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Continue reading 2025 Buick Enclave revealed with new looks, technology
2025 Buick Enclave revealed with new looks, technology originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 9 Apr 2024 10:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading Base GMC Hummer EV2 reportedly dead for the planned 2025 launch year
Base GMC Hummer EV2 reportedly dead for the planned 2025 launch year originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 8 Apr 2024 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Plus, we review the Lexus LC500h and Lexus TX 350
Driving Volvos on ice, and the 2025 Toyota 4Runner is almost here | Autoblog Podcast #826 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 5 Apr 2024 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
BIG SUR, Calif. — Motorists crept along one lane of a scenic stretch of California’s iconic Highway 1 on Monday after a giant chunk of it collapsed into the ocean following heavy weekend rains, stranding as many as 1,600 people in the coastal community of Big Sur.
Convoys of vehicles resumed at 8 a.m. Monday for one lane of the highway, although most of the people trapped in Big Sur were allowed to leave when a single lane was reopened Sunday after being closed overnight, said Kevin Drabinski, a spokesperson for the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans.
“During the time the convoys are passing, we physically have observers on sight to put eyes on the condition of the roadway to make sure it’s still safe to travel,” Drabinski said.
The collapse occurred Saturday near Rocky Creek Bridge about 17 miles (27 kilometers) south of Monterey, and traffic backed up for miles in both directions.
Kirk Gafill, the manager of Nepenthe restaurant in Big Sur, said about a dozen of his employees who were working that day were trapped in town and had to find friends or family members to spend the night with.
“That’s probably true for every business in Big Sur,” he said.
The Big Sur Lodge opened its conference room to offer some trapped motorists a place to stay, while others spent the night in their vehicles.
Linda Molinari of Hollister, California, told Fresno’s KFSN-TV that she and her boyfriend ended up sleeping in his van after they went to lunch in Big Sur on Saturday.
“It was really hard when the firefighters said, ‘Oh, you get to sleep here tonight,’” Molinari told the station on Easter Sunday after they returned home. “It’s amazing to get home, but still bittersweet. You missed a holiday from just trying to go to lunch on a random day.”
Another convoy of vehicles was escorted through at 4 p.m. Monday, but motorists were urged to avoid the area. The next convoy was scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Caltrans said crews will start installing concrete barriers to provide a safe lane for vehicles and to protect construction workers. Engineers will focus on stabilizing the edge of the roadway, but it’s not immediately clear when the road will be ready to reopen.
The famous route has seen frequent closures because of collapses, mudflows and rockslides during severe weather.
Road workers got a break from the heavy rains that fell over the weekend, with dry conditions expected for the next several days and just a chance for light rain on Thursday, said Dalton Behringer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Bay Area.
The COVID-19 pandemic quickly shut down almost every part of American society overnight, emptying roadways and making many areas feel like ghost towns. At the same time, many people took advantage of the open roads with reckless driving and extreme speeds. So, while there were fewer people on the roads, more people died in traffic accidents than before, with fatalities reaching almost 39,000 in 2020. The numbers continued climbing through 2021, reaching a peak of 42,915, but they’ve fallen for two years in a row, according to a recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The NHTSA noted that traffic deaths fell 3.6 percent last year to 40,990. That’s down from 42,514 in 2022 but still higher than any year pre-pandemic since 2008. Greater numbers of intoxicated drivers, speeding, and people driving without seatbelts significantly contributed to the totals.
Though traffic deaths fell between 2022 and 2023, the number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths grew in 2022. A total of 7,522 pedestrians and 1,105 cyclists were killed, the most since 1981 for pedestrians and 1980 for cyclists. More drivers 65 or older also died in 2022, up 4.7 percent to 7,870, the most since the NHTSA started record-keeping in 1975.
The agency released the numbers while kicking off its “Put the Phone Away or Pay” safety campaign, which aims to remind drivers of the dangers of distracted driving. It noted that 3,308 people were killed and an astonishing 289,310 people injured due to distracted driving. So, while traffic deaths are on a slow decline, distracted drivers remain a significant threat to “vulnerable road users” such as pedestrians, cyclists, and others.
The NHTSA recorded 621 such deaths in distraction-related crashes in 2022. Deputy administrator Sophie Shulman said, “Distraction comes in many forms, but it is also preventable. Our rebranded campaign reminds everyone to Put the Phone Away or Pay, because distracted driving can cost you in fines – or even cost your life or the life of someone else on the road.”
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Continue reading 2024 Buick Envision debuts with family styling, massive interior screen
2024 Buick Envision debuts with family styling, massive interior screen originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 2 Apr 2024 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The largest crane on the Eastern Seaboard was being transported to Baltimore so crews on Friday can begin removing the wreckage of a collapsed highway bridge that has halted a search for four workers still missing days after the disaster and blocked the city’s vital port from operating. As the sun rose Friday, a crane could be seen at the site.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the large crane, which was to arrive by barge and can lift up to 1,000 tons, will be one of at least two used to clear the channel of the twisted metal and concrete remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and the cargo ship that hit it this week.
“The best minds in the world” are working on the plans for removal, Moore said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Baltimore District told the governor that it and the Navy were mobilizing major resources from around the country at record speed to clear the channel.
“This is not just about Maryland,” Moore said. “This is about the nation’s economy. The port handles more cars and more farm equipment than any other port in America.”
He warned of a long road to recovery but said he was grateful to the Biden administration for approving $60 million in immediate aid. President Joe Biden has said the federal government will pay the full cost of rebuilding the bridge.
“This work is not going to take hours. This work is not going to take days. This work is not going to take weeks,” Moore said. “We have a very long road ahead of us.”
Thirty-two members of the Army Corps of Engineers were surveying the scene of the collapse and 38 Navy contractors were working on the salvage operation, officials said Thursday.
The devastation left behind after the cargo ship lost power and struck a support pillar early Tuesday is extensive. Divers recovered the bodies of two men from a pickup truck in the Patapsco River near the bridge’s middle span Wednesday, but officials said they have to start clearing the wreckage before anyone can reach the bodies of four other missing workers.
State police have said that judging by sonar scans, the vehicles appear to be encased in a “superstructure” of concrete and other debris.
Federal and state officials have said the collision and collapse appeared to be an accident.
The victims, who were part of a construction crew fixing potholes on the bridge, were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Butler said. At least eight people initially went into the water when the ship struck the bridge column, and two of them were rescued Tuesday, officials said.
The crash caused the bridge to break and fall into the water within seconds. Authorities had just enough time to stop vehicle traffic, but didn’t get a chance to alert the construction crew.
During the Baltimore Orioles’ opening day game Thursday, Sgt. Paul Pastorek, Cpl. Jeremy Herbert and Officer Garry Kirts, of the Maryland Transportation Authority, were honored for their actions in halting bridge traffic and preventing further loss of life.
The three said in a statement that they were “proud to carry out our duties as officers of this state to save the lives that we could.”
The cargo ship Dali, which is managed by Synergy Marine Group, was headed from Baltimore to Sri Lanka. It is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and was chartered by Danish shipping giant Maersk.
Synergy extended sympathies to the victims’ families in a statement Thursday.
“We deeply regret this incident and the problems it has caused for the people of Baltimore and the region’s economy that relies on this vitally important port,” Synergy said, noting that it would continue to cooperate with investigators.
Of the 21 crew members on the ship, 20 are from India, Randhir Jaiswal, the nation’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told reporters, saying one was slightly injured and needed stitches but “all are in good shape and good health.”
Scott Cowan, president of the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 333, said the union was scrambling to help its roughly 2,400 members whose jobs are at risk of drying up until shipping can resume in the Port of Baltimore.
“If there’s no ships, there’s no work,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can.”
The huge vessel, almost as long as the Eiffel Tower is tall, was carrying nearly 4,700 shipping containers, 56 of them with hazardous materials inside. Fourteen of those were destroyed, officials said. However industrial hygienists who evaluated the contents identified them as perfumes and soaps, the Key Bridge Joint Information Center said, and there was “no immediate threat to the environment.”
About 21 gallons (80 liters) of oil from a bow thruster on the ship is believed to have caused a sheen in the waterway, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said.
Booms were placed to prevent any spreading of oil, and state environmental officials were sampling the water and air.
Containers are hanging dangerously off the side of the ship, Gilreath said, adding, “We’re trying to keep our first responders … as safe as possible.”
The sudden loss of a road that carried 30,000 vehicles a day and the port disruption will affect not only thousands of dockworkers and commuters but also U.S. consumers, who are likely to feel the impact of shipping delays.
The governors of New York and New Jersey offered to take on cargo shipments that have been disrupted, to try to minimize supply chain problems.
From 1960 to 2015, there were 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collisions, according to the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.
___
Witte reported from Annapolis, Maryland. Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield in Washington, Krutika Pathi in New Delhi, and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed.
The folks at Zutobi, a driver-education resources website, did some calling around recently on the topic of parking in U.S. cities — where it’s abundant, where it’s scarce, where it’s cheap, and where it most definitely is not. The results are in some cases not surprising. Boston, an expensive place to live all around, and which was a major city long before there were cars, is an expensive place to park. Cleveland? Park where you like, using pocket change.
If you sense that $20 to park for 3 hours in Boston, or $10 for the same period in Seattle, or $17 in NYC feels a little low, well yeah, it struck us that way, too. But Zutobi’s methodology states that they’ve listed the cheapest parking they could find in each of these downtown locations. So sure, there might be some lonesome little lot where you can get a screaming deal. What’s probably more important than actual dollar figures — and whether you could get such prices in real life — is how these cities stack up against each other.
The Zutobi report slices the topic of parking pretty fine. The cost rankings in particular caught our eye, but if you want to know more about parking in general — cities with the most available parking, or the cities where valet parking isn’t that much of a thing, for example — it’s all in there. May good parking karma be with you wherever you go.
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I was recently fortunate enough to get my hands on a 2024 Toyota GR Corolla Premium without a markup here in Maine, but the car’s January delivery date meant I’d need to immediately swap the factory Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires or risk a costly traction-related accident. After a bit of research, I asked Bridgestone for a set of Blizzak WS90 tires for testing, and just a few days later, I was in business. The GR Corolla wears 235/40 R18 tires, making them far cheaper than the larger wheels on other sporty cars, so I will swap between the Blizzaks and Michelins when the temps start rising here in Maine.
You might be wondering why a rally-bred, all-wheel-drive hatchback would need winter tires. The high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport 4s have a tread pattern and rubber compound that are designed to work safely and reliably in warm weather. They provide fantastic grip and handling at the expense of longevity, but they’re not designed for use in cold or snowy weather. The same tread pattern that provides water evacuation and traction in warm temperatures can’t hold up to snow and slippery conditions. Additionally, the rubber compounds in summer tires can crack and become brittle when temperatures fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Depending on where you live, you might need winter tires for part of the year, or you might be able to get away with all-season tires, which have a longer life than summer tires but are not as great at winter traction as snows. Here in Maine, some drivers opt for studded tires in winter, which is overkill in all but the worst conditions and too loud for many to live with on a daily basis. I am lucky to have a short commute to get the kids to school, and everything in my small town is nearby, so I could get away with an all-season tire, but I wanted the stability of a dedicated winter tire and to retain the warm-weather performance delivered by the Pilot Sport 4s. While maintaining two sets of tires, storing them, and changing over between seasons is annoying, it’s a hassle I’m willing to deal with to get the most out of my car.
The first and most notable differences between Blizzaks and summer tires are in the sound and feel. Even when driving well outside of their recommended temperature range the first few days I had the car, it was easy to tell that the Michelins were quiet and responsive. The Blizzaks’ sound was immediately apparent on dry pavement. Still, it’s important to note that the GR Corolla is already one of the loudest cars inside that I’ve driven, thanks to less sound-deadening materials to save weight. With their deep treads and beefier design, the Bridgestones generate a surprising amount of droning, and at low speeds, it’s possible to hear the individual treads as they scrape across the street.
The driving feel is also quite different, though a less stripped-down car would likely hide some of it. There’s almost a “blocky” feel at first, as the chunky tread pattern is much more pronounced than the Pilot Sport 4s. The GR Corolla doesn’t have the most communicative steering in the world, but there’s a significant difference in steering feel than with the summer tires. There’s a slight vibration but nothing serious at low speeds, and things smooth out at higher speeds.
Would I buy the Blizzak WS90?
All of the downsides I’m listing for the Bridgestone tires also apply to every other winter tire. They are all noisy, feel different than summer or all-season tires, and are all a hassle to deal with when it comes to swapping back and forth. That’s a long way of saying that, yes, I would buy these tires with my own money. They provide a sense of security in the often poor weather conditions we have in Maine winters, and they are competent enough that I don’t feel like I gave up a ton of performance with the GR Corolla to get that confidence. At the same time, it’s important to note that I always advise people to take a close look at how and when they drive, as many of us could get away without needing a second set of tires.
The Bridgestone Blizzaks are among the most popular and well-reviewed winter tires, but they’re far from the only option available.
You might have to program the name into your computer’s spellcheck, but the Nokians are a serious winter tire. The company offers them in a a few different configurations, including studded tires, and Nokian manufactures tires using sustainable practices that help lessen their environmental impact. Some sizes are also available with run-flat features, giving an added layer of peace of mind.
There’s an old saying I love: “Just pay for the Michelins.” While often more expensive than comparable rival tires, Michelins offer solid longevity and performance, and the X-Ice Snow tire is a well-reviewed model with low rolling resistance for better fuel economy. They are also three-peak mountain snowflake rated and come with a 40,000-mile warranty.
Pirelli tires are known for their performance, and the Winter Sottozero 3 is an excellent alternative to the Bridgestone Blizzaks. They offer run-flat tech and a unique tread pattern that channels moisture and snow, while the wide contact patch brings excellent grip in a wide range of conditions.
Tires aren’t the most complicated part of your vehicle, but there’s enough nuance to warrant questions.
What are three-peak mountain snowflake tires?
Tires earn the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) designation by passing a limited winter-weather testing regimen that includes acceleration runs. No braking or turning tests are included in the designation, though some offer better-than-expected performance that could make them a year-round tire for many.
Are winter tires required?
Some local areas may require them, but snow tires are generally not required – even in Maine. That said, they can make the difference between control and complete chaos, so snow tires are a good idea when there’s bad weather ahead. It’s worth noting that there are rules governing the use of studded tires, with places like Maine limiting their use to winter months to prevent road wear and accidents.
Are all-season tires fine for snow?
You might get away with using snow tires and not have an accident, but they are not designed to handle heavy snow and ice. You’ll find less predictable stopping distances, less grip for acceleration, and may have difficulty steering in heavy snow with all-season tires.
Can I drive with winter tires all year?
It’s certainly possible, but it’s a bad idea. The same rubber compounds that help winter tires stay pliable and grip the snow in winter can become too soft and wear quickly in warm weather. Additionally, they don’t do the best job in heavy rain and don’t provide the best performance when temps are well above freezing.
Pros:
Cons:
Road rage can endanger drivers and their passengers, raise their blood pressure and their insurance costs — and, in more than a few cases, kill them. Such are the sobering findings of a detailed survey conducted by the Insurify group, who say that drivers who are cut off by another car are most likely to react angrily on the road.
These “angry” behaviors or reactions may include honking, cursing, blocking the offending driver from changing lanes, or in rare cases, confronting another driver or forcing him or her off the road. And these confrontations may be the least of it, Insurify reports: Road rage shooting deaths more than doubled between 2018 and 2022, accounting for 141 deaths and more than 413 injuries in 2022, the survey says.
More than a thousand American drivers in the United States responded to the survey, with more than half expressing behaviors consistent with road rage (but only 41 percent admitting to having road rage sometimes). Insurify also analyzed the most recent road rage statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and National Safety Council (NSC).
Men, the report found, are 20 percent more likely than women to yell or curse at other drivers — banging on the steering wheel is a fairly common reaction. Perhaps surprisingly, women were slightly more likely than men to express one particularly dangerous road rage behavior: forcing another driver off the road.
As far as relating age to inciting road rage behavior, Gen X drivers between 43 and 58 are more likely to engage in that. But more millennials (52 percent) admit to road rage behaviors than any other age group.
While being cut off was the top reason for drawing anger — it had an “anger score” of 3.6 out of 5 — here are some of the other more infuriating behaviors:
Regarding insurance rates, the group says that reckless driving offenses often overlap with road rage behaviors. Drivers with a reckless driving record spend an average of $851 more annually for a full-coverage policy than those with a clean record — second highest only to drivers with a DUI record.
The Insurify report offers some advice to counter road-rage triggers. Seeing a psychotherapist is one. Also, “taking at least one deep breath immediately after a difficult traffic situation can greatly reduce the risk of extreme road rage behaviors,” Mark Bingel-McKillips, a licensed clinical social worker, is quoted in the report. “Deep breathing has a neurophysiological impact on the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn stress response of the brain.”
You can learn more from the full report here.