Americans Are Still Way Too Tolerant of Drunken Driving
More people are dying on the nation’s roads these days because the economy is going gangbusters and gasoline is cheap.
That’s the line Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and his staff have been pushing especially hard, as new statistics show the death toll on the nation’s highways has been increasing.
Of course, it’s indisputable, too: People are driving more these days, and the more you drive, the more likely you are to have an accident.
Big Carmakers Merge, Cautiously, Into the Self-Driving Lane
When General Motors starts selling a new Cadillac sedan next year, it plans to equip the car with G.M.’s answer to Tesla Motors’ Autopilot.
Like Autopilot, G.M.’s SuperCruise feature will be designed to steer a car for long stretches of highway driving, pass other vehicles, brake for traffic, speed up and change lanes — all with minimal effort by the driver.
The monitoring system, which analyzes images of the drivers’ eyes and head to tell if they are looking forward, will notice if drivers are drowsy, looking down at their cellphones or have turned to reach into the rear seat.
Your Decisions Drive Your Safety — and Your Career
Women in Fleet Management (WiFM) kicks off the annual AFLA Conference on Sunday, September 18th, with a late afternoon program: Ignite Your Sales Potential – followed by a reception. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to network with so many talented and accomplished women (and yes, men!) in fleet.
When we had the opportunity to interview Kathe Carter, an exemplary “woman in fleet,” we were delighted. With 30 years of experience at the State of Michigan and now COO of Mercury Associates, Kathe knows a thing or two about fleet management. In our interview, she gives us insight into the state of the industry and talks about how Mercury Associates works with fleets who are seeking an independent review of an aspect of their fleet operations.
Don't forget: NETS' free, downloadable Drive Safely Work Week tools are now available. The theme of this year's campaign: "Your Decisions Drive Your Safety." Indeed they do.
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
Stuck in Traffic, Polluting the Inside of Our Cars
The average American commuter spent 50 hours in traffic last year. As a nation, we spent eight billion hours sitting in our cars, waiting for lights to change, for the driver ahead to sneak into that parking spot, for an accident to be cleared.
That’s not much more time than many Europeans spend in cars. According to Inrix, a roadway and traffic analytics company, drivers and passengers in Belgium spent 44 hours in traffic last year; in Germany, 39 hours.
Wherever it happens, new research suggests that all that sitting and waiting is exposing us to more pollutants than we’d take in if were we cruising along.
Michael Dolan Named Chief Information Security Officer at Element
Element Financial Corporation announced that Michael Dolan has been named chief information security officer of its fleet management business.
"Element is a data-driven company of industry leaders who are inspired to transform the future,” said John Wall, chief technology officer at Element Fleet Management. "Michael's deep information security and legal background make him an excellent addition to our leadership team."
