Page 4 - AAA Northway – AAA Now! – Summer 2018

pRESidEnt'S MESSagE
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Celebrates 70 Years; Launches Enhanced Website
AAA
Volume 2, No. 2
AAA NORTHWAY HEADQUARTERS OfficE
433 State St., Suite 300, Schenectady, NY 12305 Telephone (518) 370-5400 www.AAA.com
OfficERS
James Phelps – President & CEO Dick Jacobs – Regional President Andy iannotti – Vice-President & CFO
Amsterdam Travel center
118 Sanford Farms Shopping Center
Route 30N, Amsterdam, NY 12010 Telephone: 518-684-0064
Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sat: 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m
Halfmoon Travel center & Auto Repair
1647 Route 9, Halfmoon, NY 12065 Telephone: 518-831-1860
Mon-Fri: 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Sat: 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m Auto Repair: 518-831-1861
Mon-Fri: 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Sat: 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Plattsburgh Travel center
20 Booth Drive, Plattsburgh, NY 12901 Telephone: 518-563-3925
Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sat: 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Queensbury Travel center
345 Bay Road, Queensbury, NY 12804 Telephone: 518-792-0068
Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sat: 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Saratoga Springs Travel center
26 West Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Telephone: 518-587-8529
Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sat: 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Schenectady Travel center
1626 Union Street, Schenectady, NY 12309 Telephone: 518-374-4696
Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sat: 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Vestal Travel center
3701 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal, NY 13850 Telephone: 607-722-7255
Mon & Thur: 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Tue, Wed & Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Danielle Taylor - Editor
John T. Garcia - Contributing Editor Angela ilich - Director of Production
AAA NOW! (USPS 002-409) (ISSN 2475-2495) is the official publication of the AAA Northway, 3701 Vestal Pkwy. E. Suite 9, Vestal, NY. 13850, as of the Winter 2017 (January/February) edition. It is published four times annually by AAA Northway. Periodicals mail postage paid at Vestal, NY and other additional mailing offices. A subscription price of $1.50 annually is paid through membership dues.
Postmaster: Please send address changes to AAA Northway/AAA NOW!, PO Box 1376, Binghamton, NY. 13902. Change of Address: Allow six weeks advance notice. Send new address and mailing label from latest issue to AAA Northway/AAA NOW!, PO Box 1376, Binghamton, NY. 13902.
AAA does not endorse any product or service advertised in this publication other than AAA club services and products. The publisher of AAA Now! does not endorse or make any representations or warranties concerning any service or product advertised in this publication. The published is not liable to any advertiser or reader for any errors or omissions in advertising or editorial copy appearing in this publication, provided, however, that the publisher will print a correction after the publisher has been notified of an error or omission.
TM
James Phelps President & CEO
For seven decades, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has been true to its mission to prevent traffic deaths and injuries. It has done this through groundbreaking research, which is used to educate, provide tools and teach behaviors that are making the public safer.
This year, the Foundation is celebrating 70 years in existence by unveiling a new website – AAAFoundation.org –
In 2013, the Foundation began to measure distracted driving with the release of groundbreaking research that confirmed hands-free is not risk-free. Since then, the Foundation’s Center for Driving Safety & Technology has released four subsequent phases of distracted driving research with the most recent focused on in-vehicle information systems that allow drivers to make calls, accept text messages and program navigation, among other tasks.
Despite the Foundation’s evidence of the risk of distraction, automakers continue to include technologies that create
the unintended consequence of driver distraction. In October 2017, the Foundation released the latest significant contribution to distracted driving research. Its study examined not only the visual and mental demand but also how long it took drivers to complete tasks – up to 40 seconds – when using infotainment systems in 30 new 2017 vehicles.
Throughout each research phase, the Foundation and AAA have worked to improve safety through a series of industry stakeholder meetings. Several automakers have expressed interest in collaborating with AAA and the Foundation to conduct product testing with a mutual goal of reducing the demands of in-vehicle, voice-based systems. Apple reviewed video of test subjects and identified areas for improvement. In fact, this year it released the Do Not Disturb While Driving option, which stops notifications, alerts and calls from making any noise or vibration or lighting up the phone screen when the screen is locked. Toyota has a new research facility in Texas applying AAA’s cognitive distraction scale methods. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is exploring the feasibility of using AAA’s protocol as a standard measure of workload for industry use in the agency’s voluntary Driver Distraction Guidelines.
The CDST body of research has positioned the Foundation and AAA as the dominant public voice in the area of distracted driving, surpassing prominent organizations such as the National Safety Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The CDST work has received more media coverage than any other research campaign.
in this issue
Page 3 ................... Having the Right Auto Coverage Page 4 ................... President’s Message
Page 6 ................... Asleep at the Wheel
Page 7 ................... Gift Season 2: The Sequel
Page 8 ................... Discounts & Rewards® Page 9 ................... What’s Happening
Pages 12 – 13..... Northway Select Vacations Page 16 .................. Baltic Sea Discovery
Page 17................. Celebrating New Orleans’ 300th Page 19................. Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Ways Page 21................. Joel’s Car Care Corner
Page 22 ................ Real ID Driver’s Licenses
focused on its four research priorities: emerging technologies, vulnerable road users, driver behavior and performance, and roadway systems and drivers. Visitors can access research briefs and reports and sign up to receive Foundation updates.
Established by AAA, the Foundation is a not-for-
profit, publicly funded, 501(c)(3) charitable research
and educational organization. Through a unique and highly effective partnership, AAA has applied research findings from the Foundation to help strengthen laws, build public awareness of safety concerns and trends, inform automakers on safety design issues and advise transportation agencies and highway departments on vital roadway improvements.
Research in action
The Foundation has funded several hundred projects to discover the causes of traffic crashes, prevent them and minimize injuries when they do occur. Early on, studies focused on young drivers, education programs and driver training techniques. Over the years, research expanded to include teen and older drivers, senior mobility, driver distraction and evolving road safety issues such as impaired driving.
Respected for both in-house research and for its work with leading experts in North America, the Foundation’s work provides meaningful scientific insights into today’s traffic safety challenges. Research pertaining to distracted driving, traffic safety culture, teen and older drivers, and drowsy driving has been featured nationally including on ABC’s “Good Morning America,”“CBS This Morning,” NBC’s “Today” show and in The New York Times and USA Today. Prominent media coverage has enabled the Foundation and AAA to affect public policy, influence stakeholders and encourage industry changes.
The Foundation’s distracted driving research has proved to be among its most impactful work in recent years.
Dangerous distractions behind the wheel
With the rapid advancement of mobile technologies in recent years, consumers have come to expect similar capabilities in their vehicles. Consumer demand has put pressure on automakers to deliver.
4
SUMMER 2018
Now!