Most Drivers Would Be OK With Anti-Speeding Tech in Vehicles, Survey Shows
More than 60% of drivers would find it acceptable if their vehicle provided an audible and visual warning when they exceeded the posted speed limit, a new survey from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows.
Perhaps more surprisingly, about half of drivers say they wouldn’t mind vehicle technology that makes the accelerator pedal harder to press or automatically restricts speed.
“These findings are exciting because they suggest American drivers are willing to change how they drive to make our roads safer,” IIHS President David Harkey said. “The conventional wisdom has always been that speed-restricting technology would never fly in our car-centric culture.”
More EVs, Fewer Plugs: How Permit Delays Slow Down Charger Growth
If you drive an electric car, the chances of encountering a traffic jam at charging stations before finding a spot to plug in are higher today than ever. That's especially true in large, congested cities like New York or Chicago. This is because the pace of EV sales has far outpaced the installation of public chargers.
Many charging companies are now saying that one reason for this skewed ratio is the lengthy process involved in acquiring permits and getting utility companies on board. Collaboration with utility companies is required to route electricity to the site. This is followed by the design and construction of the charging station. The main roadblock arises during the permit acquisition process from local jurisdictions, which can take anywhere from a few weeks to over a year.
U.S. Gas Prices are Falling; Demand at the Pump is ‘Kind of Shallow’ Despite Summer Travel
The national average for gas prices on Monday stood around $3.44, according to AAA. That's down about 9 cents from a week ago — marking the largest one-week drop recorded by the motor club so far in 2024. Monday's average was also more than 19 cents less than it was a month ago and over 14 cents below the level seen this time last year.
Beyond pandemic-specific impacts, experts note that high gas prices seen following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and persistent inflation may have led many Americans to modify their driving habits. Other contributing factors could be the increased number of fuel-efficient cars, as well as electric vehicles, on the road today, AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said.
Fleet Carbon Accounting Simplified
By Nada Jiddou, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, Clarience Technologies
Fleets have never been under more pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than they are today.
With governments worldwide setting increasingly ambitious carbon reduction targets and investors prioritizing environmental sustainability, companies are being pushed to focus on decarbonizing their transportation and logistics operations.
Fleets must find ways to reconcile the many reporting requirements and collect and collate data from assets and systems. This includes leveraging digital technologies that streamline the data collection process to allow for better carbon accounting.
This approach will enable them to not only ensure compliance but also identify opportunities to reduce emissions and operating costs.
Auto Parts Giant Reinvents the Steering Wheel for a Next-Gen Drivers
image credit: ZF LIFETEC
German auto parts supplier ZF Group, whose parts are found in a wide variety of cars on the road, has devised a way to reinvent the wheel for today's tech-dependent drivers.
In a typical steering wheel installed on modern cars, the airbag is mounted front and center of the wheel, as the airbag is designed to inflate on top of the wheel in the event of a crash. With this design, ZF mounts the airbag in a different place, freeing up room for whatever manufacturers would like to incorporate with their new design. The wheel can also be used with what they call "hands-on" detection, which uses a capacitive sensor under the steering wheel leather that senses when the wheel is being held.
