Car accidents are the leading cause of death in US teens, killing just about as many drivers as passengers, as well as killing more young adults than suicide or homicide, a new study finds.

Paid through the General Motors Foundation, the new ‘Teens in Cars’ report from Safe Kids Worldwide was based on the national survey involving 1000 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 answering questions about their attitudes about road safety.

More than 2400 teens died in motor vehicle accidents in 2012 on US roads. A little over half of the young adults killed, 56 percent were the driver of the vehicle, 44 percent were the passenger. Over half of those killed were not wearing seat belts, according to the study.

Although this study didn’t cite telephoning or texting as being the cause of the car accidents, it did state that around 40 percent of teens polled revealed they had been passengers in vehicles driven by teenagers who were either talking on the phone or texting. Out of the respondents, only 10 percent said they had been in a car that was driven by a teen that was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Read the rest of this entry »

When buying fuel for your vehicle, you usually pay a per-gallon, flat tax. However, in Oregon, a new charge program in the works as of July 1 will change things. Instead of having to pay the normal fuel tax, you would pay a flat tax for each mile you drive.

The point of this program is to fuel cars more efficiently to offset the money that is being lost in fuel taxes. OReGo, a voluntary charge program, opens its doors to 5000 drivers this July.

Being launched by the Oregon Department of Transportation, this program will allow drivers who are participating to be charged 1.5 cents per mile and have their mileage recorded. Their distances will be tracked by using different tracking methods ranging from an Odometer device to a GPS tracking device to a daily diary.

The state’s Department of Transportation and also spokeswoman for the road usage charge program, Michelle Godfrey, states that GPS tracking units will provide the best solution and prove to be a hassle-free option. The drivers will be credited to offset gas tax at the pumps. Read the rest of this entry »

Route optimization is part of GPS fleet management that offers the significant cost savings. When it comes to route optimization, it’s more than trying to figure out the shortest distance between two destinations. It’s a more complicated formula that encompasses a variety of variables and priorities that can have an impact on your profitability and customer satisfaction.

Often, drivers intuitively plan out their routes each day so they are as short as possible. They look for routes that provide them with as little driving time as possible. Their driving routes could be planned out much more efficiently, though, which would allow drivers to finish more work every day, decrease their daily fuel consumption, reduce vehicle wear and tear, and minimize travel time in their vehicle.

The timing and effort put into planning daily routes can be reduced with GPS fleet tracking and route optimization as well. Although the savings might be minimal for drivers that drive the same route daily, for drivers with multiple routes, it can save time by automating the routing process and save substantially. Read the rest of this entry »

It has long been known that baboons and humans share a lot of similar traits, and a study that was recently published in the journal Science found how the two are even more alike. This study, which involved placing GPS tracking devices on a group of baboons, revealed that these primates, like many humans, make democratic decisions as a group.

Here’s a glimpse into the study, including how it was executed and what the results were.

The Decision to Use GPS Tracking

Studies have been attempted in the past to determine how baboons act in their groups.

Do they select a certain group leader?

When there is a disagreement, what happens? Read the rest of this entry »

While we don’t want to rush the sendoff of summer, the reality is autumn is just around the corner. Now, is a great time to make changes to improve your fleet’s fuel savings this Fall.

Fuel usually makes up the biggest operating expense for fleets — and is often increasing. According to Car Care Council’s executive director, Rich White, many drivers are not aware that fuel consumption has a significant impact on your auto care and the amount of gas you use.

He says that although gas prices continue to climb, there are ways you can improve fuel economy and save money by properly maintaining your vehicle, including some of the below.

1. Keep Tires Inflated

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to cut on fuel costs is keeping tires inflated; however, this is often the most overlooked. When tires are below the recommended 4 to 5 psi manufacturer’s tire pressure, there can be as much as a 10 percent increase on fuel consumption, which can overall lead to a 15 percent reduction in the tread life of the tire. Read the rest of this entry »