Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: Taylor Swift on the scourge that is bad parent drivers]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/12/video-taylor-swift-on-the-scourge-that-is-bad-parent-drivers/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/12/video-taylor-swift-on-the-scourge-that-is-bad-parent-drivers/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/12/video-taylor-swift-on-the-scourge-that-is-bad-parent-drivers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Taylor Swift hosts Saturday Night Live - Click above to watch the video

Allow us to make a couple admissions. It's our opinion that with the notable exception of Celebrity Jeopardy, Saturday Night Live hasn't been funny since Belushi. Before she got upstaged by an apparently off-his-meds Kanye West, we thought Taylor Swift was a dry cleaner. That said, it's understandable that we had extremely low hopes (like, none) for a SNL sketch involving the young Miss Swift to be watchable, let alone funny.

But guess what? Us old dudes was wrong, way wrong! She's not only funny, but apparently installed a camera in our little sister's bedroom circa 1991. Talk about the perfect ensconced in misery, unhappy to be alive 15-year-old girl. And her reaction to the dangers of driving during the birds and the bees speech, well, just watch for yourself, after the jump.

Continue reading VIDEO: Taylor Swift on the scourge that is bad parent drivers

VIDEO: Taylor Swift on the scourge that is bad parent drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Saturday Night LiveSaturdayNightLiveTaylor SwiftTaylorSwiftteenagersTeensTextingTexting while drivingTextingWhileDrivingThu, 12 Nov 2009 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Teens copying enemies' license plates to get revenge via speed cameras]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/24/teens-copying-enemies-license-plates-to-get-revenge-via-speed-c/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/24/teens-copying-enemies-license-plates-to-get-revenge-via-speed-c/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/24/teens-copying-enemies-license-plates-to-get-revenge-via-speed-c/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Teens are known for having a lot of time, some seriously outrageous ideas for filling that time, and a slightly obsessive need for revenge. Add a few residential speed cameras into that mix, and what you have is a creative perversion of the entire speed camera system. Teens in Maryland have evidently been printing out the license plates numbers of rival teens, putting them on their own cars, and then purposely blasting by speed cameras posted in residential neighborhoods. The rival teen -- or his parents -- then gets a $40 citation in the mail.

The police say they haven't heard anything about it, and the local government doesn't sound like it has come up with any way to prevent or limit the habit. Which means that teens will be teens, and parents will be left to complain about it and fight the citations in court. Said one parent, "I hope the public at large will complain loudly enough that local Montgomery County government officials will change their policy of using these cameras for monetary gain. The practice of sending speeding tickets to faceless recipients without any type of verification is unwarranted and an exploitation of our rights." Oh, these kids today...

[Source: The Sentinel]

Teens copying enemies' license plates to get revenge via speed cameras originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>etchumormarylandprankpranksspeed cameraSpeedCameraspeedingspeeding ticketSpeedingTicketteenagersteensWed, 24 Dec 2008 17:58:00 EST<![CDATA[California joins other states with hands-free cellphone law]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/01/california-joins-other-states-with-hands-free-cellphone-law/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/01/california-joins-other-states-with-hands-free-cellphone-law/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/01/california-joins-other-states-with-hands-free-cellphone-law/#commentsFiled under: ,


California joined thirty-two other states today when a new law banning unlimited cellphone use in automobiles went into effect at midnight. The new rules prohibit drivers from holding cellphones to their ears while talking, yet they are still allowed to dial the phone to place the call... and freely text message. While the law won't likely have a huge effect on many adult drivers who have become accustomed to using speaker-phones and hands-free devices such as Bluetooth-enabled earpieces (as if that really helps), it is the young drivers who face tough new rules. The law in the Golden State now bans drivers under the age of 18 from using any kind of mobile device while driving. All drivers face the same slap-on-the-wrist if caught. The first offense is only $20, with the fee bumped to $50 for additional convictions. Of course, that number will rapidly increase if other infractions or penalties are applied.

[Source: Los Angeles Times, Photo by David McNew/Getty]

California joins other states with hands-free cellphone law originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bluetoothcaliforniaCellphonehands-freelawslegislationspeakerphoneteenagersTue, 01 Jul 2008 14:29:00 EST<![CDATA[AAA: Teen crashes cost society $34 billion per year]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/aaa-teen-crashes-cost-society-34-billion-per-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/aaa-teen-crashes-cost-society-34-billion-per-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/aaa-teen-crashes-cost-society-34-billion-per-year/#commentsFiled under: ,

Nobody would argue that the potential for lost-life is the worst thing about teen crashes, but the related monetary expenses are also rather staggering. AAA estimates that teen crashes ended up costing more than $34 billion annually in medical expenses, lost work, property damage, quality of life loss and other related costs in 2006 alone. According to AAA, fifteen to seventeen year-old drivers were involved in nearly a million crashes in 2006, injuring 406,427 people and killing 2,541. Each fatality carries an average cost of $3.841 million while injury accidents post an average of $50,512.

According to their research, AAA suggests that states should take up graduated driver licensing strategies, which they say are proven to reduce fatal crashes involving teen drivers by an average of 38 percent. Browse through the press release after the break for the whole set of sad statistics.

[Source: AAA]

Continue reading AAA: Teen crashes cost society $34 billion per year

AAA: Teen crashes cost society $34 billion per year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaateenteen accidentsteen driversteen safetyteen-accidentsteen-driverteen-driversteen-safetyTeenAccidentsteenagerteenagersTeenDriversteensTeenSafetyThu, 10 Apr 2008 07:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Those teens that do get their license prefer Mustang]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/29/those-teens-that-do-get-their-license-prefer-mustang/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/29/those-teens-that-do-get-their-license-prefer-mustang/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/29/those-teens-that-do-get-their-license-prefer-mustang/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Research International USA's TRU branch has polled the youth of our country and discovered that they'd like a fun, stylish car more than anything (duh) -- namely the Mustang. Twenty-somethings posed the same question picked the Honda Civic above all else, mainly because they've had a dose of reality, and are now paying their own insurance and fuel.

So what exactly does this study say? As you mature, your experience leads to more practical decision making, perhaps? That there's a whole subset of spoiled brat high schoolers who have their insurance and fuel paid for and also expect that being handed the keys to a 3,500 pound wheeled liability is a birthright? Probably a bit of both, we suppose, but the fact remains that the Mustang is a flashy, fun car that even non-car people could point out in a crowd and undoubtedly has decent youth appeal.

The rest of the teens choices weren't earth shattering. Besides the Mustang, the cars that young drivers most desire are posted below the fold.

[Source: KickingTires]

Continue reading Those teens that do get their license prefer Mustang

Those teens that do get their license prefer Mustang originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>20civicdesireabledriversfunmustangteenteenagerstwentyFri, 29 Feb 2008 19:32:00 EST<![CDATA[fortwo billed as birth control for teenagers?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/28/fortwo-billed-as-birth-control-for-teenagers/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/28/fortwo-billed-as-birth-control-for-teenagers/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/28/fortwo-billed-as-birth-control-for-teenagers/#commentsFiled under: ,

Click above to see how "teen-friendly" the smart fortwo is.

We all know what teenagers do in the back seats of cars, don't we? Since the smart fortwo only comes with two seats, it's something that any parent will never have to worry about. And Dave Schembri, SmartUSA president, wanted to put everyone's fears to rest when he said, "After all, what better car to have for your teenager than one without a backseat."

But Schembri was actually talking about the far more dangerous backseat activity for teens: distracting the drivers in the front seats. (I don't know what else you might have been thinking). Since more than one accident has been caused by a rowdy -- or just plain distracting -- group of kids on the rear bench, it's another thing fortwo drivers won't have to worry about on the commute.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Gallery: smart fortwo

fortwo billed as birth control for teenagers? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentsbackseat driversBackseatDriversdistractionsdrivingfortwosmartsmart fortwoSmartFortwoteenagersMon, 28 Jan 2008 16:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Spoiled Brats: Forbes makes teen-car wishlist]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/07/spoiled-brats-forbes-makes-teen-car-wishlist/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/07/spoiled-brats-forbes-makes-teen-car-wishlist/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/07/spoiled-brats-forbes-makes-teen-car-wishlist/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Ford Fusion

No matter how dramatic your explanations of how you walked barefoot uphill in the snow both ways are, the fact remains that teenagers will at least need access to a car from time to time. Given that your youngun' will be talking on the phone, listening to the radio, text messaging, chewing gum and chatting with passengers (all while breaking graduated-licensing laws), you want to give him or her the best chances of surviving a possible crash. Better yet (especially for the passengers, who never seem to fare as luckily as the driver), a car that can handily avoid an accident is the safest of all. That's part of the reason why we Autobloggers like a little starch in the ride, swift action from the steering, good strong brakes and enough power to get the hell out of the way should the need arise.

Forbes Magazine also sees the need for kids to have cars that emphasize safety. They've compiled their list of Smart Cars for Teen Drivers, and that doesn't mean a bunch of those little bean-shaped things, either. Forbes picked 15 cars as good rides to put teenagers in. While they may not all generate a lot of excitement in the hearts of the kids they envision getting behind the wheel, we don't see a problem with them. After all, we sure didn't get new cars when we started driving. We delve into a few of the picks after the jump.

[Source: Forbes}

Continue reading Spoiled Brats: Forbes makes teen-car wishlist

Spoiled Brats: Forbes makes teen-car wishlist originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carsforforbesnew driversNewDriversparentsratingssafestsafetysmartsmart cars for teensSmartCarsForTeensteenagersteenstop pickTopPickWed, 07 Mar 2007 14:02:00 EST<![CDATA[When are teenagers mature enough to drive? Florida's thinking 17.]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/22/when-are-teenagers-mature-enough-to-drive-floridas-thinking-17/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/22/when-are-teenagers-mature-enough-to-drive-floridas-thinking-17/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/22/when-are-teenagers-mature-enough-to-drive-floridas-thinking-17/#commentsFiled under:

These are not the words a teenager living in the sunny state of Florida wants to hear, but they could be assaulting his or her young ear drums if a bill introduced in the Florida State Legislature is passed. HB 975 would require the state's minimum driving age to be raised from 16 to 17 years old. Rep. Irv Slosberg (D-Boca Raton) introduced the bill and states the extra year would give teens more time to gain maturity needed for safe driving.

While Inside Line does point out that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety performed a study that shows 16-year-olds were twice as likely wreck their rides as people 18 to 19 years old, this bill still has the stench of political grandstanding hanging overhead. Florida, however, already has a track record for imposing restrictive measures on young drivers, including one that restricts how late at night a driver under 18 can be out on the road.

When are teenagers mature enough to drive? Florida's thinking 17. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Feb 2006 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age limitAgeLimitdrivers licenseDriversLicenseteenagersWed, 22 Feb 2006 19:00:00 EST