KeriBlog

Cars, Security & a Peek into my Life

The Fuel Economy Ratings are Changing

It’s moving from 2 cycles of tests to 5.

Starts with 2015 models, onwards.

Read it online at Autonet.ca

Or read it counter-clockwise.

It’s good this is happening, because these laboratory, perfect-enviroment tests are unattainable for the average driver.

Favourite line:

The air conditioning is switched off, as are all the features and aids, the car is kept as light as possible, and the professional driver is using a very fuel-conscious driving style, which requires deep focus and concentration, and a style I’m not convinced we always drive with.

This also means that in a dealership, a 2014 model could be beside an almost identical 2015, but with a big discrepancy in ratings, like this:

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The Mystery of the Checkered Flag

A worldwide recognized pattern, but…  its internet footprint is surprisingly small,  merchandise bearing the pattern it is very tough to buy, there’s a cloudy origins story and little research done to clarify things.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

Guys I found a hole in the internet. Why does such a pervasive recognized pattern have such a small footprint? 

Also ha that’s my scarf that got printed.

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Be Kind to Senior Drivers

Please be kind to senior drivers… how will you feel one day, some punk zipping around you when you’re 76, what it’ll feel like to have your licence taken away… become isolated at home.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

… more than two-thirds of seniors say driving their vehicle is their main source of transportation, and as little as 4% of them use public transport. 

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Armoured Cars are Coming into Vogue

There’s a very expensive luxury sedan segment you don’t see advertised, the Security segment.

BMW Security, Mercedes S-Guard, Audi A8 Security,

Take their largest sedan, add plating, ballistic and new windows, cameras with night vision, instantly seal the cabin for gas attacks, and keep it looking like the regular model – security through obscurity.

Read in on Autonet.ca

Favourite line:

Masking the armour beneath factory finishings, so the car looks identical to the non-armoured model.

The Attack:

I’d go for the vehicle’s traffic… follow behind, laptop and antennae on the passenger seat, see what you can capture…maybe steal some passwords, or take some data and hold it for ransom, copy photos for blackmail, you get it.

Related: Wenet armoured car shopping 

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All New Cars have a “Black Box”

All new 2014 vehicles now ship with a an EDR – Event Data Recorder, or, “black box.”

It constantly records information while the car is in motion, but only saves it in the event of a crash, a few seconds in total.

Information the EDR records: vehicle speed and acceleration, throttle and brake positions, ignition cycles, seat belt usage, velocity changes throughout a collision, and airbag deployment.

More sophisticated EDRs are arriving, which also record GPS data, seat position and steering, plus they continuously save the information.

Read it online at Autonet.ca

Favourite line:

My Prediction – EDRs & Car Insurance –  2nd last paragraph

I predict insurance companies will start to use the data, something like, “connect your EDR to our system, and reduce your monthly cost by paying for insurance only when you drive!

Here comes the “Connected Car”. It’s going to be huge guys.

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