It’s summer, which means lots and lots of racing will be coming up, though many of the races will be local events only, not anything on the national spectrum. Even so, when we saw Autopia’s article about 10 Great Racetracks as Seen from Space, we knew we had to share it.
Among the tracks included in the presentation are:
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (#1)
Circuit de Spa Francorchamps, in Belgium (#5)
Bonneville Speedway (#7)
Las Vegas Motor Speedway (#10)
We think this has got to be one of the coolest uses of Google Earth ever.
For this week’s Media Monday offering, we’re going across the pond, and sharing a video from the folks at AutoCar. In this video, they compare the performance of the new Mercedes SLS to other Supercars, like the Aston-Martin, Lamborghini, and Porsche 911.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Ralph Gilles, CEO of Dodge, discussed a new concept in a recent dealers meeting. He called it the “man van,” and it’s a variant of the minivan that would give the brand – and the vehicle – a more masculine image.
According to the Journal, one of the dealers said, “A man van won’t generate huge sales, but it’s one of those vehicles that gets people talking and heads turning.”
So what’s the man van going to look like? Well, rather like the Dodge Grand Caravan R/T concept displayed at the 2008 SEMA show, this would have exterior and interior details that would help to differentiate dad’s minivan from mom’s. Examples include bespoke stitching on the seats and steering wheel, but the body trim has yet to be finalized.
This announcement closely follows news of two other minivans which are being pushed as family-friendly: Honda’s 2011 Odyssey, which features 15 cup holders and an integrated trash receptacle, and Toyota’s 2011 Sienna, which is being marketed with a “Mommy Like” commercial campaign.
The Detroit News is reporting on the results of a recent IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) which show that mature drivers are keeping their driver’s licenses longer and getting into fewer accidents. As well, the study found that from 1997 to 2008 the number of fatal crashes per licensed driver over the age of 70 decreased by 37%.
Accidents involving drivers over the age of 80 also fell during that period – by almost 50% – as opposed to a mere 20% reduction in crashes involving young drivers. Senior citizens are keeping their driving privileges longer, also. In 2008, 78% of the population over the age of 70 – about 28 million people – still had their licenses, up from 73% in 1997, and drivers older than 80 were involved in 20% fewer accidents where there were no reported injuries, while drivers between the ages of 35 and 54 saw no improvement in that area.
IIHS suggests that there are many factors contributing to this improvement. Vehicles, for example, are safer now than they were ten years ago. As well, senior citizens are leading healthier lives, and states have been paying closer attention to their older drivers. So far, twenty-six states have special driving provisions for mature drivers, including vision tests, shorter renewal periods, and requiring in-person renewals. Some states, like Illinois and New Hampshire, are even requiring road tests for drivers over the age of 75.
Even with safer cars and more careful monitoring, however, drivers who are over 70 years old are three times more likely to die in a car crash than drivers between the ages of 35 and 54.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m really enjoying the Saab commercials that run on BBC America. They’re innovative, informative, and entertaining, as well. This isn’t one of them, but we think Saab is often ignored in the American market, so thanks to the folks who run their social media channel – and YouTube – here’s their recent reveal.
