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Huh? IIHS says senior motorists in fewer deadly crashes

Seniors over the age of 70 have long been associated with unsafe driving, with death rates steadily increasing as more elderly hit the road. At least that's what we thought. A new study by IIHS shows that the death rate of elderly drivers has declined by 21% between 1997 and 2006. The decline was far greater than it was with any other age group, which is even more amazing when considering the fact that elderly drivers increased by 10% during that time. Time behind the wheel has increased as well, with seniors logging far more miles than they have in the past. Some reasons for the decline include healthier, more fit seniors and safer drivers. State governments have also been more diligent in getting unfit seniors off the road with regular skills tests. One study shows that seniors are increasingly aware of the dangers of driving, and limiting drive time at night and on the interstate.
posted : 12/23/2008 @9:19:03 PM
Ferrari kicks off young driver development program

In the ever-increasingly competitive world of F1 racing, many teams have begun scouting for drivers earlier and earlier in their careers. In the past, smaller teams would scout the talent, and then the bigger teams would poach them with their vast resources. But in the wake of the immense success of McLaren's rookie sensation Lewis Hamilton, nobody can afford to rest on their proverbial laurels. Now, following existing programs at rival teams Renault, Honda, Toyota and McLaren, Ferrari is launching a young driver development program of its own. The initial news came in last week from team principal Stefano Domenicali, and has now been substantiated by a new joint announcement from Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo in conjunction with Gino Macaluso, head of Italian racing federation ACI-CSAI. The Scuderia will offer test drives to Mirko Bortollotti, Edoardo Piscopo and Salvatore Cicatelli – the top three finishers in this year's Italian Formula 3 championship. If Ferrari decides to contract any of the drivers for a future race seat, they would be the first Italian driver for the Scuderia since the colorful Ivan Capelli (who, incidentally, won the Italian F3 title in 1983) raced the crimson cars way back in 1992. Now excuse us while we go sign up for next year's Italian F3 season.
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:08:45 PM
Insurance companies close track day and advanced training loopholes

If you've taken your car to the track for either an open lapping session or an advanced driver education course, you're undoubtedly aware of the potential risks. While most insurance policies say that the car isn't covered if it's participating in a "timed event," that's all changing now that track time is becoming more common. A report by The New York Times goes into detail about the loophole and how the big insurers are taking measures to include high-performance driving schools and track days. One interviewee has decided to stop his weekend excursions altogether after learning about the policy changes, and more disturbingly, when another player in the piece asked his insurance company if his Subaru WRX STI was covered during a track event, his policy was dropped six months later. While the well-to-do are largely immune from the new terms, purchasing dedicated track-day toys or additional insurance, those of us with shallow pockets might have to think twice before we wring our rides out as God intended.
posted : 10/21/2008 @8:00:55 PM
Blind Belgian breaks speed record in borrowed Lamborghini

For most of us, once we're able to sweet talk our way into Lamborghini Gallardo, going 192 mph isn't that difficult. But Luc Costermans has at least one more major obstacle to overcome: he's been blind for four years. Despite that, he managed to borrow an orange Gallardo for an attempt on the Blind Speed Record. Congratulations are in order for both Luc and the Gallardo's owner, as the record was broken and the Gallardo apparently wasn't. Luc set the Blind Speed Record at 192 mph, Saturday, at an airstrip in Istres, France. "I'm very, very happy. It's a team effort," Luc said after the run. His co-pilot, Guillaume Roman, wasn't quoted in any of the stories we read, but we assume he breathed a deep sigh of relief. Seriously, who volunteers to ride shotgun with a blind driver in a Gallardo doing almost 200 mph? Luc can't rest on his laurels. Previous record-holder Mike Newman is hoping to hit 200 mph in a Keating TKR. Anyone got a Veyron Luc borrow? Anyone?
posted : 10/15/2008 @9:16:36 PM
C&D performs first instrumented testing of Corvette ZR1

Car and Driver recently strapped its test gear to the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and, as expected, recorded some impressive numbers. All eyes have been on the supercar Vette as it enters the boxing ring to duke it out with the heavy-hitting Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, Nissan GT-R and Porsche GT2 (among others), and it looks like the latest Corvette will more than hold its own. According to C&D's trusty electronic gear, the supercharged 638-hp beast knocked off a 0-60 mph time of just 3.4 seconds as it continued towards a blistering 7.6 second 0-100 mph run. The quarter mile was cracked in 11.5 seconds @ 128 mph (Chevrolet claims 11.3 seconds, but the guys at C&D didn't believe in "...that sort of drivetrain abuse" to get lower numbers). The top speed also remains unverified as the team "ran out of room" before they could hit the claimed 205 mph. Under braking, the ZR1 set a new C&D record as it hauled itself down from 70 mph in just 142 feet. Of course, we must mention the obligatory claimed Nürburgring lap time of 7:26 (at the hands of Chevrolet). So you don't have to Google the competition's best-claimed Ring times yourself, here they are: Porsche GT2 - 7:32, Nissan GT-R - 7:29, and the Dodge Viper ACR - 7:22. Of course, we'd like to see all four on the track under identical conditions, and with some digital timing gear!
posted : 10/15/2008 @7:31:06 PM
C&D lists Top 10 Most Decadent Options

We always scoff at dealerships that charge $250 for floormats, but there are some truly expensive options out there that most of us would need a second mortgage (good luck getting that) to afford. Car and Driver has a new Top 10 List that details the most decadent options in the auto industry, and it's a pretty fun read. We knew of a few, like the Rolls-Royce Starlight Headliner that adds 1,600 tiny lights to the ceiling of your Phantom Coupe, but we didn't know it carries a $12,100 price tag. Then there's the Aston Martin Jaeger LeCoultre AMVOX2 DBS Transponder Watch that can unlock the doors of your DBS. Just $37,900! What a steal. One option we weren't aware of is the Granite Trim package that Maybach offers. A small base fee of about $60,600 will get you a gussied up S-Class with actual rock in the doors. Click here to read the rest of the Top 10 Most Decadent Options list and be thankful that you're not wealthy enough to make these tough choices when buying a car.
posted : 10/13/2008 @9:24:09 PM
tags : driver , drivers , driving , etc , humor , video , videos
VIDEO: Truck driver does 70 MPH, in reverse, kind of...

A very short clip that says so much, there's really only one thing to add: be very, very careful out there. You never know who you're driving next to... Follow the jump to see the vid.
more ...
posted : 10/3/2008 @7:45:44 PM
First Drive: Formula Vee racer

There aren't a lot of things that will get an automotive journalist out of bed before dawn. But nearly all of them have four wheels, which is about the only thing a formula racing car shares in common with the kind of ordinary automobiles you and I drive regularly. The chance to drive one stands out as one of those few luring precipitators. So when the invite came to join a local racing team for a test session at a remote desert airstrip, we broke with tradition and raced the sunrise just to see if it would prove worthwhile. Follow the jump to read what we discovered.
posted : 10/3/2008 @7:10:02 PM
Car & Driver runs this year's Lightning Lap at VIR

Every year Car & Driver does something we can only dream about doing: take the whole gamut of today's hottest cars and run them around the 4.2-mile track at Virginia International Speedway. It's called the Lightning Lap, and it's basic purpose is to discover which cars give you the most bang for your buck. The invite list reads like a who's who of sportscars, and this year ranges from the 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS to the 2008 Mosler MT900S. Twenty-two cars in all were tested, and other notable participants include the '09 Cadillac CTS-V, '09 Nissan GT-R, '08 Dodge Viper ACR and '08 Ferrari F430 Scuderia (sorry, apparently the Corvette ZR1 wasn't available, which would have made this the most epic event ever). Think of the Lightning Lap as the biggest comparison test you've ever seen, and a great way to figure out how much performance you're getting for your dollar since the cars are judged strictly on lap times only. The cars are divided up into five classes according to price with vehicles like the Cobalt SS and Dodge Cailber SRT4 taking up residence way down in the LL1 class and the Ferrari and Mosler holding court in the most expensive LL5 class. This year there was no LL4 class, but LL3 contains the bulk of participants. We've got a gallery of shots from the event below provided courtesy of Car and Driver and a list of all the entrants after the jump, but you'll want to click through and read the whole thing for yourself. We're already angling with our friends over there to see if we can sit trackside and watch next year when the next Lightning Lap goes down.
posted : 10/3/2008 @6:45:27 PM
New York now offering Enhanced Driver's Licenses with RFIDNew York has now become the second state in the country to offer RFID-embedded driver's licenses. Following Washington State's lead last year, the radio-frequency identification (aka RFID) licenses will be offered at a $30 premium over the standard driver's license. The benefits of the RFID license include their ability to do double-duty as a driver's license and a U.S. passport for those who frequently enter New York from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean (of course, you will still need a "real" passport to enter the state from other international destinations). Authorities say that only an ID number, no personal info, is stored on the chip. Regardless, as some embedded chips may be read from a distance -- and not necessarily a direct line of site -- authorities in New York will still offer standard licenses for those on the paranoid side... or they can run out and purchase an RFID-blocking wallet.
posted : 9/24/2008 @10:38:19 PM
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