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Study: GMAC Insurance test suggests one-in-five drivers would fail driver’s test

Filed under: Etc., Safety

driving fail

Our roadways are filled with crappy drivers. It’s an unfortunate fact that we take our lives into our hands every time we strap on a seatbelt and head out on the open road. But at least we all have passed the most basic test of driving skill, right?

Sadly, according to a recent test carried out by GMAC Insurance, a driver’s license may not mean what we think it means. Apparently, one-in-five drivers would fail their driver’s test if they had to retake it today. Such simple rules about what to do when approaching a yellow light and how much distance to leave in between the car ahead were answered incorrectly by a shocking three out of four drivers.

After three consecutive years at the bottom of the list, New York drivers managed to move up to 45th, leaving the District of Columbia to earn their spot as the worst drivers in America. Kansas drivers scored the highest. In other us-versus-them news, men managed to score a significant six-percent better than women, and drivers between the ages of 60 and 65 scored the highest.

Check out the complete press release after the break for more interesting tidbits, and feel free to take a simple test yourself at the GMAC Insurance website.

Continue reading GMAC Insurance test suggests one-in-five drivers would fail driver’s test

GMAC Insurance test suggests one-in-five drivers would fail driver’s test originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus ‘ES 300h’ trademark filing suggests lux’d up Camry Hybrid on the way?

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Government/Legal, Lexus, Rumormill

2010 Lexus ES 350

2010 Lexus ES 350 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Toyota Camry-based Lexus ES isn’t exactly the most exciting product in the automaker’s range. The entry-level luxury front-driver just received a slight refresh for the 2010 model year, but based on a filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office discovered by Car and Driver, an electrified ES hybrid may be in the cards for the sedan’s next generation.

Like the rest of Lexus’ hybrids, the numerical part of the ‘ES 300h’ nomenclature doesn’t really hold any sort of significance in terms of engine displacement. We’d hardly be surprised to find the Camry Hybrid’s 2.4-liter mill under the Lexus’ hood, though we won’t rule out the possibility that output numbers could be tweaked for use in the ES 300h.

The move to hybrid-ify the ES sedan makes sense, as Lexus has long said that it wants to broaden its gasoline-electric offerings. The automaker currently has the CT 200h, HS 250h, GS 450h, RX 450h and LS 600h L, but adding a sixth hybrid car would further strengthen the brand’s appeal to eco-minded luxury customers. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

Gallery: Review: 2010 Lexus ES 350

[Source: Car and Driver]

Lexus ‘ES 300h’ trademark filing suggests lux’d up Camry Hybrid on the way? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Whitacre suggests GM IPO shares will be $20-$25

Filed under: GM, Earnings/Financials

Ed Whitacre in crush of reporters

General Motors chairman Ed Whitacre is readying the world for GM’s Initial Public Offering. The IPO is slated to happen next month and Whitacre has reportedly said that he expects shares to be priced between $20 and $25. That price will likely be achieved via a stock split, with sources saying GM plans to offer shares in a four-to-one split.

This could be good news for past and present employees, as well as dealers, who are invited to purchase shares at the IPO price. The minimum investment is said to be $1,000 to participate in this program and even that minimum dollar amount could yield solid returns right out of the gate.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty]

Report: Whitacre suggests GM IPO shares will be $20-$25 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben Collins suggests ‘Who Wants to Be the Stig?’ reality tv show

Filed under: Etc., UK, Celebrities

Potential Stigs vie for new gig via reality show?

Another day, another Stig story. But this one’s a bit different. The now ex-white-suited BBC driver Ben Collins has suggested that Top Gear run an X-Factor style contest to find the next Stig. From his interview with the Telegraph:

“If I were working on the show I’d suggest they do a shoot out – a sort of Who Wants to Be the Stig? X Factor. People could turn up in balaclavas and they could all have a go.”

Collins goes on to say that the producers would be acting “childish” if they choose to go forward without a new faceless driver, which we couldn’t agree with more. But…

While Collins’ idea could certainly make for entertaining telly, two issues come to mind: 1) People go on reality shows to become known, with the hopes gaining fame and fortune. Yet Collins resigned from his spot exactly because he hadn’t received what he felt was his fair share. That’s not likely to change with the next Stig. And 2) The reason the idea of the Stig is so successful is exactly because we don’t know who he is. The masked man’s skills have never been called into question because he is the ultimate impartial and unbiased driver. If we know his (or her) identity, his resume and what backhanded schemes he pulled off to land the top spot in a reality show, are we going to trust him? Probably not.

[Source: Telegraph]

Ben Collins suggests ‘Who Wants to Be the Stig?’ reality tv show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LaHood suggests mobile phones should come with warning labels

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology

Texting Kills

Judging from the statistics that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration recently released, distracted driving is a big problem here in the States. Researchers have found that one of the largest sources of distraction behind the wheel comes from hand-held devices – cell phones, smart phones, media players and the like. According to The Detroit News, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has mentioned that he would like to see some sort of visual warning on cell phones alerting users to the dangers of using the devices while behind the wheel.

However, the suggestion isn’t likely to evolve into a full-fledged motion by NHTSA. LaHood simply made the comment off-hand during an interview, but that doesn’t mean that mobile phone makers weren’t paying attention. The handheld phone industry has said that it will meet with LaHood to discuss the possibility, though its products come with a warning about being careful while operating them.

Would it help? We seriously doubt it. Mobile phones have evolved into too great a temptation for most drivers to ignore while behind the wheel, and another visual warning isn’t going to do too much to change that.

[Source: The Detroit News]

LaHood suggests mobile phones should come with warning labels originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New study suggests that women drive dirtier than men – at least in Britain [w/poll]

Filed under: Etc., UK

We’ll be the first to admit that we’re not the most fastidious folks when it comes to a clean vehicle. It’s not that we don’t pride ourselves in having a clean-as-can-be car, it’s just that there are more pressing things on our schedule most days. The good news is, we’re not alone. According to research worked up by Autoquake – an online vehicle retailer in the UK – nearly half of drivers surveyed clean their vehicle in intervals of six months or more. Hey, even we aren’t that bad. Even more interestingly, the poll found that women are more likely to leave their ride dirty than men.

Around 56 percent of the women in the study said that they leave their vehicle unwashed for six months or more while 44 percent of men said the same. Granted, leaving half a year’s worth of grime to eat away at your vehicle’s bodywork is bad, but it gets worse: Four percent of those surveyed said that they never clean their vehicle.

This lead us to wonder – how often do give your vehicle the once-over? Come clean in our poll below, and don’t forget to check out the full press release from Autoquake after the jump.

View Poll

[Source: Autoquake]

Continue reading New study suggests that women drive dirtier than men – at least in Britain [w/poll]

New study suggests that women drive dirtier than men – at least in Britain [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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