Auto Club Top Onnes: Driving

Trapster exposes speed

Trapster exposes speed traps on your mobile device

"Your mobile phone alerts you as you approach speed traps." That's the idea behind Trapster , an innovative service that uses technology, not the age-old flashing headlamps approach, to notify other drivers of a police speed trap. Motorists who come across an enforced speed zone are encouraged to report the location via an application running on their cell phone, PDA, and other types of devices. The notification is then broadcast to other Trapster members who receive audio or text message warnings as they approach the area.

There are four default alerts: police, speed camera, red light camera, and usual hiding place. Each is displayed in a color that alters from green to yellow to red, based on the "confidence" of the trap (more reports on a single trap increase the confidence). In a helpful move, known traps can be viewed on a Google-powered map on the Trapster web site before you leave the house or office and jump behind the wheel.

According to the inventors, Trapster works with any kind of phone. However, it is optimized with devices that support GPS or WiFi. While you'd think law enforcement would oppose the exposure of their speed traps, it hasn't been met with much resistance, as it actually encourages motorists to slow down. Unfortunately, as others point out, it also requires drivers to take their eyes off the road as they fumble to send alerts with their electronic devices.

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Gasoline theft in Hawaii on the rise

Gasoline theft in

With the cost of gasoline skyrocketing, thieves in Hawaii -- where the average price easily exceeds $4 per gallon -- have taken extraordinary measures to steal fuel. Only mildly deterred by locking gas caps, bandits have been cutting fuel lines to circumvent the common preventatives. With nothing more than a straight edge blade, a piece of garden hose, and a bucket, the lawless make easy work of the plastic fuel lines under cars as they cut them to gain simple access to the tank and its flammable yet valuable liquid contents.

So far, most of the victims have been businesses or commercial ventures with several large trucks in their fleet. Parked unattended in lots overnight, their 20-30 gallon fuel tanks and raised ride height make them easy targets with larger yields than the average passenger vehicle. To deter the theft, business owners have installed sophisticated video surveillance cameras on their property and outfitted some vehicles with steel gas lines. "If they're crazy enough to go cut a steel line to steal the gas, they should be welcome to it," says George Nitta, owner of Nitta Auto Repair. "All they need is one spark from that saw and that's it, you're done." Thanks for the tip, catgirlshyla!

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Cost of vehicle maintenance is escalading

Maintenance is escalading

The pains many automobile owners are feeling at their local service station isn't just at the pump -- prices for general maintenance is also increasing. Petroleum based products, such as oil and tires, are heading north with the price of gasoline. Demand for steel has also pushed up prices on various automotive parts. That means consumers are seeing larger bills from their auto repair specialists, even when their exhaust doesn't require three people to install. Instead, many are choosing to squeeze pennies and skimp on elaborate repairs in order to stay on the road. AAA says in 2008 the average vehicle owner will spend $8,121 to operate their automobile. That is up nearly $300 from last year. The only ease in operational expenses could come from the insurance industry. As costs increase, people drive less and less, which should subsequently lead to fewer accidents and lower premiums.

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Nearly 100 cars sink in Daytona Beach sand

Cars sink in Daytona Beach sand Nearly 100
Those of us who live in the Snow Belt know what it's like to have Mother Nature not let go of your vehicle. There's just no dislodging a car under its own power when the tires dig in and make ruts in the white stuff. Although snow isn't a problem for drivers in Florida, the sands at Daytona Beach are causing headaches for a large number of Floridians. On Sunday, there were nearly 100 vehicles stuck on the beach, and officers suggest that these conditions will not be improving any time soon. According to Daytona Beach patrol Captain Tim Cunningham, "I have not seen it this bad in my lifetime. Right now, the sand is like powder. It is just months and months of no rain." The worst time to drive on the beach is just before high tide. We don't imagine that you want your car stuck in the sand with high tide approaching. With this in mind, may we politely suggest parking a bit further away and walking? Thanks for the tip, everyone!