It's Matt's 50th birthday this year and he wanted to do something big! Bumper to Bumper Radio is asking people to make donations to Saving Amy, a local organization that provides community, support and a new beginning for those transitioning out of homelessness.
 
We are passionate about this organization because Saving Amy focuses on four key programs to address the individualized needs of our families:

• Empowerment Through Therapy (ETT):  The ETT program enrolls adults and children in trauma therapy with licensed trauma therapists from around the valley. Each case is individualized based on the recommendation of the therapist
• Kids Go Program: Mentoring program with Brophy and Xavier College Preparatory to provide year-round tutoring, mentorship and summer camp for our Saving Amy children
• Rolling Forward: Transportation program that provides donated vehicles to allow for reliable transportation to work and school
• Rise Up Moving Program: Two-part program that includes providing rent subsidy, furniture and home supplies; as well as, the opportunity to move from poverty-stricken neighborhoods
• Saving Amy assists families throughout Arizona, with the majority residing in Phoenix and surrounding areas.

Saving Amy provides community and resources so that our families are able to create a life that is fulfilling and life changing. Most importantly, Saving Amy is about relationship. The Journey Partners walk side by side with the families and build relationships based on trust and genuine care. Families then begin to see themselves as worthy and deserving people in society that no longer need the system to support them. They are able to come off government assistance and support themselves on their own. Saving Amy helps families move forward with a realization that they will never be back on the street or in a homeless shelter again. In turn, the families help to support others who are on the path they have traveled, from a life that felt hopeless and out of control to an empowered life lived with dignity and hope. For more information, see their web site at https://www.savingamy.org .

As an added bonus, when you make your donation via this link, Saving Amy will receive a 25% matching grant from Executive Council Charities who will match your donation up to an additional $5,000.

Our goal is to raise $5,000, and Matt is contributing $500 in honor of his mom, who is no longer with us, but had a heart for serving those in need. Please join us in supporting this amazing non-profit. Your donation may qualify for a state income tax credit of up to $400 for individuals (single filers), $800 for married couples (joint filers). See your tax advisor for details.

Click here to donate.

Every penny donated will make a direct local impact!

DETROIT, Jan. 8, 2020 -- Bollinger Motors has filed for patent protection for its all electric, all-wheel drive, Class 3 vehicles. The scope of the patent includes the entire vehicle, and gives particular emphasis on the specific arrangement of major components and subsystems.

"Our team has created a vehicle that's engineered and packaged unlike anything ever built," says CEO Robert Bollinger. "Filing this patent will help protect that hard work, and help showcase the outstanding engineering capabilities of our company."

The innovative vehicle design, and resulting capabilities and features are highly differentiated from any other volume production vehicle. As just one example, the unique way large components – including motors, inverters, gearboxes, and chargers – are arranged centrally and symmetrically results in a desirable effect on the vehicles' center of gravity.

The patent highlights the vehicle-controls strategy and innovative software solutions used to achieve performance targets including adjustable ride height, variable payload responses, virtual front and rear differential, and various modes of operations, including outboard power usage.

The technical content contained in the application provides substantial competitive advantage and adds to a growing portfolio of intellectual property for Bollinger Motors.

The national gas price average held steady on the week at $2.58, but that could change depending on the movement of crude oil prices due to geopolitical concerns. Following airstrikes in Baghdad last Friday, which killed Iran’s Major General Qassem Soleimani, crude oil prices increased, causing market speculation about what could happen to gas prices in the near-term.

“It’s typical to see crude oil prices push more expensive amid current events,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “What this increase means in terms of retail prices is yet be seen. It depends on how expensive crude oil prices go and the duration at which it sells at a higher price point.”

Today’s national average is $2.58, which is the same price as last Monday and last month, but 34-cents more expensive than the beginning of 2019.

Quick Stats

The nation’s top largest weekly changes are: Ohio (-13 cents), Michigan (-8 cents), Indiana (-8 cents), Florida (+7 cents), Tennessee (+7 cents), Alabama (+5 cents), Louisiana (+4 cents), South Carolina (+4 cents), Georgia (+4 cents) and Mississippi (+4 cents).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive markets are: Missouri ($2.20), Oklahoma ($2.26), Kansas ($2.27), Texas ($2.28), Mississippi ($2.29), Arkansas ($2.29), Louisiana ($2.32), Alabama ($2.36), South Carolina ($2.36) and Iowa ($2.37).

West Coast

Pump prices in the region continue to drop into the New Year. On the week, Nevada (-3 cents) and Alaska (-3 cents) saw the largest decreases in the region. Hawaii ($3.65) and California ($3.54) remain the most expensive markets in the country. Washington ($3.15), Nevada ($3.01), Oregon ($3.01), Alaska ($2.96) and Arizona ($2.83) follow.

Increased gasoline stocks continue to help put downward pressure on pump prices, even as demand remains robust. According to EIA’s report for the week ending on Dec. 27, total gas stocks in the region are mostly holding steady at 21.56 million bbl. The current supply level is 3.3 million bbl higher than last year’s level at this time, which will likely continue to help prices in the region decline throughout the week.

As drivers develop more experience and comfort using advanced driver assistance systems, they are also more likely to drive distracted while using the systems

WASHINGTON (Dec 17, 2019) – Drivers with experience using advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, were nearly twice as likely to engage in distracted driving while using the systems compared to when they were driving without the systems, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Alternatively, drivers with less experience and familiarity using the technology were less likely to drive while distracted with systems activated compared to when systems were not in use. AAA wants drivers to remember that while new driver assistance technologies offer important benefits, drivers must remain active and engaged when behind the wheel to maximize safety.

“This new research suggests that as drivers gain more experience using ADAS technology, they could develop complacency while behind the wheel,” said Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Over-reliance on these systems can put drivers and others in dangerous conditions during critical moments.”

Researchers at the AAA Foundation collaborated with Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to analyze video of on-road behaviors for two groups of drivers using advanced driver assistance technology. Individuals in one group owned a vehicle equipped with ADAS and had more experience using the systems while drivers in the other group were given a vehicle equipped with ADAS to use during the 4-week study period and had less experience with the technology.

The research found that drivers who owned their vehicles – and therefore had more familiarity with ADAS technology — were more likely to drive distracted when these systems were active than when they were not. For example, some observed distracted driving behaviors included texting or adjusting the radio. Meanwhile, drivers with less experience using the technologies were more likely to remain attentive and engaged while the systems were engaged.

Commutes to work are longer than ever, according to the most recent U.S. Census, with the average commute time up 20 percent since the Census began tracking this data in 1980. The more time we spend in our cars, the more important it becomes to make sure our vehicles are comfortable and safe places to be, says the non-profit Car Care Council.

The Car Care Council has a number of tips for commuters to help ensure their trips to and from work are as enjoyable and worry-free as possible.

Change your cabin air filter. The cabin air filter is responsible for cleaning the air entering the passenger compartment. A functioning cabin air filter will help keep dirt, pollen, dust and exhaust fumes from entering your vehicle’s interior. Changing the cabin air filter at recommended intervals will allow you and your passengers to breathe clean air free from allergens and pollutants while commuting to and from work.