Autoblog

UK tax collectors could be exempt from speed limits like police and fire

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:45:00 EST

The UK Department for Transport is currently examining proposals that would allow additional services to legally drive over the speed limit. At the moment, only the police and fire departments and emergency medical responders can legally break the posted limits, but a recently submitted 90-page document that is "out for consultation" lists other services requesting the right to do the same. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which includes the tax man, wants its covert surveillance officers on the approved list.

The covert officers at HMRC are said to engage in the same kinds of operations as the police, with "extensive arrest and investigatory powers." Their operations against organized crime have been mentioned specifically in connection with the speed limit request, the HMRC adding that at any one time "there are approximately 10 concurrent operational deployments per day involving 500 officers from the criminal Investigation Directorate" around the country. If that's true, it seems approval won't lead to HMRC officers blasting through Piccadilly after a taxpayer who neglected to declare the 12 pounds he made at a car boot sale.

Other services looking to break the limit but not the law include bomb disposal units, radiation emergency responders, blood transfusion services and organ couriers, and the Coast Guard. The consultation ends on February 27, 2013.

UK tax collectors could be exempt from speed limits like police and fire originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas toll road to get 85 mph speed limit?

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Oh, Montana, how we miss your speed-limitless ways of the mid-1990s. We were carefree and young then, driving a 10-year-old Chevrolet that in no way, shape, or form was designed to travel at its top speed for hours on end. But that didn't stop us, we the "reasonable and prudent," and neither did it stop our digital dashboard from just flashing "85" over and over and over again. We'll never know how fast we were really going, but suffice it to say, we were traveling at the speed of youth.

Today, the search for fast, legal roads pretty much starts and ends in Germany, with Texas a distant second. But the one-time Republic may have just cut the distance between it and the Autobahn-wielding Germans by five miles per hour. A new toll road, part of State Highway 130, is under construction near Austin, the state's notoriously traffic-clogged capitol, and it may have its speed set at 85 when it opens. The Texas Department of Transportation made the decision, according to the Fox News report, in the wake of the legislature passing a law in 2011 to raise the maximum limit from 80 to 85 mph on approved highways.

Texas toll road to get 85 mph speed limit? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opinion: Time to raise the speed limit, how does 150 MPH sound?

John McElroy — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Autoline on Autoblog

Ever since automobiles first appeared over 100 years ago, every automaker has tried to make them go faster. And they succeeded. Nearly every year, cars became more powerful with higher top-end speeds. But then, in the mid-1950s, we hit a plateau. The national speed limit was set at 70 miles per hour, and we've been stuck at that rate ever since. As a result, the automobile has made absolutely no progress as a transportation device in over half a century.

Speed itself is not a safety hazard. It's the difference in speeds between cars that lead to accidents.

Actually, in 1974, it got worse. The national speed limit was lowered to 55 mph, ostensibly to save fuel and lives (it did neither). Such an agonizingly slow rate of travel proved too much to take for most Americans. We demanded that the limit be raised, and we got it back to 70 mph. Now it's time to demand another raise.

I'm not talking about some sort of modest increase to, say, 85 mph. We need to put a comprehensive plan in place to gradually move the limit up, over the next couple of decades, to 150 miles an hour. And we need to do that with no sacrifice in fuel economy or safety.

Continue reading Opinion: Time to raise the speed limit, how does 150 MPH sound?...

[Image: Getty]

Continue reading Opinion: Time to raise the speed limit, how does 150 MPH sound?

Opinion: Time to raise the speed limit, how does 150 MPH sound? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas House approves nation's fastest speed limit at 85 mph

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and now it seems everything might be faster too. The House of Representatives in Texas has approved a new transportation bill, and it includes legislation that would allow the Texas Department of Transportation to raise speed limits to 85 miles per hour. The state's Senate is presently considering a similar measure.

The DOT cannot simply go out and slap up a fresh new set of 85-mph speed limit signs. Both engineering and traffic studies must be done before motorists are given a green light to those increased speeds. Don't feel too bad for those speed-restricted Texans, though. 85 mph wouldn't be much of a stretch for Texas, since the state already enjoys 520 miles of highway with an 80-mph speed limit.

[Source: Chron.com | Image: University of Michigan]

Texas House approves nation's fastest speed limit at 85 mph originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Making roads safer has led to bored, risk-taking drivers

Zach Bowman — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Australia

A new study from researchers in Australia may have dug up one of the reasons why drivers exceed the speed limit on their way to work. According to the Toronto Sun, a new study has found that drivers who are bored behind the wheel are more likely to put the right pedal to the floor. Researchers at Newcastle University asked drivers to answer a few questions about their driving habits and found that 31 percent of those behind the wheel are inattentive and dangerous. More surprisingly, 35 percent of those polled were classified as enthusiastic and attentive. These are the motorists that enjoy driving, but go faster when their stimulus levels decrease. The study also found that 21 percent of those polled dislike driving and move slower, while members of the smallest group, just 13 percent of the total respondents, were branded slow and safe.

Interestingly, researchers concluded that the influx of devices designed to make driving easier has led to the impression that operating a vehicle is akin to a chore. Rather than making drivers safer, the gadgets have actually led to increased inattentiveness. Basically, the perception of safety has increased the likelihood of risk taking.

Sounds like it's high time that vehicles made drivers fear for their lives once again. In all seriousness, the researchers have apparently recommended adding more turns to roads and incorporating shared space to force drivers to pay attention, among other actions.

[Source: The Toronto Sun | Image: Alexander F. Yuan/AP]

Study: Making roads safer has led to bored, risk-taking drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Abu Dhabi using color-coded road surfaces to convey speed limits

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 08:02:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Middle East

Abu Dhabi has updated the speed limits for certain roads in and around the city and to make sure everyone knows about the new limits, as well as to warn drivers that they've entered one of these changed sections, officials have come up with a unique solution - painting the speed limit on the road.

On select sections of road, bright red asphalt will serve as a warning that the speed limit has changed. The thinking: A driver might miss a sign on the side of the road but they (hopefully) won't miss the entire road.

[Source: Gulf News]

Report: Abu Dhabi using color-coded road surfaces to convey speed limits originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Many Detroit-area speed limits are set at 'illegally' low levels

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:38:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

It's probably a safe bet that many Autoblog readers find speed limits very annoying in general. To that end, it turns out that a significant number of limits in Michigan may, in fact, be illegal. Researchers have known for years that when it comes to safety, speed limits should be set at the 85th percentile traffic flow speed. The reality is that most drivers move along at what they consider to be a safe speed for the conditions regardless of the posted limit. To minimize accidents, the limit should therefore be the speed at which 85 percent of the drivers are moving.

In 2006, the Michigan legislature passed a law requiring speed limits to be set based on such traffic studies. Despite that law, many municipalities have not conducted studies of their own and are maintaining artificially-low speed limits. In many cases this is being done to prop up speeding ticket revenues. Because of the law, drivers who feel the speed limits are too low have challenged their tickets and had them dismissed if no traffic study has been done. Even Lt. Gary Megge, head of the Michigan State Police Traffic Services Section, finds it "reprehensible" that communities are not following the law. Hopefully, publicizing this practice will get cities and towns to follow the law - you know, the same way they expect drivers to.

[Source: Detroit News | Image: Dwightsghost]

Report: Many Detroit-area speed limits are set at 'illegally' low levels originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Utah DoT admits higher speed limits has worked out to less speeding

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

When the Utah DOT raised the speed limit on two pieces of I-15 from 75 mph to 80 mph, it discovered that driving habits didn't change. When the limit was 75 mph, the Utah DoT found that drivers were going between 81 and 85 mph. And now that the maximum limit is 80 mph, it has found that drivers are going between 83 and 85 mph.

You can look at that as less speeding, as the UDoT has, or simply the fact that people didn't automatically start going 10 mph over the limit, having found a speed that satisfies 85% of them. This shouldn't be that surprising - even when Montana had stretches of highway with unlimited speeds, it was only a few folks, mostly out-of-staters, that raced at max velocity. And most folks on unlimited sections of the Autobahn aren't even going 150 mph.

According to the Deseret News, a UDoT official said that accidents haven't increased, either, nor did they expect an increase in fender benders. What he said has increased, though, is speed differential, which we don't quite understand. Apparently, the difference between the fastest and slowest vehicles has widened. We can only imagine he was speaking of the 2 mph difference between the slightly higher lower average speed of 83 mph vs the 81 mph from before. Even though one Utah legislator wasn't happy about the increased limit, saying speed kills, the proof appears to be... well, not necessarily.

[Source: Deseret News | Image: Ken Lund via CC2.0]

REPORT: Utah DoT admits higher speed limits has worked out to less speeding originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill to limit Canadian cars to 93 mph seems stuck in neutral

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Canada

When it comes to cars, they do things a bit differently in Canada. While our neighbor to the north has long been considered more progressive than the U.S., it was the United States that introduced pollution controls, and until recently, Canada never actually had any rules requiring them. The same goes for fuel efficiency standards. A couple of years ago, the government of Ontario passed a law that could result in automatic confiscation of your car if you exceeded a speed limit by more than 50 km/h (31 mph). This was done to attack the problem of street racing.

Member of parliament Jim Karygiannis apparently wants to make sure no one gets their car confiscated by making it impossible to drive that fast. Back in February, Karygiannis introduced a bill that, if passed, would make it illegal to sell, import, build or even loan a vehicle to someone unless said ride is fitted with a speed limiter restricting its maximum velocity to no more than 150 km/h, or 93 mph. So far, the bill has not proceeded past first reading, and it hasn't even gone to committee -- good news for Canadian drivers, to be sure. Frankly, there doesn't appear to be any widespread support for Jim Karygiannis's meddlesome legislation. Karygiannis actually introduced a similar bill during the previous parliamentary session, but that one never got past first reading, either. Maybe he should have taken the hint back then. Thanks to Steve for the tip!

[Source: Parliament of Canada]

Bill to limit Canadian cars to 93 mph seems stuck in neutral originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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STUDY: Raising national speed limit has resulted in 12,500 deaths

Chris Shunk — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

In 1995, highway speed limits increased from a nation-wide 55 mph to 65, 70 or 75 mph, depending on the state, and most Americans were thrilled. The obvious benefit of the change was people could legally get to where they wanted to go, but according to a new study, the downside has been an alarming increase in accidents and deaths.

The University of Illinois School of Public Health studied accidents from 1995 to 2005 to determine the impact on the speed increase on accidents. The study examined deaths and injuries in fatal car crashes on rural interstate highways, urban interstates and non-interstate road, and found the speed increase resulted in 2,545 deaths and an additional 36,582 injuries.

All told, the study found that deaths and injuries increased by 3.2% over the ten-year period, while rural road deaths increased by an alarming 9.1%. Lead researcher Lee S. Friedman says the easy way to solve the increases in deaths and injuries would be to drop the speed limit back to 55 mph, adding "Researchers have demonstrated that lower travel speeds and death tolls usually follow lowering of speed limits, and higher travel speeds and death tolls follow increases in speed limits."

Naturally, Friedman points out that the drop in speed would result in decreased fuel consumption and lower greenhouse gasses as well. Studies show that decreased speeds lead to higher volume capacity on freeways as well, as drivers require less distance between vehicles to safely drive.

Not all agree with Friedman's hypothesis, though. Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, says that while deaths will decrease with a lower speed limit, it'd also gum up everyone's schedule. Others point out that the bulk of the added deaths happened in areas where limits are 70 and 75 mph, and where the limits were 65, the impact was far less severe.

[Source: US News | Image Source: Ian Waldie/Getty]

STUDY: Raising national speed limit has resulted in 12,500 deaths originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK tests 'Intelligent Speed Adaptation' tech that automatically regulates vehicle speeds

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology, UK

Transport for London plans to begin a six-month trial of a new technology that will artificially limit the top speeds of taxis, buses and government fleet vehicles. Called Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA), the system will keep track of speed limits all over London and prevent operators from accelerating past that legal limit. The device is capable of slowing the vehicle down regardless of the driver's wishes.

Alternatively, the system can be switched into an advisory mode that simply informs the driver when the speed limit has been reached. If these tests prove successful, it's likely that the ISA technology will be made available within the next 12 months to private motorists who wish to limit the top speed of their personal vehicles. So far, there's no indication that the government will mandate the use of the ISA system.

It's hoped that a large number of drivers will choose to equip their vehicles with the ISA technology. Transport for London believes that both accidents and road congestion would be drastically reduced, which would also have the desirable effect of reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

View Poll

[Source: Transport for London | Image: Edward Barnieh Photography]

Continue reading UK tests 'Intelligent Speed Adaptation' tech that automatically regulates vehicle speeds

UK tests 'Intelligent Speed Adaptation' tech that automatically regulates vehicle speeds originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 May 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German Chancellor says NO to more autobahn speed limits

Merritt Johnson — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:44:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal

It looks like Germany's autobahn system is safe from a potential increase of speed-limited areas, for now at least. As posted on numerous occasions, environmentalists, the European Union and even citizens of Germany have called for the adaptation of 80 mph (130 km/h) limits in the currently ungoverned sections. However, today the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, publicly rejected a proposal aimed at reducing automotive emissions through autobahn speed regulations. Thankfully, Mrs. Merkel is a logical woman as she stressed that traffic jams caused by slow vehicles contribute as much greenhouse gas as a few speedsters. She offered better traffic management as a more effective solution to the Autobahn issue. Now, if only Angela Merkel could bring her ideas over to California.

[Source: Piston Heads]

German Chancellor says NO to more autobahn speed limits originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Europe considering ban of cars capable of more than 101 mph

John Neff — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Europe, Supercars

Autocar is reporting that the European Parliament will consider a proposal this fall to ban all cars capable of reaching speeds over 101 mph. The proposal can be traced back to a man named Chris Davies, a Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parlaiment for the North West of England. Davies argues (try not to laugh while reading his words) that "between 1994 and 2004 the power of new cars went up by 28 per cent, making them a lot heavier, and so increasing the amount of CO2 they put out, even though no country raised its speed limit to allow cars to use this increased power."

The logic is so flawed here, we don't know where to begin. According to Davies, giving a car more power makes it heavier, thus increasing the amount of CO2 it emits. First of all, cars are heavier these days primarily because most developed nations, Europe and the United States included, have federally mandated that cars be made safer, and to achieve this, manufacturers have had to design new safety systems that add weight to cars. Things like airbags, crumple zones, side-impact bars, and the like are the primary reason cars have gotten heavier. While enlarging the displacement of an engine, switching from four to six cylinders or adding a supercharger could make a car heavier while giving it more oomph, more power for its own sake is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for a car gaining weight.

[Source: Autocar]

Continue reading Europe considering ban of cars capable of more than 101 mph

Europe considering ban of cars capable of more than 101 mph originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aw Snap! Poll reveals most Germans want speed limit on Autobahn

John Neff — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Europe

Three days ago we scoffed at an EU official's suggestion that a speed limit should be applied to the remaining sections of Germany's famous Autobahn that remain free to speed. While reports indicated that speed-loving Germans were up in arms over the idea, a recent poll shows that two in three believe a speed limit should be instituted. Whaa? Conducted by ZDF television, the poll showed that 54% of those surveyed favor an 80 mph speed limit, while 10% would like a limit even lower. There were still around 35% of the respondents, which would thankfully include German Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee if he were polled, who don't want a speed limit at all.

The controversy over speed limits on the Autobahn stems from suggestions that an over excited right foot leads to lots of wasted energy, which obviously ain't too good for the environment. Interestingly, the survey also showed that 56% of those polled think flights should be taxed more because of their negative impact on the environment. Yeah, that's right! Cap our cars, we'll tax your planes!

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Aw Snap! Poll reveals most Germans want speed limit on Autobahn originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EU wants to cap speeds on Autobahn

John Neff — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:04:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, First Drives

Say it ain't so. An EU official has gone on record suggesting that Germans should give up their beloved freedom to speed on stretches of the country's famed Autobahn in deference to the EU's more aggressive climate change policy. Reports from Germany are that the nation's people find the suggestion ludicrous, farcical and a downright threat to their freedom. The popular German slogan "free driving for free citizens" has been ringing out on internet sites collecting reactions to the proposal.

It certainly doesn't sound as if capping the speed limit across the Autobahn is going to happen, but nevertheless a debate has begun about what many consider to be a waste of fuel and needless emissions created by blasts down the Autobahn. While it's tough to argue that most people travelling at triple digit speeds aren't doing it just for fun, instituting a general speed limit based on the argument that energy is needlessly wasted strikes us a slippery slope. Formula 1, on those grounds, is a needless waste of energy, or at least one fans could forego. All motorsports, for that matter, could be targeted with this argument.

It seems to us that the proper way to address unlimited speed on the Autobahn and the extra emissions it creates are to encourage automakers and entrepenuers to develop high-performance sports cars that are also more environmentally friendly. Freedom not only includes the choice to drive fast, but also to do so in an environmentally responsible way if one's available.

[Source: Indystar]

EU wants to cap speeds on Autobahn originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Germany's open speed limits upheld

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

The days of unrestricted speeds on portions of Germany's autobahn may be numbered, but they will continue for at least the immediate future, thanks to their plucky Chancellor. The lucky souls who have a valid passport, a current license, a capable car and the will to challenge themselves will be able to do so without legal entanglements a bit longer.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel just added her support to legal measures that will help keep the country's autobahnen free of speed limits, Greenies be damned! OK, she didn't go that far, but Merkel's support was unflagging even against European Union criticism that Germany could do a ~~little~~ lot more in the fight against harmful automotive emissions. The unrestricted autobahn has been seen as a poster child for what's wrong with the automotive world by some environmentalists.

Follow the jump for the rest of the story.

[Source: Inside Line]

Continue reading Germany's open speed limits upheld

Germany's open speed limits upheld originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Speeding be gone! System monitors signs, alerts driver

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Government/Legal

Big Brother is slowly moving behind the wheel of our cars and we appear to be only a few short steps away from losing control of our driving all together. There are groups of respected motorists who have advocated abolishing speed limits all together, insisting that traffic speeds are self-regulating and better controlled by nature and natural selection. But there are definitely times when we would gladly give up a tiny bit of control if it meant keeping traffic congestion from getting out of hand. Automated cars have been tested and with manual overrides can actually be pretty effective in certain situations. Buick's automated highway experiment a decade ago and the countless adaptive cruise control systems on the market today show how useful electronics can be for traffic flow and safety. And now we have a system developed by Siemens VDO that could potentially keep any car cruising along at the posted speed limit so drivers can concentrate on their cell phones well driving, like they should be. (Sarcasm, of course)

Siemens VDO has developed a Traffic Sign Recognition system that will alert drivers if they're driving too fast. A camera will monitor the road ahead for speed limits on traffic signs. As the camera recognizes posted speeds, the information is processed and the driver warned if they are speeding. Not much of a leap to envision this system automatically slowing you down if you don't do it yourself, or even never allowing the vehicle to exceed that posted limit.

If that sounds a bit scary, it probably should. And Siemens VDO predicts it might be here before you know it. Production of this speed monitor system could start in less than two years. A similar system for educational institutions has been under development for some time now, but Siemens sees the automotive industry as a larger force towards getting the system to market. We have as much respect for the law as the next ~~Bullrunner~~ driver, but there are clearly times when speeding can be necessary, such as accident avoidance or to outrun a dangerous situation. So hopefully the system can be configured to allow some variance or be overridden completely when necessary.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Speeding be gone! System monitors signs, alerts driver originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Oct 2006 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intelligent Speed Adaptation slams the brakes on speeding

Joel Arellano — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:35:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Trends, Technology

The Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) system uses a GPS and mapping system to determine where a vehicle is located and at what speed it's travelling. ISA, which was developed by the Motor Industry Research Association and backed with funds from the U.K. Department for Transport (DfT), was demonstrated last week using a motorcycle. When the driver exceeds the posted speed limit, he or she will receive a two beep warning. Once their speed is 5 mph over the limit, the vehicle seat vibrates as another warning. If the second warning is disregarded, ISA takes over and slows the vehicle until it's at or below the speed limit.

Critics point out the system does not take into account when drivers accelerate out of dangerous situations. Touché.

Related:
Cars obeying speed limit despite you

[Source: U.K. Times]

Intelligent Speed Adaptation slams the brakes on speeding originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Decling death rates due to safer vehicles, not better drivers

Damon Lavrinc — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Safety

The number of fatal crashes on U.S. roads have steadily declined over the last few decades and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has found that this has little do with a safer motoring public and more to do with safer vehicle design.

Their findings confirm what has been assumed for years, that as more safety equipment is added and eventually mandated, drivers who would have been killed years earlier in older models are now surviving with greater frequency.

The study also points to the lack of required seat belt usage in some states and the waning enforcement of DWI charges as worrisome developments. These concerns, coupled with speed limits that have steadily increased across the country, are providing the IIHS a bleak outlook on the future.

One glaring omission in the press release (printed after the jump) is the effect of driver training programs on new drivers and how further driver improvement is a necessity to decrease on-road fatalities.

Continue reading Decling death rates due to safer vehicles, not better drivers

Decling death rates due to safer vehicles, not better drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Aug 2006 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man attempts to change speed limit to get out of ticket

Chris Paukert — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

A too-clever motorist in the UK is staring at some jail time after concocting a sign-switching scheme to get out of a speeding ticket.

44-year-old John Hopwood apparently placed a stolen 40 mph speed limit sign over the 30 mph sign that he violated, then took a photo and brought it to court as proof of his innocence. Suffice it to say, it didn't work.

More details of Hopwood's shenanigans at the link.

[Source: UK Mirror]

Man attempts to change speed limit to get out of ticket originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jun 2006 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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