It has been two years since thousands of vehicles were water damaged by Gulf hurricanes. Consumers, however, are still finding them on the open market. Legislation to help curb the problem is barely moving through Congress.
U.S. consumers are buying small cars in large numbers, driven largely by high gasoline prices. In a declining automobile market, small cars are one of the bright spots. But there is a dark cloud hanging over this good news. Occupants of small cars are more likely to die in crashes than those in bigger, heavier vehicles are, according to data from the government, the insurance industry and the National Academy of Sciences.
Safety features ranks high among today's crop of car buyers in the $25,000 or less category, as the annual study from Car and Driver shows. There was a time when safety features and 'luxo' went together. Today, the trickle-down theory of economics is alive and well in auto-land.
Seeing the need for consistent and thorough electronic condition reports, Manheim is rolling out its InSight ECR program. Florida auctions were the first to get it, now the Southeast region is getting the standardized guidelines. The program should in place at all Manheim auctions by end of the year.
Travelers abroad may worry about drinking the water or being mugged. They might be better advised to be concerned about the bus or cab they ride in. Traffic accidents are the number one cause of death and injury to Americans in foreign countries. And the threat is poised to grow as more people gain access to motor vehicles.