Worst Parking Job Ever. Here Comes The Judge.

                        

Six months and a few hundred thousand pageviews later, the authorities have sentenced the woman seen in the video above parking her car on....well, two other cars.

Tripta Kaushal was arrested on the evidence of that video back in October. But the wheels of justice turn more deliberately than those of her SUV, so it's only this week that the judge brought the hammer down.

A $500 fine for leaving the scene and failing to report the accident, restitution to the owners of the two cars she damaged, six months probation and she's not allowed to drive between 7PM and 7AM.

Do we really think low light was the issue here?

And yes, she's driving a BMW X5. Now, just imagine what the media would have said about the video if it had been a Toyota.

VIDEO: First In-Car iPad Installation

SoundMan Car Audio in Santa Clarita, California wasted no time in installing an iPad. And you can see how they did it.  Pretty slick, if you ask us.

VIDEO: Speed Camera Van Tarred And Feathered

Posted last night on YouTube. Poster says it's Phoenix and those are Arizona temporary tags. The vehicle's unmarked, but it's new (the temp tags).

Could be legit...but it's also April Fools' Day.

A civilian employee in one of these vehicles with DPS markings was killed about a year ago when someone pulled up and opened fire. The suspect is on trial now.

100 MPH+ In An Oldsmobile Bravada. Shots Fired. Just Another Day In L.A.

The CHP spots an Oldsmobile Bravada on I-15 near Cajon Pass, runs the plate and finds out the car is wanted in connection with an attempted murder in Indiana. And the chase is on...all the way to Universal Studios....with gunfire in stopped traffic...innocent motorists mere feet away.
 
Full story from the Los Angeles Times (with different video from KTLA).

CHP Officer On Mulholland: "Go Ahead, Make My Day." Motorcyclist Obliges.

Really kinda speaks for itself, doesn't it?

NSFW (Not Safe For Work) Safe Driving Promos

If you told me the above was a documentary about what's behind a lot of sudden acceleration claims from Toyota Prius drivers, I wouldn't argue.

But it's actually one of several safe driving spots from Australia, targeting young, distracted drivers and being just a bit rude to cut through the clutter. See the rest here.

Consumer Reports Demonstrates Stopping Distance Difference With Brake Override

Brake override cuts the gas when you apply a certain amount of pressure on the brake. There's a push to make it mandatory, thinking that it will help end cases of unintended acceleration. Never mind that most of those cases thus far have shown that the drivers weren't on the brake at all, but instead standing on the gas pedal.

Well, Consumer Reports says whether your acceleration is unintended or not, brake override cuts the stopping distance of your car...which is a good thing.

And, because they know we worry...CR also says brake override won't affect "enthusiast driving".

Study: New Airbags Less Protection For Belted Drivers Than Old Airbags

Most interesting: Passengers, belted or unbelted, do better with the new bags...as do unbelted drivers.

Bentley Mulsanne Paint: This Ain't MAACO

When the sticker starts at about $300,000 and you're offering 115 different paint colors, you tend to obsess. Here's a video from Bentley that shows why it takes 86 hours to paint a Mulsanne:

VIDEO: Audi Explains A7 Four-Door Hatchback As A "New Class" Of Car

Well, we'll give it this...it's a heck of a lot prettier than the upcoming BMW 3-series four-door fastback.

Lexus CT200h Premium Compact Hybrid A Go

Last month, the Geneva Auto Show, next year, your dealer's showroom.

The Detroit News is reporting that Lexus will launch the CT200h hybrid early next year.

It will be Lexus' second compact hybrid. Read our take on the HS250h here, and Prius owners are talking about the video above and the car in it on the PriusChat forums, and there's a second thread about it as well.

GM Sues Corvette Replica Maker

GM's not thrilled that you can buy a $90,000 replica of the '63 Corvette Grand Sport, of which five were built. So they're suing Mongoose Motorsports, the replica maker.

Full story from The Detroit News.

UPDATE: UK Trucker With Renault On His Front Bumper

SKYNews has confirmed that the video is real and that the trucking company, Arclid Transport, is investigating. Arclid tells SKY that the woman driving the Renault Clio "got out and walked away".

And thanks also to the wonders of YouTube, we can show you exactly how such a thing can happen. Press play on this video:

VIDEO: NBC Nightly News Monday (3/15) on Jim "Runaway Prius" Sikes

After a week of media hyperventilation, it's nice to see solid reporting that prioritizes the salient facts.

NBC Nightly News' coverage of Monday's Toyota news conference played up the most telling fact...that instead of braking as hard as he could, the evidence suggests Jim Sikes may have been riding the brakes on his Prius...off and on the gas and brakes as much as 250 times during his alleged unintended acceleration incident a week ago.

And, they actually interviewed someone who knows something about cars and drivers...former Car and Driver editor-in-chief Csaba Csere.

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ABC has grasped the significance of the 250 applications of the brake pedal, too...CBS makes no mention of it.

WATCH: Jim "Runaway Prius" Sikes' Least Favorite Video: Toyota Preliminary Findings On His Car

"It would seem that the account of the driver is inconsistent with the technical investigation."

That's Toyota's single-sentence sum-up of the teardown of Jim Sikes' car. Want to see them say it...and what happens to a speeding Prius when you do one of the several things that will stop it?

Just click play.




And don't think Toyota's going to go quietly. They dropped the nugget that the evidence suggests Sikes was on and off the brakes and gas 250 times during his wild ride...in contrast to his statement to police that he was standing on the brake.

And the news release has this solid punch of a sentence:

These findings suggest that there should be further examination of Mr. Sikes account of the events of March 8.

Read the complete news release from today's news conference here. 

Related link: The Prius chat board discusses the findings.

Cadillac to GM: Should I Know You?

As parents of the 1970s will attest, once the Led Zeppelin albums start playing, it's only a matter of time before the kids are embarrassed to be seen with you.

Business Week reports that Cadillac is afraid General Motors' bankruptcy brands it with a stigma that will hold it back from connecting with the high-end customers it seeks, so the GM logo, Red Tag sales and all other GM reminders are vanishing from Cadillac offices and dealerships...right down to a switch of e-mail addresses from @gm.com to @cadillac.com.

And somehow, GM's going along with this...which means exactly what, I don't know.

Today Show: Rental Cars As Filthy And Germy As Public Restrooms

This'll have you taking your own car on vacation this summer:

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Car and Driver: Texting While Driving

Not a day goes by that I don't see some fool text messaging at the wheel (and my commute is at 3:30 AM and 12 Noon...imagine the target-rich environment of rush hour).

Anyone with a brain (which apparently doesn't include the above-mentioned multi-taskers) knows it's dangerous.

But how dangerous?

Well, the guys at Car and Driver broke out the instruments and measured texting while driving against driving under the influence of alcohol.

Please, watch this video. And if you have ever texted while driving, don't ever do it again.