Speed Limit

Who would take a road trip when gasoline is hovering near $4 a gallon? Well, you might, especially if you're taking the family. Sometimes it's cheaper to drive. "Driving makes sense if you have three people traveling, heavy baggage or fragile sporting equipment," said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com , an airfare deals blog. Baggage fees, which put almost $3.4 billion into airlines' coffers last year, can cost as much as $35 a bag (Allegiant, paid at the airport)

A coalition of environmental groups is asking the federal government to require ships traveling through California's marine sanctuaries to slow down to avoid fatal collisions with whales, a problem they say has climbed to "unsustainable levels. " Four groups filed a petition Monday asking the U.S. Department of Commerce to establish a 10-knot limit for large commercial vessels traveling through California's four National Marine Sanctuaries in the Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank.

Newport Beach is creating a special permitting process to allow sail and crew racers to exceed the harbor's 5-knot speed limit — a move that is likely to please participants in such local races as the Thursday night Beer Cans. After years of discussion, the Harbor Commission, Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol, boating groups and city officials are nearing agreement on a plan that would allow yacht clubs and collegiate associations to apply for a permit before a given regatta and legally exceed the speed limit during races and practice sessions.

It's a rare car that can lose its top. Only the most iconic, and sporty, of vehicles are typically selected for the retractable roof treatment, such as Chevrolet's latest: the 2011 Camaro Convertible. Trotting outs its new pony car not only marks the kickoff to Chevy's centennial anniversary this year but also celebrates the Camaro's newfound success. Last year, it overtook the Ford Mustang as the sports car segment leader for the first time since 1985. The Camaro is one of Chevy's best-known models.

The newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau doesn't officially open for business until July 21. But the agency is already making its presence felt. The bureau has just debuted a new website, ConsumerFinance.gov, that features a getting-to-know-you video narrated by Ron Howard. Consumers are invited to post their concerns and offer suggestions for the bureau's priorities. And this week the agency sent a letter to leading bank executives urging them to provide more financial safeguards for military personnel and their families.

Problems such as drivers using cellphones or Toyota's series of recalls for unintended acceleration are distracting from other significant highway safety issues, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Monday. About 100 people die each day in traffic accidents on the nation's roads, but regulators and other officials are too easily distracted by issues that have little effect on the death rate, the institute said. Preoccupation with Toyota and cellphone use "diverts attention from initiatives that have far greater potential to save lives," said Adrian Lund, the president of the institute, a nonprofit that analyzes auto safety and driving issues.

For downhill skateboarders, the feeling of tucking your hands behind your back and bombing down one of Laguna Beach's steep canyon roads is euphoric: the pressure of G-force as you bank turns, the wind on your face and the blur of asphalt rushing below. But those who live along the curving hillside roads complain of heart-stopping confrontations and fear something serious could happen if steps aren't taken to curtail the mostly teenage skateboarders who hitch rides up the hillside and scream down the road as fast as possible.

Racing to danger Re "A grim reminder of danger," June 29 Five CHP patrolmen have died in the line of duty in recent weeks. Perhaps we are reaping the fruit of tolerating drivers who shrink safety margins by flagrantly speeding, driving aggressively and distracting themselves with electronic accessories, especially here in Southern California. Driving I-5 over the Grapevine toward L.A.

Devin Petelski's BMW had just entered a Venice intersection shortly before midnight Oct. 15 when she was broadsided by a Los Angeles Police Department cruiser. She died two days later in a hospital. In the weeks since the collision, friends and relatives of the 25-year-old have accused police officers of causing her death. The officers, who suffered minor injuries, were speeding along Venice Boulevard with their headlights, sirens and flashing lights off, Petelski's friends say. The accident remains under investigation by the LAPD, but city officials say that a preliminary police report indicates that the officers were driving with their headlights on. The circumstances of Petelski's death have generated outrage among some local residents.

In a sport that basically stretches from Valentine's Day to Thanksgiving, there's always something to talk about. As the NASCAR Sprint Cup series returned to Pocono Raceway this week for the second of two annual events here -- this one officially called the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 -- a new talking point emerged. And it one that many people can relate to because they have been guilty of it at least once -- getting a speeding ticket.