By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

For whatever reason, the current provincial government in New Brunswick has decided to backtrack a bit on its current efforts on keeping newer drivers safer behind the wheel. Like many provinces, NB uses a graduated licencing system that limits where and when those new drivers can get behind the wheel. One rule that both level 1 and level 2 licence holders are required to follow is that they aren't allowed to drive between midnight and 5 a.m. because night driving can be challenging for even very experienced drivers.

Apparently, that very rule is the one the current government wants to repeal saying it's proving to be a hardship amongst New Brunswickers and there was no evidence of improved safety.

Both the ex-Premier Shawn Graham and the CAA are up in arms over the plan, saying that the current rules already provides exceptions to novice drivers who are required to drive during those hours if required for school or work. 

Steve McCall, president of CAA Atlantic agreed, saying, “The current legislation already includes a provision for exemption as a result of a requirement to drive to school or work. Not only is a change unnecessary, it would be a giant step backward in safe driving and would put these already vulnerable young drivers and other motorists at significant risk."

We're still figuring out who is nagging the current government to get this law changed because so far no one has stepped forward as a glaring example of hardship.

What do you think? What if your province decided to start repealing laws like this without public consultation?

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

It must be hard for an auto executive to stay cool in the face of a misinterpreted or plain-old fabricated story that somehow keeps gaining traction in the public eye. 

The latest example of this comes between Ralph Gilles, head honcho at Chrysler's SRT division and designer extraordinare who brought us such lovelies as the new SRT Viper and the original Chrysler 300, and Donald Trump, a man who never turned down an opportunity to hear the sound of his own voice.

The background here is that Chrysler recently signed an agreement to restart Jeep production in China, something that had been going on for years already before the company's bankruptcy killed it. Now, because this is a highly politicized time in the United States thanks to the upcoming presidential election, somehow this story took a sudden right turn and people assumed that ALL Jeep production was heading to China.

Mitt Romney's Republican team went so far as to create a series of campaign ads slamming President Obama about letting 'good American jobs' get outsourced to China, nevermind that the current Jeep production lines aren't going anywhere. The lines in China will serve local demand in the Asian market.

Despite the non-story being debunked several times, Trump picked up the ball and ran with it, going so far as to tell his near 2 million Twitter followers that, "Obama is a terrible negotiator. He bails out Chrysler and now Chrysler wants to send all Jeep manufacturing to China--and will!" 

Gilles had apparently had enough and told Trump that he was full of - ahem - manure. (Insert slow golf clap here. We agree.)

Anyway, a day later and Gilles has apologized for the language but not for the message. Unfortunately, people like Trump care very little for the truth in their quest for power and influence.

What do you think of the whole situation? Was Gilles' reply out of line? Would a different approach have worked better? Let us know.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Super Storm Sandy has caused unimaginable amounts of damage and chaos along the Eastern half of North America, including leaving most of coastal New Jersey and New York State under 13 feet of water. Parts of Manhattan Island, including the MTA subway tunnels, underground parking garages, and even the streets, were completely flooded, leaving people stranded and cars and trucks abandoned like old toys. 

While we'd expect most of those to quickly head to the nearest scrap yard and replaced by insurance, there are some concerns about what happens to a small percentage of cars that slip through the net and end up on used-car lots in states far, far away from Sandy's path.

Our U.S.-based colleagues at MSN Autos are on the case here with a great look at how to protect yourself from things like 'title washing', which effectively rids a soaked car's official paperwork of any notion it's been in a flood.

For those whose cars have spent some time under water, Popular Mechanics has a good step-by-step guide on how to clean it up. Much of the advice has to do with how quickly you can start cleaning out all the water and mud. However, one sentence in the story really applies for Sandy's victims: "Frankly, if the waterline is as high as the dashboard, you will probably be better off talking the adjuster into totaling the car and getting another... Double that for salt water."

Jalopnik has a great article on how to spot formerly soaked vehicles that end up back into the 'system' without the proper paperwork. Using all your senses - including smell - to investigate all the areas where water can hide, or finding evidence that it had been there before. The biggest problem - besides rust - is that so many systems on newer vehicles are controlled by computer and electronics, and we know how well your phone works after you drop it in a puddle, right?

Finally, here's a piece by Click and Clack - car-advice gurus Tom and Ray Magliozzi - not only discuss how to spot water damage and why it's pretty much 'death' for most vehicles, they also offer tips for those who aren't in the position to get rid of their only set of wheels. 

Have you ever dealt with a flooded vehicle before? We'd love to hear your stories in the comments below.

Photo courtesy Scrapman @ sxc.hu

By John LeBlanc for MSN Autos Canada

What’s been heralded as the world’s least expensive new car, the Tata Nano, will go on sale in North America in three years. That’s according the head of parent Tata Group, Ratan Tata, in an interview with Automotive News.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Well, how ironic is it that two of the biggest pieces of news that happened over the weekend are a Toyota Tundra pulling a retired space shuttle its final mile home and a modern-day daredevil parachuting from the highest elevation ever and easily breaking the speed of sound on the way back down?

We'd discussed the idea of a Toyota pulling Endeavour along the final leg of its retirement tour to the Los Angeles-area science center where it'll sit for eternity. Well, without much apparent effort, the Tundra looks like it performed as expected. 

And, given that the Tundra was mentioned high in nearly every story about the event - including the second graf in this piece from Sky News Australia - Toyota's gamble appears to pay off. Check out the video below where the Tundra is covered in 'Born In Ameria' decals to remind the crowed that the big pickup is assembled in Texas.

Click through to see the video below.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

The Space Shuttle Endeavour is doing a retirement tour of the United States before being mothballed at the California Science Center. Its final leg will be a 20-km through crowded urban streets from Los Angeles International Airport to the CSC on October 13. And it appears that the final quarter mile (400 metres or so) of that journey, the space shuttle will be towed behind a Toyota Tundra CrewMax pickup.

Using a giant dolly to lug the 132,700-kg (292,500 pounds) shuttle would seem to be a hardy task for the generally unmodified Tundra, which uses a 5.7-litre V8 with 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque.

However, as the guys from The Smoking Tire point out, the world's strongest man managed to drag around a loaded Boeing 747 the same distance so perhaps the task isn't as Herculean as Toyota expects. It'll still be quite the PR coup, though, especially since you'd figure one of the Big 3 would be more appropriate for the job?

What do you think? Overblown non-issue or real slap in the face from NASA? Let us know in the comments.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Back in March, one fast-thinking British Columbia RCMP officer figured out a pretty unique way to catch people texting and using their cell phones. He posed as a homeless person, complete with a hand-written sign that explained exactly who he was and what he was up to. Problem is that homeless people with signs are generally ignored, or if acknowledged, then rarely does anyone take the time to read the sign... Anyway, long-story short, Constable Bryan Martell wrote over 20 tickets for various offenses that day and started a new trend for Canadian police.

Officers in Moncton, NB are trying a similar tactic. Back in May, an RCMP constable dressed as a window-washing panhandler was videoed doing spot-checks for drivers texting or not wearing a seatbelt. Now in July, the same group of traffic cops are expanding their costumes to include construction workers and cyclists. According to the CBC, Codiac RCMP say they plan to continue the 'sting' year round since people still aren't obeying the province's distracted driving laws over a year after they came into effect.

Other areas like Ottawa and Halton Region in Ontario have jumped into the fray as well, and given the relative success, we'd say it won't be long before cops in the remaining provinces give it a try as well.

How long will it be before Canadian police start thinking like those in Cape Town, South Africa? Earlier this month, in addition to a 500-rand (about $60) fine, the city began confiscating phones for 24 hours if their owners were caught using them while driving. According to the Cape Times, phones are kept in special boxes in a local police station's safe and their owners given a receipt with the serial number that they can use to collect it the following day. 

Do you think police will ever get the power in Canada to move ahead with such a drastic tactic? It doesn't seem to matter how big the threat of monetary punishment - whether through high-dollar tickets or by increased insurance premiums because of a loss of 'points' - people are still using cell phones and other devices at will.

Let us know!

Photo courtesy National Post

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

The 90th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was shaping up to be a very exciting event thanks to an intense shift towards super-powerful electric vehicles that promised to eclipse the current record time up the hill. Big-money efforts from Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan, along with a private entry from Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima who set the current record of 9:51.278 in a 900-horsepower Suzuki SX4. 

Unfortunately, because of growing wildfires threatening Colorado Springs - the closest town to the mountain - and the surrounding communities, the race organizers are postponing the event, originally scheduled for July 8, until later in the summer. 

By John LeBlanc for MSN Autos Canada

From a purchasing standpoint, electric vehicles are luxuries. At nearly $40,000, the Nissan Leaf—the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle (EV)—is about twice the cost of a similar-sized gas-engine car. And now it looks like the threat of the European economy going into the tank is causing one automaker to rethink its EV strategy.

By Michael Bettencourt for MSN Autos

The Volkswagen Up! subcompact city car won the overall 2012 World Car of the Year award, the small European hatchback triumphing over pricier and more luxurious finalists the BMW 3 Series and the Porsche 911.

It was a good year for European automakers, with all of the World Car winners hailing from the continent, including the World Performance car Porsche 911, design winner Range Rover Evoque and the Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI Blue Efficiency diesel.