DWD (Driving While Distracted)

The rain brings out the worst in drivers in Los Angeles, land of sunshine and droughts. I was driving west on Santa Monica Blvd into West Los Angeles in the pouring rain. Next to me was a middle-aged man driving a rental Nissan Sentra, windshield wipers on and both hands on the wheel – uh, sort of. The four fingers of each hand were at the top of the wheel, but his cell phone was mashed up against the wheel with and his thumbs were feverishly texting. Yeah, that's safe!

Now you would have thought that the law against texting while driving had been repealed on January 1, 2010, when in reality, it was celebrating its first anniversary. The texting law along with the hands-free mobile phone law are not just ignored, but most drivers routinely and openly flaunt them. And why not? It's not like people get tickets for these things. I see police officers/sheriffs drive by countless cars with people openly texting or talking on their phone. If caught, the ticket is only around $150 (including fine and tacked-on fees).

To be fair, I have heard about a friend of a friend – a chronic iPhone texter – who got a ticket for texting while driving. But he's the only one. Never mind that all the studies show that texting while driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. And the most recent studies show that talking on your mobile phone while driving – whether or not it's hands-free – is also as bad as driving drunk. Your attention is no longer on the road; it's on the conversation.

Interestingly, the same studies show that talking with passengers doesn't distract driving attention in the same way as talking into the air. There's still a problem with driving parents turning around to check on screaming or convulsing children; but anytime you turn your entire torso in the opposite direction while driving is bound to cause problems.

Most accidents are caused by intoxicated, distracted or just plain bad drivers, not mechanical failure. Two decades ago, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) led the crusade to toughen-up state laws against drunk drivers and educate people about its dangers.

Now we have another nanny nonprofit called FocusDriven (FocusDriven.org), sponsored in part by the US Department of Transportation (Distraction.gov), to raise awareness about the dangers of driving while distracted (DWD) by your mobile device.

FocusDriven's mission is: “Support victims of cell phone distracted driving and families of victims, and increase public awareness of the dangers of cell phone distracted driving by putting a human face on the disastrous impact of this behavior, in order to promote corresponding public policies, programs and personal responsibility.”

If you want heart-wrenching horror stories of distracted-driver accidents, this is the place to go. Judy Teater is the Treasurer and Founding Director of the foundation. Here's her story:

On Jan. 19, 2004, Joe and I were on our way to an after school activity. We were driving down an urban divided highway when a 20-year-old woman, driving a Hummer while talking on her cell-phone, ran a red light and slammed in the passenger side of my car, killing Joe [her 12 year old son].

The driver of the Hummer passed four cars and a school bus that had all stopped at the red light. She never applied her brakes, and witnesses reported seeing her talking on her cell phone and looking straight out the front window. She was looking, but she didn’t see the red light or realize that she should have stopped. She didn’t see the three cars before me cross the intersection, but she was looking straight ahead. This is what we mean when we say drivers suffer cognitive distraction. Their minds are distracted, and they aren’t paying attention.

Happy days, huh?

If a law isn't enforced, it has no teeth. So what do we do to make the streets and highways safer? One approach is to do nothing and just live with the consequences because people are not going to unplug from their wireless devices. Many people believe that the government already intrudes too far into our private lives.

In fact, this problem, if you consider it a problem, isn't going to get better. The New York Times recently reported (January 20, 2010) that the average young American now spends practically every waking minute – except for time in school – using a smartphone, computer, television or other electronic device. The study was conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. One pediatric physician suggested that it was time to stop arguing about whether the use of these devices was good or bad and to accept it as part of the environment of youth like “the air they breath, the water they drink and the food they eat.”

Today's youth are tomorrow's drivers. Don't blink because it's already happened.

If the traffic laws aren't a deterrent, what about insurance laws? What if your insurance company was allowed to deny coverage of your injuries and/or property damage from an accident caused by DWD? If the police report points to your distraction, it's pretty easy for the insurance company to get your cell phone records to see if you were talking, texting or web surfacing at the time of your accident. The burden of proof would shift to you to show you weren't distracted by the device – good luck with that.

Another avenue is a penalty to your driver's license for this kind of accident or ticket. The penalty would allow your insurer to double or triple your rates for a period of time. The insurance companies already do this to drivers with a DUI (driving under the influence) on their driving records, why not do the same for mobile device distraction accidents?

Technology may also provide a solution. Like the breathalyzer installed for DUI convicts, there could be a device installed in your car that jams wireless signals while the car is moving. It would allow only 911 calls. Look for this kind of a device at CES 2011.

I believe in personal responsibility and I'm a big advocate for smarter, safer drivers. Unfortunately, one thing I have learned is that people resist education and without some draconian penalty, the DWD problem is here to stay.

NAIAS = Dearborn's Show

(originally posted 11 Jan 2010 #287)

The 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is held at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan. The shorthand for the show has always been the "Detroit Auto Show." This year, it should have been named the "Dearborn Auto Show," because the show belonged to Ford Motor Company and no one else.

The big award announcements came early Monday (January 11) morning:

North American Car of the Year: The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

North American Truck of the Year: The 2010 Ford Transit Connect

Then, with much deserved fanfare, Ford introduced the most important car for its future here in North America and around the world: The 2012 Ford Focus.

The all-new 2012 Ford Focus rides on Ford's global C1/C-car (compact car) platform. This same car will be produced for all markets - a true global car - designed as such from Day One. In addition to the Focus, there will be up to 10 unique models based on the C1 platform, including the outstanding Ford C-Max and Ford Grand C-Max (both coming to the US market for the first time).

In late 2006, when Bill Ford stepped down as CEO and hired Alan Mulally from Boeing to run his family's company, outsiders scoffed. What does an airplane engineer know about cars? Well, for one thing, he knew that Boeing sold the same jet liners in all markets. They didn't produce a different 767 for China, Australia or North America. So why was Ford spending so much money designing, engineering, producing and marketing similar but different cars all over the world?

"One Ford, One Team, One Plan, One Goal" is Mr. Mulally's mantra at Ford and he's focused (no pun intended) the company on producing top quality, profitable cars that are sold worldwide. The 2012 Ford Focus is the first car completely designed with Ford's new global plans. Ford says the new Focus will be nearly identical in all markets, with 80% parts commonality around the world. This spells huge cost savings making the Focus not only profitable, but giving it upscale materials and luxury car features at an affordable price. The big market difference will be drivetrains, with only minor differences in colors, materials and options.

The new Focus is foreign to the US market because for two car generations now, the US market has been saddled with a sub-standard Focus, not sold elsewhere. The "good" Focus was reserved for Europe and Australia. The 2012 Focus will go into production simultaneously in Europe and North America in late 2010 with individual market launches starting in early 2011. Launches in Asia, Africa and South America will follow. Initial production will be concentrated at Ford's assembly plants in Germany, Michigan and Chongquing (China).

Here's an overview of the 2012 Ford Focus for the North American market:

Drivetrain: Ford's new 2.0 liter direct gas injection engine with Variable Camshaft Timing is mated to Ford's new dry-clutch six-speed Ford PowerShift automatic transmission using advanced dual-clutch design. The engine gains 10% fuel efficiency over the old 2.0 liter Duratec engine and the transmission offers an increase of 9% fuel efficiency over the old 4-speed automatic.

Electronics: Ford's MyTouch ^(tm) Driver Connect technology, Sync ® (2^nd generation) voice-activated communications, eight inch touch-screen navigation, Intelligent Access (keyless doors and ignition) with push-button start; high-end Sony sound system, digital dual-zone automatic climate control, rearview camera and a semi-automatic parallel parking system that automatically steers the vehicle in a parking spot.

Interior: Driver-oriented cockpit, leather seats, French-stitching detail on seats and dashboard, soft-touch plastics.

Exterior: Ford calls it a "kinetic" design. I'd call it fresh and modern... maybe, uh, focused? It will be available in both 5-door hatchback and sedan models at launch. A 3-door "hot hatch" variant may be available in the US a year or more after launch.

I Dream of Diesel

(Issue 286, 4 January 2010)

I should know better than to believe the promises, whispered teases and breathless rumors of European-style clean diesel cars from my American and Japanese lovers. I was giddy thinking of advanced clean diesel engines with gobs of torque and better-than-hybrid fuel economy. The torque numbers alone twisted my heart into knots. I was in love before I had a chance to stomp the accelerator.

My Japanese geishas, Honda and Nissan, never even showed up for the party. The promise of a clean diesel Acura TSX using Honda's brilliantly-engineered catalytic converter that transforms diesel exhaust into a 50-state legal engine was too good to be true - at least for the United State market. Ditto for a super-efficient diesel Nissan Maxima sports sedan.

Et tu Subaru? Come on guys, you spent so much money developing the world's-first boxer diesel engine, only to decide not to bring it to the US because you think we will only buy Japanese hybrid cars? A diesel Outback wagon would have been an instant hit in all your target markets. Now we have to wait 3 or 4 years for you to bring a gasoline-electric me-too hybrid to market. I'm scratching you off my shopping list.

Both Ford and GM decided that people who drive full-size pickup trucks and SUVs (e.g., Ford F-150, Chevy Tahoe, etc.) didn't need a diesel engine either. GM has already spend hundreds of millions of dollars (pre-bankruptcy) developing a Duramax turbo-diesel engine for its trucks. The excuse? They think that they can meet the new fuel standards by using turbochargers, transmissions with more gears and direct-injection technology - all expensive technologies - on gasoline engines. By the time you add all these goodies to modern engines, it would have been cheaper to go diesel! Good luck.

So I'm back to my German friends. At least they didn't flake on me. Have you tried to buy a VW Golf or Jetta TDI lately? Good luck. VW dealers can't keep them in stock they are so popular. Audi, VW's luxury division, just scored Green Car of the Year for the new A3 TDI, a gussied-up Golf with fantastic fuel economy numbers (30 mpg city/42 highway/34 combined). Very sexy.

Audi also has the 2010 Q7 TDI on the market. It uses a 3.0 liter V6 TDI (turbo-diesel common-rail injection) with piezo injectors. The result is 221 hp/406 lb-ft torque. I'm in love; but then again, I'm a torque monster. It doesn't hurt that it gets 17 mpg city/25/highway/20 combined mpg. That's pretty good when dragging around more than 5,000 pounds of German steel. (The 2010 W Touareg V6 TDI is essentially the same.)

Both VW and Audi are promising more TDI models for the US market. I'm waiting.

Mercedes-Benz currently markets its clean diesel technology, in the US, under the BlueTEC badge. Right now you can get the ML, GL and R-Class SUVs with its 3.0 liter turbo-diesel V6 engine using urea-based injection to scrub the diesel emissions 50-state legal. Next summer, Mercedes will reintroduce an E-Class sedan with the same engine.

Mercedes has more promises for us. It says that it will bring an ultra-frugal clean diesel 4-cylinder engine to be installed under the hoods of its GLK small SUV and the C-Class sedan. Management isn't giving exact dates, but it could be two years away. I've been tricked before, so I'm not going to hold my breath.

Last year, BMW decided to grace the US market with its incredible 3.0 liter, in-line, twin-turbo diesel engine in the 335d and X5 xDrive 35d. This "Efficient Dynamics" engine delivers 265 hp and 425 lb-ft torque. Take a deep breath before you stomp the accelerator because you will be launched into a torque stupor and just a bit of whiplash.

The engine in the 335d delivers 23 mpg city/36 highway/27 combined. In the X5, it's slightly betters the Audi Q7: 19 mpg city/26 highway/22 combined. Like Mercedes, BMW uses a urea-based exhaust injection system to scrub the emissions clean for sale in all 50 states. My big gripe with my friends at BMW is that this is their least fuel efficient six in their vast arsenal.

We've been told that BMW has approved its fan-tas-tic 2.0 liter dual-turbo diesel engine for the US market. If it does, it will be used in the all-new X1 and X3 SUVs as well as the 1-Series and 3-Series sedans. Be still my heart. I'm still not going to get my dream car - the 123d 5-door hatch; but a 323d would be very nice too.

Note to BMW: If you didn't bring your most expensive, least efficient engine here it might sell better. The base 335d is $10,800 more than the LA standard-issue 328i and $3,350 more than the ultra-fast 335i. You can get the base 528i sedan for only $2,000 more than the base 335d. 'Nuf said.

The excuses for not bringing diesels to the American market are varied and hollow. First, all the "focus groups" (marketing babble for "idiots") indicate that Americans don't "get" diesels, and therefore, won't buy them. Tell that to VW and Audi dealer who sell them as fast as they get them and beg for more allocation.

Then there is the fluctuating price of diesel fuel. Diesel refining infrastructure isn't as great in the US as in Europe and demand for "middle distillates" - diesel, jet fuel and kerosene - may may lead to another diesel price increase. Who knows? Remember the Great Gas Panic of 2008? I do. It could all happen again.

Even after all the broken promises, I guess I'm still a diesel dreamer.

There's an App for That

(Issue 285, 30 December 2009)

Need to find an In-N-Out Burger while driving on Highway 99 on your way to Yosemite? There's going to be an app for that. What are the times for that movie at the Arclight? There's going to be an app for that too.

As the worlds of in-car infotainment, high-speed mobile internet networks and personal electronics merge into the same fast lane, the apps you already have on your smartphone are coming to the internet-enabled touch-screen inside your car.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Ford has opened the source code for its in-car Sync entertainment, information and communications system to software developers. In releasing a software's developer's kit, Ford hopes to be the first car manufacturer to have outside apps, like those developed for Apple's iPhone, available to download for its cars equipped with Sync.

If you've shopped for a new car recently, you probably have noticed that more and more manufacturers offer sophisticated navigation systems coupled with a hard drive with as much as 40 gigabytes of storage capacity for digital media. The optical drive for CDs now plays DVDs. Almost all manufacturers offer a music system that allows you to plug-in your iPod or other MP3 player.

Ford's Sync, developed in conjunction with Microsoft, includes the following features:

The real-time traffic, news, sports and weather information is provided through Sirius Traffic Link, which is a subscription service like satellite radio.

Ford just announced that the next version of Sync, due in 2010, will allow owners to access the internet by inserting an air card (mobile broadband modem) into a USB port in the vehicle. Service would come from your existing mobile broadband carrier; but once connected, you are now in your own Wi-Fi hot spot and you can access the internet on your laptop, smartphone or other Wi-Fi-enabled device.

When you add high-speed/3G wireless internet connectivity, much more information will be available with the touch of a button or a voice command through Sync. For example, Sync could have Google's Mobile App (already available for many smartphones). It's an amazingly simple, accurate, voice-activated, GPS-enabled search application that can be even more powerful when married to the on-board Sync navigation system. You can say “closest Home Depot” and it will return a search result with the address, phone number and map for Home Depot closest to your current GPS coordinates. Press a button and Sync can connect you by phone or navigate you there. Pretty cool stuff.

Next month, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Ford's CEO, Alan Mulally, is set to introduce new “trusted partners” for developing Sync applications as well as new Sync features that combine GPS navigation and “social media.”

Social media? That's code for Facebook and Twitter. Ugh. Does anyone need to locate their Facebook friends while they are driving? Unfortunately, the answer is probably yes for social media addicts. These are the same people who Tweet their every vapid thought and update their Facebook status (as if anyone cares) every 15 minutes.

Consumers are increasingly looking at cars as interchangeable commodities – like refrigerators. They all work well, look alike, last a long time and perform the same basic function. And gridlocked traffic, motorcycle cops, red light cameras, minivan drivers and people talking on cell phones have already taken the joy out of daily driving – at least in Los Angeles.

On-board electronics and gadgets are a way to distinguish a car in today's crowded marketplace. Sync provides Ford a digital media platform that stands out from the competition. Ford already uses Sync as a big marketing tool. For example, if you pre-order the new Fiesta subcompact, Ford will throw in Sync, a $600 value, at no additional cost.

Ford also operates a dedicated website, www.syncmyride.com for users of Sync. It wouldn't be a stretch for the website to become a marketplace. Ford's inspiration? What else? Apple's iTunes and App Store.

Is there a Sync App Store in Ford's future? Ford's not commenting; but it seems a logical step forward. Car manufacturers are looking for any additional revenue streams and ways to attract new customers. Ford was a leader when it introduced Sync two years ago. Now that Ford's exclusive deal with Microsoft is up, it's leading again with the steps to bring third-party apps to the cockpit.

There are plenty of outside parties interested in developing apps for use inside your car. You know McDonald's wants to let mom know that it's dinner time and there is a McDonald's drive through just 1.2 miles ahead on the right side of the street. McDonald's may be willing to pay Ford a few pennies each time a search is executed or a small banner ad passes along the bottom of the nav screen. Such advertising revenues may even subsidize the cost of an on-board internet subscription for the customer.

If Ford can hitch a tow rope to the digital gravy train of downloaded music, apps and search revenue, I think it's a great move. It's one more reason to consider Ford - America's original car company.

You Can't Go Back

(Issue 281, 15 Nov 2009)

Over the weekend, I had a long conversation with a friend about car gadgets, gizmos and electronics that become part of your daily life and that if you bought another car, you couldn't live without them. I'm talking about stupid little things like an outdoor temperature gauge. For example, I obsess daily over the fact that my MINI doesn't have a digital compass in the rear view mirror.

My friend recently turned in his leased 2007 Mercedes-Benz E350 and bought an Infiniti M35 He's thrilled with the value the Japanese offer over the Germans – and for less money. Nissan showers the M with a dizzying array of electronic wizards, all to make you feel coddled and master of your driving universe.

His favorite new feature is the backup camera. He barely looks backward when he's backing up because he watches the front video screen with a wide angle view of what's behind him from the backup camera. Automatic bi-Xenon headlights so bright you forget it's night? Can't do without them. Power memory and heated leather sports seats? Of course, is there anything else?

I throw this all out there for you to consider the next time you get a new car. Features that were considered “luxuries” in the past have trickled down to mainstream cars like a Mazda3 or Honda Accord. Many things we take for granted.

Take something as simple as power windows. Would you buy a car without them today? Not likely. And how about those nifty one-touch up and down window controls found on even an inexpensive Hyundai? You know you would miss it if you didn't have it.

How many items on this list would you miss if you didn't have it on your next car?

• Power windows and locks, one touch up and down windows – Cranking windows by hand has practically vanished and that's a good thing.

• Power side mirrors – Adjusting made easy for both sides.

• Illuminated vanity mirrors – How else can you check your makeup?

• Power tailgate – Short people and Costco shoppers love it.

• Adjustable foot pedals – Short people and tall people alike can use this feature to find a more comfortable driving position.

Admit it – you're spoiled and you want (or need) some of these features wired into your next mobile transportation device.

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The 2009 Great Autos Palm Springs Classic Car Show

(Issue 280 posted 06 Nov 2009)

Saturday October 24 2009 marked the second annual Palm Springs Classic Car Show sponsored by Great Autos of Yesteryear. Great Autos is a gay car club with chapters throughout southern California, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Orange County and Palm Springs.

The members love their vintage Detroit metal, in particular, cars from the glory days of the American automotive industry of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, some cars are older; however, the fastest growing collector segment is muscle cars from the 1970s.

The $10 admission benefited three desert charities: Desert Outreach Foundation, Golden Rainbow Senior Center and Desert AIDS Project.

It was a hot, sunny day in the desert and there was so much polished chrome on these cars that you needed special sunglasses to shield your eyes. These dinosaurs and relics are really works of art sculpted in metal, glass, leather, Bakelite, wood, plastic, fabric and chrome (the more chrome the better, of course). Styling was king. Technology was reserved for the most luxurious models. Power windows, brakes and steering were highly-coveted options. Seats were upholstered by coach builders. They even put lead in bumpers to smooth out the ride. Aerodynamics, safety and fuel economy weren't even part of the equation.

Most of the cars were well-kept daily drivers. However, as much as I like these rolling sculptures, they never would be my daily drive as they can't cope in the modern traffic environment filled with cars that can out-perform and out-maneuver them. Even if you are surrounded by an extra ton of metal and glass, without modern safety equipment, they are very dangerous for the driver, passengers and anyone (or thing) they hit.

But enough of the buzz-kill safety lecture; I love these cars and wish I could have lived during the times when each new model year was more fantastic than the last. We no longer have an annual GM Motorama, but we still have great shows like this to remind us of another era.