Failure to use turn signals more dangerous than texting, study

Driver's who refuse to use their turn signal are twice as likely to get into accidents than those who drive distracted. 

That's according to new data from Society of Automotive Engineers, which stated that failure to signal causes 2-million collisions per year.

The study found drivers in the United States use their turn signals only half the time when changing lanes, and a 75% of the time when making a turn. 

Engineers are recommending that authorities need to crack down on repeated offenders. They also suggested that new cars should be equipped with a warning system to remind driver.

Source: CBS Philadelphia 

Gardiner to close this weekend for Spring maintenance

The Gardiner Expressway is set to shut down this weekend for its annual Spring checkup.

The highway will be CLOSED in both directions from Carlaw to the 427 starting Friday, May 13th at 11:00pm. It is not expected to reopen until Monday at 5:00am, just in time for the morning commute.

With the Toronto FC in town and a potential Raptors game planned for this weekend, this will mean significant delays for those heading downtown.

Drivers can expect Lake Shore to fill up quickly. With other alternate routes slow at the best of times, transit will definitely be the better option.

Crews shut down the Gardiner twice annually to perform routine maintenance without having to worry about traffic safety. However, the city has faced criticism in the past for failing to coordinate highway closures with major events.

Camero driver caught speeding down Vancouver sidewalk

Pedestrians jumped out of the way after a red Chevrolet Camero convertible was spotted travelling along the sidewalk near Hornby and Dunsmuir in the city's downtown.

Surveillance video caught the tail end of the incident, showing a brave bystander trying to confront the driver. The car is then seen tearing off into traffic. 

Fortunately nobody was injured or killed. Police say they are looking for the driver but do not have a suspect at this time. 

Anyone with information is being asked to call Vancouver Police at 604-717-9974.

Source: AutoBlog.ca

Volkswagen to buy back emissions cheating vehicles, sources say

Volkswagen is expected to buy back 500,000 vehicles which used a defeat-device to cheat emissions tests.

Quoting unnamed sources, Reuters reports the company is expected to make the announcement official when them meet with a US federal judge later today.

The buyback is expected to involve Volkswagen Clean Diesel vehicles with 2.0L engines sold since 2009. This includes the popular Jetta, Golf, and Audi A3 models. Vehicles with larger 3.0L diesels will not be included.

Volkswagen may also offer to repair affected vehicles if US regulators approve of a proposed fix. Owners will have two years to decide whether they want to sell back their vehicles or get them repaired.

The German automaker admitted last year they had been using a device to falsify diesel emissions tests. The vehicles in question will activate their full emissions control system only if they detect they're plugged into testing equipment. During normal driving, the effectiveness of the control system is greatly reduced. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says this exposed people to potentially harmful pollutants.

Volkswagen is still dealing with 500 civil law suits surrounding the issue. Their compensation fund is expected to top more than $1 billion USD on top of the cost of buying back the vehicles. It is unclear how much each owner might receive.


Source: Reuters

Mitsubishi caught cheating fuel economy tests

Mitsubishi Motors has admitted they cheated efficiency tests to overstate the fuel economy of 625,000 vehicles.

The Japanese automaker's tomfoolery was outted by Nissan, a sales partner in its minicar venture.

According to Bloomberg, Mitsubishi modified the weight of cars during testing, as well as used inaccurate tire and air resistance numbers in computer models.

These tests overstated fuel economy between 5 and 10 percent.

Most of the effected vehicles are Kei style cars exclusive to the Japanese market.

Mitsubishi has halted sales and production of the eK Wagon, eK Space, as well as the Nissan badged Dayz and Dayz Roox. 157,000 Mitsubishi cars and 468,000 Nissan cars are involved. A Nissan spokesperson said that sales will not resume until the two companies hold talks regarding compensation.

The fuel economy violations may result in Mitsubishi having to pay back government tax for the vehicles. Mitsubishi's shares fell 15% on the announcement.

Mitsubishi is the latest automaker to come under increased scrutiny for fudging environmental performance numbers. Volkswagen was implicated last year for rigging their diesel vehicles to cheat US emissions tests.

Source: Bloomberg, Engadget
Photo by: DY5W-sport via Wikipedia, used under CC 3.0 license

Gardiner and DVP to close Spring Maintenance

Spring is in the air, which means the Don Valley Parkway is set to close this weekend for its annual maintenance.

Starting Friday at 11pm, the highway will be shut down between the Gardiner and 401. It is scheduled to reopen on April 18th at 5am, just in time for the morning commute.

The closure gives the city a chance to fix potholes and clean out catch basins without having to work in close quarters with the city's notorious traffic.

Of course this will mean big headaches for drivers looking to head downtown. Though fortunately there are no major events happening that weekend.

If you need to to take the DVP, your best bets are Bayview and Don Mills, though expect those to be much heavier than normal

Muzzo sentenced to 10 years in drunk driving crash that killed grandfather, 3 children

Marco Muzzo has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the impaired driving crash that killed a three children and their grandfather last September.

"The enormous harm caused by Mr. Muzzo is extraordinary," Justice Michelle Fuerst told the court as she handed down the sentence Tuesday.

"For as long as Mr. Muzzo has been alive, courts have warned about the consequences of impaired driving, yet it escaped him," Fuerst said. Citing the victim impact statements, she called it a "tragedy beyond comprehension."

Justice Fuerst concluded that "a lengthy plenipotentiary term is necessary. The just and appropriate sentence is one of 10 years."

Marco Muzzo, 29, had pled guilty in the Sept. 27 crash that killed nine-year old Daniel Neville-Lake, five-year-old brother Harrison, two-year-old sister Milly, and their 65-year-old grandfather Gary Neville.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Muzzo had recently returned from a bachelor trip in Miami and had landed at Pearson. He then got behind the wheel of his Jeep and headed home to Vaughan. The Jeep ran a stop sign and collided with a minivan carrying the family. Muzzo's breath samples after the crash indicated a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit.

Letters attesting to Muzzo's character painted him as a hard working young man who had shown considerable remorse for the incident. The defence had asked for a sentence of 8 years.

However, Justice Fuerst called his blood alcohol level "alarmingly high", and cited 10 year prior motor vehicle infractions as part of her decision.

Muzzo will also face a 12 year driving ban after he is released from prison.