Latest News From Bumper to Bumper Radio

It's almost time to wash winter off your car. Lauren Fix, the Car Coach® explains which critical items to check and clean on your car to minimize winter damage and prepare your ride for spring!

As Halloween nears, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reminding Americans to drive sober and to keep an eye out for trick-or-treaters. Drinking and increased pedestrian traffic on Halloween night has historically been a dangerous combination.

On Halloween night in 2015, 106 people died nationwide, and more than half of those deaths (55) involved a crash with a drunk driver, compared to one-third on an average day. More than one-quarter of Halloween crash fatalities were pedestrians, compared to 15 percent on an average day.

As children take to the streets on Halloween to trick-or-treat, their risk of being injured by a motorist increases greatly. Excited trick-or-treaters often forget about safety, so motorists, parents and caregivers must be even more alert. 

The national average price for gasoline remains relatively flat compared to one week ago, although pump prices have been pressured higher in some regions due to disruptions on the Colonial Pipeline. Today’s average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $2.22 per gallon, which is one cent more than one week ago, four cents less compared to one month ago and the same price year over year.

While drivers in a number of states (30) are paying less at the pump week-over-week, some volatility remains in Southeastern portions of the United States where gasoline prices saw upward momentum as a result of the Colonial Pipeline disruption. Line 1 operations were restored on Sunday afternoon after more than a week of downtime following a deadly explosion on Line 1 last week. While delivery of fuel has resumed, it may take a week before affected states see any relief at the pumps.

New effort will help drivers find alternative fuels and vehicle charging stations nationwide

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced 55 routes that will serve as the basis for a national network of “alternative fuel” corridors spanning 35 states. Though the network is nearly 85,000 miles long, more miles will be added in the future to accommodate electric, hydrogen, propane and natural gas vehicles as additional fueling and charging stations are built.

“Alternative fuels and electric vehicles will play an integral part in the future of America’s transportation system,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.  “We have a duty to help drivers identify routes that will help them refuel and recharge those vehicles and designating these corridors on our highways is a first step.”

More than 48 million Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving this year and the vast majority of them will be traveling by car. Join Lauren Fix, The Car Coach® to find out what drivers need to remember when driving in a colder climate.

Bumper Audio Clip of the Week

Bumper to Bumper helps a listener who is having an intermittent electrical issue with her vehicle.