Government/Legal auto news

Video: China chastizes Beijing Motor Show over scantily clad models

Our post on China's "Tiger mom" phenomenon was illustrated with that above picture; it's the Jeep Wrangler Dragon Design Concept at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, accompanied by a booth professional. The model - her, not the Jeep - made a fair few friends in the Autoblog Comments section, but it turns out she and her kind attracted the ire of the Chinese authorities.

The Capital Ethics Development Office gave the Beijing show organizers a caning because the "scantily clad" models had "a negative social impact," and the show was warned not to let "such vulgar publicity" occur again. There's a lot of room between that leather bustier and a burqa, however, so all's not lost for next year's show in Shanghai.

Scroll down to watch the Bloomberg video on the matter.

Continue reading China chastizes Beijing Motor Show over scantily clad models

Official: NHTSA proposes mandatory stability control on big rigs, busses

Stability control was made mandatory on passenger vehicles for this current model year, but it's still not a requirement for semis and busses. But that could soon be changing, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed requiring the technology on all new large commercial trucks, motorcoaches, and other large buses.

While big rigs and their brethren are often available with stability control, the rule would make the feature standard, with manufacturers given between two and four years to comply. NHTSA says the change in policy could save about 50 lives a year, and prevent over 2,300 crashes. Further, research into the effectiveness of stability control systems in preventing rollover crashes shows that over half of all such accidents could be prevented by adopting it.

Scroll down to read the full press release.

Continue reading NHTSA proposes mandatory stability control on big rigs, busses

Report: Chery requests Chinese approval of $1.9B joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover

A month ago, Jaguar Land Rover signed a joint-venture agreement with China's Chery Automobile Company. JLR's 12.1 billion yuan ($1.9 billion U.S.) investment, if approved, will pay for a plant in Changsu to build Jaguars, Land Rovers, engines and joint-venture models. The facility will also house a research and development center. Chery has submitted the paperwork to clear the deal with the Chinese government. The agreement must pass muster with the Ministry of Enviroment Protection, after which it will go to the National Development and Reform Commission.

When the agreement was first inked an Indian analyst said, "it will be some time before we see the results," a nod to the fact that government approvals can take a long time. Subaru is an instructive example, having signed an agreement with Chery a year ago. Sources said the deal was ready to be approved last November, but that was the last that has been heard of it - it's still waiting on the necessary signatures.

But JLR has the long view in mind: it sold 38,890 vehicles in China last year - all imported - a figure representing double-digit sales gains for both brands. The proposed factory will have a capacity of 130,000 units, providing a healthy buffer in case the bureaucracy sits on things.

Report: Great Britain set to introduce laws making "drug driving" a criminal offense

It's taken three years but the Great Britain is finally ready to introduce laws to make driving while impaired by illegal and legal drugs against the law. While Britain's Home Office waitied for approval of a mobile drug-testing unit - currently drug testing is done at the police station - ministers have been working on the details of the law to fall under the Crime, Communications and Court Bill.

The drugalyzers are expected to be ready by the end of the year and will be able to detect up to 13 drugs from cocaine and crack to certain prescription medications in a driver's saliva. An advisory panel is devising penalties for operators found to be impaired and considering the idea of differing penalties for different drugs various, but a one-year ban, jail time and a four-figure fine are looking like front runners.

The run-of-show would be that if a policeman pulls you over and suspects impairment, he'll test for alcohol first. If, in the policeman's eyes, that doesn't explain your horrid driving, he'll test for drugs. If you fail the drug test you'll be taken to the station and tested again on their fixed machine, to verify the findings. And if you decline to be tested at all, it'll be considered the same as declining a breathalyzer.

Report: Saab union asks Obama to pressure GM for licensing deal

The door has not yet closed on Saab. Hoping for yet another 11th hour stay of execution, the defunct carmaker's chief union, IF Metall, has written directly to President Obama, asking him to intervene, according to Just-Auto. While on the surface, this may seem silly, it's actually rather clever, even if it has little likelihood of working.

With the United States government still owning 26 percent of General Motors, the Swedish union is hoping it can appeal to Obama to pressure General Motors into granting licenses to continue manufacturing Saab vehicles, according to the report. It's this sticking point that has torpedoed every attempt to forestall Saab's dissolution, as GM fears that were it to allow continued production of Saabs developed under GM's ownership, it would open up the possibility of intellectual property conflicts, particularly if a Chinese manufacturer that competes with GM's own Chinese partner, SAIC, acquires Saab.

You have to admire Saab loyalists, as they clearly have not given up hope. But in this case, they just don't have any other options: Unemployment in the Saab hometown of Trollhättan has hit 40 percent, according to the report.

Report: Why you should call 911 if you get pulled over in Mississippi [w/video]

It sounds like an urban legend: A serial killer posing as a police officer pulling over motorists and then murdering them in their vehicles on the side of the highway. But this is no hoax, as the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is on the hunt for a suspect after discovering two such victims, according to CNN.

The shootings both took place last week, on two separate roadways some 55 miles apart, according to the report. Police say the victims were not acquainted.

Authorities in Mississippi are advising motorists to be cautious if they're pulled over, and to call 911 to verify that the police officer is legitimate. Pulling over into a well-lit, well-populated area is also advised. Scroll down to watch CNN's report on the Mississippi killings.

Continue reading Why you should call 911 if you get pulled over in Mississippi [w/video]

Report: Senate OKs mandatory black boxes in cars for 2015, House expected to follow

It's been working its way through Congress for years, but according to Car and Driver, an event recorder mandate could soon become law. The Senate has already voted to adopt a transportation bill that would make the so-called "black boxes" mandatory by the 2015 model year. According to the report, the House of Representatives is also expected to pass a similar statute.

While the specifics of the bills are "vague" - to use C/D's words - they're also likely to change before becoming law. What probably won't, according to the report, is the standard data set that the Department of Transportation has set forth, 15 measurements that include direction of acceleration, throttle position, and time that the airbags fired, among others.

This raises the specter of government snooping, of course. The Senate version at least specifies that the data contained in the little electronic box is actually owned by the owner of the vehicle, according to the report. Johnny Law can still come around with a warrant to gain access to it, however, and first responders and paramedics would be able to do so without the warrant, provided they needed the information to respond to the emergency.

Report: Truck Nuts lead to overnight stay in jail for driver

The Smoking Gun reports that one Joe Cervantes-Rodriquez recently spent a night in jail thanks to his flesh-colored pickup balls. A Spartanburg County Sherrif's Office deputy spotted the Truck Nuts during a patrol and decided to pull over the driver.

For the Truck Nuts, Cervantes-Rodriquez was given a warning citation; for not having a driver's license he spent the night in jail-an experience that would likely have been avoided were it not for the "obscene object" that triggered the traffic stop, which was described as being the size of a softball and anatomically correct.

Cervantes-Rodriquez was released from jail after posting a $237.50 bond. We'd guess that he's since removed the Truck Nuts.

Report: Electronics makers wary of NTSB's proposed hands-free ban

Here's one from the unsurprising file: The Consumer Electronics Association has written the National Traffic Safety Board in opposition to the proposed ban on hands-free calling.

According to The Detroit News, CEA is all for efforts to create technological solutions to the distracted driving problem, which makes perfect sense, as those products or features would be one more thing for its member firms to sell. To its credit, CEA did write that it supports banning texting and restricting phone use by young drivers.

But the organization insists that there is no "real-world evidence" to support prohibiting all phone use in vehicles, according to the report. In support of its position, it played the makeup card, saying that other distractions like "eating, drinking, applying makeup and engaging with children" would also need to be banned.

The NTSB proposal to ban hands-free calling is somewhat peculiar in that it would ban calls through a paired cell phone, but not calls through a phone built into the vehicle, like the OnStar system from General Motors. The recommendation has been controversial, with even Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood failing to get on board with the idea.

Video: Obama's latest campaign ads highlight auto recovery

As expected, the so-called auto bailout of 2009 has become a major talking point in the run-up to the 2012 Presidential Election. Somewhat surprisingly, however, both sides of the aisle are taking credit for the success seen by General Motors and Chrysler since the two automakers were pushed through a structured bankruptcy process.

Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney has said he deserves "a lot of credit" for the resuscitation of the auto industry due to his suggestion of a managed bankruptcy of the two automakers. President Obama, on the other hand, points out that Romney was very vocal in his opposition to the auto bailout, frequently citing the editorial he wrote for the New York Times in 2009 titled "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt," in which he said the auto industry was "virtually guaranteed" to fail if Obama's bailout proceeded.

Building on previous advertisements highlighting the auto bailout of 2009, the Obama campaign has released two new videos touting the success of the automakers since the dark days of bankruptcy. Scroll down below to watch the videos for yourself.

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