| Vol.
I, No. 4 | January
Thaw | Jan.
19th, 2001 |
Links
to Auto & Travel On-Line
Auto Defects & Safety
Info The amount of info on the web
is enormous, as anyone who's ever tried to run a search can attest to.
And, to put it all in context, best estimates say that only a fraction, maybe 20
- 40 % of what's out there is actually making its way to the search
engines.
Well ...
Here
at DownStreet, we'd like to try to help. So each issue, we post a
few links in Auto & Travel to sites that might interest you. Sometimes
the links will be related to one another ... sometimes we'll just
offer up a somewhat random sampling. Sometimes they're about Vermont
sites, sometimes not. In either case, we think we might be able to help
you find the kind of site you've been looking for.
Of
course, while we can't vouch for the fact that every link we provide will be of
interest to everyone, we do our best to filter out the noise and the
bustle. ...
We hope you enjoy the following sites as
much as we do. Links to Auto Defects &
Safety Info As he mentioned in his article this month
on Auto Defects, our
paranoiac has supplied us with a list of links to info on auto defects &
safety. It seemed important enough to us so that we're departing from our
usual format of 3 links with reviews to include all his links, with just a brief
description of each. ... We checked and, in case you're
curious, we give the whole thing ***** [5 stars]. ... NHTSA
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
This is the main
page, with links to just about everything, including: Air Bags, Auto Safety
Hotline, Calendar, Child Passenger Safety, Child Seat Inspections, Crash
Tests, Disability Information, Docket Management System, E-Payment, FOIA,
Grants, International Activities, NCSA [National Center for Statistics &
Analysis], Press Releases, Publications, Catalog, Real Video Clips, Recalls,
Safety Materials Catalog, School Buses, and Star Ratings. There are
also separate subsections for About NHTSA, Car Safety, and People Safety. NHTSA
Web Site Table of Contents
This is the Site Map for NHTSA -- very
useful. Use it to get a quick detailed look at any of the subsections
listed above. Buying
a Safer Car New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)
This is the place
to find info like that on the Rollover Assessment, as well as solid general
safety info for new car buyers. Recalls
links availble on the NHTSA site
This page provides links to all
the subsections on recall info, including Searches by make, model, year;
Regional Recalls; Child Safety Seat Recalls; Recall Database List and
Download {a file dump of all vehicle, equipment and tire safety recall
campaigns from 1966 to present. Updated weekly.}; Monthly Recall Reports;
School Buses Recalls; and VOQ {a Vehicle Owner's Questionnaire you can fill
out on-line through a secure site to file a complaint or problem
report.} There are also other forms and booklets available. Recall
Database Search by Make, Model and Year
Go here to search for
recall info on your vehicle. Safety
Problems & Issues
In addition to recall links, this page also
offers links to Technical Service Bulletins, a Defects Investigations Search
Engine, Consumer Complaints, Compliance Testing, Safety Studies, Equipment,
and more. There's even a link to Test Vehicles for Salvage {though
from the looks of the photos, it's hard to imagine what would be
salvageable}. School
Bus Recalls for 1995-2000
This just seemed worth listing
separately. Center
for Auto Safety
If you're old enough, you remember Ralph Nader's
crusade against the Corvair. The Center for Auto Safety was founded by
Nader and The Consumers Union back in 1970 to address the modern-age-old
problem of 'lemons' and what to do if you find yourself behind the wheel of
one. The
Dealers Choice - Auto Safety Rankings
Safety rankings onPickup
Trucks, Wagons & Vans, Utility Vehicles, Luxury Cars, Four-Door Cars,
Two-Door Cars, Sports Cars, and Luxury Car Damage. Goes beyond safety
to address theft and repair rankings. Somewhat dated, but useful. Coalition
for Vehicle Choice
Just so you don't accuse me of single-minded
paranoia, I've included this link to the Coalition for Vehicle Choice, which
seems to be against many environmental standards or anything else that may
add to the cost of owning and running a vehicle. On the other side of
the coin, the site contains lots of useful info on driving habits and stats
for the American road.
Beyond these, there are
plenty of other sites, including numerous sites or pages devoted to single
vehicles. But, much as I hate to admit it, I have to say that the fed's
NHTSA site is far and away the best resource out there for auto defects. Drive
carefully! The AutoMotives
Paranoiac
a.k.a.
Anonymous
*******
*******
If you know of any links
that you think are worthwhile, why not send them along to ...
links@downstreetmagazine.com
... If we agree, we'll be happy to include
them in an upcoming issue to pass the word along. ...
Thanks. *******
******* .
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