The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Cash for Clunkers program trades old pickups for new ones

It’s extremely disappointing to learn that highly touted Cash for Clunkers program mostly exchanged old Ford or Chevrolet pickups for new ones that receive only slightly better gas mileage.

An analysis by The Associated Press, as reported by Yahoo! News, shows:

The single most common swap – which occurred more than 8,200 times – involved Ford F150 pickup owners who took advantage of a government rebate to trade their old trucks for new Ford F150s. They were 17 times more likely to buy a new F150 than, say, a Toyota Prius. The fuel economy for the new trucks ranged from 15 mpg to 17 mpg based on engine size and other factors, an improvement of just 1 mpg to 3 mpg over the clunkers.

The AP's analysis of sales of $15.2 billion worth of vehicles at nearly 19,000 car dealerships in every state also showed:

Owners of thousands more large, old Chevrolet and Dodge pickups bought new Silverado and Ram trucks, also with only barely improved mileage in the middle teens.

Those deals helped the Ford F150 and Chevy Silverado – along with Ford's Escape midsize SUV – climb into the top 10 most-popular vehicles purchased with the government rebates, reports Yahoo! News’ article “'Clunker’ Data Show Pickup-for-Pickup Trades.” The most common truck-for-truck and truck-for-SUV deals totaled at least $911 million.

It's a violation of the Cash for Clunkers program to give the rebates for new cars and trucks that got the same or worse mileage.

Although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating these violations and dealers that submitted invalid trade-ins will have to return the rebate, it’s upsetting that consumers and dealers defrauded taxpayers and the federal government.

Consumers, businesses, and the government need to work together in a spirit of fairness and honesty to come through the Great Recession and restore our economy. Turning in a gas guzzling pickup or SUV for a new gas guzzling pickup or SUV doesn’t cut it in terms of producing a good outcome for all.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Flickr photo by JFeister

What are the most dangerous times to drive?

More than 40,000 people are killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes every year. That’s about 110 people daily throughout the nation.

Motor vehicle traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for all Americans between 2 and 34 years of age, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

What times are the worst for traffic accidents?

Forbes magazine calculated the most dangerous times to drive using crash reports from the administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Study. Its researchers also examined studies from the University of California at Berkeley’s Traffic Safety Center.

Knowing when the most fatal traffic collisions occur can help consumers make decisions on when to stay off the roads.

Time of day also is important when considering traffic safety because other dangerous factors increase at night: drunk driving, speeding, and driving without a seat belt, the Forbes article reports.

Most dangerous times to drive:

• Daytime hours. An average of 6.6 people are killed between the hours of 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., with another 6.6 killed between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. These are the highest daytime rates.

• At night. Midnight to 4 a.m. have the highest number of fatalities when calculated as a percentage of the amount of people on the road; 5.87 per 100 million people.

• Day of the Week. Saturday has the highest total number of fatalities, with an average of 158 each Saturday.

• Month. August had the most total deaths on the road in 2008 with a total of 3,612.

• Day of the year. July 4, Independence Day, is the most dangerous day of the year to drive. In 2007, 926 people were killed in auto accidents on July 4.

• Holiday weekend. Thanksgiving is the deadliest holiday weekend on the road, when daily totals are averaged over a several-day period around the holiday.

Other activities that can increase your risk of having a fatal traffic crash:

• Cell phone usage. Using a cell phone while driving nearly quadruples the risk of crashing.

• Speeding. In 2006, 32 percent of fatalities were directly related to speeding.

• Seatbelt unbuckled. Fifty-five percent of traffic fatalities in 2006 didn’t wear a seatbelt. Seventy-one percent of those fatalities occurred between midnight and 3 a.m.

• Driving drunk. More than 12,995 people died in alcohol-related crashes in 2007. Alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes was four times higher at night than during the day – 36 percent versus 9 percent.

• First day after a snowstorm. The first snowy day of the year is more dangerous for drivers than other snow days in terms of fatalities. Fatal accidents were 14 percent more likely on the first snowy day of the season compared with later ones.

Drive safely, especially with winter weather beginning to descend upon us.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Journalist

Which 2009 vehicles are the most dangerous?

A list of 2009’s most dangerous vehicles has been compiled Forbes magazine.

Forbes researchers used crash results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and rollover ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The institute uses a scale of "good," "acceptable," "marginal," and "poor," while the administration awards up to five stars for rollover safety

Test dummies are checked for trauma in 28 regions for front crashes and 37 regions for side crashes after each institute crash. Each region is awarded a rating based on specific parameters for trauma.

A "good" rating means little to no trauma occurred to drivers and/or passengers during the crash, while a "poor" rating means severe and possibly fatal trauma happened.
 
Forbes assigned point values for each administration and institute rating, with more points awarded for better results, according to the article. The 16 cars on its list of the most dangerous vehicles scored the lowest number of total points. They are:

• Chevrolet Aveo

• Chevrolet Colorado

• Chevrolet Trailblazer

• Chrysler PT Cruiser

• Dodge Nitro

• Ford Ranger

• GMC Canyon

• GMC Envoy

• Hummer H3

• Hyundai Accent

• Jeep Liberty

• Jeep Wrangler

• Kia Rio

• Mazda B Series

• Nissan Frontier

• Suzuki Equator

Among the lowest-scoring were the Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV, the Kia Rio small sedan, and the Ford Ranger pickup, the Forbes article reports.

See the article for details on each vehicle, automakers responses to the Forbes article, and how to use the list when buying a vehicle.

My next post will be on “What Are the Most Dangerous Times to Drive?”

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What were your best and worst consumer happenings this week?

Which consumer experience cheered you this week and which one made you want to scream or weep?



Here’s what happened to me this week:



My best consumer experience: Shopping at the Olympia Food Co-op

I’ve been vacationing in Florida, and now that I’m back, I’m enjoying shopping at the Olympia Food Co-op again.

The co-op has such great organic vegetables, and the organic nuts, which I eat a lot of, are wonderfully fresh.

I also like the co-ops large selection of organic food items – soups, crackers, and bulk cereals and grains.

Thanks for being there, Olympia Food Co-op. I appreciate you.

My worst consumer experience: Going to court for a speeding ticket

On June 24, I was stopped on Interstate 5 near the Nisqually Delta for speeding. A policeman standing near his motorcycle pointed a radar gun at me.

Not knowing what to do exactly, I signed up for a contested hearing. I planned to research what action to take when I returned from my vacation.

When I got back, I discovered it was too late to request the officers sworn statement. You have to do it 14 days before the hearing. If I’d wanted to subpoena the officer or any witnesses, that also would have needed to be done 14 days in advance.

I did some Internet research. Then on Tuesday before my Thursday court appearance, I went to the Thurston County District Court to observe court proceedings to see what I could learn about traffic violations.

I watched many DUI, a few thefts, and a couple of traffic infractions. Judge Samuel G. Meyer, who would be hearing my case, was polite, well organized, and sped through several dozen cases.

I decided to ask for a mitigation hearing. You admit you committed the infraction, and the judge has the ability to reduce your ticket.

Judge Meyer listened to what I had to say about why I was speeding and reduced my ticket from about $150 to $75.

I could have asked for a deferral. If you don’t commit another traffic violation in one year, the court won’t report the ticket to the state Department of Licensing. You can have only one infraction in seven years deferred. The administrative cost for a deferral is $150.

I didn’t ask for a deferral. My insurance company said my driving record is excellent, and if information about my ticket is referred to them, they wouldn’t pull my file.

What’s happening in your consumer life? Please leave a comment below to let me know about your great and less than stellar consumer moments this week.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Ford vehicles due to fire danger

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is alerting owners of Ford vehicles about a fire hazard involving an additional 4.5 million vehicles in the latest in a series of related recalls.

Including the latest announcement, there has been a total of eight safety recalls involving approximately 16 million Ford vehicles equipped with a faulty cruise control deactivation switch manufactured by Texas Instruments.

The switch can leak hydraulic fluid, overheat and then burn, potentially causing vehicle fires even with the ignition turned off and the vehicles parked and unattended, reports the administration.

Visit www.SaferCar.gov for more information on the previous recalls.

“These hazardous cruise control switches pose a safety risk even while the cruise control is not in use and vehicles are turned off or unattended,” cautioned U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in an advisory about the recall. “I urge consumers to pay attention to this warning and bring the affected models in to have them repaired as soon as possible.”

Today’s recall involves a total of approximately 4.5 million vehicles, including:

•    1995-2003 model year Ford Windstars
•    2000-2003 model year Ford Excursion diesels
•    1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesels
•    1992-2003 Ford Econolines
•    1995-2002 Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers
•    1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Ford Rangers
•    1994 Ford F53 motorhomes

The safety agency warned consumers to be on the look out for certain warnings of possible imminent fires, including cruise control systems that stop working or can’t be activated, brake lights that stop working, brake lights and ABS warning lights illuminating on the dash board, or not being able to get the vehicle out of park.

All owners of recalled Ford vehicles should immediately make appointments with their dealers and not park their vehicles in garages or near homes until repairs are made, the administration recommends.

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ConsumerAffairs.com has been following the fire hazard issue with Ford vehicles for years and calls the recall “the latest in a series of too-little, too-late recalls” in the article “Ford Recalls Millions of Vehicles to Fix Fire Danger.”

See the article “Ford F150 Engine Fires,” also by ConsumerAffairs.com, to read accounts from consumers whose vehicles have caught on fire.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What were the best and worst consumer experiences you had this week?

Recently, I launched a best and worst consumer experience feature on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide.

I think looking weekly at our best and worse experiences as consumers helps us learn from our successes and mistakes.

Each week, we have dozens of consumer happenings, some good and some bad. Here’s one each of mine for this week:

My best consumer experience: A better price for organic berries

Two weeks ago when I went to the Olympia Farmers Market, I bought a pint of organic blueberries and one of strawberries. The price was $3.50 each or $7.

As I was leaving with my berries, another customer purchased a half a flat of berries. It had six of the pint boxes, and the price was $15. That’s $2.50 a pint.

This week, I selected the half flat, so I saved $1 per pint. And I have more berries.

I think I’ll make a blue berry pie with stevia. I hope it turns out as well as the mulberry pie I made recently.

My worst consumer experience: An expensive car repair

My car broke down on the freeway Wednesday. I was about 10 miles south of Seattle and had to be towed back to Olympia.

The problem was a damaged fuel pump. It cost was $556 for a new one.

My mechanic said the problem could have been caused by the kind of gas I’ve been using, gas from Costco. He said his shop doesn’t often replace the fuel pump in Honda Accords.

I wrote “Does Cheap Gas Damage Your Car?”

Car Talk advises against running your car for 100,000 miles only on cheap gas. They recommend switching back and forth between Tier 1 and Tier 2 gas – maybe every other tank full – to keep your engine running clean. See my post for information on which companies make top tier gas.

Let me know your best and worse consumer experience of the week.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

10 best cars for older drivers

If you’re an older baby boomer, you may want to take a look at the safety features new cars offer for mature drivers.

Adjusting the drivers seat is important because sitting too close to a steering wheel-mounted air bag can cause injury or death, reports the article “Top 10 Cars for Older Drivers” on Bankrate.com.

More than 40 million drivers age 65 and older will be operating vehicles in the United States by 2020, up from 29 million in 2005, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The American Automobile Association or AAA, in cooperation with the University of Florida's National Older Driver Research and Training Center, has developed a list of smart features for mature consumers.

Easy access and to the ability to adjust the seats, mirrors, and the gas and brake pedals are among these features, the article states.

Crossover vehicles, which are higher than most cars but lower than SUVs, score well on the AAA list because it's easier for older consumers to get in and out of the driver's seat.

Here are Bankrate.com’s choices for the top cars with safety features for older drivers:

• BMW 7 Series

• Cadillac SRX

• Chrysler 300

• Ford Taurus

• Honda Odyssey

• Hyundai Veracruz

• Mercedes-Benz E-Class

• Nissan Cube

• Toyota RAV-4

• Volvo XC60

See the article for details on the specific safety features for each vehicle.

Flickr photo by Justin Wright

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top 10 cheapest cars to own and operate

 

The more information consumers gather, the more likely it is that they’ll negotiate a good price, obtain the best financing available, and purchase a car that they can afford.

However, being affordable is more than what you pay, reports the article “10 Cheapest Cars to Own And Operate” on Bankrate.com. It includes other costs such as insurance, fuel, maintenance, repairs, and depreciation. Your costs also will vary according to how you use and take care of your car.

Edmunds.com, an automotive Web site, offers a True Cost to Own calculator, which estimates total five-year cost and the cost per mile based on driving 15,000 miles a year.

Here are the top 10 cheapest cars to own and operate, according to Edmunds.com:

1. Hyundai Accent GS

2. Nissan Versa

3. Chevrolet Aveo5 LS

4. Suzuki SX4 Sedan

5. Pontiac G3

6. Mazda3 iSport

7. Honda Fit

8. Pontiac Vibe

9. Toyota Yaris

10. Nissan Sentra

Is your car on this list? My Honda Accord didn’t make it.

My next post will be “Top 10 Cars for Older Drivers.”

flickr photo

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Don’t use cruise control when you’re driving in the rain

Although cruise control allows consumers to save money and avoid traffic tickets, it shouldn’t be used when it’s raining.

When water stands on the road, it can become deep enough that the tires can’t squeeze the water through the tread fast enough. The tires can actually rise up on top of the water and ride across the water like water skis creating "hydroplaning."

Hydroplaning can start at speeds as low as 35 mph and becomes especially dangerous at speeds above 55 mph. The higher the speed, the greater the chance of hydroplaning.

The first step a driver should take to work against skidding is to remove his or her foot from the gas pedal to slow down, recommends The National Safety Commission in the article “Hazards of Driving in the Rain With Cruise Control.” Unless you have anti-lock brakes, you shouldn't apply the brakes until you have the car under control, and the speed is reduced.

Applying the brakes in a car without anti-lock brakes adds to the problem. Using both hands, steer toward the direction of the skid and then steer to keep your car centered in your lane.

In this situation, cruise control presents a problem. It will keep your vehicle going at a constant speed, and speed adds to the problem.

When you step on the brakes, cruise control is disabled. However, that’s exactly what you don’t want to do in a skidding situation unless your car is equipped with anti-lock brakes.

The safest thing to do when it starts to rain is to turn off the cruise control and slow down. Save the cruise control for good weather.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

New GM not responsible for claims by consumers already injured by defective GM vehicles

A bankruptcy court has ruled that Chrysler is exempt from accountability and responsibility for products sold before the bankruptcy in many respects, according to a consumer advocacy organization.

Public Citizen is disappointed with the court’s decision to allow GM to be sold to the new GM “free and clear” of product liability claims by consumers who already have been injured by defects in GM vehicles, the group states in the article "Shaking Off Blame: Bankrupt Chrysler Avoids Accountability for Dangerous Vehicle Defects."

A committee representing GM crash victims has said that more than 300 personal-injury claims are pending against GM with combined damages of about $1.25 billion, the article reports.

Public Citizen thinks Congress needs to get involved to ensure that consumers remain protected.

See the article for details.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist