Automobiles, Drivers, or COVID?
A vertical on the recent changes in automobiles and a rise in accidents mis-attributed to the virus
Apr 22 Are drivers ruder since the start of the pandemic? (Boston Globe) - “Not that drivers in Boston were exactly Boy Scouts before COVID-19, but flagrant rudeness—for instance, double parking unnecessarily, simply because a driver doesn’t feel like parallel parking into an open space—certainly seems more prevalent.” “Drivers abuse temporary tags in order to avoid paying taxes and, in some places, to dodge automated enforcement cameras. Enforcement is undoubtedly part of the solution, but I can’t imagine writing a few more tickets will actually turn around the ‘erosion of social mores’ on its own.” Author writes few drivers smoke cigarettes anymore, but he suspects more marijuana use and vaping while driving, and asks readers if they disagree.
May 28 Editorial: Bring buttons and dials back to new cars. Touch screens distract drivers (Los Angeles Times) - “Under new standards the European New Car Assessment Program plans to introduce in 2026, automakers will have to use separate phys…
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