Do new car stickers make the grade?

Because of a 2007 energy law, the government must change the 'stickers' that are affixed to all vehicles sold in the U.S.  These are the stickers that show the Miles Per Gallon of the vehicle on the Highway and in the City.  These stickers haven't been significantly changed in over 30 years.

The new stickers will probably be one of two designs.  The first has 'comparative information' to show how the vehicle MPG and Air Pollution compares to other vehicles in its class.  The second has the same information but includes a large letter, A thru D, to show from a distance, how the vehicle rates.

I am a person who believes people should be given information about their purchases.  But they shouldn't be spoon-fed the answers.  The letter sticker should not happen.  Give people the 'comparative information' and let them make up their own mind.  If they need more information, that's why we have Consumer Reports and other information (such as plenty of web sites).

The one problem that I can see, brought up in the article below, is that Hybrid and Electric cars will not take coal-burning power-plants into account when displaying the 'greenhouse gases' the vehicle spews.  The stickers will only show 'tailpipe only' data.  I am a proud Prius owner and if I was shopping for a new vehicle, I would want to see complete information.

Then again, I can always look it up on the web.

Updated Car Stickers to Include Environmental Data (AP News via Google)

Fuel Economy Label (EPA.gov)

A Yop Sign? A Stield Sign?

Gary Lauder, a venture capitalist, has an idea for combining a Stop sign with a Yield sign.  The idea is that at some intersections, particular T-intersections, many times it makes no sense to have Stop signs at the top of the T, the 'thru traffic'.  A Stop sign should only be required for the leg of the T.

Overall, I like the idea, but need more information.  The article almost had me convinced that it is a good idea, but the video or Gary speaking at a TED conference left me unconvinced.  I wish he had been given more time to discuss his idea more fully.

Check out the article and the video at the bottom of the page:  Stop the Madness, Yield to Progress (Wired.com)

Senior drivers: should they continue to drive?

Current opinion: Drivers over age 65 should pass a driving test every two years

My grandmother drove until her death at the age of 84. And it wasn't until after her funeral that I learned she had been driving for years 'with one eye closed so she could see the road better'. Evidently, having both eyes open caused some kind of blurriness and closing one eye gave her better vision.  I never knew about this because I lived 400 miles away and whenever I would visit her, I would do the driving.

I remember her telling her son-in-law a few years earlier 'please don't take my car away from me'. She learned to drive later in life, but had been driving for decades. And she drove a friend to breakfast the day she died.

If I had known she was a hazard on the road, I would have talked long and hard with her about giving up her keys. I would have talked about all of the alternatives that were available to her including public transportation, elderly transportation provided by the city, getting rides from friends, and anything else that would be a viable option.

I was mortified to find out that she couldn't see well while driving and could have injured or killed pedestrians or other drivers.

Motor vehicle deaths per 100,000 people (2002):
[Auto Crash Statistics from Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance]

     Age Deaths

• 16-19  29
• 20-24  19
• 25-29  12
• 30-34   9
• 35-39   9
• 40-44   9
• 45-49   8
• 50-54   8
• 55-59   7
• 60-64   9
• 65-69   9
• 70-74  11
• 75-79  14
• 80-84  17
• 85+    24

Seniors have similar rates of fatalities as Teen drivers.  But Seniors drive less frequently than Teens.  And people are living longer and healthier lives than ever before. 

There are many reasons why Seniors want to continue to drive.  All of them for the same reasons everyone else wants to drive: for pleasure, for emergencies, for day-to-day activities.  There is nothing special about Seniors driving that is any different than their children other than most Seniors are retired and are not driving to work every day.

We have different driving requirements for Teen drivers because we know they are a risky demographic.  In some states they are unable to drive with anyone in the car that is under 25 without an adult also along for the drive.  Many states don't allow Teen drivers to drive between 11pm and 5am.  Senior drivers, as a group, also are a risky demographic.  When Is Too Old To Drive? (RoadAndTravel.com)

States are making some changes, like making road signs larger or easier to read, and implementing more frequent 'driving tests' for Senior drivers.  While all Seniors are not risky drivers, not all Teens are risky drivers.  But we require Teens to adhere to the same restrictions.  So, while having Seniors take a driving test every two years is inconenient, it will make the roads safer.  And society needs to help by providing more public transportation and Senior transportation.  The Baby Boomers are coming and will almost double the number of people over 65.

New opinion: (changed) Drivers over age 70 should pass a driving test every two years

More information:

Elderly die at a record pace behind the wheel (GlobalAging.org)

Driving Skills in Older Adults (FamilyDoctor.org)

Florida Drivers Drive Til They Drop (Suddenly Senior)