Make Drivers Great — Again and Again
By Art Liggio, President, Driving Dynamics
While vehicle types, traffic conditions and behavioral issues have greatly changed since the first driver education course in 1934, just how well have we kept up with preparing people to drive safely—especially those who spend hours each week behind-the-wheel for work?
As a fleet operator (non-CDL), do you think, based on an average of only six hours of formal behind-the-wheel training, the drivers in your fleet have come to you with an optimum level skill to operate a vehicle safely? Are these great drivers?
Fuel-Cell Vehicles Need More Time, Says Toyota Chairman
Fuel-cell vehicles will take longer to popularize than other recent green car technologies, such as hybrids, the chairman of Toyota Motor Corp. said during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The Japanese automaker has been an active proponent of hydrogen power, last year launching in the U.S. its first retail fuel-cell vehicle, the Toyota Mirai. There are now two other FCVs on the market, including the Honda Clarity and a version of the Hyundai Tucson, with several other automakers expected to bring their own models to market over the next several years.
But while public acceptance of the original hybrid-electric vehicle, the Toyota Prius, was “much faster than we had anticipated,” Takeshi Uchiyamada told a reporter for Bloomberg news, that’s not likely to happen with vehicles like the Mirai, the chairman said, because “the infrastructure needs to be prepared before it becomes major in the market.”
Why Driver Training Often Fails
Like any sort of behavior modification, successful driver training comes slowly and incrementally. But the positive changes it teaches can last forever.
Finding the Best (and Safest) Drivers
Finding the best drivers starts with safety - of course. But it also encompasses other important things - like no tobacco usage, and knowing how to use a smart phone.
Kontos Kommentary – December 2016 Edition
In the latest Kontos Kommentary, Tom Kontos, Chief Economist at KAR Auction Services, provides his insight and updates regarding used vehicle market conditions. To read the entire Kontos Kommentary for December 2016, visit https://www.adesa.com/kontos-kommentary.
