Requiring drivers to use headsets when talking on their cells has no demonstrable impact on the number of crashes, according to new findings from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

As an affiliate of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, the HLDI had long been an advocate of "hands-free" laws in a number of states that outlawed simply talking on your phone with it glued to your ear. So you can imagine the organization's chagrin when they didn't see a drop in accidents in those states.

Adrian Lund, president of the HLDI was quoted by The New York Times as simply stating, "We were very surprised."

The other infuriating angle here is that if you got a ticket for yapping on your cell phone, all you did was fatten the state's coffers!

Clark's belief is that using a cell phone while driving is inherently distracting -- no matter if you're holding it to your ear, using the speaker phone function or using a headset. Perhaps the HLDI should investigate the dangers of strictly being on a call vs. not being on a call.

"Our real problem is to do something about the bigger problem of distracted driving," Lund says, "whether that's cellphones, whether that's the baby crying in the back seat, whether it's the CD you dropped on the floor, whatever it is."

Remember, always keep your eyes on the road. Clark has had to teach his 4-year-old son that he can't turn around when he's driving -- no matter what the emergency is -- until they've come to a complete stop.

The car market in the United States has really shrunk over the last few years. Historically, we've sold 17 million new cars annually. Now we're down to 10 million each year.

Last year, Clark talked about how the Japanese were losing their romance with cars and downsizing. Some families were skipping cars altogether and using the country's great transportation system. Others were downsizing from two cars to one.

The consumer champ thought this could never happen in America. After all, our public transportation system isn't robust and the open road seems to be imprinted on our national DNA.

But never say never. New stats out show that teens are waiting longer to get their licenses, according to The Washington Post. Only one in three teens now has a license at 16. That number used to be about one in two.

Interestingly, it's not parents who are keeping teens off the roads; it's the teens themselves. Many are choosing to bum rides with friends instead. Perhaps the high cost of auto insurance has something to do with it.

This whole mindset is alien to Clark and probably to most older Americans. When Clark was a teen, he had a calendar and counted the days down until he turned 16. While it varies by state, 16 is the age at which most teens can get some kind of provisional license.

The benefit to this new trend is that the longer young motorists wait to get behind the wheel, the safer they tend to be.

Continuing acceleration problems in some Toyota models has raised an important question: How do you turn your car off when you have keyless ignition?

Most automakers are introducing keyless ignition across many price points. The real challenge here is that every manufacturer uses a different system to turn the engine off. With most Toyotas, it involves holding the start button in for three seconds. Be aware that you will lose power steering and power brakes when you do that.

That's why putting your car in neutral is the best choice no matter what kind of car you have. Braking alone will not stop the vehicle in a case of sudden acceleration. By putting it into neutral, you may blow out your engine, but you won't lose your life.

So your assignment is as follows: Take out your owner's manual and read how the keyless ignition can be turned off, and find out how to put your car in neutral if it's not obvious.

As for Toyota, there's a brewing scandal over when they first became aware of the sudden acceleration problem and how long they kept it quiet. The Japanese automaker is halting sales of eight models, including the Camry and Corolla sedans, in response to the concern. In addition, Toyota will idle several of its North American factories that make the affected models for a week beginning February 1.

A few years back, Toyota made a corporate decision to become the world's largest automaker. In doing so, they had to take the focus away from making quality vehicles and shift it to growing market share.

Let's hope the company's new leadership can turn things around...

The federal government has issued an immediate order banning truckers and bus drivers from sending text messages. Surprisingly, Clark hasn't seen any wording in the order specifically banning them from reading texts.

But the general dangers of texting in a big rig have been stated previously on the show. A Virginia Tech study on truck drivers found they're 23 times more likely to be in an accident when texting.

Of course, the dangers of texting behind the wheel aren't just limited to truckers and bus drivers.

The average motorist takes his or her eyes off the road for five seconds to read a text. During that time, a vehicle moving at highway speeds can travel the length of a football field, according to the Governor's Highway Safety Association.

Clark has noticed that some people will only read texts at red lights. But when the light turns green, they're looking down. This is more of a hassle and inconvenience than anything else. Texting while driving remains the real danger. Why have so many states with anti-texting laws only made them applicable to teenagers?

If you still need more proof about the dangers of texting, try this: When you're a passenger in a vehicle, cover your eyes and count to five and see how far you've traveled.

Clark has dramatically reduced the amount of time he is on his cell phone while driving because so many studies clearly show the dangers. But new stats from the National Safety Council make him think that maybe he's not going far enough. Perhaps he needs to completely ban himself from the cell on the road!

The National Safety Council reports that 1.4 million crashes in a recent research period involved people who were distracted by their cell phone. The number specifically involving texting is one-seventh or 200,000.

Very often people with long commutes will rely on a cell phone to alleviate boredom. Focus Driven offers an outlet for advocates of cell-free driving.

Do you think holding a conversation with a passenger can be just as distracting as yapping on the phone? On one hand you're right. But a passenger can serve as a co-pilot or lookout who might notice road dangers that you'd be oblivious to while alone on your cell phone.

Remember, lawyers are already subpoenaing cell phone records to determine if people involved in accidents were too busy to pay attention to the road. Don't be one of them...

Traffic deaths in 2009 look set to be the lowest on record ever. So are we suddenly all becoming better drivers? Not exactly. A number of other factors have contributed to this positive development.

The first 10 months of the past year saw a 10 percent decrease, according to The National Safety Council.

The NSC reports that the sluggish economy is one factor in the drop. But even more important are "improved safety features in vehicles and greater visibility and enforcement of traffic safety laws," the organization reveals.

In related news, the car market in 2009 was abysmal for the U.S. auto industry. However, The Detroit News reports that there was a surge in sales last month. Going forward, the domestic automakers are anticipating a stronger 2010.

On the heels of its massive floor mat recall, Toyota has unveiled a new plan to handle a sudden acceleration problem in 4.26 million of its most popular models.

The underlying problem behind the acceleration appears to be something called fly-by-wire technology. Fly-by-wire simply means that the car is powered electronically rather than through traditional mechanical cabling.

According to Toyota, the following makes and model years are affected:

• 2007 to 2010 Camry
• 2005 to 2010 Avalon
• 2004 to 2009 Prius
• 2005 to 2010 Tacoma
• 2007 to 2010 Tundra
• 2007 to 2010 Lexus ES350
• 2006 to 2010 Lexus IS250
• 2006 to 2010 Lexus IS 350

This recall is serious. It initially gained media attention when it was suspected of contributing to the road death of a California state trooper behind the wheel with his family.

Meanwhile, safety data shows that more people have been killed by sudden acceleration in Toyotas since they went to fly-by-wiring than all other makes and models of vehicles combined.

Toyota's remedy is a multi-step process of removing a part of your gas pedal to ensure there's no possible contact with the floor mat. Then they'll add a "smart pedal" already in use by BMW, Audi, Porsche and others. The smart pedal automatically disengages the accelerator when you brake.

As a general rule, if you're ever in any kind of car and you experience sudden acceleration, Clark recommends putting your car into neutral. Braking alone will not stop the car. By putting it into neutral, you may blow out your engine, but you won't lose your life.

Ninety-seven percent of Americans say texting while driving should be outlawed, according to a new survey. The New York Times/CBS News poll also finds that eight out of 10 people also think motorists shouldn't be allowed to talk on cell phones while driving.

England has taken a particularly tough stance on people who cause fatal accidents because they were texting. The New York Times reports one woman has been sentenced to nearly 2 years in prison for this crime. Investigators were able to check her phone record and found she was in the midst of texting at the moment of impact.

Interestingly, half of all Americans agree with the British approach of making DWT (driving while texting) punishable like a DUI.

Clark recommends trying Dial2Do.com if you must fire off text messages while behind the wheel. This free service will translate what you say into a text, a Tweet or an e-mail.

Of course, the text-to-voice technology isn't always perfect as Clark has found out!

Ford is planning to roll out an inflatable seat belt for back seat passengers beginning with next year's vehicle models. The newly designed belt promises to save the lives of children who routinely sit in back seats.

"Each belt's tubular air bag inflates with cold compressed gas," according to The Los Angeles Times, "which flows through a specially designed buckle from a cylinder housed below the seat." In addition, the rate of inflation is very gentle compared to that of traditional air bags.

Clark loves ingenuity like this. Likewise, he recalls hearing about a state highway engineer who came up with the idea of wires being strung along freeway medians to prevent crossover collisions.

There's so much we can do with science on the cheap to save lives!

Clark has been an outspoken critic of speed cameras in the past, especially how they're used in Arizona strictly as a revenue booster. But he's now applauding Maryland's use of them exclusively in school zones and construction zones.

He thinks this is a fair and reasonable way to deploy speed cameras. After all, one child run down by a car is one too many.

The Washington Post reports speed cameras actually do reduce speeding. When drivers get out of the camera's range, one in three speeds back up. But the other two in three motorists continue to drive slower. That's a very positive and meaningful impact.

So Clark has finally found a use for Big Brother that he can hang with! But what Arizona does -- just using speed cameras to rake in the dough -- disgusts him.

Toyota has announced one of the largest recalls ever in the history of auto recalls, affecting 4 million Toyota and Lexus owners.

However, this is something of an odd recall because it involves a floor mat! Toyota's floor mats are suspected of contributing to the road death of a California family of four. The mat can jumble up near the gas pedal and cause the car to accelerate out of control.

According to Toyota, the following makes and model years are affected:

2007-10 Camry
2005-10 Avalon
2007-10 Tundra
2005-10 Tacoma
2004-09 Prius
2007-10 Lexus ES 350
2006-10 Lexus IS 250/350

The remedy here is quite simple. Take the floor mat out and just get your carpet dirty.

This recall has gotten a lot of publicity, but so many others go under the radar. For example, Clark had issues with a gas cap that would not open on one of his vehicles. So he went online to research the issue and found that this was a widespread problem. He printed out some supporting material and went to the dealer expecting pushback. But the dealer was happy to replace the cap for him once they pried it off!

Many times when there's no official recall, there still may be a technical service bulletin (TSB) from the manufacturer. AutoSafety.org will keep you abreast of TSBs and full-blown recalls alike.

The sad thing about recalls is that it's estimated only one out of three people will comply once notified.

Have you seen the popular viral video that dramatizes the dangers of texting while driving? (Editor's note: This video contains blood and gore to get the point across. Viewer discretion is advised.)

Remember, just because your Crackberry is vibrating, it doesn't mean you have to look at it. The dangers of doing so are off the charts.

A Virginia Tech study on truck drivers find they are 23 times more likely to be in an accident when texting.

People take their eyes off the road for 5 seconds to read the average text. During that time, a vehicle moving at highway speeds can travel the length of a football field, according to the Governor's Highway Safety Association.

Think about how much territory you'll cover in that short time. All you need is a sudden stop in traffic or someone to change lanes to spell disaster.

The New York Times also reports that Utah now has a new law that will send texters involved in fatal auto accidents to prison for 15 years. It's very easy to subpoena a cell phone company and check your account to see if you were texting.

Let's face it, most everybody who has a smartphone looks at it while driving. When Clark got his first phone with e-mail capabilities, he read them all the time while he drove. It took a near collision with a jogger to make him change his ways.

Entrepreneurs most often get the courage to start their own business during a down economic time. Several giants of Silicon Valley were launched during the recession of the early 1970s because the techies were out of work.

That same cycle is almost certainly repeating itself now. Those people who "coulda, woulda, shoulda" been entrepreneurs are unemployed now and are finally going for it.

Clark read an inspiring story in The New York Times about an entrepreneur named Andrew Mann who was sitting on his front steps contemplating a dent in his car.

That's when the inspiration for DentBetty.com hit. This service, which is only available in select areas, allows you to upload a digital photo of your dents and have local auto body shops bid on the job.

It's an ingenious idea because the pricing at body shops is dynamic based on the volume of jobs they have during any given week.

Will DentBetty work? Who knows! Clark is just captivated by the way inspiration strikes entrepreneurs at such unusual times. There are so many great ideas out there. Some will be hits, some will be misses. Is there an entrepreneurial idea in you?

The rate of drunk driving in our nation continues to drop, according to figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Today, typically only 2 out of every 100 people on the road is drunk. If you go back to the 1990s, that figure was 4 in 100. Go back to the 1970s and 1 in every 12 people on the road was under the influence!

We have come a long, long way. Of course, 2 out of every 100 people is still too high, but it's progress.

You are most likely to encounter a drunk driver on the road between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. In addition, men are more likely to fail a breathalyzer test or a blood test than women.

And the category of motorists that are drunk on the road most often? Motorcyclists. They're almost three times more likely to be driving under the influence than someone in a passenger car. Clark thinks you're really asking for trouble if you're unprotected on a bike and get involved in an accident.

So think about the consequences before you get behind the wheel while you're intoxicated. It could be your life or somebody else's or you could wind up in jail. And remember, you're not a wimp if you ask someone to give you a ride after you've had one too many.

Clark upsets truckers whenever he talks about governors on trucks...and we're not talking about Mark Sanford on an 18-wheeler! Governors are simply micro-chip controlled motors that only allow a preset top speed.

Such devices are especially common on the kinds of trucks you would rent to move yourself. They're a built-in safety feature because the moving companies know these rentals are usually driven by motorists that don't regularly drive trucks.

Wal-Mart had governors put on all its trucks, a move that greatly reduced their fleet's accident rate. That's also why Wal-Mart trucks go slower than other trucks on the road.

Steve Owings is a crusader for a nationwide law to limit the speed that trucks can go. He's a Don Quixote of sorts who's gotten some unlikely support from industry group the American Trucking Association (ATA). The consumer champ is a big fan of governors too.

Some Libertarian groups are opposed to governors, as are some independent truck drivers not affiliated with ATA.

Truckers say it's the cars on the road that are the real problem, especially motorists who jack-rabbit around tractor trailers.

15% of all fatalities in road accidents involve a car and a truck. It isn't the truck driver who winds up getting injured or killed, either.

Remember this key rule: Get out of the way of a truck or you could wind up dead.

Want your say about the use of governors? Be sure to vote in our poll.

Have you found yourself firing off text messages when you're driving?

If you're traveling at 40 or 50 mph and you glance down at an incoming text message, you travel up to 20 yards every second. Think about the danger of that.

Unfortunately, ComputerWorld.com reports that 1 in 4 people admit to texting from behind the wheel. And that's just those who came clean.

Motorists in Tennessee were found to be the worst, with 42% fessing up to this bad habit. Are they really bad guys in the Volunteer State? No, they're probably just more honest than the rest of us!

If you must text in the car, what's wrong with waiting for a red light? You're sure to hit plenty during your ride. Meanwhile, have you noticed that the car in front of you at a stoplight may not go when it turns green -- they're too busy texting like mad!

Clark's Google phone has an app that can be downloaded to disable texting while the car is in motion. This will likely become a common feature on smart phones in the future.

Over the years, Clark has been vocally opposed to red light cameras and speed cameras. His comments always elicit a strong reaction from listeners, especially in the Clark Stinks forum.

Today, the consumer champ heard from Chief Patterson of Riverdale, Georgia. Patterson's jurisdiction has red light cameras, and he says that they've significantly reduced accidents and fatalities -- specifically T-bones -- since they were first installed 3 years ago.

Clark has long contended that these kinds of cameras are only intended to increase revenues for local government. To that end, he proposed an alternative to Patterson: Those captured on camera should be given the option to waive the fine if they agree to take an approved driver safety course. The police chief concurred that this might be a viable alternative.

As a final question, Clark asked Patterson why he thinks the public has reacted with such intensity toward red light cameras and speed cameras. After all, there's no public outcry when a police officer pulls someone over for a ticket.

Patterson speculates that motorists prefer the human element when being brought to task for their actions. It gives them the chance to talk their way out of a possible ticket. But there's no talking to an eye in the sky!

Clark has long believed we need to do something in America to make teenage drivers stand out on the road. After all, auto accidents are the No. 1 cause of death for teens.

The consumer champ has always been excited by the Europeans' approach of putting a huge red "L" on the back of a new driver's car. Doing so ensures that other drivers give them extra leeway on the road.

New Jersey is now the first state to take action on this issue. The Garden State will mandate that a learner's decal be displayed on the cars of new drivers until they turn 21. The move should greatly please insurers who incur great costs to insure teens.

Yes, this is a small step, but it's a very important one in Clark's estimation.

New Jersey is also joining with other states in placing tight curfews on teen drivers; banning multiple passengers in a teen's car; and restricting driver cell phone use while in transit.

The danger of death is greatly compounded when there's more than one passenger in a teen's car. The San Francisco Chronicle reports 61% of teen deaths occurred when the car was driven by another teen. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 of all road deaths involves teenage drivers.

As parents, we don't want to restrict the freedom of movement of our children. But our first duty as parents is to make sure we have children who are alive and safe.

One of the perennially popular Clark Stinks topics is Clark's take on speed cameras, red light cameras and other traffic devices.

States argue these devices are for safety's sake, but the consumer champ maintains they're just intended to bolster the tax coffers.

To say they're unpopular would be a gross understatement. In fact, The Wall Street Journal reports that some angry Arizonians are donning Santa suits and smashing that state's many cameras. The citizenry is in revolt!

Now The Washington Post reports that Maryland is getting ready to implement speed cameras of its own.

Interestingly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that only 5% of all accidents are caused by speeding and only 2% are caused by running a red light.

So what does cause accidents? Three things primarily: Driving off the side of the road; crossing the center line; and actually falling asleep behind the wheel.

There's also the problem of distracted drivers in the era of the Blackberry and other handheld devices. Many states now have legislation pending to outlaw these devices while driving. See USA TODAY for a select list of states.

Here's a real sign of desperation in the economy. The Wall Street Journal reports a rise in the number of people who are torching or otherwise destroying their cars in an effort to collect insurance money.

According to the report, they're drowning their vehicles in the Great Lakes and driving them into canals in California. In the desert West, there are even surveillance fraud teams going around by helicopter looking for people torching their cars. One investigator had 8 arsons in 36 hours!

Those with gap insurance may be especially tempted to commit insurance fraud by arson.

Remember, the longest your car note should ever be is 42 months. Why? At 42 months, you have very little risk of being upside down in your car.

The real solution here is to avoid a dilemma where you're contemplating insurance fraud in the first place. That means buying a used car for cash. For example, associate producer Joel recently bought a 2000 Nissan Altima for $3,200 in cash.

The National Safety Council reports that the number of people killed on the roads last year is the lowest it has been since records started being kept in the 1920s.

Of course, there were fewer deaths because people drove less during the run-up in fuel prices. But here's one overlooked factor: People were also driving slower to maximize fuel economy -- a key in preventing high-speed highway deaths.

Other factors at work here include the fact that cars are being made much safer with ABS brakes, electronic stability control, adaptive cruise control, airbags and more. In addition, some 83% of people are now wearing their seat-belts. Finally, road design is much safer today. Clark was recently reading about new wires that are being strung along freeway medians to prevent crossover collisions.

This is all great news and it's only going to get better. The consumer champ is heartened when he looks at his college-age daughter and her friends at school. There's a lot of societal pressure against driving drunk and they're all careful to select designated drivers when they go out.

Is it reckless for you to buy a very small car?

Clark used to drive a 3-wheeled car made of fiberglass. If he got hit by a bicycle, he would have probably been in trouble! That was back in 1979 when car safety wasn't a top issue on people's minds.

Today, however, cars and roads are so much safer. Vehicles routinely have side-curtain airbags, ABS brakes, adaptive cruise control and more.

But you can't defeat physics. Clark now drives a Toyota Scion that would be crushed by an SUV in an accident.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) has released new safety findings on small cars. Your typical small car has a good rating in front-impact crashes, but a very poor rating when it comes to rear-impact crashes.

One small vehicle that was singled out for good rear-crash protection? The Toyota Corolla. The Mitsubishi Lancer and the Honda Civic (4 door) were also mentioned as top choices. Other vehicles that got positive reviews were the new Toyota Scion, the Subaru Impreza and the VW Rabbit (4 door).

In addition, the IIHS' report also highlights the importance of electronic stability control. From his own experience, Clark also recommends paying extra for this feature.

Finally, one small vehicle to stay away from when it comes to safety is the PT Cruiser.

Many states have minimum requirements for the level of auto insurance that motorists are required to carry. But so often, the minimums are not nearly enough to deal with the possibility of medical expenses or car repairs that can result from an accident.

Clark recently read about a new report in The Wall Street Journal that suggests the number of uninsured motorists is rising. As more and more people are laid off from work, they have to decide whether or not to pay for auto insurance. That leaves the risk that you'll have an accident with an uninsured or under-insured motorist.

Doesn't it seem like you always get hit by someone without insurance? So how can you protect yourself? Check your coverage and make sure it's sufficient enough so that in the event you do get hit, you don't end up having to pay out of your own pocket.

The reality is that no one is truly made whole following an accident -- unless they're tricked into thinking so by a late-night TV ad. Clark's all-time favorite illustration of this was when he saw a minor bus accident. The bus merely tapped the car from behind; there was not a single scratch on the bus and the car's bumper only had minimal damage. But Clark saw more ambulances than you could count on the scene as bus passenger after bus passenger claimed they had "severe injuries."

The lesson to be learned here is that some people look at a minor fender bender as their shot at the jackpot because some lawyer's ad on late-night TV said so.

Remember, if you have a great deal of assets to protect, you need to make sure you have a good liability policy. But if you really have a great deal of assets to protect, you need to get an umbrella policy. Umbrella policies are cheap and effective; for each million in coverage, you usually pay a few hundred dollars a year.

Clark has always been cheap, by which he means that he's willing to accept lower quality for a lower price. That's just Clark. But sometimes, his cheap tendencies have come back to bite him.

For example, Clark hates paying for parking. So he often parks in questionable areas where he can find free parking. His reward? 5 smash-and-grabs that required him to replace the car window each time. He could have paid for a lot of parking at that rate! In fact, Clark has had vehicles broken into in 4 countries: Holland, Spain, Canada and the United States.

Clark's wife recently had parked her car in a paid lot and came back to find the window smashed. The thief or thieves were after a $99 GPS unit that Clark had bought last holiday season. So they smashed a $350 window to get a used electronics item that you could pawn for maybe $20.

The penny-pincher looks at this story and sees a justification of his cheapness. He may as well keep parking in shady neighborhoods -- after all, his wife's car wasn't even safe in a paid lot.

In addition, Christa pointed out that GPS units are going for half of what they were when Clark bought his last year. That means he can get a replacement at a cheap price! Why not just leave your doors unlocked and make sure there's nothing of value in the car, Clark?

Clark gets worried whenever state or local officials say they want to protect us by putting in cameras to monitor our speed while driving. The real purpose of such cameras is to make money.

The Detroit News reports that Arizona will make $175 million this year from speed cameras. They have an Australian contractor who handles everything: installation, ticketing and collections. The contractor gets $30 from every ticket with the remainder going to the state.

In fact, Arizona decided it wasn't making enough revenue from the cameras, so they lowered the speed limit in the state to get more money! These tickets don't come with any points on your license; they're strictly against the car itself and just a form of tax.

Illinois and other states now want to install similar speed cameras. But don't believe the political hype about these cameras being used to reduce the rate of highway fatalities. They're simply designed to stock the coffers so politicians can get re-elected.

And get this -- The Detroit News reports Arizona only puts the cameras on roads that are heavily driven by out-of-state motorists. So the revenue comes from non-voters because the politicians don't want to alienate their constituents!

Clark doesn't deny that speeding is dangerous and also necessitates longer stopping distances in the event of a panic stop. But these cameras are only about the dough. If they were really intended to make you a safer driver, the tickets would be against the driver, not against the car. So get ready to smile -- you may be on candid camera!

Oil demand in June was down just under 6% year over year, according to a new report. That's a massive drop in demand considering most driving was thought "inelastic" by economists -- meaning that it had to be done regardless of the price of gas.

But we've changed our routines to drive less; take fuel-efficient vehicles if we have multiple cars; and buy fuel-efficient when it comes time for another car. An unexpected consequence of driving less has been a drastic drop in road fatalities. The University of Michigan reports we're seeing the lowest number of deaths since 1961.

Fatalities were down 22% in March and 18% in April. Yet our driving is only down about half as much. So what gives?

Clark believes the high cost of gas has forced a lot of teens off the road, which equates to lower fatalities. He's seen that in the case of his own teenage daughter and her driving habits. Meanwhile, many people are driving slower to get better fuel economy. That, of course, also has contributed to the drop in fatalities.

So if you're looking for a silver lining in the dark cloud of high gasoline prices, there it is!

Clark and his wife have had some serious discussions about their middle child and her booster seat in the car. Their daughter was upset because at the age of 5 she was still using one while all her friends being dropped off at school were not.

The booster seat issue is one that's really been taken up by the states. Nearly 20 states have instituted new rules about the age that children have to stay in their boosters after they get out of the infant car seat. Maryland, Massachusetts and Michigan are among those with laws going on the books this summer.

Many states require children to remain in them up to their 8th birthday, or until they meet certain height and weight requirements -- usually 57 inches and 65 pounds.

Seatbelt design is such that a child may be killed or seriously injured in an accident that wouldn't greatly harm someone taller and heavier. In a panic stop, the shoulder part of a belt would hit a child directly across the neck. Enough said.

Is Clark trying to guilt you about booster seats? No, you have to make a decision for yourself. There's a certain expectation that childhood comes with a lot of bumps and bruises, but what we're talking about here is much worse than a bump or a bruise.

Recently while driving, Clark saw a car pull out dangerously close in front of a large truck. Clark was able to notice the driver was on her cell phone and had a zoned-out look in her eyes -- like she was completely unaware of her surroundings.

Too many of us drive and talk on our cell phones at the same. We know it's not safe, but it's one way to alleviate the boredom and loneliness of a long commute.

California is the next state that will ban cell phones while driving. Motorists will have to use a headset if they want to gab on the road. The state says this move should save 300 lives a year, yet the California Highway Patrol only attributes 6 fatal accidents last year to driving while talking. Something about their math doesn't add up…

Clark will sometimes put his cell phone on speaker if he's driving in a state like New York that already has a law on the books. But this raises a question: Do you think it's safer to use a headset (or speakerphone) to take and receive calls while driving?

Clark thinks the distraction comes in simply making or receiving a call -- not in whether you use your hands to do so or not. Be sure to vote in this week's poll to let him know.

There are some disturbing stats out about seat belt use. Only 80% of us wear them; that means 1 in 5 goes unbuckled!

Clark took high school physics. While he didn't understand much, he did understand the part about flying through the air during a sudden stop! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 68% of teens who were killed in nighttime car crashes weren't wearing seat belts. Parents, you're responsible for drilling the seat belt message into their heads.

In Europe, new drivers are required to display a scarlet letter on their vehicles. It's a huge red-and-white "L" that helps alert other drivers to be extra vigilant around them. If we had that system, it would give police a heads-up to observe the behavior of young drivers.

Clark's 19-year-old daughter has been driving since she first got her learner's permit 4 years ago. By her own admission, she's still "learning" how to drive. Christa, meanwhile, is worried about when her 5 year old gets ready to drive.

In certain states, it's considered a badge of cool to not wear a seat belt. The top 3 offenders in this category include New Hampshire (the "live free or die" state), Massachusetts and Arkansas. On the flip side, Hawaii and Washington state are the best places when it comes to wearing seat belts.

Clark has a natural affinity for smaller vehicles. But just how safe are they? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety now says the Smart Car, which seats 2 passengers, has earned top ratings for side and front crash tests. The Honda Fit is another wundercar that's been built from the ground up to be extra safe.

This is a big change from the days when all small cars were considered unsafe. Today, small does not necessarily have to mean dangerous. While you can't defy the laws of physics, you can counteract them with good engineering.

Clark has long been a fan of the Smart Car, a Mercedes Benz-produced 2-seater that gets great fuel economy. He was all set to buy one, but then he saw the crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It's perfectly safe for the driver and received the highest rating of 5 stars. But it isn't safe for passengers, earning only 3 out of 5 stars. As a parent of 2 small kids, there's no way that Clark is going to compromise the safety of his children in a Smart Car now.

(Editor's note: The day after Clark spoke about this, the highly respected Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Smart Car its highest rating. Clark says he'll defer to the findings of the IIHS on this one.)

Several weeks ago, Clark told you that his wife was in an auto accident. While everyone involved was fine, he promised to report back about the challenges he was having with the other party's insurance company. They didn't want to pay and kept pushing Clark to file a claim with his own insurer -- a process known as subrogation. The problem with subrogation is that 2 insurers can cut a deal, leaving each driver with an at-fault accident on their driving record. In this case, there was no question that the other driver was the one who hit Clark's wife.

While the insurance struggles were going on, Clark and his wife were able to use a spare vehicle they have to get around. The insurers like to play a waiting game because they know that not everyone has more than one vehicle. So most people eventually roll over and just go the subrogation route. Clark was able to instead become politely persistent. He got on a first-name basis with the investigator and called every single day. On the 8th day, the other person's insurer agreed to pay for damage to his wife's car.

The game is to continually stall in the hopes that you'll eventually go to your own insurance company. Clark's just glad he didn't have to file suit in a small claims court against the other driver. But had he done so, their insurance company would probably have capitulated when they were faced with the expenses of a court date. In the end, you are your own best advocate.

Clark's life is usually quite busy, but there's been a little more going on than usual during the past couple days. Earlier this week, he spoke about closing on an REO foreclosure. In the midst of everything, his family's dog died. Clark's wife and his middle child have been very upset by the death of Costco Wholesale. QT, the family's other dog, is still doing well despite being nearly blind. Meanwhile, Clark's wife was in a car wreck a week ago. The other party's insurer has been stalling, and their car is at the body shop just sitting and waiting for authorization. Finally, his wife said, "You're America's consumer champion. You always give advice to others about consumer problems. What's your advice for yourself, Clark Howard?"

That set Clark on a path that's been educational (but not necessarily fun) as he's learned to deal with the other person's insurance company. One possible solution is to subrogate, which means Clark will go to his own insurer, pay the deductible and let the two insurance companies fight it out. Another possibility is to go the litigious route. The woman who hit Clark's wife has proven delightful, so they're trying to avoid having it come to that. But insurance channels are notoriously difficult to navigate; even if your insurer is good, you still have to deal with the other person's insurer. When Clark checked Consumer Reports' rankings of the best and worst insurers, he found the other person's insurer about halfway down the list. So Clark has consumer problems just like anybody else. He'll update you on what happens if he has to go to court.

Clark’s 18 year old daughter had an auto accident after six weeks of having her license, totaling both cars and causing minor injuries. The reality brought home the enormous danger of teenagers behind the wheel of a car. Roughly 20 teenagers die in auto accidents every single day. Safeco insurance has launched a new program for parents of teens called TeenSurance. It allows parents to continuously spy on the kid’s driving habits – tracking how fast they drive, if they’re out past curfew, and where they drive. And while teens will say they want their freedom, most teens actually like and respect boundaries, and like having them in their lives. The Safeco deal is $25 a month. And, for the parent of a teen, it’s totally worth it in Clark’s opinion.

A recent study by the Insurance Institute on Highway Safety shows in which vehicles you are most likely to die. The most dangerous vehicle you can drive is the two-door Chevy Blazer. Ironically, the safest vehicle is also a Chevy – the Astro Mini-Van. The Blazer had a 232; the Astro had a 7. These two have gotten the most coverage. But what about the type of vehicle that is the safest overall. Four-door mini-cars, for example, are not safe. They have the highest number of traffic-related fatalities. SUVs also did horribly,. But Electronic Stability Control systems are going to make SUVs much safer in the future. So, which cars did the best? Luxury cars are apparently the safest. That may have something to do with the characteristics of the driver. People who drive luxury cars are middle-aged and drive much more cautiously. The Mazda Miata, for example, seems like it wouldn’t be very safe. But it gets great ratings because people who buy them are middle-aged. Mini-vans and mid-sized cars are also in the safe category.

You’ve probably heard of Carfax, right? The company does vehicle history reports and has had a good reputation. But the company recently settled a lawsuit because of false advertising. The company guarantees that if a car has been in an accident, Carfax will know. That is not the case. Many cars that have been in accidents and even totaled are fixed up and resold and the buyer is none the wiser. In Missouri, legislators are trying to pass a law that will allow a totaled car to be fixed up and sold as if the accident never happened. In other words, it would be legal to sell a washed title in Missouri. And, it’s happening in more states than you know. Remember also that a car that has a "certified" sticker or label on it means nothing, unless it's a manufacturer's certified used car program. That will come with the manufacturer's warranty, and those are usually only available on luxury cars. So, Carfax and "certified" are not enough. You always want to have a car inspected by an ASE certified mechanic before you buy.

Drunk driving accounts for about one-third of all fatalities these days, and organizations seem to have run out of ideas to stop people from driving drunk. Well, Toyota is never one to back down from a challenge. The auto company is in the process of designing cars that will detect whether drivers are drunk through sweat in their palms. When drivers place their hands on the wheel and they are beyond the legal limit, the car will automatically shut down. It won’t be available for two years, but Clark loves this idea. We need to put a stop to it and the company claims this is a fail safe system. MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving - is also trying out an idea in New Mexico that could be promising, as well. In that state and now others, convicted drunk drivers have to blow into a tube before they can drive a car. Any preventative idea like this is bound to save lives and that is the main objective.

Have you heard of MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving? During the first few years of MADD’s existence, drunk driving deaths went down. But in the 90s, deaths were on the rise again. And it’s just gone up since then. One in three traffic-related deaths is attributed to alcohol these days. That’s a very sad statistic. But it’s the way things are. And MADD is at it again to stop this number from going up. The organization is now trying to enact laws in each state that will require DUI offenders to blow into a tube before they are allowed to drive. It’s called an ignition-interlock test, and the group tested it first in New Mexico. In a year, the number of deaths decreased by 11 percent because of the test. And, the good news is that technology is very affordable. Something needs to be done because driving is not a right – it’s a privilege.

Clark’s Scion XB has something called "electronic stability control," a safety feature that has already saved him from a potentially horrible accident. The great news is that by 2012, all cars will have to have ESC, according to a new government edict. So, what is ESC? It's a new technology that automatically corrects a car that is about to flip, turn over and the like. GM and Ford are working on getting ESC in cars over the next few years. Toyota and Honda already have it in most SUVs and some other cars. So, ask about it if you're thinking of buying a car. We’ll keep you posted on progress, but this is actually something for which we should congratulate the government. Shocking, isn't it?

A few months ago, Clark talked about his Scion XB and how it had “electronic stability control.” He didn’t know much about it other than that it supposedly takes control of a vehicle if it’s about to roll over. Now the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that these devices are the second most important safety feature after seat belts. Right now, about one in three cars has this feature. But, if all vehicles on the road had it, traffic fatalities would drop by a third. Each year, 45,000 people are killed on the road each year. With this feature, it drops to 30,000. So far, the risk of rollovers has dropped by 80 percent with electronic stability control. But only high-end vehicles come standard with this feature right now. That includes Mercedes, Infiniti, Audi, Porsche, and BMW. It’s optional in other high-end vehicles and other mid-priced cars including the Mini Cooper, Toyota and Volkswagen. It will cost about $300 extra, but Clark thinks it’s worth it. Soon, this will be like having a seat belt in a car. Clark hopes it’s sooner rather than later!

It’s much safer on the roads today than it was in the 80s, even though there are 53 percent more vehicles on the road, according to the Dallas Morning News. That is great news! Why? Road design is so much better than it used to be and cars are designed much better than they used to be. As a result, there are fewer accidents. Stability control, which keeps us from overcorrecting, and accident avoidance equipment are just a few of the additions that prevent injury and death. There is a reverse negative effect for one group, however. Body shops are hurting for business. Fewer accidents mean less work for auto repair shops. But overall the news is good.

American drivers don’t do well in construction zones. If we’re told to slow down in construction zones, we don’t. We just ignore the signs. Illinois has had enough of drivers who can’t be bothered. The company tracks people’s speeds using decoy vehicles in work zones. Your first violation earns you a $175 ticket. The second will cost you $1,000! And if they can identify the driver, it’s a 90-day license suspension. Clark agrees 100 percent. There is no excuse for not slowing down. Red light cameras, on the other hand, are mostly about making money for the local government. But please remember that if you’re approaching an intersection and it turns yellow, you’re supposed to slow down not speed up.

In Great Britain, there is an automobile insurance company that has its very own clinic set up for car accident injuries. It’s set up specifically to deal with whiplash and other accident-related claims. According to the Florida Times Union, whip lash accounts for 80 percent of injuries in accidents. The real cost of accidents comes from fixing your body not your car. One in five dollars spent on accidents is for fraud. So, there are ways to reduce the amount you pay and what you claim if you’ve been involved in an accident. We’ll see how it works in Britain and let you know if it makes its way over here.

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In other car news, you may have heard about Progressive Insurance and its tracking mechanism that records everything while you drive. It records how many miles you drive, how fast you drive and many other factors. In return for allowing the company to spy on you, your insurance goes up or down. Of course, people start driving better when they know they’re being spied on. If you’re willing to do that, it could reduce your insurance costs by a ton.

Automotive engineers are building cars that are smarter than we are. That’s because we’re in the third phase of automotive safety. We’ve been through the era of building barriers and other cushioned devices in the even that an accident occurs. We’ve put airbags in cars and installed seat belts that wrap more tightly around you if you’re in an accident. But what about preventing accidents in the first place? Cars are now being built with sensors, cameras and other devices that alert you or the car before an accident happens. One car has a speed monitor that automatically reduces your speed on highways; another has a digital camera that monitors your eyelids in case you’re getting sleepy. Read about all of these new devices at detnews.com.

. 3:30 – Clark always prefers that people buy used cars because they cost much less than new cars and still have a lot of life left. But the risk with used cars is that the car may have been in a wreck and you don’t know about it. That’s why Clark wants you to always do two things: have the car inspected and run a Carfax report. It’s especially important that you do both because Clark has just learned that in Oregon and Illinois it’s illegal to disclose information about accidents in which cars have been. Somehow, car dealers convinced the legislatures in these two states that a car is worth less if people know about those accidents. What about the people who buy the cars? Don’t they deserve to know that the car could be faulty and potentially endanger their lives. It’s essential that you have any used car checked out by a certified independent mechanic. Pay the money to have this done. And if a dealer refuses to allow you to do this, don’t buy from that dealer.

Maryland is now joining New York and Colorado in adding speeding cameras at intersections and stoplights. The cameras catch you on tape and send you a ticket in the mail. It seems like a good way t o prevent accidents, but the real goal of the cameras is solely to make money for local governments. Clark doesn’t agree with that. Red light cameras are used for the same purpose. And now there are lawsuits pending because the cameras were sending tickets to people who did not run the light. Of the two, the red light cameras bother Clark less than the speeding cameras. But, if you’re local government is thinking of trying either, Clark thinks you should make a fuss.

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In other traffic news, European governments are taking a new tack on preventing traffic deaths among teens. In certain countries, teenage drivers have a mark on their cars letting others know who is behind the wheel. There is also a phone number and a code to use if the teen is driving erratically. Clark thinks we need to bring that system to the States.

This is going to be a bad year for deer. Hitting a deer is not only a traumatic experience, but it can also severely damage your car. One of the main recommendations is to be aware and alert while driving. If you see a deer, it means there are probably others nearby. So, back off the gas pedal. As harsh as it sounds, it’s sometimes better not to try and swerve around the deer if one is in the road. You can easily lose control of the car that way and harm yourself. Also, cars are coming equipped with all kinds of detection devices that warn you of something in the road or help you anticipate a collision. For example, if your car starts moving into the lane next door, there are systems that automatically pull the car back over. Other ideas from car makers include safety belts that turn into airbags in a collision. These are great to have if you live in deer territory.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a force to be reckoned with in the auto industry. The IIHS exists in part to reduce the cost of insurance claims to auto insurers. But the organization is also influential because of its reports on safety mishaps in cars. As a result, automakers are going to the IIHS and having models tested before they are manufactured in great quantities. It’s great for everyone involved because cars are safer for consumers and automakers escape scrutiny in the media. Automakers are literally redesigning their cars to be safer. In addition, Dateline NBC has broadcast crash test information from the IIHs for several years. On the program, you can see which cars you will most likely die in if you’re in if you’re in a crash. When you’re buying a car, knowing whether it’s safe or not is crucial. So, check the latest results from the IIHS Web site.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety conducted a survey into the fatality rate of most cars on the roads today. The survey revealed which makes and models are the most dangerous. The statistics have people in the auto industry up in arms because it called certain cars out on the carpet. They protested that the fatalities are due in part to the driver. So, what does the IIHS say? The tie for the most dangerous cars goes to tiny, 2-door sporty cars and pick-up trucks. Four-door small cars were not nearly as unsafe. And the safest cars were mid-sized sedans and mini-vans. Well, typical minivan drivers also drive SUVs, which are considered unsafe. So, how do you reconcile that? It’s partly related to the design of the car. SUVs have high centers of gravity, which can mean the car is more prone to tip or roll, especially if the driver is not experienced. So get your kids out of those SUVs and into something they can handle. Look at the stats at iihs.org

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a force to be reckoned with in the auto industry. The IIHS exists in part to reduce the cost of insurance claims to auto insurers. But the organization is also influential because of its reports on safety mishaps in cars. As a result, automakers are going to the IIHS and having models tested before they are manufactured in great quantities. It’s great for everyone involved because cars are safer for consumers and automakers escape scrutiny in the media. Automakers are literally redesigning their cars to be safer. In addition, Dateline NBC has broadcast crash test information from the IIHs for several years. On the program, you can see which cars you will most likely die in if you’re in if you’re in a crash. When you’re buying a car, knowing whether it’s safe or not is crucial. So, check the latest results from the IIHS Web site.

The number of automobile deaths involving SUVs and no other cars is growing at an alarming rate. These accidents occur because SUVs have an unstable center of gravity and flip easily. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has internal documents from the Ford Motor Company stating that certain Ford employees know that Ford’s SUVs roof pillars are not safe. There are innumerable cases where people could have lived if they had safer roof pillars. Now Ford’s secrets are revealed. A Ford spokesman said Ford and Volvo are both safety pioneers and that there is no direct link between roof strength and automobile injury. Clark says this is simply not true. If a roof is not strong enough, then it will collapse when a car flips. Big doesn’t necessarily mean safe. Check crash test ratings for cars you’re considering buying.

Clark got rear-ended by one of the volunteers on his Habitat for Humanity project this weekend and it was one of the most pleasant traffic-accident experiences he’s had. Although the sudden jolt didn’t feel good, the woman who hit him was so honest and delightful that he didn’t mind. Not only did her insurance cover the cost of the damage and give him a rental car, but the one-stop shop service was the quickest he’d ever experienced. It was a minor repair in this case and Clark just needed some paperwork saying that the entire cost would be covered. It’s called a “preferred provider” arrangement. And you need a written guarantee to receive the repair. If these programs are not available to you, you want to make sure you take the care to a mechanic you trust. If it’s a minor fender bender, after market parts are fine. But if it’s a bigger wreck, make sure you get the best parts and make sure the parts are guaranteed.

Clark got rear-ended by one of the volunteers on his Habitat for Humanity project this weekend and it was one of the most pleasant traffic-accident experiences he’s had. Although the sudden jolt didn’t feel good, the woman who hit him was so honest and delightful that he didn’t mind. Not only did her insurance cover the cost of the damage and give him a rental car, but the one-stop shop service was the quickest he’d ever experienced. It was a minor repair in this case and Clark just needed some paperwork saying that the entire cost would be covered. It’s called a “preferred provider” arrangement. And you need a written guarantee to receive the repair. If these programs are not available to you, you want to make sure you take the care to a mechanic you trust. If it’s a minor fender bender, after market parts are fine. But if it’s a bigger wreck, make sure you get the best parts and make sure the parts are guaranteed.

One of the main reasons people to buy SUVs in such large numbers is the perception that they are safer than smaller cars. If you are driving an SUV and it collides with a smaller car, the SUV driver will probably fare better. But there has been a big problem with these SUVs flipping over because of the vehicle’s high center of gravity. As a result, the government has designed rollover tests that allow people to see how well an SUV does. The safest vehicles earn a “5,” while an SUV with a “3” has a tendency to rollover. So far, no vehicles have earned a “5,” and one vehicle got a “2.” Would you believe it’s one of the Ford Explorer models? The company has spent years – and lots of money - trying to overcome the negative publicity it got in the past because of rollover problems. But the trouble seems to continue for Ford. The Sport Track 4x2 earned the lowest rating of any SUV. Check out safercar.gov to see ratings on all SUVs. Cars with a 3-star rating or lower are questionable. And, putting a teenager in an SUV is never smart no matter what the rating. They don’t know how to handle these vehicles, and the casualties involved are staggering.