Despite a recent streak of falling gasoline prices, and predictions of future lower prices, they’re on the way up again, with the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline hitting $3.58 on Monday, May 13, according to AAA’s most recent Fuel Gauge Report.

This price is 6 cents up from the previous week and up four cents from April 13. The company said the main drivers of these across-the-board price increases are tighter supplies and refinery maintenance (planned and unplanned) in the middle of the U.S. and on the West Coast.

AAA noted these price increases are occurring nationwide rather than on a regional basis, with only two states, West Virginia and Ohio, paying less for a gallon of gas than they did a week ago. Six states, including Oregon, Minnesota, Washington, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa, saw prices jump by 20 cents since last week and 13 states have seen prices increase by at least 10 cents.

The top 10 states with the highest prices on Tuesday, according to AAA’s report, included Hawaii, at $4.35; California and Alaska, at $4.04 per gallon; Illinois, at $3.99; Oregon, at $3.92; Washington, at $3.91; Minnesota, at $3.84; Indiana, at $3.79; North Dakota, at $3.78; and Michigan, at $3.78.

Check out our new ServicePlus offer to stay ahead of the game and save money now! Click the button below to find out all about Safety Track of Michigan’s ServicePlus program.

These vehicles may have a condition in which the GCM could malfunction, causing a gradual loss of battery charge and the illumination of the malfunction indicator light.

If the problem isn’t addressed, the engine may stall or the vehicle may not start. In addition, there may be an increased risk of smoke or fire in the trunk, NHTSA said.

GM dealers will test the GCM and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. Owners can reach GM at 1-800-521-7300.

A 100-car naturalistic driving study, conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, has concluded that fatigue is a cause of 20% of crashes, rather than the 2-3% previously estimated. Previous estimates were based on surveys, simulator studies and test tracks.

What’s more, 18- to 20-year-olds account for significantly more fatigue-related crashes than any other age group. Adolescents’ sleep patterns shift to later hours. But the school day still tends to start early, resulting in daytime sleepiness. Older drivers can face similar issues with late nights and early work times, but have more experience coping with moderate fatigue – although, not always.

“One of the most important results from the 100-car naturalistic driving study was the degree to which fatigue is a cause of accidents,” said Charlie Klauer, group leader for teen risk and injury prevention at the transportation institute’s Center for Vulnerable Road User Safety. “A finding that surprised people is the prevalence of fatigue during the day. We found significantly more crashes and near crashes due to fatigue during the day than at night.”

The study allowed researchers to observe driver behavior just prior to a crash. In 20% of all crashes and 16% of all near crashes, the driver was showing fatigue.

“We saw eye-lid closure, head bobbing, severe loss of facial musculature, micro sleep – which is when your eyes drift shut and then pop up,” said Klauer. “This was not just yawning. The drivers were asleep.”

A total of 100 drivers who commuted into or out of the Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C., metropolitan area were initially recruited as primary drivers for the research project. They had their vehicles instrumented or received a leased vehicle instrumented for the study. Since other family members and friends would occasionally drive the instrumented vehicles, data were collected on 132 additional drivers.

Researchers selected a larger sample of drivers below the age of 25, compared to the total population of drivers, and a sample that drove more than the average number of miles.

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute engineers developed the data acquisition system used for the 100-car study.

Sensors included five video channels, forward and rearward Vorad radar units, accelerometers, lane tracking software, and an in-vehicle network sensor. The cameras were mounted unobtrusively to facilitate naturalistic driving behavior.

Researchers viewed more than 110,000 events in order to validate 10,548 events – specifically, 82 crashes, including 13 where the data was incomplete; 761 near crashes; 8,295 incidents, such as braking hard for slowing or stopped traffic; and 1,423 non-conflict events, such as running a stop light with no traffic present.

In addition, researchers viewed 20,000 randomly selected six-second segments of video. Incidents of moderate to severe driver fatigue were noted, providing an estimate of the amount of time drivers were fatigued but were not involved in a crash or near-crash.

The total number of subjects who were involved in fatigue-related crashes and near-crashes was 38, with 11 drivers accounting for 58% of all the fatigue-related crashes and near-crashes.

“Applying the findings to the population at large, these results suggest that drivers are at a four-times greater risk of a crash or near-crash if they choose to drive while fatigued,” said Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. “That suggests that about 12% of all crashes and near-crashes in the population are attributable to fatigue.”

Analyses with the 100-car study database will continue. Data from a new U.S. study, the Strategic Highway Research Program, with 2,000 cars, will also provide greater statistical power.

In addition, new naturalistic driving studies focused on 16- to 18-year-old drivers are now under way. A Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study, sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, seeks to determine the effects of experience on driving performance — and the extent of variability in driving performance under specific driving conditions, such as at night.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provided additional funds to analyze the data from the teen driving study to help determine which driving performance parameters and situations should be used to provide feedback about unsafe driving performance to newly licensed teens.

The 100-Car Naturalistic Driving data set was collected in 2003 and 2004 and has been mined numerous times since. Databases from the 100-car study are available for public use on the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute website. Several publications resulting from analysis of the data are reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Do not let driver fatigue affect your fleet or teen drivers; this is something that occurs everyday and needs to be stopped. Click one of these buttons below to get the solution to your issues and worries for your situation.

Gas Prices Report

In AAA’s latest Monthly Gas Prices Report, the national average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is nearly 30 cents less than it was at this time in 2012. The national average price is $3.63 per gallon, 29 cents less than the price a year ago, which was $3.92 per gallon. In the near future, AAA projects lower gas prices, compared to last year, throughout this spring.

Since last month (March 1), gas prices have fallen 15 cents per gallon. According to AAA, this is the first month-over-month decline in gas prices since March 2003, when the average fell by 1 cent per gallon. AAA’s spokesman Avery Ash said this is unusual, and that an increase in refinery production combined with lower oil prices is helping to drive prices down.

On a regional basis, drivers in 48 out of 50 states are paying less than $4 per gallon, with the two states with the highest average prices being in Hawaii, at $4.383 per gallon, and California, at $4.04 per gallon. The five states with the highest gas price averages aside from Hawaii and California include Alaska, at $3.998, New York, at $3.893, and Connecticut, at $3.873.

Looking ahead, AAA expects gas prices to stay less expensive than in recent years due to lower oil prices and increased refinery production. AAA said the price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude is $6 per barrel less than a year ago, and refinery utilization is up roughly 5% since the start of March, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Factors that could cause a rise gas prices in the future include the fact that most regions of the U.S. have yet to make the switch to summer blend gasoline and refineries still have to complete needed maintenance. Still, AAA expects a lower average gasoline price compared to last year due to higher domestic production and relatively low demand. However, don’t less gas prices effect you or your fleet no matter how much they fluctuate. Save money another way by investing in a fleet tracking system from Safety Track of Michigan. Click the button below to get more information and improve your company’s fuel efficiency today!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new Tier 3 tailpipe and fuel standards that are designed to reduce emissions and the sulfur content in gasoline. The proposed standards would go into effect in 2017 if approved as-is.

Certain people in Las Vegas have recently gone down a path of shady actions to perform insurance fraud, preying on 18-wheelers to cause rear-end collisions.

There have been as many as 100 suspected staged accidents in the past 2 1/2 years, according to a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. 25 of those have involved the big tractor-trailers, seems a bit odd I would say.

While a big rig doesn’t sound like something anyone can necessarily “prey” upon, the trick is actually pretty simple. These people pull in front of a truck quickly, and before it can create the space it needs to brake safely these people slam on their brakes.

In addition to carrying loads of goods across the country, these big trucks also carry loads of insurance coverage. And we don’t need to explain why an 80,000-pound behemoth lacks the physical ability to stop as quickly as a small compact car. After the criminals have been rear-ended, they claim injury and collect the cash.

However, these criminals have taken things a step further by filling the fraudulent cars with one of two kinds of passengers – the willing and the unknowing. In either case, the point is to create multiple claims and, thus, more money. Willing participants — we’ll call them meth-heads for short — receive a cut of the insurance money and have often been identified at more than one accident scene. The unknowing – well, they’re often immigrant workers who are picked up and told they’re being driven to a job site.

While the police are concerned about insurance fraud, they’re thinking what you’re thinking: Let’s not get anyone killed out there. Trooper Loy Hixson of the Nevada Highway Patrol said that many of the participants have no idea what they’re doing.

“In some cases, we are coming across the same people at different accident scenes,” he said in a statement. “They use different cars and different names, but we collect every bit of information, and that’s a red flag that these are willing participants being paid to participate.”

There’s huge potential for additional injuries here, including causing more accidents behind or in front of the truck. And what if the truck driver swerved or flipped? A line of stabbed brakes behind the tractor-trailer could be devastating. All the more reason to be extra careful and cautious when sending out your fleet everyday. With this increased crime that has been going on over the past few years there is no better time then now to invest in an in-vehicle camera from Safety Track of Michigan.

Click here to learn more about our In-Vehicle Camera

This vehicle was released by General Motors for the 2014 model-year, at the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 7. The Chevy Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel has been the named dubbed by the company producing this version of the sedan. By releasing this version of the Chevy Cruze they are trying to create a competitive advantage for the company in the sedan market.

The Chevy Cruze Clean Diesel Solution

GM stated that although they are focusing on retail sales during the launch, they’re interested in gauging its fleet customers’ interest and hearing feedback about the vehicle. GM added that it would be an ideal choice for fleet customers whose drivers spend a lot of time on the road commuting, traveling to visit customers, or driving between offices. One key advantage of the Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel for fleets is that because diesel fuel prices are generally more stable, using this fuel type can make it easier for fleet customers to predict fuel-related costs and budget accordingly.

Expectations of THIS Chevy Cruze

In terms of fuel economy, GM said it expects its 2014-MY Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel to get 42 mpg highway and that emissions-wise it will produce emissions below the limit set by U.S. Tier 2 Bin 5 standards. The automaker said the compact sedan comes equipped with a 2.0L turbodiesel engine which produces an estimated 148 hp and 258 lb. ft. of torque. The diesel Cruze model’s final drive ratio is 3.20. GM added that the engine is rated for biodiesel and can use B-20.

Starting MSRP for this version of the Chevy Cruze is $25,695, including a $810 destination charge (this price excludes tax, title, license, and dealer fees). The vehicle comes standard with a six-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, 17-inch alloy wheels, ultra-low-rolling resistance all-season tires, a rear spoiler, an Aero Performance Package, a 140-amp alternator, an 800 cold-cranking amps battery, and leather-appointed seating. The Chevy MyLink infotainment system is also standard.

During a conference call, GM revealed additional details about the vehicle. To start, the company said the sedan uses selective catalytic reduction technology and will require diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) roughly every 10,000 miles. GM is offering a two-year maintenance plan, which will cover DEF, oil changes, tire rotations, and other basic preventive maintenance, and a five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. The DEF tank is located in the trunk area and owners will fill the tank via a nozzle there. GM said there isn’t a separate indicator for DEF and that owners should bring the vehicle in to check DEF levels when the oil change indicator activates (oil changes are set for every 7,500 miles).

As with the Duramax diesel engine used in other GM vehicles, when DEF levels start to get low, an indicator will alert the driver that he or she needs to add more. According to GM, the indicator will alert the driver and he or she will have another 400 miles before having to add more DEF. If the driver fails to add DEF after this limit, the vehicle will initiate a staged deceleration down to 4 mph.

2013 Chevy Cruze Release Date

Sales-wise, GM is planning a staged rollout, specifically in 13 markets during the first couple of months after launch. The automaker said it plans to sell them in markets where Chevy Silverado diesel models have done well which include the West Coast, the Baltimore area, D.C., and along the whole East Coast. You can expect to see this vehicle arrive in dealer showrooms around summer time. Will the brand new Chevy Cruze be able to aquire a sustaible competitive advantage? The 2014 Chevy Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel is Chevy’s first diesel passenger car in North America in recent history but it’s going head-to-head with a very game Volkswagen Jetta so we will see what happens in the coming months.

Safety Track of Michigan reached an agreement with Owosso-based Indian Trails to install 62 of our In-Vehicle Camera Systems into their entire fleet of buses! Indian Trails provides services which include charters, tours, shuttles, airport transfers, casino runs and daily scheduled routes. They have 6 other locations around the state with ones in: Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Shiawassee County.

Over the course of the past two and a half years Indian Trails has had a great working relationship with Safety Track of Michigan. Since then, Indian Trails has seen a decrease in their expenses and a clear return on investment due to the installation of Safety Track’s camera system. “The camera systems have paid for themselves,” said Daniel Tomlinson, Director of Safety & Training at Indian Trails. He also went on to explain how investing in this fleet camera system has been one of the best decisions the company has ever made over their 100-plus year existence.

Safety Track’s In-Vehicle Camera can give companies the added advantage of being able to “ride” along with their drivers. It is used to improve driving habits, improve training, and reduce insurance claims. It is currently being used in a variety of businesses from bus lines to taxi cabs, heavy equipment to fleet vehicles, the list goes on.

Dan Tomlinson has also stated…

“We looked at over 15 different varieties of in-vehicle cameras for our buses. We wanted to ensure that it met all of our requirements for safety and training. We also wanted to be able to host our own data and have it download wirelessly through a WI-FI adaptor”.

“We replaced our costly outdated camera system with Safety Track’s system throughout our entire fleet. This camera is very easy to use!”

This is a great example of just how useful and how beneficial an in-vehicle camera system from Safety Track of Michigan can be for you and your business. Indian Trails has seen the advantage that this camera system has to offer, now it’s your turn!

As fleets continue using pickup trucks as core workhorse vehicles, new truck introductions can mean major changes in resale values depending on the number in the marketplace and new features on upcoming models. At NAIAS, Chrysler’s Ram 1500 received the Truck of the Year award, General Motors brought its all-new upcoming Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, and Ford showed a new concept vehicle, the Atlas Concept, which hints at what the automaker is planning for its F-Series pickups in the years to come. With all these new trucks arriving, or scheduled to arrive, in the marketplace, what’s going to happen to their resale values? According to Ricky Beggs of Black Book, demand should remain strong.

To dig a little deeper into this read more here!