Don't rely on your GPS TOO much!

Have you ever been in a car when a driver was paying too much attention to the GPS and not enough attention to the road?

If so, and it resulted in a fender bender, it probably felt like a case of technology failing to do what it’s supposed to— make our lives easier, safer and more entertaining.

Well three women visiting Bellevue Washington for a Costco convention ran into similar trouble Wednesday. According to KATU it was just after midnight and the ladies were looking for their hotel when the driver, lead by the rental GPS unit, drove their SUV down a boat launch and directly into a lake. Neither of her friends stopped her.

No one was hurt— one woman immediately lept to the dock, while the other two balanced on the door frames until the car sunk too deep and they had to wade to safety.

Granted, the boat launch was not well lit, but one has to ask: wtf?

I think the quotes that Lt. Eric Keenan with the Bellevue Fire Department best illustrate this mishap.

“We’ve seen sitcom parodies of something like this and to actually see it is surprising,” he said.

“They were trying to re-route their path and found this boat launch near the entrance to I-90 in South Bellevue and just kept driving into the water.”

“I don’t know why they wouldn’t question driving into a puddle that doesn’t seem to end.”
Well put, Keenan. While it sucks that the GPS lead them astray, this is not the case of technology failing a driver, rather a case of a driver temporarily failing life.

Wonder what Mary On Board would say to this driver!

New Traffic Light Technology!

This driver was NOT listening to his Mary On Board

EYES ON THE ROAD

OCTOBER 26, 2011

The Back-Seat Driver in Your Dashboard

New Interactive Features Are Aimed at Making Efficient Motoring Fun Like a Video Game

• By JOSEPH B. WHITE

Hyundai

Hyundai's Veloster features a fuel-economy game that awards points for efficient driving. Scores can be shared with other drivers.

Remember when Mom or Dad would nag you about wasting gas by driving too fast? Now your car can do it for them.

Joe White on Lunch Break looks at how car makers are developing and installing new technology designed to coach you to drive more efficiently. Put simply, it's like having your back seat driving mom built into the car. But there are twists.

Technology designed to coach you toward a more efficient style of driving is showing in many new cars. Options run the gamut from simple displays of fuel consumption, to interactive video games, to a gas pedal that actually pushes back when you stomp it.
Auto makers view these features as lures for younger, cash-conscious and tech-savvy buyers. They might also help car makers meet coming federal fuel-efficiency standards. Research indicates these electric noodges can make a significant dent in fuel consumption, if drivers actually follow the advice the systems give them.
Car makers are treading carefully. They want to engage their customers in the effort to conserve oil, but they don't want to irritate them and don't want to compromise safety by making eco-driving displays too distracting. Most of these technologies can be ignored or turned off if drivers choose.

Enlarge Image

Close

Hyundai

Hyundai's Veloster

At the far end of the in-car coaching spectrum is Nissan Motor Corp.'s Infiniti and its "Eco Pedal." It is a gas pedal that, in "Eco" mode, gently pushes back against your foot when the car's computers decide you're romping too aggressively on the accelerator. The brand began offering it as part of a $3,000 optional "technology package" with other advanced safety systems. About a fifth of the M-line buyers get the technology package, which also will be offered on the 2013 JX luxury crossover, due to be debuted in November, Infiniti says.

Enlarge Image

Close

Ford

The Lincoln MKZ hybrid.

Enlarge Image

Close

Ford

A gauge in the Lincoln MKZ hybrid features growing vines and leafs to reward drivers visually for efficient motoring.

Hyundai Motor Co.'s sporty new 2012 Veloster three-door coupe has a fuel-economy game programmed into the screen that also displays the car's location, onboard entertainment and telecommunications. The "Blue Max" program measures the car's fuel economy every 10 minutes and displays a score. Drivers can share their score with other Veloster owners using the car's Blue Link wireless link.
Fuel economy is important to the Veloster's young, target buyers, says Hyundai Motor America's senior manager for product planning, Brandon Ramirez. "Gen Y is into gaming," he says, which is why they chose a videogame format. Although the car just came out, Veloster owners are already comparing their scores in an online forum.
It wouldn't be the first time drivers have turned trimming fuel use into a game: Some owners of hybrids and other cars compete with themselves and each other by "hypermiling," using various techniques to cut gasoline usage.
Ford Motor Co. uses images of a plant that grows as drivers motor more efficiently in its Fusion Hybrid model. And Toyota's Prius and Camry hybrids offer detailed, displays of real-time fuel economy.
Auto makers are experimenting with these features in part because future federal fuel-economy regulations could give them valuable credits under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, rules for installing them. And researchers have found that gentle nagging by coaching systems works.

Enlarge Image

Close

Nissan

Infiniti's M-series

Enlarge Image

Close

Nissan

The gas pedals in Infiniti's M-series cars gently push back if stomped on when the optional 'Eco' mode is engaged.

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have been experimenting with ways to give drivers instantaneous feedback on their driving efficiency for about five years. UC Riverside researchers equipped the cars of about 20 people with devices that gave them information about their real-time miles per gallon. Seeing that information led to savings ranging from 5% to 15%, researchers say.
Now, the researchers are embarking on a larger, three-year study, funded with $1.2 million from the Department of Energy. It's aimed at finding how much drivers can save if they have detailed information on the most fuel-efficient route to a destination—based on traffic and road conditions—coupled with coaching technology giving drivers instantaneous performance feedback.
Savings "could go up to 30% under ideal scenarios," says Kanok Boriboonsomsin, one of the researchers on the project. It's a worthy goal, as boosting a car's mpg by 30% through hardware changes—lighter materials, new transmissions, or tiny engines—can be expensive.
Still, the word "ideal" is important: Ideal conditions for driving in a fuel-saving manner aren't easy to find or sustain.
I took a spin in one of the UC Riverside's test vehicles—a heavily modified Nissan Altima bristling with computers and antennae. Accelerating out of the parking lot, my real-time mpg sank well below the roughly 20-mpg target for city driving on the screen.
Things improved coasting downhill, but when I accelerated up the on-ramp to merge with traffic, my real-time fuel economy dipped below 10 mpg.
Michael Todd, a UC Riverside researcher who chaperoned my drive, says mashing the accelerator to get on a freeway can overwhelm the car's exhaust-scrubbing systems. So, not only is the car burning a lot of fuel, but it's adding a bigger-than-average load to air pollution.
The message from the UC Riverside data is that relatively small changes in behavior can produce fairly substantial reductions in fuel consumption.
The overall problem, Mr. Todd says, is that "most people aren't taught how to conserve fuel" when they learn to drive.

The Imported Sports Car

The work of a certain timid but thorough lawyer was valued for its precision, so soon he was making money to buy himself a nice imported sports car.

Not long afterwards he had the misfortune to get lost in the worst part of town, and when he stopped at a red light a huge, mean son-of-a bitch hauled him out of the driver’s seat.

Drawing a circle around him on the pavement, the hoodlum told him not to set foot out of it unless he wanted the crap beat out of him. The delinquent proceeded to demolish the car, starting with the headlights and windows, when he heard the lawyer giggling.

He moved on to the body and engine, but in between crashes he couldn’t help hearing gales of laughter.

Finally, crowbar in hand, he came over to his victim and demanded, “What you laughing about? Your fancy car’s never gonna run again.”

“So?” the lawyer gasped helplessly, tears running down his face. “Ever since you started tearing up my car, I’ve been stepping in and out of this circle, in and out, in and out…”

Report: Poor Driving Habits Can Lead to 45% Drop in Fuel Economy

Published September 9, 2011

On the whole, hybrid drivers tend to be pretty attentive to the driving habits that can help them squeeze as many miles per gallon out of their cars' official EPA ratings as possible. Now, a new study suggests that all car owners should take care follow to proper eco-driving practices, and that failing to do so can hurt a vehicle's average fuel economy by as much as 45 percent.

According to researchers at the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute, factors ranging from tire inflation to road selection can add up to transform even the most fuel-efficient gas cars into guzzlers. For instance, the owner of an EPA-rated 30-mpg vehicle with poor eco-driving practices could see his average fuel economy drop to as low as 17 mpg if he failed to hit a single point on the study's checklist—equal to the combined rating of a 2011 Land Rover.
Report authors Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle divided these poor efficiency habits into three categories: Strategic decisions, which included engine tuning, tire rolling resistance, tire pressure, and motor oil use; tactical decisions, which included route selection, road grade profile, traffic congestion and load weight; and operational decisions, which included idling, speed, aggressive driving, and cruise control and air conditioner use. Of these factors, route selection, speed, and engine tuning demonstrate the highest potential to sap fuel economy.
The study noted that real-world fuel economy in the United States is just 17.4 mpg, and has risen a paltry 3.4 mpg since 1923. The government-mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy for cars was 27.5 mpg last year, but those numbers are determined by EPA testing—not by the real-world experiences of drivers. Sivak and Schoettle also point out that perhaps the most profound factor in the stagnancy of automotive transportation efficiency is vehicle occupancy. Since 1960, vehicle occupancy in the United States has fallen 30 percent, causing the average energy intensity of driving to rise by about 30 percent in turn.

Does the Answer Lie in the Center Console?

So if the simplest, most cost-effective ways to increase fuel economy sit not in the hands of manufactures but drivers themselves, how can we coax car owners to do the right thing? Much of the answer can come from the advanced computer systems being installed in many common vehicle models today. These high-tech center consoles were developed in part to help hybrid and electric vehicle drivers monitor their fuel economy and state of battery charge, and have been integrated with GPS navigation and “infotainment” systems to radically alter the driving experience.
Factors like route selection and driving aggression can already be optimized using systems currently found in most hybrids—some of which coach users on the best ways to improve fuel economy as they drive. Computer monitoring of maintenance issues like tire pressure and engine tuning could also help to lead car owners to better eco-driving habits.
While which car you drive can make all the difference in the world, it certainly isn't the only factor in determining fuel economy. In theory, a combination of good car maintenance, smart driving and carpooling can be just as powerful a fuel-saver as buying a green car. So why not just do both?

---

GPS Drama

Drama with the GPS

By: Shamelessly Sassy

 

My husband Adam and I took a road trip to Mississippi last week for his job. We brought along our handy dandy GPS, because we were under the false impression that it would be the answer to our road tripping prayers.

 

We named the GPS Sheila, but decided to pronounce it all redneck like and actually call her Shayla. By we, I mean Adam, because he is forever naming random items.

We put our destination in and pretty much left our road travel fate in Shayla’s hands. The only problem was that she got a little angry when we strayed from her directions.

If we stopped at a gas station, Shayla would begin shouting that she was, “recalculating.” She was really pretty hateful about it. Persistent, also: She would shout “recalculating” until we got back on our path.
Shayla honestly got a little out of control. She started taking us on crazy roads, and I think perhaps she is the crackhead, anthropomorphized version of a GPS. Like if your GPS is Albert Einstein, mine is Amy Winehouse. Except we call her Sheila/Shayla and she isn’t British like many GPS voices. (Which makes me sad, I desperately wanted a GPS with a nice foreign accent.)

Anyway, at some point in our trip Shayla starts having us make turns every 1.5 miles onto back roads that looked as if they were rarely, if EVER, traveled. One of them was even half gravel. I’m not even kidding. It was like the episode of The Office where Michael trusts his GPS and follows its instructions exactly as given. In the end, the GPS drives him into the lake. That was us. Michael Scott just following the GPS until it takes us somewhere bizarre.
(This is a nice time to insert how much I LOVE THE OFFICE! Love, love, love!)

Most of the trip was spent cussing Shayla. Like the time she directed us to turn too early and then blamed the turn on us.

“RECALCULATING … RECALCULATING … RECALCULATING!” Shayla shouted. As if she was the one put out by her shitty directions?

“@#$%^&^%$%# SHAYLA!” Adam screamed in frustration, “You keep giving us all of the wrong directions.”

This went on and on and on. The directions weren’t incorrect. They were just long and full of turns. The sort of directions your grandmother might give you to the grocery store, because she doesn’t believe in the interstate. That’s Shayla. Your fitful granny.

You would think we would wise up on the way back and find our own path, but if you did think that, you would be wrong. We put our fate in Shayla’s hands? Again! She took us home a completely different way, and in the course, drove us through four different states. FOUR DIFFERENT STATES.

“DAMN IT, SHAYLA!” Adam screamed some more. The only problem was that Shayla doesn’t respond kindly to cursing. Shayla doesn’t respond kindly to anything. In fact, she seemed to lose satellite signal not long after that. Leaving us out of luck and following the maps on my iPhone.

But eventually, we did get home. Shayla is buried in my trunk beneath all of the crap I never, ever get plan to get out like stray flip flops and the pieces of gravel Allie picks up when she wants to collect rocks. Shayla is there, and I’m pretty sure she will stay there for a very, very long time.

Mary On Board will tell you things you won't find on Mapquest!

A Mary On Board would make the trip MUCH more exciting!

GPS for Kids only!

What will they think of next?

Woman Sues Google for Bad Directions

By Sarah Jacobsson, PCWorld    May 31, 2010 4:00 AM

One day I was using my cell phone's GPS service to find the nearest Target. I was driving down the road when suddenly my cell phone piped up, "Turn right here." I looked to the right. There was no road, just a tree and some grass. I chalked it up to a GPS glitch and turned right at the next corner.

If I had been Lauren Rosenberg, however, I would have turned right at that very moment, hit the tree, suffered some cuts and minor brain damage, and then turned around and sued Verizon for the glitch in its GPS service.


Seriously.


Search Engine Land reports that Rosenberg, a Los Angeles California native, is suing Google because Google Maps issued directions that told her to walk down a rural highway. She started walking down the highway--which had no sidewalk or pedestrian paths--and was struck by a car. She is suing Google for her medical expenses ($100,000), as well as punitive damages. She is also suing the driver who struck her, Patrick Harwood of Park City, Utah.


On January 19, 2010, Rosenberg was apparently trying to get from 96 Daly Street, Park City, Utah, to 1710 Prospector Avenue, Park City, Utah. She looked up the walking directions using Google Maps on her Blackberry. Google Maps suggested a route that included a half-mile walk down "Deer Valley Drive," which is also known as "Utah State Route 224."


There's not much more to say--she started walking down the middle of a highway, and a car hit her. Who wouldn't have seen that one coming?


According to Rosenberg's complaint filing:  "As a direct and proximate cause of Defendant Google’s careless, reckless and negligent providing of unsafe directions, Plaintiff Lauren Rosenberg was led onto a dangerous highway, and was thereby stricken by a motor vehicle, causing her to suffer sever permanent physical, emotional, and mental injuries, including pain and suffering."

Google actually does offer up a warning about its walking directions--if you view Google Maps on a computer, it gives you the following message: "Walking directions are in beta. Use caution--This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths."

This warning does not show up in PDA's and cell phones, however. I suppose Google figured that people who are smart enough to use Blackberries are probably also smart enough to not walk directly into the middle of traffic.

For the record, when I look up driving directions from my current city (San Francisco, California) to the city I grew up in (Tokyo, Japan), Google Maps suggests I kayak across the Pacific Ocean (with a rest stop in Hawaii, of course).



I can't wait until Ms. Rosenberg tries to travel overseas ("The plaintiff was unaware that attempting to kayak 5,100 miles is an unreasonable endeavor").

GPS Humor!

Mary On Board sounds much nicer than Homer -- although you can put a picture of Homer in your Mary On Board!

This is NOT something you will hear from Mary On Board! Get one today for your next car trip! www.maryonboard.com

Listen to Mary On Board instead of reading signs like this. She is much nicer!

Get yourself a Mary On Board as Los Angeles Braces for Carmageddon

There's always room for a Mary On Board!

You don't see Mary On Board on this list. Get yours today for $19.95!

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/628/the-worst-gear/

Mary On Board would not let this happen

Mary On Board has a saying just for this! Get yours today and find out what it is!

Mary On Board will give you EASY to understand directions!

Mary On Board units will NOT be harmed!

Tests show wireless network could harm GPS systems

Tests show proposed wireless broadband network could interfere with GPS systems

Joelle Tessler, AP Technology Writer, On Thursday June 30, 2011, 7:01 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- New test results show that a proposed nationwide wireless broadband network would produce significant interference with GPS systems used for everything from aviation to high-precision timing networks to consumer navigation devices. Changes to the proposal could reduce interference, but wouldn't eliminate it.

Mary On Board Review in CNET - Car Tech Blog

June 27, 2011 5:40 PM PDT

Mary On Board a comical nagging backseat driver

by Suzanne Ashe

Mary On Board is the voice of your nagging wife or mother as you drive down the road.

(Credit: Mary On Board)

How do you get from point A to point B without your favorite backseat driver spewing commentary and driving tips? Well, now you can enjoy that familiar nagging even when you're alone in your car.

Mary On Board, the comical backseat driver, can be modded by adding a picture of who you want to be offering you advice on the road.

(Credit: Mary On Board)

The new Mary On Board, a humorous dash-top device, gives criticism, driving tips, and navigational "advice" in two languages.
Mary On Board creator Dan Finkelstein said he was inspired by his wife (named Mary) to create a device that would "backseat drive" for him when she wasn't around.
Finkelstein explained that he was distracted by a phone call one day while driving, only to be reminded to move into the right lane by his wife, who was "motioning wildly and saying repeatedly, 'right lane!'"
So Finkelstein, who had been laid off from Unisys after 25 years, took on the task of inventing Mary On Board. The device was developed through the aid of a Utah-based company, Design My Idea.
The device is about as helpful as a Magic 8 Ball when it comes to dispensing actual directions. Instead, it offers about 15 preprogrammed sayings in English or Spanish, including "I so need a brake pedal on my side," "Admit it! You're lost because you wouldn't ask for directions," and "Don't you think you should slow down?"
The gadget retails for $19.95 on the company's Web site and through Things You Never Knew Existed. For every unit purchased, $1 will be donated to the National Kidney Foundation, Finkelstein said.

 

Suzanne Ashe E-mail Suzanne Ashe

Suzanne Ashe has been covering technology, gadgets, video games, and cars for several years. In addition to writing features and reviews for magazines and Web sites, she has contributed to daily newspapers. Suzanne is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive.

Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20074663-48/mary-on-board-a-comical-nagging-backseat-driver/#ixzz1QbjPSdPi

Time to take some car trips! Don't leave home without Mary On Board!!

Drivers catch a break as gasoline prices fall

Published: Friday, 24 Jun 2011 | 9:11 PM

NEW YORK - A summer road trip may not be such a bad idea after all.

Gasoline prices are falling fast. In the past 7 weeks, the average U.S. retail prices has dropped 38 cents to $3.60 per gallon. Another 25-cent drop is expected by mid-July.

Mary On Board would not let this happen

When your GPS Leads You Astray . . .

George Carlin on driving speed. Mary On Board will let you know how you're doing...in English AND Spanish!

This one is like Mary On Board -- except on a porch swing!

You don't need to go to backseat driver school when Mary On Board can teach you everything you need to know! Get yours at www.maryonboard.com

Who needs a book to tell you how to do it when you have Mary On Board?

Mary On Board gives you MUCH more accurate information!

Buying a Mary On Board is NOT on this list!

10 Ways You Waste Money on Your Car

by Jerry Edgerton
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

provided by



With gas bills putting a crimp in your budget, you don't want to be wasting money on other car expenses. But many car owners do just that — either spending more than needed on maintenance or putting off work that will cost more later.


To be smart about your car, you need to do the right amount of on-time maintenance — while resisting mechanics' pitches for unnecessary work. "With advertising that emphasizes maintenance-free cars, people may have the idea they don't have to take care of them," says George Sadowski, education manager at the Norwood, Mass., campus of Universal Technical Institute, a leading provider of training courses for auto mechanics.
But while neglect doesn't work, neither does overspending. From Sadowski and Michael Calkins, manager of the AAA program that recommends repair shops, here are 10 ways you may be wasting money on your car.
1. Changing oil every 3,000 miles. A relic of a bygone era, this guideline is often promoted by dealers or repair shops eager for business. Instead, read your owner's manual and follow the manufacturer's recommendation for oil-change intervals — it's often 5,000 to 7,500 miles.

2. Using premium fuel unnecessarily. Don't pay this higher cost unless your owner's manual says premium fuel is "required." High-performance engines like those in Corvettes and some luxury models do really require it. But if premium fuel is just "recommended," you can still buy regular. Michael Calkins of AAA takes this suggestion to heart. "I have a Nissan Murano that recommends premium," he says. "But it runs fine on regular." At recent national averages of $3.78 a gallon for regular and $4.04 for premium, that's a savings of about $4 every time you fill up a 15-gallon tank.

3. Failing to change your air filter. "If you have not changed your air filter by about 40,000 miles, it is probably clogged and hurting your gas mileage," says George Sadowski. That MPG penalty could be as much as 10% to 15%, he estimates. So if your mechanic recommends a fresh filter after about 25,000 miles, say yes.

4. Failing to check the brake pads. Most mechanics will raise this issue periodically, but you should suggest it if not. Getting timely pad replacement can help you avoid later (and much more expensive) repair to the brake drums or rotors, Sadowski advises. Replacing the pads should cost less than $150.
5. Buying mileage-boosting additives and devices. On auto racing shows and other sports programs, ads are nearly constant for oil additives or devices — like magnets on the fuel lines — that will supposedly improve your car's mileage. "I've never seen any good scientific study proving that any of this works," says the AAA's Calkins. "They come out of the woodwork whenever gas prices go up."

6. Tune-ups for your engine or air conditioning. Another relic of a bygone era, this is still a popular promotion to drum up business. "Modern engines are constantly being tuned by on-board computers," says Calkins. "And as for air conditioning, if it is blowing cold air, it is fine. If it isn't, get it fixed."

7. Changing coolant. Mechanics or dealers will often say you need to have the engine coolant flushed out and replaced. That's only true if you have plenty of miles on it. Modern coolant — you'll know it because it's usually brown or light red — is engineered to last five years or 50,000 miles, says Calkins. That's about double the lifespan of the old-style green coolant.

8. Ignoring your check-engine light. This amber light on your dash, which in some cars says "service engine soon," indicates a problem with the fuel or emission system. A malfunctioning oxygen sensor, often the reason for the light, can hurt your gas mileage. And an out-of-kilter fuel mix, if ignored too long, could harm the engine."You could wind up with a $1,000 repair job instead of what could have been a $150 job," cautions Calkins.

9. Buying expensive performance tires. When it is time to replace your tires, the dealer rep or salesman at the tire shop may try to convince you that you need the super-grip performance tires that come with sports cars and other high-performance vehicles. But they can sometimes cost twice as much, Calkins notes, and because they are made of softer rubber, they often do not last as long. And let's get real: Are you driving an Indy track or circling the mall looking for parking?

10. Paying for built-in navigation. If you are buying a new car, taking the factory navigation system can cost $2,000 or more. Calkins points out that most smart phones now have navigation options that work just as well and carry free updates of their maps, unlike the built-in systems.
You can't control the price of gas. But by paying attention to your maintenance schedule and doing just enough — but not more than you really need — you can keep from wasting money on your other automotive costs.

But I bet he can find his Mary On Board!

Mary On Board will NEVER steer you wrong!

Don't you think Mary On Board sounds MUCH better than Globe On Board?

Father's Day Gift Idea!

Father’s Day Gift Idea: Electronic Gadget Provides “Back Seat Driver” Perfect Father’s Day Gag Gift Dad Can Use in Car

“Mary-On-Board®” Device Emulates Wife’s Nagging at Husband’s Driving and Retails for $19.95. Great Gag Gift for Father's Day.

• ShareThis Email PDF Print

This make's a great gag gift for Father's Day

 

Troy, MI (PRWEB) May 26, 2011

With Father’s Day just around the corner, finding a fun gift that is just right for Dad can be a challenge. However, if that special Dad drives a lot and needs friendly “back-seat driver” reminders, then give him a “Mary-On-Board®.”
Mary-On-Board® retails for $19.95 and is an electronic device that offers 15 hilarious “back-seat driver” sayings in both English and Spanish. It attaches to most car dashboards with a non-slip mat and a suction cup mount and also has an integrated picture holding slot so you can add your picture to personalize the Father’s Day gift. That special father can then push a button on the device to activate the back-seat driver sayings.
With typical back-seat driving sayings like, “Keep it under 80 miles per hour. You’re going to get a ticket” or “Why don’t you stop and ask for directions” the Mary-on-Board® device is a great Father’s Day gift that will always ensure your Dad or husband remembers to drive safely, even when you aren’t in the car with him.
Mary-on-Board® is the brainchild of Mary and Dan Finkelstein of Troy, Mich. who got the idea during a trip to North Carolina.
“My husband was driving and talking on his cell phone and almost missed an important exit until I got his attention, even though we had a GPS system giving him directions,” said co-inventor Mary Finkelstein. “It occurred to me that a device that would provide subtle driving reminders would be a fun gag gift.”
For a “test-drive” of the device, visit http://www.maryonboard.com and click the “Demo” tab to let the back-seat driving begin. Mary-On-Board® can be purchased online at http://www.maryonboard.com or at Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com) and $1 from each purchase will also be donated to the National Kidney Foundation. You can also find cool Mary-On-Board® t-shirts and hats on the website. For more information, email info@maryonboard.com.

###