The Future of Travel: Driverless Cars

The future’s days are numbered. Hoverboards and humans on Mars are still many years off, but estimates put the mass production of driverless cars at 2018, only five years from now. Want to text while driving? Go for it. How about playing poker while sitting in the drivers seat? Come on aces! Need a nap? We’ll wake you up when we get there. Driverless cars are everyday becoming more science and less fiction. Check out this infographic for more info, in graphic form (WOAH).



Credit for the infographic to Daniel R Rossen: http://www.danielrrosen.com/2012/02/driverless-cars/

What You Need to Know About Vehicle Theft

For many people, their car is their life. Imagine the setbacks you would face if your car was stolen – it gets you to work, school and pretty much anywhere else you’d want to go. This infographic from the NHTSA explains more about vehicle theft and gives you the facts.





To learn more about how to prevent your car from getting stolen, check out the NHTSA website.
http://1.usa.gov/2pI87

The Dangers of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving can be dangerous for more than just your car. When you allow distractions to take you away from the process of driving, you can put yourself and your family at risk. Unfortunately, there are many things today that can cause distractions in the car, from cell phones and mp3 players to children and food. The next time you’re driving, make sure you avoid distracted driving by following these tips from eHow:

1. Avoid talking on your cell phone. Some states require you to pull over when using your cell phone while driving. 2. Never multi-task while driving. Do not do things like adjusting your radio, compact disc player or GPS unit. 3. Do not read while driving. When you need to read or use a map, pull off the road. 4. Avoid taking your coat off or changing clothes while driving. 5. Put makeup on, comb your hair and shave before leaving your house or office. These things should never be done while driving. 6. Avoid eating or drinking while driving. 7. Keep music at a reasonable level. Listening to music that is too loud or using headphones or earplugs while driving can be distracting and can prevent you from hearing emergency vehicles sharing the road with you. 8. Avoid lighting up or putting out cigarettes, or dealing with falling ashes while driving.

Read the entire article here: http://www.ehow.com/how_2043250_avoid-distractions-driving.html#ixzz2IGgJ0A1Tqx4M

What Makes Brakes Work?

One pedal makes it go, and the other one makes it stop - but how much do you really know about your brakes? They’re critical to keeping your car on the road and your family safe. In fact, brakes use a lot of interesting technology to ensure that you always stop when you press the brakes. Here’s a quick explanation from How Stuff Works:

We all know that pushing down on the brake pedal slows a car to a stop. But how does this happen? How does your car transmit the force from your leg to its wheels? How does it multiply the force so that it is enough to stop something as big as a car?
When you depress your brake pedal, your car transmits the force from your foot to its brakes through a fluid. Since the actual brakes require a much greater force than you could apply with your leg, your car must also multiply the force of your foot. It does this in two ways:

• Mechanical advantage(leverage)
• Hydraulic force multiplication

The brakes transmit the force to the tires using friction, and the tires transmit that force to the road using friction also.

Learn more about your brakes and read the original article here: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/brakes/brake-types/brake.htm