“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Steven Covey

By John Wysseier, CEO and President, The CEI Group

It’s a given that companies that want to become disruptive forces in their industry and avoid becoming a victim of disruption need, first and foremost, to understand and figure out how best to utilize emerging technologies. But there’s another essential ingredient that can give them an advantage that may be easily overlooked: a diverse workforce. Why?

The reason is that the world is much different from the way it was when most senior management grew up. Technology has dramatically changed the way people interact with each other and the world, but it has affected different ages and kinds of people to different degrees.

What’s more, America is much more ethnically and racially diverse than it was 60 years ago, consists of a greater variety of lifestyles and, more and more, its businesses compete in a global marketplace. Looking forward, these trends are only forecast to continue to strengthen.

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By Laura Jozwiak, Senior Vice President of Sales and Client Relations, Wheels, Inc.

If you fly, you know the familiar safety speech given by the flight attendant. You can probably recite most of it with me:

“All carry-on items should now be stored securely, either in an overhead bin or under the seat in front of you. All aisles, exits, and bulkhead areas should now be clear. If there is a drop in cabin pressure, panels above your seat will open, revealing oxygen masks … Breathe normally and note that oxygen is flowing, even if the bag doesn’t inflate. Be sure to adjust your own mask, before helping others.”

Wait—what about that last instruction? Be sure to adjust your own mask before helping others? Why is this included?

Because the best way to help others is to start with yourself.

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Forbes

Most Americans love their cars and even pamper them.

We rely upon our beloved cars to get us to work and to get us to the beach or up into the mountains for hiking, and treasure them for the freedom and independence they can provide.

With the arrival of autonomous vehicles, some suggest that we all will eventually not care about which car we are in as they will be owned by large companies that deploy them in fleets.

Others say that we’ll still love our cars, relishing them for the freedoms they provide, and personalization will no longer be tied to a specific car, but instead become an emotional bond across whole fleets of driverless cars.

Read the article at Forbes.

Bloomberg

Santiago, the capital of Chile, is updating its public transit system and has rolled out Chinese-made 203 electric buses since December, with about 180 more due in October.

A terminal in Peñalolén, Santiago, has 65 chargers; the station was constructed by power supplier Enel X. Fully charging one bus takes 2.5 hours

The government has touted the buses’ lower operating costs and contribution to cleaner air. Commuters, Transport Minister Gloria Hutt has said, “feel the journey is much better.”

Read the article at Bloomberg.

Charged EVs

Florida plans to use $25 million from Volkswagen’s Diesel settlement in a network of highway charging stations, encouraging Floridians to buy more electric vehicles, and ensure electric vehicle technology is kept current.

The state could also choose to spend the rest of the settlement funds to replace existing diesel engines with newer, slightly cleaner, diesel engines.

“As electric cars become more prevalent on our roads and highways, the development of these charging stations is essential to the success of our ever-evolving transportation system,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

Read the article at Charged EVs.

MSN

A new study by Insurance.com ranks the best and worst states for car accident claims, based on the average rates drivers pay following an at-fault accident.

Michigan is the worst state for accident claims, with premiums jumping an average of $3,502 after an at-fault accident, a 48 percent increase over pre-accident rates.

Maine is the most forgiving state where drivers pay an average of $1,058 after an accident. This is a mere 20 percent increase over the average insurance rate of $884, which is also the lowest in the nation.

Read the article at MSN.

The Verge

The Obama-era federal committee on automation in transportation was quietly terminated earlier this year by the Trump administration, without informing some members.

The committee held its lone meeting on January 16th, 2017, four days before Trump’s inauguration. The DOT never called the committee to meet again.

Duke’s Mary “Missy” Cummings said it felt like the committee spent the last two years in a “no man’s land,” and views it as a lost opportunity. “Why aren’t we being used to look across the industry and make recommendations for safety? It would be an ideal application of this board,”

Read the article at The Verge.

The New York Times

As Uber seeks new growth, it has teamed up with cities and transit agencies provide train tickets, to transport people with disabilities or sometimes to substitute for a town’s public transportation system entirely.

Uber has pitched itself as being able to provide cheaper and more flexible transportation, especially in locations where public transit is scant.

There are real questions about forming partnerships that may end up pushing riders away from public transportation.

Read the article at The New York Times.

What interests the boss fascinates the worker

By Jim Noble, VP of Risk Engineering, eDriving

Road safety is moving in the wrong direction, and our unsafe driving habits are contributing to this. We know that about 94% of crashes are caused by incorrect driver behavior and attitudes – not skills – and, because of this, attempting to improve driver skills is not the solution.

Instead, it’s guiding drivers to safer attitudes and behaviors that will have a lasting impact on road safety, and one of the ways to encourage drivers to form good habits is through coaching.

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CityLab

In the 2010s, Uber and Lyft stormed into cities with a grand promise that app-based rides would reduce the need for personal car ownership and ultimately remove cars from the road.

Transportation consultancy Fehr & Peers, released a joint analysis showing that Uber and Lyft vehicles are responsible for significant portions of vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) in six major urban centers.

These numbers suggest that ride-hailing is hitting traffic harder in many cities than previously understood.

Read the article at CityLab.