Editorial archive

December 2016

Top Safety Pick + winners meet new IIHS headlight criteria

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(December 9, 2016) Consumers who choose a 2017 Top Safety Pick+ award winner shouldn't have trouble seeing the road on nighttime drives. Good or acceptable ratings in the Institute's new headlight evaluations set the latest crop of qualifiers apart. Thirty-eight models earned the "plus" accolade, and 44 earned Top Safety Pick.

Missing one-to-two hours of sleep doubles crash risk

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(December 7, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Drivers who miss between one to two hours of the recommended seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period nearly double their risk for a crash, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 35 percent of U.S. drivers sleep less than the recommended seven hours daily.

And with drowsy driving involved in more than one in five fatal crashes on U.S. roadways each year, AAA warns drivers that getting less than seven hours of sleep may have deadly consequences.

Gas prices climb as market reacts to OPEC deal

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(December 6, 2016) The national average price of regular unleaded gasoline has increased for seven consecutive days, reaching today’s price of $2.18 per gallon. Today’s average price represents an increase of five cents per gallon compared to one week ago, four cents less than one month ago and 14 cents more than the same date last year, according to AAA.

Study finds most U.S. drivers leery of auto repair shops

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(December 2, 2016) ORLANDO, Fla.— According to a new AAA survey, two out of three U.S. drivers do not trust auto repair shops in general citing overcharges, recommendations for unnecessary services and poor past experiences for their lack of confidence.

New-car transaction prices climb nearly 2-percent year-over-year

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(December 1, 2016) IRVINE, Calif. — The analysts at Kelley Blue Book kbb.com, the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both today reported the estimated average transaction price (ATP) for light vehicles in the United States was $34,948 in November. New-car prices have increased by $581 (up 1.7 percent) from November 2015, while dropping $51 (down 0.1 percent) from last month.

"Climbing transaction prices reflect the shift in consumer preference from cars to more expensive trucks and SUVs," said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book.