Lycoming O-320 on 2040-parts.com

U.S. unveils blueprint to tackle driver distraction

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Thursday the agency isn't looking at new regulations to address distracted driving, but rather is calling on automakers to step up voluntary efforts to combat risks with new technologies and education. LaHood, who's made distracted driving a top automotive safety priority of the Obama administration, said he's met with the CEOs of numerous automakers and feels confident "they're committed to safety." He even praised Subaru of America for a TV ad that highlighted the dangers of driver distraction. The commercial featured a father talking to his teenage daughter about the risks of using a cell phone while on the road.

Passengers are the biggest distraction

THE BIGGEST DISTRACTION for drivers is other people in the car. Adult passengers are the most distracting, with 18% of drivers saying they have had a near miss or crashed because of their attention being drawn away by someone else in the car. A survey by the AA found adjusting the radio was the second biggest distraction, with 16% of drivers admitting they had narrowly avoided a collision or been in a crash while fiddling with the radio.

Car design: a reader laments current styling trends

No Sonny, They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Did In My Day Actually, back then, if they could be bothered to make them at all, they hardly ever made them properly, and much of what got made properly wasn’t worth the bother. So that’s nostalgia for you. But a post a while back from the clear-sighted Wittgenfrog echoed my own thoughts.