It's still pretty summery in most places but soon enough fall and winter will be here, which means instead of cranking the A/C on your way to work you'll be hitting the seat-warmer switch.

Or maybe you'll want to think twice about that...

A recent study in Germany found that the heated seats found in more and more vehicles as a luxury option are not only heating people's chilly bums but they're also essentially cooking men's privates and causing them to have significantly lower sperm counts.

Of course this is really only an issue for guys who are trying to have a baby, in which case experts recommend wearing loose undies, making frequent stops on long trips, and trying to use the heated seats as little as possible.

Via Autoblog

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There's always been a general consensus when it comes to safe vehicles that bigger is safer, but that's really not the case. Not only is bigger not safer, in some cases it's actually more dangerous to drive a larger vehicle. The Ford Excursion, for example, had 3 times the death rate of the smaller Excursion and twice that of the mid-sized Explorer (it's now a discontinued model). To help us all figure this out Forbes has compiled all the data from crash test ratings, available electronic stability control, and accident avoidance statistics to come up with a list of the 15 safest SUVs, and here are the top 5:

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A big part of watching out for your health is watching out for your own and your family's safety. There are many dangers out in the world, but one of the biggest safety risks involves something you do everyday without even batting an eyelid: jumping in the car.

Making the decision on which car to get for your family is a big one that involves a lot of factors, but one of the most important is safety. According to Forbes this is the top 10 list of the safest in family cars:

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Just in case you need a little incentive to shave off those extra pounds, this article might do the trick -- especially if you drive a sports car. All new cars now must carry a warning label that states the maximum weight (combined passengers and cargo) that the car can safely carry -- and these warnings have revealed that many two-seat sports cars aren't safe for larger people.

Cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata and the Chevrolet Corvette, for instance, don't meet safety standards if both driver and passenger weigh more than 200 lbs each. Larger vehicles, like a seven-passenger Dodge Grand Caravan, aren't safe to carry even six adults who all weigh 200 lbs or more. And, while your car probably won't break down if you exceed these limits, car manufacturers may not be accountable if their vehicle were to malfunction while it was carrying too much weight.

So if you're a big family, or regularly cart around your (even slightly) overweight friends, it might be time to hit the gym -- before you do damage to your ride.

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In April, Fitz K wrote a touching post about the potentially devastating effects of drunk driving. In the post, Fitz describes how Corey Dahlem, a family friend and police officer with the Gainsville Police Department, was killed by a 20-year-old drunk driver after a local sporting event.

While I won't take the responsibility square off the driver for making the choice to drink and drive, I wonder if the tragedy (and others like it) could have been prevented had the man been driving a car with some of the new technology discussed here, which is meant to prevent drivers from taking the wheel after too many drinks.

The article discusses Saab's AlcoKey system -- basically a breathalyser linked to a car's ignition that prevents the vehicle from starting if the driver blows over a certain alcohol limit. Meanwhile, Nissan has integrated cameras and sensors that detect everything from sweaty palms to drowsiness. While the various devices will stop a car from starting if they detect signs of drunkenness beforehand, once a car is in motion they can only warn a driver that he or she is impaired -- it is still up to the driver to pull over. While the technology may not be perfect, it's a pretty impressive start.

I appreciate that car manufacturers are working to make the roads safer and think that similar technology should be mandatory in all new vehicles. What do you think?

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