June 28, 2009, 6:18 PM CT

Opt For Rented Cars

Are you planning a trip to Lihue? If you want travelling to be hassle-free then car rental is the best viable option for commuting. To pamper your traveling impulses just throw yourself in a car in which you can move around at your will and take in the awe-inspiring panoramic view of this holiday spot. Make your vacation at Lihue, a rich sight-seeing experience with facilities of Lihue car rental provided by top most auto agencies. Whatever kind of car you need, whether it is economy, luxury or prestige, there are numerous companies ready to cater to your transportation needs.

Most companies assure their clients with alluring insurance coverage that implies total security and peace of mind. Top most agencies give paramount importance to the client's safety by including a waiver which protects you against collision damage. The car rental agencies in Lihue, Hawaii have a wide variety of vehicle types and rates.

Things to be noted before hiring a car

Always carefully eyeball your vehicle before leaving the rental agency. The last renter may have damaged the car and you may be the unlucky one, ending up paying for someone else's fault!

Prior scratches, dents, and other vehicle damage can cause extra trouble and costs if not noted before you leave the rental car lot......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:33:33 GMT

A large red quart into a very pint pot

The Nimik 2CV is a Citroen 2CV van. With a Ferrari V8, 3.5 litre engine squeezed into the back seat. Boys will be boys….[Video]

 Here is the first video of the NIMIK 2CV. You were surprised when we unveiled it, at our factory. Then, you’ve seen it winning the 2009 edition of My Special Car. Now, you’ll be shocked to see how fast it can eat the tarmac while we ride on our roads it’s horses. Posted by: Redferret      Read more     Source

May 19, 2009, 8:18 PM CT

Hawaii Car Rentals

If you are on vacation to the Big Island, Hawaii car rentals is one of the best options you have to reach your favorite destinations. You can find affordable Hawaii car rentals that suit your needs, without much effort. Hawaii car rentals also offer several car classes, which include economy, compact, convertible, jeep wrangler, SUV, premium, luxury, 12 or 15 passenger van, pick up truck or cargo van. Also, if you have reserved a Hawaiian cruise vacation on your itinerary, you can even consider Hawaii cruise ship car rentals.

Hawaii Car Rentals: Vacationing

The paradise island of Hawaii is every vacationer's dream, given its natural beauty. The impressive altitude and latitude of the island and the several telescopes mounted on Mt. Mauna Kea makes it an astronomer's delight. Tourists can also enjoy activities, such as whale watching cruises, air tours, snorkeling and deep-sea diving. The island comprises black sand beaches, formed of lava eruptions from Kilauea volcano, which is the world's most active volcano. Some of the best and the most popular vacationing spots in the Big Island are Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Kea, Akaka Falls, and its various botanical gardens.

Hawaii Car Rentals: Other Benefits
A glimpse into certain exciting discounts and waivers offered by Hawaii Car rentals:

• Lower rates for corporate vacationers
• Free drives for spouses and domestic partners
• US military personnel aged between 18 and 20 years get waiver
• Free upgrades, unlimited mileage and grace periods

If you are interested in vacationing at the Big Island, visit the website hawaiicarrentals.net and choose the best Hawaii car rentals for your needs. Our partnership with industry leaders, such as Thrifty, Dollar, Enterprise, Avis and Budget enables us to offer you the services of assured last minute reservations and monthly rentals, among others


Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

April 23, 2009, 5:27 AM CT

"Congestion pricing" could solve the problem of airport delays

In London, motorists pay a fee to drive into certain parts of the city during peak traffic hours, and the idea has been considered for implementation in New York as well. Now Dr. Itai Ater, an economist from Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Management, is suggesting that introducing "congestion pricing" at airports could save travellers time and airlines money.

"What I propose is a policy to reduce the amount of delays in the airline industry," says Dr. Ater. Airlines that want to use an airport's runways during the busiest times of the day, he says, should pay an additional fee. This price for premium access to the runway could reduce airport congestion - and the inevitable delays, as well as the risks, linked to crowded skies.

Dr. Ater will present his advice at the National Bureau of Economic Research conference in Boston this May. His aim is to spare airlines from future catastrophes as airports, and skies, get busier.

How the Pennies (and Minutes) Add Up

"Airport congestion is a big problem in the U.S. and around the world," says Dr. Ater, who reviewed flight records from America's busiest airports for his doctoral thesis at Stanford University. "The estimated annual costs of delays are $10 billion. When there are delays on take off or landing, a cascading effect is created, with lots of associated problems, risks and financial costs," he says......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:05:22 GMT

Classic Motorcycles to Appear at Pebble Beach

This guy must have been nuts. Wearing only a bathing suit, Roland "Rollie" Free rode "Gunga Din," a Vincent HRD V-Twin, the ninth in the new Black Shadow series, to a smouldering 150.313 mph in 1947, smashing the previous American speed record and establishing a new world record for unstreamlined and unsupercharged bikes. The bike was subsequently called Black Lightning and a similarly named series of race bikes was introduced. First owned by racing enthusiast John Edgar and now by Herb Harris of Austin, Texas, it had just two legal owners throughout its history.

Black Lightning will be among a select group of motorcycles, including Vincents, Brough Superiors, Nortons, BSAs, Velocettes, Triumphs, and Ariels, which will debut on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links as the 2009 concours opens its gates to vintage bikes. It is inviting motorcycles to appear on its show field for the first time so if you own a classic here's your chance to appear among the elite before the field becomes crowded. Hopefully owners will be invited to ride in the Tour as hearing and seeing old bikes on the road is part of the pleasure. Posted by: Philip Powell      Read more     Source

April 13, 2009, 2:13 PM CT

People Drive The Speed They Are Comfortable With

Kansas gravel roads have varying speed limits, but a study by Kansas State University scientists shows that instead of abiding by those limits, people are more likely to use their own judgment to gauge how fast they should drive on the roads.

K-State scientists Sunanda Dissanayake, associate professor of civil engineering, and Litao Liu, graduate student in civil engineering, have studied the actual speeds on Kansas gravel roads and the various factors involved.

"We observed that people are driving at speeds based on their perceptions and existing conditions - regardless of the speed limit," said Dissanayake, who also is a faculty member with K-State's University Transportation Center.

Kansas has about 78,000 miles of gravel roads, or 58 percent of all roads in the state, she said. By state law, gravel roads have a speed limit of 55 mph, though local governments are allowed to reduce the speed limit within their jurisdictions. Most of the state's 105 counties maintain the 55 mph speed limit and don't post the limit on gravel roads.

One exception is Johnson County, where the gravel road speed limit has been reduced to 35 mph and signs are posted. Dissanayake said this creates problems since the county is the only one in the area with that speed limit. For instance, when driving on a gravel road in Miami County, the speed limit is 55 mph -- and it's not posted. However, when staying on the same road and passing into Johnson County, signs alert drivers that the speed limit is 35 mph......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

April 2, 2009, 10:21 PM CT

Hydrogen cars closer to reality

Scientists have developed a critical part of a hydrogen storage system for cars that makes it possible to fill up a vehicle's fuel tank within five minutes with enough hydrogen to drive 300 miles.

The system uses a fine powder called metal hydride to absorb hydrogen gas. The scientists have created the system's heat exchanger, which circulates coolant through tubes and uses fins to remove heat generated as the hydrogen is absorbed by the powder.

The heat exchanger is critical because the system stops absorbing hydrogen effectively if it overheats, said Issam Mudawar, a professor of mechanical engineering who is leading the research.

"The hydride produces an enormous amount of heat," Mudawar said. "It would take a minimum of 40 minutes to fill the tank without cooling, and that would be entirely impractical."

Scientists envision a system that would enable motorists to fill their car with hydrogen within a few minutes. The hydrogen would then be used to power a fuel cell to generate electricity to drive an electric motor.

The research, funded by General Motors Corp. and directed by GM scientists Darsh Kumar, Michael Herrmann and Abbas Nazri, is based at the Hydrogen Systems Laboratory at Purdue's Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories. In February, the team applied for three provisional patents correlation to this technology......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:03:48 GMT

Building An Airbus A340 In 346 Seconds

A fast-forwarded footage of an Airbus A340-600 craft being built at the Toulouse facility.



(thanks Cora) Posted by: Gerard      Read more     Source

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:48:23 GMT

15 Crazy Concept Bicycles

Since bicycles work pretty flawlessly as it is, you might wonder just why we need crazy modifications like spokeless wheels and the ability to ride sideways. Innovation never ceases, and as a result we"ve been treated to a wild assortment of ideas from giant amphibious contraptions to bikes that fold up into backpacks.

Some of these 15 concept bikes address issues like cost, portability and adaptability and others are just plain strange. Posted by: Gerard      Read more     Source

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 03:26:15 GMT

Tata Nano Europa bound for international distribution

There is something deeply ironic about a week in which General Motors, Ford and Toshiba announce a collectively catastrophic slump in sales (as much as 53%) while Indian manufacturer Tata announces the introduction of the Tata Nano Europa model for international distribution. Those of you who’ve been following events will know that the Nano is destined to retail for a paltry $2000 (£1423.00) when it goes on sale in India this month. Tata has also recently completed the purchase of the Land Rover and Jaguar marques, so will we also see a cheapo Jag hit the streets soon? Answers on a Dodo tail feather, please, to….

 Ratan N. Tata, chairman of Tata Motors, said: “In India, the Nano will be launched on March 23, and the cars will be on display at company dealerships from the first week of April. The Nano has also generated wide interest in developed countries, since its unveiling in Delhi and its presentation here last year. We are delighted to present the Nano Europa for future launch in such markets.” Posted by: Redferret      Read more     Source

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:20:41 GMT

GM and Chrysler's begging bowl

And so the bailout continues. Last week, I did a blog entry looking at whether GM and Chrysler will go bust. Now the two companies are begging for more, with GM saying it could need as much as $30 billion and Chrysler saying it needs $5 billion on top of the $4 billion it has borrowed from the government.

In its statement, GM blames it on the banking crisis, rather than its own inept management. "GM's need for government support was driven by the global financial market crisis, dramatically weaker economy and the resulting precipitous decline in vehicle demand. These conditions have impacted the entire auto industry, which in the U.S. is down approximately 40 percent from its peak in 2005, to the lowest per capita sales rate in 50 years. Though the impact has been most severe in the U.S. and Western Europe, automakers around the world are reporting large losses, with many seeking government assistance to weather the downturn. Following the steep decline in U.S. industry sales in December 2008 and January 2009, GM responded by further lowering its forecast for 2009 U.S. industry sales to 10.5 million units (57.5 million units globally) for viability planning purposes. These industry planning volumes are more conservative than those being used by most other industry sources."

Along the way, GM says it will cut thousands of jobs. Incidentally, the company will be taking time to repay the US Government. As Reuters reports, that won't be until 2017. Barack Obama will be long gone by then, and who know which banks will still be around.

The problem for GM and Chrysler is that it doesn't matter how much fat they cut, taxpayers' money won't help if there are no car buyers. And the flow through effect for the rest of the US economy is awful to contemplate with analysts warning that every lost auto job takes 10 more jobs down with it as the impact flows through the system, hurting suppliers, dealers, restaurants, shopping malls and other businesses. Posted by: leon      Read more     Source

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:21:47 GMT

GM Fires Robot, Saves TV Commercial

If you're writing television commercials beware of attacks by special interest groups who see sinister things in humble concepts. GM was forced to delete scenes in its 2008 Super Bowl commercial where an assembly line robot is fired for messing up the product build and, unable to find happiness in menial jobs outside the factory, commits suicide. The spot intended to show how GM rejects cars that are less than perfect. Nice idea, pushed to extremes. Better that the robot learned the error of his ways and went back to work.

I've been there. During the late 70s GM was downsizing its vehicle platforms and, as Chev/Olds/Cadillac creative director for MacLaren Advertising, its Canadian ad agency, I was charged with rationalising the downsized cars in print and TV. Including an Olds Cutlass that looked like a hatchback but had no hatch. Inspired by mythical King Arthur tales I placed the Cutlass on a Florida beach where a beautiful "Guinevere" dressed in a full-length silk robe appeared from within the (dry ice) mists. As a voice-over announcer quietly extolled the virtues of downsizing, our Lady of the Lake dreamily ran her fingers over the car's sculptural lines. The commercial would never win awards but it made the most of a car that, by critical standards, was a dog.

Shortly after the spot was aired I received a phone call from a woman representing a US feminist group. She accused me and the ad agency of exploiting woman's bodies to sell products. Excuse me.... the lady whose subtle curves were all but hidden in a full-length gown? Though meaning no disrespect to female libbers I disarmed the caller by pointing out that our model had followed this commercial exposure by making her debut as Playboy magazine's Playgirl of the Month.

What I remember best was the wrap party after the shoot, with the DJ playing slow-dancing tunes while she and I were the only couple on the dance floor. All our production crew could do was look on enviously. Now that was a TV moment. Posted by: Philip Powell      Read more     Source

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:24:05 GMT

Which Classic Car Should President Obama Drive?

Like millions around the world I watched the Obama inauguration, one of several historical moments I've seen live on television during my lifetime. The moon landing was the most awesome, the World Trade Center attack the most horrific, and Tuesday's event the most inspiring. Does shooting photos of a TV screen make one part of history? I did that very thing when man stepped onto the moon and did it again during the inauguration. This being a classic cars site, however, I can be little more than an observer. Which led me to wonder.... if Barack Obama were to acquire a classic car, what would it be? Following a few moments thought while reflecting on political history, I decided it could only be a Lincoln.

Ah, but which Lincoln? Should it be a Lincoln Continental, one of America's design icons? Or the pre-war V-10 Lincoln streamliner that was arguably the ultimate expression of art deco on four wheels? Many great custom bodies were built in the early-30's with a Lincoln badge, however my choice, built for President Roosevelt in 1942, can be seen in the image above, truly a presidential automobile. But what's yours? Please click on the Comments box and join in a community discussion of President Barack Obama's ultimate collectible. Surely it wouldn't be the truck-based armored Cadillac he rode in on January 20, 2009. Posted by: Philip Powell      Read more     Source

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:32:06 GMT

Wooden Vespa

Wooden Vespa.
Everything that is a remake doesn"t need to turn out great, but some are truly exceptional. And here is where the craftsmanship of Carlos Alberto needs to be appreciated. He built a wooden Vespa and the entire framework is hand built and it is really awesome! Posted by: Venus      Read more     Source

January 26, 2009, 11:49 PM CT

Cell Phones Are Dangerous for Child Pedestrians

Children who talk on cell phones while crossing streets are at a higher risk for injuries or death in a pedestrian accident, said psychology experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in a newly released study that will appear in the recent issue of Pediatrics.

"Cell phones clearly offer convenience and safeguards to families, but they also may pose risk," they said, "especially when children attempt to multitask while conversing on the cell phone and have reduced cognitive capacity to devote to potentially dangerous activities such as crossing streets".

For the study, scientists used a virtual reality software program and three screens to display an actual Birmingham-area crosswalk with simulated vehicles of different sizes traveling on the virtual street. The psychology experts observed that all of the children - even those who were experienced with talking on cell phones, crossing streets or rated as highly attentive - were more likely to exhibit risky behaviors when they crossed the virtual street while talking on a cell phone.

Specifically, it took the children who were on a cell phone 20 percent longer to begin crossing the street, and they were 43 percent more likely to be hit by a vehicle or have a close call in the virtual environment. In addition, the children looked both ways 20 percent fewer times before crossing the street and gave themselves 8 percent less time to cross safely in front of oncoming traffic when they were on the cell phone......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:10:28 GMT

Safe Car Balloon

Safe Balloon.Safe balloon is an interesting concept designed by Baek Uyeol, a Red Dot Award: design concept 2008. Air bags are used to protect the people sitting in the car and this can be said to be the follow-up of it. Safe Balloon is a sign triangle that functions in much the same way as an airbag. It"s a large-format combined sign triangle and airbag that other road users would find impossible to overlook. Its size and rooftop position make it highly visible, even from a distance. It can be used if your car breaks down or in a situation were the driver is not able to set up a sign to let the other road users know. The mechanism activates in the same way as an airbag or it can also be done by hand, and as its solar powered there isn"t much for you to think about its maintenance.
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Napkins Calendar:

An interesting concept created by Russian designer Stas Aki, calendar printed on napkins. Now we need to remember, as these napkins are 365, pack a month, each with the respective day of the week, which strongly suggests a single napkin use per day. It"s quite a combination of humor, timing and economy. Posted by: Venus      Read more     Source

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:55:32 GMT

Colim: A Combination of A Car and A Caravan

Colim: A Combination of A Car and A Caravan.Colim, by designer C Susana is an intelligent mobility concept with an innovative design that offers lots of flexibility which bridges the gap between caravans and regular cars. The new mobility concept is designed to accommodate a small family; designed for two people (max. four persons). Caravan is good for travelers, but if you decide to explore the near by area once you camp, caravan wont suit into the bill, you would choose a small car. And here is where the Colim concept is perfect. The unique design is best suited for your expectation and you dont need to take the whole unit (home part) with you, just detach the front part and you are ready to go! Posted by: Venus      Read more     Source

December 16, 2008, 10:21 PM CT

'Don't drink and ride': Improving subway safety

Structural interventions and public safety messages may be the most effective ways to prevent subway fatalities and improve the overall safety of New York City subway systems, as per a research studyby scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Subway safety is important because even though subway transit is a relatively safe mode of transportation, it has the highest fatality rate of all forms of mass transit in the U.S. The paper, "Epidemiology of Subway-Related Fatalities in New York City," is reported in the November 2008 edition of the Journal of Safety Research

To characterize subway-related fatalities and identify opportunities for risk reduction, the Mailman School scientists evaluated files from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City (OCME) for all NYC subway-related deaths between the years 1990-2003. During that time, there were 668 subway-related fatalities. Of these, 10 (1.5%) were homicides, 343 (51.3%) were suicides, and 315 (47.2%) were accidental (unintentional) deaths. The majority (84%) of all subway fatality victims were male, and the largest proportion (26.5%) of victims were between 35-44 years of ages. More subway-related fatalities occurred in Manhattan (43.1%) than in any other borough.

Unintentional subway fatalities may result from a variety of adverse events, such as incursions onto the tracks. Passengers may purposefully jump onto tracks to retrieve dropped personal items, or accidentally fall onto the tracks through missteps, sudden illness, or lack of supervision of children. Thrill-seeking behaviors ("subway surfing") of youth may also result in fatalities......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

November 25, 2008, 10:26 PM CT

Life is a highway: Study confirms cars have personality

No one needs to tell Disney, which brought the likes of Herbie the Love Bug and Lightning McQueen to the big screen, that cars have personality.

Now a co-author of studyed by a Florida State University researcher has confirmed through a complex statistical analysis that a number of people see human facial features in the front end of automobiles and ascribe various personality traits to cars -- a modern experience driven by our prehistoric psyches. Researchers, product designers and, of course, filmmakers have long toyed with the idea that cars have faces, but this study is the first to investigate the phenomenon systematically. The study would be reported in the recent issue of the journal Human Nature

"The study confirmed with some rigor what a number of people have already felt -- that cars seem to have consistent personality traits linked to them, and that this is similar to the way people perceive facial expressions," said Dennis Slice, an associate professor in Florida State's Department of Scientific Computing. "The most unique aspect of the study was that we were able to quantitatively link the perception of cars to aspects of their physical structure in a way that allows us to generate a car that would project, say, aggression, anger or masculinity or the opposite traits"......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:12:31 GMT

\Three Great Motorsport Competitors Go Down

During the past few weeks we lost two racing icons: Phil Hill, the only American to win a world driving championship, and Paul Newman, who was as talented behind the wheel as he was before the camera. Now comes word that one of the great rallyists, Pat Moss, has left us. For those of you too young to recognise the name, she was Sir Stirling Moss' sister. Originally a champion show jumper, Pat Moss fell in love with fast cars during the pinnacle of European trans-continental rallies, when many of the auto manufacturers regularly competed and even the best race drivers took part. Those were no-holds-barred events with special stages that often included driving flat-out on snow and ice through night-time blizzards up and down European mountain roads. In the spirit of the day they included Ladies Cups (no, not that kind!), organisers being under the foolish assumption that women could not drive as hard and fast as men.

Pat Moss, with her frequent navigator Ann Wisdom, proved them wrong. Driving a remarkable variety of rally cars from Minis to MGs to Austin A40s to Big Healeys to 2-stroke front-wheel-drive Saabs to Lancias, she often beat the men at their own game. Eventually she married Erik Carlsson, a giant of a man from Sweden who was also a giant in the sport, and they formed their own successful rally team. Pat Moss-Carlsson was born on December 27, 1934. She died after a long illness on October 14, 2008, aged 73. The Times of London has a summary of Pat Moss' remarkable achievements and I urge you to read it by clicking here. I never did get to chat with Ms. Moss but we briefly met in the same rally in Canada. On that frigid weekend neither of us won. Posted by: Philip Powell      Read more     Source

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:05:12 GMT

Chrysler Sebring Declared the World's Worst Car

The worst car in the world? I think not. I've driven many worse cars than the Sebring convertible. The trouble is that the people who make these pronouncements are automobile journalists whose every moment is consumed with things like 0-60 acceleration, braking stats, and G-forces when cornering. I understand: been there myself but maturity (also known as old age) leads one to respect the needs of average folk who don't care about car enthusiast's opinions. This suggestion, that the Sebring is the worst car in the world, comes via Autoblog, eagerly promoting the opinions of Autoblog. Mr. Clarkson is a brilliant writer and eminently quotable. Autoblog expresses it as follows: "The way Clarkson sees it, quality sucks in the Sebring and other American cars because we Americans have no sense of history and are thus incapable of planning for the future (by making something built to last)." Okay. I agree with that but there are many Americans living in Florida and Canadians living in British Columbia who could care less. Can the Sebring accommodate their golf clubs? Yes! Is it a pleasant ride for four people on a summer's day? Absolutely! In the rarified world of affordable 4-seat convertibles, the Chrysler Sebring stands alone. Sadly, the damn thing is ugly (do not be misled by the above pr photo). Posted by: Philip Powell      Read more     Source

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:16:36 GMT

First US-Built Chinese Vehicle Now On-Sale

China is now making automobiles in the U.S. - in Oklahoma, to be precise.

An article in the Huffington Post earlier this month pointed out that Chongqing ChangAn Automobile Co., Ltd. has begun production of The Tiger Champ at an assembly line in Oklahoma. Production began on July 31st.

This first Chinese-designed and engineered vehicle assembled in America and meant for the US market is being manufactured under the US name Tiger Trucks.

According to the Huffington Post, "The Oklahoma plant assembles the truck from parts and kits shipped from China; they also say about 50% of the parts used in final assembly will be US-sourced. About 100 employees are working at the company's first US facility."

Chongqing ChangAn is China's third largest car maker. They have a partnership in China with Ford Motor Company. Their first US-made vehicle is a utility truck designed for college campuses, industrial complexes, and golf courses. It will be a legal on-road vehicle only in Oklahoma. Top speed is about 55mph. It's priced at just under $13K....

Posted by: Greg Cruey      Read more     Source

August 27, 2008, 6:19 PM CT

Teens making poor choices when it comes to riding in vehicles

Injury prevention experts have long known that teens are less likely than other motorists to wear seat belts while driving. Now, scientists from the Meharry-State Farm Alliance at Meharry Medical College have discovered lack of seat belt use by teen passengers may be an even bigger problem.

In the first ever direct comparison of the differences between driver and passenger seat belt use for a nationally representative teen population, the Meharry scientists observed that 59% of teens always buckled up in the driver seat but only 42% always wore seat belts as passengers. Even more sobering, only 38% of all teens reported always buckling up as both drivers and passengers.

The study population comprised over 12,000 African American, white, and Hispanic public and private high school students ages 16 or older who participated in the 2001 and 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. The surveys are conducted every two years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track the leading causes of death and disability among U.S. teens.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for nearly 5,000 fatalities each year. About 40% of all teen motor vehicle occupant deaths involve passengers.

"Because seat belts can reduce the risk of injury and death in crashes by more than 50%, there is a critical need for interventions to increase seat belt use by teens as both drivers and passengers," said Nathaniel Briggs, MD, MSc, lead researcher on the study, reported in the September 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:48:15 GMT

Classic Cars and Speedboats

It's been four years since I last attended the Kirkland Concours d'Elegance and though it was a good show then, it has developed into a world-class international concours. So I don't intend to miss it this year since its the only one of of its type to be held in the Pacific Northwest. (Kirkland, should you be wondering, is a Seattle suburb on the east shore of Lake Washington.) The concours setting, on the grounds of Carillon Point, home of the Woodmark Hotel, is quite lovely, although the year I was there it rained and the entire show had to be moved to an underground parking garage. As one who loves traditional wooden speedboats I like the fact that a small collection always accompanies the concours. For 2008 the organisers are promising at least six will be on hand, including a 1939 Gar Wood Custom Runabout with triple cockpits and an Italian-made 1965 Riva Aquamarina. The cars, of course, are of Pebble Beach quality; witness the 1937 Talbot-Lago above, which won a "triple crown" at last year's event: Best of Show, People's Choice, and French Curves First of Class. The Kirkland Concours d'Elegance will take place on Saturday, September 07. A date to remember. Posted by: Philip Powell      Read more     Source

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:43:12 GMT

Automotive Monogamy

Italian photographer Matteo Ferrari took pictures of people who drove the same car for many, many years. Posted by: Gerard      Read more     Source