Metro Motorist NYC

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 13:11:00 +0000

VIDEO: No One Died In This Incredibly Dramatic Le Mans Crash

What's 3 things you must have if you were stuck at home in a blizzard? (inspired by me, stuck in a blizzard)

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:57:00 +0000

What's 3 things you must have if you were stuck at home in a blizzard? (inspired by me, stuck in a blizzard)

Answer here

A NY Road Sign the DOT Forgot About

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 01:36:00 +0000

A NY Road Sign the DOT Forgot About: "

I think this is quite possibly my favorite road sign in New York:

You can find this decaying sign on Seagirt Boulevard just before you cross the bridge to Atlantic Beach in south Queens.

But the real question is: what the heck does this sign mean? You’re already in the middle of New York when you pass it; that arrow could be pointing in any direction and still be accurate! And if it’s referring to Manhattan, it’s definitely pointing in the wrong direction.

If it said Atlantic Beach or Long Beach or Nassau County or Long Island, it might make some sense…but as it stands, it’s just a simple wooden sign with an arrow pointing to “New York.” And when was the last time the DOT put up signs printed on wood??

To be totally honest, this is actually my favorite road sign in New York. Forget the silly “How sweet it is!” and “Fuggedaboutit!” signs…

“Welcome to Brooklyn: Home To Everyone From Everywhere!”

…that’s the absolute best description of Brooklyn I’ve ever heard.

-SCOUT

Terror in Taipei: Computex taxi drivers watch live TV, video chat while cruising

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Terror in Taipei: Computex taxi drivers watch live TV, video chat while cruising: "

It's a Christmas miracle that Joanna and I survived the week in Taipei. Not because our brains nearly exploded from the wealth of non-functioning Windows 7 tablets we saw, but because most of our cab drivers found themselves -- um, preoccupied -- while on the job. Over here, deep within a WiMAX hotspot, it's not uncommon to see cabbies video chatting and watching live local TV over-the-air while driving, and since you'd never believe me sans pics, I've got a handful of those as proof. Call it culture shock, or call it reckless -- we're calling it 'America needs to get with the program and catch up to Asia.'

Terror in Taipei: Computex taxi drivers watch live TV, video chat while cruising originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola brings hands-free driving campaign to cities

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:25:00 +0000

Motorola brings hands-free driving campaign to cities: "Residents of New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Minneapolis may be seeing Motorola-branded Smart ForTwo cars in their cities soon, as part of the mobile hardware company's National Safe Driving Month campaign.

Originally posted at The Social

Ooh la la via @austinhorse

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:45:00 +0000

Spotted on the streets of Brooklyn. The Citroën H Van, Type H, H-Type or HY was a light truck (or delivery van) produced by the French car maker Citroën between 1947 and 1981. It was developed as a simple front wheel driven van after World War II. A total of 473,289 were produced in 34 years in factories in France and Belgium. Most of them were sold in France, Belgium and The Netherlands.

Manhattan (Opening)

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 05:06:00 +0000

Mention a city that Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue is so closely associated with, you'd be right, - but it better be Manhattan. Grizzled streets with winsome tourists agape at skyscrapers. Long gone diners of meals gone by still offer the hungry and thirsty coffee. Broadway neon ooze the electricity powered by promise and opportunity. Say what you will, New York will always draw the young and vibrant.

In Manhattan, Driving Is Toughest on Wednesdays

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:17:00 +0000

In Manhattan, Driving Is Toughest on Wednesdays: "A study of taxi trips is helping planners tackle gridlock in New York.

"

Start your Car with an iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:15:00 +0000

Nice video demo on the Viper SmartStart remote car starter on the iPhone.

Car Wars: East Harlem's Costco Explains High Price of Parking

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:23:00 +0000

Car Wars: East Harlem's Costco Explains High Price of Parking: "

Image via Crain's

People love to complain about the parking fees at Costco in the East River Plaza, where leaving your car for two hours costs $4.70. But the fee isn't Costco's decision. “We get a lot of grief for the parking lot because it costs $4. It is not our parking lot, by the way,” a store spokesperson told analysts today. In the same phone call, Costco officials said that the store gets good neighborhood traffic during the day, but that they've found New Yorkers just don't want to hop in the car after work to pick up bulk necessities.

If the obviousness of that statement makes steam come out your ears, then you'll enjoy this response from the Wall Street Journal's Marketbeat blog:

Not to be too snarky, but as we're sure Costco is aware, New Yorkers don't tend to travel around in cars. Instead we opt for an elaborate system of subterranean railroads that convey us hither and yon about the city. In these trains, we are often crammed cheek-by-jowl with our fellow travelers, with little room for the pallet-loads of cashews and toilet paper that suburbanites are at liberty to load up on.

All good points, but come now: How could Costco possibly have known before it opened that New Yorkers don't drive?

· Now Open: Free Food, Expensive Parking at Costco [Racked NY]

· Rants [Racked NY]

· The Number at Noon: $4.70 [WSJ]

The Weekly Carnage

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:25:00 +0000

The Weekly Carnage: "

The Weekly Carnage is a Friday round-up of motor vehicle mayhem
across the five boroughs and beyond. For more on the origins and purpose of this
column, please read About the Weekly Carnage.

"The Great" Joe Rollino, killed by driver on January 11 in Brooklyn

Fatal Crashes (7 Killed This Week, 14 This Year, 4 Drivers Charged*)

Dyker Heights, Brooklyn: Joe Rollino, "World's Strongest Man," Killed by Brooklyn Minivan Driver at Age 104; No Charges Filed (NYT, NY1, News, Post, Bklyn Eagle)
Annadale, SI: 23-Year-Old Daniel Kelley, Jogger Hit by Drugged Driver, Dies of Injuries; Further Charges Against Killer Gypsy Porfirio Pending (News, NY1, Advance 1, 2)
Related: Pedestrian Safety on the Minds of Staten Islanders (Advance 1, 2)
Eastchester, Bronx: Unidentified Pedestrian, 66, Hit by Driver of Mini Cooper; Gerald King, 53, Charged With Homicide, DWI (Post)
Flushing, Queens: Unidentified Pedestrian Hit, Killed by Two Drivers on Grand Central Parkway; No Charges (News)
Hillcrest, Queens: Speeding Driver Plows Into Cars on Grand Central Parkway, Killing Another Driver; Charged With DWI, Manslaughter (News)
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn: Two Killed in Belt Parkway Crash; Driver Charged With Homicide (NYT, Post)

Photo: Staten Island Advance

Injuries, Arrests and Property Damage

Manhattan: Howard Safir Hits Pregnant Woman With SUV, Drives Off (NYT, NY1, News, Post)
Related: DA Vance Examining Safir Hit-and-Run, Ped and Cyclist Deaths (Streetsblog, NYT, Post)
Related: Ray Kelly Says Collision "Not a Criminal Matter," Considers Case Closed (News, Fox5)
Manhattan: Driver Fleeing Police Tears Through Midtown; 3 Cops Injured (Post, News)
Queens: Pedestrian Critical After Collision in Hollis Hills; Driver Blames Sun; No Charges (NY1)
Old Town, SI: Driver Rams SUV Into Laundromat, Steals Cash Register (News)
Bulls Head, SI: Firefighter Hurt When Truck Carrying Oil and Antifreeze Catches Fire (Advance)
Bronx: Driver Trying to Avoid Rear-Ender Hits Pole, Writes Entertaining Forum Post (8th Civic)
Crashes Reported on Manhattan, Verrazano Bridges (WNBC, Advance)

Following Up

Despite FOIL Request, NYPD Won't Release Details of Solange Raulston Crash (Streetsblog)
Cyclist Killed on Delancey Street Identified as 35-Year-Old Fuen Bai (DNAinfo via Gothamist)
Services Held for Girl, 12, Killed on Bruckner Expressway; Investigation Continues (YourNabe)
Gus Gonzalez Offered Plea Deal for Cyclist Assault; Vance Hasn't Talked to Witness (Streetsblog)

In the Region, Out of Town

LA Road Rager Christopher Thompson Gets Five Years for Injuring Two Cyclists (Streetsblog LA)
Son of Brooklyn Rabbi, Two Others Killed in Crash Outside Pittsburgh (Post)
Almond, NY: School Bus Driver Gets 90 Days for On-the-Job DWI (News)
Windham, NY: 2 Teens Killed in Three-Car Catskills Crash (AP)
How Safe Will Kids Be at Newark's Speedway Elementary? (MTR)

Other News

Vulnerable Street User Law to Be Reintroduced in Albany (Streetsblog)
Before Leaving Office, Morgenthau Joined Ray Kelly in Cementing New DWI Procedures (News)
FocusDriven, New Group Modeled on MADD, Takes on Distracted Driving (Bits, NY1)
Cellphone-Using Drivers Cause 28 Percent of U.S. Crashes: 1.4M a Year (WaPo)
Safety Guru Leonard Evans: Distracting Auto Tech "Worse Than a Six-Pack in the Front Seat" (AOL)
Ford VP Says Company Wants to Make Cars "as Cool as Your iPhone" (MediaPost)
New York, Connecticut Picked for Fed-Supported DWD Enforcement Study (WNYC)
Tennessee Considering Crackdown on Life-Saving Traffic Cams (Times Free Press)
FL Phantom Cam Controversy: Do Drivers Hate Cameras, or Hate Following the Law? (WZVN)

* Based on latest available reports

Top 10 Tips and Tools for Commuters [Lifehacker Top 10]

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:18:00 +0000

Top 10 Tips and Tools for Commuters [Lifehacker Top 10]: "

U.S. commuters spend an average of 50 minutes in their car each day, and that leaves a lot of room for improvement. Make the most of your commute with these 10 tips.

Photo by mattlemmon.

10. Adjust Your Mirrors for Better Vision

Most people set up their car's mirrors in a way that keeps the edge of their own car in their vision, mostly to provide a sense of perspective. This limits the amount of 'blind spot' coverage provided by your mirrors. Car and Driver suggests a new alignment technique supported by the Society of Automotive Engineers that covers more angles with your side and rear view mirrors. When we first highlighted this tip, several commenters asked what's wrong with just looking over your shoulder as you change lanes—technically, nothing. But if you're willing to commit a little practice time to a new mirror setup, you might find yourself more in control of what's happening as you're speeding down the highway. (Original post)

9. Make Your Commute with Pre-Tax Money

The Frugal Dad blog suggests taking a second look for commuting discounts, including asking around your firm's HR types to see if any discounts or even pre-tax buy-ins are offered for public transportation, parking, or other commuting costs. If you happen to live in San Francisco, commenter JeffK suggests seeing if your employer might reimburse you for your bicycle commute. Photo by 91RS. (Original post)

8. Plan Around Traffic

Those estimates of driving time that online maps provide? They don't always know your commute like you know your commute. If you must be on time, avoid stress, or maybe just want to try a different route, check out Google's traffic mapping on desktop, iPhones, and Android units, give Bing's experimental maps a go, or, in larger cities, try a service like Commuter Feed, or simply run a Twitter search to see if drivers at a stand-still have shared their misery with the wider world. (Original posts: Google traffic maps, Commuter Feed)

7. Make Smart Use of Your 'Down' Time

Blogger and web PR thinker Steve Rubel likes to make otherwise unusable time useful, primarily by listening to audiobooks relevant to his trade and queuing up articles for reading with the Instapaper service. If you're similarly willing to give up drive-time radio for something a bit more, well, mind-expanding, we've explored a few options cheaper than forking over bucks to Audible or iTunes. BooksShouldBeFree neatly organizes the public domain offerings, BooksFree offers a Netflix-like rental service, and you might be surprised to learn that iTunes can make any audio file you find into an audiobook. Keep in mind, too, that your local library likely has a good selection of audiobooks available. (Original posts: BooksShouldBeFree, BooksFree, iTunes/audiobooks).

6. Ride Your Bike to Work

It's the best fuel economy you can get, and the side effects aren't that bad, either. The Sietch Blog answers all the basic questions and gripes about bike commuting to work, and Paul Dorn offers smart tips on planning your route. Feel like you're devastatingly disconnected from your date life? It's fairly cheap to mount your smartphone to your bike—just be safe! Photo by richardmasoner. (Original posts: riding 101, route planning).

5. Avoid or Manage Getting Pulled Over

Nobody's ever planning to be pulled over, but you can be prepared. Stewart Rutledge schooled us on some techniques for beating a ticket, or at least upping your chance of a smooth transaction. Car and Driver interviewed state troopers on how to behave when pulled over, and a traffic attorney from the state of very serious traffic offenses, Virginia, offered his own debunking of ticket myths. If you've got a lead foot or a rolling stop style, they're all worth a read. Finally, you could try out a service like Trapster to get a heads up on common speed traps. (Original posts: Debunking myths, Trapster)

4. Manage Your Commuting Stress

Managing your commuter stress isn't about a zen state of mind or leaving five hours early. Avoiding minor cases of road rage every time you hop in the car can be accomplished by stepping back from your drive and examining it objectively, suggests auto writer Tom Vanderbilt. Don't change lanes in slow traffic, because it almost never matters. Make eye contact with other drivers when you can, look ahead down the road, and try to avoid a sense of personal entitlement to your lane merge, says Vanderbilt. Mixed with a good audiobook or other good use of down time, your commute might just become a lot less stressful, or even better—something you look forward to. Photo by DannyBen. (Original post)

3. Have a Stash for Your Stuff

No, not that kind of stash. We're talking about a pad for your gadgets, DIY car consoles, a clever dashboard camera mount, and makeshift mounts for your iPhone/iPod touch or $2 adjustable multi-gadget mount. Your priority is keeping your eyes on the road, of course, but these tiny projects make it less likely you'll have to dig around underneath a seat for your stuff while driving. (Original posts: sticky pad, console, dash camera, iPhone dock, adjustable dock).

2. Telecommute the Smart Way

If you're able to telecommute on occasional sick days or with some regularity, you'll still have office etiquette, politics, and logistics to deal with. Our own Gina, who's been working over the net for more than five years, offers some tips at a Harvard Business Review post on remote email, 'checking in' with video chats or teleconferences, and using smart tools to collaborate. Photo by mccun934. (Original post)

1. Save Money on Gas

Back in the summer of 2008, when automotive fuel averaged $4 a gallon, Jason wrote up a guide to the easy but verified ways of saving money on gas. Since then, gas has leveled off in price and then crept back up, but no matter where it goes from here, spending less cash on your commute is always going to make you feel better about it. Photo by FutureAtlas.

What tips, tricks, projects, or simple tactics have made your commute better, faster, or less annoying? We'd love to hear about them, and maybe post about them, if you'd leave them in the comments.

Mall Garage Posted Fake "No Parking" Signs on Street Meters via gothamist.com

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:15:00 +0000

Mall Garage Posted Fake "No Parking" Signs on Street Meters: "

Bill Terrell via the Daily News

A parking garage at a Queens mall, didn't vandalize meters, but it did the next best thing. It plastered them with “No Parking Saturday” signs and placed blockades in front of them, hoping to funnel drivers into paid spots in its lot. The fliers were neon yellow, and marked with the NYPD’s insignia, but in fact they could have been run off at a local Kinkos. "The precinct was not aware that these signs were being put up," Sgt. Carlos Nieves, an NYPD spokeman told the News. 'The only people that are allowed to put these signs up are the NYPD.'

Back in 2004 when the mall was expanding employees were given official signs to post, and afterwards, according to Queens Center Mall spokeswoman Dawn Simon, they continued to “facilitate traffic flow” on busy days by barring street parking. "Initially, the signage was provided by the Police Department," Simon said. "Rather than have them re-issue the signs over and over, we created signs."

But duped drivers were enraged. 'It's disgusting,' said Bill Terrell who took pictures of the signs and blockades. 'It's forcing you to go into the garage.' 'Why should I have to pay for the garage when I'm only going in for an hour and could just pay 75 cents?' asked another driver, Geraldine Simmons. (The garage costs three dollars for the first hour, and a dollar for every hour after that.)

Simon has promised to discontinue the signs, and so far it’s unclear whether the Queens DA will press charges. According to, Ryan Blanch of the Blanch Law Firm, the bogus signs could “warrant charges of defrauding the city or obstructing governmental administration.”

Passive-Aggressive Parking

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:45:00 +0000

Passive-Aggressive Parking: "

Townmouse points to this wonderful series of passive-aggressive “winter dibs” notes.

And, yes, we do think highly of ourselves here in NY — so much so that we wouldn’t think to claim ownership of a parking space, leaving it sitting vacant the entire day, just because we exhumed our car from it.

Free NY Parking Thanks to Meter Beaters

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:55:00 +0000

Free NY Parking Thanks to Meter Beaters: "

After record numbers of scheming motorists beat, jammed and otherwise vandalized NYC parking meters last year, the number of operational meters is at an all-time low. Officials say some drivers are mad about increased parking fees, and take it out on the meters. Others jam things (not money) in the slots in order to take advantage of a new law that says cars parked at broken meters won’t be ticketed for as long as the time-limit allows. According to the NY Post, 83.9 percent of the 55,000 on-street meters were working from July 1 to Oct. 31, 2009. Why not just turn them all into into bike racks!

Adjust Your Car Mirrors to Fully Cover Your Blind Spots [Driving]

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:40:00 +0000

Adjust Your Car Mirrors to Fully Cover Your Blind Spots [Driving]: "

The way most drivers, and car makers, keep their side mirrors doesn't actually cover the blind spot outside the driver's vision. Car and Driver illustrates a car mirror setup that, once you get used to it, could prevent lane change freak-outs.

The auto magazine culls its mirror alignment diagram from a paper published in 1995 by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). That paper suggested, basically, moving your side mirrors to point further out into adjacent lanes, a trick that can take some getting used to:

The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin's rearview mirror. This can be disorienting for drivers used to seeing the flanks of their own car in the side mirrors. But when correctly positioned, the mirrors negate a car's blind spots. This obviates the need to glance over your shoulder to safely change lanes as well as the need for an expensive blind-spot warning system.

So the trick is to get the side mirrors aligned just outside what your rearview mirror covers, and rely on your own vision to cover the areas in your peripheral vision. Neat trick, but as the magazine (and their commenters) mention, you'll want to train yourself on a neighborhood road before taking this setup out on the interstate.

Check out the Car and Driver post for a full look and explanation of the SAE-approved side mirror setup. Got a better solution to your side mirror setup? Do tell in the comments.

How To: Adjust Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots [Car and Driver]

Firsthand look at 2010 @toyota Prius cruise control via @scobleizer

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:06:00 +0000

Firsthand look at 2010 @toyota Prius cruise control:

"I uploaded a YouTube video: You've heard Steve Wozniak claim that his Toyota Prius (same model as mine) accelerates on its own in a potentially dangerous way. I show how the radar system works and demonstrate that it can accelerate wildly even when it's working normally. It especially doesn't work well in tight turns, for instance, but I never feel out of control or feel that the system is dangerous. Anyway, I've put more than 12,000 miles on my new Prius so far and find the system is the best cruise control on the market -- by far -- and is safer than other types of cruise control, which can lull you to sleep. Take a ride with me as I demonstrate this new feature, which uses radar to follow the car in front of you."

This is an excellent, albeit uneasy example, of Robert Scoble's experience of the cruise control issues with the Toyota Prius cruise control. Watch the video at the link.

Broadway Traffic Redo Yields Mixed Results, Mayor Says via NYT

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:45:00 +0000

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg acknowledged on Tuesday that the city’s ambitious re-engineering of the Midtown street grid had a mixed impact on traffic in the area, although he seemed to express general support for the pilot project, which barred automobile traffic along two sections of Broadway.

“Some of the roads are better; some of the roads are worse. Not everybody likes everything,” Mr. Bloomberg said at a press conference on Tuesday at a city-run career center in downtown Brooklyn. “On balance,” he added, “I hear very few complaints.”

The mayor spoke a day after The New York Times reported that two officials briefed on traffic data from the project characterized the results as disappointing. The project includes the closing of Broadway to motor traffic near Herald and Times Squares and was expected to speed traffic along Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue. One official said the traffic flow did not meet the department’s goals. Mr. Bloomberg must approve the changes before they can become permanent.

Toyota's remedy for recalled pedals announced, dealers to remain open extended hours

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:13:00 +0000

Toyota announced early this morning exactly how it's going to repair 2.3 million Toyota brand vehicles affected by its latest sticking accelerator pedal recall. The fix involves installing a 'precision-cut steel reinforcement bar' into the pedal assembly that will reduce friction between a shoe and the adjoining surface, the place where Toyota has found these defective pedals to be sticking. The automaker says the fix is 'effective and simple' - it should take around 30 minutes to perform - and has been rigorously tested on pedal assemblies that have been known to stick. Since words only paint so clear a picture, we'll be searching for more visual evidence today of how the repair works, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, Toyota says owners of vehicles affected by the sticking pedal recall can expect a letter by mail sometime in the next couple of days with instructions on how to coordinate their repair with a dealer. Dealers, meanwhile, will remain open extended hours to perform the repairs, some even 24 hours a day. And for those owners whose vehicles are affected by both the floormat recall and sticking pedal recall, Toyota will try to coordinate only one trip to the dealer for both fixes.

Follow the jump for Toyota's official statement as well as a video released today in which Toyota Motor Sales President and COO Jim Lentz expresses some heart felt apologies to current customers.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota's remedy for recalled pedals announced, dealers to remain open extended hours

Toyota's remedy for recalled pedals announced, dealers to remain open extended hours originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Not to Convince People Your Cars Won't Kill Them [Badvertising]

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:50:00 +0000

How Not to Convince People Your Cars Won't Kill Them [Badvertising]: "

Usually car companies talk about how awesome their cars are. Since recalling millions of its vehicles, Toyota has had to persuade people their vehicles won't kill them. Today, they bought newspaper ads throughout the country to try to do this.

The full-page ad—which appeared in major markets Sunday—is the first step in a massive PR push as Toyota goes about trying to rehabilitate its image after the company shut down production of eight of its affected models last week. This is not going to be easy given the uniquely terrifying problem a few of their cars had: The gas pedal got stuck, causing drivers to go faster and faster until they died. Late last year, Toyota recalled some 3.8 million cars because of the problem. Tiger Woods did some bad stuff, but he never killed anyone.

So does today's ad make us feel better about not dying in a Toyota? Not really. Instead of the straightforward mea culpa Toyota should have offered, the ad is a mealy-mouthed attempt to spin a major misstep into an honorable sacrifice by Toyota on behalf of its precious customers, so fragile and easily damaged by car crashes. Here is our annotated edition (click for full size):

1) Font, Helvetica: Good choice. Spare and sans-serif, Helvetica projects reliability and remind us of road-signs signs expressly meant to keep us from crashing into things. (DO NOT ENTER.) The font was was in fact originally designed to be devoid of emotional content, a completely neutral form of information conveyance. Incidentally, neutral is the gear Toyota suggests you shift into if your accelerator gets stuck and you find yourself careening out-of-control down the Jersey Turnpike. Write that down!

2) Slogan, 'A Temporary Pause. To Put You First': Toyota recalled millions of cars because some of them do the worst thing possible for a car to do: They get stuck in 'go'. To spin the production stoppage as 'putting customers first' rather than 'keeping customers from getting killed by our dangerously defective product' is lame. This is like if Abraham Lincoln had proposed abolishing slavery as way to 'put black people first.' No: slavery is wrong, and so is making cars that sometimes double as coffins with power windows. What about 'putting us first' by making sure your cars do not infinitely accelerate for no reason. Seriously, we're having trouble imagining any worse defect a car could have. Maybe: The GPS system is screwed up so it only gives you directions to sex offenders' houses?

3) Pause button icon: Taken with the Helvetica font and gray/white color-scheme, we're getting a very iPod vibe here. This is confusing because we don't see much of a connection between a music player renowned for its design and a car that can maybe lead to your fiery demise. FLASH POLL: What song do you want to be listening to when your Prius' accelerator gets stuck under the floor-mat, propelling you at 98 mph through a guardrail on California One, out into the Pacific and eternal sleep? Pantera? Yeah, probably Pantera.

4) Blurb: 'Why we've temporarily stopped some of our plants.' OK, we are not brand identity consultants, but we've read enough Malcom Gladwell to know that Toyota owners and potential buyers do not care at all about the fact that Toyota has 'stopped some of their plants.' They are mainly worried about: Is my Toyota going to autonomously attempt a landspeed record when I'm driving to the grocery store? How do I protect my family from this threat that has apparently been lurking right beneath my feet for years? Will I ever feel safe again? The only guy sitting over his cereal and his Sunday New York Times wondering why Toyota has stopped some of its plants is the guy who lives next door to one of those plants and notices the bilious yellow smoke that spews constantly from its smokestacks is gone and he is able to see the mountains.

5) 'Toyota Customer Experience Center' hot-line: Hello, thank you for calling the Toyota Customer Experience Center. If you have questions about your vehicle's warranty, please say 'Warranty'. If you'd like to find a Toyota dealer near you, please say 'nearest dealer'. If your accelerator has become stuck to the floor of your vehicle, please scream in abject terror. You have selected [blood-curdling scream]. I'm sorry, all of our Customer Experience Specialists are assisting other customers. Please hold. Your call is important to us.

6) 'Toyota: Moving Forward': And there's nothing you can do to stop us. Literally.

Women drivers really aren't as good at parking as men, says a new study

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:06:00 +0000

Ladies, park your pride at the door. Turns out men really are better than women at steering their cars into a spot, if you believe a new study out of Germany.

At head-on, reverse and parallel parking, men outperformed women by maneuvering their cars into the middle of the space, according to the study that was reported in the Daily Telegraph. Female drivers not only didn’t do as good a job but also took an average of 20 seconds longer to park their vehicles.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2009/12/23/2009-12-23_men_are_better_and_quicker_at_parking_says_new_study.html#ixzz0eFYMzi2I

The Weekly Carnage

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:50:00 +0000

The Weekly Carnage: "

Editors' note: We're trying something new with The Weekly Carnage. Though we will continue to gather news from around the region and beyond, beginning this week the column will reflect a tighter focus on crashes and other incidents within the five boroughs. Let us know what you think of the new format.

Arthur Katz was struck and killed by an ambulette driver while crossing Henderson Avenue in New Brighton, Staten Island Wednesday. He died from his injuries. While the investigation continues, police do not expect to file charges. Photo: Staten Island Advance

Fatal Crashes (7 Killed This Week, 7 This Year, 1 Driver Charged*)

New Brighton, SI: Pedestrian Arthur Katz, 49, Killed by Ambulette Driver; "No Criminality Suspected" (Advance 1, 2, 3)
Manhattan: Unidentified Pedestrian, 77, Hit and Killed in Midtown; Truck Driver Keeps Going; No Charges (Post)
Lower East Side, Manhattan: School Bus Driver Runs Down Unidentified Cyclist; No Charges (Streetsblog 1, 2, 3)
Bensonhurst, Brooklyn: Livery Driver Kills Unidentified Pedestrian, 50; Charged With DWI, Manslaughter (News, Post)
Midwood, Brooklyn: Pedestrian Rosemary Pratt Killed by Forklift Operator; Cops Issue Summonses for Equipment Violations (YourNabe, WABC, News)
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn: Pedestrian Mary Mason, 59, Hit by Truck Driver; Driver Keeps Going; No Known Charges (News, Post 1, 2)
Related: Village Voice Blogger Tony Ortega Brings Levity to This Week's Suffering and Death
Graniteville, SI: Toddler Gina Marie Fantauzzi Dies in Three-Vehicle Collision on MLK Parkway; Investigation Ongoing (Advance 1, 2)
Bronx: Crash on Bruckner Expressway Service Road Claims 12-Year-Old Girl; 15-Year-Old Suspected to Have Been Behind the Wheel (City Room, Post, YourNabe)**

Daniel Kelley and Gina Siclari were hit by driver Gypsy Porfirio while jogging along Staten Island's Hylan Boulevard on Tuesday. Both were hospitalized with serious injuries; Kelley is not expected to survive. Siclari has been charged with drug possession, assault, vehicular assault, and one count each of driving while impaired and intoxicated. Photo: Staten Island Advance

Injuries, Arrests and Property Damage

Gothamist Newsmap: 3 Unidentified Pedestrians, Including 1 Cop, Struck Since Jan. 4 (1, 2, 3)
Annadale, SI: 2 Joggers Hurt, One Critically, by Drugged Driver (Advance 1, 2, Post, News)
Manhattan: 16-Year-Old Hit by Cab Driver in Midtown, in Critical Condition; No Charges (News, Post)
SI: Hit-and-Run Driver Says 73-Year-Old Parking Lot Ped "Came Out of Nowhere" (Advance)
Brighton Beach: Ped Seriously Hurt by Hit-and-Run Bus Driver; Unspecified Summons Issued (WINS)
Red Hook: Driver vs. Storefront Sparks Call for Taming of Van Brunt Street (YourNabe)
Whitestone, Queens: Suspected Terrorist Crashes During FBI Evasion Attempt (News, Post)
Brooklyn: DWI Hit-and-Run Leaves 1 Driver Hurt; Road Rage Crash Ends With Arrests (Post)
Bronx: Driver Injures Cops in Unmarked Car, Causes Fatal Crash Fleeing to Yonkers (Post)
Departmental Attorney Arrested for DWI En Route to Bloomberg Inauguration (Gothamist)
Nine Arrested for DWI on Staten Island Over New Year's Weekend (Advance)
East Village: Former Net Jayson Williams Hits Tree, Charged With DWI (City Room, WINS)
Midland Beach, SI: Driver Flips Mercedes on Capodanno Boulevard (Advance)

Street Memorial Project 2009 tribute. Photo: denali2001/Flickr

Following Up

Safe Street Advos Mark Another Year of Pedestrian and Cyclist Fatalities (Streetsblog, YourNabe, NY1)
Bronx Cyclist Sues NYPD After Being Hit by Cop Driving Patrol Car (News)
SI: Driver Gets 5-15 Years in 2007 DWI Crash That Killed Pataki Aide (Advance)

In the Region, Out of Town

Clifton, NJ: Empty NJ Transit Train Hits Crashed SUV; Driver Killed (Post)
Bucks County, PA: HS Principal Critically Injures Student Walking to School (Inquirer)
Scarsdale: Westchester Cop Who Injured Colleague Latest of 4 Officers in DWI Crashes (WINS)
Enfield, CT: Mom Charged for Leaving Kids in Cold Car Outside Tanning Salon (AP)
Clintonville, PA: 2 Brooklynites Killed in Crash on Icy Interstate (Post)
Four Dead in Ohio in Wake of Snow Storm: Does Winter Weather Kill, Or Is It Auto-Dependency? (AP)
California First Lady Maria Shriver a Repeat-Offending, SUV-Wielding Menace (Post)

Trends and Other News

New TSTC Report Puts NYC Streets Among Region's Most Deadly for Pedestrians (Streetsblog 1, 2)
Bronx Parents Warn of Dangerous, Illegal Driver Behavior Near Norwood School (NY1)
Residents Across Queens Pan DOT for Unsafe Walking Conditions (Queens Chron 1, 2)
Report: Keeping City Drivers at 20 MPH Curtails Casualties (New Haven SSC)
Vision Zero International Releases January 2010 Mag
Carmakers Want In on Distracted Driver Market (NYT)
Facebook Silent on Group That Encourages Violence Against Cyclists (CommuteOrlando)
Ohio DUI Wall of Shame Lists Just 96 Recidivists (Cincinnati Enq)
"Distracted Driving" Is Webster's 2009 Word of the Year (Active Transportation Alliance)

* Based on latest available reports
** This crash occurred in 2009 and is not reflected in the weekly or yearly fatality count.

Guy Adds Boat Tail to Car, Increases MPG by 15.1%

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:25:00 +0000

Guy Adds Boat Tail to Car, Increases MPG by 15.1%: "Image courtesy of Wired

Darin Cosgrove has increased the fuel efficiency of his car by 15.1% by adding a homemade boat tail made from cardboard, aluminum and duct tape to the vehicle.

This isn't the first mod he'...Read the full story on TreeHugger

OnStar Mobile app for the Chevy Volt [video]

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:32:00 +0000

Times Square Van's Parking Placard Was Stolen, Isn't A Parking Placard

noreply@blogger.com (The Driver) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:55:00 +0000

Times Square Van's Parking Placard Was Stolen, Isn't A Parking Placard: "

(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

The certificate in the windshield of the illegally parked van that sat in Times Square for two days before sending the city into panic was stolen — and it doesn't have anything to do with parking, according to the nonprofit that issued the ID. Though it looks like an NYPD parking placard, a lawyer representing Detectives Crime Clinic of New Jersey and New York claims the certificate isn't supposed to carry any benefits and merely serves as a way of identifying members.

'They aren't official,'' attorney Michael Discioarro told the Associated Press. 'You're not supposed to use it to park illegally.'' He described the 'Vehicle ID Cards,' which sell for $20, as 'pretty cheesy looking.' Though Discioarro declined 'to get into characterizing what people get out of them,' he acknowledged that police complained about them a year ago, '[t]hen they forgot about it.'

The lawyer claims that George Freyre — a street vendor identified as the van's owner — had stolen the placard and does not belong to the Detectives Crime Clinic of New Jersey and New York, which exists so that law enforcement insiders can "get together and tell war stories and drink." "We filed a police report," Discioarro said. "He should be charged with possession of stolen property." Freyre has been charged with forging the date on the van's registration sticker and unlawful use of an official police card for having the phony parking placard in the Dodge's window, according to the Post.

Stolen or not, the NYPD said it might go after the group that issued the placard, according to the Daily News. 'The placards have no authorized use and are manufactured in a way to mimic law enforcement,' said Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, who agency doesn't have the strongest record when it comes to combating fake parking placards.