NHTSA Reports Increase in Traffic Deaths For the First Time in 5 Years, Baffles Experts

U.S. traffic deaths increased by nine percent in the first six months of the year, to 16,290 people, the most since 2009, according to a preliminary report by the National Highway Safety Administration.

The latest findings interrupt a 5-year continuous downward trend, which resulted in what the administration called a “historic” 60-year low in 2011. The NHTSA report does not examine causes, and a full report of analyzed data could take more than a year.

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German Gov. Mulling Subsidizing EVs, Which So Far, Haven’t Made a Blip on the Sales Radar

In the first eight months of the year, new passenger car registrations in Germany were more than 2.108 million units. According to a study from the Center of Automotive Research (CAR) at the University of Duisburg-Essen, electric cars registrations in the country, were just 2.272, which accounts for a negligible 0.1 percent market share.

The thing is that Chancellor Angela Merkel has set a target of having one million fossil-free, i.e. electric- and fuel-cell powered vehicles, on German roads by 2020 – a goal which Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, head of CAR, finds “unworldly and naive” to continue pursuing.

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2011 World Auto Production Sets New Records, Global “Fleet” Could Top 1 Billion by Year’s End

The Worldwatch Institute reports that global production of passenger vehicles, i.e. cars and light commercial trucks, set a new record in 2011 with 76.8 million units compared to 74.4 million in 2010.

This means that at the end of 2011 a total of 691 million passenger cars were on roads all over the world, rising to 979 million if we include light- and heavy-duty trucks.

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New Infographic Takes a Look at Eight Generations of the Honda Accord

On the occasion of the announcement of pricing for its 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe models earlier today, Honda is taking a ride back to the future with an infographic that puts the spotlight on each generation of the mid-size model since the company began producing the car in the States in 1982.

The infographic includes a handful of interesting data such as the base model's curb weight, wheelbase length, entry-level engine, starting price in USD, and the highlights of each of the eight generations of the U.S.-built Accord, which you can then compare.

For example, we see that the 1982 Accord was fitted with a 75hp 1.8-liter engine and tipped the scales at 2,184 pounds (990 kg) while priced from $8,245.

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Texas Approves 85-MPH Speed Limit on State Highway 130, IIHS Disagrees

On Friday, November 16, Formula 1 will return to the US after a five-year hiatus. The venue that will host the penultimate race of the 2012 season will be the newly-constructed Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

It is therefore fitting that from November 11, a few days before the Grand Prix, the Lone Star state will also be the one sporting the highest speed limit in the country as Texas Transportation officials approved an 85 mph (137km/h) limit along a 41-mile distance of State Highway 130 (SH130), which connects state capital Austin to San Antonio.

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Rising Gas Prices Push US Buyers Towards Subcompact and Compact Cars

Last year was pretty good for US car sales, and 2012 looks to be even better. In August alone, the total number of new vehicles sold is up by 19 percent over the same month in 2011.

According to a report from Kelley Blue Book (KBB), many buyers chose their vehicle based on one important factor: rising gasoline prices.

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Shortage of Auto Engineers in Michigan Means Carmakers Will Pay More to Attract New Recruits

When GM and Chrysler were in trouble back in 2009, unemployment in the state of Michigan was at 14.2 percent, the worst in the United States. Today, following the government bailout and the two groups’ impressive recovery, that number has fallen closer to the 8.3 percent national average at 9.0 percent.

What’s more, there is more demand for automotive engineers than there are people looking for a job in the field.

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Buying Partly Worn Used Tires Can be a Devastating Mistake

Depending on your car, tires can be expensive, we know. But sometimes, there are things you have to purchase like a good set of tires, which you should really spend the extra buck on as it could literally save your life.

Take this recent story for example. Keith Johnston, a 41-year-old man from Tyne and Wear, which is a metropolitan county in North East England, is now paralyzed from the chest down due to the unfortunate bout of purchasing what he claimed to be "partly worn tires" for his Renault Scenic minivan.

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London Urges Drivers to Turn Off their Idling Engines or Face a Fine

Fuel saving systems like auto start/stop are becoming increasingly common in all kinds of new models, from minis to supercars. The thing is that these technologies have only recently been widely adopted by car companies. Thus, most vehicles out there are still polluting even when they are standing still.

Transport for London, the local government body that oversees Greater London’s transport system, released a study showing that if all drivers in the center of the city turned off their engines for one minute when stationary instead of letting them idle, CO2 emissions would be reduced by 100 million kg (220 million pounds) each year.

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NASA Scientist Makes Roadkill Experiment to See How Many Drivers are Animal Killers

Apparently, Mark Rober has a lot of free time in his hands, which is something you wouldn't normally expect from someone who works as a Mechanical Engineer for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the same unit that is responsible for the Mars Curiosity Rover.

What you would expect from a scientist like Rober is to have diverse interests and an inquisitive mindset, which would explain his latest experiment about motorists and roadkills.

"I read a long time ago that people will swerve more to hit turtles over snakes... as a firm believer in the scientific method, I decided to test this hypothesis," says Rober.

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UK Car Production Up 14.1 Percent in the First Half of 2012

Britain may have sold all of its mainstream auto brands to foreign companies, but the industry is well and thriving with car manufacturing up 14.1 percent to 756,116 units in the first half of 2012. In June, car output remained stable with a 0.7 percent drop to 119,193 cars, according to data provided by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Read more »