In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show May 12, 2025

Reckless Roads: Understanding the Dangers Behind the Wheel

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Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast.

I moved my microphone and I forgot where I put it.

You got the award-winning In Wheel Time car talk show just ahead, we visit with our favorite auto info insider, divya Sangam or Sangram on reckless driving.

It's always a good way to start off the morning.

I'll give you my thoughts on driving the 2025 Ford F-150.

Jeff has the motor minute.

It's all coming up on this segment of the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show.

Howdy along with Mike out of this world, mars down there.

We always need more Jeff Zekin here.

You don't even know where I am, mr Forgetful.

Yeah, and that's what you're going to go with.

I'm me and you're not.

Thank goodness.

Isn't that the truth?

Div you ready.

Here she's coming right now.

She's on her way.

She's parking the car.

Right now she's parking the car, so I'm not the only one that's late.

We look like we scared her, oh no.

Let's just zoom in right now.

Shall we Zoom her?

There she is, ladies, and gentlemen, Divya Sangam.

Hi, hi, hi guys, how are you all doing?

Well, we're doing good, I'm doing good.

Were you kind of scrambling this morning trying to get to us?

A little bit, yes.

Because you're never late, and you were a minute late this morning, that's okay, we scramble every Saturday morning, so don't worry about it.

We scramble eggs, eggs.

Well, no, Well, I got late.

I was scrambling because I was scrambling eggs this morning and I woke up a few minutes late.

So that's why Feeding the family is important.

There you go.

Absolutely Well.

It's good to see you.

How have you been?

I've been good.

How about you guys?

Very well.

Thank you, divya.

By the way is with LendingTree Value Penguin and we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us.

It's always fun to talk to her.

It is, it's always good.

I know that you of every country that's being tariffed right now Go.

I wouldn't know exactly where we are with the tariffs because they keep changing.

But I will say this A lot of people are worried that auto insurance rates are going to go up because of tariffs, and what I want to say to them is hold your horses.

It's probably not going to be as bad as we imagine.

The situation is constantly in flux.

You know they're striking deals all the time and, more importantly, you know tariffs is just one small part of the calculation that goes into figuring out how much your rates are going to increase.

Climate change and weather disasters are probably going to have an even bigger impact.

Or you know, reckless driving or just unsafe driving is probably going to have a far bigger impact than tariffs.

Yes, tariffs are going to affect, you know, the cost of repairing cars, because you know the cost of importing spare parts is going up, but it's a piece of a larger equation.

Well, let me just say this you know we hear and see television commercials they're bombarded by we'll save you at least $300 a year on your car insurance.

Well, I got ticked off at Allstate, who I have been with for decades, Because it's such a pain to have to go and change.

And then I only changed once in my life and I changed to state farm and I was with state farm for one month and they dropped me.

Oh, oh gosh, I'm sorry to hear that yeah, it was awful because I have a perfectly clean driving record no accidents, knock on wood, nothing.

But whatever reason, and they couldn't tell me and I was ticked.

Needless to say, I was mad.

So I went back to Allstate.

Well, this time my Allstate insurance agent sold his agency to somebody that I never knew State Farm.

To another agent and never once did I get a phone call or email.

Welcome to our new agency.

My name is so-and-so.

Let us know if you have any questions.

We're reviewing your policy.

We'll be back with you soon.

Nothing, I got nothing.

I thought, okay, I can play this game.

So I thought I'm going to start shopping for car insurance and you can go on a website and then, all of a sudden, every insurance agent in the entire United States now has your email.

It's funny how that works.

Yeah, unfortunately, that's the way a lot of these sites are set up.

The upside of getting called by agents is then they're kind of at your mercy, so you can ask them whatever questions you want.

They're eager to close the sale, so it's just a really good way to compare us in shop.

Well, I will tell you that I kept waiting and waiting and, of course, hey, we'll call us.

No, no, you do the work.

I got one phone call from a young man with a farmer's insurance agent out of College Station, texas, which is about what?

90 miles from here, or so 99, yeah, yeah and really a nice guy and let me get your information, mr Armstrong.

So I gave him all my information in the car and all of that.

I saved myself $500 when I bundled it thank you with my homeowners, which is a renter's insurance policy and my car insurance and my car insurance.

I don't have you know big expensive deductions with you know collision and all that stuff.

I got a you know 25-year-old car and it's my baby and I don't drive it very often.

I told him that he says, okay, well, we got this, this, this, this, this and bam, $500 a year.

Then not once did I get a phone call.

So I wound up having to call the Allstate insurance agent and say Go fly a kite.

Pretty much, yeah, go fly a kite.

Oh well, what can we do to get you back?

You didn't even give us a chance.

No, you had a chance for six months to call me and say, hey, I'm me and you're you and that kind of thing, nothing.

So goodbye, allstate, see you later and the insurance agent.

There you go.

So that was that.

Maybe Divya can insure us.

Yeah, well, maybe not.

I'm sorry, I don't have an insurance license.

I'm purely focused on the research side and all the interesting stats.

So let's talk about what you called us to tell us about reckless driving and what effect it has on everybody.

So here's the thing you know, summer is upon us and usually when the summer season starts, you get to see all kinds of drivers on the road, because the days are longer.

Everyone's out there driving and one of the consequences of having more people on the road is more accidents.

And let's admit it, we've all seen that one driver on the road who's extremely reckless and your first thought is oh my god, is this person gonna die?

Is he gonna crash?

Um, and the statistics show that reckless driving is a problem.

Um, you know, nearly 10 percent of all crashes that are fatal are attributed to reckless driving, and the problem is more pronounced in states where you there's bad weather or just roads are more challenging.

So we're talking, you know Montana.

We're talking, you know Nevada, arizona, colorado, some of these states that have mountains, you know very remote roads or just challenging weather conditions.

When you drive recklessly in those conditions, you're probably going to crash.

And you know, if there is a takeaway here, it's just keep your eyes peeled on the road.

Even if you are the safest driver out there, you can't trust the other drivers on the road to be safe, and we really don't want this summer to be a miserable summer because someone got into a nasty crash.

Well, there's that, and then, and then, I was really surprised by the fact that Montana, that is such a remote place.

You know it's part of Canada, isn't it?

I mean, it is A suburb.

A suburb yeah, a suburb of Canada or maybe Alaska, but it's up there and it gets really cold up there.

Not a whole lot of people live there and it topped the country in reckless driving fatalities Wow, by five times.

Yeah, and that was surprising to us until we dug into it.

You know states like Alaska, montana.

Their roads can be quite remote and, like you rightly pointed out, the winter can be very brutal.

So when you have a combination of bad weather, remote roads, if you get into a crash it might even take a little longer for emergency services to reach you, which might contribute to the rise in fatal accidents.

And it's cold, so probably people also may be drinking more to stay warm.

And so when you see, that in all of these, you get a scenario where people are driving recklessly because they think, ah, there aren't that many people on the road, I can get away with it.

They get into a crash, conditions are bad, they're not getting emergency services getting there quickly, and all of these contribute to it.

So if there really is a takeaway here, it's just don't drink and drive, don't text and drive and be wary of other drivers on the road.

Well, the other interesting stat here, South Dakota and Washington.

Are you talking about Washington State, not DC?

Yeah, Washington State.

Washington State.

Well, so that's got some mountains in it, and South Dakota is kind of next to Wyoming and you're thinking that there aren't as many people there.

I don't know, but they reported the fewest reckless driving fatalities.

Yeah, I think South Dakota had zero in the five-year period we analyzed, and Washington also was very, very low.

Maybe South Dakota is driving to the other states and getting in these wrecks.

Driving to North Dakota, either that or a bad bison.

Well, I heard this the other day from a friend of mine that says these careless drivers aren't driving their cars, they're aiming their cars.

Matthew Broderick said that Okay, I'll go with that.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean that makes a lot of sense.

You know, careless drivers are a menace.

Yeah, they're aiming their cars, not driving them.

Now here's something that I thought was really interesting the second and third most reckless driving states West Virginia and Colorado.

My youngest daughter lives in Colorado, and we will assume that is because of the mountainous region of the United States.

Yeah, that's a huge part of it.

Well, I will tell you that I visited there summer before last.

No, last summer.

Was Colorado, in what other state?

Second, second and third?

Oh, second and third that Colorado.

I went to Pikes Peak.

Oh, second and third that Colorado.

I went to Pikes Peak.

I still.

My knuckles have not yet really gotten back to the color that they're supposed to.

I am still white, knuckling it up that damn Pikes Peak that I never thought in a million years that I would be that terrified.

Oh my God, it has to be something with my age, I don't know Used to be.

No, I mean, it's new to us.

It was probably a new experience for you because you may not have driven on that road before, but you were terrified.

Now imagine you're a local.

You're driving down that road every day.

You might get careless and that might contribute to it.

Well, like the tourist buses that were passing me on a two-lane road, zigzagging up the mountain, passing me On a two-lane road, zigzagging up the mountain, passing me, I'm going.

Are you kidding?

The guy obviously drives it all the time and they're all going as they went by, exactly.

I mean, I remember when going with my family up to the Shenandoah Valley so it's between Virginia and West Virginia and there were parts of you know the road that were very narrow and the stated speed limit was like 20 miles an hour.

It's supposed to be a scenic byway so we were sticking to the speed limit.

You know it was a manual car, so we were going on second gear and then we were scared to move up a gear and there were people zipping by us, going at 50 miles an hour and you know I was terrified, my heart was in my mouth.

Yeah.

So and you know I was terrified, my heart was in my mouth yeah, so definitely the mountainous roads and just the conditions overall contribute to an increase in reckless driving fatalities.

There are reckless drivers in every state.

I mean, I've seen them.

I live in New Jersey.

I have driven in many countries but I am terrified of driving in New Jersey.

But just because it's you know, roads are better, wider, well lit-lit, you can probably escape a bad driver.

But if you're up in a two-lane road up a mountain it's a lot harder.

So you know reckless driving need to be careful on the roads, especially if you're living in a place where roads aren't well lit or they're mountainous, or you just have bad weather or maintained, yeah, and the results are reflective of that.

Well, I will tell you that through my lifetime I have had multiple, multiple driving lessons.

Oh, you know speeding ticket.

Okay, I used to get those every once in a while.

Then you take the driver safety course and one of the things in all of the driving safety courses is adjust your speed according to the weather.

You got bright, blue skies, no big deal.

Run the speed limit if traffic conditions permit, but if the weather is bad, it's on you.

If you have a wreck because you're supposed to slow down, and that's the biggest thing of all.

And I see it, we have a beltway here.

The speed limit is 65 in a very urban area of Texas.

Well, with Colorado, you would think.

You know, is it an accident?

Is it a post-dispensary visit or pre-dispensary visit?

Well, there's that thought.

Yeah, there is that thought.

And Well, there's that thought.

Yeah, there is that thought.

And the other thing is great, big trucks, you know, doing over the speed limit.

And here's the guy inside texting Yep, all the time, I see it all the time.

Huge thing, reckless driving, yeah, and it's preventable.

You can't prevent somebody else from being a reckless driver, but you can get out of the way most of the time, unless, of course, they're coming up behind you at 80 miles an hour and you're stuck in traffic.

There's nothing you can do and they slam into the back of you.

Then you call Jim Adler.

Yeah, I was coming in at 10 this morning.

I crossed over Beltway 8, still on 10.

I got my cruise set on 78.

I'm cruising with the traffic and I see him coming, a big black car coming.

I thought it was police, it wasn't, it was somebody else and he went around me and went across three lanes in front of me.

Then he came back across three lanes just working his way through traffic.

Zigzagging.

And I'm doing 78 in a 60, 65, whatever the speed limit is through there and this guy is just blowing by me.

I mean, Hello, steve Woodard.

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing Steve Woodard.

Next time set up that radar.

Steve Woodard is our state trooper, friend Set up that radar over there on I-10 between Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange in Houston.

Mr Mars is ahead of this away Inside the beltway where it speeds up.

Camp out in Mike's driveway, you'll get them.

I will never understand drivers who zigzag across lanes thinking it's going to get them to their destination faster.

There was actually a study done by the University of Michigan.

Because they are in the big traffic thing for the feds they say changing lanes actually delays your trip.

So if you're in a lane and say it's a three-lane traffic and you're in the middle lane and the left lane keeps kind of going ahead of you, keep going ahead of you, and then you get in that lane.

You just backed up because that other lane is going to move too.

So stay in your lane, don't be zigzagging, and you'll get there in time.

And don't be preached to by somebody that is the biggest sinner of all when it comes to that right foot.

He can plow that thing right down to the floor mat.

Who's that?

Me no, no, they say I'm an old man when I drive.

Here's the guy that had his.

what was it?

A 69 or 70 Nova, 72.

72 Nova with a big V8 motor in it?

No, no, him speeding.

No, no, he never did that?

No, never did.

You know he?

He never did that, no, never did.

He talks about his hair getting a little thin.

That's because the air he's blowing so fast?

Yeah, just blow it all off Blowing it off.

Yeah, don't do it, divya.

It's so good to see you, Great to talk to you, as always.

The next thing on your agenda from the guys at In Wheel Time is trying to sort out the tariff situation, and I know that you're going to do a great job.

It may take you until next year, but you're all in for that, I can tell.

I'm definitely going to give you guys an update the moment we get a sense of how much insurance companies are raising rates.

And that's going to be the biggest problem.

You say insurance Because it's going to raise the price of the car and repairs to the car.

Is that right?

I mean insurance is just one part.

I only speak about insurance because that's the one thing I'm obsessed with.

But yes, I mean it's going to affect the entire car ownership process.

Right, it's going to be more expensive to buy a car.

It's going to be more expensive to repair a car.

But you know, with insurance it's going to be one part of a many piece puzzle on how rates are going to be calculated in 2026 and beyond.

So Reckless Driving Deaths Study valuepenguincom.

Yeah, definitely look for it, and I'm sure you'll find some good tips in there.

It's always a pleasure to talk to you, my dear.

Take care of yourself, divya.

We appreciate you.

Take care of yourselves guys, thank you Happy.

Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful women in your life as well.

Thank you very much.

We'll talk to you again soon.

Talk to you soon.

Bye-bye, all right, that's done.

Yeah, yeah, there's that Just ahead a review of the 2025 Ford F-150 and Jeff's Motor Minute right after this quick break.

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The In Wheel Time Car Talk Show thanks you for 14 wonderful years.

Yep, our first show aired May 7th 2011 on a local radio station.

Then it was a move to the digital world and social media and you followed.

Thank you.

We continue to build and grow our fan base and it's all because of you and your auto enthusiast friends.

We appreciate your support.

It's always great to see you at our remote broadcasts and we hope you'll continue to stop by and say hello.

It's been a great ride and we hope to bring you more fun and adventure right here on the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show.

Hey, I did want to remind you that our last stop on the In Wheel Time Spring Tour happens June 12th.

That's going to take place in Granbury, Texas, just to the south of Fort Worth, at the Lone Star Street Rod Association State Run.

That live broadcast will air at a special time, 9 to noon on June the 12th, and we hope that you will join us.

Time now for Jeff's Motor Minute Motor.

Minute.

Hey, you know what's coming up.

At the end of the month, indian will join us.

Time now for Jeff's Motor Minute.

Motor Minute.

Hey, you know what's coming up at the end of the month Indianapolis 500.

They're already starting time trials.

They're already starting qualifying for the circuit inside the track and all that stuff.

I watched a little bit of it yesterday, but here's some fun facts.

The Indianapolis, or the Indy 500, is the world's largest single-day sporting event.

That draws more than 300,000 people a year.

So how's that?

And then you've got the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Where the race is held spans an impressive 253 acres.

Really.

A whole complex, then.

Over the course of its 100-year history, the Indy 500 has been won by 75 different drivers.

That's pretty cool.

Helio Castroneves, aj Foyt, rick Mears and Al Unser share the record for the most victories at the Indy 500, with four each.

That's quite a bit.

That's a good accomplishment.

Scott Dixon holds a record for the most laps led at the Indy 500.

That's pretty cool too.

Borg Warner Trophy has been awarded to the winning driver since 1936.

The winner of the 500 is traditionally presented with a wreath and what else, mike?

Bottle of milk.

There you go.

Thanks, mike.

Al Hunter 1992,.

Al Hunter came really close to winning his third consecutive Indy title in a row.

So he's won back-to-back, but he didn't have the chance to win the third.

Didn't three-peat the hat trick, the hat trick, there you go.

So that's a little bit of Indy stuff.

I'm excited.

I don't know what a hat trick is.

I'm excited because I like the Indy 500 and there's another big, super-duper, worldwide event coming in that week after Indy.

It's going to be epic.

You'll all find out about it.

I guess you'll tell us about it after the Indy.

I'll tell you now.

It's going to be my birthday, okay, well, we'll look forward to that celebration.

Send your gifts too, uh-huh, and tequila bottles too.

There you go.

Time now for this hour's car review.

Had a chance to drive the 2025 Ford F-150.

Final assembly location Dearborn, michigan.

Yeah, buddy, the home of Ford Motor Company.

It comes in these trim levels XL, stx, xlt, lariat Trimmer, platinum King Ranch and Raptor Reviewed trim level.

4x4 SuperCrew King Ranch.

Oh my God, your living room is not this nice.

I promise you this is a standard pickup truck.

Seats.

Five people uh, 14th generation, yes, 14th generation.

Wow.

Redesign and all new for 2021.

Exterior features classic ford design with conservative, not overpowering grille.

It seems to be a thing these days and I don't get it.

Wheel opening trim varies depending on the trim level that you choose.

Swinging tailgate yeah, it's a swinging tailgate option.

When it opens, it allows for easy bed access and reach, so it's got like a door within the tailgate.

It's in the middle of it and you can swing it open.

Yeah, it's cool.

Yeah, their competition they all have something special.

That General Motors one is pretty cool too and it helps in you getting closer to the bed.

So if you've got something really heavy and you want to get it in the bed, you don't have to put it on the tailgate and shove it in, you just go right to the bed with it?

Yeah, you don't have to reach over and strain your back any more than you already do.

What I liked about it the optional Pro Power for camping or working with 120-volt connection.

That is very cool.

Do any of the others have that?

I think they're starting to put me in.

I think they're putting some plugs back there.

Here's the deal, and this is strictly from Ford.

This is mine.

There are so many options and trims and configurations.

If you can't find one on the lot which is highly unlikely somewhere in the state of Texas, there's one exactly the way you want it.

But order it.

And I say that because I had a question to Ford one time.

This is years ago.

I said so what if I'm going to pull a trailer with the half-ton pickup truck?

Can I change out the rear axle?

Because I'm going to tow it a lot.

The majority of the truck's work is going to be towing A big boat or whatever it is that I'm towing Trailer.

Yes, you can do that.

Chances are you're going to have to special order it Because for the most part now with these new 10-speed automatic transmissions, sometimes you don't have to change the rear axle.

But if you are going to drive in a mountainous area, for instance, travel to Colorado all the time, and you're pulling your travel trailer behind you in the halftime tongue weight, everything else is good you might want to go for a lower differential right, and so there's that.

Order it from the factory is my suggestion.

Interior highlights Awesome, easy to find dash buttons and switches.

Configurable instrument cluster, huge touchscreen with killer radio in it.

And I checked the radio out with David Ainsley because he wanted to hear his fine work that he did with the new transmitter at 107.5

My God, that thing sounded like a billion dollars.

Yeah, I can't imagine somebody taking that out and putting an aftermarket radio in it, because that thing works great.

Configurable instrument cluster, as I said, the huge touchscreen.

King Ranch leather.

Interior is beautiful and comfortable.

The cargo in the back seat is superb.

Fold up seats.

What I loved about it, the Blue Cruise for highway is absolutely the best and you know it basically guides you through it.

If it's time for you to put your hands on the wheel, it'll tell you to do that.

It's easy to use.

Loved the work surface that uses the backside of the center console and the armrest Folds out over the shifter in the center console.

The shifter goes down into the console.

It's really cool.

This thing is a Swiss Army knife of goodness.

A Swiss Army knife of goodness.

Turn the page.

I like that.

3.5

liter twin turbo V6 with a 1.5

kilowatt per hour lithium battery motor Turns out a total of 430 horsepower with 570 pound-feet of torque.

Toll rating up to 13,500, depending on the configuration rating up to 13,500, depending on the configuration, haul rating up to 2,445 pounds, depending on the configuration.

City 22 miles per gallon.

Highway 24, combined at 23.

I got 19.3

over 348.7

miles.

What I liked.

The mileage was better than the 13 miles per gallon this thing used to get when it had the V8 engine in it.

Nice, yeah, the V6 is really awesome.

What could use improvement?

Nothing.

What I liked fairly smooth, without a load of any kind in it, which was kind of surprising, because you know a pickup truck is made to haul stuff.

Well, with that you've got to have the suspension that can take the heavy load.

1,000 pounds in the bed would make it a lot smoother.

Of course it would cut down on the cast mileage a little bit, but you really don't need anything in the bed, right, it's pretty well.

Air suspension option would be good.

Base trim price $74,805.

Price is tested $79,825.

I didn't say it was cheap.

Base model price $44,095.

Chevy 1500 is one of its competitors.

It starts at $42,700.

The Ram 1500 starts at $43,025.

And the Toyota Tundra starts at $40,090.

Nice, yeah, it works well If you're on a truck shop around, but I think that you're going to wind up checking out in a Ford.

All right, if you'd like to get in touch with us, shoot us an email.

The address here is info at inwheeltimecom.

We are back after this quick break.

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About this episode

Exploring the critical issue of reckless driving, Divya Sangam from LendingTree joins the In Wheel Time crew to discuss alarming statistics and trends related to road safety. The conversation highlights how reckless driving contributes to nearly 10% of fatal crashes, particularly in states with challenging weather and remote roads. The hosts share personal anecdotes about their driving experiences, emphasizing the importance of safe driving practices. Additionally, they touch on the impact of tariffs on auto insurance rates and the upcoming review of the 2025 Ford F-150.

Chevrolet Nova Dodge Ram Ford F-150 Renault Wind Toyota Tundra

Original notes

Summer brings longer days and more drivers on the road—and unfortunately, a spike in accidents caused by reckless behavior. What makes some states deadlier than others when it comes to dangerous driving? The answers might surprise you.

Join us as we explore the shocking statistics behind reckless driving fatalities across America with insurance expert Divya Sangam from LendingTree's Value Penguin. Montana tops the nation with reckless driving death rates five times the national average, despite its sparse population. The culprits? Remote roads, extreme weather, and delayed emergency response times creating a perfect storm when drivers take unnecessary risks.

The geographic patterns tell a fascinating story. Mountainous states like West Virginia and Colorado rank second and third for reckless driving deaths, while South Dakota recorded zero such fatalities during the five-year study period. We unpack why terrain, weather conditions, and driving culture contribute to these stark differences.

Beyond the statistics, we dive into practical observations of dangerous behaviors we've all witnessed—like drivers zigzagging across lanes thinking it will save time (spoiler alert: research shows it actually delays your trip). We share personal experiences navigating treacherous mountain roads and discuss how factors like digital distractions have made our highways increasingly hazardous.

While we can't control other drivers, we offer defensive driving strategies that could save your life this summer. From maintaining awareness of surrounding vehicles to adjusting speed for weather conditions, these simple steps can keep you from becoming another statistic on America's dangerous roads.

Have you encountered particularly reckless drivers in your travels? What states do you find most challenging to drive in? Share your experiences and join the conversation about making our roads safer for everyone.

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