Tag: illegal

NY dealers try to make it illegal to register a Tesla EV

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Tesla Motors

Following his big battery swap reveal in California Thursday night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is turning his eye to New York. That’s where a new tactic by the local auto dealers could put a damper on Tesla’s electric-vehicle success story.

“Just heard that NY auto dealers are sneaking through a bill to shut down Tesla in NY” – Elon Musk

Specifically, Green Car Reports says, there are two nearly identical bills being stealthily moved through the New York state legislature (Assembly bill A07844 and State bill S05725) that would prohibit the state from registering any vehicles that had not been sold through an independent third party (i.e., a dealer). The move prompted Musk to Tweet, “Just heard that NY auto dealers are sneaking through a bill to shut down Tesla in NY. Please call your state senator!” He later sent out, “NY Assembly passing bill to shut down Tesla, but Senate holding the line. Appreciate senators resisting influence of auto dealer lobby.”

It’s the latest round in a fight that started when the state dealers filed a suit against Tesla’s dealer-free sales method in late 2012. The New York Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the dealers could not use the Franchised Dealer Act as a reason to sue competitors. The New York State Automobile Dealers Association has a letter (PDF) claiming the support of out-of-state groups like the Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers and the Global Alliance of Manufacturers. Tesla currently has two stores in New York, in Queens and White Plains, and one more planned (in Long Island).

That outside support makes sense, since Tesla is embroiled in a struggle with dealers in other states (Massachusetts and Texas come to mind). Nationwide, dealers are putting up quite a fight against Tesla, which makes sense when you realize the automaker is the first to give them this much of a challenge before, at least in recent memory. Since Musk has talked about taking the dealer fight national, we don’t think this is the last we’ll hear of this story.

NY dealers try to make it illegal to register a Tesla EV originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SpotSquad app will let you snitch on illegal parkers [w/video]

Filed under: Government/Legal, Technology

If we were cynical marketers, we might suggest this as a tag line for the upcoming smartphone app called SpotSquad: “Rat out your friends and neighbors for a few lousy bucks!”

That’s right, belying the stereotype of the unfailingly polite Canadian, Winnipeg-based SpotSquad is creating an app that will allow you to report parking violations to authorities, and get paid for it. The application asks that you take a photo of the violation in question, which is then forwarded to local parking enforcement authorities.

Though not a going concern yet, SpotSquad plans to demo the app in some private Winnipeg parking lots this summer, before loosing the hellish software on the innocent Canadian public. According to a report by CTV News, members of the public surveyed are split on whether or not SpotSquad is a clever idea, or a grim tattle-teller. Scroll down below to have a brief look at a how the app might work, and remember to do unto others as you’d have… never mind.

Continue reading SpotSquad app will let you snitch on illegal parkers [w/video]

SpotSquad app will let you snitch on illegal parkers [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Should left turns be illegal?

If you sit down and think about it, the notion of making a left turn across oncoming traffic at a stoplight is pretty absurd. All that stands between you and certain oblivion is the hope that other drivers headed your direction are obeying the speed limit and paying enough attention to notice when the light turns red.

Traffic engineers have known for years that hanging a left increases the likelihood of an accident and wastes fuel. The minds at UPS have even gone so far as to design their delivery routes with fewer left turns, and transportation departments all over the country have adopted so-called “superstreets” that force drivers to make a right and then a U-turn in order to go left or straight.

Sound absurd? Think again. According to Smithsonian Magazine, researchers at North Carolina State University have found that the superstreet design is more efficient and safer than allowing drivers to turn across traffic. After examining data from 13 superstreet intersections and comparing them to their traditional counterparts, researchers found that, on average, the superstreets delivered a 20-percent decrease in travel time and caused 46 percent fewer reported traffic collisions. More importantly, the superstreet design caused 63-percent fewer accidents that resulted in personal injury.

There’s some food for thought the next time you’re hanging a left.

[Source: Smithsonian Magazine | Image: North Carolina Department of Transportation]

Should left turns be illegal? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Survey: 9 out of 10 say phoning while driving should be illegal – half do it themselves

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology

Distracted driver on phone, applying mascara

We all know that driving while talking on the cell phone is a distraction. Even if you say you’re a good driver with superior multi-tasking skills, blabbing on a phone while piloting a two-ton automobile is a quick way to show that you are in fact not smarter than a fifth grader. Don’t let Jeff Foxworthy and his band of miscreants shame you, though… nearly all of us have done it in a moment of weakness. A recent survey of 1,000 motorists found that 90 percent believe that talking on the phone while driving should be illegal. The flip side is that 51 percent of that same data set admit they have used their phone while out on the road.

The survey, sponsored by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, highlights an interesting paradox in our thinking – the “it won’t happen to me” notion. A majority of us agree that doing something is dangerous yet we do it anyway, even when we think it should be illegal. We believe we’re somehow better than the folks who get in the distracted-driving car accidents but we’re exhibiting similar behavior. We eat food, send texts, read our Kindles, call mom and check e-mail while we should be paying more attention to the road. It’s not just about making sure your vehicle is heading where it’s supposed to go but to also maintain awareness of what’s happening around you – and that’s extremely difficult to do when typing out “LOL, OMG-guy nxt 2 me drvng CRZY!!11!”

Check out the official press release after the jump for more details on the survey.

[Source: Chubb Group]

Continue reading Survey: 9 out of 10 say phoning while driving should be illegal – half do it themselves

Survey: 9 out of 10 say phoning while driving should be illegal – half do it themselves originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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