As the summer travel season rolls in, prices at the gas pump are usually going in the wrong direction for our wallets. That’s when drivers become more concerned about how to squeeze the most miles from their fuel dollars and keep their cars running their best.
To help you stay in the know, here are some common questions that our auto experts often get asked about gas mileage and related topics:
What’s the best way to cut fuel costs?
Slow down. In our tests, we’ve found that driving faster on the highway can really take a bite out of your car’s fuel efficiency. We measured gas mileage while driving at a steady 55, 65, and 75 mph in a Honda Accord, Toyota RAV4, and three versions of a Ford Fusion, including a hybrid. The drop in fuel economy while going from 55 to 65 ranged from 4 to 8 mpg. Upping the speed from 65 to 75 cut it 5 to 7 mpg more. Overall, speeding up from 55 mph to 75 is like moving from a compact car to a large SUV.
What if I need to carry stuff on my car’s roof?
Carrying things on the roof increases aerodynamic drag, which hurts fuel economy. When we tested a 2013 Honda Accord at a steady 65 mph, it got 42 mpg with nothing on the roof. Adding even an empty bike rack dropped the mileage by 5 mpg, to 37. A wind deflector reduced the wind noise but cut gas mileage to 35 mpg. And with two bikes on the rack, gas mileage dropped to 27 mpg, a whopping 15-mpg difference overall. Similarly, when we tested a 2008 Camry with a large car-top carrier, fuel economy dropped by 5 mpg.
Does running the A/C hurt fuel economy compared with opening the windows?
It depends on how hard the air-conditioning system has to work. When we measured the fuel-economy difference in a 2008 Ford Focus, Honda Accord, and Subaru Forester, we found that fuel use with the A/C running went up with higher outside temperatures. At 55° F, there were negligible differences. But when we measured again on days when the temperature was in the low 70s and high 80s, we got fewer miles per gallon with the A/C on. In general, expect 1 to 4 mpg less with air conditioning.
How far can I go when my low-fuel warning light comes on?
There is no set rule, but most cars have a reserve of between 1 and 2 gallons of gas when the light goes on, or enough to travel about 40 miles or so at a moderate speed. To maximize those last couple of gallons, we suggest slowing down and maintaining a steady pace.
Can I improve gas mileage by installing a special air filter?
With modern cars, changing your air filter probably won’t improve your fuel economy. When we tested a car to see whether a dirty air filter hurt its gas mileage because of reduced air intake, we found that the car’s acceleration was hurt but not its fuel economy. The engine’s computer automatically compensated for the restricted airflow by reducing fuel use to maintain the right air /fuel ratio. We expect similar results from any air-filter change.
Can running on empty hurt my engine?
Some people think that can draw in debris from the bottom of the fuel tank, but it’s not really a big concern. That’s because the fuel pump always pulls in gas from the bottom of the tank, even when it’s full. So if there is a debris problem, you’ll probably know about it long before the fuel level gets low. These days, there’s usually a fuel filter in the gas tank as well as one nearer the engine, so debris is unlikely to get through to your engine. If your tank contains junk, though, you might have to change the filters more frequently.
As read on: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/04/gas-saving-tips-and-myths/index.htm
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Gas-saving tips & myths: Test-based advice for improving fuel economy
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
2014 Ram 2500 and 3500 Diesel Review
Monday, April 28, 2014
Nissan Altima named a "Top Rated Vehicle" by Edmunds.com
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Nissan develops first "self-cleaning" car prototype
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
New Fours Coming...
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
The fate of Charger R/T AWD
Monday, April 21, 2014
Apps for parents curb distracted teen drivers
Marty Williams recalls the conversations he and his wife would have with their two daughters about the dangers of talking and texting while driving.
“It’s always a concern,” said Williams, who lives in Howard County. “We just drilled it into their heads over and over until they said ‘Okay, we get it,’ and when we saw something [about the dangers of drivers texting] on TV we made sure they saw it, too.”
Parents like Williams have good reason to worry.
Half of teens say they talk on a cellphone while driving, a third say they swap text messages, and almost half say they’ve been a passenger in a vehicle with a teen driver whose phone use put them at risk, according to federal statistics. Teen drivers are more likely to get into a fatal crash than anyone under the age of 80, in part because their brains are still developing the system that evaluates risk.
These days, however, there’s an app for that, several of them, in fact. There are apps that prevent mobile-device use while driving, and some of them alert parents or employers when a user tries to beat the system. They’ve emerged on the market as alarm grows over the carnage caused by distracted driving.
More than 3,300 people die and 420,000 are injured annually in crashes attributed to distracted drivers. But those numbers may be low because, other than a driver’s admission of fault, it’s a challenge to prove that distraction caused a crash.
Among all drivers involved in fatal crashes, teens were the most likely to have been distracted, National Highway Traffic Administration data show.
“They feel invincible,” said Jurek Grabowski, director of research at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “They have large social networks and they want to stay in contact with them.”
Conversations on the go, texting, surfing the Internet and taking selfies are such a habit among teens that studies show they underestimate the risk. Teens make up a significant percentage of the approximately 660,000 drivers who are having phone conversations or manipulating electronic devices while driving at any given moment during daylight hours in the United States.
And most teenagers who chat, text or surf while driving are breaking the law.
The District and 37 states — including Maryland and Virginia — ban novice drivers from talking on the phone while driving. The three local jurisdictions and 41 other states bar all drivers from sending and receiving text messages while driving. But respect for those laws is akin to that given the speed limit.
“We need to almost turn this thing into a brick,” David Coleman said recently, holding up his cellphone while sitting in a Bowie Starbucks. “It can’t just be about texting. It has to be about e-mail, Facebook and no inappropriate calls.”
Coleman is marketing director for Louisiana-based Cellcontrol, one of several companies competing for the chance to shut down people’s mobile devices while they’re driving. Most of the companies that sell cellphone service — Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and others — also provide apps that can limit access.
Many of the apps are triggered when a GPS sensor detects that a vehicle is in motion, and some — such as AT&T’s DriveMode — will alert parents or employers when the app has been turned off or disabled. Independent experts consider that a feature buyers should look for.
“Especially for younger drivers. As clever as you can be, they will be more clever,” said Leo McCloskey, a tech guru for the Intelligent Transportation Society of America. “The best way to do it is to integrate the device with the vehicle so that you could have more fine-grained control.”
That fine-grained control means that parents or employers can select the features they want to allow their drivers to use and block those that worry them.
“It’s important to have a solid oversight function so that use can be monitored by a fleet manager or parent,” said Russ Rader of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “Cellcontrol is one of the better, most complete systems. TeensSafer is another one that we’ve looked at that works pretty well. These products are going to be the most useful for fleet operators and for parents trying to control phone use by their driving teens. Both Cellcontrol and TeenSafer will report attempts to tamper with or override the system.”
Businesses that send fleets of cars, vans or trucks onto the streets have shown increasing interest in those products, as juries have issued multimillion-dollar rewards to those injured or killed by distracted drivers who were on the job.
Systems integrated into the vehicle are triggered when the car or truck begins to move.
“We’re not guessing based on a satellite, we’re depending on the vehicle to tell us,” said Cellcontrol’s Coleman as he spent a morning demonstrating his company’s product in Prince George’s County. “Otherwise, how do I know you’re not on a Greyhound bus or on a plane that has landed and is taxiing to the gate?”
Cellcontrol provides two options for connecting to a vehicle. One is a device the size of an EZpass transponder that is glued to the windshield with the same adhesive material used to secure rearview mirrors. The more sophisticated choice plugs in to a vehicle’s diagnostic computer port. The $129-system works with iPhones, Androids, BlackBerrys and Windows Mobile.
The system involves an app that is downloaded to the phone of the driver — teenager or employee. The key to the system is software that can be installed on a home computer, tablet or mobile device that allows an authorized person — parent or boss — to customize what the driver is permitted to do, and to monitor compliance.
“We’re not blocking the signal, we’re allowing a protective policy to be brought into the device,” he said. “The administrator has the option to make the policy as restrictive as possible, or not.”
For example, phone use could be restricted to a hands-free device. Or calls could be restricted to an emergency number or a parent or office.
Or parents could attempt to mandate that all passengers in the car driven by their teenager download the app.
“You could decide this is the kids’ car and we don’t want knuckleheads sitting in the passenger’s seat showing the driver YouTube videos,” Coleman said.
Coleman demonstrated how his phone was pre-programmed to go into safe mode when he drove, but when handed to a passenger it was fully operative. A second phone he brought along went into safe mode when the car was moving, regardless of whether it was in his hands or those of a passenger.
Acknowledging that parents are dealing with a technology-savvy generation and that employers exist in a technologically smart world, Coleman said, “We’ve built in some traps and fail-safes to notify the parent or employer.”
McCloskey said that companies like Cellcontrol that provide integrated services are “where we need to go.”
“The operating system of the phone itself can interact with the operating system of the vehicle in such a way that services can be authorized, services can be presented, and services can be consumed all in a safe and predictable manner,” McCloskey said.
Although he is concerned about distracted driving, McCloskey thinks it as a relatively short-term problem.
“The irony, frankly, is that in the medium to long term, as autonomous vehicles really start making a mark, all this goes away as a concern,” he said.
As read on: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/apps-for-parents-curb-distracted-teen-drivers/2014/04/19/2346c724-c802-11e3-bf7a-be01a9b69cf1_story.html?sf25252017=1
Friday, April 18, 2014
Lease a 2014 Dodge Charger or Challenger Now, Swap It for Updated 2015 Next Year
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Top 9 Most Fuel-Efficient Trucks for 2014
For the past several years, the best-selling vehicle in the nation has been a pickup. It's not difficult to understand why Americans love trucks. Pickups offer the kind of unassailable utility that makes them a natural fit for anyone who frequently hauls outsize cargo.
Certain trucks offer another benefit: outstanding fuel efficiency. The nine models shown offer the best gas mileage in the segment. Our list is shorter than the usual 10 due to a shrinking talent pool. GM's hybrid trucks made appearances on last year's list, but for 2014, GM has dropped these hybrids from its lineup.
Our list this year includes fuel-efficient gas-only models like the Nissan Frontier, Ram 1500 and Toyota Tacoma. Note that each model is allowed just one appearance on our list, for its most fuel-efficient powertrain.
Each vehicle's ranking is determined by its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) combined fuel economy rating. The EPA's combined fuel economy rating is based on miles-per-gallon ratings for city and highway travel, using the following formula: 55 percent of city mpg rating plus 45 percent of highway mpg rating.
1. Toyota Tacoma — 23 mpg combined (21 city/25 highway) (tie)
1. Ram 1500 — 23 mpg combined (20 city/28 highway) (tie)
2. Nissan Frontier — 21 mpg combined (19 city/23 highway)
3. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 — 20 mpg combined (18 city/24 highway) (tie)
3. GMC Sierra 1500 — 20 mpg combined (18 city/24 highway) (tie)
4. Ford F-150 — 19 mpg combined (17 city/23 highway)
5. Honda Ridgeline — 17 mpg combined (15 city/21 highway) (tie)
5. Toyota Tundra — 17 mpg combined (16 city/20 highway) (tie)
6. Nissan Titan — 15 mpg combined (13 city/18 highway)
As read on: http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/top-10/top-9-most-fuel-efficient-trucks-for-2014.html?mktcat=nl-external_standard&kw=social_media+facebook&mktid=nl80059717
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Understanding the distracted brain
Why driving while talking on cell phones is risky behavior
Many people know texting while driving increases crash risk. But cell phone conversation while driving is also risky. Talking on hands-free or handheld cell phones requires the brain to multitask – a process it cannot do safely while driving.
To explain what happens to the human brain when talking on cell phones while driving, NSC has a white paper, “Understanding the distracted brain: Why driving while talking on hands-free phones is risky behavior:”
Below is the article "Understanding the distraced brain: Why Driving while talking on hands-free phones is risky behavor:"
In January 2004, at 4:00 p.m., in
Grand Rapids, Michigan, a 20-yearold
woman ran a red light while talking
on a cell phone. The driver’s vehicle slammed
into another vehicle crossing with the green light
directly in front of her. The vehicle she hit was not the
first car through the intersection, it was the third or
fourth. The police investigation determined the driver
never touched her brakes and was traveling 48 mph
when she hit the other vehicle. The crash cost the
life of a 12-year-old boy. Witnesses told investigators
that the driver was not looking down, not dialing the
phone, or texting. She was observed looking straight
out the windshield talking on her cell phone as she
sped past four cars and a school bus stopped in
the other south bound lane of traffic. Researchers
have called this crash a classic case of inattention
blindness caused by the cognitive distraction of a
cell phone conversation.
Vision is the most important sense for safe driving.
Yet, drivers using hands-free phones (and those
using handheld phones) have a tendency to “look
at” but not “see” objects. Estimates indicate that
drivers using cell phones look but fail to see up
to 50 percent of the information in their driving
environment.1 Distracted drivers experience what
researchers call inattention blindness, similar to
that of tunnel vision. Drivers are looking out the
windshield, but they do not process everything
in the roadway environment that they must know
to effectively monitor their surroundings, seek
and identify potential hazards, and respond to
unexpected situations.2
Today there are more than 320 million wireless
connections in the U.S. And although public
sentiment appears to be turning against cell phone
use while driving, many admit they regularly talk
or text while driving. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration estimates that nine percent of
all drivers at any given time are using cell phones,
and the National Safety Council estimates about one
in four motor vehicle crashes involve cell phone use
at the time of the crash.
Cell phone distracted driving has become a serious
public health threat. A few states have passed
legislation making it illegal to use a handheld cell
phone while driving. These laws give the false
impression that using a hands-free phone is safe.
The driver responsible for the above crash was on
the phone with her church where she volunteered
with children the age of the young boy who lost his
life as the result of her phone call. She pled guilty to
negligent homicide and the lives of two families were
terribly and permanently altered. Countless numbers
of similar crashes continue everyday.
This paper will take an in-depth look at why
hands-free cell phone use while driving is dangerous.
It is intended that this information will provide
background and context for lawmakers and
employers considering legislation and policies.
Motor vehicle crashes are among the
top two causes of injury death throughout
a person’s lifetime.3 They also are the No. 1 cause
of work-related death.4 Annually, more U.S. soldiers are
killed in crashes in privately-owned vehicles than all
other Army ground casualties combined.
Each year since 1994, between 32,800 and 43,500
people have been killed in motor vehicle crashes.
That’s more than 737,000 lives lost during these years.
It includes people inside and outside of vehicles, as well
as motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians who were
struck by vehicles. There are activities people tend to
think are riskier than driving, such as flying in an airplane,
but consider this: The lives lost on U.S. roadways each
year are equivalent to the lives that would be lost from a
100-passenger jet crashing every day of the year.
In addition to the thousands of fatalities, many more
people suffer serious life-changing injuries in motor
vehicle crashes. More than 2.2 million injuries resulted
from vehicle crashes in 2010.
To reduce this toll, prevention must focus on the top
factors associated with crashes. Driver distractions
have joined alcohol and speeding as leading factors
in fatal and serious injury crashes. The National Safety
Council estimates 21 percent of all crashes in 2010
involved talking on cell phones – accounting for 1.1
million crashes that year. A minimum of three percent of
crashes are estimated to involve texting.
Cell phone use has grown dramatically over the past 15
years. In 1996, cell phone subscriptions covered only
14 percent of the U.S. population; by 2011, that had
grown to 102.4 percent.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
estimates that at any point during the day, nine percent
of drivers are using cell phones. More than two-thirds
of respondents to a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
survey reported talking on cell phones while driving during
the previous 30 days.11 Nearly one in three admitted they
engaged in this behavior fairly often or regularly.
Because text messaging has grown dramatically – an
almost 10,000-fold increase in 10 years – and because
there is already near-public consensus that it’s a
serious driving safety risk, texting receives a great deal
of attention. More than one-third of people admitted
to reading a text or email while driving in the past 30
days, and more than one-quarter admitted to sending
a text or email.12 Although texting is clearly a serious
distraction, NSC data show drivers talking on cell
phones are involved in more crashes. More people are
talking on cell phones while driving more often, and
for greater lengths of time, than they are texting. Thus,
in 2010, an estimated minimum of 160,000 crashes
involved texting or emailing, versus 1.1 million crashes
involving talking on cell phones.
Cell phone distracted driving has captured the attention
of nation’s political leaders and employers and they are
taking action:
-In December 2011, the National Transportation
Safety Board recommended that all 50 states
and the District of Columbia enact complete bans
of all portable electronic devices for all drivers –
including banning use of hands-free devices.
- While no state yet prohibits all drivers from any
cell phone use, as of March 2012, 31 states
prohibit teen drivers from any cell phone use,
including handheld and hands-free.
- The Federal Government has taken action.
President Barack Obama issued an Executive
Order banning federal employees from texting
while driving. Rules about employee use of cell
phones while driving have been issued by the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and
Federal Railroad Administration.
- A National Safety Council membership survey
showed employers of all sizes, sectors and
industries are implementing employee policies
banning talking and texting while driving.
- Public opinion polls show a majority of the
public support these efforts.
But there’s a troubling common thread
to these prevention efforts:
- Nearly all legislation focuses on banning only
handheld phones or only texting while driving.
- All state laws and many employer policies allow
hands-free cell phone use.
- Public opinion polls show people recognize the
risks of talking on handheld phones and texting
more than they recognize the risks of handsfree
phones.
- Many drivers mistakenly believe talking on a
hands-free cell phone is safer than handheld.
A hands-free device most often is a headset that
communicates via wire or wireless with a phone, or
a factory-installed or aftermarket feature built into
vehicles that often includes voice recognition. Many
hands-free devices allow voice-activated dialing
and operation.
Hands-free devices often are seen as a solution
to the risks of driver distraction because they help
eliminate two obvious risks – visual, looking away
from the road and manual, removing your hands
off of the steering wheel. However, a third type of
distraction can occur when using cell phones while
driving – cognitive, taking your mind off the road.
Hands-free devices do not eliminate
cognitive distraction.
The amount of exposure to each risk is key. Crashes
are a function of the severity of each risk and how
often the risk occurs. Most people can recognize
when they are visually or mechanically distracted
and seek to disengage from these activities as
quickly as possible. However, people typically do not
realize when they are cognitively distracted, such as
taking part in a phone conversation; therefore, the
risk lasts much, much longer. This likely explains
why researchers have not been able to find a safety
benefit to hands-free phone conversations.
The National Safety Council has compiled more than
30 research studies and reports by scientists around
the world that used a variety of research methods,
to compare driver performance with handheld and
hands-free phones. All of these studies show handsfree
phones offer no safety benefit when driving. Conversation
occurs on both handheld and hands-free phones. The cognitive
distraction from paying attention to conversation – from
listening and responding to a disembodied voice –
contributes to numerous driving impairments.
Specific driving risks are discussed in detail later in
this paper. First, let us look at why hands-free and
handheld cell phone conversations can impair your
driving ability.
Multitasking: A brain drain
This section provides the foundation to understand
the full impact of driving while engaging in cell phone
conversations on both handheld and hands-free
phones. It explains how cognitively complex it is to
talk on the phone and drive a vehicle at the same
time, and why this drains the brain’s resources.
Multitasking is valued in today’s culture, and our
drive for increased productivity makes it tempting to
use cell phones while behind the wheel. People often
think they are effectively accomplishing two tasks at
the same time. And yes, they may complete a phone
conversation while they drive and arrive at their
destination without incident, thus accomplishing two
tasks during the same time frame. However, there
are two truths to this common belief.
1. People actually did not “multitask.”
2. People did not accomplish both tasks with
optimal focus and effectiveness.
Multitasking is a myth. Human brains do not
perform two tasks at the same time. Instead, the
brain handles tasks sequentially, switching between
one task and another. Brains can juggle tasks
very rapidly, which leads us to erroneously
believe we are doing two tasks at the same time.
In reality, the brain is switching attention between
tasks – performing only one task at a time.
In addition to “attention switching,” the brain
engages in a constant process to deal with the
information it receives:
1. Select the information the brain will attend to
2. Process the information
3. Encode, a stage that creates memory
4. Store the information.
Depending on the type of information, different
neural pathways and different areas of the brain are
engaged. Therefore, the brain must communicate
across its pathways.
Furthermore, the brain must go through two more
cognitive functions before it can act on saved
information. It must:
5. Retrieve stored information
6. Execute or act on the information.
When the brain is overloaded, all of these steps are
affected. But people may not realize this challenge
within their brains.
The brain not only juggles tasks, it also juggles
focus and attention. When people attempt to
perform two cognitively complex tasks such as
driving and talking on a phone, the brain shifts its
focus (people develop “inattention blindness”) (page
9). Important information falls out of view and is not
processed by the brain. For example, drivers may
not see a red light. Because this is a process people
are not aware of, it’s virtually impossible for people
to realize they are mentally taking on too much.
When we look at a view before us – whether we are
in an office, restaurant or hospital, at the beach, or
driving in a vehicle – we believe we are aware of
everything in our surroundings. However, this is not
the case. Very little information actually receives full
analysis by our brains. Research shows we are blind
to many changes that happen in scenery around
us, unless we pay close and conscious attention
to specific details, giving them full analysis to get
transferred into our working memory.
Brain researchers have identified “reaction-time
switching costs,” which is a measurable time
when the brain is switching its attention and focus
from one task to another. Research studying the
impact of talking on cell phones while driving has
identified slowed reaction time to potential hazards
are tangible, measurable and risky (page 10). Longer
reaction time is an outcome of the brain switching
focus. This impacts driving performance.
The cost of switching could be a few tenths of
a second per switch. When the brain switches
repeatedly between tasks, these costs add up.
Even small amounts of time spent switching can lead
to significant risks from delayed reaction and braking
time. For example, if a vehicle is traveling 40 mph, it
goes 120 feet before stopping. This equals eight car
lengths (an average car length is 15 feet). A fractionof-
a-second delay would make the car travel several
additional car lengths. When a driver needs to react
immediately, there is no margin for error.
Brains may face a “bottleneck” in which different
regions of the brain must pull from a shared and
limited resource for seemingly unrelated tasks,
constraining the mental resources available for the
tasks. Research has identified that even when
different cognitive tasks draw on two different
regions of the brain, we still can have performance
problems when trying to do dual tasks at the same
time. This may help explain why talking on cell
phones could affect what a driver sees: two usually
unrelated activities become interrelated when a
person is behind the wheel. These tasks compete for
our brain’s information processing resources. There
are limits to our mental workload.
The workload of information processing can
bring risks when unexpected driving hazards
arise. Under most driving conditions, drivers are
performing well-practiced, automatic driving tasks.
For example, without thinking about it much, drivers
slow down when they see yellow or red lights, and
activate turn signals when intending to make a
turn or lane change. These are automatic tasks for
experienced drivers. Staying within a lane, noting
the speed limit and navigation signs, and checking
rear- and side-view mirrors also are automatic
tasks for most experienced drivers. People can do
these driving tasks safely with an average cognitive
workload. During the vast majority of road trips,
nothing bad happens, as it should be. But that also
can lead people to feel a false sense of security or
competency when driving. Drivers may believe they
can safely multitask; however, a driver always must
be prepared to respond to the unexpected.
Multitasking impairs performance
A driver’s response to sudden hazards, such as
another driver’s behavior, weather conditions, work
zones, animals or objects in the roadway, often
is the critical factor between a crash and a nearcrash.
When the brain is experiencing an increased
workload, information processing slows and a driver
is much less likely to respond to unexpected hazards
in time to avoid a crash.
The industrial ergonomics field has been able to
identify physical workload limits and, in the same
way, the workload limits of our brains now are being
identified. The challenge to the general public is the
bottlenecks and limits of the brain are more difficult
to feel and literally see than physical limits.
Multitasking Impairs Performance
We can safely walk while chewing gum in a city
crowded with motor vehicles and other hazards.
That is because one of those tasks – chewing gum –
is not a cognitively demanding task.
When chewing gum and talking, people still
are able to visually scan the environment for
potential hazards:
- Light poles along the sidewalk
- Boxes suddenly pushed out a doorway at
ground level before the delivery man emerges
- Moving vehicles hidden by parked vehicles
- Small dog on a leash
- Uneven sidewalk
People do not perform as well when trying to
perform two attention-demanding tasks at the
same time. Research shows even pedestrians
don’t effectively monitor their environment for
safety while talking on cell phones. The challenge
is managing two tasks demanding our cognitive
attention.
Certainly most would agree that driving a vehicle
involves a more complex set of tasks than walking.
The brain is behind all tasks needed for driving:
visual, auditory, manual and cognitive. Recent
developments in functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI) now allow researchers to see the
brain’s reactions to specific challenges and tasks.
A Carnegie Mellon University study produced fMRI
pictures of the brain while study participants drove
on a simulator and listened to spoken sentences
they were asked to judge as true or false.36 The
pictures below show that listening to sentences on
cell phones decreased activity by 37 percent in the
brain’s parietal lobe, an area associated
with driving. In other words, listening and language
comprehension drew cognitive resources away
from driving. This area of the brain is important
for navigation and the type of spatial processing
associated with driving. Because this study
involved listening and thinking of an answer
and not actual cell phone conversation,
the researchers concluded the results may
underestimate the distractive impact of
cell phone conversation.
The same study also found decreased activity in the
area of the brain that processes visual information,
the occipital lobe. While listening to
sentences on cell phones, drivers had more
problems, such as weaving out of their lane and
hitting guardrails. This task did not require holding
or dialing the phone, and yet driving performance
deteriorated. The scientists concluded this study
demonstrates there is only so much the brain
can do at one time, no matter how different the
two tasks are, even if the tasks draw on different
areas and neural networks of the brain. The brain
has a capacity limit. These fMRI images provide a
biological basis of the risks faced by drivers.
Driving risks of hands-free and handheld cell phones
We now understand how our brains have difficulty
juggling multiple cognitive tasks that demand our
attention. Next we will discuss specific risks that cell
phone conversations bring to driving, with an overview
of crash risks and driver errors most often associated
with both hands-free and handheld cell phones.
Inattention Blindness – Vision is the most important
sense we use for safe driving. It’s the source of the
majority of information when driving. Yet, drivers
using hands-free and handheld cell phones have
a tendency to “look at” but not “see” objects.
Estimates indicate drivers using cell phones look at
but fail to see up to 50 percent of the information
in their driving environment. Cognitive distraction
contributes to a withdrawal of attention from the
visual scene, where all the information the driver
sees is not processed. This may be due to the
earlier discussion of how our brains compensate for
receiving too much information by not sending some
visual information to the working memory. When
this happens, drivers are not aware of the filtered
information and cannot act on it.
Distracted drivers experience inattention blindness.
They are looking out the windshield, but do not
process everything in the roadway environment
necessary to effectively monitor their surroundings,
seek and identify potential hazards, and to respond
to unexpected situations. Their field of view
narrows. To demonstrate this, Figure 4 is a typical
representation of where a driver would look while not
using a phone. Figure 5 shows where drivers looked
while talking on hands-free cell phones.
Drivers talking on hands-free cell phones are more
likely to not see both high and low relevant objects,
showing a lack of ability to allocate attention to the
most important information. They miss visual cues
critical to safety and navigation. They tend to miss
exits, go through red lights and stop signs, and
miss important navigational signage. Drivers on
cell phones are less likely to remember the content
of objects they looked at, such as billboards.
Drivers not using cell phones were more likely
to remember content.
The danger of inattention blindness is that when
a driver fails to notice events in the driving
environment, either at all or too late, it’s impossible
to execute a safe response such as a steering
maneuver or braking to avoid a crash.
To explore how cell phone use can affect driver visual
scanning, Transport Canada’s Ergonomics Division
tracked the eye movements of drivers using handsfree
phones, and again when these drivers were not
on the phone. In addition to looking
less at the periphery, drivers using hands-free phones
reduced their visual monitoring of instruments and
mirrors, and some drivers entirely abandoned those
tasks. At intersections, these drivers made fewer
glances to traffic lights and to traffic on the right.
Some drivers did not even look at traffic signals.
Slower Response Time and Reaction Time –
Response time includes both reaction time and
movement time. Reaction time involves attentional
resources and information processing, while
movement time is a function of muscle activation.
Cell phone use has been documented to affect
reaction time.
Due to the “attention switching” costs discussed
earlier, it makes sense that driver reactions may be
slower when using cell phones. For every information
input, the brain must make many decisions: whether
to act on information processed, how to act,
execute the action and stop the action. While this
process may take only a fraction of a second, all of
these steps do take time. When driving, fractions
of seconds can be the time between a crash or no
crash, injury or no injury, life or death.
Numerous studies show delayed response and
reaction times when drivers are talking on hands-free
and handheld cell phones. Reaction
time has shown impairment in a variety of scenarios:
- A University of Utah driving simulator study
found drivers using cell phones had
slower reaction times than drivers impaired by
alcohol at a .08 blood alcohol concentration,
the legal intoxication limit. Braking time also
was delayed for drivers talking on hands-free
and handheld phones.
- Drivers talking on hands-free phones in
simulated work zones took longer to reduce
their speed when following a slowing vehicle
before them and were more likely to brake hard
than drivers not on the phone. Many braking
scenarios included clues that traffic was
going to stop. Side-swipe crashes also were
more common. Work zones are challenging
environments for all drivers, and rear-end
collisions are a leading type of work zone
crash, putting workers and vehicle occupants
at risk. Driver distraction is a significant
contributing factor to work zone crashes.
- Hands-free phone use led to an increase in
reaction time to braking vehicles in front of
drivers, and reaction time increased more and
crashes were more likely as the traffic density
increased.
- Testing of rear-end collision warning systems
showed significantly longer reaction time during
complex hands-free phone conversations.
Drivers in reaction time studies tended to show
compensation behaviors by increasing following
distance. However, drivers in three studies who
attempted to compensate for their reduced attention
this way found increased headway often was not
adequate to avoid crashing.
Problems Staying in Lane – “Lane keeping” or
“tracking” is the driver’s ability to maintain the
vehicle within a lane. While most cell phone driver
performance problems involve significant reaction
time impairment, there are minor, less significant
costs with lane keeping. It is suggested that lane
keeping may depend on different visual resources
than responding to hazards by reacting. In addition,
avoiding hazards requires drivers to watch for
unexpected events, choose an appropriate response
and act. This requires information processing and
decision-making that is more cognitively demanding
than lane keeping tasks, which is more automatic.
Still, when we are driving at roadway and freeway
speeds with vehicles spaced less than a few feet
from each other in parallel lanes, the margin of error
for decision-making and response time to avoid a
crash is very small. Perhaps drivers who create a
hazard by straying from their lanes must depend on
other drivers around them to drive defensively and
respond appropriately, and it may be those reacting
drivers whose cell phone use should be of concern.
Recent naturalistic studies, have reported a
risk of crashing while talking on a cell phone to
be significantly less than the fourfold risk found
in the above epidemiological studies. This new
methodology, although offering great promise
in the endeavor to understand what really goes
on in a vehicle prior to a crash, has significant
limitations, including:
- Very small number of observed crashes.
- The use of “near-crash” data to calculate
crash risk.
- Inability to collect all near-crash occurrences.
- Inability to observe or measure cognitive
distraction.
- Inability to observe hands-free phone use.
All methodologies have strengths and significant
limitations. There is no “gold standard” of research
methodology. Each research method provides
valuable knowledge. In this case, experimental
studies have been used to measure the risks of
cognitive distraction, because other methods,
particularly naturalistic research methods, cannot
effectively measure it. In making decisions about
laws, vehicle and roadway improvements, and driver
behavior, the entire body of research should always
be considered. When doing so, it is clear that the risk
of crashing when engaged in a hands-free phone
conversation is about 4 times greater than when not
using a phone while driving.
Are drivers able to reduce their own risk?
There is evidence that people are aware of
distracted driving risks to drivers, in general. In a
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey, 83 percent
of respondents said drivers using cell phones is a
“serious” or “extremely serious” problem. It was
rated a serious or extremely serious problem more
often than aggressive drivers, excessive speeding
and running red lights. Only alcohol-impaired driving
was rated as a serious problem by more people.
But do these people recognize their own risks of
using cell phones while driving? Despite their stated
belief in the dangers, more than half of the same
survey respondents reported talking on cell phones
while driving during the previous 30 days. Seventeen
percent admitted this behavior “often” or “very often.”
Furthermore, due to how our brains filter information,
as discussed earlier, we are never aware of the
information that was filtered out. This may add
to the lack of awareness of our limitations. Some
researchers have studied whether distracted
drivers are aware of their decrease in safe driving
performance. Findings show distracted drivers may
not be aware of the effects of cognitive distraction
and using cell phones while they are driving.
Also, drivers perceived they were safer drivers when
using hands-free phones, but actually showed
decreased performance while using hands-free
phones. One study found drivers who thought
the task was easy tended to perform the worst.
It is well-known from many traffic safety issues
with a long history of injury prevention strategies
– impaired driving, teen driving, speeding, safety
belts and child safety seats – that even when people
are aware of the risks, they may not easily change
behaviors to reduce the risk.
What are possible prevention steps?
Eliminating driver distraction due to cell phone use
faces significant challenges, even beyond combating
drivers’ desire to be connected and productive.
Drivers can help avoid this by informing frequent
callers that they will not participate in phone
conversations while driving. When facing multiple
demands for their cognitive attention, drivers
may not be aware they are missing critical visual
information, and they may not be aware of the full
impact of that oversight. This lack of awareness
of the distraction could prolong it. Widespread
education is needed about the risks of hands-free
devices, conversation and cognitive distraction.
There is a shared responsibility among all involved in
cell phone conversations to avoid calling and talking
while driving – including drivers, callers and the
people that drivers may call. Vehicle manufacturers
are including more wireless and voice recognition
communications technologies in vehicles, but their
impact on distraction has yet to be fully studied.
Consumers should consider their exposure to
cognitive distraction and increased crash risk while
using these in-vehicle technologies.
But even when people are aware of the risks, they
tend to believe they are more skilled than other
drivers, and many still engage in driving behaviors
they know are potentially dangerous. Prevention
strategies should consider how people behave in
reality, not only how they should behave. We know
from other traffic safety issues – impaired driving,
safety belts, speeding – that consistent enforcement
of laws is the single most important effective
strategy in changing behavior. Therefore, prevention
strategies that may show the most promise are
legislative and corporate policies, coupled with
high-visibility enforcement and strict consequences.
Technology solutions can go even further by
preventing calls and messages from being sent or
received by drivers in moving vehicles. To provide
safety benefits and provide a positive influence on
reducing crashes, injuries and deaths, these efforts
– including education, policies, laws and technology
– must address the prevention of both handheld and
hands-free cell phone use by drivers.
As read on: http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Distracted_Driving/Pages/CognitiveDistraction.aspx
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Put down the phone and promise to drive distraction free
In 2012, nearly 3,400 people (3,328, actually) died in distraction-affected crashes, according to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT). An estimated 421,000 people were injured in crashes that involved a distracted driver. Approximately 660,000 drivers use a cell phone for talking or texting at ANY GIVEN MOMENT in time across the country.
That’s 660,000 people that could be causing a crash – right now.
That’s why companies are hard at work getting the message out about distracted driving. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and it is an awareness that every driver – whether they are one of the estimated 27% of drivers involved in a fatal crash due to distraction that is in their 20s, or a seasoned, 20-year professional driver hauling an 80,000 lb. rig down the highway who has never had so much as a traffic ticket – needs to pay attention to.
It only takes that one time to cause a crash that will alter lives forever.
Here’s another reason for commercial trucking fleets to ensure their drivers are remaining distracted-free while driving: The average work-related motor vehicle injury claim costs $69,206, according to the National Safety Council and noted by Travelers.
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute says that sending or receiving a text can take a driver’s eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds – the time it takes to travel a football field at 55 mph, the insurance firm says.
(If you are interested in Taking the Pledge to drive cell-free, you can do so here.)
“Helping employees avoid distraction while driving starts with management and creating a culture committed to safety,” said Chris Hayes, second vice president, Travelers Risk Control. “Employees who drive for work often feel pressure to respond to emails and phone calls, especially from their manager. It’s important for company leaders to set the expectation that it’s better to respond later than while driving.”
Travelers went on to recite data from the AAA Foundation’s 2014 Traffic Safety Culture Index. That Index found that more than two in three drivers admitted to talking on a cell phone while driving and one in four drivers admits to typing or sending a text message or email while driving.
Despite that information, according to Travelers, only 27% of its customers have a formal policy on distracted driving that is strictly enforced.
For companies interested in starting or enforcing a distracted driving policy (and really, who doesn’t?), Travelers recommends instituting a four-step program.
Create – Develop a formal, written policy stating your organization’s position on mobile device use and other distractions while driving. This policy should apply to everyone in your organization who drives a vehicle, regardless of their position.
Communicate – To be effective, safety policies should be communicated repeatedly. Have every employee who drives acknowledge in writing that they have read, understand and will follow it. Then, send regular messaging to employees via emails, newsletters and bulletin board postings to reinforce the policy.
Follow – Managers and office staff should lead by example. Let employees know that while they are on the road, no phone call or email is more important than their safety. To further prove that point, managers and other staff should defer conversations with employees until they are safely parked.
Promote – Managers should define the safe driving practices and expected behaviors of those that drive for any business purpose. They should also take the appropriate steps to understand who is following these policies, and actively promote the desired behavior.
For more information on how to help prevent distracted driving, visit www.Travelers.com or Prepare and Prevent-Distracted Driving.
As read on: http://fleetowner.com/blog/put-down-phone-and-promise-drive-distraction-free?sf25038877=1
Monday, April 14, 2014
Refreshed 2015 Dodge Challenger, Charger Coming to New York
Dodge has announced it will bring the 2015 Challenger and 2015 Charger to the New York auto show next week. As we previously reported, both models are due for a refresh this year, and it will come just in time for the Dodge brand's 100th anniversary this summer.
UPDATE: Chrysler Group has released another teaser image ahead of New York, this time showing the front end of the 2015 Dodge Charger (above). The sedan's mug looks to have been pretty extensively redone, with the headlights appearing a bit more rounded and with less of an angry slant to them compared to the current car. Based on this angle, it's difficult to say if any of the Charger's aggressive front end carries over, but we'll find out for sure when both cars are revealed on April 17.
Chrysler Group says the 2015 Dodge Challenger will get a new exterior and interior treatment, but most importantly will get a "new powertrain combination that is sure to get enthusiasts 'abuzz.'" A teaser image shows the Challenger's updated gauge cluster, which features the same bee used for the Scat Pack logo and a tachometer with a 6000-rpm redline. The Challenger is rumored to get a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, reportedly dubbed the "Hellcat" engine. That engine is said to produce as much as 640 hp, and would be backed by a six-speed manual or possibly an eight-speed automatic transmission. That could be what Dodge is referring to here, but the use of the word "abuzz" in quotations has us wondering. Perhaps there's more news coming on the recently announced Scat Pack upgrade packages (possibly for SRT models this time), or maybe the upcoming supercharged engine won't be called Hellcat after all, with Dodge instead going with another bee-themed name from its past like Yellow Jacket.
Whatever the brand has in store, the 2015 Dodge Challenger will take the stage alongside the also-refreshed 2015 Charger on April 17 in New York. If you want to see the unveiling live, you can watch the livestream here at 11:30 am EST next Thursday.
Read more: http://wot.motortrend.com/1404_refreshed_2015_dodge_challenger_charger_coming_to_new_york.html#ixzz2yV7f507b
Friday, April 11, 2014
2014 Ram Power Wagon is bigger and badder than ever!
More, more, more. That's the philosophy behind the latest Ram Power Wagon. The extra-brawny, Ram 2500-based pickup is back for 2014, and naturally, it's even more extreme than its predecessor.
Like the rest of the Ram 2500 range, for 2014, the Power Wagon adopts the tweaked version of the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 found in SRT's eight-cylinder offerings. A healthy 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque best the old 5.7-liter Hemi's 383 hp and 400 lb-ft, while standard cylinder deactivation should help fuel economy. A six-speed automatic is the standard and sole transmission.
Those that know the Power Wagon, though, know there's more to this truck than its engine. Ram has increased the size of the American Axle-built rear axle from 10.5 to 11.5 inches with 4.10 gearing. Each axle sports an electronically locking differential. Finally, a manually engaged Borg-Warner transfer case is standard, in order to properly distribute power.
Ram's smaller 1500 is arguably the best-riding pickup on sale, thanks to its modern chassis tuning (and optional air suspension), which does away with old-fashioned leaf springs. Ram has taken a similar path with its bigger offerings, fitting a three-link front and five-link coil rear suspension. Ram is promising a more composed ride regardless of load, thanks to Bilstein monotube shocks at all four corners. That said, Ram hasn't forgotten where the Power Wagon made its name: off road.
The rear suspension setup provides a greater degree of articulation, while the new Articulink system on the front suspension, which includes a front-sway-bar disconnect, should also help with off-road prowess. Fitted with 33-inch Goodyear tires, the Power Wagon benefits from 14.5 inches of ground clearance. It can also handle up to 30 inches of standing water.
But remember: this is first and foremost a work truck, and it's outfitted as such. An electric Warn winch can handle 12,800 pounds, while a class five trailer hitch has been fitted, allowing the Power Wagon to tow up to 10,810 pounds. Off road, the big Ram's suspension work grants it a 34-degree approach angle and a 23.5-degree departure angle, while the breakover angle is 25.5 degrees.
Pricing for the Power Wagon starts at $45,690. That'll net you the base Tradesman version. Move up to the $50,340 SLT trim, and you'll get the red grille inserts, shown above (depending on the exterior color). SLT buyers will also get the look-at-me graphics, LED taillights and LED turn signals. The top-end Laramie starts at $56,015, and adds a chrome grille, a monotone paint scheme with painted wheel arches and polished wheels. The Laramie also offers some significant cabin upgrades, including leather seats. Basically, if you want everyone to know what sort of truck you're driving, buy an SLT. If you want to go under the radar (or as under the radar as a Power Wagon can get), go with the Laramie. Each price includes a $1,195 destination charge.
You can keep an eye open for the Ram Power Wagon during our coverage of the 2014 New York Auto Show, where it'll make its world debut. There's much, much more on the Ram Power Wagon in the big, official press release from Ram below, just after the video on the Power Wagon. Take a look, and let us know what you think of Chrysler's newest, most hardcore pickup.
As read on: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/04/09/2014-ram-power-wagon-truck-new-york-official/?ncid=edlinkusauto00000016
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Ram ProMaster named Best Fleet Value
Vincentric has named the Ram ProMaster Diesel 1500 standard roof van with the 118-inch wheelbase its “Best Fleet Value” in the Full-Size 1/2-Ton Cargo Van category.
“Starting off its first model year with a bang, the Ram ProMaster 1500 wins its first Vincentric Best Fleet Value in America award in the full-size ½-ton cargo van segment. The ProMaster used low fuel and maintenance costs as the key components of its success, while unseating the Chevrolet Express Cargo G1500, which also performed well as the 2014 runner-up.”
Vincentric, LLC, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2014, provides insight to the automotive industry. Based in Bingham Farm, Michigan, the company uses a proprietary cost-of-ownership database to measure and analyze the overall cost of owning and operating vehicles and its impact on the value provided to buyers.
In addition to the ProMaster, the Dodge Grand Caravan was named Best Fleet Value in the Minivan category for the third year in a row; the Dodge Journey pulled off its own three-peat in the Mid-Size Crossover as did the Jeep Patriot 2WD in the Entry-Level Crossover segment.
Late last month, the Jeep Wrangler won Vincentric’s “Best Value in America” award in the Compact SUV category for the third consecutive year and Ram 3500 brought home its second consecutive “Best Value in America” award in the one-ton pickup competition.
As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/04/ram-promaster-named-best-fleet-value
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Ram named an All-Star for second consecutive year
Every year, the editorial staff of Automobile magazine selects its ten favorite passenger vehicles and names them All-Stars. For the second year in a row, the Ram 1500 pickup is one of their selections. It’s also the only truck on the list.
This makes four times time the Ram has been named an All-Star in the past five years.
According to the editors, “…The Ram 1500
defies the limitations of a pickup truck, continuing a spirit of
innovation that began in the mid-1990s, when Chrysler introduced the
big-rig grille and reinvented the way pickup trucks look. Now the Ram
has the best chassis in the business, with a coil-sprung rear
suspension that offers a settled ride even with an empty bed. The list
of options and the refined interior rival those of a luxury car. And a
new diesel engine—the only one available on a light-duty pickup—achieves
the fuel economy of a mid-size crossover….”
This year, for the first time, the magazine’s staff took all 10
winners on a great American road trip, from Automobile’s editorial
offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to New Orleans, Louisiana. Read about
the trip online at automobilemag.com.
“The Automobile Magazine All-Star award doesn’t just focus on all-new
trucks, but all current model trucks, and the results place our Ram
1500 at the top…,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO – Ram Truck
Brand.
As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/04/ram-named-an-all-star-for-second-consecutive-year
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
The All-New 2015 Chrysler 200
This is the All-New 2015 Chrysler 200. The next-generation midsize sedan is designed, engineered and built to compete with the very best vehicles in the industry.
The advanced engineering of the 2015 Chrysler 200 results in highly efficient, refined performance. The fuel economy ratings speak for themselves.
The 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir II four-cylinder engine provides up to 36 highway mpg, while the available 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine delivers up to 31 highway mpg with 295 horsepower.
The 200 also delivers exceptional power. You can choose the 184-horsepower 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir II four-cylinder engine which delivers 173 lb-ft of torque or the available 295-horsepower 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine which delivers 262 lb-ft of torque. With the available V6 engine, the 2015 Chrysler 200 has more available horsepower than Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu.
The all-new nine-speed automatic transmission includes a Rotary E-shift. The Rotary E-shift features a wide gear ratio spread that provides smooth, indecipherable transfer between gears and efficiency in all gears and speeds. It operates electronically rather than mechanically, requiring less interior space for components. The Chrysler 200 is the only car in the segment to offer a nine-speed automatic transmission.
Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters are standard on all Chrysler 200S models and 200C AWD models. They are included on 200C front-wheel drive models when equipped with the available 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine.
The All-New 2015 Chrysler 200 offers more advanced standard and available safety and security features than any other vehicle in its class.
All Chrysler 200 models include steel cage construction and eight airbags that help deliver excellent occupant protection in front, side and rear impacts.
Advanced accident avoidance features include available Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist and class-exclusive features including available Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go functionality, available Forward Collision Warning with Active Braking, available Parallel Park Assist with Full Stop and available Perpendicular Park Assist.
5-YEAR / 100,000-MILE
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SERVICE Provides jump start assistance, out of gas/fuel delivery, tire service, lockout service and towing.
3-YEAR / 36,000-MILE
BASIC LIMITED WARRANTY Provides bumper-to-bumper coverage for your vehicle, from the body to the electrical system.
5-YEAR / 100,000-MILE
POWERTRAIN LIMITED WARRANTY Covers the cost of all parts and labor to repair a covered powertrain component; engine, transmission and drive system.
The exterior design of the All-New 2015 Chrysler 200 sedan blends coupe-like proportions with highly refined fit and finish. A dynamic stance, wind-swept profile, finely sculpted curves and aggressive wheel-to-body proportions result in a sophisticated road presence.
The exterior design is more than beautiful. The All-New 2015 Chrysler 200 has unsurpassed aerodynamics in its class. More than 600 hours of wind tunnel refinements resulted in a vehicle that slips through the wind with impressive efficiency.
It offers more advanced standard and available safety and security features than any other vehicle in its class. These sophisticated systems help protect occupants and assist in maintaining vehicle control, because peace of mind isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
Stretch your power farther with two engines to choose from.
The 184-horsepower 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir II four-cylinder engine delivers an impressive 36 highway mpg without sacrificing performance.
The available 295-horsepower 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine is highly efficient as well, providing 32 highway mpg.
Both engines are paired with the new class-exclusive nine-speed automatic transmission featuring a Rotary E-shift.
The available Uconnect 8.4AN System includes a high-resolution 8.4-inch touchscreen, navigation, an AM/FM HD Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, the Alpine 506-watt 10-speaker premium sound system, Integrated Voice Command with Bluetooth, one year of Uconnect Access and 5 year trial of Uconnect Access Via Mobile.
Standard on all 2015 Chrysler 200 models except the LX, the Uconnect® 5.0 System includes a high-resolution 5-inch touchscreen, one year of SiriusXM® Satellite Radio, Integrated Voice Command, Bluetooth® Streaming Audio, a media hub with compatible mobile device integration and more.
The new available premium Driver Information Display (DID) delivers real-time information on performance, navigation and vehicle status using full color, incredibly crisp graphics that are seamlessly integrated with the analog instrumentation. The DID display allows for a wide range of customization, including the displays for audio, digital speedometer, compass, temperature, fuel economy, trip computer, navigation, tire pressure monitor, maintenance notifications and engine performance.
The available Smart Remote Start system operates from as far as 200 feet. The system not only starts the vehicle, but it can be programmed to activate the climate control and (if equipped) the available heated and ventilated seats and heated steering wheel depending on temperatures outside and inside the vehicle.
KEYLESS ENTER 'N GO
With the key fob in the vehicle proximity, Keyless Enter 'n Go automatically unlocks the driver’s door when you pull the handle or unlocks the trunklid when you press the access button without using the key fob.
The All-New 2015 Chrysler 200 is the only vehicle in its class to offer passive entry as standard equipment.
START/STOP BUTTON
As long as the key fob is inside the vehicle, simply press the Start/Stop button located on the instrument panel and press down on the brake pedal to start the engine.
Find out more or build yours at: http://www.chrysler.com/en/2015/200/?sid=chrysler&pid=chryslerfacebook&adid=20014Apr0714&channel=social&hrf=facebook.com&ism=KMApr0714Facebook3
Monday, April 7, 2014
Dodge Scat Packs to be released starting this month with more in July
The Scat Pack is back! Dodge is rolling out Scat Pack performance stage kits from Mopar, which can help boost the performance of the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 up to an additional 58 horsepower and 47 lb.-ft. of torque.
With the Scat Packs, Dodge enthusiasts can get the maximum performance from their Challenger or Charger and not void the factory powertrain warranty – it's an industry first from an Original Equipment Manufacturer. Any 2014 Dodge Challenger or Dodge Charger R/T modified with the Scat Pack 1, Scat Pack 2 or Scat Pack 3 performance stage kits by an authorized dealer can count on the warranty remaining intact.
The Scat Pack kits include items such as cold air intakes, a performance camshaft and performance exhaust components. More importantly, each Scat Pack includes a new powertrain control module that maximizes the performance of the hardware upgrades.
The Scat Pack has a long heritage, just like Dodge. It started out as a club in the late 1960s for Dodge performance enthusiasts. It included a national Scat Pack club membership, decals and merchandise. The vehicles that made up the Scat Pack included the Charger R/T, Coronet R/T, Dart GTS and the Super Bee. The vehicles were built to be upgraded.
The new Scat Pack kits are built to complement the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger and include a numbered hard badge associated with the performance stage, so enthusiasts can display the emblem proudly on their vehicle as a badge of honor. They are designed to be added on one at a time. Your badge will reflect the Scat Pack level at which you've invested.
Here's a breakdown of Scat Pack pricing:
SCAT PACK 1 5.7-liter
Starting at a U.S. MSRP of $2,195, Scat Pack 1 offers gains of up to 18 horsepower and 18 lb.-ft. of torque, and includes:
Mopar cold air intake
Mopar cat-back exhaust
Stage 1 performance PCM
Mopar low restriction oil filter
(2) Scat Pack 1 stage kit hard badges
SCAT PACK 2 5.7-liter
With a starting U.S. MSRP of $1,895, Scat Pack 2 yields increases of up to 30 horsepower.
Works in conjunction with Scat Pack 1 and features:
Mopar performance camshaft kit: includes camshaft, tiebars, heavy-duty pushrods and gaskets
Stage 2 performance PCM
(2) Scat Pack 2 stage kit hard badges
SCAT PACK 3 5.7-liter
The top-tier offering, Scat Pack 3 ratchets performance up to an exhilarating 58 horsepower and 47 lb.-ft. of torque and a U.S. MSRP of $4,995:
Works in conjunction with Scat Pack 1 & 2 and features:
Mopar performance CNC ported cylinder heads
Mopar hi-flow headers
Mopar hi-flow catalysts
Stage 3 performance PCM
(2) Scat Pack 3 stage kit hard badges
The Scat Packs are designed to retro-fit any Dodge Charger or Challenger dating back to 2008. Scat Pack 1 is available beginning this month and Scat Packs 2 and 3 will be available in July.
If you want to join a community of Dodge enthusiasts, check out www.scatpackforums.com. You'll gain access to technical articles, breaking news, insider access, meet and greets, engineering roundtable discussions, performance tips and clinics. It's a great way to interact with fellow Challenger and Charger owners.
As read on: http://blog.chryslerllc.com/blog.do?p=entry&id=2248
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Back in Black: Ram Extends Black Package to HD Pickups
Throw the devil horns skyward, because Ram is letting Heavy Duty 2500 and 3500 models get in on the factory-prepped blacked-out look for 2014. Available as the Black Express on Ram 1500 trucks since mid-year 2013, the package proved so successful Ram figured it would extend the treatment in even a more imposing form to its heavy-haulers. Officially called the Ram Black appearance group, it’s making its debut at the Atlanta auto show this week.
The descent into darkness starts with a black truck outfitted with body-color front and rear bumpers, adds a set of 20-inch black aluminum wheels, and a black grille surround with black horizontal inserts specific to the two available trims—Big Horn/Lone Star or Laramie—and body-color badges on the grille and tailgate. All traces of body-side badging have been binned in the name of blackness, with the exception of those ordered with a Cummins diesel. On those trucks the diesel designation on the front fender remains, because diesel brings the bad on it’s own.
Lighting gets a similar treatment, halogen projector headlamps with black bezels, amber LEDs handle turn-signal and side-marker duties. The taillamps also include black finishes, and are comprised of LEDs. Included as part of the Black package are the decidedly un-goth-but-quite-handy backup camera and parking sensors. A pair of integral front bumper-mounted fog lamps illuminate the way when the night turns, well, dark. As sage philosopher/spiritualist/rocker Nigel Tufnel once said, “It’s like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black.”
Ram tells us the 2014 Ram Heavy Duty Black package is available on Ram 2500 and 3500 single rear-wheel trucks, in Crew Cab and Mega Cab models, with the choice of two- or four-wheel-drive. Pricing for the Black package HD trucks starts at $43,335, and is available for ordering now.
As read on: http://blog.caranddriver.com/back-in-black-ram-extends-black-package-to-hd-pickups/
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Rear backup cameras to become standard on all vehicles
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Exploring the Dodge Scat Pack Packages
To Dodge muscle and motorsports enthusiasts, Steve Magnante requires no introduction. A former Hot Rod magazine editor and an expert TV commentator on the collector car auction scene, Steve is a walking encyclopedia of Dodge technical knowledge and lore.
In the video, Steve joins presenter Christy Lee to walk us through the hot new Scat Pack performance packages, starting first with a brief history of the original Scat Pack concept of the late 1960s.
In the golden age of muscle cars, Dodge was usually found at the head of the pack. The latest Scat Packs are designed to maintain that performance leadership.
As read on: http://blog.dodge.com/heritage/dodge-vehicle-history/exploring-dodge-scat-pack-packages/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=JBMar2714Facebook2&ism=JBMar2714Facebook2
