By Mark Boada, Senior Editor

Fleets considering acquiring crash-avoidance technology may be surprised to see more accidents happening rather than fewer, at least in the short term.

That’s what modern automotive history shows, and there’s anecdotal evidence that it’s already happening with the latest round of driver assist systems.

The president of a fleet driver safety company told me recently that his instructors are hearing every week from drivers who say they believe that their forward crash or lane departure warning system contributed to a recent accident. “They’re overreacting to the warning signals,” he said, and causing crashes as a result, instead of avoiding them. “They really don’t know how to interact with these systems to use them properly.”

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Manheim

2016 brought good news for almost every segment of the auto industry.

Highlights included accelerating used vehicle sales, a record high 17.5 million new vehicle sales, and a growing number of services and support products that are dramatically improving the efficiency of the automotive marketplace – from retail to remarketing.

These trends – and the outlook for 2017 – are explored in depth in the 22^nd edition of the Manheim Used Car Market Report, presented by Cox Automotive. Each year, the highly respected compilation provides a compelling snapshot of data and trends shaping the used car business.

“2016 was most likely a bullish year for you regardless of what sector of the automotive ecosystem you’re part of,” said Tom Webb, chief economist for Cox Automotive. “Looking forward, although there is looming uncertainty about the economic climate in 2017, the prospects are still good that the seven-year recovery in the automotive industry will continue.”

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Selling is a lot like driving. It’s easy to get distracted with activity that takes you off road

By Susan A. Lund, President of MR³

I remember driving with a friend of mine who had just completed advanced drivers training. When I got in the car with her, she was a much better driver than before. As I reflected on my driving, I recognized I had room for improvement and decided I needed a driving course.

The good news is that after taking two driving courses, I learned how to drive for performance! How about you? Are you driving and selling for performance or distracted with activity that takes you off road?

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The Detroit News

Ford Motor Co. will offer customers with older model vehicles the connectivity of a new vehicle that includes 4G Wi-Fi through a small device that plugs into the car.

The Dearborn automaker said Friday that the small Ford SmartLink device plugs into the OBD II port below the steering wheel and will give owners of 2010-2016 Ford, Lincoln and some Mercury vehicles without built-in modems the ability to connect on the road.

Millions of customers could possibly take advantage of the device, Ford said.

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USA Today

In a single week, President Trump’s assertion of his more protectionist “America First” trade policy already holds massive implications for the auto industry.

A week that began with a cordial meeting with the CEOs of Detroit’s Big 3 automakers ended in a diplomatic dispute with Mexico, a key trading partner and home to many auto plants that supply cars to the U.S.

His administration floated the idea of a tariff or border tax to pay for a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. He made it clear that he has his sights set on a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

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The Washington Post

Whether you’re heading down to Florida for spring break or out to Denver to go skiing, you need to know about one of the worst kinds of tourist traps you could fall into.

In Orlando, it’s called State Road 528, also known as the Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway. In Miami, it’s Florida State Road 112, also called the Airport Expressway. In Denver, it’s E­­-470, which connects the city with its international airport.

Not only are these toll roads opportunistically built next to airports, they’re almost entirely cashless, meaning there’s no booth where you can pay your toll.

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The Detroit Bureau

While new car and truck sales are expected to slow a bit this month, the buyers that are out there are looking for a vehicle with a variety of things, but if safety and reliability are the key metrics, then the 2017 Buick Encore and Verano, Hyundai Sonata and Tesla Model S should be at the top of the list.

That’s according to The Car Book 2017, put out by Jack Gillis and the Center for Auto Safety. The 37^th edition rated those three a perfect “10” on a scale of one to 10 for reliability and safety.

“Our goal is simple,” said Michael Brooks, Acting Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety, “to empower consumers by providing critical information about the most complex purchase they make.”

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The Detroit Bureau

With protests continuing around the country in response to Pres. Donald Trump’s Executive Order on immigration and travel, the U.S. business community is being drawn into the fray, Ford Motor Co. among the latest companies to take a stand.

The second-largest domestic automaker issued a statement Monday morning cosigned by Chairman Bill Ford and CEO Mark Fields declaring, “Respect for all people is a core value of Ford Motor Company, and we are proud of the rich diversity of our company here at home and around the world. That is why we do not support this policy or any other that goes against our values as a company.”

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Fortune

The new administration has put some wind in the sails of the market and, some would say, the economy too—which is potentially good news for job seekers.

But if you’re one of those seekers and you’re of a certain age, career guru Marc Cenedella has some critical advice: “Don’t list any dates on your résumé before the year 2000

Just zap it. Erase it. Pretend those years never happened.

Cenedella, founder and executive chairman of Ladders, a professional career site aimed at job seekers in the top 25% of the market, riled up some of his 9 million newsletter subscribers when he offered this guidance in December. “I definitely got some blowback,” he says

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NHTSA

Whether you’re throwing a Super Bowl party or just attending one, now is the time to strategize the most important part of your game plan for the big game: a shutdown defense that prevents drunk driving.

Drunk driving kills. It takes a life every 51 minutes in America. On Super Bowl Sunday, we need a team effort to make sure everyone drives sober.

Here are the keys to the game:

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