurance company offering more than one product (i.e. car, home, medical, etc.) would also give price breaks to customers. Other than those bonuses, car owners can pursue other areas in their quest for the best insurance rate.

Driver Training and Education Course

For a young or newer motorists, driver education classes primes the newest explorers of the open road. These classes also present a desirable effect to young drivers as they apply for their first car policy quotes. Many auto insurance companies recognize this hard work of rookies to the roadways when deciding their often-high initial premiums.

Though it may seem like an uncomfortable experience for some experienced drivers to return to the classroom voluntarily, discount can also available to well-established motorists who take a defensive driving courses. Depending on the driving school and the insurance company, the annual auto insurance cost savings could soon outweigh the expense of the driver training classes.

OnStar

For OnStar-equipped vehicles, GMAC Insurance offers a usage-based plan that allows a driver to be discounted by to 54 percent. Called the Low-Mileage Discount, if a vehicle travels a shorter distance per year, the car insurance policy is adjusted. Regardless, a user of the unique tracking service allows drivers to enjoy at least 7 percent savings over the course of the policy (roughly equal to the subscription to the OnStar monitoring package). While the insurance discount would be highly appreciated for OnStar customers, others still find the frequent monitoring of driving habits as too intrusive.

Affiliation and Groups

If you belong or are thinking of joining a major organization, inquire if there is a partnership with an auto insurance company. Trade groups and school alumni memberships are some of the more accessible places to save money. Often, membership organizations would apply for group insurance rates that tend to be noticeably lower than individual policies.

Auto insurance companies like GEICO also provides discounted rates to active and veteran military members. This savings for those honourable men and women run up to 15 percent.

Safety Equipment

Reducing the severity of many automobile accidents, the abundance of safety features found on today’s cars, crossovers and trucks could provide additional relief on insurance payments. GEICO breaks down the presence of many modern safety features as being considerable compared to non-equipped vehicles. Full front airbags can save a motorist up to 40 percent while anti-lock brakes can provide a 25 percent savings. Tire pressure monitoring, anti-theft systems, electronic stability control programs as well as high-tech lane departure and blind spot check systems can also deflate the cost of a vehicle to insure. Even daytime running lights can grant a 3 percent savings to an annual auto insurance policy.

Information source: GEICO, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, OnStar
Photo source: General Motors

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Taking another sabbatical as Safety Inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Plant (at least it is assumed in later episodes); Homer Simpson is now moonlighting in an all-new occupation. Channelling the longest-running animated series on network television, TomTom navigation added the popular bumbling father has been one of several celebrities’ voices available in providing turn-by-turn navigation.

One of the world’s lead providers of GPS-based navigational technology, TomTom introduced the favourite television character for downloading to TomTom units in 2009. Homer Simpson was joined by the more sinister personality of Springfield’s oldest and richest citizen Mr. Montgomery Burns. As in the case of the TV series, a driver can expect the Mr Burns voice to commandingly deliver directions with sheer arrogance. However, while Burns talks down, words of reassure can also be conveyed including the memorable catchphrases including “excellent!” and a confidence boosting commendation as “..a good little peasant.” Obtainable along with other famous voices such as Bugs Bunny, Knight Rider’s original KITT, and Darth Vader, these navigation system voices for TomTom devices cost $12.95 each.

Allowing customization of TomTom devices, the novelty could soon be lost. As the price of stand-alone navigational units has dropped (well below $100) and OEMs have pursued their own on-board technology solutions directing motorists, TomTom has also adjusted to the advent of automotive guidance coming from smartphones. More and more, drivers are utilizing software applications for devices such as the Blackberry and apple iPhone. TomTom realized this changing market trend ahead of time developing an iPhone app in 2009.

On version 1.7 of their iPhone app, TomTom has allowed the additional for the colourful Homer Simpson persona to guide users of their mobile devices. The Simpsons star addition to the iPhone app marks the first time a celebrity voice has been added to the mobile phone-based TomTom software. An in-app purchase, the direction of Homer Simpson will come at a cost of $5.99 US. The TomTom iPhone version 1.7 app adds enhancements to Map Share as well as the inclusion of HD Traffic that provides constant updates on road delays. The TomTom iPhone cost in total costs $49.99 US not including additional features.

Taking directions from the voice of Homer Simpson, you are thankful that the TomTom brand name backs up the beloved but slow-witted fictional character. With wrong turns reoccurring in the plot of the favourite animated series, one of the first episodes of The Simpson titled “The call of the Simpsons” had Homer and the family lost in the woods after taking a wrong turn on an RV excursion. Thanks to the modern developments of GPS-based navigation, the Simpson patriarch will be directing with an unaccustomed sense of competence through the apple iPhone.

Information and photo source: TomTom

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With the ever climbing price of oil and car insurance premiums rocketing, it’s never been more expensive to own a car. In the UK, fuel prices have hit record highs and the cost of the average car insurance policy continues to increase by 44p per day (about 77 cents).

So if you find that your car’s costing you a fortune to run, what can you do to bring your costs down? Why not take a look at the useful tips below, who knows, you might just save yourself some money…

Shop around for your fuel: It’s easy to just make a trip to the nearest garage when you need to fill up, but you could be losing out by doing so. Prices can vary quite a lot between different garages so it’s worth doing a little research to find out which is the cheapest local petrol station. Once you’ve found the cheapest place to fill up, it’s a good idea to get a full tank to take maximum advantage of the saving.

Lift Share: If you live near to one of your work colleagues, it’s a good idea to lift share and take it in turns to make the daily commute. You’ll halve your fuel consumption if you primarily use your vehicle to get to work and you’ll save on maintenance costs in the process.

Change your driving style: It’s easy to forget about trying to save fuel and step on the gas from time to time, but by making a few small changes to the way you drive you can really improve your fuel consumption.

Aim to avoid harsh acceleration and sudden braking by reading the road ahead to allow you to adapt your speed slowly and save fuel. It’s also a good idea to stay in as higher gear as possible which will ensure your engine has less work to do.

Service your car regularly: It might seem like a false economy but having your car regularly serviced will ensure the engine runs at its maximum efficiency and you’ll also increase its longevity.

You don’t need to have a full service carried out, the most important part is the oil change, oil filter and air filter renewal. If you want to save even more money, have a look on the internet for useful guides to DIY car maintenance.

Inflate your tyres: Under-inflated tyres can decrease fuel economy and increase wear and tear, meaning you’ll have to swap them more regularly. Check your tyre pressures frequently and make sure they are kept at the manufacturers recommended level of inflation (don’t forget to adjust pressures according to vehicle load).

Don’t stick with the same insurer: It’s easy to fall into the trap of staying with the same insurer every year, but you could be wasting a fortune needlessly. In the UK, billions of pounds are wasted every year due to drivers letting their policies auto-renew.

Improve your cars security: One thing that is sure to make your car insurance cheaper is that of improving the security of your vehicle. Many modern cars come with an immobiliser and alarm but it is worth adding these if your car does not have them.

Likewise, if you have a garage, use it to store your car in overnight and report this to your insurer to receive a small discount on your annual premium.

Don’t speed: Speeding won’t just get you a ticket, by driving at 10mph over the speed limit on the motorway; you’ll use between 10-20% more fuel. Try to stick to the signed limit, you might get to your destination a couple of minutes later but you’ll save a lot of fuel in the process.

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Evenly based on equal driving records, it is generally accepted that women receive better auto insurance rates than male drivers. Gender is said to contribute to only 5 percent of the overall calculations for auto insurance in the United States, the affect on car insurance premiums cuts deeply into the wallets of men on the road. By and large in the United States, this is confirmed by data published by insurance website InsWeb in 2010. Using median level across the United States driving population, women drivers pay an average 9 percent less than men on auto insurance on an annual basis. Per individual states, biggest difference came in Wyoming where women paid more than 20 percent less than their male driving counterpart. Only in Iowa state did male driver insurance rates prevail ahead of female rates by 1.1 percent. With the largest differential appearing for younger drivers, the limited driving record means younger women benefit from the factor of gender when first behind the wheel.

While United States insurance companies continue to use gender to evaluate clients’ risk factors, the same measure will soon be prohibited in European countries including the United Kingdom and Germany. Belgium-based consumer lobbyist group Test-Achats filed a challenge in the European Union’s Court of Justice calling the insurance companies practice as gender discrimination. In a landmark ruling, the court agreed with Test-Achats’ compliant deeply changing insurance rating. For a wide-range of coverage not limited to auto and motorcycle insurance, providers are required by December of 2012 to no longer charge different policy premiums based on gender-related factors. According to BBC, women aged 16-25 could see insurance rate increases up to 25 percent compared to their current premium costs. The overall rate adjustments will likely see female drivers in Europe paying 6 percent more while male drivers could enjoy an 8 percent decrease per year on car insurance.

Though the question of discrimination will shift insurance away from gender factors in European countries, companies operating within the North America and many other regions continue to view gender as an important evaluation tool. While over the years women have still enjoyed acknowledgment as safer drivers, some speculation questioned whether this remains true today. As more women are now daily drivers, is it still true that female motorists maintain safer control of automobiles? Using a 2008 study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a measurement motor vehicle crash data identifies the grounds for analyzing gender does have significant statistical backing.

Over 33 years, the NHTSA measured crash accidents causing death, injury and property damage across the bounds of highway safety. Measuring incidents per 100,000 drivers, the United States transportation group witnessed noticeable differences between male and female motorists when it comes to crash statistics. Despite the number of licensed female drivers has almost doubled over the 33-year time span to the point it actually outnumbered male drivers in the United States, car crash numbers continued to remain low and relatively stabilized. Fatal crashes involving male drivers are significantly higher than female drivers. Though male fatality has greatly dropped from a level of 66 per 100,000 drivers in 1980, the 2008 rating of 35 is still more than 3 times higher than female motorists. NHTSA data for 2008 also concludes that male drivers are 3 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash involving impairment caused by alcohol.

While fatal crashes still sees a greater risk for male motorists, categories for injury and property-only automobile accidents paints less inequality. Measured by the NHTSA back to 1988, both of these statistics have seen male incidents per 100,000 decrease. However, the tally for female drivers have declined more slowly. Because of this result, recent 2008 measurements see closer numbers between male and female indexes. For injuries in 1988, there was a difference of 994 per 100,000 individual drivers to 322 drivers 20 years later. For property damage only crashes, a divide of 2,381 per 100,000 in 1988 has dropped to 1,166 in 2008 indicating also a mild increase in total number of incidents for women.

As licensed drivers between genders equalize, why the disparity between male and female auto safety numbers continue to exist is not entirely clear. Some debate that men still drive further distances than women do on a daily basis increasing their accident risk. Other more psychological points of view believe male drivers are more habitually more aggressive.

As European auto insurance companies and client adjust premiums as a result to the monumental court ruling excluding the consideration of gender, there are no plans to consider such actions in the other countries such as the United States.

autonetinsurance.co.uk
Information source: BBC, Inswatch, NTHSA
Photo Source: Ford Motor Company

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