PLN VI

For this blog post, I want to speak to you about a very important issue that is currently causing the deaths of people all over the world. This month, April, is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Therefore, I decided to talk about this issue to try to help spread awareness of it's importance. In this day and age, distractions while driving are becoming more and more prevalent as technology increases and becomes more common. There are three different types of distractions while driving. These include visual distractions, cognitive distractions, and manual distractions. Distracted driving is known as "any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving." Even the smallest distractions have the potential to endanger your and your passenger's safety. Some examples of distractions include texting or using a cell phone in any manner, eating or drinking, talking to passengers, personal grooming, reading of any kind, using screens such as navigation, watching videos, as well as adjusting a radio, CD, or MP3 player. Even things like Bluetooth headsets and voice to text are very large distractions and can be deadly, as shown in this article, "Texting." The last type of distraction is of the cognitive sort. This means that even thinking about things, like daydreaming or planning out the weekend, can prove to be very distracting. The number of deaths that involve a distracted driver increases every year. In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in an accident involving a distracted driver. Compared to 3,276 the year before, we can see the growing importance of distracted driving awareness. I hope this article has taught you something about the dangers of distracted driving, and that you also help spread awareness of these dangers throughout the month of April, and for the rest of your life.

Sources

http://www.donttextdrive.com/

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/texting-while-driving

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/dsDistractedDriving/

http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Distracted_Driving/Pages/DDAM.aspx

http://www.distraction.gov/

PLN V

For this blog post, I have chosen to write about another auto show. This auto show takes place in New York City, NY every year in early April. The show first began in the year 1900 and has been a huge success ever since. This year is the one-hundred and thirteenth anniversary of the New York International Auto Show. The New York International Auto Show is the oldest auto show in North America. Also, the New York International Auto Show is one of the biggest and most well known auto shows in all of North America. The New York International Auto Show has been referred to as the "Geneva Auto Convention of the Western Hemisphere." At this auto show, many new production and concept vehicles are announced and shown to the press as well as the public. Of the many production and concept vehicles announced at this year's New York International Auto Show, there were a select few that clearly stood out. These impressive new cars included the new Subaru WRX, the Jeep Cherokee, the Volkswagen GTI, the Mercedes CLA45 AMG, the Chevrolet Camaro Z28, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible, and the Jaguar XKR-S GT, all of which are pictured above. All of the designs of these newer models have greatly improved in many ways since the previous models were released. The Subaru WRX is a completely new design, Subaru has changed the entire exterior look of the car to make it look more agressive; also, Subaru modified the engine to make more horsepower and be more economical. The Jeep Cherokee also has a completely new exterior design for 2014, and its transmission has been modified to get better acceleration and be more economical. Also, the new Volkswagen GTI has had very subtle cosmetic changes that can only be noticed by a true fan; furthermore, the engineers have decreased its weight significantly and it now has over 50 more lbs. of torque. The CLA45 AMG is an all new car that is based off of the Mercedes CLA, both of which have yet to be released, the CLA45 AMG is a much more track ready and powerful version of the new car. The Camaro Z28 is famous for being a very agressive and fast machine, and this new edition continues that legacy well with its large increase of horsepower and it agressive styling. The video below includes a tour of the New York International Auto Show. 

Sources

www.autoshowny.com/

http://www.autoblog.com/new-york-auto-show/

http://www.autoweek.com/new-york-auto-show

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/category/auto-shows/2013-new-york-auto-show/

                     

PLN IV

For this post, I have chosen to write about the Geneva Motor Show. The Geneve Motor Show takes place in Geneva, Switzerland every year in March. This year is the 83rd year that this show has occurred. This automobile show is one of the largest and most respected motor shows in the entire world. Many auto manufacturers make new announcements at this show. Manufacturers unveil new cars and features to the public. The auto manufacturers announce both production cars as well as many concepts for future cars. Over 100 new cars were shown at the show just this year. One of the biggest announcements from the show this year is the Ferrari La Ferrari. The La Ferrari has a 800hp combustion engine paired with a 163hp electric engine to make the most efficient hypercar possible. This car was developed by Ferrari and used many of their great technologies from their forumla one racing team to make the best car possible. All of these features combine to propel the car from 0-60 mph in around 2.3 seconds, and gives it a top speed of 220 mph. Another car that was unveiled at this show was the Lamborghini Veneno. The Veneno is much more exclusive than the La Ferrari, only 3 are being produced as aposed to the Ferrari's 500. The 3 Venenos are each being made in a different color, red, green, and white, to represent the colors on the Italian Flag. The Veneno is not as powerful as the La Ferrai, having 740 hp, but it is much more of a collector's piece than a car that will actually see time on the track. The next car that was unveiled at this show was the McLaren P1. The P1 also has the electronic KERS system like the La Ferrari; the McLaren has a 727hp combustion engine paired with a 176hp electric engine totaling 903hp; so this car is a close match for the Ferrari. The 0-60 time of this car has not been released yet, but these cars should be a close match for each other. The La Ferrari and the P1 are long awaited successors of the Ferrari Enzo and the McLaren F1, and they are the new super expensive cars that will be envied by this generation of car lovers.

Sources

Geneva Motor show

Geneva Wikipedia

Veneno Wikipedia

Ferrari vs. Lamborghini

McLaren P1

La Ferrari

Geneva Tour

Geneva Show