Japan Disaster, Fuel Prices Expected to Slow Down March Auto Sales
March auto sales lost some of the momentum gained in February, most likely due to the Japan disaster and high gas prices testing consumer confidence. The expected SAAR of 12.9 million is down from February's 13.4 million rate.
FMCSA Releases New Safety Program
The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) has released its new safety program called Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA). This program replaces the Safe-Stat program which relied on safety audits and targeted a small number of carriers. CSA will be run from weigh stations and will focus on out-of-service items, overweight violations, moving violation tickets as well as maintenance and log book violations.
Manheim Harrisonburg Earns Top Honor from Fiserv
The Manheim Harrisonburg auction was tabbed by Fiserv as its top performing auction of the year. The company also said it remarketed 55,000 vehicles in 2010. Taking second in the Fiserv auction rankings was Carolina Auto Auctions.
Feds May Require Vehicle Backup Cameras by 2014
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration) is taking public comment on the need to require backup camera technology on all vehicles. Tragic stories have been given of deaths and injuries as a result of being hit by a vehicle while backing up. Backup cameras could be installed on all vehicles by 2014 at a cost of $60 to $300.
TrueCar.com Rates Top 10 Car Shopper Deals as Gas Prices Rise
TrueCar.com just published its own ranking of the top 10 car shopper deals for acquisition and gas pump prices, as rising gas prices become a more pressing purchase decision. The 2011 Chevrolet Aveo topped the list of cars with four or more seats and automatic transmissions, competitive pricing, and combined EPA fuel economy ratings in the 28 to 33 mpg range.
