Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[NHTSA: Eight percent of Americans admit to driving drunk in past year]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/26/nhtsa-eight-percent-of-americans-admit-to-driving-drunk-in-past/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/26/nhtsa-eight-percent-of-americans-admit-to-driving-drunk-in-past/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/26/nhtsa-eight-percent-of-americans-admit-to-driving-drunk-in-past/#commentsFiled under: ,



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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>8 of americans drinking and driving8OfAmericansDrinkingAndDrivingdrinking and drivingDrinkingAndDrivingdrunkdrunk driverdrunk drivingDrunkDriverDrunkDrivingNational Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNationalHighwayTrafficSafetyAdministrationnhtsanhtsa drinking and driving studynhtsa dui studyNhtsaDrinkingAndDrivingStudyNhtsaDuiStudyThu, 26 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19608300/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/08/26/nhtsa-eight-percent-of-americans-admit-to-driving-drunk-in-past/19608300/article-detail.xml 19608300 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/drunk-driving_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/drunk-driving.jpg <![CDATA[Report: Serial drunk driver hits judge who let him off 11 years earlier]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/17/report-serial-drunk-driver-hits-judge-who-let-him-off-11-years/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/17/report-serial-drunk-driver-hits-judge-who-let-him-off-11-years/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/17/report-serial-drunk-driver-hits-judge-who-let-him-off-11-years/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Back in 1998, Rene Fernandez received two DUIs in a span of three months. The first judge sentenced him to probation, the second judge, Edwin Collier, sentenced him to 60 days in jail but suspended the sentence. Last August, the now 45-year-old Fernandez was inebriated at more than twice the legal limit, got into his Chevrolet Tahoe and started driving, ultimately plowing into a Honda Accord in the oncoming lane.

That Accord was driven by 85-year-old retired Judge Edwin Collier, who had his wife, 81-year-old Ellen Collier in the passenger seat. Yes, it was an accident involving the same Fernandez and the same Judge Collier from 1998. Fernandez is now looking at an 18-month stint in a Montgomery County, Maryland prison for the DUI and the life-threatening injuries he caused to the Colliers.

[Source: Business Gazette | Image: Getty]

Report: Serial drunk driver hits judge who let him off 11 years earlier originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>driving while drunkDrivingWhileDrunkdrunk driverDrunk drivingDrunkDriverDrunkDrivingduidwiedwin collierEdwinColliermarylandrene fernadezReneFernadezThu, 17 Jun 2010 08:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19514522/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/06/17/report-serial-drunk-driver-hits-judge-who-let-him-off-11-years/19514522/article-detail.xml 19514522 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/gavel-strike-frames-250-getty_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/gavel-strike-frames-250-getty.jpg <![CDATA[Drowsy driving is equal to drunk driving]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/29/drowsy-driving-is-equal-to-drunk-driving/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/29/drowsy-driving-is-equal-to-drunk-driving/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/29/drowsy-driving-is-equal-to-drunk-driving/#commentsFiled under: ,

Around Memorial Day, the chances are good that either you or somebody that you are sharing the road with today has been out and about, spending the day with family or just enjoying their time off. There have surely been many hours spent behind the wheel for drivers across the country. Hopefully, drunk driving is kept to a minimum. But, there is another possible problem-driver on the road: the drowsy driver. It's likely that most of us have had that feeling behind the wheel, where we struggle to keep our eyes open. A new study from the National Road Safety Foundation, which is a non-profit group that produces driver aids, suggests that those drowsy drivers are equally as dangerous as drunk drivers. According to its research, a third of drivers polled admit to falling asleep behind the wheel in the last year alone. Suggestions for combating drowsiness behind the wheel include the obvious: pulling over, drinking a coffee or two and waiting about half an hour for the caffeine to hit your bloodstream. Consider this a friendly reminder to be safe out there.

[Source: National Road Safety Foundation]

Continue reading Drowsy driving is equal to drunk driving

Drowsy driving is equal to drunk driving originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 May 2008 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>drowsydrowsy drivingdrowsy-driverdrowsy-drivingdrowsydrivingdrunkdrunk driverdrunk drivingdrunk-driverdrunk-drivingDrunkDriverDrunkDrivingThu, 29 May 2008 07:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1204434/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/05/29/drowsy-driving-is-equal-to-drunk-driving/1204434/article-detail.xml 1204434 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/coffee_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/coffee.jpg <![CDATA[Diet driving: Low-calorie diet produces false positives for alcohol]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/20/diet-driving-low-calorie-diet-produces-false-positives-for-alco/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/20/diet-driving-low-calorie-diet-produces-false-positives-for-alco/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/20/diet-driving-low-calorie-diet-produces-false-positives-for-alco/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Swedish researchers have discovered that a low-calorie diet can register a false positive on certain in-car ignition interlock devices that disable a vehicle if alcohol is detected on one's breath. The anomaly was discovered when a non-drinking airplane pilot reported the incident. Turns out the man was on a very restrictive diet that had him losing weight rapidly, which is what may have caused the false reading. As reported in the latest issue of the International Journal of Obesity, motorists on very low-calorie diets may release certain ketones that could be converted into a secondary alcohol known as isopropanol.

Police officials point out that false positives are eliminated in the field as breathalyzer tests are used in conjunction with secondary tests that focus on the type of alcohol and other factors. No citation for drunk driving would be issued in those situations. However, if you have one of these interlock devices on your car, your low-cal diet could spell the demise of your travel plans.

[Source: drive.com.au]

Diet driving: Low-calorie diet produces false positives for alcohol originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breathalyzerdrunk driverdrunk drivingDrunkDriverDrunkDrivinghigh-tech nanniesHigh-techNanniesignition interlock devicesIgnitionInterlockDevicesInternational Journal of ObesityInternationalJournalOfObesityKarolinska University HospitalKarolinskaUniversityHospitalWayne JonesWayneJonesTue, 20 Mar 2007 19:02:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/856262/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/03/20/diet-driving-low-calorie-diet-produces-false-positives-for-alco/856262/article-detail.xml 856262 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/20sober_m_m_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/20sober_m_m.jpg <![CDATA[Man loses dream cars when out of control SUV lands on them]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/21/man-loses-dream-cars-when-out-of-control-suv-lands-on-them/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/21/man-loses-dream-cars-when-out-of-control-suv-lands-on-them/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/21/man-loses-dream-cars-when-out-of-control-suv-lands-on-them/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Ouch. A 21-year-old woman who was allegedly driving too fast apparently lost control of her Mercury SUV and skidded through a yard before going airborne and landing in the garage of another home next door. When the Mountaineer came to rest, it had inadvertently unpimped the rides of one Frank Taylor. Taylor's beloved 1980 Corvette and his brand new BMW were parked inside the garage at the time. The cars were given a custom body makeover courtesy of the Merc's undercarriage. Police suspect that drugs and/or alcohol may have played a part in the incident. Although the driver wasn't injured, the passenger was, and the young lady behind the wheel will most likely be hurting in a different way when charges are filed.

Thanks for the tip, Jeremy!

[Source: KMOV TV]

Man loses dream cars when out of control SUV lands on them originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airborne SUVAirborneSuvCorvettedrunk driverDrunkDriverFrank TaylorFrankTaylorWed, 21 Feb 2007 15:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/816171/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/02/21/man-loses-dream-cars-when-out-of-control-suv-lands-on-them/816171/article-detail.xml 816171 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/02/accident21807046_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/02/accident21807046.jpg <![CDATA[Drunk German motorist offers police aid, promptly arrested]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/29/drunk-german-motorist-offers-police-aid-promptly-arrested/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/29/drunk-german-motorist-offers-police-aid-promptly-arrested/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/29/drunk-german-motorist-offers-police-aid-promptly-arrested/#commentsFiled under: ,

Imagine you're motoring along and you see a fellow motorist stuck by the side of the road. You think about just driving on, but something about the scene grabs you and you decide to pull over to lend some assistance. You jump out and rush over to see if you can help, and you promptly find yourself under arrest. This isn't a story of the law run amok, though.

You see, this particular Good Samaritan was drunk. So drunk in fact that he didn't recognize that the "stranded motorist" he had offered to aid was in fact a car being inspected by police officers for a minor violation. This was the scene in the northwest German town of Bremen. Police arrested the 37-year-old man and banned him from driving. "Obviously his optical assessment of the situation as he drove past was that this was a vehicle breakdown," the police said in a statement.

With the New Year's weekend about to kick off, we felt like we had to share this warning about the types of people you might be sharing the roadways with. Granted this happened in Germany, but we know there will be more than a few of these types on our roads as well. If you think you might be one of them, use a DD. This PSA brought to you by ABADD (AutoBloggers Against Drunk Driving). Have a Happy and Safe New Year.

[Source: Reuters]

Drunk German motorist offers police aid, promptly arrested originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Dec 2006 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>drunk driverdrunk drivingDrunkDriverDrunkDrivingFri, 29 Dec 2006 14:32:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/726355/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/12/29/drunk-german-motorist-offers-police-aid-promptly-arrested/726355/article-detail.xml 726355 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/polizei-badge_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/polizei-badge.jpg -1 2