New National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research shows that between 2002 and 2006, nearly four fatalities out of 10 involved alcohol-impaired crashes in the last two weeks of December. The new study also found that 21-24 year-old drivers are involved in more alcohol-impaired fatal crashes than any other age group, announced NHTSA Acting Administrator David Kelly today. "Drunk driving is one of the most serious, and preventable, dangers we face on our roadways," Kelly said. "Sadly, the death toll from drunk-driving crashes is higher between Christmas and New Year's than any other time." The new report was released on the eve of a national crackdown against impaired driving that involves thousands of law enforcement agencies throughout the country and runs through the New Year's holiday. The "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest" law enforcement and public awareness campaign is supported by a $7 million national television and radio advertising campaign. Acting Administrator Kelly warned motorists to obey the law and drive sober to avoid being stopped by police.
"Our law enforcement officers are giving up their holiday time with their families to protect us all from drunk drivers," Kelly said. "Make no mistake about it, violators will get a free ride to jail. So before you go out to celebrate, be responsible and designate a sober driver." Labels: Auto Mobile, Auto Motive, Auto Mover, Auto Transport, Brake Systems, Cars Shipping
               
The White House has established a draft of a bill from the Congress that would aspire to stay Detroit's Big Three carmakers rolling atleast into coming year.
The draft bill will call on President Bush to select any one or more people inside the executive branch to sanction, dissolve and look-over a loan for the auto industry.
The White House press secretary Dana Perino told that the deal was "very likely" to be announced out by the end of the day.
The White House and Congress have been working to muddle out a cautious agreement that would give General Motors and Chrysler a short-term blend of about $15 billion in a low-interest loan to stay afloat in the months ahead. Ford has also requested loans but will have to wait.
In a move to improve customer service, the Department of Government Services has introduced a new pilot telephone service centre for motor registration. Located at the Millbrook Mall in Corner Brook, the centre is staffed by four dedicated phone agents, in addition to four other positions already located at motor registration offices in Mount Pearl, Grand Falls-Windsor and Corner Brook.
"At a time when many businesses are moving towards automated call distribution systems, we are bucking that trend and improving customer service by providing a live person when customers call our offices," said the Honourable Kevin O'Brien, Minister of Government Services. "Our number one complaint has been the difficulty people had when they called our offices and had to navigate the automated system. I want our customers to know that we listened to them. I am very pleased that we are able to test this service so that when someone calls us, they will talk directly to a live person on the other end."
The pilot project started on July 8. As a pilot project, the department will examine the new phone system to determine if it is a viable, long-term measure to improve customer service. In addition, the system will be monitored for any adjustments needed in its early stages.
"We know that many people will choose to call motor registration before lining up at the counter," said Minister O'Brien. "The new teleservice centre allows for an interactive conversation which will help customers with their request. Not all transactions are straight forward and this will give customers the opportunity to know exactly what documents they need to have prior to coming to our office. As well, there may be better alternatives that they might not be aware of, such as using fax, mail or Internet services, which would save them time and travel costs. As a result, we expect that, over time, this service will also help reduce wait times at motor registration offices as fewer direct calls allow staff to concentrate on counter service."
"The implementation has been very smooth and, on the whole, a positive experience with great feedback from our customers," said Minister O’Brien. "However, this is a new system and, while a great improvement, we ask the public to be patient as we work out any difficulties."
On average, the motor registration division processes nearly 1.5 million transactions a year, including approximately 300,000 customers directly over the counter at offices throughout the province.
In Budget 2008, the Provincial Government reduced the annual vehicle registration fee from $180 to $140 and continued the 10 per cent online vehicle registration discount, providing a further reduction to $126. The $40 reduction is expected to return some $10 million annually to vehicles owners and the online discount, first introduced in Budget 2007, is expected to result in an additional $800,000 in savings. Labels: Auto Mobile, Auto Motive, Auto Mover, Auto Transport, Brake Systems, Cars Shipping
The Public Utilities Board's interruption formula criteria were met for most regulated fuels, and all maximum prices for these products decreased effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, December 11, 2008, except in areas currently under a price freeze. Maximum prices were lowered as follows: - all types of gasoline by 7.8 or 7.9 cents per litre (cpl) - depending on the HST rounding impact;
- ultra low sulphur diesel by 10.1 or 10.2 cpl - also depending on HST rounding;
- No. 2 blend furnace oil by 8.12 cpl; and,
- stove oil by 7.93 cpl.
There will be no change to the maximum price of residential propane used for home heating purposes, as the interruption formula criteria were not met. During the past week commodity market pricing continued the steep downward trend. For refined products, such as gasoline, automotive diesel and furnace/stove oil, this downturn means maximum prices in Newfoundland and Labrador are at levels not seen for several years. For example, the last time maximum gasoline prices in Zone 1 (Avalon Peninsula) were lower than 82.2 cpl was December 2003, and the price of this product has dropped by more than 67 cpl since September.
Vehicle owners across the nation can be instantly informed of a safety recall under a new automated alert system announced today by U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters. The recall alerts can be received via e-mail or RSS-feeds on personal computers, cell phones or PDA devices-automatically and free-of-charge. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are about 600 vehicle recalls each year. Historically, one in four motorists ignore these recalls when they are announced. "It is extremely important that people are aware of recalls and act quickly to get their vehicles repaired," Secretary Peters said. "When it comes down to it, ignoring a recall means ignoring a safety defect that could put you and your family at risk." Under the new alert system, consumers can elect to receive all vehicle recalls as they are made public, or personalize the alerts to specific vehicles. David Kelly, acting administrator of NHTSA, noted that the new vehicle recall notification system is an expansion of the agency's consumer safety communications program. Earlier this year, NHTSA also introduced automated recall alerts for child safety seats and tires. "I urge everyone to visit the safercar.gov website and sign up for all three recall alert programs,” Kelly said. “In these cases, information is not just power, it can save your life and the lives of your family and loved ones."
More Americans are buckling up than ever before, with 83 percent of vehicle occupants using seatbelts during daylight hours, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced today. In 2007, 82 percent used seat belts.
"More and more Americans are realizing that the mere seconds it takes to buckle up can mean the difference between life and death," Secretary Peters said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that approximately 270 lives are saved for every one percent increase in belt use. Acting NHTSA Administrator David Kelly said a contributing factor for such historically high seat belt use is high-visibility law enforcement efforts, such as the Department's "Click It or Ticket" campaign.
"We are committed to supporting state and local law enforcement in their front-line efforts to encourage belt use," Kelly said.
According to the report, 84 percent of passenger car occupants are buckling up. Even more people, 86 percent, are buckling up in vans and SUVs while pickup truck occupants buckled up 74 percent of the time.
The report finds that safety belt use increased or remained level in every region of the country, with the highest use being reported in the West (93 percent), and the lowest in the Midwest and Northeast (79 percent). The South reported 81 percent.
The report reveals that states with primary belt laws are averaging about 13 percentage points higher for seat belt use (88 percent) than states with secondary laws (75 percent). In primary belt law states, officers can issue a citation for a seat-belt violation alone. In secondary law states, seat belt citations are allowed only after a stop for another violation.
The report also notes that belt use on expressways is now at an estimated 90 percent while belt use on lower-speed "surface" streets remains at 80 percent.
Seat belt use and other data are collected annually by NHTSA as part of the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS). The latest survey, conducted in June of 2008, involved daylight observations of vehicle occupant behavior at more than 1800 sites nationwide.
To help consumers make well-informed choices when purchasing new vehicles,
"With the new Fuel Economy Guide in hand, Americans now have the information they need to buy greener and cleaner cars and trucks," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "This valuable guide can help jump start any search for a better, more efficient automobile."
"Today new car buyers have more fuel efficient and alternative fuel options than ever before," Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman said. "Knowledge is power and this guide provides consumers with necessary information to make smart vehicle purchasing decisions that will save them money at the pump."
Fuel-efficient models come in all types and sizes, so consumers can save thousands of dollars over a vehicle's lifetime without sacrificing performance. Included in the 2009 fuel economy leaders are diesel vehicles certified to EPA's tightest emissions standards. Consumers now have access to the cleanest diesels ever available in the U.S. marketplace.
Each vehicle listing in the Fuel Economy Guide provides an estimated annual fuel cost. The online guide includes an interactive feature that allows consumers to insert their local gasoline prices and typical driving habits to receive a personalized fuel cost estimate. Fuel economy estimates now include the revised test methods implemented in model year 2008. These revised tests better reflect "real world" driving conditions and habits, including higher highway speed limits and use of accessories such as air conditioning.
EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) have unveiled the 2009 Fuel Economy Guide.
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