Continuous flow intersections : Mental.

Let me introduce you to Continuous Flow Intersections. Watch this, then read on: Does that seem in any way simple or clean to you? The fact that UDOT needed to make a video to try to teach drivers what the this abomination is should tell you that this is not a simple intersection. They started putting them in around here about 2 years ago and since then, the number of people driving on the wrong side of the road because of these things has skyrocketed. Accident rates have soared, congestion has reached record levels at these intersections and confusion reigns supreme. They spent millions introducing them, and shut down the roads for close to a year to get them built. And why? There's a much simpler intersection that solves their "conflict points" problem. Ladies and gentlemen: the roundabout. I guess the problem is that roundabouts are simply too logical, too simple, too efficient. Better to waste millions and create an accident nightmare eh? Plus, watching Americans trying to negotiate a roundabout is an entertaining and embarrassing representation of the human ignorance about an intersection that does not require you to stop but does require you to yield. It seems to cause some sort of severe psychological disorder since it is neither green nor red, but requires them to steer and calculate approaching distances of their own vehicles and the others on the road at the same time.
Anyway, I won't go near these continuous flow things any more - they're too dangerous. I've seen trucks end up on the wrong side of the road, I've seen people shooting red lights and causing huge accidents (because the location of the lights means the relative speeds involved in head-on collisions is much greater than it is at a normal intersection). There have been numerous reports of pedestrians struck by cars because they forget they have to look the wrong way to cross the first lane of the intersection.
Continuous flow intersections are a nightmare clearly designed by a committee of non-road-users.

Guest post : Winter Driving Advice

Even the best drivers in the best conditions are at risk when on the road, simply because you cannot control the other motorists around you. The risks of driving increase tenfold in the wintertime, with slick roads, worse visibility through snow and fog, and reduced sunlight in the morning and evening hours complicating your travel. Properly preparing your vehicle for cold weather driving and educating yourself on safe winter driving techniques can do more than save you money on repairs and insurance: it can save your life.
Check your Vehicle
Routine vehicle checklists are important in warmer months, but a failure in winter can compound the already dangerous conditions. Clean and polish your headlights to ensure proper night vision, and keep your battery fully charged so you don’t find yourself stranded and freezing. Clean your windshield and wiper blades, check your tire pressure, and refresh your fluids, including windshield wiper fluid, oil, and antifreeze. Consider filling out an emergency bag to keep in your trunk stocked with supplies such as non-perishable food, a flashlight, a shovel, and a first aid kid.
Check the Weather
The single best thing you can do to keep yourself safe when driving in the winter is check the weather early and often. Be especially cautious if there are winter storm watches or warnings in your area, but be mindful of anything worse than clear skies. Many local weather services will have a notice of ice conditions on the road, especially in the morning, when roads may have iced over overnight. If conditions are expected to worsen significantly while you are out, consider rescheduling the trip.
Be sure you are aware of alternate paths in case one road becomes blocked due to an accident or other impediment, and let someone know when you are leaving and the path you intend to take in case of an emergency where you are unable to contact anyone by phone.
Check your Speed
Posted speed limits are set under the assumption of ideal conditions, and are too fast for safe driving in difficult conditions. In the winter, ideal conditions will be rare. Slick roads will cause your stopping distance and your chance of skidding to increase, and slowing down is the best way to combat this. Be especially gradual in your braking, acceleration, and steering for the same reason.
Be sure your stopping distance never exceeds the visible distance ahead of you, and begin slowing down for traffic and intersections earlier than you normally would, as an invisible patch of ice ahead can easily send you far past your intended stopping point. Brakes are less reliable overall in slippery conditions, so rely on a slow deceleration without hard braking. For the same reason, try and avoid braking on curves: your wheels will not grip as well when locked, and if the road is slick, the car may slide outward off the road or into oncoming traffic.
Even if the road looks clear, be very mindful of bridges, overpasses, or even especially forested areas. The decreased sunlight these locations are exposed to could mean that large patches of ice remain on the road after it has melted everywhere else.
If worst comes to worst and you find yourself stuck in snow, avoid gunning the engine: your tires will simply dig the rut in further and make it harder to get out. Instead, alternate moving forward and in reverse to try and widen the area you have to move and eventually build the momentum to escape. If unsuccessful, try and use a shovel to dig yourself out – or hope for friendly passerby! If you drive conservatively and defensively and take proper precautions, you should be able to avoid this unfortunate situation all winter long.

AUTHOR: David Young works for Car Accessories Plus, enjoying a quieter life after spending most of his years on a hard floor underneath vehicles the world over.

Guest post : Breakdown myths and mysteries.

We've all experienced that moment of dread when we're driving along the highway at 60mph and we lose power. When a pop and a sizzle turns in to a smoking hood, or a bump leaves us hearing the flap-flap-flap of a shredded tyre. Breakdowns can ruin vacations and road trips in an instant and can cause even more serious problems if you need to commute to work every day. Luckily we're now able to buy breakdown cover and have some roadside assistance when we need it most, but even if we're able to get a tow to the garage; that's only half the battle.
Car Insurance
A lot of people believe that their car insurance covers them for any parts failure caused by wear and tear. Even the most comprehensive of schemes will rarely protect you against this kind of damage, much to the public surprise. Most car insurance brokers will outline, albeit in small print, a lot of additions that you might not necessarily be aware of. If your breakdown is a result of general wear and tear or what can be naturally expected of a car of that age, your broker will wave you away like an irritating housefly.
Breakdown Cover
Most breakdown schemes have a variety of inclusions, all aimed to cater for different individuals and their needs. A lot of people don't know that some of the factors contained within their policy that come as standard are available at no extra cost. Some companies will hide the fact that they offer a replacement rental car or will pay for your accommodation or further travel. They include these as standard so that they can operate under a 'Premium' name and will use them as a last ditch selling point to a customer that isn't convinced. For the average Joe, they'll keep hiding this point until the very last second.
Using Your Cell Phone Whilst Stationary
Many people don't know the complex and intricate laws that are involved in driving on the road, most of us just listen to popular wisdom and much repeated facts. One of the most common offences committed by drivers, and this often happens in the event of a breakdown, is calling whilst stationary. The true legal recourse is that if your engine is on whilst you dial, you're breaking the law. It doesn't matter if you've been in a traffic jam for an hour or you've pulled over with a flat tyre; if your engine is on and you use your phone, you're breaking the law. Make sure that when you call your breakdown assistance, your engine is firmly switched off.
A Strange One
Whilst we would never recommend this, there is a strange myth about reversing that actually happens to be true. A driver does not have to wear a seat belt whilst reversing. If you've pulled over after a breakdown and you want to reverse into a safer location, technically you're at the liberty of this loophole;"…a person driving a vehicle while performing a manoeuvre which includes reversing…". But as soon as you put your car back into a driving gear and you move even half an inch forward, you must re-buckle. For safety's sake, just keep it on.
Flat Battery Re-Charge
Dead batteries are one of the leading causes of breakdown internationally. In years gone by, a jumpstart would be enough to get us home and away with no problem. In the days before iPods, heated seat and GPS systems, car batteries could be fully recharged in an hour or less. The higher strain on the alternator with modern devices means that it has little energy left to charge the battery, so don't assume that everything is going to be fine next time you go out to start your car.
Author Byline: Matt Bonner has been a car enthusiast for years. In his youth he worked as both a mechanic and an engineer, but now works as a consultant for EasyWheels.

People who park in handicap spaces but aren't disabled.

The Detroit Free Press finally did an expose on one of my big pet peeves - people who aren't handicapped but use the disabled parking spaces. These are the worst of the worst in my opinion. People with such a morally corrupt core that they have no problem doing stuff like this. I don't care if it's people with no permit, or people "using a friend's permit", or even people using a permit from someone in their own family. They're all as bad as each other. I've challenged people about this on occasion and without exception, they always go on the defensive and always spin some bullshit excuse about how they're entitled to park there. Last time this happened I went to butt-in to an argument a guy in a wheelchair was having with a lady who'd parked in the disabled space. In the end she had no remorse or conscience - typical of so many self-centred people today. As long as they serve themselves, nobody else matters.
Anyway - the Detroit Free Press video is quite informative. See for yourself.
The woman at 3 minutes is amazing: "Well where's the handicap sign then?".
"Erm - right there, right in front of you!"
"Oh."

F1 race tracks, past present and future.

F1 racing provides excitement for spectators around the globe and every race track used provides a unique test of skill and courage that makes this motor sport one of the most passionately followed spectator sports. In this article we take a look at a brief history of where the drama unfolds, on the track and look at circuits used in the past, present and also plans for the future.
Constantly evolving
Since the first World Championship Grand Prix in 1950 at Silverstone a total of 68 different circuits have hosted an official F1 race. The racing circuit at Nürburgring is a good example of the constantly evolving nature of the circuits and how they adapt to the changing demands posed by improvements and developments to the cars that are competing and related safety issues. The Nürburgring used to race over a longer configuration but following safety concerns they now use a shorter safer circuit. As a result of the expansion of the sport into Asia and America nearly half of the 20 circuits currently on the Grand Prix circuit were not on the calendar just over 10 years ago.
Consigned to history
Racing at Aintree is associated with the horse racing spectacle that is the Grand National but Aintree hosted the British Grand Prix at various times between 1955 and the last time in 1962. Some circuits were not so fortunate to get more than one shot at hosting the Grand Prix and the Ain Diab in Casablanca Morocco, whilst being in a location entirely suited to the glamour of F1, only got to be a one hit wonder in 1958. Monaco is famous for many reasons and particularly the F1 race that winds its way through the streets that are normally frequented by the rich and famous, but some other street circuits were not so fortunate to stand the test of time and the Circuito da Boavista in Portugal only got to host the Portuguese Grand Prix in 1958 and 1960. The streets of Porto and many others have not heard the competitive roar of racing engines for some time unlike the residents of Monaco.
The Future
There are plans in place to introduce a Grand Prix of America and a Russian Grand Prix in 2014. The American race will be held on the Port Imperial Street Circuit in New Jersey which will see cars racing over a circuit of 5.1km around the streets of Hudson County while Russia eagerly awaits their Grand Prix which will be held in Sochi. The Sochi Olympic Park Circuit will hopefully see racing take place around a circuit of 5.8km in 2014 but there is talk of a potential delay for another year as preparations are also in place for the 2014 Winter Olympics so F1 fans in Russia might have to wait a little longer for their motoring entertainment to come to town.
As with the cars that compete, the nature and layout of the circuits used is always being evaluated and changes made where required not only to provide high class entertainment but also to ensure that the highest level of safety is always achieved. Any course that does not evolve along with the sport will always be wary that the last race they host will be their last, as history has shown that many venues are never guaranteed a future if they do not meet exacting standards.
Author Bio.
Jamie McMackin is a racing enthusiast and researcher. He enjoys getting out on the tracks and sharing his experiences on various racing blogs. Visit Wish.co.uk to find out more about driving experience days.

Luxury car manufacturers losing the plot.

I think there's some sort of collective neuroses going on in the luxury car segment at the moment. I was hoping the Porsche Cayenne would be a one-off; a flight of fancy from a designer soon to be sacked for perpetrating such a crime on the world of motoring. But sadly no. More luxury car makers are getting their feet wet in markets they have no business being in. First the Cayenne, now the Panamera - can there be a more pointless car for Porsche to make? A front-engined, 4-door saloon? Buy a Camry or a Fusion if you want one of those. They're a fraction of the price, much less likely to be stolen, have better warranties and are far more practical. It doesn't stop with Porsche though. Now we face the prospect of Lamborghini losing their marbles. For whatever reason, the Audi-owned purveyor of all things hypercar, makers of the Reventón, Murciélago, and pant-wettingly gorgeous Aventador, have decided they need to build a bloated, badly-handling, poorly-designed, ugly-looking SUV. The Urus (I'll spare you the picture, you can google it) is a really odd way to go for Lambo. I know most SUVs never go off-road but for $200,000 I'm pretty sure the most dirt a Urus will see will be the dust settling gently on it whilst parked on Rodeo Drive. Not wanting to be left out, Bugatti are getting in on the game with their 16C Galibier - essentially a four-door version of the Veyron. $1.4M for a four-door "family" car? Seriously?
But all of this pales in comparison to what's happening at my favourite maker of exotica - Aston Martin. DB9? DBS? Vanquish? V8 or V12 Vantage? Yes please - any and all of the above. But the Rapide? Why in the name of all that is handbuilt and peculiarly British would Aston want a 4-door sedan? Is it because they're copying Porsche? Are they jealous of the Panamera?
The answer to all the above stupidity of course lies in the vast inequality of wealth in certain countries. In the US, where 9% of the population have 90% of the wealth, it's hardly surprising people want to squander their money on expensive toys to be used as status symbols. "Oh honey - the Ford Escape is just too common. We simply must do better than that - I wouldn't be seen dead in anything less than a Cayenne." Where rich suckers and their money are easily separated, car makers know they can make serious bank. Porsche, Aston and Lamborghini know these vehicles are pointless but then they know the people they're selling them to are equally stupid. And if you can make a fast buck off someone, that's what capitalism is all about right?