Auto safety group, KidsAndCars.org, are petitioning General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall vehicles built before 2001, to have internal trunk release mechanisms installed. This comes after two boys died last week after locking themselves in the trunk of a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. The incident, according to the safety group, is “eerily similar” to a case two years ago where a boy and his sister died in the trunk of the same model vehicle.

Kids And Cars first started as the Trunk Releases Urgently Needed Coalition (TRUNC), a group that focused on getting trunk release mechanisms installed in vehicles, but since then have broadened their area of concern to general safety of children. The group was the main push behind the federal regulation for glow in the dark trunk release handles inside of all vehicles built in 2002 and newer, and are currently pushing to have mandatory back up cameras installed in all new vehicles. KidsAndCars.org was the first and only organization to not only recognize the dangers, but also to begin collecting data and bring national attention to these incidents.

Car shoppers no longer have be at the mercy of a dealership sales person when shopping for a new vehicle. In the age of online resources and smart phones the resourceful consumer has a arsenal of information to help negotiate the best deal. Car research companies like Ebay Motors, Cars.com, Kelley’s Blue Book and Edmunds have free smart phone applications that allow drivers to check car prices and ratings while giving direction for nearby dealers. The app provides true market values, the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), and helps the savvy consumer navigate the car buying process. Online calculators can help shoppers determine the type of car they can afford and how much a vehicle will cost whether paying cash, taking a loan or leasing the vehicle. Some of the apps offer a true cost to own feature which calculates how much car a buyer can afford, including taxes, interest, insurance, gas, and maintenance over the next five years. While not all apps may have information on used cars, providers say used car buyers will be offered that service very soon.

Shortages in supply and increases in demand have made that fuel efficient used car sitting in your driveway a good investment. Car dealers looking to get their hands on well maintained used cars, especially fuel efficient ones, are willing to pay good money for it. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan continue to affect the supply of compact and hybrid cars, low car sales in 2008-2009, and automobile owners keeping their cars longer have also contributed to the lack of inventory. While the Toyota Prius seems to be the most sought after used car, a 2008 Honda Civic Lx price has increased by $2,000 since January, a 2010 Chevrolet Aveo Ls, by over $3,000, and a 2008 Ford Focus is worth about two thirds of its original sticker price .

WSJ’s Joe White explains in the above video how your can get the best deal when selling your used car.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) drowsy driving results in 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and over 100,000 accidents each year. Drowsy driving is considered as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol. It causes slower reaction times, vision impairment, lapses in judgment and delays in processing information. Still, over 50% of American drivers say that they drive while drowsy, and 28% admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel. According to a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), drowsy driving has become more of a problem than previously estimated.

This week is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week®, a NSF public awareness campaign to educate drivers about sleep safety. Drowsy driving is a year round problem with transport drivers pushed by deadlines and shift workers working odd hours, but during the summer, the problem gets even worse. People trying to make the most of their vacation tend to ignore the signs of fatigue, resulting in an increase in drowsy driving accidents on the road.

Automakers and independent electronics companies have come up with solutions to this problem ranging from simple head positioning monitors to integrated sensor systems. While both are effective, they do have their limitations and can be expensive. The makers of a new device called the Anti Sleep Pilot are taking a different, more affordable, approach to keeping drivers alert on the road. The Anti Sleep Pilot offers a standalone model as well as an IPhone app that requires regular input form the driver to ensure that they are alert. The device is constantly calculating the drivers personalized driving fatigue levels according to 26 different input parameters. It not only alerts drivers that they are falling asleep at the wheel, but was designed to prevent drivers from getting into a dangerous situation in the first place.

The modern car interface can do everything from making a dinner reservation to reading your text messages. In order to do this, an array of knobs and buttons are needed on the dashboard making the use of the system much more confusing. Sam Grobart, the Times’ personal technology editor, shows us three different interface systems that are trying to solve this problem. He test drives the Acura ZDX, Ford Focus, and the Audi A8 and finds that making our lives easier can often be frustrating.

Disruption in the auto industry because of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan last month have been minimal so far, but the continued aftershocks and impending nuclear meltdown causing roaming power shortages is starting to take it’s toll. Shortages of vehicles built in Japan are starting to be noticed around the world, and the lack of parts is making it difficult for other auto manufacturers to run their assembly lines. Auto analysts predict that Japans auto industry may not hit it’s full manufacturing potential until late this summer. This uncertainly has suppliers, automakers and dealers scrambling.

Car buyers are already having difficulty finding models they want in certain colors, and auto plant workers are expecting they will soon be told to stay home. The complexity of the auto supply chain shows just how vulnerable the industry can be. With over 3,000 parts going into a single car or truck, one missing part means the vehicle cannot be built. Customers not only notice auto shortages, but rising prices, especially on fuel efficient hybrids as gas prices rise.

IHS Automotive predicts that one-third of daily global automotive production will be cut because of supply chain disruptions. That means about 5 million vehicles worldwide won’t be built, out of the 72 million vehicles planned for production in 2011. In the U.S., some car manufacturers are considering shifting part manufacturing operations to local companies, but stringent safety requirements and exacting high tech specifications will limit a company’s flexibility. For now car executives are allocating certain parts to build the more popular and profitable vehicles.

Scheduled to take effect in December, California lawmakers will no longer be provided with a state purchased car, but instead will be given a monthly transportation allowance of $300 a month. According to the California Citizens Compensation Commission, the group responsible for setting state officials’ salaries and benefits, this change will cut the lawmakers’ transportation costs in half, saving the state of California over $2.3 million over the next five years.

The salary for California legislators is one of the highest in the nation even after salaries and benefits were cut in 2009. The panel decided not to cut lawmakers’ salaries again but said it may revisit the issue if Governor Jerry Brown cuts paychecks for other state workers to help reduce the budget deficit.

Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said the move makes it harder for lawmakers to travel to and in their districts to connect with constituents. He feels the arguments for cutting legislative salaries and benefits have gone from being balanced, rational and a reflection of our economic times to simply trying to make a political point.

California lawmakers are one step closer to passing a bill that will force automobile rental companies to immediately pull recalled vehicles from their fleet until the problem has been fixed. Carol Houck has been fighting for this bill since 2004 when her two daughters died in a rented PT Cruiser accident caused by a recall. Assemblyman Bill Monning, who presented the bill said, “Consumers need to know that when they rent these cars, that the cars are safe. Auto dealers can’t sell or lease cars that have been recalled, and this bill would close the loophole that allows rental car companies to continue doing so.”

Rental company representatives argue that 90 percent of vehicles are repaired withing 30 days of receiving a recall notice, making the bill unnecessary. They feel that the bill targets their industry unfairly and ignores other vehicle fleets, like taxi, limousine and shuttle bus services, private companies and governments.