Visiting New York and wondering whether a crosstown cab is any faster than the subway? Mobile|Traffic, a free web service for mobile phones (and standard browsers as well) offers updates from more than 4,600 traffic cameras in seven countries, including the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Simply navigate from country to state/province to city, and you'll get a recent shot of the intersection. Using Mobile|Traffic from a phone requires a data plan, as you'd imagine, and, as MakeUseOf points out, it's in serious need of map and search functions. But it's simple, free, and pretty useful if you don't always trust vague traffic reports of "moving steadily" and the like.

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Car and Driver magazine knows a thing or two about getting pulled over, so they asked seven state troopers from across the Us what they want and don't want from you, the driver, during a routine traffic stop. For example, rather than preparing your licence, registration, and insurance information before the officer asks for it, "most cops don't want you to do anything except rest your hands on top of the steering wheel until directed otherwise."

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Wise Bread offers up a couple of ways to save money on petrol - and the big one is just slow down your driving speed.

On highways, the "sweet spot" for fuel efficiency is 55 miles per hour, or 90 km/hour. In fact, due to wind resistance at speed, you may use up to 20% more fuel if you speed up from 90km/hour to 120 km/h, according to figures the article quotes from Eartheasy.com.

Even on city streets, there are some ways to increase fuel efficiency - learn to take your foot off the accelerator when you can see you'll need to slow down or stop. Accelerating burns fuel - so it's wasteful to accelerate up to a red light, then hit the brakes.

Looking for other ways to save on petrol? We previously told you how to shop around online to find the cheapest petrol. Got any other tips for saving on petrol? Share in comments please.

How to save $0.54 per gallon on gas [Wise Bread]

Here's a tip to help you avoid a parking fine if you're a Sydney driver - moving your car just a  few spots (or even around the corner) before the expiry of a timed parking restriction may not be enough to avoid getting a parking ticket.
The SMH reported yesterday that a woman lost her appeal against a $79 parking fine she was given even though she moved her car before the 2-hour parking limit expired, into a spot around the corner.
To avoid a parking fine, you need to leave the "parking sector" - and it looks like that's a bit of a grey area:

"A parking sector... is usually an area between two [sign-posted] one-directional arrows, unless indicated otherwise. Generally a zone would not extend beyond one street, but we'd have to check with [the] council if this is the case here."

The woman who was fined was parked in One Island Drive, Pyrmont. It sounds like enforcement is at the discretion of the council involved - so you may want to check with your local council about how they define "parking sectors" or play it safe and drive a decent distance away if you have to move your car.

Take a look at all the devices in your life, and which one seems the most resistant to DIY improvements, repairs and useful tweaking? The answer, most likely, is that four-wheeled gadget resting just outside. But while many of us lifehack fans aren't as comfortable in our driveways as our desktops, there are lots of cheap and (mostly) simple ways to get more from your vehicle and make driving and owning it a bit more enjoyable. Today we've rounded up 10 of our favourite car-related tips and tricks that work whether you're at one with your engine or regard your ride as a mysterious four-wheel transporter. Photo by World Resources Institute Staff.

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US-centric: Google Maps mashup Mezzoman finds the perfect meet-up point for two addresses by establishing the midpoint and suggesting restaurants by cuisine nearby. Finding a good meet-up spot can be a bit difficult, and at one point or another read more »

Victoria, NSW and WA will this year trial speed limiting devices which can automatically slow a car when its detected to be speeding. A Yahoo report says the Australasian Intelligent Speed Adaptation initiative is expected to be trialled in Melbourne first.

The device uses satellite technology to detect if you're breaking the speed limit - and it can automatically slow down your car. It has different settings ranging from beeping when you're above the speed limit, to actually slowing the car down.

My GPS can beep to alert me if I'm approaching an intersection with a red light camera, so presumably it wouldn't be hard for a GPS device to also beep to alert you if you're speeding (the one under discussion uses a database to identify speed limits in the area you're driving in). This might be a nice optional service. But I have to admit I'd be a bit worried about a device which can take over driving my car. I'd rather trust my own judgement than leave it in the hands of a GPS device. What do you think?
[via Techdirt]

The New York Times looks into which option is better to help sleepy drivers stay alert: a nap or a cup of joe. In a study conducted by French researches to determine which better helped drivers avoid crossing the centre line, it looks like coffee wins out, but how well it works depends on your age.

For middle-aged drivers, aged 40 to 50, coffee was a far better choice. Caffeinated coffee lowered risk for these drivers by 89 percent, while the nap only reduced line crossings by 23 percent. But among younger drivers, a nap was almost as effective as caffeine. Among 20- to 25-year-old drivers, the risk of line-crossing fell by 66 percent after a nap, and 74 percent after drinking caffeinated coffee.

Of course, it only stands to reason that you could improve your alertness even more with the ever-popular caffeine nap. Now that's a winner. Photo by aphasiafilms.

Steer clear of speed traps during your holiday travel with web site Njection's Microsoft Live Maps mashup, Speed Trap. To search for traps, just look for any big red dot in your area. Speed traps are user-submitted, so at the moment the listings are somewhat sparse, but with a free registration users can easily begin adding to the database. We're not saying you should make a habit of speeding when you're not near a speed trap, but just in case—your insurance rates will thank you. For a more comprehensive but decidedly unfriendly alternative, check out the previously mentioned Bear Trap Guide. Thanks rainmanjam!

Back in August we told you about a new live traffic updating service for GPS navigation systems - Suna Traffic Channel.

Now Mio has become the first manufacturer to bring Suna-compatible products to market. These are the Mio DigiWalker C320 ($449), the DigiWalker C520 ($499), and the DigiWalker C720t ($699). The C520 is available now while the other two are due out in early December. The devices all have a 4.3 inch split screen which shows road information such as directions and places of interest, next to the map.

You'll need to buy a TMC (traffic message channel) cradle kit to get the Suna Traffic Channel on the lower model Mio models, while the top of the line C720t comes with the gear so you just need to buy the license. Prices on these have yet to be confirmed. The kits will be sold at Harvey Norman and JB Hi Fi, while the licenses will be sold online by Mio from December.

Suna's Traffic Channel service will be available in Melbourne from December, with Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide coming online over the course of next year.