Lunch on the go
If you own a 2017 or newer GM vehicle, you can order Domino’s Pizza – if you want to – in your OnStar-equipped vehicles via the Marketplace app, reports Car and Driver. Part of a larger food initiative that also encompasses McDonald’s and Starbucks, the app allows consumers to order a pizza for pickup or delivery to their home via the app, which works independently from their mobile device. Placing an order requires a user to have a Pizza Profile registered with Domino’s. New users can set one up either online or via the Domino’s mobile app. Including their preferred delivery address, preferred stores, and payment method information, it also permits the user to store their favorite orders for fast and easy reorders. Once established, users link their Pizza Profile to their vehicle, which permits users to order Domino’s from their vehicle’s touchscreen.
Going in the right direction
A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for 2018 shows that an estimated 36,750 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It is a lot, but it represents a slight decrease of about 1% as compared to the 37,133 fatalities that were reported to have occurred in 2017. Preliminary data reported by the Federal Highway Administration shows that vehicle miles traveled in 2018 increased by about 12.2 billion miles, or about a 0.4% increase.
Charge it at Walmart
Volkswagen AG unit Electrify America will significantly expand its U.S. network of electric vehicle charging stations at Walmart Inc. store locations, with an emphasis on America’s heartland states, the two companies announced in June, reports Reuters. Electrify America already has more than 120 operational charging stations installed at Walmart stores in 34 U.S. states. The companies did not disclose the number of new charging stations they plan to build. But according to sources familiar with Electrify America’s plans, the company will build 180 more charging stations at Walmart locations by the end of 2019. Major automakers including General Motors Co. have announced plans to invest tens of billions of dollars on families of electric vehicles over the next few years, in a direct challenge to Tesla Inc., reports Reuters. But a lack of infrastructure for U.S. drivers to recharge vehicles is seen as a major barrier to mass adoption of electric vehicles, as consumers remain concerned over limited range.
Google Assistant and Waze
Drivers can now get information about traffic conditions and more from the Google Assistant in Waze on Android phones in English. “Thanks to its community of millions of drivers contributing real-time data every second, Waze helps you beat traffic, while the Assistant lets you play music and podcasts, message your friends and call your family hands-free – without ever leaving the navigation screen,” reports Google in a June 10 blog. “Many of your favorite Waze features, like reporting traffic, pinpointing a pothole or checking for alternate routes, can also be accessed simply by using your voice. Just say ‘Hey Google, report traffic’ or ‘Hey Google, avoid tolls’ when navigating with Waze and your Google Assistant will help keep you connected, informed and minimize distractions while you’re on the go, so you can keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.”
Driving is not a permanent right
“Because driving is essential for most Americans, we conceptualize driving as a permanent right, instead of a temporary privilege,” writes a Boston area primary care doctor in Health Affairs. “Our aging population demands a conscious and deliberate revision of this misimpression, so that it becomes normal for people to outlive their driver’s license. In the same way that we have processes in place for people to initiate driving – learner’s permits, driver’s education classes in high schools, driving tests – we need a concrete process for relinquishing a driver’s license. This parallel process should be managed by state driver’s licensing agencies, not by doctors.” The number of fatal crashes for each mile driven increases noticeably starting at ages 70-74 and is highest for drivers ages 85 and older. The elevated fatal crash risk among older drivers is largely due to their increased susceptibility to injury, particularly chest injuries, and medical complications, rather than an increased tendency to get into crashes. Yet there is wide latitude in the ways in which different states address the challenge of the aging driver.