Wheel care by Larry Reynolds

Feeding your wheels is easy; just give them a fresh new tire every 10,000 to 30,000 miles. The wheel will consume the tire tread over a period of time dependent upon its hunger level. If you drive the car rather enthusiastically, the wheel will get very hungry and eat the tread very quickly. If your driving habits are more conservative, then your wheels will have less of an appetite and only pick at the tire. (I’ll bet you thought that the tread just wore off)

One of the questions I am most often asked is “What do I use to clean my wheels?” The correct answer is use the least aggressive cleaning method possible. If you keep up with the accumulation of brake dust, a simple car wash solution may be enough. If you allow the brake dust to build up, then you will have to resort to stronger cleaning agents.

To discuss cleaning methods/chemicals, we should first discuss the agents that attack your wheels. The main culprit is brake dust. Brake pads are made from several components, including monofilament carbon fibers, metal filings, Kevlar fibers and polymer based adhesives. The brake pad adhesive is the root of most of our problems. When the adhesive residue (a component of brake dust) becomes wet, it turns acidic and may etch your wheels. The metal filings, during braking, will become red hot and tend to “burn” tiny holes in the finish of your wheels. If you have small droplets that look like road tar on your wheels, this may not be road tar, but may in fact be re-polymerized brake pad adhesive. These polymer adhesives flocculate and form droplets that wind up on the wheels where they adhere with a vengeance. The only sure way to stop all this etching/burning/flocculating (sounds kind of kinky) is to refrain from using your brakes. Such a course of action is not usually desirable, even though some drivers are proponents. One of the keys to maintaining your wheels is a coat of wax. The wax acts as a sacrificial protectant. The damaging effects of red-hot brake dust, brake dust acids, pollution and ozone are unleashed upon the wax and not your wheel.

There are several ways to clean your wheels, choose the least aggressive method that will get the job done. A quality car wash/water solution is the least aggressive and will probably remove most of the dirt/brake dust from the wheel. My favorite is Sonax Gloss Shampoo at a dilution of _ measuring cupful per gallon of water to clean wheels. If car wash does not do the trick, then try a quality wheel cleaner. My two favorite wheel cleaners are both made in Germany, P21S and Sonax. Be careful when choosing a wheel cleaner, as most of the popular brands are highly acidic and may damage the finish on your wheels. The active ingredient in many wheel cleaners is hydrofluoric acid (the same stuff they use to etch glass). A current class action lawsuit in California alleges that a popular advertised brand is damaging to almost all wheel finishes. I get 2-3 calls a week from people who have stripped the finish off their wheels with this or other highly acidic products. P21S and Sonax are pH balanced for the German wheel finishes. They may not be as aggressive as other brands, but neither will they strip the finish off your wheel.

Most wheel cleaners work best on a dry wheel. Spray the cleaner on the wheel and work evenly into all areas of the wheel with a soft cloth, soft sponge or wash mitt. Try to smooth out any drips or runs so there is an even coating of cleaner over the entire wheel. Allow the wheel cleaner some time to work (3-5 minutes) and gently scrub the wheel with your cloth/sponge/mitt. Some areas of a dirty wheel may require gentle brushing with a soft brush to dislodge the dirt. If areas need additional cleaning, respray with wheel cleaner and gently brush. I repeat the warning, the keywords here “soft” and “gently”. The finish on many wheels is acrylic enamel or a high temperature lacquer that is relatively soft and may scratch. Once the dirt/brake dust is loosened, rinse thoroughly with water and dry.

If some areas of the wheel are still dirty, you may have to resort to a stronger solvent, such as Oil Flo Safety Solvent to spot clean these areas. Test all solvents on a section of the wheel that does not show, to insure that the finish will not be damaged. Spray the solvent on a cloth and spot clean the dirty area. Again gentle brushing may help. Rinse thoroughly, wash with a car wash/water solution and dry completely.

Give your wheels a coat of a quality Carnauba wax to help protect them. If your painted and/or clear coated wheels are slightly faded or dull looking, 3M Imperial Hand Glaze may help clean the faded clear coat/paint. Apply the glaze to a soft cloth and gently rub out the clouding and buff out. If this does not do the trick, put a generous amount of 3M on your cloth and add a small amount of P21S Metal Finish Restorer Metal Polish (about the size of your pinkie nail). Polish out the clouding with this combination. The P21S/3M combination will usually get the job done. When it has, follow up with a coat of quality Carnauba wax. If you don’t want to use a paste wax on your wheels, or want a quick way to apply wax, use Sonax Spray Motorcycle Wax on the wheels. It is a pump spray hard wax that goes on easily and doesn’t chalk and requires only light buffing.

If your wheels are anodized, the manufacturer may recommend a protective coating of petroleum jelly. I have tried this and have chosen to use a Carnauba wax instead. I found that the petroleum jelly attracted every dust particle within a half mile. Anodized wheels that have stain marks are difficult to restore. Most manufacturers do NOT recommend the use of any metal polish on anodized wheels. It will remove some of the anodization and change the appearance slightly. If you can live with the removal of some of the anodization and the appearance change, a mild metal polish such as P21S Metal Finish Restorer Polish may help remove some of the stains. Test any metal polish on the back of the wheel before using. Once the wheel is done, apply a coat of Carnauba wax.

How do you determine if your wheels are painted/clear coated or anodized? The painted/clear coated finish is smooth to the touch and the anodized finish feels slightly rough. If you have any doubts, one method of testing the finish is to touch the tip of your tongue to the wheel. If you taste metal, it is usually anodized. If you taste almost nothing, it is usually clear coat. (I ha

source : autoeducation.com

Buying a used car is more complicated than buying a new one. There are concerns about what may be breaking or already been fixed. Another concern with buying a used car is the warranty. Over half of the used cars today are being sold “as is”. Buying an “as is” car is very risky – once you hand over that money and sign your name on the dotted line, that car is your problem no matter what happens.

Not all aspects of buying a used car are bad. Used cars can be the smartest way to go sometimes. If you are living on limited means, a used car is a great idea if bought outright. If you are not going to finance the used car, you will only have to get liability insurance which is much cheaper than full coverage which is required when financing any car. Another bonus is that a used car won’t have fees attached to the price like a new car would. When buying a new car, the dealership adds fees like cleaning and shipping to the price. A used car, even when bought from a lot, will not have most of these fees. If you are in the market to buy a used car and need some extra cash, try E-LOAN for a car loan. By following the following simple steps, you can cut the risk of buying a car that will fall apart and become a black hole for your money.

Buying a used car obviously carries a certain degree of risk. After all, with a new car you get peace of mind – no one has driven the vehicle carelessly or failed to have it maintained on a regular basis. If something does go wrong, the car is under warranty — at least for a period of time. These safeties are not usually included in the purchase of a used car. But used-car buying need not be as fraught with anxiety and terror as some may think. Knowing where and how to buy a used car as well as which cars to buy can alleviate most of the tension consumers feel about this process. If you are willing to spend time doing thorough research, you will soon be driving the car of your dreams, secure in the knowledge that you paid a fair price for your set of wheels.

Choosing a Used Car

How much could you afford?

Before you begin your search for a good deal on a used car, spend time considering many of the same factors that would apply to a new car purchase: how you will use the vehicle; how long you plan to keep it and your budget – including insurance, operation, maintenance and repair costs.

What Car should you buy?

Decide what car suits your lifestyle and image the best. Since you will probably own and use the same car for many more years, you need to anticipate future needs and lifestyle changes. Today you could easily consider buying a mid-sized car as these cars are available at great bargains. Narrowing down your dream list is a bit more difficult for used cars than new cars because there are so many more used vehicles. Talk to friends or acquaintances who drive cars that appeal to you; word of mouth is often one of the best ways to gather information about reliability or quirks of certain models.

How Old is ‘old’?

If budget is top priority then you should pick a smaller, newer car rather than a large, older car. A larger car will have higher running costs – fuel, maintenance, tyres and spares will need more money. Your best bet is to look for something almost new – a car two years old or younger. You could get a good deal because there are many car owners who don’t want to be seen in ‘yesterday’s model’ – they want to be seen driving only the latest cars. Buying a middle-aged car (3-5 years old) that has been treated well by its owner could be a great buy. Cars that have logged 14,000-18,000km a year are prime buys. Cars flogged badly by chauffeurs or heavily used ones are trouble.

Analog odometer readings can be rolled back, or “clocked.” This fraud is practiced by thousands of fly-by-night, independent used-car sellers nationwide. The effect is obvious: a high-mileage car is turned into a low-mileage car to increase the car’s value. A car with low mileage, but with a lot of wear on the driver’s seat or the brake and accelerator may indicate tampering with the odometer.

How Much Should You Spend?

It’s easy to overspend your budget on a new car or truck. Here’s how to avoid getting in over your head.

Do some Research

You know how much you want to spend on a vehicle, but do you know how realistic that “deal” really is? Get the valuation of the car done from a bank’s valuator or just submit the car’s details on CarWale.com and we shall provide you with the approximate value of the vehicle. Give yourself enough time to examine the car thoroughly. Do not purchase it at night, in the rain, or if you are too cold, too wet or too busy to study your choice. Always take the car for a test drive. Always have a mechanic check the car, particularly the underside.

Take a Test-Drive

The test-drive is, of course, an essential part of the process. Test-drive the car on different types of roads. Make sure the engine starts right away, and there are no unusual noises or vibrations. Look out for a shaky steering, it could mean front-end trouble. Test the brakes for signs of pulling. A car with low mileage should not have a brake pedal that looks worn out. If the car has a manual transmission, push the gearshift through various gears to see how it performs. If the car has steering without power assistance, city driving and parallel parking can be difficult, so try and test drive the car under many conditions.

Examine the Exterior

Look for signs of an accident, such as dents or new paint or chrome. Make sure the hood shuts properly. Check the body for rust or fill. Look under the car. Check for cracks in the frame, rusting or welding. Check the condition of the muffler, tailpipe and exhaust components. Look for signs of fluids leaking from the car, including oil, brake or transmission fluid. Push down the corners of the car to check the shock absorbers. If the car bounces up and down several times, the shocks are worn. Open the trunk. Check for a jack and the condition of the spare tire. Check for rust under the mats. Look at the tires closely for any signs of uneven wear.

Examine the Interior

Lift the hood and check the condition of the belts and hoses. Check the battery to see if it is cracked. Pull out the dipstick to see the oil level, and whether it’s dirty. Check the parts and accessories, such as lights, horn, mirrors, seatbelts, radio, heater and windows. Make sure they all work. Have a friend check the outside lights for you. Make sure doors open and close easily, and that handles and locks work well. Check the dimmer switch, headlights and windshield washer. You should also check the odometer. It is against the law to change the odometer reading, and if you think someone has tampered with it, avoid the car.

Check the liens

When buying a used car, consumers should protect themselves by ensuring there are no outstanding liens against the car (for example: an unpaid loan). If there is still an outstanding lien, the car could be repossessed – even if you paid full price to the seller.

A Stolen Car

Always check the serial number on the Vehicle Registration card. Make sure it corresponds to the number on the car. Make sure the person who is selling the car actually owns it, and is not trying to sell a leased vehicle.

Making an Offer

If you decide to buy, you can make an offer either verbally or in writing. If there are conditions to your offer, write them down. For example, if you want your mechanic to inspect the car before the sale is final (and you have not already had the car examined), make the mechanic’s approval a condition of the sale. If you need to borrow money to make the purchase, make your offer subject to getting credit at a reasonable rate. The seller may ask for a deposit. Make sure you state in your offer that the deposit will be refunded if the mechanic does not approve the car, or if you do not get the financing. As part of the offer, suggest the seller grant a 30-day warranty. The warranty should say that the seller will take the car back should any major problems arise with the engine or other parts of the car. This type of warranty will not cover accidents while the car is in your possession.

Avoiding Scams

As most of us know, used-car buying is a business that has traditionally created a bad name for itself. But while consumers and ethical auto dealers have benefited greatly from the internet, so too have crooked buyers and sellers. As such, you need to be aware of potential scams. Here are some of the most common ones directed toward buyers and sellers online:

Certified Check Scams – This scam is often perpetrated on sellers of used cars over the internet through classified ads and auctions. A buyer indicates that he wants to buy the car and pay with a cashier’s check. At the last minute, the buyer creates a reason why he needs to write the check for more money and have the seller wire him the difference. The check turns out to be a fake, but it is often discovered long after the seller has wired the money. In addition, the seller is responsible for covering the money for the fake check. To avoid check scams, call the issuing bank before you accept the check and wait for the check to clear before you transfer the car into the buyer’s name.

The best way to avoid most scams is to make sure you never transfer ownership of your vehicle until you have the cash in your hand. That means, you either get cash from the buyer or wait for the cashier’s check to clear. Avoid buyers who will never meet you or never wish you to see the vehicle in person (overseas). Avoid taking personal checks and allowing buyers to pay the car off over time. If buying, always verify the seller actually has/owns the item for sale and meet them face-to-face to view the vehicle. If you follow these few precautions, your buying and selling experience should go smoothly.

Dealer Tricks

If you are buying car from a dealer you must consider the dealer’s tricks. Most people dread going to buy a new car for one simple reason: the salesmen. I’m not saying all salesmen are out to get you, but we’ve seen our fair share of deceptive salesmen who use tricks or play on words to get that sale and make that commission. Nowadays, most car dealerships are trying to become “customer friendly”. To help you find a good dealership and weed through the bad, we’ve compiled a list of dealer tricks and how to avoid them. If you ever find yourself in any of these situations, don’t be afraid to leave the dealership. You can also let the salesperson know that you are leaving because of their trick and that you will not be back to that dealership to buy your new car. Word of mouth is one of the strongest forms of advertising and dealerships know this. Once you weed out the dealerships with poor customer service and poor sales tactics and find one you like and trust, you will be a loyal customer to that dealership and maybe even that particular salesman.

Make sure you browse through our list to familiarize yourself with these tricks before you go to a dealership. Don’t get caught unaware. Although we’ve only listed the tricks we’ve seen first hand, there are many more tricks that dealerships/salesman will try to play on unsuspecting customers. If you have encountered any new ones we have not listed and would like to share them with others and expose all the tricks we can, please email them to us at contact@carwale.com.

Closing the Deal

When you reach an agreement on the purchase price of a used car, you may be tempted to think you’re home free. In fact, there are several crucial steps that need to be done correctly, or all your hard work up to this point could be for naught.

Change in Ownership

Always ask the seller for the car’s registration papers. These documents are required to transfer ownership of the vehicle. The certificate also provides the purchaser a chance to confirm vehicle ownership.

In Nutshell

Examine the car’s repair record, maintenance costs, safety and mileage ratings in consumer magazines or online.
Make sure all oral promises are written into the Buyer’s Guide.
You have the right to see a copy of the dealer’s warranty before you make your purchase.
Warranties are included in the price of the product; service contracts cost extra and are sold separately.
Ask for the car’s maintenance record from the owner, dealer, or repair shop.
Test drive the car on hills, highways, and in stop-and-go traffic.
Have the car inspected by a mechanic you hire.
Find out as much as you can about the dealer from local consumer protection officials.
If you buy a car “as is,” you’ll have to pay for anything that goes wrong after the sale.
The Used Car rule generally doesn’t apply to private sales.

sourec : carwale.com

You’ve got your suntan lotion, a giant cooler and three cheap novels — you’re ready for a summer road trip. You may be prepared, but are you up to date on your summer auto maintenance? Sure, auto maintenance is the last thing on your mind, but it’ll jump to the front pretty quickly if you’re on the side of the road. Spend an afternoon on some simple auto maintenance procedures and you’ll thank yourself in the end.
Radiator Flush: The coolant in your radiator doesn’t last forever. Over time it can break down and start to corrode the inside of your radiator. This can lead to cooling problems and radiator repair. A radiator flush once a year is cheap insurance against radiator repairs.

Replace Your Air Filter: You should replace your air filter twice a year, so now’s a good time to get that 5-minute job out of the way.

Tire Checks: Summer traveling could mean driving in the rain. The tread on your tires must be adequate for rainy weather or you could end up in a ditch, or worse. Checking the tread depth on your tires take one minute. While you’re at it, you should check your tire pressure, too.

Replace Your Windshield Wipers: Winter weather can be brutal to your windshield wipers, making them almost useless if you get caught in a summer rain shower. Replace them at the beginning of the summer and you won’t have to worry.

Inspect Your Brakes: It’s a good idea to inspect your brakes twice a year just to be sure everything is up t snuff. Car safety should always be a top priority. Go ahead and check your brake fluid while you’re at it.

Check Your Battery: Corrosion is very likely to build up during winter weather driving. Check your battery posts and cables to ensure you’ll have no starting problems.

Check Your Headlights: Sometimes you don’t notice that you have a bulb out. Now’s a good time to take a look to see if you need to replace a headlight bulb. Not only is it unsafe to drive with one headlight, you can get a ticket!

Remember that car safety begins with you. It also ends with you, since you’re the one driving the car. That means not doing anything stupid like speeding or driving drunk. Do all of us a favor and skip those dangerous activities.

Your Car Health
Easy ways to keep your car running.

source : autorepair.about.com

Volkswagen Golf GTI 35 Edition. After we post  about this  Volkswagen Golf GTI 35 Edition in old post at auto europe car, and now, the volkswagen automaker has announced this new vehicle .It was confirmed that the U.S. car will retain its 235-hp version of VW’s 2.0-liter EA113 turbocharged four when it’s dropped off at the docks; that puts it 35 horses up on our regular-grade model.The big news for the Volkswagen Golf GTI 35 Edition is a jump in horsepower to 235 horsepower, or 25 more ponies than the already awesome standard GTI. The name of the special edition VW comes as a tribute to the fact that the GTI has been available in Europe for 35 years. Not so in the U.S., though, so the name may have to change if it indeed reaches our shores. C/D points out that the first GTI hit the States in 1983, so the 30 Edition name could be a strong possibility. Of course, that means the 35 badging on the door sills, seats and fenders will need to go, but we’re guessing the deletes won’t be much trouble at all.

Volkswagen Golf GTI 35 Edition Picture

Volkswagen Golf GTI 35 Edition (background)

Whenever it arrives, we were told the Volkswagen Golf GTI 35 Edition will have some equipment changes, although we don’t know yet what those changes might be. We figure it will be limited to stripping out the “35? door-sill badges, fender badges, and seat embroidery, and replacing them with stuff bearing the new name. We don’t see any reason the rest of the kit—which you can read about in our original post on the car—shouldn’t make the cut, although the sport seats would probably be the first item on the chopping block.

source : autoeuropecar.com

Use microfiber detail towels to remove any excess water. Open the trunk, hood and doors and use a microfiber towel to wipe out the doorjambs and other hidden areas; otherwise water will drip out and leave spots.

That’s it, you’re done! If it’s been more than a year since you’ve waxed your car, or if your rinse water didn’t bead up (form distinct round droplets) on the surface, it’s time for a coat of wax (and perhaps a deep cleaning). Don’t worry, we’ve got that covered: Check out our step-by-step guide to detailing and waxing your car.

Products used:

Microfiber detail towels (compare prices)

Special thanks to the folks at Mothers, who provided space, supplies, know-how and elbow grease for this article.

source

Although they may look round and black, retreaded tires are one of the greenest, environmentally friendly products a fleet can buy. Retreaded tires have one of the highest post-consumer contents of all recycled products, and are responsible for saving North Americans more than 400 million gallons of oil every year.

Most people don’t know that tires contain a very large percentage of synthetic rubber, which is petroleum based. Every time a truck tire is retreaded there is a savings of approximately 15 gallons of oil. In addition, every tire that is retreaded is one less tire for our overcrowded landfills.

“I don’t know of any other recycled product that saves as much money for the end user as a retreaded tire. When you add these savings into the natural resources that are saved and the positive impact this has on the environment, using retreads is a win, win solution for both the transportation industry and the environment,” said Martin Bozarth, executive director of the International Tire & Rubber Association.

“Tire retreading makes an important contribution to the reduction in the number of tires requiring annual disposal by insuring that tires, especially medium truck tires, provide the fullest possible service life. Retreadable casings should always be directed to the retread market,” says John Serumgard of the Scrap Tire Management Council

For more information about the environmental and economic benefits of retreaded tires, visit www.retread.org, or contact the Tire Retread Information Bureau toll free at (888) 473-8732, or by e-mail: info@retread.org.

Nobody ever objected to more horsepower or more miles per gallon. So how about both? It’s an offer you can’t refuse, especially if you’re Chrysler. A senior Fiat powertrain exec confirmed to Motor Trend that the Italian automaker’s clever MultiAir valve-control tech will be fitted to Chrysler’s four- and V-6 engine families, and soon.

Of all the distractions ensnaring drivers, texting is the one that’s raising the greatest ire among safety researchers, industry critics, auto companies and federal and state regulators. Texting is taking lives, and that’s provoking national outrage and promulgating new laws and safety campaigns.

Oprah Winfrey went to the emotional heart of the issue with the launch of her “No Phone Zone” campaign in 2010. Her guest Kelly Cline talked about the death of her teenage son, A.J. Larsen:

“A.J. rolled through the stop sign at the entrance to our neighborhood and into the path of a garbage truck,” Cline said. “He was texting his girlfriend. His accident was 100 percent preventable. My son wasn’t just a number. He’s not just a statistic. My son was A.J. Larsen and he meant the world to me and a lot of other people and he’s no longer here because of texting while driving.”

Everyone can empathize with Cline. But there are all kinds of distractions in cars, from music menus to onscreen maps. All have the potential to distract, heading you into a guardrail or through a stop sign. Is texting really that much more dangerous? And if so, why?

“A Permanent Part” of Modern Life
Safety regulators and researchers say texting while driving is indeed more of a concern than other in-car distractions. Texting is widespread, particularly among young drivers who lack experience. Texting is also more distracting than many other driver activities.

According to CTIA, The Wireless Association, people sent or received 5.9 billion text messages every day in 2010 — many of them from behind the wheel of a car. About one-eighth of all drivers reported texting while driving, according to a study on driver distraction conducted by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

“These devices are a permanent part of people’s daily lives,” says Alan Hall, a spokesman for the Ford Motor Company.

In a survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the majority of drivers who admitted texting were between 18 and 29. That means the biggest offenders were also less experienced drivers.

A Distraction Triple-Header
Texting while driving has a particular power to distract because it’s an activity that has visual, manual and cognitive components. It requires drivers to look at something other than the road, do something other than handle the wheel and think about something other than driving the car. In other words, texting involves three categories that involve major driver distraction.

Texting takes a driver’s eyes are off the road for 4-5 seconds at a time, often with multiple occurrences to read and send messages back and forth, says Thomas A. Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and an expert in driver-distraction research.

“You have 3 seconds to respond as a driver in an emergency,” he says. “When you text, your eyes are off the road by 10 times that.”

Dingus says simulator studies exaggerate the risks of conversations on a cell phone while driving, but that’s not the case with texting. “Cell phone use has grown exponentially and the crash rate has gone down,” he says. “But the concerns about texting are not overblown. Texting is far more dangerous than talking on the phone.”

Distraction involves more than the act of pressing keys on a cell phone, says Bryan Reimer, associate director of the New England University Transportation Center and a research scientist at the MIT AgeLab. The content of the text can also increase a driver’s risk.

A short non-emotional text message or conversation that occurs in any medium is likely to be far less distracting than a highly emotional engagement, he says.

“Whether it is communications through Facebook, text messaging, Twitter or a cellular phone call, the content of the conversation cannot be ignored,” Reimer says. “Our research, as well as that of others, suggests that cognitive demands associated with conversation, thought and perhaps emotion also increase risk.”

In lab simulations and field research, Reimer found that physiological changes such as an increase in heart rate and slight changes in the skin’s ability to conduct electricity occur with increased workload, arousal or stress. Researchers noted these when drivers were given increasingly demanding cognitive tasks while driving.

Reimer says that combining physiological data with more traditional measures of driver behavior might help provide a clearer picture of the invisible activities — like thinking about a business deal or a relationship — that underlie distraction.

Dingus believes that texting’s paramount danger is that it’s a visual distraction. “You can’t drive without looking at the road regardless of how high or low the cognitive demand is,” he says.

Regulators Crack Down
Such research shows that texting is serious trouble for the driving public, says David Strickland, administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

There are 250 million vehicles on the road, driven by people with varying degrees of skill, Strickland says. “We lose 33,000 people a year because of highway crashes and 995 are attributed to someone with a handheld phone,” he says. (Regulators haven’t been able to say how many of those 995 deaths involve texting versus voice conversations.)

Mike Jackson, chairman and CEO of AutoNation, America’s largest auto retailer, says he sees some of the aftermath of the texting in his company’s 75 dealership body shops. “We take these crashes into our dealerships every day — cars that are rear-ended by young people texting,” Jackson says.

While motorists can lessen the odds of encountering a drunk driver by staying off the roads at night, texting drivers can be hard to dodge, Jackson says. “Texting is 24/7 with young drivers,” he says. “I have a feeling when the studies come in, it is going to be the greatest driver distraction ever.”

State governments are reacting by making texting illegal. As of June, 34 states and the District of Columbia had enacted texting bans for all drivers. An additional seven states prohibit texting by novice drivers. In July, New York made it a primary offense and a $150 fine for drivers to use mobile devices for reading, typing and sending text messages.

Also in July, the Department of Transportation and Secretary Ray LaHood reported that two federally funded pilot programs in Syracuse, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut, had reduced cell phone use and texting behind the wheel.

The programs employed strong laws, highly visible police enforcement and high-profile public education campaigns that used the slogan “Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other.” The pilot program, which cost $400,000 and produced more than 9,000 tickets in each market, will be rolled out with partial grants from DOT, allowing for greater enforcement.

Automakers Step Up
Automakers, meanwhile, know that voluntary guidelines to combat distracted driving are due to be released in the fall. They are taking a two-pronged approach to the problem of texting. One is an effort to make communication safer by converting text messages to voice messages that the system reads to the driver. That’s a feature available in Ford’s Sync system. Sync lets drivers reply with a voice call, or they can text back one of 15 generic responses with a couple pushes of a button.

GM’s OnStar connected-driver system is testing technology that would read Facebook content and text messages to drivers, and let them use voice commands for message replies or Facebook status updates. As in the Sync system, drivers could also choose to preset a text response to incoming messages. The company hasn’t decided whether to move the technology into production, says Vijay Iyer, OnStar’s vice president for public relations.

The other approach to texting adopted by automakers is to explicitly warn customers that it’s dangerous to take their hands off the wheel to tap out messages.

Ford has been the first automaker to support proposed legislation to ban handheld texting behind the wheel, using the slogan “Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.” The automaker is expanding its national teenage driver education program, Driving Skills for Life, which includes a segment on the dangers of texting while driving.

BMW has its “DON’T TXT & DRIVE” campaign that’s been distributed through TV, print, online and dealership channels. It’s also a part of its teen driving schools.

Chevrolet sponsored Oprah Winfrey’s No Phone Zone show and anti-texting pledge. But other than that, GM doesn’t have an anti-texting campaign, says Scott Geisler, engineering group manager of Active Safety Driver Performance and Benefit Analysis for GM.

“Frankly, texting with a handset is so far beyond what’s reasonable according to our industry guidelines, we have not done anything for the public,” he says. “We did revise our employee guidelines to include a mandate not to text when they are on GM business or in a GM car because the data is clear that it is so dangerous.”

GM’s research into safer modes of communication for drivers is ongoing, Geisler says. “We are looking at this all the time — how we can manage the risk of distractions through applications to connectivity.”

Is Technology the Fix?
There’s a belief that voice systems can help drivers communicate in a safer way, Reimer says. But research on cognitive demands shows that this may not be the case, he says.

“There’s still the open question as to whether technology integration allows for safer communication or encourages people to communicate more because it’s easier,” he says. “Any task, easy or complex, that is beyond the activity of driving can be considered as a distraction.”

The topic of texting while driving is on fire. That’s clear. Bans are increasingly in place and enforcement is ratcheting up. Public awareness campaigns will doubtless increase, too. But it’s also clear that it will be a challenge to convince drivers — particularly young ones — to stop texting.

Maybe star power and technology can win over teenager drivers, which would be a start. Pop idol Justin Bieber has paired with software company PhoneGuard in an anti-texting campaign. PhoneGuard, in which Bieber has a financial stake, has an application called Drive Safe that disables text and e-mail capabilities on an Android or BlackBerry device when a vehicle goes over 10 mph. Anyone who downloads the app wins a chance at a signed Bieber tour jacket.

But no matter what, it appears that texting while driving won’t disappear anytime soon.

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