Man Burned ‘Beyond Recognition’ Inside Tesla After Doors Turned Car Into ‘Death Trap’
The futuristic door handles on Tesla's Model S cars are being blamed for the death of a doctor who was unable to be rescued from his vehicle following a crash in February, according to a lawsuit.
Omar Awan, a 48-year-old anesthesiologist, died after losing control and crashing his high performance car into a tree in South Florida.
According to a wrongful death lawsuit, filed in Broward County, a police officer close to the accident immediately went to help. However the Model S's door handles, which are designed to protrude out and "auto present", malfunctioned and failed to do so.
Read the article at Newsweek.
Drivers’ Comfort Level Increasing With Self-Driving Technology
A newly released study by Adobe Analytics’ shows that drivers, particularly millennials, are much more comfortable with advanced technology in vehicles and are more willing to buy electric vehicles or those with connectivity features.
People who are ready for the self-driving future now have big plans for the time they used to spend driving: nearly half of drivers (49%) intend to eat and drink while being driven, followed by talking on the phone (47%), holding face-to-face conversations (31%), writing emails (42%) or even working (36%). Thirty percent plan to nap.
A quarter of drivers with built-in voice control functionality are handling tasks they would otherwise take care of outside the car, such as texting (49%), shopping (9%) and searching sports scores (9%).
Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.
Sen. Chuck Schumer Proposes Plan to Swap Gas Cars for EVs
Sen. Chuck, the top Senate Democrat, late on Thursday proposed a $454 billion plan over 10 years to help shift the United States away from gasoline-powered vehicles by offering cash vouchers to help Americans buy cleaner vehicles.
Schumer said in a statement that his plan, which would provide rebates of $3,000 or more to individual buyers, would help transition 25% of the US fleet, or 63 million vehicles, away from traditional internal combustion-engine vehicles within 10 years.
The plan would be key to reducing the impact of climate change, Schumer said, noting that the transportation sector accounts for nearly one-third of US carbon output.
Read the article at New York Post.
‘Encouraging News’: US Highway Deaths Fell in 2018 For Second Straight Year
The U.S. government’s road safety agency says traffic deaths fell by a small amount for the second straight year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration attributed the 2.4% drop partially to technology in newer vehicles that can prevent crashes. A total of 36,560 people died on the nation’s roads in 2018, the latest full-year statistics available.
The agency says the downward trend is continuing into 2019. First-half estimates show fatalities down 3.4%. But pedestrian deaths rose 3.4%, and the number of people killed on bicycles and other pedaled vehicles went up 6.3%. People killed in large-truck crashes rose just under 1%.
Read the article at USA Today.
Mentorship is Critically Important for Women in Fleet
Mentorship is critically important for women wanting to grow and advance in the fleet industry, and men play a significant role as well.
