Why Dodge Drivers Totally Suck

Under rules, effective immediately, fines run as high as $2,750

(NEWSER) - Drivers of trucks and buses who text behind the wheel will be subject to thousands of dollars in fines, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today. The federal prohibition, which takes effect immediately, applies only to commercial vehicles. But distracted driving is one of LaHood's top issues, CNN reports. "This is an important safety step, and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving," he said. More»

Ford, Chrysler vehicles face off against three foreign competitors

(NEWSER) - Three Detroit-made vehicles are among six finalists for the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, the Detroit News reports. The Ford Flex will compete with the Hyundai Genesis and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI for the year's best car, while the redesigned Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram pickups are up against the Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC SUV for best truck. The competitors were picked by a panel of US and Canadian automotive journalists. More»

Shift away from large vehicles means a rocky road ahead for Detroit's Big 3

(NEWSER) - Ford's recovery plans have been sent careening off the road by the continuing drop in truck and SUV sales, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company, which now expects this year's losses to top 2007's $2.7 billion, has given up hope of being back in the black by 2009. The ailing Detroit giant has cut production again and delayed the launch of its new F-150 pickup. More»

Dodge Ram pickup tops Forbes' list

(NEWSER) - Don’t be fooled by a dealer discount when buying a new car—it might just be a sign that the car is priced too high to begin with. Forbes names the vehicles it finds the most overpriced:

1. Dodge Ram 1500
2. Mercury Grand Marquis
3. Ford F-150
4. Dodge Durango
5. GMC Envoy

Study is first to probe link between marijuana and collisions: researchers

(NEWSER) - Smoking marijuana three hours or less before getting behind the wheel nearly doubles your chance of a major car crash, a study suggests. It's the first study to look at the link between cannabis and crash risk, the Canadian researchers believe. They examined study data for more than 49,000 collision victims, limiting their research to crashes that didn't involve alcohol, CBC reports. "The level of impairment might not be as severe as alcohol intoxication, but it's there and it does require a public health response," says an expert. More»