Nearly 40 Million Drivers Expected to Hit the Road Memorial Day Weekend
Alpharetta, GA - May 2009 -- Nearly forty million drivers are expected to fill highways and byways this coming holiday weekend according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Memorial Day weekend is the third most perilous holiday for vehicular traffic. Thanksgiving holds the number one spot, with Independence Day at number two. Labor Day and New Year's Eve round out the top five.
Radarsign (http://www.radarsign.com), the leading manufacturer and retailer of driver feedback signs, today released TEN TIPS TO ROAD SAFETY as vacationers hit the streets.
1. Don't drive drowsy. According to the National Sleep Foundation's Report on Drowsy Driving, 100,000 reported crashes, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths every year are attributed to drivers falling asleep at the wheel. Add to that heavy holiday traffic and you have a recipe for disaster. If you are feeling drowsy, get off the road.
2. Wear your seat belt. The DOT reports fifty percent of all vehicular deaths could have been prevented with seat belts.
3. Signal your intentions. Every move you make on the road impacts the decisions and actions of others. By signaling your intention to turn or change lanes, you ensure others are alert to your movements.
4. Do not tailgate. Leave a distance equal to one car's length for every ten miles per hour. For example, if you are traveling fifty miles an hour, you should fall back a distance equal to five car lengths from the vehicle in front of you.
5. Move away from tailgaters. Many drivers attempt to "teach" a lesson to tailgaters by tapping their brakes telling the other driver to back off. Tailgaters typically exercise poor judgement and endanger themselves and others - especially when challenged. The best thing to do is move out of the way and let the tailgater safely pass you.
6. Avoid standing water. If you must drive through water, do so slowly and avoid sudden use of your brakes, turning too sharply or excessive acceleration. If you do hydroplane (an instance where the tread cannot channel the rainwater from under your tires), do not hit the brakes. Reduce your speed by taking your foot off the accelerator and turning the wheel in the direction you want to travel.
7. Know pedestrian rights. Always be aware of pedestrians at intersections and remember pedestrians have the right of way.
8. Turn on your headlights when visibility is low. The sobering statistic is that while only 25% of the miles we drive are at night, about 50% of the fatalities occur in the darkness--25,000 people each year.
9. Obey the speed limit. A difference of only five miles an hour can be the difference between life and death.
10. Stay alert! Talking on a cell phone, texting, reading maps - even listening to voice-directed GPS systems - can distract you from the road and lead to accidents.
"Every eighteen seconds a U.S. driver is involved in an auto accident and every 11 minutes someone dies in a car crash." said Charlie Robeson, co-Founder of Radarsign. "Road safety is a serious issue; that's why Radarsigns are affordable enough to be purchased by anyone and flexible enough to be put anywhere speeding is a problem. In the meantime, we hope everyone follows these driver safety tips and has a happy and safe holiday weekend."
About Radarsign
Radarsign is the country's most affordable, reliable and personal provider of driver feedback signs. Delivering the most energy efficient products on the market and a "built-for-the-job" design, Radarsigns are the most dependable and easy-to-use traffic calming solution. Radarsign products are available in a variety of sizes and mounting options (pole-mounted, mobile stand, trailer-hitch mount, etc.) and provide a proven and affordable solution to calming traffic in neighborhoods, school zones, military and corporate campuses, as well as city streets and highways. For more information visit: www.radarsign.com
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Slow Down, Save a Life
Do you slow down when you see Radar signs posted on the side of the road or when you see the parked cop car with his arm pointing a radar gun in your direction? You're probably too late to avoid a ticket in the second case, but in the first example, you may be able to save a life.
Last week, I was asked to attend an event on safety at a small charter school in Dunwoody. They have been experiencing problems with cars speeding past, ignoring children in the crosswalk and whipping around the bend to the next school.
In the hour before classes start and the hour after school lets out, a double yellow light with a School Zone sign blinks from its post above N. Peachtree Road at Brookhurst Drive warning drivers to slow down. Over time, that light and tiny sign have become invisible. Officials looked at their options and chose to install a battery-powered driver feedback sign above the speed limit sign on the side of the road.
This is what happened.
I met and spoke with city officials, police officers, concerned parents, a councilman and the good folks at PEDS ( Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety). Unlike my daughter's school that's on a slow moving side street off the beaten path, this school is in an older residential neighborhood that has become the cut through street for people in a hurry to get to the major highways of 285 and 400.
Hey, I like my short cuts as much as the next guy, but when the street passes two busy schools and winds through tree laden neighborhoods with hidden drives, I'm probably not going to be driving 18-34 miles over the speed limit--- unlike the people nabbed on the Radar Sign during its first week in stealth mode.
As I stood on the sidewalk across the street from the school observing traffic flow, college cops and city buses sped past doing 42- 45 in the 35 mph zone. Even with the sign operating, minivans logged in at 39, and most cars simply slowed as they passed and then hit the gas again a car length away. The sign might be slowing them down, but without a cop pulling them over, I get the feeling it's more like a a wagging finger than a hand slap. And these people need to be slapped.
PEDS runs quite a few videos on their website from countries that aren't as squeamish with their advertising content as the USA. They claim "The faster you drive, the bigger the mess."
You can see them here.
This is a video that didn't make the cut for local television or even in our movie theaters, forget the fact that you're there to see all the gore Of SAW IV, someone out there thinks you can't handle the harsh reality of what a speeding vehicle does when it meets little Jenny Sue in the crosswalk.
Wow. That's a pretty strong message.
I live in a neighborhood where kids ride their bikes, scooters and skateboards in the street because we don't have sidewalks. When they walk to the community pool, they usually walk three or four abreast in the road. There are two main thoroughfares and a lot of curves, hills and mature landscaping. No one goes 25mph. A neighbor purchased some children at play signs that looked like this:
We thought it was a good idea.
Apparently the teens who vandalized and later stole the figures disagreed. A woman who runs a day care at her house puts cones and a net at the end of her her driveway. She lives on a dead end street.
There is one sign at the front of the neighborhood that tells anyone entering that there are children at play. One sign for over 400 houses, over 14 streets, over 30 bus stops.
You can institute safety measures, you can teach your kids to be careful... but how do you slow down a speeding vehicle?
I looked around for alternatives to the RADARSIGN, thinking the $3800 price tag may not be something the HOA would back.
You can install speed humps that the city would pay for, humps that would cost only $25/yr to the tax bills of the residents on the affected streets.... but they come with their own problems: added maintenance to vehicles that traverse the humps, delays for emergency vehicles, accidents caused by people trying to avoid the humps, or taking them too fast, and the devaluation of homes on streets with the humps... to name a few.
You can paint and mount your own SLOW DOWN signs.
You can paint fake speed bumps in the road.
You can borrow the radar gun from PEDS for a short period of time, log the speeds and report it all to the local police, which may bring them out for a few days of ticketing- but be aware, in my state, you have to be going at least 10mph over the speed limit to warrent being pulled over.
The cops I spoke to rolled their eyes when I asked about issuing warnings.
They like using the radar signs and thought my concerned moms driving the school zone as "pace car" idea might end up making more people angry, than teaching them a lesson about obeying the speed limit.
Pace cars as "traffic tamers" are cars that pledge to drive the speed limit. They sport bumper stickers that say, "Would you rather I were a speed bump?" And "Honk if you want me to go slower." I think it's kind of cute, especially if the driver is a Granny with her hearing aid turned low.
So what's the solution?
Do we need to pay expensive traffic tickets to slow us down? Hear the sad story of an crash due to unsafe speed? See the obituary in the paper of a child killed when crossing the street?
There are so many distractions in the world. Maybe when you're in your car, you can eliminate a few and keep your eyes on the road and your speedometer.
Try this:
Don't eat while driving.
Don't text while driving.
Answer calls only if you are operating a hands free mobile phone.
Turn your music down.
and Think.
Just think.
Last week, I was asked to attend an event on safety at a small charter school in Dunwoody. They have been experiencing problems with cars speeding past, ignoring children in the crosswalk and whipping around the bend to the next school.
In the hour before classes start and the hour after school lets out, a double yellow light with a School Zone sign blinks from its post above N. Peachtree Road at Brookhurst Drive warning drivers to slow down. Over time, that light and tiny sign have become invisible. Officials looked at their options and chose to install a battery-powered driver feedback sign above the speed limit sign on the side of the road.
This is what happened.
I met and spoke with city officials, police officers, concerned parents, a councilman and the good folks at PEDS ( Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety). Unlike my daughter's school that's on a slow moving side street off the beaten path, this school is in an older residential neighborhood that has become the cut through street for people in a hurry to get to the major highways of 285 and 400.
Hey, I like my short cuts as much as the next guy, but when the street passes two busy schools and winds through tree laden neighborhoods with hidden drives, I'm probably not going to be driving 18-34 miles over the speed limit--- unlike the people nabbed on the Radar Sign during its first week in stealth mode.
As I stood on the sidewalk across the street from the school observing traffic flow, college cops and city buses sped past doing 42- 45 in the 35 mph zone. Even with the sign operating, minivans logged in at 39, and most cars simply slowed as they passed and then hit the gas again a car length away. The sign might be slowing them down, but without a cop pulling them over, I get the feeling it's more like a a wagging finger than a hand slap. And these people need to be slapped.
PEDS runs quite a few videos on their website from countries that aren't as squeamish with their advertising content as the USA. They claim "The faster you drive, the bigger the mess."
You can see them here.
This is a video that didn't make the cut for local television or even in our movie theaters, forget the fact that you're there to see all the gore Of SAW IV, someone out there thinks you can't handle the harsh reality of what a speeding vehicle does when it meets little Jenny Sue in the crosswalk.
Wow. That's a pretty strong message.
I live in a neighborhood where kids ride their bikes, scooters and skateboards in the street because we don't have sidewalks. When they walk to the community pool, they usually walk three or four abreast in the road. There are two main thoroughfares and a lot of curves, hills and mature landscaping. No one goes 25mph. A neighbor purchased some children at play signs that looked like this:
We thought it was a good idea.
Apparently the teens who vandalized and later stole the figures disagreed. A woman who runs a day care at her house puts cones and a net at the end of her her driveway. She lives on a dead end street.
There is one sign at the front of the neighborhood that tells anyone entering that there are children at play. One sign for over 400 houses, over 14 streets, over 30 bus stops.
You can institute safety measures, you can teach your kids to be careful... but how do you slow down a speeding vehicle?
I looked around for alternatives to the RADARSIGN, thinking the $3800 price tag may not be something the HOA would back.
You can install speed humps that the city would pay for, humps that would cost only $25/yr to the tax bills of the residents on the affected streets.... but they come with their own problems: added maintenance to vehicles that traverse the humps, delays for emergency vehicles, accidents caused by people trying to avoid the humps, or taking them too fast, and the devaluation of homes on streets with the humps... to name a few.
You can paint and mount your own SLOW DOWN signs.
You can paint fake speed bumps in the road.
You can borrow the radar gun from PEDS for a short period of time, log the speeds and report it all to the local police, which may bring them out for a few days of ticketing- but be aware, in my state, you have to be going at least 10mph over the speed limit to warrent being pulled over.
The cops I spoke to rolled their eyes when I asked about issuing warnings.
They like using the radar signs and thought my concerned moms driving the school zone as "pace car" idea might end up making more people angry, than teaching them a lesson about obeying the speed limit.
Pace cars as "traffic tamers" are cars that pledge to drive the speed limit. They sport bumper stickers that say, "Would you rather I were a speed bump?" And "Honk if you want me to go slower." I think it's kind of cute, especially if the driver is a Granny with her hearing aid turned low.
So what's the solution?
Do we need to pay expensive traffic tickets to slow us down? Hear the sad story of an crash due to unsafe speed? See the obituary in the paper of a child killed when crossing the street?
There are so many distractions in the world. Maybe when you're in your car, you can eliminate a few and keep your eyes on the road and your speedometer.
Try this:
Don't eat while driving.
Don't text while driving.
Answer calls only if you are operating a hands free mobile phone.
Turn your music down.
and Think.
Just think.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Jack Riggs has a new book!
THE FIREMAN'S WIFE
Come hear Jack read on Thursday Night, January 15th at 7:15 pm, the Decatur Library Auditorium, Decatur, GA| Host: | Georgia Center for the Book and Acappella Books |
ABOUT THIS BOOK
It’s June 1970. As the low country of South Carolina burns in a seven-month drought, Cassie Johnson longs for escape: both from her husband, Peck, the town’s newly promoted fire chief, who seems more interested in saving everyone else’s life than in living his own, and from the low country marshes where Cassie has never quite felt at home. But as Peck and Cassie drift apart, their teenage daughter, Kelly, finds herself torn between her parents and her desperate need for normalcy. It will take a tumultuous journey back to the North Carolina mountains before Cassie can begin to understand the complicated love that resides, unrecognized, deep in her heart.
From a masterly voice in Southern fiction, The Fireman’s Wife is an emotionally bare and moving novel about one woman’s struggle to do what’s right–for her family, for her love, and for herself.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Neil Diamond comes to Gwinnett
Even though I still don't think brang is a real word, I forgive the man for using it as a rhyme in PLAY ME.
I have always liked Neil Diamond's voice and his style. My guitar teacher in the 70's turned me onto his music and thirty-plus years later, I enjoyed seeing him on American Idol, and tonight... in concert for the first time.
I can't stop thinking of him as MR. Diamond, yet a month shy of his 68th bday, this guy is still in great shape and with a more mature voice he still knows how to use it.
listen to his new stuff if you haven't yet -- mixed reviews on those songs--and don't miss his show if he's coming anywhere near you.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Blogher and GM Atlanta had me drinking and driving. Just not in that order.
Driving into downtown Atlanta is always an adventure, whether I’m coming in for the theater or a literary event or just a nice dinner with the husband. This time though, I was headed to Atlantic Station to ooh and ahh over some very pretty 2009 GM Saturn vehicles, followed by hors d’ouevres and cocktails with some fellow bloggers.
Planning for afternoon traffic, I arrived in plenty of time to stroll the streets, hit up H&M’s buy one get one free sale, change my clothes in the restroom at TWELVE and meet a fun gal at the lobby bar who told me the story of her first Saturn, a going away to college gift.
Araba Dowell of GM gave me a Saturn reviewer lanyard and a mini Saturn backpack with some pamphlets and Spanish brochures. We joked later that we were glad at least the photographs were in English.
Bloggers were ushered to the waiting vehicles, offered keys and laminated driving routes to an eleven minute all right hand turn course. Very anti-Nascar.
Paired up with Dawn Camp of myhomesweethome, I snagged the keys for the 2 door Sky convertible, stashed my Hemmie’s bag in the tiny trunk then convinced one of the GM guys to take off the top.
Unlike the push button automation of my friend’s Mercedes convertible, it took three of us to manually lower and stow the Sky’s small cloth top. Inside, you have to twist a lever and push up on the lid, disconnecting it from the windshield. Getting out of the car, you have to open the clamshell tonneau cover, disconnect 2 pins to free the roof, then accordion the whole thing into the trunk well. Closing the cover perfectly is not easy either and though we thought we had it right, as we drove away the dash lit up telling us the trunk was ajar, accompanied by a soft bell alarm. As much as we ignored it, the alarm and the dashboard light stayed on. At one red light Dawn tried forcing the cover into place, without success.
I could blame the missed turn on the distraction of the dinging bell, the wind snarling my hair, or all the fun gadgets of the small roadster, but honestly, even though our version was an automatic, the Sky was just too much fun to drive, zipping through turns, accelerating past buses, then braking smoothly to make that tight u-turn back.
I’d like to see this car with a few extras, like real chrome, classier buttons and dials, a purse hook, an upgraded stereo and navigation system, and more comfortable seats. I was cramped with my knees against the steering column, and I’m only 5’8”. I can’t imagine a tall man in this car, but at least he’d be able to stash his sunglasses and wallet in the secret compartment in the interior rear wall.
Despite the roof difficulties, zero trunk or purse space, one—and one is the appropriate number for this car— would turn heads driving this baby around town, and sometimes that’s all one wants to do.
When we returned the car to the watch-tapping Saturn employee, she reluctantly handed over the keys to another car. This time to Dawn and for the biggest one they make.
The 2009 Saturn Outlook.
Dawn has eight kids. She needs lots of seats. I like big dogs and Costco, so I need cargo room. The Outlook XR has both, with some extras I thought only came with its pricier counterparts: dual moon roofs, XM radio, Bluetooth and Onstar technology, a navigation system, ceiling mounted DVD player and easy access to third row seats via folding and reclining second row seats, (similar to reclining in a coach class seat on Delta).
Once I got past the strong synthetic smell—more plastic than new car—I could appreciate the expansive interior of this eight passenger vehicle. As large as the Outlook is, it maneuvers like a smaller car and rides just as smoothly. Unlike some SUVs, you won’t feel the “truck” of this vehicle until you need to haul Grandma’s couch, move the kid to college or tow the boat to the lake. Then, you’ll be glad you have this Saturn in your arsenal.
The first thing I noticed about GM’s Saturn line was the streamlined, sporty, European exteriors. On the road they could easily be mistaken for much more expensive vehicles.
The Aura, of which Saturn offers four models, was no exception.
This Camry and Accord competitor had plenty of head, shoulder and leg room in the backseat with good visibility, avoiding both the possibility of rear seat carsickness or knees bumping into the driver’s back.
Slipping into the driver’s seat, I forgave the synthetic smell and stiff Mexican leather once I found the seat heaters and snuggled into the perfectly aligned lumbar support. The dashboard’s cheesy faux wood grain and washing machine dials were retro in a bad way lending to the I-wish-I-made-more-money-but-this-will-do-for-now appeal.
And then, I found the paddle shifters. Something Saturn calls TAPshift.
Before arriving at the TWELVE lobby in Atlantic Station, I had done a little research about Saturns, thinking I had to be able to speak comparatively, as I can be a bit of a car snob. Driving a new luxury sports car can spoil a girl. And, given the fact that the last car review I participated in was hosted by Porsche, I wanted to keep my perceptions real.
So when I put the Aura in manual mode I wasn’t expecting much, and I wasn’t disappointed. Don’t ask me about horsepower, or even the exact specs of the model we were driving, just hear me when I say, no one is buying this car to street race BMW M5’s at midnight. And that’s fine. What they will be buying this car for is its smooth, dependable, stylish ride that won’t break the bank. Sensible can be sexy.
Our last ride of the day was in the one vehicle I was most interested in and the one I am actually in the market to buy. The new VUE Hybrid, a slick crossover vehicle similar in style to Nissan’s Rogue. Not yet available to the public, the V-6 model we drove has been testing out at 28/31 mpg. Not too shabby.
GM’s Curt Collins, an Outlook and Sky Product Manager joined Dawn and I to show us the VUE’s features and explain how the new hybrid works. We were glad to have him aboard from the start, when he had to tell us the car was on. It was that quiet.
Surrounded by a leather interior, navigation system, XM radio, Bluetooth technology and all the safety features you could need, it didn’t feel any different from riding in a traditional car. The VUE handled well in traffic, accelerating without hesitation, due to the smart electric power assist. I hardly knew we were in a hybrid, except for a muted thump sound at the green light when the “stalled” engine restarted.
I could get used to that, and eventually I could even get used to not staring at the very cool center console informational panel that details the switch from engine to battery as kinetic energy is converted to electric energy and stored in the hybrid battery. It was like a mini-science fair project and we were the proud parents.
Maybe it was just me, but I felt richer, smarter and more environmentally conscious just riding around in Saturn’s VUE Hybrid. I wonder if those feelings could rub off on my fourteen and a half year old son who’s itching to drive?
Just something to ponder as I went inside for the meet and greet.
The small, sectioned-off lobby of TWELVE is like the anteroom of a cathedral—drafty and echoey but without the statues. Once all twenty-five bloggers had turned in their keys and cashed in their drink tickets, we snacked on puff pastry, mini crab balls and blue cheese and beef skewers, then got down to what bloggers do best. Telling stories.
The more wine and martinis, the more animated the conversations, from cakes gone bad to babies gone wild, we covered the gamut. And then we had dessert.
Oh, we talked cars too.
There was no mention of torque, differential or psi, but the folks at Saturn should know we tossed around a few adjectives for their cars: pretty, classy, nice, affordable and sweet.
Planning for afternoon traffic, I arrived in plenty of time to stroll the streets, hit up H&M’s buy one get one free sale, change my clothes in the restroom at TWELVE and meet a fun gal at the lobby bar who told me the story of her first Saturn, a going away to college gift.
Araba Dowell of GM gave me a Saturn reviewer lanyard and a mini Saturn backpack with some pamphlets and Spanish brochures. We joked later that we were glad at least the photographs were in English.
Bloggers were ushered to the waiting vehicles, offered keys and laminated driving routes to an eleven minute all right hand turn course. Very anti-Nascar.
Paired up with Dawn Camp of myhomesweethome, I snagged the keys for the 2 door Sky convertible, stashed my Hemmie’s bag in the tiny trunk then convinced one of the GM guys to take off the top.
Unlike the push button automation of my friend’s Mercedes convertible, it took three of us to manually lower and stow the Sky’s small cloth top. Inside, you have to twist a lever and push up on the lid, disconnecting it from the windshield. Getting out of the car, you have to open the clamshell tonneau cover, disconnect 2 pins to free the roof, then accordion the whole thing into the trunk well. Closing the cover perfectly is not easy either and though we thought we had it right, as we drove away the dash lit up telling us the trunk was ajar, accompanied by a soft bell alarm. As much as we ignored it, the alarm and the dashboard light stayed on. At one red light Dawn tried forcing the cover into place, without success.
I could blame the missed turn on the distraction of the dinging bell, the wind snarling my hair, or all the fun gadgets of the small roadster, but honestly, even though our version was an automatic, the Sky was just too much fun to drive, zipping through turns, accelerating past buses, then braking smoothly to make that tight u-turn back.
I’d like to see this car with a few extras, like real chrome, classier buttons and dials, a purse hook, an upgraded stereo and navigation system, and more comfortable seats. I was cramped with my knees against the steering column, and I’m only 5’8”. I can’t imagine a tall man in this car, but at least he’d be able to stash his sunglasses and wallet in the secret compartment in the interior rear wall.
Despite the roof difficulties, zero trunk or purse space, one—and one is the appropriate number for this car— would turn heads driving this baby around town, and sometimes that’s all one wants to do.When we returned the car to the watch-tapping Saturn employee, she reluctantly handed over the keys to another car. This time to Dawn and for the biggest one they make.
The 2009 Saturn Outlook.
Dawn has eight kids. She needs lots of seats. I like big dogs and Costco, so I need cargo room. The Outlook XR has both, with some extras I thought only came with its pricier counterparts: dual moon roofs, XM radio, Bluetooth and Onstar technology, a navigation system, ceiling mounted DVD player and easy access to third row seats via folding and reclining second row seats, (similar to reclining in a coach class seat on Delta).Once I got past the strong synthetic smell—more plastic than new car—I could appreciate the expansive interior of this eight passenger vehicle. As large as the Outlook is, it maneuvers like a smaller car and rides just as smoothly. Unlike some SUVs, you won’t feel the “truck” of this vehicle until you need to haul Grandma’s couch, move the kid to college or tow the boat to the lake. Then, you’ll be glad you have this Saturn in your arsenal.
The first thing I noticed about GM’s Saturn line was the streamlined, sporty, European exteriors. On the road they could easily be mistaken for much more expensive vehicles.The Aura, of which Saturn offers four models, was no exception.
This Camry and Accord competitor had plenty of head, shoulder and leg room in the backseat with good visibility, avoiding both the possibility of rear seat carsickness or knees bumping into the driver’s back.
Slipping into the driver’s seat, I forgave the synthetic smell and stiff Mexican leather once I found the seat heaters and snuggled into the perfectly aligned lumbar support. The dashboard’s cheesy faux wood grain and washing machine dials were retro in a bad way lending to the I-wish-I-made-more-money-but-this-will-do-for-now appeal.
And then, I found the paddle shifters. Something Saturn calls TAPshift.
Before arriving at the TWELVE lobby in Atlantic Station, I had done a little research about Saturns, thinking I had to be able to speak comparatively, as I can be a bit of a car snob. Driving a new luxury sports car can spoil a girl. And, given the fact that the last car review I participated in was hosted by Porsche, I wanted to keep my perceptions real.
So when I put the Aura in manual mode I wasn’t expecting much, and I wasn’t disappointed. Don’t ask me about horsepower, or even the exact specs of the model we were driving, just hear me when I say, no one is buying this car to street race BMW M5’s at midnight. And that’s fine. What they will be buying this car for is its smooth, dependable, stylish ride that won’t break the bank. Sensible can be sexy.
Our last ride of the day was in the one vehicle I was most interested in and the one I am actually in the market to buy. The new VUE Hybrid, a slick crossover vehicle similar in style to Nissan’s Rogue. Not yet available to the public, the V-6 model we drove has been testing out at 28/31 mpg. Not too shabby.
GM’s Curt Collins, an Outlook and Sky Product Manager joined Dawn and I to show us the VUE’s features and explain how the new hybrid works. We were glad to have him aboard from the start, when he had to tell us the car was on. It was that quiet. Surrounded by a leather interior, navigation system, XM radio, Bluetooth technology and all the safety features you could need, it didn’t feel any different from riding in a traditional car. The VUE handled well in traffic, accelerating without hesitation, due to the smart electric power assist. I hardly knew we were in a hybrid, except for a muted thump sound at the green light when the “stalled” engine restarted.
I could get used to that, and eventually I could even get used to not staring at the very cool center console informational panel that details the switch from engine to battery as kinetic energy is converted to electric energy and stored in the hybrid battery. It was like a mini-science fair project and we were the proud parents.
Maybe it was just me, but I felt richer, smarter and more environmentally conscious just riding around in Saturn’s VUE Hybrid. I wonder if those feelings could rub off on my fourteen and a half year old son who’s itching to drive?Just something to ponder as I went inside for the meet and greet.
The small, sectioned-off lobby of TWELVE is like the anteroom of a cathedral—drafty and echoey but without the statues. Once all twenty-five bloggers had turned in their keys and cashed in their drink tickets, we snacked on puff pastry, mini crab balls and blue cheese and beef skewers, then got down to what bloggers do best. Telling stories.
The more wine and martinis, the more animated the conversations, from cakes gone bad to babies gone wild, we covered the gamut. And then we had dessert.
Oh, we talked cars too.
There was no mention of torque, differential or psi, but the folks at Saturn should know we tossed around a few adjectives for their cars: pretty, classy, nice, affordable and sweet.
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