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The scramble for scarce tires

North American automakers are struggling with a nagging shortage of tires, caused in part by tire plant closings and rising demand for low-volume specialty tires. Automakers are paying much higher prices -- double-digit percentage increases from a year ago -- as tire makers gain pricing power. "We have been bombarded from every side for additional tires, and we can't keep up," said David O'Donnell, Continental Tire's vice president of original equipment in the Americas.

Fatal crashes halved in past decade

The number of fatal accidents has almost halved over the last decade, data from the Department for Transport reveals. In 2001 there were 3,176 fatal crashes, compared to 1,637 in 2012. On Bing: see pictures of car safety features Find out how much a used car with Electronic Stability Control costs on Auto Trader And, it’s not just fatal crashes that have seen a drop.

Juan Pablo Montoya hustles Corvette ZR1 around GM track

WITH VIDEO -- Juan Pablo Montoya's day job is to push Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's Chevy Impala around NASCAR tracks to collect trophies and points. And his extensive career includes stints in Formula One, Indy cars and Grand-AM racers. Recently, Montoya's patrons at Chevy brought him to the development track at the proving grounds in Milford, Mich.--known among fans inside the automaker as the "Lutzring." While he took some laps in the Chevrolet Cruze and the Camaro, what caught our eye is this video of Montoya pushing a Corvette ZR1 to the limit on the track.