The Thousand Dollar Windshield
Most people don’t know this — yet — but replacing a new car’s windshield can cost as much as a new transmission used to cost. Sometimes, more. Because it’s not just glass you’re replacing. Embedded in the glass — part of the “assembly” is safety technology. It’s usually part of the rearview mirror, technically, but […]
The Unintended Consequences of Self-Driving Cars
Driverless cars have not yet attained acceptance all over the world. The big companies like Alphabet’s Waymo are attempting to make driverless cars a reality. With the development of driverless cars, it is clear that driverless or autonomous cars/vehicles (AVs) can be harmful to humans in distinct ways. Not Affordable For All AVs will be […]
The Unintended Consequences of Self-Driving Cars
Driverless cars have not yet attained acceptance all over the world. The big companies like Alphabet’s Waymo are attempting to make driverless cars a reality. With the development of driverless cars, it is clear that driverless or autonomous cars/vehicles (AVs) can be harmful to humans in distinct ways. Not Affordable For All AVs will be […]
Minding Your Mood and your Eyeballs
Memory seats are nice. But how about mood minders? In-car sensors that assess your state of mind via eye movements, facial expressions, gestures — even your rising (or falling) heartbeat — and adjust the car accordingly? Some of this is already here. Some new cars come standard with “drowsy driver” monitoring systems. Cameras embedded in the dash […]
Auto Tech Predictions for 2020
The automotive industry has reached several significant milestones in recent years. Instead of cars that compete with each other in terms of horsepower, fuel economy, and design, manufacturers are reconfiguring their approach to cars from modes of transportation to connected mobile platforms. While fully autonomous cars still lack viable tech support and infrastructure, as well […]
Do You Need SR-22 Insurance?
My friend Marcos believes that stop signs are optional. My friend Marcos has hit more parking meters than it’s humanly possible (I think he hits them on purpose by now. A way of liberating stress, maybe?). My friend Marcos does not understand turn signals. If you are like my friend Marcos, you need SR-22 Insurance. […]
The 5 Steps You Should Take In Case of an Accident with a Cyclist
According to a recent paper published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 857 recorded fatalities of cyclists in 2018. That is more than 2 fatalities a day in the US! Unfortunately, as there are increasingly more and more cyclists on the road, this statistic is likely to increase with more cyclists […]
Drivers Who Aren’t, But Who Gets the Bill?
Another auto-piloted Tesla has crashed into another car—two cars, actually—last month. The Tesla’s “driver” (in quotes to ironize the obvious) was reportedly “checking on his dog” in the back seat when his car rammed into a Connecticut State Police cruiser and then ping-ponged into another car that was parked on the shoulder of the road. Several interesting questions come […]
Economic Benefits of Women Driving in Saudi Arabia
In 2018, news of the Saudi Arabian King’s decision to allow local women to obtain a driver’s license and legally drive a car caught the attention of the whole world. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries in the world where women have some of the most limited rights. Amazing to me that in the […]
War on Cars Watch for November 13, 2019
The War on Cars Watch is a weekly feature of the NMA blog. The War on Cars Watch focuses on road diets, traffic calming and programs such as Vision Zero and Complete Streets as well as studies, court cases, and other news that affect motorists. Special commentary from NMA California Member Michael Jabbra is […]