Autoblog

Calculating the cost of a motorcycle accident

Zach Bowman — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Motorcycle

Like it or not, you're thirty times more likely to die in a motorcycle accident than in an automobile crash. There's little wondering why. As a rider, you're bouncing around at high velocities in close proximity to stationary objects and machines many times your mass. In a best-case-scenario, going off-bike will see you vying with pavement, other vehicles and your own bike with nothing protect you but some Kevlar, a little leather and a bit of Styrofoam.

According to the Government Accountability Office, 82,000 riders were injured in motorcycle accidents and a 4,502 individuals were killed in crashes. All told, the immediate cost of those downs was $16 billion or more. On average, a fatal motorcycle crash costs around $1.2 million, with non-fatal incidents carrying a price tag of anywhere from $2,500 to $1.4 million depending on rider injuries.

So, what's the solution? According to the GAO, the only measurable way to cut those costs is to mandate helmet use. Helmets reportedly cut the fatality rate of motorcycle crashes by 39 percent, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims helmets prevented 1,550 deaths in 2010. Likewise, the Center for Disease Control says the lids saved the economy a total of $3 billion in those crashes. Seems like cheap insurance to us.

Calculating the cost of a motorcycle accident originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

CDC: Teen drinking and driving down by more than half

Scott Burgess — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Safety

One out of 10 teens has hopped behind the wheel of a car after drinking alcohol, a Center for Disease Control and Prevention study revealed this week. That means every month, there are potentially 2.4 million teenagers driving under the influence of alcohol. Hopefully, not all at the same time.

While the statistics are startling, leaders at the CDC point out that teens appear to be acting much more responsibly than when some of their parents were the same age, as the number of teens drinking and driving has dropped by more than half over the past 20 years.

"Nine out of 10 high school teens are not drinking and driving as of our most recent data in 2011," said Thomas Frieden, the director of the CDC, in a transcript of a news conference.

While optimistic, Frieden noted many teen drivers should continue to exercise caution.

"And, of course, even without alcohol, teen drivers are at a much higher risk of having a serious or fatal accident than adult drivers," he said.

CDC: Teen drinking and driving down by more than half originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

How much do traffic deaths cost your state? CDC has the answer

Aaron Richardson — Mon, 16 May 2011 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

Every year, the United States loses in the neighborhood of 30,000 people to traffic accidents. That's like the entire population of a medium-sized town being wiped out annually. The number of deaths not only wreaks havoc with families, but it puts a strain on our economy.

In recognition of the rising costs of traffic fatalities - not just in the U.S., but globally - the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2011-2020 the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The ten-year span will be marked by increased consciousness of driving habits, road conditions and vehicle safety. In honor of the event, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has put together some alarming statistics.

In 2005, traffic deaths wound up costing just over $41 billion in medical bills and work lost. Yes, that's billion with a "B." According to the CDC, 10 states stood head and shoulders above the rest in monetary losses. Those were: California, at $4.16 billion, Texas, at $3.50 billion, Florida, at 3.16 billion, Georgia, at $1.55 billion, Pennsylvania, at $1.52 billion, North Carolina, at $1.50 billion, New York, at $1.33 billion, Illinois, at $1.32 billion, Ohio, at $1.23 billion and Tennessee, at $1.15 billion.

Though these 10 states handily outranked the others, the CDC tallied up the monetary total for all of the 50 states. To see how your home state fared, check out the CDC website. If the U.S. can rack up such an alarming total by itself, we shudder to think what the global costs of car wrecks is.

How much do traffic deaths cost your state? CDC has the answer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Seatbelt use up to 85% nationally, 1 in 7 adults still don't buckle up [w/poll]

Zach Bowman — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

According to the Center for Disease Control, seatbelt use among American adults is at an all-time high. In a recent study, 85 percent of those surveyed said that they wear their seatbelts regularly. That number is up from just 11 percent in 1982, though the CDC points out that at least one in every seven adults still don't wear their seatbelts on the road. That's despite evidence that points to automotive accidents as the number one cause of death in the U.S. among people aged 5 to 34.

So which states take the cake for seatbelt use? The CDC says that Oregon has the highest rate of buckling up, with 94 percent of respondents from that state claiming to use their belts on a regular basis. North Dakota came in dead last, with a paltry 54 percent of those surveyed strapping in. Not surprisingly, the study found that states that have laws allowing police officers to pull over a driver solely for not wearing their seatbelt have significantly higher rates of buckling up. Click on the jump for a look at the full synopsis, but before you head over there, make sure to take our poll on seatbelt use below.

View Poll

[Sources: CNN Health, CDC | Image: Volvo]

Continue reading Seatbelt use up to 85% nationally, 1 in 7 adults still don't buckle up [w/poll]

Seatbelt use up to 85% nationally, 1 in 7 adults still don't buckle up [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

First Drive: Classic Design Concepts Group 2 Widebody Challenger

Drew Phillips — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Supercars, Dodge, First Drives

CDC Group 2 Widebody Challenger - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Challenger SRT8 marked the official return last year of the musclecar to the Dodge lineup, and its retro styling, 425-horsepower V8 and tire-shredding capabilities had Mopar enthusiasts giddy with excitement. What, you say, could be much better? Enter Classic Design Concepts. The Novi, Michigan-based company has been adding its visual touch to cars since 1990, and recently tried its hand at Dodge's new musclecar. The result? The Group 2 Widebody Challenger that made its debut at SEMA in 2008. We were instantly smitten with the car's aggressive appearance on the show floor, and were determined to get a closer look if we ever had the chance. Jumping forward a couple of months, we recently learned that the car would be out in Southern California for a Mopar gathering. A phone call to CDC later and we were fortunate enough to land an afternoon behind the wheel of this 575-horsepower bona fide modern musclecar.

Gallery: First Drive: Classic Design Concepts Widebody Challenger

Continue reading First Drive: Classic Design Concepts Group 2 Widebody Challenger

First Drive: Classic Design Concepts Group 2 Widebody Challenger originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

StangNet's Glassback GT500 project

John Neff — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Ford

click above image to view more pics of the StangNet Mustang GT500

StangNet.com is putting the finishing touches on its latest project car, and it's a doozy. Of course it's a Mustang, a modified GT500 to be exact. Teaming up with Classic Design Concepts, a mini-automaker all its own, takes the StangNet GT500 to a place average tuners would usually fear to tread.

For starters, the StangNet GT500 sports CDC's Glassback roof, which looks like a painted piece of sheetmetal from a distance, but upon closer inspection reveals itself as perforated metal that allows occupants inside the car to see right through the roof. The car also sports a custom made ducktail spoiler, new lower front grille/spoiler, body-colored mirrors, MY2008 HID headlamps, louvered scoops over the quarter windows and a hand-painted pair of blue racing stripes.

The car's performance has been enhanced with a new suspension from Steeda, functional brake ducts in place of the standard GT500's foglamps, CCW SP20 19-inch wheels (deep dish in the rear) wrapped in BFGs, and a Magnaflow catback exhaust coupled to an MRT H-pipe. The interior is largely unaltered so far, save for the addition of a Ford GT push button start system.

The car will be present at the Mid-America Ford Performance and Shelby Meet in Tulsa, OK around mid-June. Come November it will also appear at the SEMA show in Las Vegas where we'll likely see additional modifications made for the big show.

[Source: StangNet.com]

Gallery: StangNet Mustang GT500

StangNet's Glassback GT500 project originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jun 2007 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

REPORT: Fat people waste gas

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 19:52:00 EST

Filed under: Trends

Gas prices have settled a bit in the past few months, but with the cost of a gallon still lingering well in the two-dollar range, many Americans are looking for ways to save a few bucks at the pump. But what if you are happy with your current car and don't want to be a new one that's more fuel efficient? One new study suggests you dump your spare tire.

No, not that spare tire. The one around your waist. This new study suggests that Americans are burning nearly 1 billion more gallons of gasoline every year because of the extra weight we're are toting around. At $2.20 a gallon, that amounts to $2.2 billion wasted on gas each year. "If a person reduces the weight in their car, either by removing excess baggage, carrying around less weight in their trunk, or yes, even losing weight, they will indeed see a drop in their fuel consumption." This from study co-author and University of Illinois researcher Sheldon Jacobson.

Jacobson points out that the lost mileage for any single driver is pretty small. Even by losing 100 pounds, the average driver would only save about $40 a year over a typical 12,000 miles. But it adds up when you consider how many motorists are on the road. Other research, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studies support these findings. In a related study, the CDC found that heavy fliers have contributed to higher fuel costs for airlines.

The study will appear in the October-December issue of The Engineering Economist, one of those academic/industry journals published by the American Society of Engineering Education and the Institute of Industrial Engineers. Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, former CDC director points out that although valid, the study conclusion is only partially helpful: "The wrong fuel is being focused on. If you're heavier, the most important fuel you use more of is food."

[Source: Yahoo! News]

REPORT: Fat people waste gas originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Oct 2006 19:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford may be considering Mustang hardtop convertible for 2009

John Neff — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Ford

ModdedMustangs is hypothesizing that Ford may be considering offering a retractable hardtop option for the 2009 Mustang. The site's reasoning is pretty thin, based mostly on the fact that there are retractable hardtop kits available for the Mustang currently and that engineering expertise for such a project could be culled from the recently unveiled Focus Coupe Cabriolet for Europe.

The most convincing piece of evidence of is a pair of videos posted on various Mustang message boards of a Classic Design Concepts prototype 2006 Mustang Convertible with a retractable hardtop. CDC is the outfitter that produces the panoramic Glassback roof conversion for late model Mustangs in cooperation with Webasto. You can check out the video of the retractable hardtop going up here and going down here. The conversion apparently doesn't touch the trunk's cargo space, instead eliminating the back seat and making the Mustang convertible a true 2-seat roadster. CDC's website makes no mention of the availability of a retractable hardtop conversion, but the fact that a prototype exists says something.

In light of the speed at which Ford is moving to put the Shelby GT into production and the fact that it's working directly with Shelby Automobiles, Inc. to produce the vehicle, the idea Ford might partner with other small companies like CDC/Webasto to produce a Mustang hardtop convertible isn't that far fetched. You can bet we'll be seeking out CDC's display at SEMA this year hoping to see this car in person. Adding the retractable hardtop to the lineup would give Ford a dizzying array of Mustangs in its lineup. Considering the Mustang's impressive sales performance, that hardly seems like a bad thing.

[ModdedMustangs]

Ford may be considering Mustang hardtop convertible for 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Aug 2006 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments