By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

The old adage of there never being such a thing as a pick-proof lock is being prooved once again by persistent car-thieves. According to this story from ABC News in California, a couple of people were caught on tape easily breaking into a number of vehicles using some sort of palm-sized gadget to disable the alarms and open the doors.

Police are stumped about what the possible technology could be although apparently the string of thefts stretching as far north as Illinois means it's more than just an isolated incident. The amount of development that goes into anti-theft technology by the automakers is pretty amazing, but nothing is foolproof.

Although some think the devices could be cloned key fobs that were duplicated illegally by dealership employees, that would seem difficult to believe since so many different kinds of vehicles were stolen at the same time. The video shows two Acuras getting nicked, while police say Mazdas and BMWs have also gone, but an older Cadillac and Ford Escape proved immune to the gadget.

One MSN Autos Canada editor believes that's what happened on her street last year when newer vehicles were burglarized while older ones weren't touched at all.

Have you heard about this phenomenon? Know anyone whose vehicle has been mysteriously stolen or burglarized in a similar manner? Let us know in the comments!

 

By Steve Mertl for MSN Autos

A riot just isn’t a riot without some trashed and torched cars, and the unpleasantness that followed the Vancouver Canucks’ Game Seven loss in the 2011 Stanley Cup final was no different.

More than 100 vehicles, including a couple dozen police cars, were damaged or destroyed by the drunken crowd that rampaged through downtown Vancouver the night of June 15.

Now, on the second anniversary of the riot, British Columbia’s government auto insurer, known as ICBC, is after some of the miscreants. It filed suit in B.C. Supreme Court on Friday, just ahead of the final deadline for legal claims, demanding more than half a million dollars.

The suit identifies 46 accused and convicted rioters by name and adds John and Jane Doe as claimants, allowing it include more names as other vandals are identified. (The complete statement of claim can be found on the ICBC site.)

"ICBC has a responsibility to protect our customers’ premium dollars and is taking legal action to recover the costs of these acts of vandalism to ensure they are not passed on to our customers," spokesman Adam Grossman said in a news release

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Every spring, after the freeze-thaw cycle has completely cratered Canada's concrete and asphault, the various CAA regions jump into action. In an attempt to kick-start the annual pavement-fixing construction season - otherwise known as 'summer' - the clubs hold a contest to see exactly which stretches of infrastructure are in need of the most attention.

The CAA Worst Roads campaign is back for 2013, running from May 1 to 31 in British Columbia, Ontario and the Atlantic regions. Anyone can vote for which roads are in the absolute worst shape with suspension-breaking potholes to nausea-inducing whoops. Pretty much any public road in those provinces are fair play and results are updated daily. In the end, the tallies are released to every level of government in hopes that the exposure will finally shame someone into fixing them properly.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan released their results back in April, while Alberta and Quebec apparently opted out of the contest.

So which road do you use or know of that you'd qualify as the worst? Around Fredericton, there are plenty, but a couple recent discoveries include Highway 615 out towards Bright, NB and Highway 105 from Mactaquac to Nackawic. Reply in the comments and tell us about why your picks are so terrible.

 

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

While there are some folks who feel any added piece of safety technology is only making us worse drivers by becoming more reliant on them, others feel quite differently. The arguments both ways can get heated and - unfortunately - there's very little hard data to back up the claims on both sides.

Apparently, that's no longer the case, at least for one small fraction of what's available. The idea behind forward collision warning systems is pretty simple: through an array of sensors and/or cameras, the car's computer will somehow alert the driver when another vehicle's closing speed is too great.

Depending on the system, some will do more than just beep and flash: they'll apply the brakes too, avoiding the collision altogether. But whether any of them are worth the investment remains to be seen.

By John LeBlanc for MSN Autos

On sale later this year, General Motors is previewing its new 2014 Chevrolet Impala in San Diego, California this week. No doubt, you’ll read forthcoming reports that the 2014 version is a much better vehicle than the out going version. Seeing how the current Impala uses a platform first seen in 1988, that shouldn’t be a stretch. But as much of an improvement the new Impala should be over the outoing model, how much different is than than other similarly packaged sedans in General Motors' lineup?

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

The statistics and studies saying that the first Monday following either 'springing forward' or 'falling back' for Daylight Savings are more dangerous are confirmed by my bleary eyes and second cup of coffee needed while writing this post. Depending on whose facts you use and where you live, the increase in crashes today will be between seven and 40 per cent compared with any other regular driving day.

So let's just remember a few simple tips suggested by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC). If you're reading this on the Monday, chances are the suggestions of getting plenty of rest and planning ahead might not help today, but chances are your body clock may take at least a few more days to adjust, so keep that in mind.

Otherwise, slow down and increase the following distances since your reaction times are likely to be sluggish at best. ICBC suggests turning your lights on (which I complain about plenty already) to make your car more visible to other motorists and pedestrians. And finally, be a role model to other drivers, meaning take a deep breath, don't tailgate, brake-check, cut-in without signalling or any other of the poor habits we can fall into when tired.

In New Brunswick, we have a double-whammy day thanks to March Break ending for elementary and high school students, so the buses and kids add more distractions for already tired and stressed drivers.

If you're already halfway through your day when you read this, let us know how the roads were this morning. Any funny stories to share? Tell us in the comments below.

Photo courtesy wax115 at sxc.hu

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Although we'd like to think that everybody understands that drinking and driving is a horrible idea and everyone promises they'll never do it again, that would be completely naive. But if common sense doesn't have an impact, perhaps real dollars and cents will. According to CAA Quebec, a first-time offense of driving under the influence (DUI) can cost $7,000.

The organization breaks it down this way: The minimum fine - the minimum - is $1,000 and the minimum amount of time your drivers licence is suspended for is 90 days. Three months! Minimum. Think about the cost of taking taxis, transit, carpooling, etc., for three months. And that also includes anything with an engine including motorcycles, snowmobiles, boats and planes.

Also, in Quebec, convicted drivers are also required to attend an alcohol rehab program that runs for $300.

Additionally, your insurance premiums may increase by as much as 400 per cent in the first year, taking at least an extra $3,000 out of your pocket. And CAA Quebec also reminds you that these charges stay on your criminal record, which can make it difficult to travel outside of Canada too.

Their advise? Easy. Take transit, cabs, use free programs like Operation Red Nose, which gives you a lift home from wherever you are if you've been drinking. And if you're a CAA Quebec member, you are qualified for one free drive home from them too.

So let's be smart this year, right?

Photo courtesy peterfeije @ sxc.hu

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Living 'green' can be difficult these days when money is tight and jobs are sparse. But car insurance specialist Kaneitix.ca is offering to 'spruce' up your wallet - and your conscience.

The premise is pretty simple - if Kanetix is able to connect you with an company that can save you money on your car insurance, it'll donate money to Tree Canada. The money not only goes to the cost of the tree, but also to plant it too. Over 1,000 trees are expected to be planted through the program.

The program is open to Canadians in Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

Would carbon-offsets be enough to make you switch insurance companies? 

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

The annual Worst Roads campaing is arguably the CAA's most popular - a sad fact that betrays Canada's increasingly crumbling infrastructure. Potholes, cracks and frost-heaves are year-round problems for our cars and trucks and the damage it causes to our vehicles is a waste of time and money. However, because of its popularity, numerous roads dubbed the most dangerous have been quickly fixed and repaved because of the shame and negative attention the surrounding municipality receives. 

Now in its ninth year, the Worst Roads is spreading: in addition to Ontario, provincial CAA clubs in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are now 'all in' too (the latter four under the CAA Atlantic flag). Voting ends April 24.

So before you jump off and vote on which local road fits your definition of worst, let us know in the comments below. Bend wheel? Blow a tire? Chip a tooth? Fill us in below.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

'Dry Grads' - organized graduation parties that don't allow alcohol or drugs - grew out of the efforts of keeping teens from drinking and driving. Thankfully their popularity seems to be on the rise, although there are still plenty of young drivers out there who still haven't gotten the message, and teens still account for an abnormally high percentage of impaired driving deaths in Canada.

The British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) decided two years ago to create a contest for local high schoolers to create three-minute pro-'Dry Grad' videos shot, produced, written by and starring students. With $7,000 in prize money being split between the top-three vote-getters earmarked to offsetting schools' Dry Grad costs, there were nearly 50 entries in this year's challenge.

The winning videos from George Elliot Secondary School in Oyama, B.C. ($4,000) and the two runners-up, Hugh McRoberts Secondary School in Richmond ($2,000) and New Westminster Secondary School ($1,000), are candid, graphic and have surprisingly high production values. 

All three videos are easily viewed on the BCAA Dry Grad page.

Which one is your favourite? Do you think this is a contest other regions should embrace? Let us know in the comments.