Boys And Their Toys
According to Road and Track magazine, Progressive Insurance company has investigated the relationship men have with their vehicles. They reported that 78% of men admit to actually being in love with their cars, while 43% think of them as close relatives. A remarkable 63% actually have discussions with their cars, 38% keep a picture in their wallets, and 21% feel more affection for their car than for their mother-in-law.

Adaptive Lighting Will Improve Night Driving Safety
Traditional headlights project directly in front of a moving vehicle: fine for driving in a straight line, but the roadway ahead in sharp turns is bathed only in dim light. New headlighting systems are being developed which will bend light around corners. This will be electronically controlled by signals from the steering wheel and from wheel-speed sensors, as well as from satellite navigation systems (GPS). This will allow the headlights to turn to illuminate approaching curves and will provide the driver with an added margin of safety.

Seat Belts and Pregnancy
Women who are pregnant should continue to wear their seat belt and shoulder harness when a passenger in, or driver of, a motor vehicle. The lap portion should be worn as low as possible under the abdomen and the shoulder strap should be adjusted to ride above the abdomen. In the July Highway & Vehicle/Safety Report, additional good advice was offered by way of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute: (1) Leave the air bag operational, (2) drive a vehicle that provides the maximum distance from the steering wheel (note that some cars now have foot pedals which can be adjusted so as to allow the seat to be safely back from the steering wheel), (3) remove or adjust coats to avoid interference with the safety restraints, (4) ride as a passenger rather than drive whenever possible, and (5) avoid driving in hazardous conditions.