Designers Must Make Vehicles Safe for Everyone — Not Just Drivers and Passengers
Designing for walkability is not just about roads. The design of vehicles — everything from their size and shape to their software — has a profound effect on the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users.
Street design changes that reduce speeds of left-turning vehicles at intersections (through left-turn traffic calming treatments) or right-turning vehicles (through a decreased corner radius) can similarly reduce the severity of turning crashes. Strategies such as removing parking near intersections, a practice known as “daylighting”, and leading pedestrian intervals, which allow pedestrians to enter crosswalks at intersections before vehicles are given a green light, can enhance pedestrian visibility for drivers of all vehicle types.
Motor Vehicle Theft, Other US Crime Rates Plummeting in 2024
Here’s some great news: reports of both violent crime and property crime declined dramatically during the first quarter of 2024. Property crime specifically was down 15.1% as compared to the first quarter of 2023. Burglaries were down 16.7% while motor vehicle theft was down 17.3%.
The FBI database shows 772,943 vehicle thefts in 2017. That number fell to 751,904 in 2018 and dropped again to 724,872 in 2019. So far so good. But then during the pandemic, many types of crime shot up. In 2020, there were 810,400 reported vehicle thefts. That number climbed a bit more, landing at 849,741for 2021. Then there was a steeper climb to 942,174 in 2022.
Charging Ahead: EV Realty’s Mission to Transform Fleet Infrastructure
By Fleet Management Weekly Staff
EV Realty is tackling the EV infrastructure problem head-on by focusing not just on individual fleets but also on the bigger picture of electrification. The company develops, deploys, and owns EV charging hubs capable of simultaneously powering multiple commercial fleet operations.
These Powered Properties™ are multi-fleet, multi-use charging hubs capable of servicing many local fleets simultaneously. EV Realty handles every aspect of building, managing, and maintaining these hubs.
“The challenge for many fleets is a lack of background in energy development,” says Jim Ludovico, Chief Customer Officer of EV Realty. “They don’t have resources aimed at dealing with utilities, dealing with local planning boards, nor experience with charging infrastructure. We resolve those challenges for the fleets that are in operational proximity to our hubs."
Here Are the Affordable Plug-In Hybrids with The Most Electric Range
The best plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) for 2024 offer an acceptable amount of all-electric driving range. Some of these plug-in hybrids could perhaps cover your work commute without burning gasoline. However, that gas engine is there when needed, so a cross-country drive could be accomplished without charging up.
For this list of "affordable" plug-in hybrids, we decided on a price of no more than $50,000. This price cap excludes some PHEVs that offer substantially more all-electric range, but those vehicles can cost upwards of $100,000 in some cases and are not considered mainstream. Which affordable, mainstream 2024 PHEVs can get you the most electric miles on a fully charged battery?
Electrify America Increases Charger Security as Cable Thefts Continue
While EV infrastructure vandalism was not unheard of in the past, it was a rare occurrence and typically motivated by extreme anti-EV ideology. More recently, however, attacks have been motivated by thieves looking to profit from the metal contained in electric vehicle charging cables.
Anthony Lambkin, vice president of operations at Electrify America, says that in previous years, Electrify America might see one cable cut every few months. This sudden increase has significantly impacted operations and the lives of electric car owners. Electrify America is installing additional security cameras at charging locations to catch more thieves in the act.
