drivers Archives - Page 2 of 2

A study analyzed the power of LED car headlights. The conclusion is what all drivers already know

November 16, 2025 by usatoday24

I hate traveling at night, almost as much as drive in rain. It had been a while since I went to a national one, but a few days ago I had to do it and what had to happen happened: I was dazzled on more than one occasion. Car headlights have evolved tremendously in a short time and LEDs have prevailed in new vehicles. The problem is that every time there are more signs that we have gone too far with its evolution. And a new report puts a percentage on how dangerous they can be if they are not properly calibrated… or if the car that uses them is an SUV. In short. Whether because you have a new car or because you update the headlights of a car with a few years behind it, they are one of the elements that are most appreciated on the journeys. They see you better, you see better and it is one of the most important points in terms of safety behind the wheel. If the height is correct and they are well calibrated, they are a pleasure, but it can also happen that this is not the case and they dazzle or dazzle you. There, security goes to hell for a few seconds. The British Department for Transport has published the results of a study about glare caused by LED lights. Your conclusion? They represent a road safety problem, altering the habits of drivers in the United Kingdom. We could extrapolate it perfectly. Basically, between October 2024 and early 2025, they combined objective measurements in real conditions with surveys of 1,850 drivers. The results They are devastating: 97% of them affirm that they are frequently distracted, and 96% that glare from headlights is a road safety problem. Analysis. On the one hand, we have those statements from drivers, who were asked about the frequency with which they felt distracted due to glare from the headlights of vehicles traveling in the opposite direction. On the other hand, the objective analysis. To do this, the DfT used luminance cameras and mixed the data using a machine learning algorithm to identify the variables that come into play at high glare levels. They discovered that there was a strong correlation between higher luminance levels and reports of glare in some test vehicles (logical, on the other hand). Also that road factors influence, such as circular upwards or curves to the righttimes when drivers’ eyes are most exposed to the beam of light from the headlights. In the end, these are things that a study does not have to confirm if you have ever driven at night, but what is interesting about the study is the consequences and the “culprits.” Impact. For example, more than half of the respondents have affirmed that this discomfort due to glare has generated anxiety when driving at certain hours, which is why they have reduced night driving or have abandoned it altogether. And more than 20% point out that they would like to take the car less at night because of this, but they have no other option. According to statistics and beyond the indirect impact, they estimate that glare has bound about 290 accidents annually. and the effects They depend on age: a 50-year-old person takes nine seconds to recover from glare, while a 16-year-old takes just one second, which applies another risk factor on the road to older drivers. SUV. Beyond this, they have also found that larger vehicles, such as SUVs, are the most associated with glare in surveys. This is logical: they are taller, their headlights are more aligned with the eyes of drivers traveling in the opposite direction (especially in lower cars) and it seems that all new cars are SUVsso they are the ones with the most up-to-date lights. The problem of retrofit. This term in English refers to the modification of an existing component. In short: updating with new parts and superior technologies, such as changing the brakes for better ones, installing a new infotainment system or change the original halogen headlights for LED ones. You can buy new ‘bulbs’ even on Amazon and many are approved, but there are two problems: those that are not well regulated and those that are installed illegally. The British Administration has identified that illegal conversion is a problem, since changing halogen bulbs for LED means that those housings designed for halogen do not work the same with the new LED headlights, causing dangerous glare. British ITV has intensified its analysis of the sale of these kits, with heavy fines for violators. Not simple solutions. They estimate that around 800,000 vehicles fail their annual inspection due to headlight alignment problems, but although these are UK numbers, this is a global problem (in Spain22% of serious failures have to do with the lights) which implies that, perhaps, we have gone too far with the power of our cars’ headlights. The solution is not clear. The report recommends periodic glare checks and rethinking luminance measurements in modern headlights, but this will have to be studied. In the end, it is something that we all suffer at one time or another although, as they point Our colleagues at MotorPasión, for motorcyclists there is another added problem: reflections on the visor itself. Image | Alexander Jawfox In Xataka | The “made in China” business of the DGT’s V-16 beacons: homologating the same product 24 times and selling it under different brands

The lack of additives at low-cost gas stations does not keep drivers up at night. That’s why Moeve wants to be more Ballenoil

October 31, 2025 by usatoday24

Moeve has changed its strategy and has done so in a big way. In just 12 months, the company has converted 50 of its service stations traditional to Ballenoil, its low-cost brand. And since this type of gas stations began to become popular, the ‘lack’ of additives It has not been a concern for consumers who, above all, prioritize their pockets. The transformation has been especially intense since this summer, when the oil company decided to accelerate the process of further prioritizing its low-cost brand in strategic points throughout the Peninsula. Transformation. The old one Cepsa bought Ballenoil in November 2023 with a clear objective: to challenge Repsol for the crown, which maintains the largest share of the Spanish market. But it is not only about growing the number of gas stations. And it seems that Moeve has understood that the future involves being present in two worlds: the premium, where it maintains its traditional brand, and the low cost, where the customer seeks to fill the tank at a lower cost. From Moeve confirm to the Vozpópuli medium that “both premium and low cost are important to respond to the expectations of our customers.” The perfect timing. Although fuel prices have fallen since all-time highs which they reached after the Russian invasion of Ukraine (when they exceeded two euros per liter), continue to remain at high levels. The liter of 95 octane gasoline exceeds 1.45 euros on average and diesel is close to 1.40 euros, according to data from CincoDías. Logically, given the rise in fuel prices, many drivers are looking for specifically economical gas stations, and that is where the low-cost ones come in. All in a context in which traditional oil companies focus on attracting customers through their promises of premium fuel and additives. Figures. The integration of Ballenoil has made Moeve exceed 2,000 service stations in the Iberian Peninsula for the first time, reaching 2,040 gas stations, according to 2024 financial data. The figure is expected to increase before the end of the year. The pace of transformation accelerated in June, when 16 stations changed their image in a single month. Just like affirms In the middle, during September and October the conversions continued, prioritizing territories where the company already has a greater presence. Madrid leads this transformation with nine gas stations that become Ballenoil, followed by Barcelona, Navarra, Albacete, Ciudad Real, Granada, Seville and Badajoz. The Ballenoil network has also allowed Moeve to penetrate areas where it did not previously have a presence, especially in Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Andalusia and several regions of Castile. The rise of low cost. Low cost gas stations already represent 20% of all stations in Spain, according to inform the EconomíaDigital medium, with more than 2,400 installations spread throughout the country. As the media explains, the savings for the driver can exceed 0.18 euros per liter compared to traditional brands, a difference that ends up being noticed with each refueling. And the forecasts point high, which could mean a major structural change in the national oil panorama. Ballenoil, Plenergy and Petroprix are leading this transformation, betting on automated systems and simplified infrastructure that allow them to reduce costs. Manuel Sáez, CEO of Ballenoil, declared to CincoDías that the objective is to “exceed 380 operational service stations” in the second half of the year and “reach 500 throughout 2027.” Competence. Ballenoil has reached 350 service stations in Spain, becoming the leader in number of points of sale within the low cost segment. Plenergy follows closely, with 340 gas stations (331 in Spain and 9 in Portugal) and plans to reach 370 this year. However, Plenergy leads in business volume: closed 2024 with 1,385 million liters sold, a growth of 43% compared to the previous year. For its part, Petroprix, with 165 stations in Spain, has opted for a different strategy, prioritizing international expansion in markets such as Portugal, Chile, Panama and Poland. Cover image | engin akyurt In Xataka | Catalonia wants to make variable speed limits a reality. And he is already experimenting to improve the sleep of his neighbors

They are running out of drivers, literally

September 15, 2025 by usatoday24

Japan has reached a new longevity record when registering 99,763 people 100 years or olderof which 88% are women, consolidating as the more aged society of the world and with the greatest life expectancy, attributed to healthy diets, low rates of obesity and an active culture in old age. However, this figure also has a face B: the birthday collapse and a lack of labor that has become a first -order problem. Or maybe on one occasion. The demographic challenge. Japan, with almost a 30% of its population Above 65, it has become a world laboratory where it is tested if automation can replace the labor that disappears. The country faces a shortage of workers in essential sectors such as Transportation and logisticswhat has placed companies like Amazon at the forefront of a decisive experiment: demonstrate that robotics and artificial intelligence can maintain the rhythm of fast deliveries in an increasingly aged environment. More robots than humans. In the Logistics Center of Chiba, near Tokyo, Amazon has deployed a Arsenal of Technologies that not only multiplies the ability to 40% storage Regarding a conventional warehouse, but it already has more robots than human employees. There, an automatic machine adjusts the paper packaging to the exact size of each product, while a classification system coordinates multiple items to pack them in a single shipment. The objective is that repetitive work disappears and that the process wins in speed and efficiency, with the support of the artificial intelligence model Deepfleetcapable of coordinating the entire robotic fleet and that has already improved a 10% performance. However, and despite technological sophistication, humans remain indispensable: they are responsible for carrying the packages, a critical phase of the distribution chain. The decline of transport. Because, in reality, the most pressing challenge is found in the transport of goods. With a third of drivers about to retire and a forecast of 30% reduction in the workforce by 2030 (which will mean falling to the 480,000 active truck drivers), The Japanese logistics system faces a crisis of historical magnitudes. The problem worsened with the called “Question 2024”a new legislation that limits driving hours and that has further cut the availability of chóferes. Companies like SBS holdings have opted for Immediate solutionssuch as the hiring of hundreds of foreign workers, aware that autonomous driving is still far from offering a large -scale viable alternative. Japanese skepticism. Plus: Despite the image of Japan as “land of robots”, reality in the country’s stores is far from that perception. According to Interact analysis dataoutside the Amazon ecosystem there are barely 0.17 robots per warehouse, compared to 0.68 in the United States and 0.57 in China. The cause It is multiple: a mountainous geography that forces to build small logistics and several floors, an electronic commerce market that only represents the 10% of retail sales (well below 27% in the United Kingdom) and very high installation costs that dissuade many companies. Nippon Express, one of the greats in the sector, has tried Advanced systems As autonomous wheelbarrows, mobile shelves and robotic chairs for operators, but their managers do not yet trust that these investments can be amortized soon. The survival dilemma. The substantive issue transcends profitability calculations. As warns in the Financial Times Akira Unno, from Nippon Express, Japan has entered a stage where there is not enough generational relief: the country today has just one million 18 -year -old young people, compared to two million past decades. The debate, then, is no longer whether a robot can save costs, but if the national logistics can continue working Without a radical transformation. For companies like Amazon, the way It is clear: Expand automation to local distribution centers and bring artificial intelligence to the final client. For others, the question remains more than open: how many years are needed to recover the investment and if, even with patience, there will be enough hands to hold the supply chain in a country where demography seems to play against any economic calculation. Image | Teo Romera In Xataka | Japan believed to have touched back on his birth crisis. Now another question is asked: if there is really a background In Xataka | Japan has a lesson for the world after years of pro-nature policies. A very little encouraging lesson

Amazon is so convinced of the future of augmented reality glasses that he will put one to all his drivers

September 11, 2025 by usatoday24

Amazon intends to get on to the car of augmented reality glasses With a two -step strategy: a model for consumers and another specifically designed for their distributors. And is that According to sources Near to the company, its intention would be to manufacture 100,000 units of the professional model to launch it in 2026, while the commercial version would arrive between 2026 and early 2027. The fashion device. As the medium points out The InformationAmazon would have decided to enter the market of augmented reality with two differentiated products but with the same base technology. Consumer glasses, with a “Jayhawk” key name, would include microphone, speakers, camera and a full color screen in one eye. For its part, the model for distributors, internally called “Amelia”, will have a more robust design and will be focused on showing instructions on where to deliver the packages directly on the glasses screen. There is competition. The play would place Amazon in direct competition with goal, which next week will present at its Connect conference a new version of its increased reality glasses. Goal already markets The smart Ray-Ban From 329 euros, which include its assistant to AI, audio and camera, but without screen. The new Meta S glasses, with a “Hypernova” code name, would also have a screen in a single eye, according to sources in the sector. Meanwhile, Chinese companies such as Xreal, Rokid and Rayneo already sell glasses to the public, and Google also works for similar prototypes, which We could try during the past Google I/O. Between the lines. Amazon’s decision to first develop a specific model for its workers reveals a strategy that would first go to use its own logistics infrastructure as a test bank before an alleged commercial launch. This would allow you to improve technology in a controlled environment and demonstrate specific use cases. Also, according to The informationAmazon would be using screens technology from the Chinese company Meta-Bounds, which already use brands like Meizu on their AR devices. The technical challenges. Unlike virtual reality glasses, which completely block the vision of the real world, they argue digital information about the user’s physical environment. Amazon would have opted for a screen in a single eye to reduce costs and complexity, although this makes the experience less immersive than double screen models. The consumer version will be more stylized and less voluminous than the professional model but, according to points The medium, both would share base technology. And now what. The success of this great bet will be decided by acceptance among its distributors, the battery life, the accuracy of the instructions and their software and, above all, if Amazon manages to create a user experience superior to that of the competition. The good thing is that the company has the perfect testing field to prove the technology before a massive deployment to the commercial public. Cover image | Eva Rodríguez de Luis In Xataka | One more year, we have new iPhone. And one more year, Apple is far in generative for mobiles

The Japan telepeage system had a 38 -hour blackout. Japanese drivers chose to continue paying equally

May 28, 2025 by usatoday24

Japan is a Country of contrasts. On the one hand, it is a society in which the Machines of vending With used pantieslabor situations close to slavery wave extreme surveillance. On the other, they are obsessed with cleanliness and they have a strong value system in which the norms are not contemplated to skip. But what happens if you go with your car on a highway, the Toll system It doesn’t work and the barrier is raised? Would you pay? Well, the same thing happened recently and thousands of people opted for what seemed most correct: pay. Short. It was on April 8 when the company’s electronic toll collection system NIPPON EXPRESSWAY CENT. (Nexco Central) He stopped working. This implies that cars with telepeaje could not carry out the payment automatically in those positions in which there is no personnel -something that Do not abound at this time in Japan– And obviously the barrier did not get up. As you can imagine, it was an important problem because They generated great traffic jams. The problem began at night, but was expanding for 38 hours in which 106 tolls were unusable, causing chaos on 17 routes, including those that go to Economic heart of the country, Tokyo. Huh, pay. The company acted by sending personnel to the toll stalls in which charges could be made manually, but between others it was impossible for the infrastructure and that they could not send operators to all the points, they made the decision to raise the barriers in the affected points. It was the first time that the system failed at this scale from the privatization of Nexco Central in 2005. Vehicles could pass freely and was the best decision to Avoid bottling during the peak of the next day. What else did Nexco do? Tell the drivers that they will use a form on their website to pay deferred. Interestingly, the drivers who aimed how much they had to pay based on the sections traveled that day and sent the relevant applications are counted by thousands. The calculations. They were not all, much less. It is estimated that about 960,000 vehicles passed through those tolls during the 38 hours of fault and 3.8% of them They requested Deferred payment. It may seem like a ridiculous figure, but we are talking about some 36,000 drivers who, voluntarily and without any duty, decided to request the option to pay for the “service consumed” that day. Absolution. All this showed that the TV system It is vulnerable because, when a failure occurs on a scale like this occasion, it could not be react and the only solution was to lift the barriers to avoid major evils. The president of the company, in a very Japanese way, apologized Publicly and promised something: reimbursements and a total of 1,200 million yen, about seven million euros, which stopped entering during error time. All those who paid would receive the reimbursement of their money in a cordial gesture from the company to ensure equity with those who decided not to pay, but a thing was also remembered from Nexco: although the system fails, drivers They should pay. And there is the most questionable side in history. The error was due to a Failure in a software update of the teleping system that caused traffic jams and delays at first and, despite being the fault of the company, they wanted users to pay equally. Images | The Japan Faq In Xataka | Japan’s economy depends more and more on a very Japanese phenomenon: fans absolutely delivered to its idols

The FIA prepares new sanctions for drivers in 2025 after cases like Verstappen’s

January 23, 2025 by usatoday24

The FIA, the highest regulatory body of motorsports, has decided to apply a drastic change in its disciplinary rules for the 2025 seasonwith the aim of avoiding “verbal excesses” and bad behavior among pilots. After a series of incidents that occurred during the last season, including some conflicts between the drivers and the FIA, such as the one carried out by Max Verstappenthe regulator has renewed its code of conduct and has prepared more severe sanctions for those drivers who violate the new guidelines, according to Auto Motor Sport. The main change that the FIA will implement in 2025 is related to the language and attitudes of drivers both on and off the track. In accordance with Article 12 of the FIA International Sports Code, starting this season, expressions that include vulgar, insulting or rude language, whether written or verbal, will be severely punished.. This includes not only the racist or sexist commentsbut also any other expression that is considered rude, offensive or degrading. The definition of what is considered “offensive” will be broader, allowing FIA stewards to judge each situation with greater flexibility. The regulations also extend these sanctions to gestures and signals, expanding the way in which pilots can be punished. Fines for drivers will be multiplied by four compared to other categories, meaning that a simple offense could cost up to 40,000 euros in the case of a first offense. Max Verstappen, at a press conference in Singapore Reuters This amount could increase up to 120,000 euros in case of recidivismFurthermore, if a pilot commits three infractions of this type, he will face a one month suspension from all competitionsas well as a deduction of points in the championship standings. These measures could have a significant impact on the drivers’ title aspirations, making these sanctions a key factor in the dynamics of the 2025 season. Furthermore, the FIA has decided to no longer tolerate public criticism of its decisions. Drivers who make comments that are perceived as an attack on the FIA or its members, in any format, may also be sanctioned. This includes criticism directed at the FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayemor to any member of the organization. In fact, the article explicitly mentions that any statement that causes “moral damage” to the FIA or affects the integrity of the sport will be penalized. Verstappen, in the spotlight The Formula 1 world champion, Max Verstappenwho has been known for his blunt and sometimes controversial comments, could be seen especially affected for these new sanctions. The Dutch pilot has already been fined and forced to carry out community work in 2024 after using inappropriate language in an interview, and his attitude towards the FIA has at times been defiant. Many wonder if Verstappen and other drivers of the caliber of Lewis Hamilton either George Russell They will abide by these new rules without resistance. On the other hand, some drivers, such as the aforementioned George Russell, have already expressed their disagreement with the way the FIA handles certain situations, and it would not be surprising to see an increase in tensions between drivers and the regulatory body during the 2025 season. . The new FIA sanctions will undoubtedly affect the dynamics of the 2025 season. Although the main objective is to maintain respect and discipline in the competitions, there is also the risk of creating an atmosphere of tension between the drivers and the organizers. Competitors’ freedom of expression could be compromised, and this could lead to controversy both on and off the slopes. In summary, the new measures adopted by the FIA represent a major change in the way misconduct will be managed in Formula 1.

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