COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 15, 2021 -- For many, this may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it is also one of the most dangerous times for those traveling on the road. With the Christmas holiday falling on a Saturday this year, Nationwide has reviewed years of claims data and has developed a holiday forecast for people planning to hit the roads to visit and celebrate with family and friends.

The data reveals that the most dangerous day to be on the road this holiday season will be Thursday, Dec. 23. Nationwide's claims data has shown a year-over-year trend that traffic accidents spike the week before Christmas.

"It's no secret that some motorists picked up bad driving habits during the pandemic. Combine that with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and we could see a lot of Scrooges on America's roadways," said Beth Riczko, Nationwide's president of personal lines. "The good news is drivers in our telematics program are willing to change their driving behaviors."

Telematics technology is one way to help keep drivers safe year-round and save money through lower insurance premiums. The latest Agency Forward surveyi from Nationwide shows that drivers are becoming more open to using the latest in telematics technology in their vehicles—making telematics an "out of the box" gift idea for your family this holiday season.

PLANO, Texas, Dec. 15, 2021 -- Toyota has long been committed to the sustainable development of society and addressing climate change. The company continues to aggressively pursue technologies and find additional ways to reduce its environmental footprint across its North American operations and products with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Here in North America, our regional strategy lays out a roadmap for the future, focusing on core areas that will have the greatest positive impact, today and tomorrow. These include:

• Expanding vehicle electrification
• Reducing carbon emissions
• Encouraging conservation through water stewardship
• Reusing materials
• Protecting biodiversity

We demonstrate respect for the planet by managing priority issues specific to the United States, Canada and Mexico. We also engage in outreach by promoting awareness, developing strategic partnerships and sharing know-how with business partners and other stakeholders to create positive change. These efforts are anchored to the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050*. To help us achieve the Challenge 2050, we develop five-year environmental action plans (EAP). Our 2021 report marks the end of the Sixth EAP and the beginning of the Seventh EAP.

Highlights from this year's report include:

The bipartisan infrastructure bill recently signed into law by President Joe Biden includes a requirement for automakers to install driver monitoring systems that detect intoxicated or impaired drivers. Current systems rely on cameras, which have limitations. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Electronic Materials have made heat-resistant, pressure-detecting sensors that, when attached to seats, can tell whether a driver is drowsy or has a sudden illness, signaling a future smart car to take action.

Most current drowsiness detection systems use an exterior, forward-looking camera to monitor lane position or sudden, exaggerated corrections. Others use an interior camera to check a driver's face or eyes for signs of nodding off. Camera-based systems, while useful, have drawbacks. For example, an exterior camera could be blocked by mud, and an interior camera could be less effective at night. Scientists have previously explored using piezoelectric sensors -- self-powered materials that accumulate an electrical charge in response to pressure -- for monitoring a driver's posture, which changes when a person falls asleep, has a sudden health emergency or is intoxicated.

Freshly minted Editors' Choice award joins the 2022 winners' circle, all backed by Edmunds' unmatched testing and ranking process

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec. 15, 2021 -- The car shopping experts at Edmunds today announced the winners of the Edmunds Top Rated Awards 2022. These awards are determined by a combination of proprietary data and insights from Edmunds' extensive new vehicle testing and rating process, and the winners represent the best vehicles available today.

New to the suite of Edmunds Top Rated Awards is Edmunds Editors' Choice, which recognizes a vehicle that exceeds expectations and offers something genuinely new in the market.

"Edmunds' testing process is the most rigorous in the business, helping consumers make the best car buying decisions," said Alistair Weaver, editor-in-chief at Edmunds. "Every year, we test over 300 vehicles on road and track to deliver the definitive verdict. Our winners aren't just the best vehicles that happened to launch this year; they're the best vehicles you can buy today — a true measure of excellence."

Americans who had to cancel getaways and get-togethers last year because of the pandemic are making up for lost time this holiday season. More than 109 million people — an almost 34% increase from 2020 — will travel 50 miles or more as they hit the road, board airplanes or take other transportation out of town between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2.

That dramatic bounce-back — 27.7 million more people traveling — will bring this year’s numbers to 92% of 2019 levels. Airlines will see a 184% increase from last year.

“Americans who canceled their vacations in 2020 want to gather with family and friends for the holidays this year, although they will still be mindful of the pandemic and the new omicron variant,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “With vaccines widely available, conditions are much different and many people feel a greater level of comfort with travel.”

Protect yourself — and your trip