Before gassing up the car and buckling up for a Spring Break road trip, tune in to "20/20" for unbelievable tales from the road and potential life-saving tips. With reports on GPS navigation systems, surviving a highway pile-up and what to look for when buying a used car, "Highway Confidential" airs on "20/20" FRIDAY, MARCH 15 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.
GPS Astray: How much do you trust your GPS navigator to get you to your destination safely? It might be much less after hearing this tale of a mom, a daughter and an exchange student lost in Death Valley because of antiquated GPS maps. In July 2010, Donna Cooper, her daughter, Gina, and their friend, Jenny Leung, took a wrong turn after a day at the park's museum. Turning to their GPS for navigation, things quickly went downhill - and off the beaten trail - as the outdated maps pointed them in the wrong direction from the exit. With no cell phone signal or paper maps, the women had no idea they were driving into one of the most remote and unforgiving corners of the 3.5 million acre desert. Jay Schadler reports their harrowing ordeal.
The Pile-Up: Combine increasing
SPEED limits, holiday or rush-hour traffic and tough weather, and you have a recipe for that quintessential highway nightmare, the pile-up. John Quiñones reports on one of the worst in recent history, a 2012 Thanksgiving Day 140-car pile-up just southwest of Beaumont, TX, which claimed two lives. What split-second decisions can make the difference between life and death?
Check the CARFAX: CARFAX is touted as a used-car buyer's best friend. But a "20/20" investigation has uncovered that some consumers who put their trust in the CARFAX report are being taken for a ride.
David Muir reports.
Russian Dash Cam Disasters: If you think your commute is bad, try the Siberian Highway. The world's longest road is rife with carjackings, wayward tanks and fighter jets, insurance scams, bandits and car-eating potholes. And if you are the victim of a reckless driver or a bumper-jumper insurance scammer faking an injury, good luck trying to get the
Cops or the courts to listen. The only recourse has become installing a video camera on the dashboard to record every trip for legal evidence, resulting in some of the most unbelievable caught-on-tape moments sweeping the internet. Nick Watt reports.
Through the Windshield: Elizabeth Vargas reports on the unthinkable - when something flies off the truck or car in front of you and crashes straight through the windshield. What, if anything, can you do to save yourself when such disaster strikes?
Americas Worst Bridges: Deborah Roberts looks at the worst bridges in America.
"20/20" is anchored by
Elizabeth Vargas and
David Muir. David Sloan is executive producer.
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