Read from our blogs
FieldLogix announces the release of its guide for creating a company policy for dash cameras. The guide discusses all of the factors involved when creating a dash camera policy and how to make the policy driver-friendly in order to minimize driver resistance. “In todays’ litigious world, fleets are often targeted by unscrupulous motorists for insurance […]
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) announced they are coordinating with the California Air Resources Board to set fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for model year 2017-2025 cars and light-duty trucks. All three agencies will simultaneously release the proposed rules for vehicle fuel economy and carbon emissions on Sept. 1, 2011.
ven if you don’t drive a GM vehicle, many people have seen the commercials for the OnStar telematics system. The ones where the family vehicle crashes crashes and the OnStar telematics system automatically alerts emergency services. OnStar launched an aftermarket rear-view mirror equipped with its OnStar telematics based communication system this year (2011) at CES. Even if you don’t drive a GM, now any vehicle can use the OnStar system and service.
OnStar services are currently installed in over 6 million vehicles. The OnStar mirror will retail for $299 at Best Buy. The device will hit the shelves this Spring. The monthly fee for the service will be $18.95.
OnStar and other telematics companies are exploring different ways to bring the Internet experience into the automobile. OnStar Telematics, a division of General Motors, currently offers drivers a variety of connected services, including turn-by-turn GPS system navigation, automatic crash response, stolen vehicle location, and much more.
Google Maps (GOOG) just launched a Fuel Cost Calculator to driving directions for Google Maps in Europe. Google’s new Fuel Cost Calculator can be used to estimate the average fuel cost for your journey. When a user asks for driving direction between two locations on the map, it shows an estimate of how much cash your have to spend in order to procure fuel for the journey. The estimated fuel cost appears at the bottom of the list of driving directions.
This new tool can be very helpful for many reasons. With rising gas costs on the horizon (Oil is expected to top $100 a barrel this year.) it would be nice to be able to plan your trips taking gas costs into consideration. If utilized properly, this new tool can help you to become aware of your carbon footprint, and gives you the opportunity to really cut your gas costs, which is a great incentive to take the time to plan your trips more efficiently.
There has been a steady rise in gas prices over the last year. According to AAA, the national average for regular unleaded gas is $3.11 a gallon. Over the last year, prices are up 39 cents a gallon, or 14%. Crude oil is up by a similar percentage, currently trading at just under $90 a barrel.
“Unless we see increases in supply, it’s hard not to see a tighter market,” John Felmy, the American Petroleum Institute’s chief economist, said in a conference call with reporters. Felmy said worldwide oil demand in 2010 hit a record of more than 87 million barrels a day.
New reports out this week show demand for oil and gas is up according to API and some analysts say that could mean paying more at the pump. Many experts are saying drivers could be paying $4 a gallon of gasoline this spring. There’s also claims some experts have been under-estimating prices for months.
The gas price increase may be due to several reasons including:
1. Global demand for oil is increasing as China, India and the Middle East are rapidly expanding.
2. Rising interest in crude as an investment can cause higher prices.
3. Winter weather has been extra cold in many parts the US and Europe, creating more demand for heating oil, which can cause an increase in gas prices.
4. The BP oil spill resulted in Obama administering an oil drilling moratorium, which means no more offshore drilling on the Gulf Coast, further reducing the oil supply.
5. OPEC continues to restrict supply.
Last week there were more legal disputes involving GPS tracking without a warrant and 4th Amendment rights. The highest courts in New York, Oregon and Washington have ruled that warrants are required when law enforcement officers want to track someone with GPS tracking technology, but the Ohio Supreme Court has not yet decided on the issue.
GPS Tracking Without a Warrant
In Ohio, two men accused in a number of home-invasion robberies in Franklin County are trying to get the evidence thrown out court because the sheriff tracked them by placing a GPS device on their car without a warrant. A judge in Fairfield County, where the last of the home invasions occurred, ruled in July that investigators didn’t need a warrant to attach the GPS tracking device to the car. The two men pleaded no contest in that case, and each was convicted and sentenced to prison. They are appealing the convictions, based largely on the GPS tracking issue. Trial dates are tentatively set in May.
SSchool districts across the US are realizing the value in a school bus fleet GPS tracking system. In Nashville, TN, a school district just spent $1.5 million for a new school bus fleet GPS tracking system.
A GPS tracking system can be beneficial to a school district for many reasons. A tracking system can especially be very helpful in reducing conflict between parents, drivers, other school employees.
How School Bus Fleet GPS Tracking Works
The GPS tracking device automatically triggers when the ignition is turned on. The system can be used to determine if buses are hitting routes on time, or even if they’ve missed a stop. Some advanced tracking systems will do a fingerprint scan of your child every time he or she gets on and off the school bus. This is an excellent way to keep track of a child’s whereabouts. Using the website for the GPS tracking system, parent’s can view the real-time location of the school bus and know whether or not their child is on the bus.
Most seniors want to remain in their own homes for as long as they can, even when they are sick and need consistent daily health care. There are several new devices on the market that can help to keep seniors independent and safe.
1) There are several new GPS system devices, based on the same GPS technology in cars, that can help locate someone with dementia who’s wandered from home.
2) A new GPS tracking system has been designed specifically for this purpose – to assist the elderly and notify caretakers when something is wrong.
How The GPS Tracking System for Seniors Works:
Sensors in the home are set up and used to track a person’s movement, from the front ,to the medicine cabinet, to the refrigerator, to the stove., and so forth. The sensors are linked with computers that can issue alerts when people deviate from their usual routine. The GPS tracking system for Seniors can help to give family members peace of mind, knowing that grandpa has something watching over him 24/7.
Every time a plane lands or takes off, all passengers are asked to shut off all electronic devices – laptops, cel phones, iPods, GPS tracking devices, DVD players.If you don’t put your electronic devices away, then technically you’re breaking an FAA law. The FCC put the electronic devices rule into effect many years ago in order to rule out risks involving interference with the aircraft’s navigation GPS system. But many people question whether the law is really necessary. After all, can an iPod or GPS system enabled smartphone such as an iPhone really interfere with an airplane’s navigation system?
I’ve seen many people ignore this law and continue to use their cel phone or iPod during landings and take off. Chances are using an electronic device will not do anything. Therefore, no your iPod will not do any damage. But, it is a federal law to make sure your devices are shut off. The theory is that they COULD do something the aircraft’s electronics.
We all know that texting and driving is very dangerous. Drivers should always stay focused on the road ahead of them. A very famous and successful plastic surgeon drove off a cliff in Malibu last year (2010) because he was texting while driving. The accident demonstrates the very real danger of texting while driving, an activity that has reportedly spiked in recent years.
“I hear, almost daily, accounts of people who are injured while texting,” said Dr. Angela Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Gardner said “It has stopped being an oddity when we hear that someone was texting and has a wreck. Now it’s more of a fairly common occurrence…While sending out a status update during a leisurely drive may seem innocuous, it only takes a moment for distracted drivers to become vulnerable.”
