Autoblog

Study: Teens don't think texting while driving is as dangerous as DUI

Zach Bowman — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Safety

Despite plenty of academic research demonstrating that texting while driving can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving, a new poll shows that most teens simply don't think that's the case. State Farm recently sponsored a poll conducted by Harris Interactive in which 14-to-17 year-olds were asked whether they thought they would die one day if they regularly text and drive. Only 35 percent of those asked strongly agreed with that statement. Compare that figure with the 55 percent of teens who think that drinking and driving could prove deadly, and you begin to see the disparity.

Likewise, those polled believed that their chances of getting into an accident are higher while drinking and driving versus texting and driving. The auto insurance giant says that it's up to parents to underscore the dangers of both activities for their children. We couldn't agree more - especially after seeing that only a little more than half of the teens surveyed appear to adequately understand the potential consequences of drinking and driving. With public safety groups and parents having already spent decades reminding young people of the dangers of driving under the influence, it looks like it's going to take at least that long to reach them about the perils of distracted driving. Hit the jump for the press release.

[Source: State Farm | Image: Getty]

Continue reading Study: Teens don't think texting while driving is as dangerous as DUI

Study: Teens don't think texting while driving is as dangerous as DUI originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHTSA: Eight percent of Americans admit to driving drunk in past year

Chris Shunk — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

Despite plenty of data that shows that drinking and driving leads to the deaths of thousands of motorists each year, consuming alcohol and getting behind the wheel is still a big problem in America. A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that eight percent of Americans admit to drinking and driving at least once in the past year. That's about 17 million drivers. A quarter of all respondents say they have gotten behind the wheel within two hours of having one or more alcoholic beverages.

To help combat this growing problem, NHTSA is launching its annual Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. campaign. The campaign will be supported by $13 million in NHTSA-supplied ads and a big time crackdown by local law enforcement leading up to the Labor Day weekend. NHTSA chief Ray LaHood underscores the fact that drinking and driving is still a genuine threat to drivers everywhere, adding, "We are going to continue doing all that we can to stop drunk driving and the needless tragedies that result from this reckless behavior."

Perhaps the most disturbing trend involves 16-20 year-old drivers. While most weren't inclined to admit to drinking and driving, the ones who did fess up often admitted to consuming six or more alcoholic beverages in one setting. That's obviously not a good trend, and NHTSA says that its data shows that people who drink more tend to drink and drive more. Hit the jump to read a very sobering NHTSA press release.

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading NHTSA: Eight percent of Americans admit to driving drunk in past year

NHTSA: Eight percent of Americans admit to driving drunk in past year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: EVO does 0-100 mph in Porsche's new 911 Turbo... with a Coke and a smile

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche

Evo takes a 911 Turbo and a Coke from 0-100 - Click above to watch video

When the Porsche 997 Turbo first came out and it was discovered that you could get from 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds in the Tiptronic automatic transmission (which was quicker than the manual gearbox), that was incredible enough. In the updated 997 Turbo with PDK, however, you can apparently get to 100 mph in less than eight seconds with just three fingers on the wheel and a bottle of Coke at your lips.

Things coming out of Stuttgart are no longer incredible, they're outrageous. Follow the jump to watch Chris Harris do a bit of drinking and driving.

[Source: EVO]

Continue reading VIDEO: EVO does 0-100 mph in Porsche's new 911 Turbo... with a Coke and a smile

VIDEO: EVO does 0-100 mph in Porsche's new 911 Turbo... with a Coke and a smile originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Australian Transport Accident Commission celebrates 20 years of disturbing commercials

Jonny Lieberman — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:23:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Videos, Australia

Don't drink and drive - Click above to view the video after the jump

Years ago when we were in drivers ed watching either Blood on the Highway or Red Asphalt -- the two gore-filled negative education films from the early 1970s that tried to scare us stright -- the cheerleader seated in front of us cold passed out. Just flopped right on the floor. It had to have been the scene where the camera arrives on the scene of a motorcycle wreck and, well, let's just say the poor rider needed an new knee. But as blood and guts infused as those films were, they can't even hold an emergency room candle to the carnage taking place on Australian television.

This film is a "best of" from 20 years of Transport Accident Commission films. And man... Notice how we didn't pass out during drivers ed? We have an iron stomach. That said, this video gets to be a little much. There's just so much non-stop carnage... The video almost makes us care less about drinking and driving than it does the perils of watching blood-infused video clips. Almost.

Here's what our Aussie tipster Casey had to say about the video, "Celebrating' 20 years of TAC TV advertisements, this once-only three-minute clip was shown on all free-to-air TV networks once on December 10 2009. It's a collage of their work over the 20 years and the graphic scenes put to air. It's an excellent (and chilling) viewing." Agreed, you're going see high production values and even higher casualty rates. Watch the video - if you have the stomach for it - after the jump.

[Source: Colorbus]

Continue reading VIDEO: Australian Transport Accident Commission celebrates 20 years of disturbing commercials

VIDEO: Australian Transport Accident Commission celebrates 20 years of disturbing commercials originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Bacardi, Maserati, and Michael Schumacher get shaken, not stirred

Noah Joseph — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Maserati, Humor

Click above to watch the video after the jump

After seven Formula One World Championships and more records than your local second-hand vinyl shop, Michael Schumacher has proven incredibly adept at driving a point home. Now that he's semi-retired, well...he's still making more money than most of the active drivers in F1 (or any other form of motorsports for that matter), thanks in part to an endorsement deal with Barcardi, the Bermuda-based rum distillery with whom Schumi drives home another kind of point entirely.

To prove the point that drinking and driving don't mix, Schumacher takes once again to the wheel of a Maserati GranTurismo. Only this time he's brought along one Salvatore Calabrese to ride shotgun. Sounds straightforward enough, but the world-renowned bartender known as "The Maestro" isn't coming along just for the ride: while Schumi does what Schumi does best, Calabrese tries to do the same, to highly amusing and illustrative effect. Follow the jump to watch the video.

[Source: Bacardi via YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Bacardi, Maserati, and Michael Schumacher get shaken, not stirred

VIDEO: Bacardi, Maserati, and Michael Schumacher get shaken, not stirred originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man charged with DWI while driving La-Z-Boy chair

Chris Shunk — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Humor

It's against the law to drink and drive. And as we've seen time and again, the police don't care if you're driving a Ferrari or a motorized scooter; over the limit means under arrest. There is now one more person in the world who knows this undeniable truth first-hand. Dennis LeRoy Anderson was convicted of Driving While Intoxicated after being caught piloting a La-Z-Boy that was modded with with lawn mower parts, a stereo and a cup holder. No word on what actually happened to be resting in that cup holder when the La-Z-Boy left the comforts of Anderson's living room that night.

Anderson was arrested in the northern Minnesota town of Proctor after he crashed his La-Z-Boy into a parked car. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Anderson had a blood alcohol content of .29; over three times the legal limit. Sixth Judicial District Judge Heather Sweetland let Anderson off lightly, as she stayed the 180-day jail term in favor of two years probation. We're thinking the two years of probation pales in comparison to living the rest of one's life knowing that you were arrested for drinking and driving a recliner. Sad. Thanks for the tip, Mike!

[Source: The Seattle Times]

Man charged with DWI while driving La-Z-Boy chair originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dude busted for DUI while driving motorized cooler

Chris Shunk — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Green, First Drives

Police in Whitehall, NY cold-busted an inebriated motorist over the Memorial Day weekend for swerving around in the middle of the street and weaving onto area sidewalks. That happened plenty of times over Memorial Day weekend, but what makes this story interesting is the fact that the driver was piloting an electrically powered cooler. Under New York state law, driving any motorized vehicle must be done sans alcohol, and that means anything from cars and boats to motorized coolers falls under the letter of the law. While some would argue that the electric cooler doesn't pose a real threat to pedestrians or other motorists, we'd disagree. This idiot could have caused other drivers to swerve to miss him, and strike others in the process.

While the cops did the right thing by pulling over this cooler-driving clown, we question the need for an ice cozy and cup holder on this vehicle. Of course people are going to use it to drink and scoot! Then again, it seems every new family vehicle is getting ice bins, too, and some of them have like 15 cup holders.

[Source: Switched]

Dude busted for DUI while driving motorized cooler originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German drivers urinate in the Autobahn of bathrooms

Chris Shunk — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 13:52:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Europe, Government/Legal

Drinking and driving has been a dangerous gamble taken by millions of motorists around the globe since the first cars hit the road. Police have gotten very good at spotting, arresting, and prosecuting offenders, but many still slip through the cracks, and thousands of innocent people die in accidents as a result. In Germany, this major problem is being combated with urine. No, bodily fluids aren't being used to test blood-alcohol content. Instead, video game makers are converting drunken streams into a bathroom steering wheel.

LCD screens located above urinal stalls display a video racing game that uses sensors inside the urinal to track the urinal stream, which steers the car. Quick reflexes are needed to "steer" the car through heavy traffic and objects (not the "mint" at the bottom), and when the gamer loses stream, the car crashes violently and the phone number of a cab company appears on screen. We can see a lot of people liking this game, as it passes time when you're at the stall. We just hope people don't start drinking more so they can get in more laps. At this time there is no word on whether a similar game is being made for women.

[Source: InsideLine]

German drivers urinate in the Autobahn of bathrooms originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Aug 2007 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Eating and drinking doubles crash risk

Alex Nunez — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 17:56:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

A British study commissioned by an insurance company has determined that noshing behind the wheel doubles the likelihood that a driver will get into an accident. Brunel University researchers put subjects through the paces using driving simulators to arrive at the conclusion.

First, they took virtual rides through an urban route without eating or drinking anything. After that, they repeated the task while sucking down bagged snacks and bottled water. Reseachers found that even though the drivers compensated by slowing down, they still couldn't react quickly enough to avoid colliding with the simulation's virtual pedestrians. In fact, 90% of the crashes recorded occured during the act of eating or drinking.

Dr. Mark Young, the lead researcher, says that the circumstances surrounding eating and drinking while driving make those activities more dangerous than other "menial in-car tasks."

We understand the good doctor's reasoning and generally agree with what he has to say, but we'd like to know if his list of "menial in-car tasks" includes "finding a song three menus deep on an iPod," because while we're not university researchers, we're pretty sure that's way more distracting than reaching into a bag of M&Ms.

Finally, we'd be interested in using the research sims to recreate a typical morning interstate commute sans coffee. We're guessing that the elimination of that particular piping-hot, crotch-threatening caffeinated beverage from the cupholder could result in pileups reminiscent of the ones in the most dramatic CHiPs episodes.

Photo courtesy of Seriouswheels.com

[Source: 4Car]

Study: Eating and drinking doubles crash risk originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Aug 2006 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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