Insurance Tips and Advice

As more people discover the joys of boat ownership, the desire for gadgets and equipment to have on board grows, too. Now more than ever, the boating world is proving that car drivers don’t have an exclusive on tech gadgetry.

In the last few months, worldwide, federal, and state initiatives have placed an emissions control challenge to automakers: Cut emissions significantly going forward. The new initiatives focus squarely on reducing carbon dioxide (CO2).

Automakers used the recent 2009 New York International Auto Show to roll out new models loaded with the latest technology features and to introduce energy-efficient concept vehicles that your children will drive.

To address blind spots, automakers are turning to technology-based solutions. One interesting approach, still in the experimental stage, renders a vehicle’s frame transparent, allowing drivers to “see” through a car’s pillars and dashboard.

Motorcycle manufacturers and aftermarket customization shops — even apparel and helmet makers — are finding ways to introduce products that offer head-turning aesthetic appeal while reducing the accident factor of the ride.

What was unusual about the 2009 North American International Auto Show (The Detroit Auto Show’s formal name) was the level of interest in green cars: hybrids, electrics and low-emission diesels. Nearly half the major introductions involved green vehicles.

If you want to curb the potentially dangerous behavior of texting while driving, technology solutions are emerging that leverage the GPS, accelerometer or other capabilities of mobile phones to provide a level of control.

Tires make a big, if unexciting, difference in your car’s performance and safety, especially in the rain, slush and snow of the winter months. For that reason, buying a second set of tires for winter driving may be a good investment.

It’s no longer a given that an automatic transmission will be less efficient than a manual. Now, it’s possible to have as many as eight forward gears, and more gears on automatics than manuals.

To improve side-impact safety, carmakers face a serious hurdle in terms of crash dynamics. Here are some technologies on the horizon that can help protect people from side-impact collisions.