The issue of red light cameras hasn’t come to our area (YET!) but it may. Red light cameras are a very controversial issue in a number of communities. The idea of “Big Brother” watching us has supporters and protesters throwing studies and statistics out to support their position.

About 300 communities use the cameras, which snap photos of vehicles driving through red lights. Citations, usually the equivalent of a parking ticket, are mailed to owners tracked down through plate numbers in photos.

In the District of Columbia, the cameras were installed after residents named aggressive driving and red light running as the major safety issues they’d like to see addressed, said Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District’s delegate to the House.

But other cities like San Diego have rebelled against use of the technology. In that city, a class action suit has been filed seeking the dismissal of 398 tickets issued with the use of red light cameras.

The facts…Red light running causes about 800 crash deaths per year, and about half of the people killed aren’t the signal violators. They’re innocent pedestrians and people in vehicles hit by the red light runners. An estimated additional 165,000 people are injured annually. As the public wants road deaths reduced, automatic traffic safety will be increasingly necessary.

I don’t have a problem with red light cameras. The camera is impartial and very objective. All the camera does is provide a digital record of what happened. No fiction when it is on tape. We have lots of cameras already protecting us. When you go to the bank or the grocery store or use the ATM machine. Hard to deny that something happened when it is in a picture. (Ask Michael Phelps or Gary Hart!)

So why should people be against the idea of recording their car going through a red light? As far as I’m concerned, there is only one legitimate reason for opposing it and lots of bogus ones.

The argument that is it can cause additional accidents is the only one that I think is legitimate. If drivers stop too quickly because they fear a ticket for going through a red light, it could cause a rear end collision. There are some facts to back that position. A federal study found that while red-light cameras cause a 25% decrease in broadside crashes, they also cause a 15% increase in less deadly rear-end crashes.

There are lots of other reasons that are just whining. Some of them are… “it’s just another way to raise revenue” (Yes, it’s a way to increase the city coffers. If don’t run red lights, you won’t have to contribute to the kitty!)… or “I wasn’t driving the car.” (Unless you reported I stolen, not driving it doesn’t absolve you of responsibility.)…

Statistics by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) studies in Fairfax, Va., and Oxnard, Calif., found that camera enforcement reduced red-light running violations by about 40%. “Cameras are an effective deterrent to people running red lights,” says Anne McCartt, vice president for research at IIHS.

Sure, get rid of the cameras, but why stop there? Get rid of the cameras in department stores that are there to catch shoplifters, Ditto for the banks used to help identify robbers. Why not ditch the video in PA State Police cruisers that protect our troopers?

Look… I admit that I don’t know squat about constitutional law. However, courts in at least Tennesee, Illinois, and California ruled that traffic cameras do not violate any constitutional rights. In its ruling, the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit said “no one has a fundamental right to run a red light or avoid being seen by a camera on a public street…”

Americans have grown into a bunch of whiners who try to avoid personal responsibility. It’s time to grow up and slow down.

Just saying….

From usatoday.com, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Wall Street Journal, ntsa.gov

With all of the electronics added to cars you’d think that cars would be much harder to steal. (Did you ever try to get a key programmed for a vehicle? )

The number of stolen vehicles is going down but there’s still more than 1 million vehicles stolen in the US each year according to the latest stats from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (ncib.com).

Here is the list of the top 10 stolen vehicles. Btw – notice that your Porsche or BMW looks like it’s pretty safe…

1995 Honda Civic
1991 Honda Accord
1989 Toyota Camry
1997 Ford F-150 Pickup
2005 Dodge Ram Pickup
1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Pickup
1994 Nissan Sentra
1994 Dodge Caravan
1994 Saturn SL
1990 Acura Integra

You try to save some money by getting a cheap used car that’s easy on gas and look where it gets you. There’s a good chance that your car will be chopped and sent to other countries. I’m not exactly sure what they do with your fuzzy dice or St. Christopher’s statue.

With the poor economy, one number that is going up is “owner give-ups”. That is the official term for the nitwits that file false vehicle theft reports after the owner burns, drowns or composts it. If you’re thinking about trying this, you might want to come up with another plan. The police aren’t going to be real understanding. They’ve seen all of these games already and they’re better at it than you!

Just saying…

Shhh!  I’m going to let you in on a secret. I’m going to give you a tip on how to lose 2 feet of stopping distance every year. As a bonus, I’m going to wear out your tires more quickly. (Btw-have you bought tires recently?  Lots of bucks!) If I did this to your car, you’d probably be calling your lawyer. But, you won’t get mad at all!

Well, the secret is that you are already doing it… all by yourself … without any help from me. I’m willing to bet that you don’t know the last time that your shocks and struts were replaced. No BS…worn shocks eat your tires up!

This isn’t the place for the technical stuff about ride control. If you want to know how shocks and struts work, here’s a website that can do a better job than me… http://www.checkyourshocks.com

All you need to know is that every year that you drive your car, you lose about 2 feet of stopping distance. Your struts slowly lose their ability to recover from driving on our pothole-ridden roads and your regular stop and go driving.

Next time a kid or dog runs out in front of you, will you be able to stop in time?

Just saying…

Some things you shouldn’t have to explain. Should we really have to make a law to outlaw texting while driving?  I bet that you see dozens of people everyday, texting behind the wheel. And how many cars do you see driving for miles in the left lane (sometimes with the blinker on!)  Usually when I finally get around them on the right I see that they are blabbering away on the phone in their own little world.

It’s crazy that we need a law making it illegal to text while driving. Duuuh, can it really be that hard to pull over and send a message? If car makers created something to distract you so that you couldn’t see the highway, there would be lawyers lined up to sue! If someone can’t concentrate on driving and talking on the phone, THEN WAIT TO TALK OR DRIVE!!!  In case you are looking places that you can legally text and drive, here is a list of states and the laws on texting or using cell phones go to http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html.

I hate to admit, but maybe there should be some sort of text block built into cars to save these idiots from themselves! Don’t the police have enough to do without busting knuckleheads for TWD!!!

Just saying….

Before any woman gets upset about the headline above, there is a very cool website called motherproof.com, dedicated to providing moms (and all women) reviews about vehicles. According to motherproof.com, women purchase more than 50% of all new vehicles and influence almost 90% of all car sales. This site is run by and for women.

We all know that moms spend most of their life in their vehicle. Motherproof checks out cars, vans and suv’s from a mom’s point of view. They drive each vehicle and give a real world view of how convenient, comfortable and kid-proof it is. These moms give an honest review. (and sometimes brutally honest. In one review they took pix of a piece of trim that broke off when a kid pulled it off.)  Some reviews even include the ratings that kids gave the car.

These reviews don’t really address my needs. My kids are driving and I’m not hauling strollers any more. These days I don’t consider how easy it is to install an infant seat. I also don’t need a place for my lip gloss or baby wipes. But if you’re a mom you REALLY need to know these things. Motherproof.com does a great job of giving you everything that you need to buy your ride.

Motherproof.com…check it out!

I got custody of the 2003 Toyota Sequoia in the divorce and I was very happy about it. My daughter called it the “Moose” cuz we could put 37 kids and a VW in the back of it. I reluctantly sold it a few weeks ago. It was a sad day in our family.

A couple of weeks ago, I heard about the recall for 2003 Sequoia’s. It was a minor driving issue, but got lots of press because of Toyota’s other recent recalls. I drove that truck up and down the mountain to 7 Springs hundreds of times and never had a problem. There was a time that I never thought that I’d own (let alone defend) a Japanese vehicle, but that was one great Moose.

I replaced it with a GMC Denali and I have to say that I kinda like the GMC. It has lots of gadgets and it’s a beast. But, it’s no Moose!

What’s your feeling about the Toyota recalls and how they have handled them? Shout back and let me know.

Years ago car makers gave us “idiot lights” on our dash instead of gauges to warn us if there was a problem with our car. At first, there was the only the oil pressure, water temp and battery lights. Slowly the carmakers added more diagnostic systems with more lights. Then the  EPA forced them to add emission systems which added more lights. The idea was that the car’s diagnostic system would monitor the engine and tell us if there was some sort of engine malfunction. Over the years, we slowly did less and less preventative maintenance on our car and depended more and more on the idiot lights. We are at the point now that if there is a problem, most people have no idea what to do with their vehicle.

One of the most misunderstood lights is the “check engine light”. It started out as a warning that you were getting low on oil. Now it has a much more complicated meaning. As you drive, you car or truck is taking thousands of measurements in as many as a dozen computers in your car. Your vehicle stores that activity in another computer. When there is a problem with your vehicle, the diagnostic system records that problem and turns on the “check engine light” on your dash. It stores a number that translates to the recorded problem.

Finding out what the computer stores is easy. You can buy a gizmo to tell you what the computer says. The challenge is figuring out how to fix the car. The code just gives you the symptom. It doesn’t usually give you the exact repair. You have to guess what the REAL problem is!  The funny thing is that a national auto parts chain will read the code for you (free of charge), but can’t tell what is real problem is with your car. They will sell you the parts for the symptom, but not the malfunction. (Think about a pharmacist selling you aspirin for your broken arm!)  I’ve heard lots of stories about people buying $150 oxygen sensors when the real issue is an unrelated part.

Remember, usually you get what you pay for!

If you have had an experience (good or bad) with your Check Engine Light, let me know.