Here are Seven Random Facts About Vanity License Plates

Since clearly you woke up today saying, “Hey!  I’m so curious about vanity license plates.  I sure hope someone tells me all about them” . . . your dream has come true.  Here are seven random facts about vanity plates.

#1.)  About 9.3 million vehicles in the U.S. have customized vanity license plates.

#2.)  The 46 states that offer vanity license plates only made $177 MILLION off the fees . . . or an average of about $19 per plate.

#3.)  Texas is the first state to start auctioning off the best one-word vanity plates.  The plate reading “FERRARI” recently sold for$15,000, “PORSCHE” went for $7,500, and “AMERICA” went for $3,000.

#4.)  The most expensive vanity plate ever sold was in Abu Dhabi in 2008 . . . someone paid $14.3 MILLION for a plate with the number “1” only.

 #5.)  Virginia has the most drivers with vanity plates, at 16%.  It’s followed by New Hampshire and Illinois.

#6.)  Texas has the fewest vanity plates at 0.56%.

 #7.)  Studies have found that people with vanity plates and bumper stickers have more of a “territory marker” mentality . . . and are more likely to honk at other drivers, tailgate, and experience ROAD RAGE.

A New Study Proves that Radio Makes People Happier Than TV or the Internet

Occasionally I forget that I am a GOD OF HAPPINESS, making the world a better place every Saturday with merely the power of my voice.  So it’s nice when a study like this reminds me. According to a scientific study, listening to the radio makes people happier than watching TV or surfing the Internet.  YOU’RE WELCOME. In the study, people felt a 100% boost in their happiness and a 300% boost in their energy levels when they were listening to the radio versus not consuming any type of media. TV and the Internet also boosted people’s happiness, but only about HALF as much as radio. Mark Barber of Britain’s Radio Advertising Bureau explained the results.  Quote, “Radio plays an important emotional role in people’s lives.  People use radio as a lifestyle support system.” Damn straight!! Oh, if you’re wondering what this has to do with cars…. the majority of your radio listening is done in your car. Good day sir!

Believe It Or Not, Texting While Driving is Twice as Dangerous as Drinking and Driving

The whole “texting while driving will kill you” message still hasn’t landed, so let’s throw out another INSANE statistic to see if this one sinks in. According to a study by Virginia Tech University, texting while driving increases your chance of having an accident by 23 TIMES. In comparison, drinking and driving increases your chance by 11 TIMES. Which isn’t to say you should choose drinking and driving over texting and driving . . . you should choose neither.  But for all the hype that drunk driving gets, texting and driving is more than TWICE as dangerous. So if you are dumb enought to drink and drive and you get pulled over by the cops tell’em “at least I wasn’t texting and driving!”

In a Few Years, Spare Tires Could Vanish From New Cars

Kids born today will not know what a “spare tire” is.  Not the spare tire we have around our bellies, mind you . . . kids today will TOTALLY know what those are . . . but the spare tires in the backs of cars. More and more models of cars are starting to come without spare tires included in the back . . . instead, they come with sealant repair kits.  The latest model to do it is GM’s Chevy Cruze. And here’s why.  Under the federal government’s new mandates to get fuel mileage up, car engineers are doing what they can to cut every possible ounce they can.  And spare tires are one of the first things that have gotten the ax. By 2025, the Department of Transportation wants average standard fuel economy to be up to 62 miles per gallon.  It’s currently 27.5 miles per gallon.  And it’s going to take a ton of work to get there . . . the spare tires are just a start.

High Speed Back Seat Loving?

Lawsuits after car crashes are beyond common, but in the Fairfax, Virginia County courthouse, a lawsuit about a crash on the Beltway last year is dropping a few jaws as it makes the rounds and heads toward trial next week. Among the latest allegations in the lawsuit pending in Fairfax County Circuit Court:

Paragraph 10. “At the time of the collision, Defendant was going 85 miles per hour.”

Paragraph 12. “At the time of the collision, Defendant was having sex with a female.”

Paragraph 13. “At the time of the collision, Defendant was driving admittedly drunk.”

Paragraph 14. “At the time of the accident, Defendant was partially or totally in the backseat of the car.”

85 miles per hour? The backseat? And what happened to paragraph 11?

Records show the defendant, from Woodbridge, was convicted in Fairfax district court of drunken driving near Telegraph Road in May 2010, but now he denies he was driving. He was coming from his 21st birthday party in Baltimore, court records state. The woman involved has been dismissed from the case. There was someone ELSE in the car too, and HE denies driving as well.

The defendant’s lawyer, Frank Prior, said there was “no statement by anyone that they were driving on the Beltway having sex and no facts on it.” The plaintiff, a 28-year-old cab driver, is seeking $75,000 in damages and is represented by Douglas R. Stevens, who declined to comment beyond his court filings.

Stevens sought punitive damages against the defendant and the friend, arguing in a pleading that “having sex at 85 miles per hour while drunk on a freeway is willful and wanton negligence.” A Fairfax judge threw out the punitive damages claim.

The case is set for trial this week.

If Your Commute is More Than 45 Minutes, You’re More Likely to Get Divorced

Here’s another reason sitting in traffic sucks:  According to a new study, if your commute takes longer than 45 minutes, you’re 40% more likely to get divorced. Researchers looked at data from over 2 million people between 1995 and 2005.  And during that time, the average trip to the office increased 17% from 23 minutes to 27 minutes. According to the newest U.S. census, the average commute is:  25 minutes.