vLane Blog

Articles Matching “speed”

• Old school Bentleys on the road

  Fred Cox on July 1, 2009

  It's not often you see a museum worthy car being driven at all, much less on the road where gawking drivers can run into them, but here are a couple of 80 year old Bentleys in all their glory.

  

  I was lucky enough to come across these on Vancouver Island last week. They had just returned from an adventure up the West Coast of Canada and Alaska with other Bentleys of various vintages. According to the event's website, one of these cars had 13 tire changes, so it wasn't easy going by any means.

  These were the days before almost any safety rules or equipment existed, so no bumpers, even. Active safety was the word of the day.

  Read full article | Comments (1) | Filed under safety, speed, Classic, Bentley, lifestyle, tires, windshield, rubber, rims, maintenance, Vintage Motorsports, brakes, shock absorber, exhaust, headlights, antique, sports sedan, performance, muscle car, Cash for Clunkers

• Teen drivers beware: Ford MyKey is in town

  AshleyW on June 10, 2009

  I think I can hear parents breathing a sigh of relief...if you drive a 2009 Ford Focus Coupe, that is. The new MyKey system will be introduced on that model to assist parents in controlling their teenagers driving habits and enforce safer driving.

  

  Click through for a video demonstration

  How the MyKey System works is that a parent can program any key with the vehicle messenger system to control audio volume, seat belt usage and speed of the vehicle when their teenager is driving.

  The key has a chip within it that updates the vehicles SecuriLock passive anti-theft system when the vehicle is turned on. The system will read the chip within the key and locate the MyKey code which will update the restrictions a parent has programmed.

  The car can be limited to a speed of 80 mph (128 kph), and the key can be programmed to chime at 45, 55 and 65 mph. We think the coolest is that a seat belt reminder will chime every minute for five minutes and the audio will remain at mute until the seat belt is put on. Other features are included.

  Ford is the first company to have a feature like this as a standard feature on their vehicles. Lincoln, Mercury and other Ford models will be equipped with this system in the near future.

  Click through for a video demonstration.

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under drivers, driving, speed, features, News, features, Technology, Ford, Ford, Safety, parents, drivers, teenagers

• Opinion: Driving pet peeves

  AshleyW on April 16, 2009

  Picture this: you are driving onto a ramp to enter a highway. You're on your way to some exciting place, and you're stuck behind a driver who does not know the rules of the road. Why is it that some people think that the speed you drive on a ramp (where I live, 30 mph) is the same speed you drive once you merge onto the highway? Hello!? Keep it moving, people!

  

  [Photo credit: Hamed Saber on Flickr.

  As I was taught in my drivers ed courses, the speed you are doing at the end of that ramp should be the speed limit posted on the highway. Not 30, still, as you attempt to merge — and impede a car who is doing the speed limit in the next lane beside you. Not only are you slowing traffic of the cars that are directly behind you, it's an easy way to have an accident.

  This has happened to me way too many times and I don't understand where some drivers learned to drive a car…

  Has this annoying incident ever happened to anyone else? Sound off in the discussion!

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under drivers, driving, merging, safety, speed, highway, on ramp, ramp, How-To, WTF, Misc, Advice , Humor, Safety, Discussion