Filed under: Truck, Etc., Safety, Work

A serious accident likely saved a trucker’s life Tuesday near Reading, Pennsylvania. Richard Paylor, 55, of Bucks County, was reportedly eating an apple behind the wheel of his tractor-trailer when a piece of the fruit got lodged in his throat, causing him to choke. According to the Reading Eagle, Paylor subsequently blacked out and slumped over the steering wheel.

As the story goes, Paylor’s big rig then bounced off a guardrail and hit a concrete wall. The impact dislodged the apple from his throat and likely saved his life. Before Tuesday, Paylor had been accident-free for his entire 23-year career.

Paylor was taken to the hospital with a cut on his head and a slight fracture of one of his vertebrae, but very much alive. For his part, Paylor says he’s sorry caused a traffic jam and admits he’s glad to be alive.

[Source: Reading Eagle | Image: Emedco]

Ta-dah! Choking trucker saved when high-speed crash dislodges fruit originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Etc., Government/Legal, Toyota, Motorcycle, Celebrities

James “Bubba” Stewart, Jr., two-time AMA Supercross champion, was reportedly arrested in Osceola County, Florida on Monday night on charges of impersonating a police officer. Stewart allegedly approached a car on State Road 417 in his 2008 Toyota Tundra and turned on a set of red-and-blue flashing lights. When the car pulled over, the occupants identified themselves as two off-duty Florida state troopers and an off-duty Orange County sheriff’s deputy. Oops.

With that revelation, ESPN reports that Stewart sped away from the officers, who phoned in a description of his rather distinctive-looking truck. Not long after, Stewart was pulled over near Orlando International Airport and the lights were found in his passenger’s luggage. The Toyota was impounded.

Stewart has been charged with impersonating an officer, and his friend has been charged with tampering with evidence, both felonies. Stewart and his friend both posted bail and were released on Tuesday morning.

Stewart has since apologized for the incident, saying without apparent irony that he wants to prove he’s “someone who upholds the law.”

[Source: ESPN, Motorcycle USA | Image: N-Fab]

Report: Supercross champ James Stewart arrested for impersonating police officer originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Europe, UK, Celebrities, South America

Richard Hammond apologized this week for his offensive remarks about Mexicans during a Top Gear segment discussing the Mastretta MXT earlier this year. Hammond said he regretted the remarks, and sees now how they could have been offensive. Still, Hamster didn’t exactly come all the way clean, saying that his words – and those of his two co-hosts – were clearly a joke.

For its part, the BBC has stood behind Hammond, May and Clarkson, saying that off-color humor is an integral part of the show. The presenters and the BBC got a thorough shellacking over the comments after the show aired. Mexico’s ambassador to the UK called the remarks “offensive, xenophobic and humiliating.”

[Source: On the Box]

Report: Richard Hammond admits regret over Top Gear Mexico remarks originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Swaziland struggles to alleviate its fiscal crisis with foreign aid because of its World Bank classification as a lower middle-income country, the government has increased the budget for King Mswati III, Africa’s last remaining absolute monarch and one of the richest royals in the world.

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Filed under: Technology, UK

The voice of the navigation system tells you to turn right, but you are absolutely positive that it’s a better idea to go straight for two more streets and then turn left. Do you listen to the sat-nav, or your gut? If you’re a man, you’re more likely to stick to your guns, at least according to a study by UK insurance retailer Swinton.

The study, which polled 3,000 users about their navigation habits, discovered that 83 percent of men have disobeyed their nav system at least once, compared to under 75 percent for women. The study also showed that one-third of all participants surveyed felt their navigation system took them between one and five kilometers astray, while half say the system’s directions led to an in-car argument with a passenger.

Steve Chelton, Insurance Development Manager at Swinton, points out that, “a sat-nav should aid your own navigational abilities rather than replace them.” That’s a good point to be sure, but what should a driver do to make sure their nav isn’t giving them the high-tech shaft? Two-thirds of the drivers in the study keep an old-fashioned paper map in the car just in case.

[Source: National Post | Image: Chris Shunk/AOL]

Study: Men more likely to overrule GPS than women, still won’t stop for directions originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos, Design/Style

Just about every time we go through airport security, we notice there is at least one family that has to lug their bulky car seat through the airport, dropping a trail of Cheerio crumbs as they go. And then there is the coworker in your lunch carpool that has a kid, which means everyone must stand outside the car, rain or shine, while he or she removes the seat and jams it in the trunk.

A company has invented an inflatable seat that should theoretically relieve some of these problems. The Easycarseat is inflatable seat that can handle children ages four and older from 33 to 79 pounds. The seat, which inflates in under a minute, only costs about $90, weighs about two pounds and can be folded for storage whenever a mom or dad needs it for travel.

An inflatable car seat just doesn’t sound safe, but the company insists it has already met all applicable U.S. and European safety standards. The seat also features a pressure release valve that prevents the seat from popping in the event of an accident.

We’re not so sure we’d opt for a blowup car seat for everyday use, but for anyone doing a lot of air travel or car hopping, this seat seems like a real luggage-saver. Hit the jump to view a one-minute demo, and stay for the crash test footage.

[Sources: The Stir, Easycarseat]

Continue reading Video: Inflatable car seat is cheap, convenient… but is it safe?

Video: Inflatable car seat is cheap, convenient… but is it safe? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda

Honda has announced it will resume production at its Japanese plants effective April 11. Though the factories are ready to be up and running at full capacity again, Honda is keeping production levels at 50 percent due to a shaky parts supply.

The company says production at its U.S. facilities will have to slow in the coming weeks because of this parts issue. The reductions at American plants are scheduled to last until April 15, but may go on longer depending on when supplies come back on line. Honda says it’s working with suppliers who haven’t resumed production and is seeking new sources of critical parts in hopes of resuming full production soon.

Honda’s UK factory is yet to see slowdowns as a result of the earthquake in Japan, but it will likely face cutbacks if things don’t turn around soon.

[Source: Honda | Image: Drew Phillips/AOL]

Continue reading Honda resuming production at Japanese plants

Honda resuming production at Japanese plants originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Fiat

Muammar Gaddafi has been running the show in Libya for the last 42 years. During that time, he’s also been behind the investment maneuvers of the Libyan Arab Foreign Bank. In 1976, he reportedly instructed that $415 million be used to buy a stake in Fiat. Over time, that investment has turned into a 14 percent ownership stake in the Italian automaker.

Fast-forward a bit to the 1980s and Fiat was looking to do business around the globe. That included the United States, but, due to our sanctions against Libya, any attempts to work with the U.S. were quickly shot down. This led Fiat to buy out Libya’s 14 percent ownership stake, and it wound up costing them $3.1 billion to do so.

According to Fiat, the connection to Libya ended when it cut that massive check. However, according to information obtained by Wikileaks, Libya may still own a small portion of the company. That information is supplied courtesy of the U.S. State Department, which maintains that the Libyan Arab Foreign Investment Company (LAFICO) owns a two percent stake in Fiat.

Head over to The Truth About Cars for a detailed breakdown of the possibly-still-existing relationship between Fiat and besieged dictator Gaddafi.

[Source: The Truth About Cars | Image: Franco Origlia/Getty]

Is there a link between Fiat and Gaddafi? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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News ) said Thursday it has been awarded a renewable energy contract worth more than $30 million in Sweden. The company's Denmark-based subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Vlund A/S received the …

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Filed under: Budget, China, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Smart, Celebrities

The Smart brand, looking for a sales lift in China, has enlisted the lanky likes of Kobe Bryant for its “Big, In The City” ad campaign. A newly released video has the internationally known NBA star assuming the role of a quick thinking/driving man of both style and action with a keen sense of aim.

With the aid of a shiny black Smart Fortwo Brabus that he – or perhaps a stunt double – throws around corners and through traffic, Kobe comes to the aid of a damsel in distress with flair as he chases down an art thief and utilizes his on-court abilities to administer a chase-ending coup de grâce.

The campaign will reportedly undertake a 25-city Chinese road trip, the highlight of which is an appearance by the Los Angeles Lakers star at a Smart customer party in July. Hit the jump for some Smart Brabus and Bryant action.

[Source: Advertising @ Chinasmack]

Continue reading Video: Kobe Bryant uses Smart Fortwo Brabus to catch art thief

Video: Kobe Bryant uses Smart Fortwo Brabus to catch art thief originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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