Monday, May 31, 1999
Need a map or directions? Internet offers drivers plenty of help
BY TANYA ALBERT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
As the holiday weekend winds down, find a computer and hop on the Internet before heading back to the normal routine.
Web sites featuring crash statistics, construction information, current road conditions and more are just a mouse click away to help drivers get through the daily commute, survive a summer road trip or brush up on the safest cars.
So get out the scissors. Here are some helpful Web sites for commuters to bookmark:
• Need directions?
Try www.mapquest.com.
This Web site can get maps of just about anywhere a commuter or vacationer would need to go in the United States.
It lets users type in an address, and it will come up with a map of the area. Or, it can calculate city-to-city or door-to-door driving directions. Simply type in the addresses and it spits back a map and written directions of every twist and turn to take to get to the destination.
It even gives the option of choosing from a list of popular destinations in a city, for example, sports complexes, hotels or an airport.
• Heading on a summer road trip?
Check out www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo for the latest road closure and construction information across the country.
This site is slick for any road warrior.
When the map of the United States pops up, click on the state you want to know about. You'll get a list of the type of road information available for the state or specific parts of the state. For example, Indiana offers the Indianapolis ar ea, northwest Indiana and other geographical spots.
The federal site also provides links to other Web sites that offer traffic information, such as Rand McNally's construction information site and a site that gives weather forecasts along interstate highways.
• Looking to track traffic close to home?
Cincinnati.com/traffic.
On weekdays, get ARTIMIS' current road conditions on 18 routes around Greater Cincinnati. Road construction information on the routes is always available there.
• Shopping for a safe car?
Try www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/ncap.
Find out what federal standards are for cars and then search for information on cars, trucks and vans by searching for a specific year, make and model.
• Worried about recalls or want to register a consumer complaint?
www.nhtsa.dot.gov/hotline.
This is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's site that lets you search databases or file a defect report.
• Looking for something else in the safety concern category?
www.aaafts.org/text/tslinks.htm.
This AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety site has it all: Links for Crash data. Aggres sive driving. Drowsy driving. Teen driver safety. Driver education. School bus safety. Bicycle and pedestrian safety. Even international traffic safety sites.
Have you found other sources on the Internet that have helped make driving or owning a car or truck easier?
If so, let me know, and I can share them in a future column.
Tanya Albert's “Commuting” column appears each Monday in the Metro section. Contact her at 768-8389; fax: 768-8340; mail at 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202 or by e-mail at tmalbert@enquirer.com.
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