Wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle
Autonomous transportation startup May Mobility has begun developing a prototype of a wheelchair-accessible autonomous shuttle vehicle, and in July gathered feedback from people in Columbus, Ohio, who would actually be using the shuttle, reports TechCrunch. May Mobility’s design includes accommodations for entry and exit, as well as for securing the passenger’s wheelchair once it’s on board during the course of the trip. The company learned from the first round of feedback that its design needs improvement in terms of making the ramp longer to facilitate more gradual onboarding and disembarking, as well as optimizing pick-up and drop-off points. May Mobility plans to work on implementing some improvements before deploying its vehicles, but expects accessible shuttles to soon be in operation in pilots in Columbus, Providence and Grand Rapids.
Lunch at the auto dealer?
The waiting rooms attached to auto service departments tend to be dismal places, with stale coffee, patched seats, cable news on a flickering TV and last week’s copy of Sports Illustrated, notes The New York Times. But at some dealerships, that no longer passes muster. Today, you can get blackened chicken or grilled salmon on the lunch menu at Honda of Fort Worth, or a complimentary workout at the fitness center attached to the Lincoln-Mercury/Land Rover-Jaguar store in Merritt Island, Florida – assuming you wouldn’t rather play pool or watch a movie. “Service and parts are very important to dealerships right now,” Patrick Manzi, senior economist at the National Automobile Dealers Association was quoted as saying. “Cars are selling on the Internet, and there’s more competition and more access to vehicle prices than ever before. Margins from selling new cars have been consistently on the decline, so dealers are focusing on service. They’ve realized they can help grow customer loyalty by standing out in the amenities.”
For the urban rep
Now you can know just how miserable your commute will (or won’t) be before you even get to the train station, reports CNET. Google Maps rolled out a feature this summer that predicts how crowded a train, subway or bus will be based on previous rides. Riders can see this information and then decide if they want to stick it out or wait for things to clear up. The company also launched live updates on traffic delays for buses in locations where it doesn’t already have real-time information from local transit agencies. Riders can now see if their bus will be late and how long they’ll have to wait. They’ll also get more precise travel times based on live traffic conditions, and will be able to see where the delays are on the map. The two features were expected to roll out in around 200 cities worldwide, and are available on both Android and iOS.
The true cost of a speeding ticket
Getting a speeding ticket can cost you much more in insurance penalties than the initial fine, and the financial fallout can last years, according to an analysis from Zebra, an insurance comparison website, reports The New York Times. There’s the immediate cost of the ticket, of course. But many automobile violations can lead to double-digit percentage increases in car insurance premiums. Many insurers charge the penalty, or surcharge in insurance lingo, for three years after the violation, meaning you’ll still be paying the price long after the check for your ticket has cleared.
Watch out! It’s a safety device!
Vehicles are getting increasingly sophisticated, with more and more of them able to stay in a lane and maintain a set speed and following distance with minimal driver input. But this kind of automation has limitations that can be tricky for drivers to grasp, and two new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) studies highlight misperceptions or gaps in drivers’ understanding. One study revealed how the names manufacturers use for these systems can send the wrong messages to drivers regarding how attentive they should be. Another found that drivers don’t always understand important information communicated by system displays. “Current levels of automation could potentially improve safety,” IIHS President David Harkey was quoted as saying. “However, unless drivers have a certain amount of knowledge and comprehension, these new features also have the potential to create new risks.”
Digital driver’s licenses in the future?
The topic of “putting a driver’s license on a cellphone” has enjoyed attention in the press recently, according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Various initiatives are being undertaken in this area. At this time most appear to be proof-of-concept or exploratory in nature. Interest is being expressed by a variety of stakeholders, including driver’s license administrators, legislators, vendors, and the general public. To respond to this growing interest in Mobile Driver Licenses/Identification Cards (mDL) AAMVA has brought together the Card Design Standard (CDS Committee) and the Electronic Identity Working Group (eID WG). The CDS Committee is responsible for enhancing interoperability between issuing authorities in respect of, among other things, driver’s licenses.