Posted: 26 Oct 2009 06:12 AM PDT

Motor club says safe driving to and from parties will help ensure a happy Halloween

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With nearly one in three adults planning to attend or host a Halloween party this year, AAA urges partygoers to plan in advance by designating a sober driver before enjoying the festivities.

"Halloween has become an increasingly popular occasion for adults to host and attend parties where alcohol is frequently served. By designating a sober driver, or by choosing not to drink alcoholic beverages if driving solo, this popular holiday can be less frightening for everyone," said Jake Nelson, director, AAA Traffic Safety Research and Advocacy.

According to the National Retail Federation, Halloween parties for adults have been growing in popularity over the past decade. This year about 30 percent of all adults will be celebrating with others, and an estimated sixty-two percent of those ages 18-24 will attend or host a party.

With legions of child pedestrians and their adult escorts in neighborhoods for trick-or-treating this weekend, and many costume-clad adults taking to the roads to attend holiday parties, it is imperative that everyone involved in the celebration think about the importance of traffic safety, AAA said.

Fifty-eight percent of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. on Halloween night last year involved a driver or motorcycle rider with a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or higher, which is illegal in every state.

To help keep the roadways safe this Halloween weekend, AAA offers partygoers a few easy tips:

Designate a sober driver in advance. If intending to drink alcohol, plan ahead to get home safely by selecting a designated driver or ensuring cab service is available from the party location. Never ride with a driver who has been drinking.
Consider an overnight stay. If attending a party at a friend's home, consider asking to stay overnight. If participating in festivities in a downtown or commercial area, look into hotel accommodations within walking distance. Many hotels offer special Halloween weekend rates and promotions.
Do not let impaired guests drive. If hosting a Halloween party, remind guests to plan ahead and designate their sober driver, offer alcohol-free beverages and do not allow impaired guests to drive. Prepare a list of local taxi companies in advance to have ready should guests need to call one.
Avoid traveling through residential areas. If possible, try to avoid cutting through residential areas where trick-or-treaters are likely to be present. If providing directions to a party, try not to route guests through residential areas unnecessarily.
Watch for children in the street. While trick-or-treating, children may not pay attention to traffic and might cross mid-block or between parked cars. Motorists should scan far ahead when driving in residential areas, watch for children and cautiously monitor their actions.
Obey the speed limit. Motorists should obey the posted speed limit. When driving through residential areas were trick-or-treaters are likely out, consider driving five miles per hour less than the posted speed limit.
For additional tips to keep Halloween safe, including tips for parents and trick-or-treaters, visit AAA.com/PublicAffairs.

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.

AAA news releases, high-resolution images, broadcast-quality video, fact sheets and podcasts are available on the AAA NewsRoom at AAA.com/news.

Stay connected with AAA on the web via:

Twitter.com/AAAnews

Twitter.com/AAAauto

YouTube.com/AAA

MySpace.com/AAAeveryday

AAA fan page on Facebook.com

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Posted: 26 Oct 2009 04:53 AM PDT

ROLLING BONES TOUR The Rolling Bones hot-rod shop has teamed up with Motorbooks for a hot rod tour to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Ken Schmidt and Keith Cornell will drive their 1932 Ford Three Window Coupe from their shop in Ballston Spa, N.Y., to Las Vegas in time for the show that begins Nov. 1. The tour will stop Oct. 28 in Crown Point, Ind., where the pair will appear at Schoops Hamburgers, 1124 N. Main St., from 5 to 7 p.m. Visit www.callingallrodders.blogspot.com.

TERROR ON THE RAILROAD The Illinois Railway Museum hosts its annual haunted event, Terror on the Railroad, Oct. 30 and 31. Participants must be at least 13 and in good health. The event will run from 7 to 11 p.m. all eight nights. Tickets, available only at the gate, are $12. Visit www.irm.org or call 815-923-4000 or 800-BIG-RAIL (244-7245).

GHOST TRAIN The Monticello Railway Museum hosts its Ghost Train Oct. 30 and 31 in Monticello, off I-72 between Champaign and Springfield. The trains, with a Haunted Boxcar, run every half hour from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 23, 24, 30 and 31. The run on the half hour from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. Oct. 25. Tickets are $6 for ages 2 and older. Visit www.mrym.org.

TRICK OR TREAT TROLLEY Tricks and treats await you at every stop on this spooky and kooky trolley ride at the Illinois Railway Museum Oct. 31. Kids in costume get a free prize. Hours at the museum in Union are 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fares are $12 for adults, $8 for kids or $45 for families. Visit www.irm.org or call 815-923-4000 or 800-BIG-RAIL (244-7245).

MANTENO VETERANS RIDE The American Veterans Motorcycle Riders Association and Oak Lawn H.O.G. are sponsoring the 11th annual Manteno Veterans Ride Nov. 1. Lineup begins at 7 a.m. at Oak Lawn Harley-Davidson, 111th Street and Cicero Avenue, with first bikes out at 10. The escorted ride will proceed to the TInley Park VFW. Participants are asked to bring personal care items other things of use for the residents of the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno. Visit www.avmra.com or call John as 708-917-3275.

SKIP'S SWAP The 17th annual Skip's Auto and Truck Parts Swap Meet is set for Nov. 1 at the new Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake. The meet and sale for collectible and performance vehices is set for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $2 for kids 6-11. Vendor fee is $35 and cars for sale $25. Visit www.skipsusa.com or call 630-340-4744.

MARINE RADAR The Waukegan Sail and Power Squadron offers a Marine Radar Seminar Nov. 3 at the Waukegan Yacht Club, 199 N Harbor Pl. The seminar, from 7 to 9 p.m., explains radar functions, selection, operation under various conditions, display interpretation, basic navigation and collision avoidance. Fee is $10 per. Contact Lt. Col. Mike Ludtke at 815-575-0809 or wspsxo@gmail.com or visit www.wspsboating.org.

SLOT CAR SHOW The Midwest Slot Car Show is set for Nov. 8, at Lincoln Center, 2450 Lincoln St., Highland, Ind. The show, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature slot cars in HO, 1:32 and 1:24 scale along with aaccessories. Admission is $5 for adults with children younger than 16 free. Vendor fee is $30. E-mail Mikedore@go.com or call 815-233-6541.

POLAR EXPRESS The Polar Express pulls into the National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Nov. 27, 27 and 29 and Dec. 4, 5 and 6. The annual trip to the North Pole will be made at 3, 5 and 7 p.m. each day and include a dramatic reading of the Christmas story about a boy who is not sure whether he believes in Santa Claus. Standard class fares are $12 for adults and $8 for kids 2 through 12. Fares in premium class--a restored 1950s streamline buffet-lounge-observation car, are $25 for lounge seating and $18 for table seating. Reservations are required. Call 920-437-7623, ext. 10, or visit www.nationalrrmuseum.org.

THE POLAR EXPRESS The Monticello Chamber of Commerce hosts Lunch with Santa on the Train Dec. 4 and 5 at the Monticello Railway Museum, off I-72 between Champaign and Springfield. The journey, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., leaves the Wabash Depot in downtown Monticello and includes a reading of the story. Tickets are $20 per person. For information, visit www.polarexpressride.com or call 877-762-9011. For tickets, visit www.mrym.org.

LUNCH WITH SANTA The Monticello Railway Museum hosts the Polar Express Nov. 27 and 28 and Dec. 5 and 6 in Monticello, off I-72 between Champaign and Springfield. Departures are 10 a.m. and 1, 2:15 and 3:30 p.m. Dec. 5 and 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. and 1:15 and 2:30 p.m. Dec 6. Tickets are $11 per person. Visit www.monticellochamber.org.

HAPPY HOLIDAY RAILWAY Take a train ride through holiday light displays and visit with Santa Claus and his elves at the Illinois Railway Museum Dec. 5 and 6, 12 and 13 and 19 and 20. Children on Santa's "good" list will recieve a gift. Trains run every two hours at the museum in Union. Visit www.irm.org or call 815-923-4000 or 800-BIG-RAIL (244-7245).

TOYS FOR TOTS The 32nd annual Chicagoland Toys for Tots Motorcycle Parade begins at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 6 at Dan Ryan Woods, 85th Street and Western Avenue, Chicago. The parade will proceed up Western to the Marine Reserve Center at Foster Avenue and Troy Street. Participants can gather at 8 a.m. and should bring an unwrapped new toy or game -- but no plush toys. Visit www.chicagolandtft.org or call 773-866-TOYS (8697).

TOY SHOW The annual Tinley Park Holiday Toy Show is set for Dec. 6 at Tinley Park High School, 6111 W. 175th St. The show, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will feature diecast cars and models. Admission is $6. Call Jim at 262-246-7171.

BOAT SHOW The 80th annual Chicago Boat, RV and Outdoors Show sails into McCormick Place North Jan. 13 through 17. Hundreds of the latest product s and accessories will be featured along with the Huck Finn Trout Pond and green boating zone. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Jan 13, 14 and 15; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Jan 16 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan 17. Admission is $10 for adults, $4 for kids 13-15 and free for those 12 and younger. Seniors 65 and older will get $2 off Jan. 13. Visit www.ChicagoBoatShow.com .

STRICTLY SAIL Strictly Sail Chicago will be held Jan. 28 through 31 at Navy Pier. The event will include the latest sailboats and products, along with seminars and a kids activity center. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jan 28 and 29, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 30 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 31. Adult admission is $12 Jan. 28 and 29 and $15 Jan. 30 and 31. A two-day adult pass is $24. Children 15 and younger are free when accompanied by an adult. Visit www.StrictlySailChicago.com.

Having a public event? Rides would like to list it. Please send the information--event name, time, place, admission/fees and contact information--to What's up, Rides, 435 N. Michigan Ave., 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611 or e-mail to transportation@tribune.com at least two weeks before the event. Submissions will be accepted in writing only.

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The future of the electric bike - SmartPlanet.com

Posted: 26 Oct 2009 02:59 AM PDT

We recently profiled the PiCycle, PiMobility's newest electric bike. With its amazing performance and stunning design I couldn't help but call it the coolest electric bike ever. In effort to learn more about PiMobility and the electric bike business in general I've asked PiMobilility's founder Marcus Hays to join us. Marcus has been producing and developing innovative electric vehicles and bicycles since 1995 when employed as a consultant to automotive industry titan, Lee Iacocca. Marcus also had the extraordinary privilege of working with the famed Dr. Paul MacCready, inventor and developer of GM's first electric car, "EV-1″. In 2008 Marcus established an electric motorcycle land speed record at the Bonneville Land Speed Record Trials going 68 miles per hour.

Marcus….What's the latest news in the Battle of Bike vs. Car? Are bikes gaining some ground?

Bikes are gaining ground (insert rousing cheer here) evidenced by so-called "Transportation Bikes" now becoming the hottest segment of the US bike industry. The growing popularity of these designs directly correlates I believe to the increasing number of dedicated bikeways being installed by municipalities nationwide. Bicycles are easily the least expensive technology available to reduce the impacts of climate change, dependency on foreign oil and while we're at it, a public health crisis called obesity.

Where do electric bikes fit into the mix?

Making the leap to bicycle from automobile is an order of magnitude in technology (I believe forward) that electric bikes overcome via a silent electric motor that provides a much needed power boost on hills otherwise limited to athletes. The implications of this technology are therefore clear.

How has the technology evolved?

Lithium batteries have reduced end-product weight by 70% while doubling per charge range. There have also been significant improvements in charging technology such that recharging periods are typically half hat they were just 2 years ago. Battery cycle life – a cost factor that directly bears on cost per mile – is in some cases triple what is was just 3 years ago. All of this equates to cheaper, better, faster and longer range electric vehicles. I believe it's safe to assume that all modes of transportation will be battery powered in the not too distant future.

Who is the ideal customer for an electric bike?

Smaller, lighter batteries have fostered product development maturity within the bike industry as a whole that results now in a raft of products offering performance and styles as varied as traditional non-electric alternatives. Previous and longstanding assumptions that electric bicycles were the exclusive territory of the aged or infirm are now shattered. For example college students desiring low cost, low-carbon transit (back to the no license and registration piece) are no longer simply auto-centric. Perhaps the biggest shift we've seen is demand from 30 something urbanites who, shedding car ownership for a variety of reasons, are replacing their cars with electric bicycles. However because these folks demand quality and style equal to their computers and portable electronic devices, and because the PiCycle is one of the few purpose-built electric bicycles, we're becoming a favorite among this group.

Tell us about PiMobility. How did your company come about and what are your plans?

Pi Mobility is an offshoot of a 4-wheel electric hybrid endeavor dating to 1995. However when Lee Iacocca retained my services in 1998 for an electric bicycle specific project I became enamored with the concept. However traditional electric bicycle making based on intersecting tubes resulted in end products either dull or duller and so it's highly gratifying to discover with the introduction of the PiCycle there are lots and lots of people who share my sentiment. PiCycle's architecture is also versatile enough that model variations are virtually unlimited. In the not too distant future "Pi" will be serving up a three-wheel commercial vehicle and a 100mph road-legal fully electric cruiser will debut in 2010.

How much do your bikes cost?

PiCycle begins at $2,499 and options are as deep as one's imagination. Made-in-USA permits just-in-time inventory levels that invite rich customization while profit margins are simultaneously enhanced.

Where can folks see and touch one?

Pi Mobility is currently focusing its dealer and distribution efforts in California and Italy. At this moment however the best place to see, touch and ride a Pi is at the Sausalito factory.

Thanks Marcus!

To Visit Pi Mobility and watch some cool videos, Click Here

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Research and Markets: Asia-Pacific Automotive Report: Industry Guide ... - PR Inside

Posted: 25 Oct 2009 09:08 PM PDT

2009-10-26 05:02:03 -

Research and Markets ( www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2f5323/automotive_asiap : ) has announced the addition of the " Automotive.

Asia-Pacific Industry Guide : " report to their offering.

The Automotive.

Asia-Pacific Industry Guide : is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the Asia-Pacific Automotive industry. It includes detailed data on market size and segmentation, textual analysis of

the key trends and competitive landscape, and profiles of the leading companies. This incisive report provides expert analysis with distinct chapters for Light trucks, Medium & Heavy Trucks, Motorcycles and New Cars.

Scope of the Report

- Contains an executive summary and data on value, volume and segmentation for Light trucks, Medium & Heavy Trucks, Motorcycles and New Cars
- Provides textual analysis of the industry's prospects, competitive landscape and profiles of the leading companies
- Incorporates in-depth five forces competitive environment analysis and scorecards
- Includes five-year forecasts for Light trucks, Medium & Heavy Trucks, Motorcycles and New Cars

Highlights

- The Asia-Pacific light trucks market generated total revenues of $47.2 billion in 2008, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2% for the period spanning 2004-2008.

- The Asia-Pacific medium & heavy trucks market generated total revenues of $91 billion in 2008, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6% for the period spanning 2004-2008.

- The Asia-Pacific motorcycles market generated total revenues of $25.6 billion in 2007, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% for the period spanning 2003-2007.

- The Asia-Pacific new cars market generated total revenues of $290.4 billion in 2008, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4% for the period spanning 2004-2008.

Why you should buy this report

- Spot future trends and developments
- Inform your business decisions
- Add weight to presentations and marketing materials
- Save time carrying out entry-level research

Key Topics Covered:

CHAPTER 1 LIGHT TRUCKS IN ASIA-PACIFIC

CHAPTER 2 MEDIUM & HEAVY TRUCKS IN ASIA-PACIFIC

CHAPTER 3 MOTORCYCLES IN ASIA-PACIFIC

CHAPTER 4 NEW CARS IN ASIA-PACIFIC

CHAPTER 5 APPENDIX

For more information visit www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2f5323/automotive_asiap :

Source: Datamonitor

Research and MarketsLaura Wood, Senior Manager, press@researchandmarkets.com : mailto:press@researchandmarkets.com U.S.

Fax: 646-607-1907Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

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