Latest News From Bumper Radio

DETROIT, Aug. 11, 2016 -- The National Automotive History Collection (NAHC) has selected Fiat Chrysler's 2015 Dodge Viper SRT as its "Collectible Vehicle of the Future" for 2016.

Members of the NAHC Board of Trustees annually choose the "Collectible Vehicle of the Future" from North American-built vehicles introduced during the previous calendar year. The sixth generation of the iconic sports car was selected from new vehicles introduced in 2015.

This year's award was presented by Richard Kollins, chairman of the NAHC board and Chuck Patton, a board member.

The Viper has won the NAHC award four times since 2003. The NAHC honored the Chrysler Viper in 2003, the Dodge Viper in 2007 and the SRT (Street and Racing Technology) Viper in 2013.

After dropping 54 of 55 days, the national average price of gasoline at the pump has held steady over the past week but has declined each of the past four days. The national average price for regular unleaded is $2.12 per gallon, which is the lowest price for this date since 2004. Today’s price is fractions of a penny more than one week ago, but is nine cents less than one month ago and 54 cents less than the same date last year.

As is frequently the case, the Midwest features the most dramatic pump price movement in the nation, including the only five states posting a weekly price change of more than a nickel. This past week’s direction was not uniform as prices in Michigan and Ohio have dropped at the same time prices in Kentucky, Indiana and Minnesota have jumped. Motorists in the Midwest are used to these sorts of price swings, as low supply and the resulting sensitivity to production and distribution issues have caused sharp price increases when refineries go offline, followed by rapid decline in prices when those issues are resolved.

TORRANCE, Calif., Aug. 15, 2016 -- Arriving this fall in North America, the 2017 Civic Hatchback is the latest addition to the much-heralded 10th-generation Honda Civic lineup, joining the 2016 North American Car of the Year – the Civic Sedan, and the Civic Coupe that launched earlier this year. The 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback combines striking, Euro-inspired styling and five-door versatility with the Civic's world-class driving dynamics and Honda direct-injected turbo engine technology. The Civic Hatchback, scheduled to arrive this fall at Honda dealers nationwide, also will serve as the basis for the radical new Civic Type-R launching in the U.S. in 2017.

"The Civic Hatch has been a staple for Honda in Europe, but has long been the forbidden fruit for Honda fans in the U.S.," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Now, we're bringing this sporty, stylish and versatile Civic Hatchback to North America, as we amp up the performance of our incredible Civic lineup with each new Civic model."

Standards address second largest segment of U.S. transportation in terms of emissions and energy use

WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) jointly finalized standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles that will improve fuel efficiency and cut carbon pollution, while bolstering energy security and spurring manufacturing innovation. The final phase two standards were called for by President Obama's Climate Action Plan, and respond to the President's directive in early 2014 to develop new standards that run into the next decade.

The final phase two program promotes a new generation of cleaner, more fuel efficient trucks by encouraging the wider application of currently available technologies and the development of new and advanced cost-effective technologies through model year 2027. The final standards are expected to lower CO2 emissions by approximately 1.1 billion metric tons, save vehicle owners fuel costs of about $170 billion, and reduce oil consumption by up to two billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the program. Overall, the program will provide $230 billion in net benefits to society including benefits to our climate and the public health of Americans. These benefits outweigh costs by about an 8 to 1 ratio.

Car dealers are trying to pass off water damaged cars as good as new. Learn what buyers need to be aware of when purchasing a car in flood damaged areas.

AAA Tests Reveal Automatic Emergency Braking Systems Vary Significantly

ORLANDO, Fla (August 24, 2016) – New test results from AAA reveal that automatic emergency braking systems — the safety technology that will soon be standard equipment on 99 percent of vehicles — vary widely in design and performance. All the systems tested by AAA are designed to apply the brakes when a driver fails to engage, however, those that are designed to prevent crashes reduced vehicle speeds by nearly twice that of those designed to lessen crash severity. While any reduction in speed offers a significant safety benefit to drivers, AAA warns that automatic braking systems are not all designed to prevent collisions and urges consumers to fully understand system limitations before getting behind the wheel.

“AAA found that two-thirds of Americans familiar with the technology believe that automatic emergency braking systems are designed to avoid crashes without driver intervention,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “The reality is that today’s systems vary greatly in performance, and many are not designed to stop a moving car.”

If trend continues, U.S. may see its deadliest driving year since 2007 and deadliest Labor Day since 2008

ITASCA, Ill., Aug. 23, 2016 -- Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council indicate motor vehicle deaths were 9 percent higher through the first six months of 2016 than in 2015, and 18 percent higher than two years ago at the six month mark. An estimated 19,100 people have been killed on U.S. roads since January – enough to fill 382 school busesi – and 2.2 million were seriously injuredii. The total estimated cost of these deaths and injuries is $205 billion.

The upward trend began in late 2014 and shows no signs of decreasing. Last winter, the National Safety Council issued its largest year-over-year percentage increase in 50 years, when it estimated fatalities had jumped 8 percent in 2015 compared to 2014. The continued rise in fatalities is prompting the Council to predict the deadliest Labor Day holiday period since 2008. NSC estimates 438 people will be killed during the three-day holiday weekend.iii

Requirement could save lives and more than $1 billion in fuel each year

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced today that the Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) propose equipping heavy-duty vehicles with devices that limit their speeds on U.S. roadways, and requiring those devices be set to a maximum speed, a safety measure that could save lives and more than $1 billion in fuel costs each year.

“There are significant safety benefits to this proposed rulemaking,” Foxx said. “In addition to saving lives, the projected fuel and emissions savings make this proposal a win for safety, energy conservation, and our environment.”

Autotrader celebrates National Dog Day August 26 with "pawsome" insights and vehicle recommendations for dog lovers.

ATLANTA, Aug. 26, 2016 -- Autotrader is honoring National Dog Day—celebrated August 26—for the third consecutive year with "pawsome" insights on dogs and cars, as well as expert recommendations for Fido-friendly auto accessories and vehicles. Autotrader recently conducted a survey to understand the relationship between pooches and cars and found that 77 percent of dog owners say their dogs enjoy car rides. That's a good thing, as over half take their canine companions on car trips at least once a week.

Both brands enjoy immediate gains in shopper consideration on Edmunds as a result of their marketing efforts

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 25, 2016  -- The significant investments BMW and Chevrolet made to advertise during the 2016 Summer Olympic games seem to have paid off, according to new data from Edmunds.com. Consumer interest in BMW vehicles on Edmunds was up 12 percent during the first week of the Summer Games, and rose seven percent the second week. Chevrolet saw a six percent lift in interest on the site during the first week of the Olympics, and a two percent increase the second week. To calculate consumer interest, Edmunds' team of experts first established a baseline by analyzing four weeks of pre-Olympics traffic data to find the average number of unique visitors to each brand's make and model pages. They then looked for lifts in traffic to those pages on a weekly basis during the Games and compared them against that baseline.