Infographic: Cell Phone Laws While Driving
Great article over at Edmunds about state by state cell phone restrictions. A few weeks ago, I wrote I’ve put my texting and phone use on hold while driving. Just did a 1200 mile round trip drive and didn’t text once. Ok, I did answer my phone a couple of times, but where I’m normally answering/calling while driving, I didn’t. I just kept thinking of an accident where I hurt or kill someone while using a phone and my stomach gets bunched up in knots. What a horrible thing to do to someone.
http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/03/infographic-cell-phone-laws-while-driving.html
dan
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What if we treated Distracted Driving as a disease?
The latest data from D.O.T shows that about 5,000 people died – about 10 fully loaded Boeing 747′s – because they were driving distracted. Few people truly understand that driving 4,000 pounds of metal at 30 miles per hour can be deadly.
The following is from a recent, joint press release by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Consumer Reports:
According to the Department of Transportation, nearly 5,500 people in the U.S. were killed and almost half a million were injured in accidents related to distracted driving in 2009. Eighteen percent of those fatal accidents involved the use of a cell phone.
A new, nationally representative survey by Consumer Reports National Research Center showed how widespread distracted driving is, especially among younger drivers:
· 63 percent of respondents under 30 years old reported using a handheld phone while driving in the past 30 days, and 30 percent of them texted while driving during the same period. That compares with 41 percent and 9 percent, respectively, of respondents who were 30 or older.
· Among the under-30 respondents, only 36 percent were very concerned about the problem of distracted driving, and only 30 percent felt it was very dangerous to use a handheld phone.
· 64 percent of respondents overall said they had seen other drivers texting using a handheld device in the past 30 days. 94 percent had observed drivers talking on a mobile phone and 58 percent had seen a dangerous driving situation related to a distracted driver in the past month.
· 78 percent of respondents overall said they had reduced or stopped behaviors related to distracted driving. Of that group, 66 percent said they did so because of reading or hearing about the dangers.
The survey was fielded in November 2010 with a total of 1026 respondents
Imagine closing your eyes for three seconds while driving. I’ve tried it and it’s not a good feeling. I’ve also texted to the point that I didn’t remember what was in front of me. And I don’t drink and drive…that’ll kill you. I also know how dangerous 4,000 pounds of metal can be in an accident. I don’t text anymore while driving.
We should all think this through. Is that one text message to a friend about meeting for a golf game worth your life, your friends life, or people you’ll never know? No. This is one disease we can all cure and the prescription is free: Just don’t do it.
dan
Posted in distracted driving, safety | 2 Comments »
Three Little Words
This Valentines Day do something with love for you family and friends.
dan
Posted in distracted driving, Quality of Life, safety, texting | Comments OffM x A = F regardless of who’s driving
You know, it never ceases to amaze me when people of stature think they are immune to physical laws. I’ve searched online and seems that in Mass x Acceleration = Force there is no missing factor for $ or S (Sense). Governor Lon S. Corzine was hurt in a car accident because he wasn’t wearing a seat belt, for one such example. What gets me is police (1) people who don’t buckle up. Oh, I’m certain they will say they need that extra 1 second to apprehend someone, but they are not immune to natural laws. Anyway, I believe Volvo drivers are much higher up on the smart scale so you’ll understand the humor in this one:
dan
(1) Results of a study published in the January 2005 issue of the Journal of Trauma showed that unbelted officers are 2.6 times more likely to die if their patrol car crashes than officers who use a seat belt. “More police officers died from traffic accidents in 2003 than from gun-shot wounds,” said Dietrich Jehle, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and lead author of that study.
Posted in distracted driving, safety, seat belt | Comments OffAn easy way to get a speeding ticket: Drive an XC60
At least according to Warren Brown, Washington Post automotive writer. I’ve been where Warren has: Lulled out of full consciousness while driving by flashing red lights, in my case talking with a business analyst about Volvo’s brand image at 1:00 am on the 91 freeway in Irvine, CA. I was charged $300 for crossing a double yellow line. And I suspect I’m not the only one who crossed there since this officer was only about 1/4 mile from my where offensive driving behavior started.
Here is Warren’s story: 2011 Volvo XC60: A virtue wagon that can tempt you to sin?
dan
Posted in distracted driving, safety, XC60, XC60 General | 4 Comments »LA Auto Show Was Electric
Been doing this show for longer than I care to remember, and I have never seen such excitement over a single breed of cars. Really, no one expects them to be our saving grace from global warming, but every bit helps. I have never driven one, until last week. Amazing to drive. Quite smooth, and very transparent technology. Talking with director of Volvo Cars Special Vehicles and head of the DRIVe C30 Electric project, Lennart Stegland, the whole concept is that the driver should not be required to think about anything except safety. Gosh … isn’t that what we’ve been doing for years, taking advances in technology without interfering with driver decision making?
This article is the best I’ve seen from LA show. I don’t think Leary had electric cars in mind when he said “Turn on, tune in, drop out” but works for DRIVe C30 Electric.
dan
http://www.plugincars.com/first-drive-volvo-moves-ahead-its-electric-sedan-video-106465.html
Brad’s statement about 100 cars being for for sale in the U.S. isn’t correct. IF we get any here, they will be test cars and at this point no decision has been made as to how that fleet will be handled. BUT, I’ve raised my hand for one to play with.
Real world test of City Safety
I know Bill, and he’s far from an “inept driver” as one commenter alludes to regarding this “2011 Volvo S60: A drivers car that makes better drivers” Boston.com article. Stuff happens, and in this case we saved all the hassles associated with a minor accident.
Here is Clifford’s counterpoint to Bill’s piece.
To an extent, Clifford is correct: electronic systems are not perfect. But if we get it right 90% of the time – heck, even 50% of the time – isn’t it worth using technology that might save a life? Could we have waited couple more years to get an absolutely 100% perfect system? Sure, but what about those that we could have saved? Tough call for any company to make. I think we made the right decision. What Clifford missed is that City Safety and Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Braking can be switched Off, with default On when car first started by driver. Clifford mentioned that the system could not detect our dummy during testing. Well, the system actually worked, it did not detect a human. There are vast differences between a dummy stuffed with foam and human stuffed with carbon and water.
dan
Posted in City Safety, distracted driving, pedestrian safety, safety | 2 Comments »Our first Open House since 1998 (I stand corrected since 2000)
Amazing how the years just blow by. Friends who work here now have sons and daughters working here, new cars have been launched, people change positions. So many things are different. But not our Open House.
Around nine months ago, Doug Speck, our CEO, told us it’s time to do one again. Working with Volvo Sports America (VSA) and Volvo Club of America (VCOA), we had one heck of a successful event. In all, about 370 club members showed up, putting 774 miles on our demo cars, testing City Safety with our XC60, trying Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake (still haven’t gotten used to all those words) with our S60, drooling over our classic car collection, and having lunch served by VCNA employees.
Beside these loyal owners, what makes me proud are the 70 employees who gave up a Saturday to staff and support what needed to get done.
Owners who love their Volvos, employees who love their work. Nice combination.
Have a great weekend,
Dan
Update: 10/30/2010.
Seems Dave is onto something. He wrote that unless his eyes are playing tricks, he has a dash plaque with “REVOLVOLUTION”, “Open House 10th Anniversary”, “October 28th 2000″, “Rockleigh, NJ” and “Volvo for life”. Revolvolution was about launching our S60 back in 2000. Seems absolutely no one here remembered that event. And to think we launched our new S60 with this Open House. Someone is looking over our shoulders. Thanks Dave!
Parking crew at 6:45 a.m.
Brett and wife Carrie Ann from Colorado and Gretchen Adam (VCOA).
Staffers between Volvo C70 and P1900 (number 34).
R-Sport jackets.
Doug Speck addresses early morning group.
Briefings on product planning, overseas delivery and VDIS service tool.
Lunch prep by VCNA staffers.
Lunch time!
Raffle winner takes home a C70 (of course!).
Volvo.
Best Review of Pedestrian Safety I’ve Seen
Very good description and demonstration by our Naughty Tour host.
Good holiday weekend to all our friends in the US. The rest of you…well it’s just two days to Monday.
dan
Posted in City Safety, design, distracted driving, news, pedestrian safety, S60, safety | Comments OffThe ‘Naughty Volvo Tour’ Coming to a City Near You
An S60 hello to you all.
Last year we took XC60 on tour. Our goal was to show something completely different in two ways: design and safety. No other Volvo ever looked as good, (okay, I think the first C70 Coupe was stunning, especially in Saffron color), but the XC60 was really the first showing of our new design evolution. We also needed to demonstrate how City Safety – a world first in safety – worked.
Think about it: We go through life driving a couple of million miles and never test safety … hopefully not. Then along comes a car that begs to be tested, but doing it with your own XC60, well, that’s not going to work. So we went on the road to let folks try City Safety. In the end, about 3,941 out of 6,311 (knowing Bill Buchka, Mgr. Brand and Launch Communications, asking for an approximate number will get me exact numbers – Swedes don’t do ‘approximate’) tested City Safety.
The car is stunning; it has performance and handling akin to our last generation S60 R car, and features Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Braking. So rather than hunting real pedestrians, we’re doing real, live, come on down and try it, demonstrations – again with Bill Buchka at the helm.
Here are some details:
We just announced the start of our upcoming Naughty Volvo Tour to launch the All-New 2011 Volvo S60. The Naughty Volvo Tour, which will stop at around 150 Volvo retailers across the U.S. and in Canada, kicked off on July 6 in Cranston, R.I., Tulsa, Okla. and Tucson, Ariz., and will conclude in the fall.
“The 2011 Volvo S60 is really going to make an impression in the midsize sedan segment,” said Doug Speck, VCNA president and CEO. “Not only is it the most dynamic Volvo we’ve ever produced, but it also introduces the world-first Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake technology, which will automatically stop the car if it senses an impending collision with a pedestrian. We’re excited to show the S60 to consumers so they can judge for themselves.”
Touted “the sportiest Volvo ever,” the All-New Volvo S60 is equipped with a turbocharged T6 engine, which puts out 300 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft. of torque, and comes standard with all-wheel-drive. Its breathtaking new design captures the imagination and sets the heart racing like no other Volvo sedan, with the C-pillar stretching sensually all the way to the taillights – giving the impression of a 4-door coupe.
The All-New Volvo S60 is also available with Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, a groundbreaking technological solution that actively helps the driver avoid accidents. Volvo’s radar- and camera-based system can detect pedestrians in front of the car, warn the driver if someone walks out into its path, and then automatically activate the S60′s full braking power if the driver fails to respond in time.
The Naughty Volvo Tour is a series of retailer-hosted experiential events, which allow attendees to preview the All-New Volvo S60 before it goes on sale. Utilizing multimedia interactive displays to emphasize the car’s design, performance and safety attributes will heighten the sensory experience. Demonstrations of the Pedestrian Detection system in action will also be available.
For a full tour schedule and to register to attend a retailer tour event, please visit http://naughty.volvocars.us/. Here, saved you some mouse work http://www.volvocars.com/us/all-cars/volvo-s60/Pages/default.aspx?s60tourhub
Come on down, try and hit a dummy, you just might save a real life someday.
dan
Posted in C70, City Safety, distracted driving, pedestrian safety, S60, safety, XC60 | 2 Comments »
