ORLANDO, Fla. (April 18, 2017) – Despite lower gas prices, a new AAA study reveals that consumer interest in electric vehicles remains high, with the survey showing that more than 30 million Americans are likely to buy an electric vehicle for their next car. With rising sales, longer ranges and lower costs, AAA predicts a strong future for electric vehicles, and announces the top electric, hybrid and other efficient vehicles in its independent, rigorous test-track evaluation.

How AAA Chooses, Tests and Scores Vehicles
“With their lower ownership costs and compatibility with emerging autonomous technologies, electric vehicles are poised to be a key vehicle of the future,” said Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of Automotive Engineering. “Tesla — a standout in AAA’s evaluations — has helped widen the appeal of electric vehicles by showing they can be stylish, performance-focused and filled with cutting-edge technology.”

You’ve got one job: driving safely.

If you’re driving down the highway, do you think there is ever a circumstance when it’s safe or smart to close your eyes for five seconds?

Of course you don’t. Keeping your eyes on the road is one of the first things we all learn about safe driving. So why would anyone ever think it is okay to text when behind the wheel, or do anything else that takes your attention from driving?

It takes about five seconds, on average, to read or send a text. Not a lot of time. But, in that span of time, with your eyes on your phone and not on the road, a vehicle travelling 55 miles per hour can travel the length of a football field. In that instant, over that distance, a life can be taken—maybe even yours. Distracted driving killed 3,477 people on America’s roads in 2015.

Today’s national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $2.42, which is an increase of 13 cents over last month and 29 cents more than this time last year. As gas prices continue to reach new heights and hit an all-time high for the year, the summer demand has not kicked in, meaning consumers can expect the price at the pump to continue to rise for coming weeks. Based on recent American Petroleum Institute reports, U.S. gasoline deliveries in March were the second highest March deliveries ever recorded, confirming the forecast that demand is on track for the summer.

Quick Stats
The nation’s top ten least expensive markets are: South Carolina ($2.12), Oklahoma ($2.15), Mississippi ($2.17), Tennessee ($2.17), Arkansas ($2.17), Alabama ($2.18), Louisiana ($2.20), Missouri ($2.22), Virginia ($2.23) and Texas ($2.26)
The nation’s top ten markets with the largest weekly increases include: Utah (+9 cents), Ohio (+7 cents), Idaho (+5 cents), Alaska (+5 cents), Massachusetts (+4 cents), Connecticut (+4 cents), Indiana (+4 cents), New Hampshire (+4 cents), Rhode Island (+4 cents) and Florida (+4 cents)

Since 1998, 701 children have died due to heatstroke after being left or trapped in a hot vehicle. Think this tragedy can’t happen to you and your family? Ask Raelyn Balfour.

Raelyn had heard about heatstroke’s dangers. Like many of us, she chalked it up to irresponsible parents leaving children behind in vehicles. Then one morning, while feeling tired, overwhelmed, and distracted—feelings familiar to most parents with young children—she mistakenly thought she had already dropped her 9-month-old son, Bryce, at daycare before she continued on to her office. In reality, he was still in the back seat of her car. By the time she realized it, heatstroke had taken Bryce’s life.

You’re more like Raelyn and other parents who have lost a child to heatstroke than you might realize. The fact is that heatstroke tragedies happen to loving, caring, attentive parents. The vast majority of these tragedies happen when a child is mistakenly left behind in a vehicle or when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle. 

There were lot of great vehicles at the 2017 New York International Auto Show, but the overarching message was luxury SUVs and performance cars. There was not very much attention on hybrids.

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