Who is the worst backseat driver? (Note: not the children)

Paul A. Eisenstein the Detroit Bureau
If only all the families could be so happy. It turned out nagging passengers causing an excessive amount of stress on the notion that the drive half the fun.

There are few things more frustrating than driver as a distrusting passenger is plagued. But who makes the worst back seat (or page based) drivers?

According to a new survey, spouses – whether men or women - on the top of the list, usually at least irritating while the children are passengers. That is something that make both men and women, according to a survey by Insurance.com 500 driver.

34 Percent among the women drivers for the survey respondents said their husbands are the worst back seat driver. Mothers came in second with 18 percent, with friends, listed in third place at 15 percent.

The men say 40 percent their wives the pesky backseat drivers, followed by friends (17 per cent) and mothers (15 percent).

Although the children may have known the source of this refrain, "are we there yet?"-Insurance.com surprisingly low in regard to the backseat driver is mapped. Combining the results of both women and men drivers, grown-up daughters were listed by 7 per cent, noted while 4 percent on adult sons as disturbing.

But only 5 percent of the riders cited young sons and daughters, whether teen or child, only 3 percent of the drivers were listed.

Perhaps surprisingly it worst passengers of only 5 per cent of the respondents were rated fathers. "Journey not half the fun" according to Insurance.com, editor-in-Chief Michelle Megna, wrote the story about backseat drivers for Insurance.com. "Micro-management can be a scenic drive in a battle of wills from the backseat critics."

The survey found the back seat are most likely to complain about drivers, the greatest offense to: · Comments on speed, 47 percent; · Alternative directions, 29 percent; · Talk so much, 19 per cent; · An imaginary brake with their feet push 15 percent; · Change acquisition of radio stations, music or band, 10 percent.


Other complaints including SMS and phone calls, sound effects while playing video games, scream and make car sick.

Megna offered a few tips on the back seat drivers, including mapping a route before time, agreement on music and exile opinionated passengers in the back seat too low. It recommends perhaps even deep breathing techniques - backseat drivers, as well as the person actually behind the wheel.

Copyright © 2009-2013, the Detroit Bureau

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LA edges from Honolulu for the worst traffic

In Los Angeles, where traffic is a way of life that drivers call the busiest interchanges "Carmageddon."

After replaced by Honolulu a year is part of the country again, Los Angeles deserves the title of the most crowded Metro. 17 On a Friday in the year 2012, the average driver wasted more than 28 minutes in traffic according to INRIX traffic information and services group, which collects data for individual sections of the road.

In his 2012 traffic scorecard found INRIX that traffic at peak hours on Interstate 405 in Los Angeles drew only 14 miles per hour, 26 minutes add, what should be an eight-minute drive. Last year, the average American 38 hours wasted sitting in traffic; but for those, the life of the nation's most congested cities, jumped this number to 42 hours.

Not surprisingly, population density contributes to traffic congestion. Is overloaded by the 10 metro areas with the highest population density in 2010 six among the 10 of the nation's most.

INRIX generates a stowage factor, which is a compilation of factors such as population density, that average time spent commuting and the percentage of the population who drives to work.

In terms of the longest average commute daily, New York captured the honor with an average of 34.9 minutes. Washington, D.C. was second in a close at 34.5 minutes. But the availability and use of public transport the cities down to the top 10 list.

The congestion index is a metric of how long travel takes the average driver during rush hour when traffic is clear. Los Angeles has a congestion index of 28.8, meaning that that it takes 28.8 percent longer to make a trip during peak hours traffic jams as it does when there is no traffic.

This year on the most congested cities (with their congestion index in brackets):

1. Los Angeles (28.8)

2. Honolulu (26)

(3) San Francisco (23.5)

4. Austin, Texas (20.7)

5. New York City (19.9)

6 Bridgeport, Connecticut (19.1)

7, California (17.6)

8 Seattle (17.6)

9 Washington, D.C. (16.4)

10 Boston (14.7)

INRIX scale is supported by other surveys. Researchers at Texas A & M transportation Institute recently released its urban mobility report and similar results found.

In the Texas A & M rankings, Washington, D.C. leader, followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco-Oakland, New York-Newark and Boston. The second five are Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston and Seattle. The urban mobility report contains a detailed presentation of the traffic problems in total 498 U.S. cities.

Overloading is frustrating, but researchers have found that it is also expensive - for the company and drivers.

"We all understand that the journeys take longer time, rush hour, but for really important dates, we have more and more time to ensure an on-time arrival," said Bill Eisele, TTI researchers and report co-author. "How traffic jams are so bad that it even more frustrating is that you cannot rely on the consistency of daily traffic jams. "These unreliable travel is expensive for commuters and truck drivers were move."

The 2012 report of estimating the attributed to congestion additional carbon dioxide emissions: ?56 billion--about 380 pounds per car commuters.

Moreover, the amount of fuel was wasted in congested traffic 2.9 billion gallons - enough, four times to fill the New Orleans Superdome. This is the same as 2010, but behind the 3.2 billion gallons are wasted in 2005.

The financial cost for congestion in the year 2011 was $121 billion, up $ 1 billion from the previous year, or $818 per commuter. It was about 27 billion $ value wasting time and diesel fuel from the truck of goods on the system.

Copyright © 2009-2013, the Detroit Bureau

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Worst drivers in America? Washington, D.C., takes the honor

AP

Not only are the drivers bad, there's too much traffic. Motorists slog through the commute around Washington, D.C.

For those of us who live in and/or drive through major metropolitan areas, having to keep a watchful eye out for the antics of inattentive or even reckless drivers is a necessary part of our daily routine. You may think you’ve got it bad, but according to the eighth annual “America’s Best Drivers Report” issued by Allstate Insurance in Northbrook, Ill., Washington D.C. can again lay claim to having the absolute worst motorists in the nation.

Allstate studied the auto insurance claims frequency of America’s 200 largest cities and found that residents of our nation’s capital were found to get into collisions on average once every 4.7 years. This means they’re a whopping 112.1 percent more likely to be party to an accident than the typical driver in the U.S., who wrecks his or her car once every 10 years.

Taken on a statewide basis, California would seem to have the worst drivers overall, placing five cities among the top 25, including Glendale (5), San Francisco (10), Los Angeles (14), Fullerton (16) and Torrence (22). New Jersey came in a close second with four cities among the top 25, with Florida and Virginia tied for third with three cities each.

And, no, New York City didn’t even make the top 10 in Allstate’s 2012 list, though it still ranked at number 20, with residents being 41.1 percent more likely than the average motorist to get into an accident.

Meanwhile, the safest drivers can be found trolling the streets of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the average motorist experiences a collision only once every 13.8 years, which is 27.6 percent less likely than the national average. Other top-five safest cities include (in order): Boise, Idaho; Fort Collins, Colo.; Madison, Wis., and Lincoln, Neb.

Among larger metro areas, the safest cities include: Tuscon, Ariz., (13); Milwaukee, Wis., (15); and Kansas City, Mo., (16).

"It is vital for us to educate American drivers about safe driving behaviors they can practice on the road that will help make our roadways safer,” says Dave Prendergast, Allstate’s field senior vice-president. “Minimizing distractions, obeying traffic laws, and using your car’s safety features like turn signals and headlights, are all ways to be safer, no matter where you drive.”

Here is Allstate’s full list of the 25 cities having the worst drivers, with each citation noting the likelihood a motorist living there is to be involved in a crash, relative to the national average:

Washington, DC: 112.1% greater-than-average accident frequencyBaltimore, MD: 87.9%Providence, RI: 80.9%Hialeah, FL: 77.6%Glendale, CA: 77.5%Philadelphia, PA: 64.1%Alexandria, VA: 62.6%Newark, NJ: 59.4%Miami, FL: 58.4%San Francisco, CA: 54.6%Jersey City, NJ: 53.9%Arlington, VA: 53.0%Tampa, FL: 50.2%Los Angeles, CA: 48.5%Paterson, NJ: 46.9%Fullerton, CA: 42.7%Garland, TX: 41.6%Elizabeth, NJ: 41.5%Bridgeport, CT: 41.2%New York, NY: 41.1%New Haven, CT: 37.5%Torrance, CA: 36.7%Norfolk, VA: 36.3%Yonkers, NY: 36.2%Arlington TX: 35.4%

The fine print: the 2012 Allstate America’s Best Driver’s Report is based on an actuarial analysis of company claim data among the nation’s 200 largest cities. Property damage claims were analyzed over a two-year period (from January 2009 to December 2010) to ensure the findings would not be impacted by external influences such as weather or road construction. A weighted average of the two-year numbers determined the annual percentages. The report defines an auto crash as any collision resulting in a property damage claim.

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What, not your town? D.C. has worst drivers

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota According to a recent report issued by Allstate Insurance Co., Washington, D.C. can lay claim to having the worst — or at least the most accident-prone — drivers among the 200 largest cities in the U.S.

Residents of our nation’s capitol were found to get into collisions on average once every 4.8 years. This means they’re 107.3 percent more likely to get into an accident every time they take the wheel than the typical driver in the U.S., who wrecks his or her car once every 10 years.

Other cities ranking high on the list include such traffic hot spots as Baltimore, Md., Glendale, Calif., Newark, N.J., Providence, R.I., and Philadelphia, Pa. Los Angeles holds down the number 11 position, with the driving population crashing their vehicles once every 6.6 years. Surprisingly, New York City didn’t place among the top 10, being ranked at number 20 in the survey, with motorists getting into collisions on average once every 7.3 years (guess cab drivers weren’t counted as part of the study).

While collisions have been on the decline, fatalities from car crashes still claim over 32,000 lives each year. “Human behavior is the biggest cause of accidents. It is vital for us to educate American drivers about safe driving behaviors they can demonstrate on the road that will help make our roadways safer,” says Mike Roche, executive vice president for Allstate’s claim organization.

The Northbrook, Ill.-based insurer found the safest drivers residing in smaller cities — motorists living in U.S. cities with populations of over one million are more likely than the national average to get into accidents. Allstate says the safest drivers can be found in Fort Collins, Colo., where the average motorist experiences an auto collision only once every 14 years. Other cities on the safest driver list included Boise, Idaho, Lincoln, Neb., Chandler, Ariz., and Huntsville, Ala.

The study was based on property damage claims reported over a two-year period (from January 2008 to December 2009) adjusted for population, with a weighted average of the two-year numbers used to determine the results.

© 2011 Forbes.com

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What, not your city? D.C. has the worst drivers

According to a recent report issued by Allstate Insurance Co., Washington, D.C. entitled can - set for the worst, or at least the most driver - driver among the 200 largest cities in the United States

Found in collision on average every 4.8 years receive people of our nation Capitol. That means, are more likely to get in an accident, every time when the steering wheel as the typical driver in the United States to take, his or her once every 10 years applied 107.3%.

Other cities, ranking high on the list are such traffic hotspots as Baltimore, MD, Glendale, California, Newark, n.j., Providence, r.i., and Philadelphia, PA. Los Angeles holds the position as the number 11, with people driving their vehicles crashing every 6.6 years. Surprisingly place not New York City in the top 10, reached spot at number 20 in the poll with driver, always in collisions on average every 7.3 years (guess taxi drivers were counted as part of the study).

During collisions on the retreat, victims of road accidents claim, yet every year more than 32,000 lives. "Human behaviour is the most common cause of accidents." It is important for us to educate us drivers about safe driving behaviours that they can prove on the road towards that helps "Our streets safer, says Mike Roche, executive Vice President of Allstates claim organization."

Northbrook, Illinois-based insurer here in smaller towns - motorists, who are living in cities of the United States with a population of more than one million more than the national average for accidents to get found the safest drivers. Allstate says the safest drivers in Fort Collins, Colorado, can be found, where the average driver a car collision only once every 14 years of experience. Other cities in the safest driver list contain, Boise, Idaho, Lincoln, Neb., Chandler, Arizona, and Huntsville, Ala.

The study is based on property damage claims population reported adjusted over a two year period (from January 2008 to December 2009), a weighted average of the two-year numbers used to determine the results.

© 2011 Forbes.com

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The best and worst, States, a car

If you bought a car in Alaska or Hawaii probably it cost you more than if you bought, say, Michigan or Ohio, due to the involved in additional freight costs would expect. Gas prices are higher in the distant States to, so that you to the car more in the long term costs would expect.

But why should it have more costs $9,000, and operate a car in Connecticut than in New Hampshire, only 100 or so miles on the road?

The answer is because New Hampshire has no sales tax and lower, it is the cost of everything from car insurance to fuel and maintenance. So a $29,000 car will cost $49,890 over five years end if in Connecticut, but only $40,602, life if you are in New Hampshire.

Where you live can make have a big difference in the cost of a vehicle - are a lesson worth remembering the next time for a new car purchase. The price may be different, State-by-State, thanks to regional incentives such as the and target or freight, may vary depending on the distance that the car has to be sent. In addition, more than to take into account only the sticker price or monthly leasing rate must. You must it, finance, maintain and keep the gas tank filled to insure.

Automotive research of site Edmunds enables car shoppers see, notes of where you live, to calculate your average five-year cost of depreciation, financing, fees, taxes, insurance premiums, the big picture with its proprietary "True Cost to Own" fuel will cost formula, maintenance and repairs to a number of new and used vehicles,.

Forbes Edmunds analysts asked a sales-weighted average of State, come with the revealed that New Hampshire, South Dakota, and South Carolina are the best States to own a vehicle, while Hawaii, California and Alaska are the most expensive. Almost $13,000 is the gap between the cheapest State, New Hampshire, and the most expensive, Hawaii.

The two biggest factors tend to control and charges and the cost of the insurance. In Oregon, such as car buyers pay an average of only $129 in fees, but in Arizona, she pays $4.346. is average insurance cheapest in South Dakota ($4,723) and most expensive in Alaska ($11,481). West Virginia and Louisiana, insurance is $11,000 over five years approximately, but you'll pay half, if you live in Georgia or North Dakota.

Maintenance and repair cost can also affect how much your car in the course of time will cost. Prices for service technicians in your state laboratory may vary, for example. And if your State has no sales tax, the State of wear parts are less costs. Maintenance and repair are more in Maryland as in the nearby New Jersey, such as cost an average of $1,350.

You are not likely to travel to New Jersey to your car serviced, to receive, so that they are high-cost-to-own in one of these States, at least the total cost of ownership for different vehicles can compare to your shopping list. Keep in mind that buying a more expensive car, that you probably higher sales taxes and more interest on your car loan, figures that at the end could more cost you mean than you expected.

© 2011 Forbes.com

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The worst cities in America for car theft

For its sunny charm, a hard place to live can California.

According to the national crime his average 187 crimes per square mile are far above the national median 49,6, and his property crime almost 36 crimes per every 1,000 people sound the 34 Californians beats the odds have a 1 in 178-chance a victim of a violent crime.

Driver results not much better. The rate is the national average of vehicle theft in California almost twice, according to Lage Inc., a Massachusetts-based company, displacement offers software and real estate investment advice. And according to a new report from the national insurance Crime Bureau, it is getting worse.

Eight of the top 10 cities for auto theft nationwide are in the Golden State, up to six cities in the past year. Sacramento, Stockton and Bakersfield among the worst.

This list of worst cities for auto theft have we compiled data for 2010 by NICB, a des Plaines, Illinois-based non-profit organization dedicated to vehicle theft and insurance to prevent fraud. The NICB used U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, and postal code with theft records for metropolitan statistical areas harmonisation. The result is calculated on a scale of robberies per 100,000 people.

All of the cities on our list of Fresno (No. 1 with a theft of 812.40 per 100,000), Yakima (No. 10 with a theft of 520.49), had much more frequent instances of theft than cities at the bottom. Elmira, New York, n.y., for example, has a car-theft rate of only 37.15 per 100,000 - which translated it in only 33 cars stolen last year. For the second year in a row, the auto theft in the nation, with only 29.87 thefts per 100,000 people was State College, PA, the lowest rate.

An interesting note: the year's list have no cities East of the Rocky Mountains. Laredo, Texas, which surpassed, it last year ranks No. 11; Albuquerque, nm, and also from 2010 to 2011 in Las Vegas. Washington State saw shifts as well as: Spokane moved 14 spots in no. 4 this year during the southern city of Yakima back 4 spots to no. 10 deleted.

Why the big culprit is? There is no one reason, says Frank Scafidi, a spokesman for the NICB, but a large population with a high rate of car ownership is a contributing factor.

Centrally located cities such as Stockton, California, are its border nodes for traffickers moving drugs, money and weapons. The 2010 FBI crime reportedly had some of the highest rates of Stockton, Sacramento, and Oakland violent crime in the country last year. (Act of violence does not include car theft.) Vegas and Stockton have been identified by the Ministry of Justice as transit points for Mexican drug cartels.

Population density is another important factor theft rates, says Scafidi. It is for obvious reasons - the poet population, the lower rate.

"What they lose in Fresno and Modesto, which they lose the Lakers game at half-time at one," says Scafidi. "But never L.A. makes the top 10, because it 18 million people down there."

Terri Miller, Director of the programme says Michigan-based help to eliminate auto theft California's warm weather attracts people and convertible tops too careless to leave below Windows to open, to be rolled - both present tempting invitations for opportunistic thieves.

While it is often assumed that crime is increasing as the economy worsens, which not necessarily the case with car theft to.

"Loss of employment not I believe most people turn in on night criminals," says Scafidi. "Can we show that this is a your own financial situation has a bearing on some crime?" Absolute. "But a sweeping statement like that is not supported by the evidence."

All in all 71 percent reported that the 366 MSAs measured (and six on our list) less car theft in 2010 than in the year 2009. Improved law enforcement practices and stricter legislation have a lot to do. But the cars themselves are another important reason for the decline.

"Cars only harder get to steal," says Miller. This is chip car key with immobilizer, systems and technologies, including Ford Sync and GM OnStar service positioning - they work advanced theft deterrent to track well and stolen vehicles quickly restore.

But the other side of this improvement is an increased rate of a pettier crime: "We see increase in theft of components," says Miller.

Car tires and rims have strong resale values on the black market and catalysts are hot items by high prices for precious metals, which they contain. Airbags can $200 on the black market, according to the insurance information Institute fetch operation; Airbag theft costs more than $50 million per year for first and vehicle owners.

All in all auto theft costs consumers and insurance companies over $8 billion annually, according to FBI statistics. And the vehicles stolen each year more than 1 million less than 60 percent are recovered from them.

It is enough to carefully consider, purchase, that new drive.

© 2011 Forbes.com

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U.S. is still the King as the worst car

By all accounts, the big three automakers Detroit started better made, longer lasting, more efficient vehicles. It is a significant change from the 1990s and early 2000s, when they fell behind their European and Asian counterparts in each category.

"This change is not even a gradual thing," says Christine Overstreet, an automotive consultant and Director of the heels and wheels. "It is as they said, ' we really want to strengthen it OK, we want to really compete, we are ready." "To have last years so badly that she really stepped up their game."

But with three exceptions - the Mercedes-Benz S550, smart fortwo and Nissan Titan - all the cars on the this year's list of the worst cars on the road are made (yet) of domestic companies. These include the Dodge Dakota, Chevy Tahoe Hybrid and Chrysler Town & country. The only American car company with 0 (zero) vehicles on the list? Ford.

Forbes.com slide show: the worst cars on the road

To determine to our list of the worst produced cars on the road, we started with the lowest-rated vehicles from six reliability and performance studies this year by consumer reports.

Every car, truck, or SUV made with the name, the worst in at least two of these studies are the final cut on the "Worst" list.

We should note that the Mercedes S550 the only vehicle that qualifies for our list is the high cost of property, low fuel consumption and a low review of total value, not because of the problems with the reliability, security or performance, which every other vehicle in the top 10 hit. In fact, as the sedan and the Cadillac Escalade probably at a disadvantage on lists such as this - its luxurious interior upgrades, high-quality trim and strong engines work luxury vehicles against them.

"The worst value is, the highest cost of Ownership--you have not forgotten, it is a numerator and denominator of these things," says Terry Woychowski, Vice President of quality and global launches for General Motors. "An analogy a clock use: If you looked at dollar vs. accuracy the time to buy a watch, a Casio would buy probably." [Compare, the] the price and value in a Rolex - you would say, ' well, shoot. It costs so much! "For vehicles as follows, it is an uphill battle."

We should also keep in mind that almost any car or truck more efficiently and more reliably is more secure today than anything else on the road only 15 years ago. But that excuse not only how often vehicles as jeep freedom for poor reliability or bad fuel economy be - tilted, or both.

Jeep Liberty and Wrangler earned spots on consumer reports at least reliable list for 2011. The Wrangler was also consumer reports worst value, and worst cars distinctions, the latter of which based on more than 50 individual tests consumer reports and evaluations. The Wrangler appeared also on our list of worst cars last year.

Doug Betts, Chrysler's senior Vice President for quality, says consumer reports tests reflect the latest and most up-to-date vehicles, which currently is the company. The cars and trucks Chrysler has now come from the line are much better than cars in the last year made, he said in a statement on the reports.

"Customers 16 new or updated clear vehicles to RAM, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Fiat dealer will see this year" said Betts. "These vehicles provide a new level of interior refinement, world class fit and finish, and significantly improved driving dynamics."

Similar to, and despite the significant improvements since hit bottom in 2009, GM has some work to do before it can regain a reputation fleet wide. Four GM manufactured vehicles - the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, Chevrolet Colorado and Chevrolet Aveo/Aveo5 - are ranked among the worst in the market today. All up on the hybrid Tahoe cars list, as well as the previous year qualified for the worst.

"Our new vehicles in, we continue to bring vehicles, come as we continue very better to do I think that already turn perception that we noticed," says Woychowski. "I look forward to the next year or two if we this dynamic, where there is simply a [good] reputation is."

Woychowski expressed the same frustration with ratings, the Chrysler bed fact. He noticed a 45 percent reduction in warranty repairs GM brand since 2007 and said how the Aveo is not on lists like these cars much longer anyway.

"We are paid to get smarter every day", says Woychowski. "If we create the last Aveo, the best will, that we have ever done because those who buy this car today afternoon goes, we want to they have the best vehicle, which we have.... ever produced"

? 2011 Forbes.com

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