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ONE of
the main reasons why more accidents happen at night is
the lack of proper lighting on our main and secondary
roads.
A poorly
lit road is very unsafe especially when it rains or when
visibility is zero. Those who don’t use their vehicle’s
bright lights suffer from lack of proper visibility,
thus making them susceptible to accidents. In many
cities of Metro Manila, the main roads are almost always
lit. Go and pass Roxas Boulevard at night and you’ll be
dazzled by the colorful lamps especially those on the
Baywalk.
In other
areas, the lights few and far in between, making it hard
for motorists to see. If not for their vehicles’
headlamps, driving would difficult especially for the
elderly with poor eyesight or those who suffer from
night-blindness.
Street
lights are usually switched off around 10 p.m. The
reason being that city or municipal governments, which
pay for the electricity, are keen on saving money.
But, as
pointed out by the authorities, the most common cause of
accidents at night is the lack of proper lighting. How
could this be remedied? The MMDA, which is responsible
for the safety of our roads, must provide for the
systematic lighting of the streets in the metropolis.
First,
there must be a plan. If you would notice, some of the
streets lights or posts are of various designs. Some
have week lights and set very high while the others are
set so low that they blind the oncoming drivers and are
very much susceptible to vandals or thieves.
Many
local government officials are more interested on their
adornment value to the detriment of the safety of
motorists.
There
should be uniformity in erecting streetlights.
***
I JUST
read an article regarding the development of the next
generation of robot-driven cars that will be operational
in the next few years.
This
November, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (Darpa) is sponsoring a competition in
San Francisco
that will test the capabilities of the “first wave of
intelligent robot cars,” which boast of super
developments in artificial intelligence that “would lead
to driverless cars on the road by 2030.”
“Today
we can drive about 100 miles (160 km) before human
assistance is necessary, by 2010 I expect this to go
1,000 miles (1,160 km), by 2020 up to a million miles
(1.6 million km). By 2030, you’ll be able to see them on
the highway, with a driving reliability that will exceed
humans by orders of magnitude. We believe this
technology will affect all of us. It is going to have
enormous significance for people who can’t drive because
of disabilities or because they are ill or impaired,”
said an associate professor at Stanford University who
is also joining the competition.
Since
these are promoted by the defense department, one catch
is that these ideas will likely see use “on the
battlefields wherein convoys will operate in hostile
environments or where there is danger to personnel.”
***
THE high
cost of fuel is driving many motorists to be very
meticulous in their choice of brand-new vehicles.
It is no
wonder that many of them are opting for cars and SUVs of
Hyundai, which are slowly but surely making their mark
in the market. Yes, Hyundai started to become a byword
when the Starex started flooding the market several
years back.
Recently, I was able to test-drive two of Hyundai’s
vehicles—the Tucson and the Accent—courtesy of the
Hyunadi’s Fe Agudo and her reliable assistant Paeng
Batuigas (yes, he is the son of that known police
reporter and columnist Ruther).
It was
the multiawarded
Tucson
that was first assigned to me. It sports a very macho
stance that says it is ready to go into action with a
flick of the key. The 2.0-liter CRDi automatic has an
electronic four-wheel drive system with dual exhaust and
packs a wallop when you step on the accelerator.
At 120
kph on the highway, the
Tucson
was an exhilarating driving experience. The 1,991 cc
engine provides maximum power of 112 ps at 4000 rpm and
yet is very quiet.
The very
comfortable ride is being assured by the independent
MacPherson struts with coil springs and hydraulic shock
absorbers with 21 mm antiroll bar front suspension while
the rear has an independent strut with multilink coil
springs and hydraulic shock absorbers with 14 mm
antiroll bar.
And to
assure the safety of the occupants, it also has a driver
side SRS air bag, an antilock braking system, electronic
brake force distribution and traction control system.
The rear
seats can be folded for more flexible luggage space.
After the back seats are folded, several balikbayan
boxes can be accommodated. There are more compartments
within reach such as the glove box with adjustable
partition, spacious luggage box, side pockets, front
passenger seat under tray an d rear armrest with dual
cup holders.
I don’t
know if they had already changed their price, but a
Tucson 2.0 CRDi AT 4x4 costs P1.225 million, while a 4x2
is priced at P1.078 million. The Tucson CVVT 2WD manual
transmission goes for only P898,000, while the automatic
is priced at P948,000.
And wait
until you get your hands on the Accent. It is a very
comfy sedan that is so powerful and yet very economical.
The
Accent boasts of a 1.5-liter DOHC CRDi Turbo Intercooler
with Variable Geometry Turbocharger engine that gets you
right away to your destination as soon as possible in a
very comfortable manner. The VGT “produces an instant
engine response whenever needed.”
It
accelerates so fast and can maneuver easily on busy
streets and traffic. Although the speedometer shows that
it can be driven at 220 kph, I found it hard to push the
needle past 180 kph on a straightway. But at that speed,
the car is still steady and the wheel is very light.
But I
think what makes this Accent standout from among its
peers is its fuel economy. Although it runs on diesel,
the car can easily fool you into thinking that it runs
on gasoline since it is very quiet and smooth even in
low gear.
By the
way, I have no chance of verifying it myself, but I
would agree anytime to the results of a test by a noted
car magazine columnist who tested the car got 38.7 km to
the liter. Surprising? Why don’t you test it yourself?
The
Accent GLS 1.5 CRDi with manual transmission goes for
P768,000, while the Accent GL 1.5 CRDI with manual
transmission is priced at P680,000. |
