In some states, harvesting and eating roadkill is perfectly legal, though it is a subject of some debate. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

A large number of animals are killed every year by cars on roads in America and coincidentally, a lot of people eat meat, which comes from animals. However, eating roadkill is seen as taboo by many though a number of people do indulge, which makes for interesting debate.

Eating roadkill could become law in Montana

Imagine the following: One is driving around in their vehicle, say a new F-150 from Gus Johnson Ford in Spokane, Wa., and out pops a deer. Smack! The deer lays dead, as one’s children wheedle from the backseat that “you killed Bambi,” not appreciating the free roof over their heads, food on their plates and clothes on their backs, the rotten ingrates.

Some might think to call authorities. Others might think “free meat!” The latter camp might soon be accommodated in Montana.

Currently, according to the Daily Mail, a bill is in the Montana state legislature that could make it legal to take home roadkill. Montana House Bill 247, which passed in the state House of Representatives, would allow individuals to take carcasses they feel fit for consumption.

Is it safe

Naturally, there are some concerns. One doesn’t know much about the animal. That deer, moose, antelope, whatever, could have been a maniac.

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According to Food Safety News, the risks in eating roadkill are similar to commercial meat. Ruminants, animals that graze, have E.Coli and more specifically E.Coli157 in their digestive tract, the bad kind. Gut spillages, where the bowels are perforated, can spoil the meat.

Furthermore, diseases the animal may have picked up like chronic wasting disease and so on, can make the meat toxic and it’s not like there are inspectors. In some areas, toxins from waste dumped by naughty corporations can accumulate in the liver. A good way to find out if that’s a possibility is to watch for advisories issued for hunters in the area.

Also, every species is susceptible to specific diseases; squirrels, raccoons, porcupines, etc., are all at risk for different strains of bacterium and viruses.

Tradition and legality

People in poorer areas have been eating roadkill for decades. Johnathan McGowan, an Englishman, was interviewed by The Guardian newspaper, revealing he’d been eating roadkill for 44 years as of 2011.

According to the blog on the Chelsea Green Publishing website, it’s estimated up to 100 million critters or more perish on roadsides annually. The Federal Highway Administration, according to Slate, estimates up to 2 million large animals – deer, elk and so forth – are killed in collisions per year.

That’s a lot of meat. PETA has even endorsed it, reasoning that since the animal wasn’t butchered by the meat industry or cruelly shot instead of starving to death or dying slowly from disease, it’s fair game. It’s also free of growth hormones, antibiotics and so forth.

However, once one gets past the “ick” factor of roadkill cuisine, there are roadkill laws. Not every state allows it. In some states, one has to get the go-ahead from a game warden, according to Slashfood. Some states following that rubric even have call lists, where a person even gets called if a fresh deer is available. In Alaska, the meat is taken to butchers who agree to prepare it for free and the meat is donated to the needy. In Illinois, if a person hits it, they can take it, according to the great Wiki oracle. If the driver leaves it, it’s fair game.

Sources

Daily Mail

Food Safety News

Chelsea Green Publishing

Slate: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2011/02/does_this_rabbit_taste_like_tires.html

Slashfood: http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/19/is-roadkill-safe-to-eat/

PETA: http://www.peta.org/about/faq/Is-it-OK-to-eat-roadkill.aspx

The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/26/i-eat-roadkill

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadkill_cuisine

What's in your gas tank? Human fat? (Photo Credit: CC BY-ND/Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources/Flickr)

Filling the gas tank is expensive, leading some to search for alternative fuels. Some go with standard biofuel or electricity, while others opt for the bizarre. Here are just a few strange things people put in their car’s gas tank. Some are effective under the right circumstances, while others are not.

Gas tank follies No. 1 – Coffee grounds

In the U.K., an enterprising group of tinkerers modified a 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco to run on coffee grounds. The prime argument is that coffee had the carbon to make it a viable alternative fuel. The coffee-powered VW did break a speed record for organic waste-powered vehicles, but it cost more to rig the engine than to simply bite the bullet and stick with gasoline. Then there were those ugly filters that needed cleaning.

Gas tank follies No. 2 – Water

Not as extreme as some substances on this list, a Pakistani scientist claimed to have made an engine that would split hydrogen and oxygen atoms and power a car. Considering the energy that would be needed to make that happen, however, the existence of such a working consumer engine has been debunked.

Gas tank follies No. 3 – Chocolate

Bacteria can use fuel from sugar waste to produce hydrogen and generate power. Enter sweet chocolate. Researchers at England’s University of Warwick built a race car from recycled vegetable sources that ran on chocolate. Called the WorldFirst Formula 3, the car’s biodiesel engine ran on chocolate waste and vegetable oil.

Gas tank follies No. 4 – Air

A compressed air car works in a way similar to a steam engine, using electric power to move compressed air through a piston engine. While no emissions are involved, this kind of an engine isn’t a favorite with engineers, as too much energy is lost. Thus, it’s less effective than your standard EV. Yet Honda and India’s Tata Motors are still working on this one.

Gas tank follies No. 5 – Sawdust

This biofuel can be heated into liquid form before it burns. Attach a gasifier to an engine and sawdust can work, at least in theory. Researchers suggest that you’d need a lot of sawdust to actually power a vehicle over long distances.

Gas tank follies No. 6 – Straw

Similar to sawdust, straw also has some potential as a biofuel. Corn-based ethanol has proven to be a more popular fuel source, however.

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Gas tank follies No. 7 – Styrofoam

Iowa State University researchers have looked into turning plastic waste into fuel. The process involves dissolving the polystyrene in Styrofoam into biodiesel fuel. At low concentration, plastic fuel blends will generate electricity, but if the concentration is too thick, overheating occurs. The polymers in the plastic make the process a dirty one, too.

Gas tank follies No. 8 – Diapers

Deriving energy from burning garbage via the pyrolysis process, where items are heated until breakdown into individual byproducts, works just fine with diapers, says Quebec company AMEC. The company is working on an automotive power plant that can effectively break down every part of a diaper.

Gas tank follies No. 9 – Human fat

In 2008, plastic surgeon Dr. Craig Alan Bittner of Beverly Hills, Calif., claimed he’d figured out how to use fat from liposuctions to power his SUV and Lincoln Navigator. Experts called this bogus, however, as the Navigator does not come with a diesel engine option that would be necessary for conversion to biofuel. As California doesn’t allow human waste to be used as an alternative fuel for a vehicle, authorities investigated and found that unauthorized staff had worked on patients. So Bittner’s credibility came into question.

Gas tank follies No. 10 – Ammonia

Anhydrous ammonia is sometimes used as fertilizer, so why not? Burned in an internal combustion engine, there would be little or no emissions. However, as ammonia is less than half as dense as gasoline, vehicle range would be very limited. Plus, there are health concerns over the small amount of emissions that would be produced. That didn’t stop the U.S. Defense Department from experimenting with ammonia-fueled vehicles during the 1960s, but it will likely prevent it from behind used as a consumer vehicle fuel source any time soon.

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A car that runs on coffee grounds?

Sources

ABC News

Mental Floss

New York Times: http://nyti.ms/Wddcg7

Wired

A recent viral video featuring a Fiat could not be more classic comedy if Laurel and Hardy had been in the car. Image: twm1340/Flickr/CC BY-SA

A video of a Fiat 500 stuck on a narrow road in Naples, Italy and the ensuing snafu it initiates has gone viral. It is a remarkable unplanned short film that could not have had a more classic comedy build if it had been staged.

Fiat 500 in a funny pickle

It is likely the events depicted were not so amusing to the hapless character at the center of it all. He finds himself ridiculously pinned while trying to either parallel park or negotiate a U turn on a street so narrow and crowded it is impossible to do either. And that’s where the video begins.

Laurel and Hardy meet a gorilla

In his often-anthologized 1958 essay, “Comedy’s Greatest Era,” famed film critic and historian James Agee mentioned a sequence from the 1938 Laurel and hardy film “Swiss Miss” as a prime example of the build of classic comedy

“It is simple enough,” Agee said of the sequence. “Simple and real, in fact, as a nightmare. Laurel and Hardy are trying to move a piano across a narrow suspension bridge. The bridge is slung over a sickening chasm, between a couple of Alps. Midway they meet a gorilla.”

That is the way this unplanned video plays, with new elements introduced at intervals to intensify the conflict and compound the comic tension. Just as each new element builds the situation to near chaos, in comes another complication to ramp it up all the more.

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Batman and the bomb

Another sequence it brings to mind is the one in “Batman: The Movie” in which Adam West as Batman can’t get rid of a bomb, with its fuse burning away. At each turn he encounters children, nuns or a flock of little yellow duckies.

His fifteen minutes

Well, the man in the Fiat 500 got himself into the predicament and so has earned his humiliation and/or fifteen minutes of fame. It will take you only nine or so to watch it, though.

The video could use a good edit to tighten it up, and the camera work is shaky, but stick with it and you should get a few chuckles to help steer you through your day.

It might be even funnier if you speak Italian. I didn’t understand a word, but like a great silent comedy, its humor transcends language barriers.

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Video: ‘Fiat Stuck in Naples’

Sources

MIT
Autoblog
Autoevolution

The 2003 BMW M5 is among the most depreciated cars around. (Photo Credit: Public Domain/IFCAR/Wikipedia)

Are you one of these people? Do you point at luxury cars when one drives past, laugh knowingly and remind whoever will listen that for the loss of value that car is going to experience over the next few years, you could buy at least two new economy cars? If this sounds familiar, this article is for you. These are among the most depreciated cars of the past 10 years.

Most depreciated cars No. 10 – 2003 BMW M5

Originally, the E39 M5 had a sticker price of around $71,000. Yet this artistic marvel of a car hasn’t maintained its value well, falling $54,000 to around the $17,000 mark.

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Most depreciated cars No. 9 – 2006 Cadillac STS-V

The rear-wheel drive V8 STS-V luxury sedan is known for being a quiet customer. It is also known for dropping from an original sticker price of $77,090 to about $20,000. That’s a $57,000 drop.

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Most depreciated cars No. 8 – 2006 Jaguar XJ Super

This top-of-the-line big Jag started at $90,330. Now at $25,000, it costs less than a Prius. For the $65,000 devaluation, you could easily buy a Prius.

Most depreciated cars No. 7 – 2005 Maserati Quattroporte

Imagine being able to buy a first-generation Maserati model car for $25,000. You can with this one, since the price has dropped $70,000 from its original sticker price of around $95,500. Considering that some 2012 Masteratis have already lost $35,000 off MSRP, you’d be getting a relative bargain!

Most depreciated cars No. 6 – 2003 Porsche Cayenne Turbo

Another $70,000 in the tank describes the depreciation of this 450 hp Porsche SUV. What began at $90,000 MSRP now sits at around $20,000.

Most depreciated cars No. 5 – VW Phaeton W12

A beautifully engineered vehicle, the 444 hp W12 Phaeton had a base MSRP or $94,600. Now, you can buy one for around $18,000.

Most depreciated cars No. 4 – 2005 Audi A8 W12

This long-wheelbase A8 with a six-liter W12 had an original MSRP of $118,190. Today, the MSRP is down $80,000 to $35,950.

Most depreciated cars No. 3 – 2003 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG

We’re approaching near $100K territory here. Mercedes-Benz is a high-depreciator in general, and very expensive to repair, to boot. This two-pronged assault has made the brand almost disposable from one year to the next. This S-Class coupe lost 86 percent of its value, down $99,000 from $114,600 to $15,500.

Most depreciated cars No. 2 – 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG

Sporting a twin-turbo V12, the SL65 started out at $185,000 when it was new. Now, you can save $140,000 and buy one for around $45,000.

Most depreciated cars No. 1 – 2004 Maybach 57

If you’re a rapper with an eye for value, try this Maybach 57 on for size. Since opening at $305,500, down it has lost about two thirds of its value (just over $100,000). Think of the Cristal that $200,000 saved could buy.

Sources

Investopedia

Jalopnik

Meh. Ignore it. Image: Robert Couse-Baker/Flickr/CC BY

Keeping your vehicle in mint shape is a great thing when it comes time for resale, and it lets you continue driving it much longer. But who has the time for such things? And anyway, it’s boring. Besides, a little vehicular damage adds character, right?

Vehicular damage is always a factor

Cars are huge, heavy and complex. The chance of damage is always a factor as we pilot the massive beasts on crowded streets. But why leave things to chance? Here are some things you can do (or neglect to do, as it were) that will ensure your ride becomes gradually worse for the wear over time.

Vehicular damage through neglect

Ignoring regular maintenance is the number one tactic for slow-but-steady vehicular damage. So, be sure to put off any regularly scheduled maintenance. If the check engine light is on, put duct tape over it and let it burn. Don’t check your oil, or other fluids, ever. The same goes with filters and hoses. Tire pressure — what is that? And if your car overheats regularly, just keep pouring coolant into the system and continue driving.

By neglecting these things, you will put yourself on a sure path to early vehicular death and loss of resale or auto refinance value. But the damage will only be on the inside where it doesn’t show.

To slowly chip away at the vehicle’s body and looks, here are some more helpful tricks.

Wash and wear

Always wash your car in the bright sun, if you can. That may have to wait until spring, but it ensures ugly streak-marks. When you do wash it, use dish washing detergent, because it will strip any protective surface already on your car’s paint job and speed up the wear. Always use burlap or some other similarly-abrasive fabric to wash the vehicle. Never, ever use 100 percent cotton fabrics or towels.

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Between washes

Always park in the sun, too, when you can, and pick places with the greatest exposure to traffic. That greatly increases the chance of fender benders while you are away. If there is gravel available, park there for the hope of getting pits and glass chips from spraying pebbles.

Our final tips relate to how your drive. Swing wide in turns, tailgate and regularly cut off other drivers. Be spongy about the lines on the road. Cross and straddle them often. By applying these and other sloppy driving techniques, you can significantly increase your chance of an accident, creating damage and maybe even injuries.

Sources

Cool Car Air
1027 KORD
AOL Autos

Don't try to throw drugs out the window if being pulled over, it won't work and you will go to jail. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

Some people think that if they throw drugs out the window, when being chased by police, that they will somehow evade being charged for it. Time after time, they are proven as stupid as they are wrong and guilty.

Trying to throw drugs out the window doesn’t work in movies, real life

Anybody ever see the movie “Super Troopers?” In the movie’s opening scene, a trio of druggie teenagers, being followed by the jocular policemen, decide to throw drugs out the window so if they get pulled over, they can’t be busted on drug possession charges.

It doesn’t work out. They get busted for littering and “smoking the reefer.” Hilarity then ensues.

It turns out that life does imitate art, because it doesn’t work in real life either.

Man filmed trying to ditch drugs through closed window

According to the Daily Mail, one Marquese Anglin was pulled over by police in Fairview, Tenn., on the evening of Jan. 8. He didn’t initially comply, as he led police on a brief chase at 60 miles per hour. Officers pulled up alongside and noticed he repeatedly tried flinging an object at the window, which repeatedly bounced off because the window was rolled up. Eventually he pulled over and it was discovered he was trying to throw drugs out the window.

He was arrested and booked. Besides drug possession, he was charged with driving on a suspended license and failing to obey an order to stop by officers.

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Not the only one

Anglin isn’t the only one. Numerous examples in the peanut gallery of dum-dums are out there.

For instance, on Feb 3. 2012, according to WSOCTV.com, a Charlotte, N.C. ABC affiliate, in Albemarle, N.C., one Darold Turner and two accomplices were involved in a short chase with police, on a wrong way street, tossing 20 baggies of drugs out the window. Turner was arrested for possession, driving the wrong way and evading police.

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On Dec. 31, 2012, according to The Eagle of Bryan and College Station, Texas, two men in a car were noticed by a Texas state trooper driving at 90 miles per hour down the freeway. As he began to give chase, passenger Ronnie Renault Thomas threw a baggie out the passenger window. It contained a pipe and methamphetamine. Thomas had a gun on him. He was charged with tampering of evidence and illegal possession of a firearm. He and the driver were both charged with possession of an illegal substance.

Sometimes it also goes awry. According to WBTW, a Myrtle Beach CBS affiliate, in Aug. 2012, a woman was chased by police on Interstate 85, near Spartanburg, S.C. Her 7-year-old niece was told to throw drugs out the window. She unbuckled her seatbelt to do it. Her aunt lost control and rolled the vehicle, resulting in the child being ejected from the vehicle. The driver also suffered injuries and was taken to hospital. The Spartanburg Country Sheriff remarked it was the “the stupidest thing this woman could have done” and that the woman would be charged with “everything you can think of.”

Look, criminals are idiots. Instead of running, just pull over and admit when it’s a fair cop. They will likely go easier on you.

Watch the dummy in action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxnjJZypSCc

Sources

Daily Mail

WSOCTV

The Eagle

WBTW: http://www2.wbtw.com/news/2012/aug/06/4/7-year-old-sc-girl-thrown-car-after-police-chase-e-ar-4286794/

Get her a photo shoot in her favorite classic car for Valentine's Day. (Photo Credit: CC BY/K. Chan/Flickr)

Valentine’s Day is a week away, and your significant other would love to receive a Valentine’s promissary note our “love coupon” in which you promise to do something special for them. While the specific nature of such promises is bounded only by your imagination, for those significant others who are car lovers, consider that love when making your promises. Here are some Valentine’s Day car service promises to try.

Valentine’s car service promise No. 1 – Full detail and wax

A perfectly clean car can be very sexy. At the very least, however, it makes for a more comfortable ride and is less likely to drawn the ridicule of passersby. If you promise to wash, wax, vacuum and detail your significant other’s ride, you’ll score major points – particularly if you’re preparing the car for a big date night.

Valentine’s car service promise No. 2 – Change the oil

Whether you do it yourself of take it in for the next scheduled service, changing the oil is a helpful task that can spare your significant other time and maybe getting dirty. Be a smooth operator and keep their engine (and chassis) lubricated.

Valentine’s car service promise No. 3 – Check the tires

If your love’s tires are showing signs of going soft, balding or needing relocation, take action. Make sure the air pressure levels are up to snuff in their car tires, replace the tires with a new set if the tread is becoming excessively worn and rotate the tires if it hasn’t been done in quite a while.

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Valentine’s car service promise No. 4 – Give them a control tour

While your significant other likely already knows how to drive, they may not know what every single gadget on their car’s dash does. Studies indicate that they probably aren’t alone in that regard, either. So one Valentine’s Day gift could be your personalized tour of their car’s features. Knowledge is power, and who doesn’t appreciate power?

Valentine’s car service promise No. 5 – Help them car shop

Researching a new car purchase can be bewildering. There are so many comparable makes and models, and so many websites full of information. With a second person to aid in the search, the herd can be culled that much more quickly.

Valentine’s car service promise No. 6 – Arrange a photo shoot

If your significant other has a dream car or a love of classic cars, here’s a fun idea. Get in touch with a dealership or collector as well as a photographer and try to get your lover a photo shoot with their automotive of choice.

Valentine’s car service promise No. 7 – Plan a road trip

A romantic road trip is the perfect thing to spring on your significant other for Valentine’s Day. Make it a trip without Interstates, something more peaceful involving museums, antique stores, hiking trails and more.

Valentine’s car service promise No. 8 – Rent a convertible

If you don’t already have a shiny, clean convertible, rent one and take your loved one out on a nice night for dinner, dancing, a drive-in movie or whatever you enjoy. Get a sitter and do it without the kids, if there are kids.

Valentine’s car service promise No. 9 – Clean and repair/replace headlamps

Headlights that fail to light the way properly can put drivers, passengers, pedestrians and property in danger. Make sure the headlights in your significant other’s car are clean and fully functional. Clean the glass, replace bulbs and even go for entirely new fixtures if needed.

Valentine’s car service promise No. 10 – Pre-program their GPS

If your squeeze has a GPS unit in their vehicle – or even a GPS navigation app on their smartphone – they may appreciate you programming in some of their favorite desired destinations. Before you go on vacation, show the forethought to prep their device with the locations, so they don’t have to. It shows that on Valentine’s Day or any other day, you care.

Sources

Consumer Reports

Yahoo! Autos

A car like this left running to de-ice is jsut want frost jackers love to see. Image: Robert Couse-Baker/Flickr/CC BY

“Frost jacking” is a crime in which opportunistic thieves look for unattended vehicles that are warming up on frosty mornings. This type of auto theft is reported every winter.

Frost jacking is prevalent right now

Right now, it is on the rise in the U.S. and in Europe. Recently, Paul Scholes, a UK football star who plays for the Manchester United, had his 4×4 Chevrolet Captiva frost jacked when he left the SUV running to de-ice.

Last month, frost jackers got away with six vehicles in just an hour and a half in Belfast, Ireland.

Thieves can be organized, working in teams

Stuart Chapman, the police relationships manager for Tracker, a UK-based vehicular security system, said: “Thieves look out for cars on frosty mornings, shopping around for the most popular makes and models, as temperatures start to drop.”

According to Aaron Turpen, writing for Torque news, these thieves can be very organized and work in teams. Before it gets cold, they will drive around neighborhoods, looking for desirable makes and models that are parked uncovered at residences, making notes of their locations. Then, when the weather turns south, they will revisit come of the targeted vehicles and wait, hoping for a moment to drive away with the vehicle when the unsuspecting owner goes inside to get a last cup of coffee. Often, says Turpen, they will have an exit-strategy in place as well — a nearby place where the vehicle can be driven and quickly put out of sight. Most of these vehicles are destined for chop shops and quick sales.

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An easily preventable crime

Imagin how much it would hurt to come outside some frosty morning, only to find an empty driveway, and you so close to your car loan payoff.

The good news is that this is one of the most preventable types of car theft. Simply don’t leave your car running unattended. Either sit in the car while it warms, or better yet, skip the warm-up all together. The fact is, unless your car is very old, it really doesn’t need to be warmed up.

Rough it just a bit

If you are letting your car idle simply to remove snow and ice, or to have a toasty cabin to tuck into, you may just have to screw up your resolve and rough it a little bit. You’re going to save time and energy by sweeping the snow and scraping the ice off yourself. And if you’re  a little chilly at first, bundle up. It’s winter, after all. Besides, your car heats up a lot faster when it is moving than when it idles.

Sources

Car Pages
Fleet News
Torque News

Mini discovered that too much Spam is not necessarily a really good thing. Image: arnold | inuyaki/Flickr/CC BY

The American arm of Mini, the British-born maker of small cars, apparently also has a big heart. Coming just shortly before Valentine’s day, it has shipped a package of chocolate roses and canned meat by way of apologizing for recdent a runaway spamming incident.

Mini e-mails gone wild

In the final week of January, Mini’s automated e-mail system went all glitchy and spammed everyone on its mailing list with hundreds of copies of the same message. Needless to say, many, many customers were not pleased with the automaker’s unintended move, as they cleared out their stuffed in-boxes.

Nothing like saying ‘I’m sorry’ with swag

So to make up for the unfortunate error, Mini sent a gift box to all the recipients of the spam messages. In that gift box was a set of chocolate roses — which are always nice for saying “I’m sorry,” as well as for satiating a sweet tooth. The box also contained a can of Spam. Get it, Spam, spam. Cute, and good fried for breakfast in a pinch. And if that wasn’t enough, Mini threw in a roll of duct tape, just for “patching up” any rift that might still remain. And who can’t find a use for more duct tape?

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A letter of apology

The package also contained a note that read:

“Dear [insert name],

Last week you received some emails from us. Hundreds of emails, in some cases. While we love staying in touch, this was unintentional. A server went haywire and the technical glitch has been fixed, but we wanted to make up for any hassle we might have caused.

Nothing says ‘I’m sorry’ quite like flowers and chocolate, so we’ve combined the two and enclosed a chocolate rose. But if you’re allergic to flowers (or chocolate), we hope this duct tape will help fix things up. Or, if you’re ever feeling annoyed again, you can de-stress using this particularly squeezable can of spam.

Again, our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience.

Motor on,

The MINI Team”

A classy move

The move was clever, classy and funny, in our opinion. Hopefully, it will serve its purpose and clear any temporary bad blood between the company and its customers.

Still, if the incident makes some decide to turn their backs on Mini, they might consider trying BJ’s Auto Buying Program.

Sources

Motor Torque
Autoblog
Taxi

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, is stepping down. Image: merfam/Fickr/CC BY

Ray LaHood, the Republican Secretary of Transportation who brought a touch of bipartisan cooperation to the Obama administration and led a crusade against distracted driving, is stepping down.

Ray LaHood not staying for second term

“I have let President Obama know that I will not serve a second term as secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation,” LaHood said on Tuesday, January 29.

Praise from President Obama

President Obama praised LaHood for his “his dedication, his hard work, and his years of service to the American people.”

The President thanked him for his efforts toward creating jobs, rebuilding traffic infrastructure and bolstering the nation’s transit systems. That work, he said, has “laid the groundwork for the high-speed rail network of the future.”

‘An extraordinary opportunity’

LaHood sent an email to the president, thanking him for granting him “such an extraordinary opportunity.” He went on to say he would remain in his post until an appropriate replacement is chosen and confirmed by Congress.

He further wrote about the work he has accomplished in the last four years. “We have put safety front and center with the Distracted Driving Initiative,” LaHood wrote. “We have made great progress in improving the safety of our transit systems, pipelines, and highways, and in reducing roadway fatalities to historic lows.”

LaHood added that “it has been an honor and a privilege to lead the department.”

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Cell phone and texting bans

Today, the District of Columbia and 10 states prohibit motorists from using cellphones or handheld devices while they are driving. Likewise, texting while driving is now banned in Washington, D.C. and 39 states. Those changes came largely as a result of the determined efforts of LaHood.

In addition to his efforts toward curbing distracted driving, LaHood also oversaw the allocation of $48 billion in transportation stimulus funding, creating jobs, improving infrastructure and championing public transportation. He was also central in the Administration’s decision to mandate that all vehicles sold in 2025 –  at U.S. dealerships like Gus Johnson New Cars — must meet a standard of 54.5 m.p.g.

Possible replacements for LaHood

Several people have been suggested as possible replacements for LaHood in various reports. The list includes Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Debbie Hersman and Jennifer Granholm, the former Governor of Michigan. The Obama Administration has been criticized for not appointing enough women or minorities to staff positions in the President’s second term. It may take the opportunity here to address that.

Sources

Detroit News
Washington Post
Chicago Tribune