RideLust

We here at RideLust tend to avoid posting anything that could possibly be misconstrued as legal advice, but sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. We’ve posted pieces on dealing with traffic stops in the past, ranging from Vito Rispo’s advice on dealing with police (which is legally correct, but guaranteed to jam you up) to my own piece on avoiding a traffic ticket (which actually drew praise from a CHP officer). I found the following video (audio, mostly) on YouTube, and I just couldn’t pass it up. Even if what the driver did was legally correct, who wants the hassle of a roadside arrest, a weapons charge and the ensuing legal battle? I certainly don’t, and am willing to comply with any lawful order given by a police officer. I recommend you do the same, so here’s (my opinion) of what this driver should have done differently:

Read More…

Image: Gulf News

Here’s an interesting concept: rather than relying on signage to convey a drop in the speed limit, officials in Abu Dhabi City have paved stretches of road in red asphalt (not to be confused with the driver’s education horror film, “Red Asphalt”) to warn drivers of the change. Signage is still posted, and the new speed limit is also painted on the road surface, giving drivers three clear indicators of the change in speed. Since the new system only went into effect last Saturday (New Year’s Day), it’s too early to tell if it’s had an impact on reducing speeds, but it certainly is eye catching.

Read More…

2011 is right around the corner and we all know that New Year’s Eve is when the champagne flows and inhibitions are forgotten.  And when drunk driving is especially prevalent.

As a reminder of such dangers, AAA has released the results of a survey finding that one in ten American drivers within this past year have admitted to getting behind the wheel despite believing that they were near or in excess of the legal blood alcohol content limit.  In addition, AAA reviewed NHTSA data on alcohol-related fatalities between 2000 and 2009 and found that almost two and a half times as many people are killed in alcohol-related crashes on New Year’s Day than on the same day of the week in the weeks surrounding the holiday.

Read More…

One way to keep your car safe. Image: Ihasahotdog.com

According to the latest data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, you’re more likely to have a car stolen on New Year’s Day than on any other holiday, and New Year’s Day even trumps the average daily theft rate. The NICB just released their latest analysis of car theft rates in 2008 and 2009, and it includes a handy breakdown of theft rates per holiday. In 2009, an average of 2,276 vehicles were stolen per day in the U.S. On holidays, the theft rates were:

Read More…

Drunk driving. Street racing. Texting and driving. What do these three things have in common? Aside from the fact that participants always believe they’re skilled enough to get by without having an accident or getting ticketed, they’re all behaviors that can get you (or someone else) killed. AT&T has really stepped up to the plate with this video, which shows the tragic results of four texting and driving accidents. The question is this: will the video, as well as efforts by the NHTSA, do any good? Sadly, I think the answer is no.

Read More…

The 6.4 liter Navistar engine (above) is not included in the lawsuits.

A buddy of mine used to be a service manager at one of the country’s largest Ford dealerships. “The PowerStroke diesels built by Navistar,” he used to tell me, “will put my kids through college.” He was the first to advise people against buying anything with the Navistar-sourced 6.0 liter (or later, 6.4 liter) diesel engine, which has already been the subject of litigation between Ford and Navistar. Owners of Navistar-engined vehicles apparently agree with Ford, and have filed suit against Navistar in California, Utah, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi. The plaintiff in the lawsuit is seeking class-action status, based on the fact that Navistar knowingly built engines with design and manufacturing defects. The lawsuit covers 6.0 liter diesel engines used in Ford trucks between 2003 and 2007, and does not (yet) include 6.4 liter Navistar engined vehicles.

Read More…

Whether you realize this or not, the fuel you’re putting in your car (assuming you live in the United States) is likely to be a blend of 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol. Originally concocted to oxygenate fuel when MTBE was found to be hazardous, this E10 blend has been in use for years. The very fact that you don’t know you’re burning ethanol with your gasoline is a good thing; while some drivers report a slightly compromised fuel economy, most drivers report no issues at all. Bumping the ethanol content up to 15% should also be OK, right?

Read More…

When Toyota was slapped with a record breaking fine of $16.4 million back in April, it was clear that the U.S. government wasn’t done with the Japanese auto giant just yet. On Monday, the Transportation Department told Toyota just how much more delays in notifying the NHTSA about safety defects were going to cost, hitting the automaker with a new record fine of $32.4 million. This time it’s for the floor mat entrapment issue, which was deemed to be separate from the sticking accelerator issue, and for the steering defect in Toyota pickups and SUVs dating back to 2004. Both fines were levied to penalize Toyota for failure to disclose the defects in a timely manner.

Read More…

Philip Inghelbrecht knows a thing or two about writing successful apps; he was, after all, one of the creators of the Shazam music recognition app. His latest venture, an iPhone app called DriveMeCrazy, leaves me both intrigued and horrified. The concept is simple, but the implications are anything but. Download the app (it’s free), and you can report anyone you see for “bad driving”, simply by recording a voice tag of their license plate and completing a “traffic ticket” form. If you’ve got time to kill, you can also look up how many times the same driver has been reported to DriveMeCrazy, and for what offenses. Want to meet the cute blond in the car next to you? Flag her plate, give her a five heart rating, record a message and if she’s a DriveMeCrazy member she’ll get in touch with you. Unless, of course, she correctly identifies you as “that creepy stalker dude” she sees on her commute. If you’re feeling magnanimous, you can also flag someone as a good driver, but I doubt I’d ever use that feature myself.

Read More…

A recent study completed by the Queensland University of Technology’s Center for Accident and Road Safety Research yielded this groundbreaking discovery: speeders are more concerned with fines than they are with potential crash-related injuries. The study also revealed the shocking news that speeders memorize the locations of speed cameras, and slow down to obey the speed limit when approaching one. Just in case you’re wondering how your own speed compares to Australian drivers, a 100 kph (62 mph) speed limit saw drivers varying in speed from 145 kph (90 mph) to 60 kph (37 mph); in other words, Australians drive just like Florida residents on Interstate 95.

Read More…