News - June
Car airbags to protect cyclists
Historically, airbags have been used to protect those inside a vehicle,
however automotive engineers have now successfully developed an airbag which
inflates under the car's bonnet, reducing the impact on any riders who land
on it.
The bags are triggered when sensors detect that a person is heading towards
the car after being hit. If adopted by car companies, the invention has the
potential to save some of the lives lost on Britain's roads. In 2006, 675
pedestrians and 146 cyclists were killed.
As well as the under bonnet airbag, engineers have also developed a further
airbag situated at the base of the windscreen with the aim of stopping cyclists
going through the glass.
Mats Odman, a spokesman for Autoliv, the Swedish manufacturer that has designed
the airbags, said: "In Europe each year more than 10,000 pedestrians
and other vulnerable road users are killed in a collision with a vehicle
and most of them hit their head on the bonnet or windshield."
The new airbag is an advance on existing safety features such as "pop-up" bonnets,
which prevent injuries by rising up slightly when they are hit, keeping the
victim's head away from the engine.
The Jaguar XKR is already fitted with these bonnets and other manufacturers
are preparing to install them.
Nigel Wonnacott, of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: "All
new technologies are worth looking at but the lion's share of investment
is going into the technologies that are preventing accidents happening rather
than just those technologies which mitigate the effects of a crash."
The introduction of airbags as standard fittings in cars has been credited
with cutting the chances of someone inside a vehicle being killed in a crash
by 25%. The focus now is on saving the lives of those who are hit by a car.
Let's hope that manufacturers take on this new technology quickly.
The wonderful world of Jeremy Clarkson
As motoring fanatic and renowned celebrity Jeremy Clarkson turns 48, it
seems fitting to look back over some of his most memorable quotes since his
time in the public eye.
"Speed has never killed anyone, suddenly becoming stationary ... that's
what gets you."
"Owning a TVR in the past was like owning a bear. I mean it was great,
until it pulled your head off, which it would."
(On the Corvette Zo6) "As something to live with every day, I'd rather
have bird flu."
"I'd like to consider Ferrari as a scaled down version of God."
(On cars at a Max Power Show) "Most of these cars will do 0-60 once...
and then they'll blow up."
"A turbo: exhaust gases go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft
happens and you go faster."
"If you have any thoughts or opinions on what you've seen in the last
ten weeks, do please keep them to yourselves."
"The highlight of my childhood - it's the Ladybird Book of Motorcars
from 1963, and as you would imagine it's full of rubbish really. Just endless
boring grey shapes, until you get to page 40, where you find the Maserati
3500 GT. Now this for me, when I was little, was kind of like Jordan and
Cameron Diaz. In a bath together. With a Lightning jet fighter. And lots
of jelly."
(On the Mercedes
CLS55 AMG) "It sounds like Barry White eating wasps."
It will be interesting to see what he comes out with over the next 48
years!
UK motorists waste £3.4 billion on expensive
car servicing
Strapped UK motorists could be adding to their credit crunch stress by wasting
a massive £3.4 billion on annual
car services when booked through a franchise dealer.
According to research from Nationwide Autocentre, the UK's leading chain of
independent car servicing and MOT test centres, motorists could be paying up
to £100 extra on annual service prices when booking in with a franchise dealer
in favour of an independent garage.
The research conducted by Nationwide compared annual service prices from over
240 dealers across the UK for mid-range family vehicles including Vauxhall
Corsa, Ford Mondeo Estate, Renault Clio and VW Passat Saloon.
The results showed that annual service prices for each of the four vehicles
researched were significantly more expensive at franchise dealers, with an
increase on the average annual service price offered by Nationwide (£149.99)
varying from £40-£100.
The biggest saving could be made with a Passat Saloon, which was almost a
whopping £100 dearer to service with the dealers compared to an independent
such as Nationwide Autocentres.*
*Research indicates that Nationwide Autocentre annual service
price is £149.99, average Volkswagen dealer annual service price for VW Passat
Saloon is £249.89, therefore the total price difference is £99.90
According to VOSA 34.4 million MOTs were carried out between 1st April 2007
and 31st March 2008. There are currently no figures to indicate the number
of services carried out each year. Nationwide Autocentre research in 2007 indicates
that the highest average annual service price difference for a medium size
car, such as a VW Passat, between Nationwide Autocentre and the franchise dealer
is £99.90.
Duncan Wilkes, CEO of Nationwide Autocentre, said: "Everyone is talking about
tightening the belt at the moment with food prices rising by £780 per year
and fuel prices at almost £5 a gallon, switching servicing garage is a really
easy way to cut costs.
"Some motorists believe that servicing their car at an independent garage,
as opposed to a franchise dealer, will invalidate their warranty, but this
simply isn't true. The 'Block Exemption' legislation, which became part of
the European Directive in 2003, means that new vehicles can receive their annual
service from any independent garage without affecting their warranty."
Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves!
According to VOSA
34.4 million MOTs were carried out between 1st April 2007 and 31st March 2008.
There are currently no figures to indicate the number of services carried
out each year. Nationwide Autocentre research in 2007 indicates that the
highest average annual service price difference for a medium size car,
such as a VW Passat, between Nationwide Autocentre and the franchise dealer
is £99.90.
Research indicates that
Nationwide Autocentre annual service price is £149.99, average Volkswagen
dealer annual service price for VW Passat Saloon is £249.89, therefore
the total price difference is £99.90
