Updated 10/4/2022 Refinery Outages cause West Coast Gas Prices to Soar back near Record Highs PORTLAND, Ore., – The West Coast is seeing the most extreme increase in gas prices in the country as several refineries in California undergo planned or unplanned maintenance. This is putting a severe crimp in supplies in this region. For …
Braking Bad: AAA Research shows Automatic Emergency Braking Often Performs Poorly
PORTLAND, Ore., – New research from AAA shows that Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) only works in limited driving situations. AEB is standard equipment in most new cars sold in the U.S. and works well in preventing or mitigating rear-end crashes at slower speeds. However, AEB struggles at higher speeds and fails with detecting moving vehicles …
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AAA: Annual Cost of New Car Ownership Exceeds $10K
PORTLAND, Ore., –The average yearly cost to own and operate a new vehicle in 2022 is $10,728, or $894 per month, according to new research from AAA. This is up more than $1,000 from 2021, when the average yearly cost was $9,666 or $805.50 per month. Not surprisingly, fuel prices are the most significant factor …
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AAA: Drivers Change Habits to Counter High Gas Prices
PORTLAND, Ore., – A new survey from AAA shows that drivers are making significant changes to cope with high pump prices. Almost two-thirds (64%) of U.S. adults have changed their driving habits or lifestyle since March, with 23% making “major changes.” Drivers’ top three changes to offset high gas prices are driving less, combining errands, …
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AAA Research: 25% of Americans say They’d Buy an EV for their Next Auto Purchase
PORTLAND, Ore., – New research from AAA finds that one-quarter of Americans say they would be likely to buy an electric vehicle (powered exclusively by electricity, not a hybrid or plug-in hybrid) for their next auto purchase, with Millennials and Gen Z leading the way. The number one reason is to save money on fuel …
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AAA: Independence Day Car Travel to Set New Record Despite Soaring Gas Prices
Updated 7/4/2022 PORTLAND, Ore., – AAA says the travel volume for the 4th of July holiday is just shy of 2019 with 47.9 million Americans (14.5% of the population) including 549,000 Oregonians taking a trip. This is up 3.7% over 2021, bringing travel volumes almost to pre-pandemic levels. The biggest surprise is car travel will …
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“100 Deadliest Days” Begin
PORTLAND, Ore., – AAA finds that the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are when the number of crash fatalities involving teen drivers rise. In Oregon, 75 people died in crashes involving teen drivers during the “100 deadliest days” in the 10 years from 2011 through 2020. This averages to eight people dying …
AAA: 39 Million Americans including 530,000 Oregonians to Travel for Memorial Day
Updated May 27, 2022 PORTLAND, Ore., – The unofficial start to summer will be a busy one this year as AAA predicts 39.2 million people (11.8% of the population) will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend. This is an increase of 8.3% over 2021, bringing travel volumes almost in line …
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AAA: Consumers Skeptical about Automated Vehicles
PORTLAND, Ore., – New research from AAA shows drivers overwhelmingly want automakers to improve the performance of existing driver assistance technologies rather than develop self-driving cars. And this view is backed by another round of AAA testing that shows these technologies don’t work consistently and can result in crashes with other vehicles and bicyclists. Here …
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Why did Crashes Spike During COVID with Fewer Drivers on the Road?
PORTLAND, Ore., – As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the country, fewer drivers were on the roads and there was a significant reduction in the number of miles driven. And yet, the U.S. had the highest number of fatal crashes for 2020 in more than a decade, as well as an increase in crashes involving …
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