Jonathan Fry: November 2005

It's Party Time!

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Debbie and Jon are having a party. Well it’s more than a party, it’s a joint birthday, anniversary and pre Xmas warm up night out type party!

We’ve decided not to hire anywhere as experience suggests forty people in a large, dark and miserable room won’t go down too well so it’s off round town we go.

The plan is to meet up in the Mint, Hull old town at 8pm on Saturday 19th November 2005 and work our way around a few pubs before ending up in a club. We appreciate some of you may just want to join us for one drink and some won’t want to go to a club and that’s great but we’d really like to see you on the night. We also understand that a few of you may not like the sound of Hull Centre on a Saturday night but not to worry as security is being provided by Debbie’s father and uncle!!

We understand for many of you who will want to join in that a babysitter will be required and hope we’ve given you plenty of notice.

As of this evening we have 33 confirmations.

So, we’d like to see you on the 19th, we don’t do this very often and it’s our birthdays so your RSVP would be appreciated at your earliest convenience by return of email, post, phone, or a kick in the teeth!

And the final reason; I promised Kirsty I’d have a party if I was still with Debbie after a year so the 19th is my way of sticking to the deal !!

Confirmed so Far:

Debbie & Jon
Ellen & Ian
Steven & Friends
Graham & Friends
Danielle & Shane
Laura & Lee
Vickie
Steve & Sue
Steve & Mandy
Kirsty & Paul
Estelle & Mark
Mel & Paula
Ethan
Jenny & Carla
Marie & Rob
Becky
Tom & Barbara

Not Confirmed:

Mark & Lorraine (Subject to Babysitter)
Neil & Adie (Subject to Babysitter)
Tomo & Lizzie (Subject to Babysitter)

Barry & Janice (Not confirmed)
Tony & Kay (Not confirmed)
Mark & Elaine (Not confirmed)
Marlene & Jackie (Not confirmed)

If you haven't yet confirmed please, please, please let us know you are coming, even if it's only for one drink.

Update: 16th November 2005
Planned pubs and order -

(1) The Mint
(2) Lloyds Bar
(3) Mission
(4) V Bar (should be open late for non club goers)

DIAmond Advanced Test Goes Eco

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The DIAmond Advanced Motorist Test is the first advanced driving test to include eco-safe driving techniques. Under the latest EU directive on driving licences, eco-safe driving techniques are now built into the government test taken by would-be driving instructors – and it makes sound sense to extend this level of skill and awareness to all drivers.

The EU directive reflects the increased awareness and need for economical and environmentally friendly driving without any compromise on safety.

Typical examples of eco-safe driving which in general save fuel and reduce harmful emissions include:

Using cruise control if it is fitted to the vehicle and if road, weather and traffic conditions are suitable for a fixed speed to be maintained;
When it becomes evident that it will be necessary to slow down, reducing speed at an early stage by lifting off the accelerator, rather than braking at the last moment;
Keeping a vehicle on the move whenever and wherever it is safe to do so, rather than stopping and moving away from rest continually;
Double de-clutching or changing gear in a way which requires revving the engine both use fuel unnecessarily and are therefore not considered eco-safe;
Using the power or torque characteristics of an engine to drive in the highest gear possible without causing the engine to labour.

"These are only examples of eco-safe driving," says DIAmond Chief Examiner Colin O’Connell, "but they are useful guidelines and demonstrate the type of approach we now expect. It is worth emphasising, though, that safety should never be compromised, so there will be times when eco-safe driving techniques will not be appropriate."

More details on the DIAmond Advanced Motorist Test are available from DIAmond Advanced Motorists, Safety House, Croydon CR0 4XZ. Telephone 0845 345 5151 or email DIAmond@driving.org.

Research Material:

DIAmond Advanced Motorists, Safety House, Croydon CR0 4XZ

DIAmond Advanced Motorists is a member of the Safety House group of organisations, which includes the DIA, the largest professional association for driver trainers in the UK, the IVV (International Association for Driver Education), IRSTE (Institute of Road Safety Training Executives), DERF (Driver Education Research Foundation), The Driving Instructor Accident and Disability Fund, SAFEX (world road safety conferences), DRIVEX ride and drive, and the publications Driving Instructor and Driving Magazine.

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Nissan Wind Farm Spins into Action

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The wind farm at Nissan Sunderland is now fully operational and has begun generating power for the plant.

Construction of the £2 million project began in September, when the first of six wind turbines was installed in the centre of the 750 acre site.

Now the switch-on has been successfully completed, and the turbines have begun generating what will amount to 5% of the car plant's annual energy requirement. They will also cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants supplying the car factory by up to 10,000 tonnes/year.

Planning permission for the farm was granted by Sunderland City Council following a highly detailed feasibility study. This took into consideration the views and opinions of local residents, as well as ensuring that the farm fully complies with strict noise level guidelines.

Nissan's wind farm is enclosed entirely within an industrial area on low-lying ground, minimising impact on the local environment. Barmston Pond, a wetland habitat next to and maintained by the Sunderland plant, will remain undisturbed as a safe haven and feeding ground for indigenous and migratory birds.

The site is also home to a protected species of great crested newts, so before installation began, Nissan obtained a licence from DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and measures were taken to protect the newts' habitat both during and after the construction phase.

Nissan Senior Engineer, Graham Bagley, said: 'All six turbines are now turning and generating electricity for the plant. We're very pleased with the initial output.

'The farm is the first of its kind for any Nissan facility and is receiving great interest globally from within the Company.'

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Competing With Hybrids

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New Technology Allows Even SUVs To Become More Fuel Efficient Vehicles

Hybrid vehicles are gaining popularity today with car buyers who are looking for fuel efficiency, but their high prices mean it may take years to save on the upfront costs of buying them. Manufacturers are responding with new technology that makes regular vehicles more fuel efficient.

A sophisticated electronics feature called displacement on demand transforms a brawny V-8 engine into a thrifty 4-cylinder whenever full power isn’t needed. The system improves fuel economy by 15 – 20 percent and is making a significant impact on even SUVs. Chevrolet says its 2007 Tahoe will be the most fuel efficient full size SUV on the road – getting 20.5 miles per gallon.

With Chevrolet, Honda and Chrysler using versions of the technology, more than two million ‘displacement on demand’ vehicles are estimated to be on the road in the next three years. All at a fraction of what gas-electric hybrid engine vehicles cost.

Multimedia:

Watch the Video - Competing With Hybrids (1 min 49 sec)
(The video is streamed courtesy of Google Video and will open in a new window)

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Greener Motoring Showcase Opens in Birmingham

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The most important exhibition of greener motoring takes place this week at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.

The two-day exhibition of vehicles and technologies has been organised by SMMT and will run alongside the Environmentally Friendly Vehicle Conference. The conference is part of the UK presidency of G8 and the EU, and will be chaired by transport secretary, Alistair Darling MP. Around 200 international delegates are expected to attend, exploring how policy makers and industry can develop markets for cleaner vehicles.

The exhibition will showcase the investment made by the motor industry in the drive to sustainable motoring. It includes a selection of alternative-fuelled models, like the Toyota Prius petrol-electric hybrid and Volvo's V70 bi-fuel CNG car. Volkswagen will showcase their fuel-cell and hybrid Tourans, and a synthetic-fuelled Skoda Fabia, with BMW showing a 7 Series capable of running on hydrogen and petrol. There will also be a Lotus Elise sports car which runs on natural gas.

SMMT chief executive, Christopher Macgowan, will chair one of the conference sessions. Commenting on the exhibition he said, 'This is an opportunity to see first hand the tangible output from research and development towards sustainable motoring. But it is important that we don't lose sight of the progress we are making in cutting emissions and reducing energy consumption from manufacturing sites. We are also very proud to be leading Europe in providing more information to car buyers about the environmental impact of their choice of vehicle, at the point of sale.'

Working with the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, manufacturers developed Europe's first colour-coded label for new cars. It follows the familiar format applied to white goods and links CO2 information with average annual running costs. The labels are now widely displayed in showrooms across the UK and representatives of the LowCVP will be on hand to talk about this important cross-stakeholder initiative.

SMMT's sixth annual sustainability report was published last month. The report shows that in the last four years, improvements have been seen across UK manufacturing sites. Energy used to produce each vehicle is down by 42 per cent and the amount of waste sent to landfill has reduced by 70.2 per cent.

Notes:

The Environmentally Friendly Vehicle Conference runs from 10-11 November 2005.
A full list of exhibitors can be found at
http://livegroup.co.uk/efvc/ The new fuel economy label shows colour coded-CO2 bands, from red to green. These are similar in format to energy efficiency labels on white goods and follow the same CO2 emission bandings used by the government to levy road tax (VED). As well as CO2 ratings, the labels also show estimated annual running costs, based on the average fuel consumption over 12,000 miles and VED. The extra information available will, for the first time, put environmental concerns firmly on the agenda for new car buyers.
The sixth annual SMMT sustainability report can be found at www.smmt.co.uk/sustainability

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New Car Prices Rise Again

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The list price of the average* new car rose by 1.4 per cent, year-on-year, to the end of October 2005, equivalent to a rise worth £182. The findings, published by EurotaxGlass’s in the monthly Glass’s New Car Market Trends report, point to a continued modest increase in new car prices, albeit at a rate that remains below that of UK inflation as a whole (the Retail Prices Index currently stands at 2.5 per cent).

The sector that has seen the greatest increases is the lower-medium sector (Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, etc), with an average list price rise of 3.2 per cent, or £396, over the past 12 months. At the other end of the spectrum, superminis (Vauxhall Corsa, Renault Clio, etc) have seen list price reductions worth 1.4 per cent, or £130, on the average car.

"Current low levels of list price inflation are particularly noteworthy given the continuous improvements being made to vehicle specifications, as well as the growing physical dimensions of new cars in most sectors," comments Alan Cole, Editorial Consultant for the Glass’s Market Intelligence Service. "Buyers are effectively getting more for less. However, demand is simply not strong enough to enable vehicle manufacturers to increase prices in response to rises in steel and energy costs."

He continues, "Dealers are caught between a rock and a hard place. Retained margins of 1 per cent or less on the selling price of a new car are the order of the day, and new car profitability is still in decline. This all means there is very little room to offer further discounts on new cars and, with finance deals already very attractive, retailers have to be increasingly imaginative to secure consumer interest."

Headline figures

There have been year-on-year list price increases at or beyond the 1.4 per cent market average in the following sectors:

Lower-medium (Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, etc): up 3.2 per cent
Upper-medium (Vauxhall Vectra, Ford Mondeo, etc): up 3 per cent
Large Executive (BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, etc): up 1.4 per cent

Below average rises, or falls in list prices have been seen in the following sectors:

Compact MPV (Renault Megane, VW Touran, etc): up 1.1 per cent
Large MPVs (Ford Galaxy, Renault Espace, etc): up 1.1 per cent
Compact executive (Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class, etc): up 0.2 per cent
Sports Utility Vehicle (Toyota RAV-4, Land Rover Freelander, etc) down
0.2 per cent
Supermini (Vauxhall Corsa, Renault Clio, etc): down 1.4 per cent

The biggest list price changes

The single largest list price rise during October was for the Lexus SC430, which increased by £1,993 to £53,905. The greatest list price fall was for the Toyota Corolla Verso 1.6 VVT-i T2 MPV, which had a reduction of £505 to £13,297.

To request a free electronic copy of the latest Glass’s New Car Market Trends report, email: marketing@eurotaxglass.co.uk, quoting reference ‘New Car 10’.

Web Sites:
www.eurotaxglass.co.uk (trade)
www.glass.co.uk (consumer)

Research Material:

Glass’s New Car Market Trends methodology

* The list price of the ‘average’ new car referred to in the monthly Glass’s New Car Market Trends report is based on analysis of over 1,000 models across key UK vehicle segments. To ensure the results are representative of true market trends, the data is weighted by sales volumes.

About EurotaxGlass’s

William Glass first published Glass’s Guide to Car Values in 1933 and July 2003 marked 70 years of the motor trade’s ‘Bible’. In 2000 Glass’s merged with Eurotax, forming EurotaxGlass’s - Europe's leading supplier of automotive business intelligence across 28 countries. The merger has created a group with unrivalled resources and knowledge. Today, EurotaxGlass’s offers products and solutions that are essential at every stage of the vehicle lifecycle – from valuation, technical and fleet management data, through to estimating, bodyshop and dealer management systems and web-based services. Recent developments include valuation data for consumers – offered via the Glass’s Motoring Guide website (www.glass.co.uk) – and the pan-European Market Intelligence Service that provides bespoke data and analysis for the industry at large.

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Action to Make Transport Fuels Greener

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Transport Secretary Alistair Darling today announced new measures to make transport fuels greener by requiring 5% of all UK fuel sold on UK forecourts to come from a renewable source by 2010.

The move - known as a Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation - was announced at the Environmentally Friendly Vehicles Conference in Birmingham, where representatives from international Governments and industry met to discuss ways to promote greener vehicles.

Alistair Darling said: "Taking action to tackle climate change is essential. The Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation I am proposing today is predicted to save around 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2010 - the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road. Carbon savings could also increase in future years. This will help reduce the impact of transport on climate change, and bring environmental benefits for us all."

"I am determined that transport should play its part in addressing the threat of climate change. Making vehicles more efficient and investing in public transport are important aspects of our strategy, but renewable fuels are equally important. This Obligation is vital in continuing to promote a shift towards cleaner, low carbon road transport."

Drivers filling up at petrol stations will see very little difference, as biofuels do not change the performance of cars.

The Government also published the results of a feasibility study today, setting out how the obligation will work. It will require the major oil companies and importers to ensure that a growing proportion of their fuel sales are from a renewable source. By 2010, that proportion must be 5%, which will mean a 20 fold increase in biofuels sales over today's levels.

Today most biofuels come from crops like oilseed rape and wheat, which can be mixed with petrol and diesel and run in ordinary cars. In the future we could see more advanced biofuels made from waste and possibly even renewable hydrogen.

To ensure that biofuels are sourced sustainably, the Government proposes to develop a carbon and sustainability assurance scheme as part of the obligation. Obligated companies would be required to report on the level of carbon savings achieved and on the sustainability of their supplies.

The Government will consult on the detail of how the Obligation will work in due course. This will cover issues like what level the obligation should be set at in future years and how long each obligation period will last.

Alistair Darling also highlighted the Government's intention to investigate further the potential for hydrogen fuel in the UK. He said:

"In the longer term, we need to look seriously at the fuels we are using to power our transport - which is why we are piloting the development of hydrogen fuelled transport.

"A lot of work is being done in this field, for example, the hydrogen highway in California.

"As a next step, we need to have a hard look here in the UK at the practical steps we would need to take to build a hydrogen infrastructure."

Web Site:
Department for Transport Website

Research Material:

1. The Government currently supports biofuels through a 20 pence per litre duty incentive. This has stimulated sales of around 10 million litres a month - about 0.25% of all road fuel sales. The Government announced that it would consider an obligation last year to answer industry calls for longer term certainty.

2. The RTFO will work through a system of certification. Oil companies will receive certificates from an administrator to demonstrate how much biofuel it has sold. If the company sells more than its 5% obligation, it would then be able to sell those certificates to other companies who need more to meet the obligation.

3. The primary powers that would enable the Government to introduce an obligation are contained in the Energy Act 2004.

4. The feasibility study can be obtained in electronic format from the DfT website (www.dft.gov.uk)

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Unipart Urge Motorists to Complete Vehicle Checks

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Motorists are putting their safety at risk by failing to complete regular vehicle checks, according to car part and servicing giant Unipart Automotive.

A survey from Unipart Automotive and Omnicar, Synovate’s specialist motoring omnibus research study, found that regular car maintenance by motorists has fallen by a quarter since 2001. The survey polled more than 53,000 motorists over four years.

In 2001, the average British motorist visited service and repair outlets 1.8 times a year to get their vehicle checked. This figure has dropped to an average of 1.4 visits in 2005.

The survey also reveals a steady decline in the number of British motorists carrying out regular DIY checks on their car. In 2001, nearly one in three motorists (30 per cent) regularly completed their own vehicle safety checks to review tyre tread depth, shock absorbers, brake pads and brake lights. This figure dropped to 22 per cent in 2005 contributing to a rise in the number of motorists that are unnecessarily endangering themselves and others on the roads.

To help raise awareness about the importance of regular vehicle safety checks Unipart Automotive has produced an essential guide to road safety in association with charity Brake for Road Safety Week this year (November 7 – 13).

The road safety guide, featuring top tips on vehicle maintenance and safe driving advice is available at www.uccc.co.uk.

Spokesperson for Unipart Automotive, Andrew Daly, said: "The survey shows a huge decline in the number of motorists willing to carry out simple safety checks on their cars. We are urging motorists to put safety first by following some simple steps that could really make a difference.

"It is important that we view car checks as part of our life routine of keeping healthy and safe. As a driver you should be aware about the crucial link between car maintenance and road safety. We hope motorists will refer to our safety guide to help themselves and others stay safe on the roads."

Mary Williams OBE, chief executive of Brake, the road safety charity, says: "Bald tyres, faulty brakes and broken lights cost lives. Anyone who drives a vehicle without checking it is in full working order is taking a big risk. The information packs being provided by Brake and Unipart will help drivers keep themselves, their passengers and other road users safe."

Brake is a national registered charity dedicated to preventing death and injury on the roads and caring for road crash victims. For more information about Road Safety Week, go to www.brake.org.uk

Research Material:
Unipart Group of Companies is one of Europe's leading independent logistics, automotive parts and accessories companies and one of the largest privately owned companies in Britain. Unipart engages in the following business:

The provision of logistics services to the automotive, IT, mobile communications, and defence sectors, through our logistics division Unipart Logistics;

The development, marketing and distribution of automotive aftermarket products and services through our Unipart Automotive Division;

The supply of truck and trailer components through TTC and Serck Intertruck which also supplies automotive cooling products;

The marketing and distribution of caravan, camping, marine parts and accessories through the Burden Group;

The manufacture of Original Equipment (OE) automotive parts. The Unipart Manufacturing Group manufactures original equipment for several British, European and Japanese vehicle manufacturers in the UK and Europe. It operates two joint venture companies with leading German component manufacturers;

The supply of rolling stock parts, services, signalling and telecommunications equipment to the rail industry. The Unipart Rail Division comprises our wholly owned businesses Railpart which supplies parts and services for rolling stock and National Railway Supplies which provides parts and services such as signalling and telecommunications equipment;

The provision of consultancy and training to enable sustainable organisational change through Unipart Advanced Learning Systems;

Omnicar is Synovate's dedicated face-to-face survey of 1,000 motorists, providing a monthly update of their attitudes and behaviour. Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc, provides a comprehensive suite of research solutions. More information on Synovate can be found at www.synovate.com

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Saab 9-5 BioPower Flex-Fuel Launched in the UK

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Today, Thursday 10th November, Saab Great Britain announces that it will now take orders for the Saab 9-5 BioPower™, a flex-fuel car whose fossil CO2 emission level can be reduced by as much as 70 per cent compared to a standard petrol-engined car. Saab BioPower technology means that the 9-5 model is capable of running on either a high-blend mixture of eco-friendly renewable energy source bioethanol and petrol (E85), or on pure petrol, without any adjustment required by the driver.

Initially available with the 2.0t, 2-litre light-pressure turbo engine, UK prices for the Saab 9-5 BioPower begin at £21,651 on the road for the Saloon, and £22,851 for the Estate variant. A manual transmission will be available from launch, with an automatic variant to follow shortly after. First UK deliveries will commence in January 2006. The BioPower engine will be available in all 9-5 2.0t model ‘forms’; Linear, Linear Sport, Vector and Vector Sport, with a £600 price differential over the regular petrol models.

As its name suggests, the Saab 9-5 BioPower not only offers purer power, but more of it. Because Saab’s turbocharging technology and engine management systems make it possible to take advantage of bioethanol’s higher octane rating, an impressive 20 per cent gain in brake horse power (bhp) and 16 per cent growth in torque can be enjoyed when the car runs on E85 compared to when running on regular petrol.

Bioethanol – Renewable and Sustainable

Bioethanol is produced from a wide variety of biomass, including forest residue, sugar cane and sugar beet, making it a totally renewable and sustainable fuel source. When mixed in high volumes with low volumes of petrol, a potent yet environmentally-friendly fuel, known as E85, is created. Unlike petrol and diesel, the consumption of E85 does not significantly raise atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the greenhouse gas that, according to some scientific research, contributes to global warming. This is because the emissions that are released from the combustion of bioethanol whilst driving are cancelled out by the amount of CO2 that is removed from the atmosphere, through the natural photosynthesis process, when the crops for conversion to bioethanol are grown.

Biofuels – A Key Part of General Motors’ Global Vehicle Fuels Initiative

When announcing the UK launch of Saab BioPower today, Elizabeth A Lowery, General Motors Vice President of Energy and the Environment, said that bioethanol plays a key part in GM’s multi-pronged energy strategy. Speaking at the Department for Transport Environmentally Friendly Vehicles Conference in Birmingham, Ms Lowery noted that in its domestic market of the United States, General Motors already sells a total of nine flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on E85. With 1.5 million such GM vehicles already in use on US roads, as well as being the largest seller of the bioethanol vehicles in Brazil, General Motors is the largest manufacturer of flex fuel vehicles in the world.

"E85 is clean-burning, renewable and sustainable fuel," Lowery told the conference. "As in North America, the infrastructure here in Europe for E85 needs more investment, and more stations to bring bioethanol closer to everyone. But with the European Union’s indicative targets for biofuel usage, fuel providers will be encouraged to expand the volume and the infrastructure to meet the needs of consumers, just as we are voluntarily expanding our offerings to meet their vehicle needs in line with the biofuel objective," she continued.

"Frustratingly, the E85 fuelling infrastructure is virtually non-existent in the UK today," adds Jonathan Nash, Managing Director of Saab Great Britain. "We urge the Government to take positive action in its pending Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to actively encourage the widespread availability of E85 bioethanol throughout the UK."

A True Flex-Fuel Car

The beauty of the Saab BioPower is that it can run on E85 or petrol in any proportions, without any adjustment needed by the driver. "Our engine management system automatically adjusts for the blend of fuel so, if there is no bioethanol available, the customer can simply run on petrol at any time," says Kjell ac Bergström, President and CEO of Saab Automobile Powertrain AB. "Turbocharged engines are particularly well-suited to exploiting the benefits of ethanol and our work with this engine indicates there is a great deal of development potential for this fuel."

Environmental Care with Sporty Performance

Because E85 has a much higher octane rating (104 RON) than petrol, this allows the timing of the engine’s ignition to be advanced, producing more power without risk of harmful ‘knocking’.

As a result, when running on E85, the Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower engine delivers 180 bhp and 280 Nm of torque, compared to 150 bhp and 240 Nm when using regular petrol, which is a significant 20 per cent increase in maximum power and 16 per cent more torque. This gives even sportier performance. For the 9-5 BioPower Saloon, for example, the zero to 62 mph dash can be accomplished in 8.5 seconds, compared to 9.8 seconds when running only on petrol.

The only hardware modifications necessary are more durable valves and valve seats, and the use of bioethanol-compatible materials in the fuel system, including the tank, pump, lines and connectors.

A Swedish Success Story

The premium Swedish marque launched Saab BioPower in its domestic market in July 2005 to spectacular success. Since its launch, the BioPower derivative has accounted for around 80 per cent of Saab 9-5 sales, despite the fact that, currently, it is only available in manual transmission with one engine – the 2.0-litre light-pressure turbo. In fact, the Saab 9-5 BioPower is currently Sweden’s best-selling environmentally-friendly vehicle (ELV), outselling sales of all of its competitor ELVs combined! Popular amongst fleet and retail customers alike, in the full year 2005, Saab expects to sell around 4,000 BioPower cars in Sweden.

Research Material:

About Saab
Saab is GM’s European premium brand, reflecting a unique Scandinavian design ethic, fused with a strong aircraft engineering heritage. Saab’s distinctive cars benefit from the best of GM’s worldwide capability, while being engineered and designed to cater for the exacting requirements of the global premium motorist.

Saab was founded in Sweden in 1937 as Svenska Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company), producing its first aircraft-inspired passenger car in 1949, with UK sales commencing in 1960. Saab is currently the UK’s fastest-growing premium car brand.

About the DfT Environmentally Friendly Vehicles Conference
As part of the United Kingdom's Presidency of the G8 and the European Union, the Department for Transport will host an exchange of best practice on how to encourage development and commercialisation of clean, fuel-efficient cars. Chaired by UK Secretary of State for Transport Alistair Darling, the two-day event will focus on how policy makers and industry can develop a market for more efficient vehicles as a way of reducing their contribution to air pollution and climate change.

The event will build on the work that was started by Japan at the first Environmentally Friendly Vehicles conference in Tokyo, in January, 2003. It will also address some of the issues raised at the Energy in Motion conference, hosted by The Netherlands as part of their Presidency of the EU last year.

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Avon Tyres Launch New Winter Range

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In preparation of the fast approaching winter months, Avon Tyres have launched Ice Touring, a brand new winter tyre range.

Designed to cope with the gruelling demands and rigours of winter motoring, the Avon Ice Touring comes in a variety of sizes to fit most small to medium vehicles, from the Vauxhall Corsa to the Volkswagen Golf.

Engineers developed the bespoke tread, and high silica content rubber, in some of Europe’s most challenging winter conditions. The end result is a tyre that provides exceptional braking in the snow, grip on ice and resists aquaplaning in the wet.

The Ice Touring is the result of an 18-month extensive test programme conducted in the demanding Kaunertal glacier region of Austria. Available from tyre suppliers across the country, Avon recommend size 205/55 R16 for driving in snow and icey conditions.

Web Site:
Avon Tyres

Research Material:
Cooper-Avon Tyres Limited of Melksham, UK, owned by the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company of Findlay, Ohio, USA, has more than a century’s experience at the leading edge of tyre technology. Tyre makers since 1885, Cooper-Avon produces a full range with the emphasis on grip, comfort and value for money.

Cooper-Avon racing tyres are supplied to over 140 championships around the world, including the new A1 Grand Prix championship, as well as series supported by Audi, Ford, Porsche and Honda. Cooper-Avon Tyres Ltd was the first tyre manufacturer in the world to gain the prestigious ISO 9001 quality award. For more information visit www.avontyres.com or www.avonmotorcycle.com

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Improving Visibility with Xenon Lights

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The evenings drawing in and the long dark nights, and often wet conditions, make driving particularly hazardous. Statistics show that while only 25 per cent of journeys take place at night more than 50 percent of all fatal accidents happen during the hours of darkness. Furthermore it is recognised that a person aged 60 requires up to 10 times more light than a 20 year old. Car lighting therefore is a hugely important contributor to road safety and driving comfort.

Xenon lighting could provide the key to increasing safety and improving the lighting visibility for drivers and reassuringly experts predict that by the end of 2008 nearly four out of every ten cars in Europe will be equipped with xenon lights.

Xenon lights produce on average at least 2.5 times more light than a halogen bulb and only consume around two thirds of the power. Therefore a car driver can see ahead much more clearly and the car has more power for other functions. In addition, the clear blue-white light of xenon is far more like daylight than the conventional yellowish lamps and is easier on the eye with drivers able to concentrate better and not tire as quickly. A further benefit noticed by drivers is that xenon headlamps distribute more light on the road and improve illumination on the verge.

Nearly all new developments in car front-lighting technology have xenon at their heart. A key reason is that halogen lamps have a filament that results in a limited light output and lifespan. As specialists say, xenon lamps on average last more than double the lifetime of the most durable halogen bulb. Xenon creates its light from an electrical discharge between two electrodes in a micro-environment of xenon gas that is hermetically sealed in a tiny quartz capsule. A sophisticated electronic control module is required to maintain the stability of this arc of light.

The introduction of the bi-xenon headlamp in 1999, which for the first time produced dipped and main beam light from a single xenon bulb was one of the key initial milestones. This was followed in 2003 by the swivelling bi-xenon system and the approval for new vehicles with dynamic bend lighting to be used on the road. This innovation allows bi-xenon headlamps to follow the car driver’s steering movements and to swivel to the side as soon as he steers into a bend. Thanks to the new headlamp technology, the area illuminated by the dipped beam when entering a bend is almost doubled.

The first fully automatic lighting system (Adaptive Frontlighting System- AFS), which is expected to be introduced in 2006 / 2007 can create up to five different beam patterns for town, country, motorway, high beam and bad weather. Intelligent control units using data from different sensors around the vehicle will be used to switch these different patterns automatically.

The next step to increase safety is the world’s first active infra-red lighting system. This new technology allows for permanent driving with ‘invisible’ high beam lights without ever blinding oncoming traffic. Dangerous situations are identified and placed on the on-board display. Therefore a driver can drive with low beam but using the active infra-red module technology can ‘see’ just as well as with high beam, picking out life forms as well as static objects which could pose potential danger or accident risk at a distance of over 150 metres.

With xenon performing exceptionally well in improving the visibility and safety for car drivers it noticeably reduces the risk of accidents during night driving. Experts agree that vehicles using new advanced headlamp technologies are also providing actively high driving comfort. Therefore it is predicted that vehicles with xenon lights will attract higher second hand prices than those without. This provides another reason for buyers to choose the xenon option.

Web Sites:
www.al-lighting.com
www.hella.com
www.philips.com/automotive

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Taxi Manufacturer Fights to Maintain Standards

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LTI Vehicles, manufacturers of the London Taxi together with taxi operators, Swift Yellow Cars of Leicester, have just won their appeal in the law courts against the introduction of alternative taxis to the city.

The appeal was launched after Leicester City Council decided to license taxis produced from converted vehicles instead of maintaining the use of purpose built London style taxis. LTI Vehicles and Swift Yellow Cars argued the Council’s move went against the Council’s own Leicester Conditions of Fitness regulations for taxis.

The judge agreed that Leicester Council must now have a proper consultation programme with all interested parties, including passengers, disabled groups, environmental groups and taxi manufacturers before there can be a change of licensing conditions. The Judge ruled that until that has taken place Leicester’s existing Conditions of Fitness regulations must be adhered to.

Matthew Cheyne, Sales and Marketing Director for LTI Vehicles of Coventry said today "We believe in high standards in vehicles and service and we will defend any attempt that threatens to weaken those standards. We feel it is right and proper that any proposed changes should go through a comprehensive process of consultation and evaluation. That obviously did not happen in this instance."

He added, "We are not against competition, in fact we welcome it, but that competition should meet the agreed standards."

"Unless the current regulations are adhered to the industry is exposed to lower standards being introduced by stealth. Not only is it a safety issue for passengers it will lead to confusion over what is and what isn’t a proper, easily recognisable taxi. It will also lead to a loss of work for licensed drivers because of an influx of taxi touts."

The licensed taxi industry is already worried about ‘alternative’ vehicles plying for trade. In London for instance, freelance operators are using Pedi-Cabs and Tuk-Tuks as unofficial public transport.

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Taxi Chiefs Boost China Links

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Growing links between London taxi manufacturer LTI Vehicles and China were cemented at a high-level London dinner this week.

The company was among the sponsors of the China-Britain Business Council reception at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Knightsbridge, for Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai. Other sponsors included BP, Rolls Royce and Global Solutions.

It came ahead of the minister’s meeting yesterday with UK Trade Minister Ian Pearson who had earlier met representatives from LTI Vehicles to be brought up to date on the company’s interests in the emerging Chinese market and look at areas where the Government could support its efforts.

China is set to become a vital market for Coventry-based taxi firm, which has long-term plans to manufacture vehicles in the Far East.

At the dinner this week were Ian Pickering, Chief Executive of LTI Vehicles’ parent company Manganese Bronze, who attended the China-Britain Business Council together with Mark Fryer, Manganese Bronze Group Finance and Business Development Director, Peter Shillcock, Chief Operating Officer of Manganese Bronze and Managing Director of LTI and Matthew Cheyne, Director of Sales and Marketing at LTI.

Matthew Cheyne said: "It was important for us as a company to be involved in the occasion and to celebrate our growing links with China.

"It was a chance to push forward our relationship with the Chinese business community and demonstrates our commitment to projects in the Far East."

The Council followed close on the heels of a meeting between UK Trade Minister Ian Pearson and three directors from Coventry-based LTI Vehicles where the company’s growing operations in China, as well as activities in America, Pakistan and Nigeria, were top of the agenda.

The purpose of the meeting was to update the minister on LTI Vehicles progress in export sales of the iconic black cabs – instantly recognisable around the world – and to ask for his support on a number of foreign issues.

Chris Kelsey, LTI Vehicles Director of Public Affairs said: "It was a very constructive meeting and it was good of Mr Pearson to give us his time.

"We discussed a number of issues that are important to us, focusing on our projects overseas.

"The minister was keen to understand details of the relationship with Bluestar in China with whom LTI have entered into a joint venture agreement. This type of exciting manufacturing project is typical of the sort the Government is keen to support as it demonstrates the Great British icon being exported all over the world."

LTI Vehicles is the UK’s only manufacturer of purpose-built, wheelchair accessible taxis.

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Jaguar XK Coupe Heads Star Cast at MPH ’05

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Performance and luxury is set to star at MPH ’05 as a cast of models including Jaguar’s new XK coupe, the 750 HP Saleen S7 Turbo, the 641 HP Gumpert Apollo and the street legal Radical SR8 V8 are all set to make their UK show or public driving debuts.

Hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Tiff Needell, the live motoring show opens in Birmingham’s NEC this Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th November before going to London’s Earls Court from the 17th to 20th November. Tickets for the Show start from just £10 and can be bought at www.mphshow.co.uk

Whilst all eyes will be cast in the direction of Jaguar and the all-new XK coupe, fans of the British supercar will also be able to get up close and personal with the Aston Martin Vantage, the new Marcos TS0 GT2 and there’s strong talk that Blackpool-based TVR will usher in its hot new Tuscan convertible.

It will also be the first chance to examine the results of a renaissance over at Citroën as experts tell of a return to beautiful, innovative car design. Its luxury liner, the new C6, is out for its first UK drive. Meanwhile, Saab is making a point of unleashing its new 9-5 convertible and Volvo reveal its own new ragtop, as the new C70 comes out into the light.

The Gumpert Apollo hardly sounds like poetry, but how about 641bhp, 0-60mph in 3 seconds flat and a top speed of 224mph? That’s seriously lyrical performance car language. Not to be outdone, the Radical SR8 V8 powered by two conjoined motorbike engines, is the only road legal car to lap the German Nürburgring in under seven minutes.

MPH ’05 also proves that American sports car culture is well and truly alive. Check out Corvette’s C6: a massive 400bhp inside a bold looking lightweight plastic body to promise plenty of frills. But if that’s not enough horses, feast eyes on the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo. The Saleen is sharp enough to shuttle along to 60mph in a mere 2.8 seconds and has the advantage of 750 horses with which to do it.

Plus, with so few exhilarating Pagani Zonda F’s made each year, MPH ’05 could be the only chance to see this 207mph, 600bhp monster in action. There can’t be too many opportunities to peer all over a Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR either. Possessing predatory looks with those massive gills, the SLR has a full 626bhp swish in its tail. And try to look out for the Noble M400, one of the best sports cars around to drive.

There may even be a goodbye tear to the pure thug-like brute of supercars, the Vauxhall Monaro. Powerful enough at least to give Jeremy Clarkson a slipped disc or two, this beast soon ends its UK sales run.

Seeing today’s hottest new machinery is not the only reason to attend this year’s show. Presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and Tiff Needell, will be ripping up the stage with their usual mix of motoring wisdom and irreverent banter along with over 75 minutes of live action car drama.

‘A world first stunt and helicopter gunship car chases..’

Central to the whole spectacle is the £1 million stage show brought to life by BAFTA-award winning West End stage designer, John Napier, otherwise known for his artistry in shows like Cats, Les Miserables and Starlight Express.

Keeping audiences gripped, Jeremy Clarkson attempts to out drive a gunship helicopter firing missiles in a Lotus Exige. State of the art computer animation creates the impression of an actual helicopter buzzing around the arena. Elsewhere, there’s a flurry of stunts as Britain’s leading driver Russ Swift attempts to coordinate a dance off between almost 40 tonnes of JCB diggers and a trio of shiny new hot Vauxhall hatches.

Meanwhile, foremost stunt driver Terry Grant will hot up the audience as he drives a Nissan 350Z in a constant sideways drift on a figure of eight circuit and joining him on the track is racing driver colleague Ben Collins behind the wheel of his own Z roadster!

MPH ’05 will also showcase many more brilliant motoring ideas like the half-bike / half-car Carver that can bank a corner at 45 degrees and pop up right again within a second. When is a car not a car, this must be it! Plus a Nottingham design company that is signalling the rebirth of the great kit car. It would be unwise to miss what a Smart Fourtwo can be turned into, like the German Michalak C7.

Reminding you not to forget motoring’s incredible 120 year history, the classic gallery puts crowds up close and personal with iconic beauties of yesteryear like the Ferrari Dino and the GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ once the fastest car in the world back in 1967, and the head-turning Aston Martin DB4 and DB5.

Further details of MPH ’05 can be found at www.mphshow.co.uk.

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Watch Out – There’s a Kid About!

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Britain is closing the gap on our European neighbours when it comes to keeping children safe on the roads, but more can be done, according to the RAC Foundation and children's charity 4Children. The two organisations have joined forces to support Road Safety Week 2005.

Child road casualties are improving compared to the mid-1990s baseline, but traffic remains the biggest single cause of accidental death for 12 - 16 year olds. In 2004, 3905 children (0 - 16) were killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads. Boys are more likely to be hit than girls, and their accidents are more likely to be severe.

Research* has uncovered important differences in the way British children use the streets compared to French and Dutch children:-

British children spend more time near main roads, busy roads, and roads with faster traffic, than their European equivalents.
British children are less likely to use a marked crossing when choosing a crossing point.
British children are less likely to be accompanied by an adult, and more likely to be accompanied by other children, who might distract their attention.
20% of British children "hang about" in the street, on foot or on cycles.

The special characteristics of Britain's roads, and the way our children use them, underlines the importance of early and effective pedestrian education. The introduction of 'road safety' elements into the national curriculum could help children build their road user skills.

Sadly, the majority of child pedestrians are hit by cars. The Foundation and 4Children therefore call on all drivers to take extra care during Road Safety Week and afterwards.

A review of speed limits in residential areas and near schools should be undertaken to ensure that they are appropriate. We also recommend increased use of flexible speed limits relating to the time of day, for example when children travel to or from school.

Kevin Delaney, Head of Road Safety and Traffic for the RAC Foundation said:-

"It is in the nature of children to be easily distracted, impetuous and not fully aware of the dangers of road traffic. It is our responsibility as adults to be ready for this.

The move from junior to senior school is a time when children are especially vulnerable, as they will travel further to go to school and meet new friends. This Road Safety Week, we are reminding drivers of their particular responsibility to protect child pedestrians by slowing down, expecting the unexpected and allowing kids to be kids."

Anne Longfield, Chief Executive of 4Children said;

"The fact that almost four thousand under 16s died or were injured on our roads last year, is an extremely shocking fact. There is no greater tragedy that the death of a child and these deaths can be avoided through helping children to learn about their own safety and making drivers more aware. 4Children has been dedicated to creating safe environments for children for the last 20 years through developing out of school activities, children's centres, youth clubs and now extended schools. We are very pleased to be supporting Road Safety Week 2005, in partnership with the RAC Foundation. The number of children being killed on our roads cannot continue to rise."

Web Sites:
www.racfoundation.org
www.4Children.org.uk
AA Web Site
RAC Web Site

Research Material:
*"Child Pedestrian Exposure and Accidents - Further Analyses of Data from a European Comparative Study: Road Safety Research Report No 56 September 2005"

4Children (formerly Kids' Clubs Network) has led the lobbying for, and development of support for children and families in their community and is the leading charity on childcare children's centres and extended schools 4Children also provides support to parents and childcare professionals through quality assurance schemes, advice, publications and an information line.

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World's First Dual-Chamber Airbag

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Airbags have been a leading safety feature of every Lexus model launched since the original LS400 made its debut in 1989. Technology, engineering and design have been constantly refined since then to deliver ever more efficient and effective operation, with the new Lexus IS 250 making the latest major advance in occupant protection with the world’s first dual-chamber passenger airbag.

Unlike conventional airbags, which inflate in a single unit, the new dual-chamber version has twin vertical sections, creating a central depression that effectively cradles the face while dispersing the physical impact of the inflated bag across other parts of the head, shoulders and upper body.

The airbag is based on the Lexus Omni-Support concept and presents less risk of injury to the front seat passenger, without compromising the level of protection against primary impact forces.

Not only are all versions of the new Lexus IS 250 equipped with the dual-chamber passenger airbag, they are also the first premium D segment models to feature driver and front passenger knee airbags. Further protection is provided by seat-mounted Thorax-Abdomen-Pelvis (TAP) side airbags, with greater capacity to provide wider protection across the body.

Together with curtain shield airbags which run the length of each side of the vehicle cabin to protect both front and outer rear seat occupants, the IS carries a complement of eight airbags as standard on all models.

The Lexus IS 250 goes on sale in the UK on 19 November, priced from £22,400 on the road.

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Reading Your Owner's Manual Could Save Your Life

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This week, 7-13 November, is Road Safety Week and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has called for car owners to take the time to read their owner's manual. The advice comes following an SMMT survey which showed that motorists continue to take risks because they don't fully understand the safety systems in their cars[1].

Although roads are becoming safer[2], there are still over 3,000 deaths each year. Many could be prevented if drivers take simple precautions like understanding what warning symbols mean, regularly checking tyre pressures, adjusting head restraints and ensuring that child seats are properly fitted.

SMMT chief executive, Christopher Macgowan commented, 'We read instructions when taking new medicines or using a power tool because these are safety critical products. However, most of us fail to adopt the same vigilant approach when it comes to cars. Many accidents and injuries could be prevented if drivers spent more time learning about the features which are designed to protect themselves and their families.'

Check tyre pressure

Incorrectly inflated tyres affect handling, steering, braking and grip; they can also increase wear by up to 30 per cent. Yet a recent NOP survey found that seven per cent of drivers check their tyre pressure only once a year. The RAC Foundation also revealed that 90 per cent of tyres in the UK are incorrectly pressured[3]. Correct tyre pressures are included in owner's manuals and on vehicle door frames.

Adjust head restraints

A properly adjusted head restraint helps reduce or avoid neck injuries in a collision. According to the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) whiplash affects 70 per cent of people injured in accidents[4]. This could be avoided by making simple adjustments to the position of head restraints – again, as directed in the manual supplied with the car.

Fit child seats properly

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) reports that 70 per cent of child seats are incorrectly fitted or used[5]. According to THINK!, the DfT road safety campaign, 90 per cent of child fatalities in road collisions could be avoided if children were correctly strapped-in[6]. These figures would fall significantly if motorists were to read the instructions supplied with the child seat.

Web Site:
www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk

Notes:

The survey, which sampled 110 people in central London, showed that:
- 58 per cent of those asked could not name any active safety systems in a modern car.
- Only 29 per cent named ABS, even though this is now standard on all new cars.
- Just five per cent of drivers knew about ESP (electronic stability programme).
- Six per cent of people were unable to name any active or passive safety feature.
Total deaths on the road have fallen from 3,650 in 1994 to 3,221 in 2004. Pedestrian fatalities have fallen from 1,124 to 671 in the same period.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/...../dft_transstats_041303.hcsp
http://www.racfoundation.org/.....Itemid=35
http://www.racfoundation.org/.....Itemid=30
http://www.rospa.org.uk/...../pr296_07_04_04_road.htm
http://www.britax.co.uk/detr.htm

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Smelly Petrol Fumes to be Controlled at Petrol Stations

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Smelly petrol fumes which escape while you top up the tank could be a thing of the past.

Ben Bradshaw, Minister for Local Environment Quality, today published for consultation proposals to control escaping fumes from service stations. The fumes, when combined with nitrous oxide, form a key ingredient of summer smog in cities in calm sunny weather.

The proposal is for the fumes to be collected in petrol stations and re-cycled as fuel.

Defra is seeking views on whether large service stations in the UK should fit equipment - known as Petrol Vapour Recovery stage II controls - to control the fumes.

The measures being proposed will help capture 16,000 tonnes of volatile organic compounds a year from 2010 - over half of the current emissions from petrol stations.

Ben Bradshaw said that the measures would help to improve the quality of the air by limiting the chemical fumes can lead to smog, health problems and damage to trees, vegetation and crops.

"Petrol fumes from service stations contribute to air pollution and lead to smog in warm weather.

"Fitting the new equipment that can capture these fumes will help to cut risks to public health and the environment."

"We propose limiting the measure to larger service stations to protect the viability of small stations which are often located in rural areas.

"These rural service stations provide additional services to rural communities, such as shops and Post Offices."

The proposals do not affect diesel fuel.

Emissions from service stations contribute approximately 3% of total UK VOC emissions. Emissions from the fuel station sector are expected to decline to around 30 kilotonnes by 2010 due to the projected trend in UK fuel sales.

The consultation paper and accompanying Regulatory Impact Assessment are available from the Defra website (current consultations list) at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/current.htm

Further information on air quality is available from
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/index.htm#aqinfo

Keywords:
Air Quality | Auto | Autos | Auto News | Automobile | Automobiles | Automotive | Car | Cars | Chemical Fumes | Consultation | Emissions | Environment | Fumes | Gas | Government | Law | Legislation | Organic Compounds | Petrol | Petrol Stations | Petrol Vapour | Petrol Vapour Recovery | Public Health | Service Stations | Smog | Technology | UK | United Kingdom | Vapour | Vehicle | Vehicles | Volatile Organic Compounds

Ford Mondeo Diesel Cylinder Head

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Here's another one of those interesting things you get to see from time to time.

The vehicle is a 1993 Ford Mondeo 1.8 Diesel and as you can see from the first photograph the crown of number 2 cylinder exhaust valve has broken off. The damage which can be seen to the inlet valve and piston in the next photo is secondary damage caused by the crown being carried around the cylinder by the fast moving piston.

The level of damaged caused to this engine rendered it a non-economical repair. The car was 12 years old and had excessive mileage and after the workshop checked the normal suppliers of used engines it was clear the repair job would not be economical and the vehicle was scrapped.

The most annoying factor for me is the advice given to the owner of this vehicle by one of the major roadside assistance organisations. The patrolman informed the owner that because the engine failure had occurred at idle speed there would be little or no damage and repair would be relatively cheap. How it is possible to jump to such a conclusion is beyond me especially considering the history of the Ford 1.8 diesel engine. The correct procedure would be to remove the cylinder head and assess the damage. Until humans are equipped with x-ray vision there's no way of making an accurate assessment until the engine has been partly stripped down.

There's a number of causes for this type of event and I'll list the more common ones below:

Metal Fatigue
The valve stem had a structural weakness introduced during manufacture or developed naturally over time which significantly weakened the valve at the point it failed.

Previous Unrepaired Damage
Previous damage had been caused to the valve by a timing belt failure or incorrect valve timing and this damage was not repaired. Over time the valve weakened due to this damage and failed.

Incorrect Injection Pump Timing
Injection pump timing is critical and if it is incorrectly set detonation or pre-ignition can occur in the combustion chamber causing excessive cylinder temperatures and shock waves which over time will weaken the valves.

Injector Leakage
A leaking injector causes excessive fuel to enter the combustion chamber out of phase to the stroke of the engine. This excessive fuel raises the cylinder temperature and can cause unburned fuel to enter the exhaust port where it is then ignited by the hot exhaust gases which will cause a localised hot spot on the valve stem.

Broken Valve Guide or Valve Seat
A broken valve guide or seat will become trapped between the valve and valve seat preventing it from closing properly. Because of the close tolerances between piston and valves in a diesel engine the rising piston will contact the trapped open valve and will cause the valve crown to bend in relation to its stem. This further prevents the valve from closing properly and will cause a valve stem failure.

Leaking Valve Stem Oil Seal or Worn Valve Guide
If the valve stem oil seal is excessively worn oil will travel down the valve stem and will be ignited by the hot exhaust gas. This burnt oil will carbonise and will continue to glow causing a hot spot on the valve stem. A similar situation can occur when wear occurs to the valve guide which will increase the oil flow down the valve stem. A worn valve guide will also cause lateral movement in the stem when it is opening and closing increasing wear to the valve stem oil seal.

Seized Hydraulic Cam Follower
If the cam follower is seized or otherwise fails to operate correctly the valve clearance will be affected and this may result in the valve being open when the piston is at top dead centre causing piston to valve contact.

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Keywords:
Auto | Autos | Automobile | Automobiles | Automotive | Car | Cars | Combustion | Cylinder | Damage | Diesel | Diesel Injection | Economical Repair | Engine | Engine Damage | Ford | Injection Pump | Injection Pump Timing | Maintenance | Metal Fatigue | Mondeo | Repair | Repairs | Used Engines | Valve | Valves | Vehicle | Vehicles | Cylinder Head

Camera Re-structure Only Scratches the Surface, Says Drivers' Group

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The restructure of the speed camera regime still leaves core issues of road safety unaddressed, said the Association of British Drivers today.

The new proposals will:

leave unaccountable and secretive camera partnerships intact
allow the continued use of cameras
divert some camera funds for more road markings and signs
retain the focus on speed limits, not appropriate speed for the conditions

The ABD is concerned that the DfT is continuing to focus on speed limit adherence and mechanistic ways of controlling drivers' behaviour. Mark McArthur-Christie, the ABD's Road Safety Spokesman said "We're pleased that the government has finally admitted that cameras are about cash, not saving casualties - but cameras will still be used, and still be funded from fines.

They address only one, small aspect of road safety yet they have become the centre of the UK's casualty reduction policy without a shred of honest evidence that they save lives. They need to be ripped out and attention focused on instilling the skills that make drivers safe."

The ABD is also greatly concerned about the distraction effect of cameras on drivers and motorcyclists - a factor which has never been researched.

McArthur-Christie said, "We don't know the distraction effect cameras have, and it's vital that this is quantified. When a driver approaches a camera he looks everywhere but at the road ahead - this diversion effect is extremely dangerous."

The ABD believes that the complexity of the driving process needs to be recognised by government, and incentives put in place for drivers to continue retraining and acquiring new skills throughout their driving lives.

Brian Gregory, the ABD's Chairman, concludes "The government says it takes road safety seriously, but it's taken them nearly fourteen years to recognise that speed cameras are a simplistic, dangerous, distracting white elephant. They say driver training and education is too expensive and might be a vote loser - but so is 3,400 people dying on the roads each year. It's time we thought seriously about real road safety."

For more information about the ABD visit their Website at http://www.abd.org.uk

The Association of British Drivers is run on a voluntary basis to lobby for the beleaguered British motorist:
"Reclaiming the roads for the people who pay for them"
"Demanding proper roads (and railways) in exchange for paying one seventh of all taxes"
"Debunking the nonsense you hear about the environmental impact of the car"
"Promoting effective road safety instead of the criminalisation of safe driving"

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Highest Fuel Taxes in Europe

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The UK has the Highest Fuel Taxes in Europe - So How Legal is That?

The Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association have today (Tuesday) announced the scope of their investigation into the legal standing of the Government's fuel tax policy that has seen UK diesel fuel become the highest in Europe and cripple the UK road haulage sector.

FTA and RHA asked a leading city law firm to consider seven possible lines of legal challenge and the interim review has been published today. The review will inform the impending report of the Burns Inquiry into Freight Taxes and Foreign Competition that the two Associations commissioned earlier this year.

The seven aspects of fuel policy being investigated are:

1. Reverse discrimination

Is the Government guilty of imposing unfair tax burdens on its own citizens and businesses, leaving foreign hauliers at a competitive advantage?

2. State Aids

Given that the Government has failed to charge foreign operators for the use of British roads, is it guilty of using taxpayers' money to in effect subsidise the wear and tear caused to the network and in effect provide a financial subsidy to foreign operators?

3. Proportionality

Has the Government exceeded what is reasonable in its pursuit of managing demand for transport through taxation of fuel?

4. EU law

Is the European Commission guilty of failing to enforce a harmonised level of fuel duty across the EU, given the statements made in Directives and other policy documents?

5. Restrictions on the import of fuel in vehicle tanks

Should the volumes of diesel fuel that can be brought into the UK in vehicle fuel tanks aboard ferries and trains be limited on the grounds of safety and/or national security?

6. Cabotage limits

What are the implied limits and conditions imposed on foreign operators wishing to undertake national transport within the UK?

7. Crisis Cartel

Given the crisis that engulfs the British road haulage sector, have all the conditions been met whereby operators may work together to cartelise their rates and services, subject to notification and approval by the Department of Trade and Industry and the European Commission?

Commenting, James Hookham, Policy Director at the Freight Transport Association said, "Both Associations are leaving no stone unturned in their quest for a legal fix to the problem of high fuel taxes. The legal investigations being carried out for us will help give us confidence on the selected avenues that we decide to pursue on behalf of our members."

Karen Dee, Director of Policy at the Road Haulage Association said: "We all know that the road haulage sector is one of the most competitive. We need to be clear that our own Government and the European Commission are fulfilling their commitmentrs to ensure that that competition is fair."

The review will be submitted as part of the written evidence to the Burns Freight Taxes Inquiry, which is due to publish its report towards the end of November.

The Road Haulage Association - supporting the industry on which the UK depends.

Source:
Road Haulage Association

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Alvis TA21

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I was asked last week if I would recommission a 1951 Alvis TA21 which had been garaged for the last 20 years or more without being moved or started.

It had been bought recently by Bob who already owns two vintage 1946 Hillman Minx and a vintage MGB GT. The previous owner had garaged it after the death of his wife and there it had sat until Bob discovered it.

Now this is the kind of job I love and I just wish on such occasions dad was still alive as this 1951 Alvis TA21, 3000 Straight 6 would have been right down his street! In fact with dad present I wouldn't have even needed to check any technical data as he would have known all the settings and pretty much everything else about the car after working on them for years.

It's important to approach the recommissioning of vintage vehicles in the correct way, especially when they have not operated for a number of years. In the case of this Alvis we estimate over 20 years and when it was last used it didn't benefit from modern lubricant, coolant and fuel additive technologies. Failure to assess every action before proceeding may result in damage being caused which often is irreversible and many components are no longer available for such vehicles to correct this damage.

Over the years corrosion will have caused deterioration to many components and especially electrical components, cables and connectors which did not benefit from modern water resistant multiplugs and silicone insulations. Components such as the commutator / slip rings in the generator will have corroded preventing contact from the brushes and the contacts inside the regulator will also be subject to corrosion. The list of possibilities is endless and each must be assessed subject to the vehicle's individual circumstances.

The one thing that does need to be controlled more than anything else is human nature. The excitement and anticipation of hearing the engine running again after many years idle can lead to bad decision making and costly, if not irreversible mistakes being made during the recommissioning procedure. It's good practice to encourage the vehicle's owner to keep clear while the assessment is being carried out but in this case the owner is Bob who I've worked with for years on such projects; Bob knows how I work and I know how Bob works and time isn't a factor, only quality and accuracy.

The following few paragraphs detail only some of the steps we carried out in the recommissioning process. Many of the more boring but essential tasks have not been included in this article to keep it to an acceptable length. If you are planning on recommissioning a vehicle which has not been used for a period of time I advise that specialist advice is sought before starting and preferably the job is entrusted to a professional with experience in recommissioning vintage vehicles which is exactly what Bob did in this case.

The first thing we did was to remove the spark plugs and inject a small amount of new engine oil into each bore through the spark plug hole in the cylinder head. Introducing oil into the bores helps to protect them during the cranking phase which is likely to be long considering the length of time the vehicle has been left. The oil also improves cylinder compression until the oil pump can take over. Any oil which was left in the bores from its last run will be long gone and there's a good chance the piston rings will be stuck in their grooves.

With the spark plugs removed we connected a new, fully charged battery and operated the starter switch on the bulkhead. With help from a few well aimed taps from a small ball pein hammer the starter motor turned and engaged the flywheel ring gear. Because we had left the spark plugs out there was very little load on either the engine or the starter motor and we soon achieved an acceptable cranking speed helping to distribute the engine oil we introduced into the bores. We allowed the starter motor to operate in small bursts to ensure everything was OK and after a total cranking time of about 30 seconds we disconnected the battery and carried out checks to the engine and electrical system.

During the cranking phase we noticed fuel coming out of the float chamber overflow pipes. You would expect to see this if the needle valve or float had stuck so we dismantled both float chambers and stripped them down on the bench for a quick clean. The rear carburettor float chamber float assembly had stuck in the chamber and everything we tried to get it to move failed. Because the float is delicate and hollow it's not possible to apply too much force otherwise damage will occur. In the end and after trying everything else we applied some heat to the base of the float chamber which melted the tar like substance which was holding the float in place. I wouldn't recommend anybody applies a heat source to a fuel storage device but we had little option and put in place safety measures prior to doing this. The tar like substance was the remains of the fuel from the float chamber which had slowly evaporated over time leaving the sticky compounds and impurities behind.

At the same time as servicing the float chambers we also removed the dash pots, dampers and pistons and cleaned them using carburettor cleaner before refitting and renewing the dash pot oil. The viscosity of oil used in the dash pots is critical to correct operation. Unfortunately we did not have the correct grade available and phoning around all the local motor factors revealed they no longer stock it either. Waiting a few days for the correct oil to arrive was not an option at this stage so we mixed some 10W/40 engine oil with some light penetrating oil which worked well and will be replaced as soon as the correct grade arrives.

During the cranking phase I also checked for a spark by installing a spark tester to number one cylinder high tension lead. No voltage was present in the lead so after the initial cranking phase I removed the distributor cap and tested the coil primary circuit, contact breaker points, rotor arm and distributor cap. The king lead between the distributor cap and ignition coil was broken so we replaced this and there was a high resistance between the moving contact and the fixed contact of the points. We removed these and cleaned the contacts until the new ignition parts arrived and this gave us an acceptable spark at the spark plugs. We had new spark plugs ready so a small amount more engine oil was injected into the cylinders and the new spark plugs were gaped and installed.

We had ensured that the three main elements a four stroke internal combustion engine requires were present. We had acceptable compression in all six cylinders, we had fuel delivery to both carburettor jets and we had an acceptable spark at the spark plugs. The vehicle had been driven into the garage where it stayed for over 20 years so we also knew there was a running configuration the last time it was started therefore no need at this stage to make any service adjustments.

A towel was placed partly over the air induction pipe to throttle the air flow and therefore increase the depression in the inlet manifold. This would help to draw fuel through the jets and would compensate for my decision to start this car without choke which may have resulted in a flooded engine. After about 45 seconds the engine started and idled for about 15 seconds before stalling. This was good news as we knew everything must be OK to achieve this brief idle. After adjustments to the level of throttle we was inducing using the towel the engine restarted and we ran it at a fast idle for 2 minutes before turning the engine off and removing the battery lead. Following this we restarted the engine and ran for longer periods up to an hour duration after 3 hours of successful stop/starts.

The work on this Alvis has only just started and so has my involvement as there's plenty more work and recommissioning to do before we are satisfied it is ready to hit the road.

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Woolsey 1500

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Here's something you won't see every day (unless of course you own one). It's a Woolsey 1500 parked in a shopping centre car park off the Hessle Road in Kingston upon Hull.

This car is in remarkably good condition for its age, showing a bit of damage to the lower section of the off side rear passenger door and some repaired corrosion on the sills.

I don't know a lot about the Woolsey 1500 but I'm going to do some research and post the results on here in the next few days. If anybody stumbles across this article and knows anything about the Woolsey can they please leave a comment as a quick search on Google comes up with very little information.

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Dance Routine Premieres at MPH ‘05

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MPH ‘05’s motoring theatre spectacular is literally going to rock the stage and the crowd as a trio of hatchback stunt drivers meet with a dancing quartet of boogying JCB diggers in what will be a world first performance.

Audiences can catch this clash of the heavyweight dancers at the NEC Birmingham from 10-13 November, and then in London’s Earls Court from 17-20 November, with ticket prices for the NEC starting at just £10.

You might think seeing a group of JCB diggers performing handstands, or weaving and circling around each other with only inches to spare is enough drama, but of course it isn’t for this year’s audience. In a world first, the internationally acclaimed JCB stunt team joins up to perform a routine with a trio of shiny new hatchbacks from carmaker Vauxhall that will be making the most unlikely UK show debuts.

As the dance reaches its climax, the JCB diggers will heave themselves off their back wheels to create a perfect wedding arch through which the team of stunt car drivers will dance with a wild combination of moves including the J-turn and antics on two wheels. As you would expect with almost forty tonnes of machinery dangling above your head, only Britain’s best stunt have been recruited to make it happen.

Choreographing the entire dance routine is Russ Swift, renowned throughout the world for performing a J-turn between two parked cars with little more than six inches between him and a crunch. Unsurprisingly, he’s the current J-turn Guinness Book Of Records holder.

Russ comments: “Rather than just cars on carpets, the crowds here will see what live motoring theatre is all about. We have travelled the world pioneering live action with cars.” With over 30 years experience Russ is a bit of an expert on these things. Probably the same reason he was chosen to ensure the stunts on the remake of the Italian Job thrilled Hollywood.

Joining him on the stage is his 25-year old son, Paul, who has been exciting crowds since the age of nine. Proof of his breathtaking skills, Paul has been crowned British Autotesting champion for the last two consecutive years. Autotesting is the international event where he regularly pulls off the trickiest manoeuvres possible on four wheels such as spin-turns, brake-turns and reverse flicks.

Of course, dancing cars and JCB diggers aren’t the only spectacle at this winter’s MPH ’05. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Tiff Needell will be on hand for all the latest irreverent motoring banter and even more edge of the seat car theatre.

Crowds can catch their breath after all this madness, by taking a stroll around the galleries offering unrestrained access to some of the world’s finest cars including Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lotus, Marcos, Maserati, Mercedes, Noble, Porsche, Rolls-Royce among many more.

As with all MPH events, visitors will get a first glimpse of the cars of tomorrow with Aston Martin, TVR, Alfa Romeo, Citroën, Saab and the American supercar giants Saleen all promising to host UK public debuts of exciting new models while over in the Classic Gallery, there’s one of the finest collection of super cars of yester-year. Lovers of two wheeled performance machines aren’t overlooked either, with Ducati, BMW and Honda already promising to display some stunning machines.

Further details of MPH '05 can be found at www.mphshow.co.uk.

Research Material:

MPH '05 comprises five main elements;
The MPH Theatre - Hosted by motoring icon Jeremy Clarkson and celebrity guests, 75 minutes of spine-tingling excitement, a petrol-fuelled adrenalin rush where spectators witness spectacular stunts and screaming engines, and all laced with sublime catwalk processions of the finest supercars on the planet.

The MPH Gallery - A showcase of the biggest brands in high-end motoring. For those looking to buy a prestige or performance car, MPH Gallery provides the perfect platform to get all touchy-feely with the array of dream cars on show, allowing you to compare, evaluate and even buy from the impressive line up.

The Sony Ericsson MPH Studio - Here's where you can see a superb display of cars that have just about everything up-rated for increased style and power.

The MPH Style Piazza - Relax in our stylish champagne bar surrounded by an impeccable selection of boutiques featuring some of the most famous luxury, motoring and non-motoring brands on the planet.

The Classic MPH Gallery - From the rare to the iconic, new for 2005 the gallery offers a retrospective look at the most desirable cars ever produced including the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing, the Aston Martin DB4 and Ford GT40.

Please note that cars featured in the MPH '05 event are subject to change.

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Keeping a Grip on Safety

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More than two million motorists in the UK are risking the lives of their families by never checking their tyre pressures or tread according to the RAC Foundation.

At the launch of a two day tyre safety event today (4th) at the Fort Shopping Park in Glasgow, the Foundation will claim that Scottish drivers are among the most neglectful in the UK of their tyres – almost a third of cars and vans tested recently* had at least one defective or bald tyre.

Research has shown that defective or badly worn tyres are a contributory factor in many accidents. Six per cent of all fatal motorway accidents are caused by the sudden failure of under inflated tyres while worn tyres contribute to ten per cent of accidents in the wet – conditions frequently prevalent during a Scottish winter.

Independent tests** recently concluded that cars show significantly increased stopping distances in the wet when the tread depth falls below 3.5mm – a vehicle with tyres with only 1mm of tread will take 60 per cent longer to stop on a wet road.

An NOP Automotive*** study carried out for the Foundation showed:

7 per cent of motorists only check their tyre pressure and tread once a year
15 per cent of women never check their tyres
13 per cent only make checks when going on a long journey
4 per cent make checks every journey
21 per cent every week
49 per cent once a month

Correct pressures are vital to safe handling, optimum steering, braking and grip but even when drivers try to check them they may encounter significant barriers. Spot checks carried out by the Foundation revealed that as many as one in three air pressure gauges in petrol stations were not working or had been vandalised. It is now calling for petrol retailers to provide free, accurate and well-maintained tyre pressure gauges after receiving many complaints that gauges are not working.

The NOP survey also found that:

Half of all women drivers do not know their recommended tyre pressure
85 per cent of male drivers claim to know their tyre pressure
Young drivers (17 –24) were least likely to know their recommended tyre pressures.
A quarter of high mileage drivers do not know their pressure

Scottish drivers are being invited to bring along their vehicles for a free tyre and winter safety check at the Fort Shopping Park today and tomorrow (Friday 4 and Saturday 5) between 10am and 5pm. The event is organised by the Tyre Industry Council and will also include help and advice on many aspects of safe motoring and simple preventative checks to avoid winter breakdowns while the police will be on hand to check the fitting of child safety seats. Full details can be found at www.tyresafety.co.uk

The clinic precedes this year’s tyre safety week which starts in Scotland on November 7. The police will carry out roadside tyre checks. The penalty for having a defective tyre could result in a £2,500 fine and three penalty points

Sue Nicholson, Head of Campaigns for the RAC Foundation said: “Tyre safety is not an optional extra. Tyres are the only contact that the car has with the road and therefore it is essential that they are not worn or under or over inflated. If you are unsure about tyres or other safety equipment, this is the perfect time to get them checked and put things right in advance of the winter.

“If more drivers in Scotland followed the simple advice given out at this event then many unnecessary injuries and deaths could be prevented.”

The RAC Foundation believes that a few simple steps by all who use, or are responsible, for the roads could make the UK roads much safer during the coming months. Committed to raising the profile of this topic, it is making lighting and tyres the issue of the month on its website www.racfoundation.org Drivers can help the Foundation build a better understanding of motorists’ opinions and behaviour by taking part in an on-line poll on the subject while getting more advice.

The RAC Foundation Tyre Pressure Fact File:

20 per cent under-inflation can increase tyre wear by 25 per cent
20 per cent under-inflation can reduce tyre life by 30 per cent
20 per cent under inflation can reduce fuel economy by three per cent
10% of cars are running on illegal tyres (under 1.6mm tread)
90% of tyres are incorrectly inflated
Tyre manufacturers estimate that three quarters of accidents caused by “blowouts” are down to incorrect pressures
Under-inflated tyres cause a reduction in the overall control of the vehicle and increased braking distances
Over–inflated tyres cause poor vehicle handling, reduced stability in braking, cornering and reduced grip
Drivers should check their tyres at least once a month

Research Material:
The RAC Foundation for Motoring is an independent body established to protect and promote the interests of UK motorists. Motoring organisation RAC supports its seven million customers with breakdown cover and a wide range of other motoring solutions.

*Tyre Industry Council
** Motor Industry Research Association
***NOP Automotive survey of 517 motorists 17 –19 June 2005

Web Sites:
AA Web Site & Breakdown Cover
RAC Web Site & Breakdown Cover

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Get an Online Motor Warranty Quote instantly with Warranty Direct - Unbeatable cover at a price you can afford.

Discovering how much it will cost to protect your car against unforeseen mechanical failure couldn't be simpler.

Warranty Direct not only sells the warranty but handles the claim as well - for a better warranty buy from Warranty Direct!

The Last Rover

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The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust has discovered the mystery surrounding the very last car built at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham. Stephen Laing, the curator of the museum unveiled a frostfire Rover 75, 1955cc 4-cylinder diesel, which is the last vehicle on the register out of the plant. The Trust has become the proud owner of the car, which has gone on public display in the museum at the Heritage Motor Centre near Gaydon in Warwickshire. It is most likely that this car will also be the last car to be adorned with the Rover badge.

Almost 15 million cars were manufactured in the century since Rover Cars was founded by Herbert Austin. It was on 8 April this year that MG Rover at Longbridge went into administration and car production ceased. Only a small group of skilled car workers was kept on at the plant over the summer to complete a number of unfinished vehicles, before the company was sold on to the Nanjing Automobile Corporation of China.

The Trust also owns the first Rover 75 car built under the company’s former owners BMW at Cowley Oxford in 2000.

History of Rover

The Rover 75 was the first large Rover car for 20 years, replacing the Honda inspired 600 and 800 models. Introduced in 1999, the ‘75’ was initially built at the Cowley factory in Oxford, which had undergone a £700 million facelift, including a completely new manufacturing and paint shop facility. The ‘75’ took styling cues from Rover’s heritage, whilst engine options were four or six cylinder petrol units from the K-series range, together with a BMW derived diesel.

When BMW decided to sell Rover Group in 2000, production of Rover models moved to the newly formed MG Rover Group’s factory at Longbridge in Birmingham. The ‘75’ range was quickly developed, with the addition of an estate model (or tourer), more sporting MG versions and a long-wheelbase limousine. A V8 powered version was also developed, re-engineered with rear-wheel drive.

During 2004 the ‘75’ range got a facelift, with a redesigned look for the front and rear end of the car and modifications to the trim specification.

For further information on visitor opening times and location of the museum log on to: www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk or telephone 01926 651188.

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Car Demand in the UK is Expected to Slow

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The Overall Demand of New and Used Cars in the UK is Expected to Slow Significantly between 2005 and 2009, with New Car Sales Falling in 2005 and 2006

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27073) has announced the addition of Motor Finance Market Assessment 2005 to their offering.

This report focuses on car purchases by private buyers. The market is divided into two main sectors -- the new and used car markets -- and four main types of lender: finance companies, manufacturers, subprime lenders and aggregators. Various types of finance are available to car buyers: personal loans, hire purchase (HP) and personal contract plans (PCPs). The right option depends on individual circumstances, and the market is increasingly competitive.

The motor finance market enjoyed strong growth between 2000 and 2004. The UK's strong economic background and price falls that have boosted the affordability of cars have supported sales of cars. Growth in the motor finance industry has been helped by declining borrowing costs and an increasingly competitive industry, which results in lower borrowing costs for consumers. However, considerable changes are being experienced. Direct lenders are entering the market aggressively, consumers are tending towards cash purchases and distribution channels are diversifying.

HP remains the main method by which consumers purchase new cars, while the proportion accounted for by personal loans continues to dwindle. PCPs appear to have reached a plateau after experiencing significant growth in the 1990s. Equity withdrawal is also now one of the main ways in which homeowners financed new car purchases between 2000 and 2004, although it is impossible to put an exact figure on how much consumers have spent on new cars by borrowing against their homes.

The motor finance market in the UK is highly competitive and no single player dominates. Consumers are able to arrange their finance through a plethora of companies, ranging from the high-street banks and building societies, to independent finance companies, credit unions and car companies' affiliated finance arms. Many of the high-street supermarkets, including Tesco and Sainsbury's, also offer personal loans.

The overall demand for new and used cars is expected to slow significantly between 2005 and 2009, with new car sales falling in 2005 and 2006. The market is not expected to recover significantly until 2008. This reflects the likelihood that UK consumers will experience much tougher economic conditions over the next 5 years. Consumers have built up very large debts since 2000 and rising interest rates in 2004 and increasing unemployment in 2005 appear to have convinced many people to start paying off old debts rather than acquire new ones. Inevitably, this background will affect the market for motor finance and we expect the market to contract in 2005 and 2006.

Companies profiled in the report:

Alliance & Leicester Plc
Automobile Association
Barclays Plc
Ford Motor Credit
GE Capital Woodchester Ltd.
GMAC Financial Services
HBOS Plc
HSBC Holdings Plc
Lloyds TSB Group Plc
Nationwide Building Society
Paragon Car Finance
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27073

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One-in-three Motorists STILL Use Handheld Mobiles

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More than 10 million motorists putting themselves and others in danger as a result
Recent Department for Transport estimate way too low
What Car? calls for free hands-free equipment with every phone sold

Millions of motorists are flouting driving laws and putting themselves and others in danger, a whatcar.com survey has found.

Department for Transport figures suggest that just 1.5% of drivers use their mobile phone while driving – whatcar.com’s survey of over 1000 motorists puts the figure nearly 22 times higher.

In all 24% said they still used a handheld for quick calls, 8.6% admitted they used one all of the time and a further 8.8% said they still used a phone when driving but intend to stop doing so.

Although 58.6% of motorists claim they no longer use a handheld phone at the wheel, the whatcar.com survey still shows a staggering 10 million drivers could be putting themselves and others in danger. Studies show they're four times as likely to be involved in an accident.

What Car? group editor Steve Fowler said: 'Our survey proves handheld mobile phone use at the wheel is a far more widespread problem than the DfT thinks.

'It doesn't matter if you're only making a quick call – handheld phones are dangerously distracting. We'd like to see a hands-free kit provided with every new phone sold by law, and more traffic police on the roads to enforce mobile phone laws, which will eventually put penalty points on licences.

Whatcar.com has teamed up with the Carphone Warehouse, the largest mobile phone retailer in the UK, to offer a 10% discount on hands-free equipment to encourage motorists to use their mobiles more responsibly. A voucher for the discount is available on whatcar.com and thecarphonewarehouse.com and can be redeemed at any of its 600 UK stores until Christmas 2005.

The DfT's 'snapshot' survey caught just 1.5% of the 100,000 motorists redhanded last April.

Responding to whatcar.com's survey, road safety minister Stephen Ladyman said: 'I'm pleased that the results still show that drivers who think it's acceptable to use their phones without stopping are in the minority.

'We stand by our survey work as an objective way to monitor use. We'll also be monitoring annual prosecution figures.'

So far the only prosecution figure available is for December 2003 when 1888 fixed penalty fines were imposed. The Home Office will release figures for 2004 in early 2006.

Mary Williams OBE, chief executive of road safety charity Brake, said: 'It is appalling that so many drivers put lives at risk by driving while using their mobile phones. Driving is the most dangerous thing that most of us do on a daily basis, and it requires our full attention.

'It's essential that the penalty for using a phone while driving is increased significantly - three penalty points and a £60 fine is simply not enough to deter some drivers. Brake is also calling for a complete ban on using mobiles while driving - many drivers think using a hands-free is a safe option, but research clearly shows that it increases the risk of crashing several times over.'

Graham Stapleton Managing Director of In Car Solutions at The Carphone Warehouse said: 'We're delighted to join forces with What Car? in this campaign. We believe it is vital that drivers use hands-free car kits if they need to make a call; not only for their safety, but for the safety of all others. The 10% discount on all hands-free car kits we are offering should be a good incentive for UK motorists to make this necessary change.'

Web Site:
What Car?

What Car?
What Car? has been the car buyer’s champion for over 30 years. The What Car? stable now includes What Car?, What Car? New Car Guide, the What Car? Price Guide and whatcar.com. Independent research shows that almost a quarter of all car buyers read What Car? before making a decision.

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Improved Safety in Hybrid Vehicle Rescues

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Responding to the need to protect rescue workers from electical dangers when extricating victims from hybrid electric vehicles, Hurst has introduced a new specialized rescue tool. Similar in power and construction to other popular Jaws of Life hydraulic spreaders and cutters the new Cen SC14 Fi Combination tool and the Cen C9 Fi Cutter boast unique electrical current insulation providing extra safety for rescuers when cutting charged parts of all kinds. The tools are being sold under the Hurst Centaur brand.

As sales of hybrid vehicles rise rapidly, rescue crews are increasingly exposed to accidents involving the fuel-efficient vehicles. And with up to 500 volts running through some wires in the vehicles, as opposed to 12 volts in traditional cars, there is a growing concern that rescue workers are at risk when extricating victims at an accident scene. It is this concern that prompted the engineers at Jaws of Life to develop a rescue tool designed to meet the challenges of dealing with electrically charged components.

"There is a real need for rescue workers to take extra precautions when dealing with hybrid vehicles," states Bob Linster, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Hurst. "At Hurst, we believe we have a responsibility to manufacture tools that not only save the lives of victims but that also protect the lives of the emergency responders."

The Cen SC14 Fi Combination tool and the Cen C9 Fi Cutter tool are safer for an object voltage of 1500 V DC or 1000 AC. All tool components coming in contact with the operator, such as handles, valves and actuators, are covered with non-conductive insulated materials. What's more, the insulation reacts to electrical exposure visually. Both tools are lightweight and compact and possess the easy operation features popularized by the Hurst Centaur Rescue Tool brand.

Web Site:
Hurst Jaws of Life

About Centaur Rescue Tools:
Centaur Rescue Tools and Hurst Jaws of Life(R) are a divisions of Hale Products Inc. Hale Products Inc. is the world's leading provider of emergency services in applications such as defense, rescue, firefighting, and industry. Hale Products' trademarks include Jaws of Life, Hale Pumps, Hurst, Godiva Pumps, FoamMaster, and CAFSMaster. With manufacturing and sales facilities in England, Germany, and Singapore, Hale Products is the largest manufacturer of products in its categories to the emergency services worldwide. Hale Products is a unit of IDEX Corporation, a manufacturer of proprietary fluid handling and industrial products. IDEX shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol IEX (NYSE:IEX).

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The History of Airbags

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An idea that triggered a revolution

13 years of development involving pioneering work in numerous fields
Automotive engineers as blasters and canaries as testers
250 crash tests and seven million kilometres of testing
Airbags that protect against side impacts since 1995

A wide area around the proving ground at Stuttgart-Untertürkheim was cordoned off. Crouching behind thick walls, the Mercedes-Benz engineers waited with bated breath. Not a sound could be heard, not a breeze stirred the air. All of a sudden there was an ear-splitting bang. Shreds of fabric and plastic flew everywhere, causing birds to flutter nervously from the trees. The engineers emerged from their sanctuary behind the walls, jumping for joy: the "explosives" had gone off just as planned. The Mercedes-Benz safety experts had just taken another step towards reaching their ultimate goal: the car airbag.

"We used missile technology," remembers Helmut Patzelt, one of the founding fathers of the airbag and an expert in pyrotechnics. "A missile receives its thrust from discharged gas, and we applied this very principle. The only difference is that we trapped the gas – in an airbag."

It was with this type of triggering test that Mercedes-Benz began to develop the idea of the airbag in 1967, prompted by two developments which affected traffic policy: the rapidly spiralling number of accidents during the sixties and a resultant series of new laws in the USA, one of which prescribed an automatic occupant protection system for every car in the USA from 1969 onwards. "We can no longer tolerate unsafe automobiles," said the then US President Lyndon B. Johnson, making car safety a matter for decision at the top level.

And so it was that previously ignored inventions – for which patent applications had been submitted by the German Walter Linderer and the American John W. Hedrik as early as 1953 – suddenly took on a whole new meaning. "A folded, deployable receptacle which inflates automatically in the event of danger" was a fascinating idea yet, at that time, the technology required to make it happen simply did not exist. This was the cue for the automotive engineers to commence their explosive experiments. In 1970 the pressure on the developers increased when the newly formed US highway-safety authority stipulated that driver airbags would be a legal requirement for all new cars – starting as early as January 1, 1973.

The airbag becomes a bone of contention

No sooner had it been made a requirement than the airbag became the subject of a long-running dispute. "The airbag will kill more people than it saves," claimed the new critical voices entering the debate in the USA. As a consequence, the introduction date was put back until 1976. And even after that, the production launch had to be postponed on several other occasions. The airbag – was it all really just a lot of hot air? Hansjürgen Scholz, the then project manager for passive restraint systems at Mercedes-Benz, remembers only too well: "When a fatal accident involving an airbag occurred in the USA in 1974, most of those involved deserted the project like a sinking ship." All of a sudden the Mercedes developers were left on their own without any outside support. Other German manufacturers also failed to see the potential of the life-saving airbag at the time.

Those who advocated the airbag philosophy at Mercedes-Benz were very much left to their own devices. But they were not about to give up. "We had recognised the enormous potential of the air cushion. And we were not going to throw away our trump card," says Professor Guntram Huber, the former director of development for passenger car bodywork at Mercedes-Benz, who would later be awarded the ‘Safety Trophy’ by the American Department of Transportation for his role in the introduction of the airbag. And so it was that, in 1974, Mercedes‑Benz decided to go ahead and develop the airbag for production, regardless of happenings in the US market. What is more, it would be aimed at the world market. Airbags have only been a requirement in the USA since 1993, not 1973.

The technological challenges that had to be overcome when developing this innovation, which finally led to the unveiling of the world's first driver airbag in December 1980, were immense. A new product had to be created entirely from scratch. Problems that required solutions included the sensor-triggered deployment mechanism, the gas generation process, the tear-resistance of the airbag fabric, the effects on health and hearing, functional reliability and the issue of how to prevent unintentional activation. Given the intrepid test methods employed – they were, after all, based on missile technology – the authorities were quick to offer resistance, at first putting the triggering mechanism used to inflate the airbag in the same category as fireworks. For this reason, all those involved in the development of the airbag had to attend an explosives course. Following initial tests with liquid gas cylinders, the breakthrough was finally achieved by using a solid fuel for firing the airbag.

Toxicologists also had their say, querying the emissions left behind in the car after deployment of the airbag. But the developers were able to allay these fears as well, since the solid fuel pressed into tablet form – consisting of sodium azide, calcium nitrate and sand – left behind predominantly non-hazardous nitrogen gas and small quantities of hydrogen and oxygen.

Crash tests with canaries

In their efforts to overcome the technical hurdles before them, many of the ideas the engineers came up with were highly unconventional. Since the sound of the deploying airbag was above the pain barrier but only lasted for 10 milliseconds, the effect on the eardrums could not be clearly ascertained at first. The engineers therefore installed a cage containing 15 canaries in the test car to determine the harmful effects of the noise, gas emissions and air pressure during deployment of the airbag. Not only did all the canaries survive the test, they also remained their usual lively selves. Yet another step in the right direction.

Some 250 crash tests on complete vehicles, around 2500 sled tests and thousands of component tests provided the airbag pioneers with invaluable knowledge to help the airbag on its way to full series production.

The primary concern in all the tests was stopping the car airbag from deploying unintentionally – a horror scenario for the developers. In early tests, the airbag would sometimes go off when the vehicle was at a standstill, meaning that the engineers also had to develop the electronic system from scratch. The sensor only had a few milliseconds in which to deploy the airbag – still very much a utopian idea in those days. As if that were not enough, the sensor had to be able to function reliably for several years at extremely low and very high temperatures with constant fluctuations in humidity.

Some 600 test cars took part in road tests, off-road trials and rally events, clocking up in excess of seven million kilometres, in order to ensure that the sensor could perform its vital, life-saving function. In addition, the engineers, technical experts and office staff had to put themselves in the firing line, sitting at the wheel to gauge the effects of the airbag in an emergency, all under the watchful eye of the project team who recorded the results. Last but not least, another issue which had to be resolved before the first airbag was allowed to see the light of day in a production car in December 1980 was disposal, in other words what to do with the airbag when the car reached the end of its life.

From airbag to windowbag

Following the world premiere of the driver's airbag in an S-Class Saloon, the specialists in the Mercedes safety development department set about building upon their lead, using their know-how to further develop the airbag idea. Hence the front-passenger airbag was introduced in 1988. Then, in 1992, all Mercedes models were fitted with a driver's airbag as standard. A front-passenger airbag has been part of the standard specification since 1994.

A further milestone in passenger car safety was achieved in 1995 when the sidebag made its debut in the E-Class following a development period of around 10 years. The side airbag threw up new challenges for the developers, since it only had 20 milliseconds in which to deploy following a crash whereas a front airbag enjoyed the comparative luxury of around 40 milliseconds. Needless to say, the development of the side airbag involved a considerable amount of work and was not without its handicaps. Yet despite this, the Mercedes engineers took up the stiff challenge, quickly recognising the importance of further improving occupant safety. "The sidebag was and remains a key addition to the other side protection measures such as the use of sturdy door locks and door hinges, the installation of special tubular sections in the doors and the incorporation of lateral bodyshell reinforcements," says Dr Luigi Brambilla, the then head of airbag and seatbelt development at Mercedes-Benz.

The next milestone in airbag history – the windowbag – was achieved in 1998. In the event of a side impact, it inflates across the side windows to form a curtain, its large dimensions providing a wide area to protect the heads of both the front occupants and the rear passengers. Windowbags can prevent the head from hitting the side window, roof pillars or roof frame and are also capable of catching any fragments of glass or other objects propelled into the interior following a collision or subsequent roll-over, which constitute an additional injury hazard.

Side airbags are activated by the central control unit based on signals received from additional satellite sensors positioned on the crossmembers beneath the rear seats. In the new S-Class, new pressure sensors rapidly send the control unit precise information about any side collision in the door area. These sensors respond immediately when the air between the door's outer skin and interior panelling is compressed upon impact.

Since the design of Cabriolet and Roadster models makes it impossible to install windowbags, Mercedes-Benz has also developed a side airbag which protects both the head and the upper body. This head/thorax bag, as it is known, is located in the front seat backrest and deploys within a matter of milliseconds following a side impact, forming an asymmetric air cushion whose upper edge spreads further upwards when inflated, thus reducing the risk of the occupant's head hitting the side window or coming into contact with any objects which penetrate the car interior. At the same time, the lower section of the head/thorax bag inflates between the door and the occupant, creating a large-surface protective shield for the chest area.

Two-stage triggering

The front airbag has also developed into a highly complex and sensitive electronic system – a high-tech product that adapts to suit the seat occupant and the accident situation, responding accordingly before the driver has even had time to fully register any precarious accident situation. This lightning-fast reaction time is down to electronic triggering sensors and newly developed gas generators which allow the front airbags to deploy in two stages, depending on the severity of the accident: in the event of a minor frontal collision, the ECU only fires one chamber of the two-stage airbag gas generators. As a consequence, the airbags are deployed with a lower internal pressure. However, if the control unit detects a severe frontal impact, it also fires the second chamber of the gas generator to produce a higher internal pressure, thus affording the seat occupant the ideal level of protection for the accident situation in hand.

The system is able to differentiate in this way thanks mainly to additional up-front sensors and new algorithms programmed into the airbag control unit, made possible as a result of an increase in the system's performance and computing power.

Personalised safety for large and small front passengers

Equipment on board the new S-Class includes a computer which, as well as gauging the severity of the accident, also takes into account the size of the front passenger for the first time. If the sensor system housed in the seat upholstery detects a small front passenger, it initially only triggers the first airbag stage, depending on the type of accident, meaning that less air is injected into the airbag. If the system senses a larger front passenger, however, both airbag stages are triggered. This enhanced technology sees Mercedes-Benz launching a new trend in safety engineering: a restraint system which operates based on individual, occupant-specific parameters to provide passengers with an even higher level of protection than was previously possible.

Mercedes models also contain automatic child-seat and front-passenger recognition systems which enable the ideal airbag response given the situation in hand: as soon as a rear-facing child seat equipped with a transponder is fitted on the front-passenger seat, the front-passenger airbag is disabled, since it is surplus to requirements when it comes to protecting younger front passengers. Similarly, the front airbag, sidebag and belt tensioner on the front-passenger side are deactivated when the seat is not occupied.

Occupant protection before impact

In 2002, the PRE-SAFE® anticipatory occupant protection system ushered in a new era in passenger car safety. The innovative system, only available from Mercedes-Benz, further enhances the effectiveness of the seatbelts and airbags by identifying situations which might turn into accidents and preparing the occupants and vehicle for a possible collision. As a precaution, PRE-SAFE® tensions the front seatbelts, moves the front-passenger seat into the optimum position and, if applicable, automatically closes the sunroof. These preventive pre-crash measures ensure that the occupants are in the best possible sitting position should an impact occur, allowing the seatbelts and airbags to do their job as effectively as possible.

Tests carried out by the Mercedes engineers on the new S-Class show just how effective the PRE-SAFE® functions are: inflatable air cushions housed in the seats of the Saloon support and hold the driver, front passenger and rear occupants in the ideal position before an imminent accident, thus considerably limiting the dangerous oscillating motion of the upper body. As a result, the distance between the shoulder and the door's interior panelling is increased, enabling the sidebag to offer even better protection in the event of an impact. PRE-SAFE® also enhances the effectiveness of the windowbag: if an accident seems likely, the side windows are closed in order to facilitate deployment of the windowbag in the event of a side impact or roll-over.

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Keywords:

Automobile Automobiles Auto Autos Auto News Accidents Active Active Safety Systems Air Bag Air Bags Automotive Automobiles Car Cars Crashes Driving Drivers Mercedes Mercedes Benz Roads Research Road Accidents Road Safety Safety SRS Technology Vehicles History

Three New Technologies to Help Land Rover

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Three new technologies from Delphi Corp are helping the new Range Rover Sport achieve levels of dynamic performance and comfort that are widely regarded as setting new standards for a high-performance SUV. The combination of advanced air suspension and a new compact version of Delphi’s Active Stabiliser Bar System (ASBS) has been credited with helping to provide exceptional handling combined with best-in-class ride. The new vehicle is also available with a new generation of Delphi’s Forewarn Smart Cruise Control that will help the driver maintain a driver-selected time gap behind the vehicle ahead at highway speeds.

"Land Rover wanted to define a new niche for an SUV that would combine comfort and sophistication with very high-performance. That’s an ambitious goal in a sector where the quality of competition is already very high," explains Rene Haep, Delphi’s customer director responsible for Land Rover. "There could be no compromise in the brand’s legendary off-road capability and there were other challenges, such as the need to fit 20 inch wheels without sacrificing ride quality. It was a tough challenge that required a fresh approach to several established areas of technology."

Dynamic Response System with Delphi’s New Rotary Actuators

Delphi’s new rotary actuators replace conventional stabiliser bars to provide an exceptionally compact roll control system that is thought to be the most powerful and most energy efficient in production today. Delphi worked closely with Land Rover’s chassis team, who integrated Delphi ASBS actuators and valve blocks at both the front and rear, making Range Rover Sport the first vehicle to be fitted with this new technology.

A traditional stabiliser bar improves vehicle stability through corners by reducing roll angle and managing the tyre to road interface. Heavy vehicles with a high centre of gravity typically require stiff, large diameter stabiliser bars but these will substantially reduce ride comfort and refinement and can also reduce traction in some conditions. Traditional stabiliser bars also restrict wheel travel, potentially compromising off-road behaviour, and can create an effect known as ‘head toss’ that can be particularly uncomfortable in vehicles where the occupants are seated high. Land Rover’s Dynamic Response system, incorporating Delphi’s ASBS technology, helps minimise all of these issues.

ASBS technology splits the conventional stabiliser bar in the middle. At the intersection of the two roll-bar sections, a computer-controlled actuator applies a variable level of torque. When the vehicle is travelling in a straight line, the system effectively de-couples the stabiliser bars from the vehicle, improving ride comfort and allowing large wheel articulation to increase off-road ability. In a corner, roll-stiffness is instantly increased by applying torque to each end of the bar.

Delphi’s triangulated link ASBS actuators have been available on the Land Rover Discovery from the 1999 model year, giving the vehicle manufacturer considerable confidence in the technology. With the independent suspension configuration required for exceptional on-road performance, however, the Range Rover Sport could not accommodate this system. Being faster and heavier, the new vehicle also required more control torque than the previous generation system could provide. It was therefore decided to take a clean sheet of paper and develop an all-new actuator technology.

The new rotary actuator system uses a carbon steel drum known as a ball screw, which has a spiral ball track on its outer face and a splined channel along its centre axis (see illustration). The balls on the outer face engage with a matching spiral track on the inside of a slightly larger drum attached to one side of the stabiliser bar. The other end of the stabiliser bar is splined and inserted into the channel through the ball screw.

When hydraulic pressure is applied to a piston at the end of the ball screw, forcing it along the splines, the spiral ball race creates a turning movement that applies torque to the bar via the splines on one side and via the outer drum on the other. By modulating the hydraulic pressure based on input from two lateral accelerometers and, primarily, a steering angle sensor, the torque applied to the roll bars can be optimised for any driving condition in 70ms to 250ms.

The new Delphi system provides 88 degrees of articulation and more than twice the torque of its closest rival, all from an exceptionally compact actuator. It is also significantly more efficient than competitor systems, with more than 90 percent of the generated hydraulic pressure creating torque. The efficiency of the system allows a proven pump to be used with a small reservoir and low-cost, easily routed hoses, and helps to make its operation extremely quiet.

"The torques involved are huge, so we paid particular attention to fatigue and other aspects of long-term durability," says Tony Horne, UK operations manager for Delphi Energy & Chassis Systems and a key member of the team working with Land Rover. "Finite Element Analysis was invaluable and we’ve spent a lot of time helping our suppliers introduce advanced processes such as laser welding, all with in-line quality control to provide high efficiency no-fault-forward production processes."

Delphi’s portfolio of ASBS technologies includes systems suitable for all classes of vehicle, including performance cars, allowing increased ride comfort alongside outstanding cornering control. The company also supplies a wide range of other chassis control technologies to other vehicle manufacturers including electronic stability systems, variable damping control systems and antilock braking systems.

Advanced Air Suspension

The blend of talents required by the suspension of a Range Rover Sport is considerable. As well as safely managing the 385 bhp and 550 Nm of the supercharged engine option it must provide the 2,572 kg vehicle with sportscar handling, limousine ride quality and world-class off-road ability.

Land Rover chose air suspension because it allows low spring rates (providing good ride quality) without compromising the ability to maintain ride height when loaded or trailering. Air suspension also allows the ride height to be increased when travelling over difficult terrain. Delphi already supplies compact air suspension modules for the new Discovery (called LR3 in the US) and the current Range Rover, so was a logical choice to as a key suspension supplier for the new Range Rover Sport.

When designing its air spring technology, Delphi chose a modular approach to allow fast adaptation to new applications. For the Range Rover Sport, the system uses high-pressure monotube gas shock absorbers to provide high damping forces and excellent high frequency control. The air springs are stiffened and a new type of single point top mounting has been developed to reduce the transmission of road noise into the vehicle body. The new gas shock absorbers have an 18mm shaft diameter, thought to be the largest in production for a passenger vehicle, and fit into the existing air sleeve without any modification.

The new air spring modules allow Delphi to meet Land Rover’s tough targets for performance, comfort, packaging and durability and, compared with conventional coil springs, also reduce vehicle weight by nearly 7kg. The units are designed to withstand the most demanding burst pressure and temperature range requirements set by any vehicle manufacturer.

Innovative design and electronic control allows all versions of the vehicle (four engine options, two suspension options and a vast number of accessory combinations) to be accommodated with just two versions of the air suspension module. As well as simplifying production and logistics for both Delphi and Land Rover, this helped significantly shorten the development time.

Fourth Generation Smart Cruise Control

The Range Rover Sport is also one of the first vehicles to be fitted with Delphi’s fourth-generation Smart Cruise Control (SCC) which helps the driver maintain a selected time gap behind the vehicle ahead. At highway speeds, if the lane ahead is clear, the system will maintain the cruising speed set by the driver. When slower traffic is detected in front of the vehicle, the system will automatically maintain a driver-selected headway (the time gap between the vehicles, adjustable between 1.0 and 2.2 seconds) using throttle control and limited braking. If the closing speed is sufficient to require manual intervention, audible and visual warnings are given.

At the heart of Delphi’s SCC is a mechanically scanning 76GHz microwave radar sensor, integrated with a yaw sensor in an easily packaged housing that in the Range Rover application is mounted behind a polymer body panel in the nose of the vehicle. A separate Electronic Control Unit processes the radar data to calculate the range (distance), rate (closing speed) and azimuth (lateral deviation) of targets up to 150m ahead and delivers appropriate control signals to the engine and brake control systems via the vehicle’s CAN bus.

Delphi’s narrow-beam radar system provides greatly improved angular accuracy and target discrimination compared with rival multi-beam fixed sensor systems. The wide angle view (up to 15 degrees) provides early warning of vehicles entering the lane ahead and superior tracking in tight curves. It also allows an automatic alignment feature to compensate for installation tolerances and for changes in sensor alignment during the vehicle's life, reducing fitting costs for the vehicle manufacturer and increasing system reliability.

The Delphi Forewarn system also includes a Forward Alert feature that the driver can set to provide audible and visual alerts if braking is required due to slower-moving vehicles ahead. Drivers can adjust system sensitivity to adapt alert levels to their preferred driving style. The system will also warn the driver if mud, snow or other material is blocking the sensor.

Other Delphi Technologies

Following successful application of Delphi Fuba´s integrated antenna system on the new Discovery (LR3 in the US), Land Rover decided to use similar Delphi technology on the new Range Rover Sport. Up to eleven different antennas can be integrated into the rear side windows, helping to provide superb reception across a wide range of services. Land Rover also uses Delphi Fuba’s ScanDivTM module which automatically selects the best FM signal coming from three different antennas.

Other Delphi technologies on the new Range Rover Sport include the latest Passive Occupant Detection System (PODS) for ‘smart’ airbag control and a carbon canister for the emissions control system.

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New Careless Driving Law Is Not A Deterrent

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The Home Office claim that the new offence of causing death by careless driving will act as a deterrent and make drivers more careful on the road but the Association of British Drivers claim the law will not achieve this aim and that the government is missing an important opportunity.

ABD Road safety spokesman Mark McArthur-Christie explained: 'Whilst this law will give just retribution for those killed by such drivers, it will not make the roads safer. Most who drive in a careless manner simply do not believe they are going to kill somebody so will not adjust their habits. The real and serious problem of drivers not taking care will therefore remain unaddressed. The ABD have for many years called for the police and the judicial system to crack down on careless drivers before they kill using the perfectly adequate existing laws. Sadly, prosecutions for careless driving are not taken seriously by the court system and the police are therefore reluctant to take careless drivers to court. Prosecutions therefore remain extremely rare'.

ABD Chairman Brian Gregory said: 'Careless road users are one of the biggest problems on the road, inattentive driving is one of the biggest killers yet the government still fail to act, instead concentrating on non dangerous numerical speed offenders. This is nothing more than a token gesture towards relatives of the victims of such drivers, but these drivers need to find themselves in court or being re-educated BEFORE they kill.'

For more information about the ABD visit their Website at http://www.abd.org.uk

The Association of British Drivers is run on a voluntary basis to lobby for the beleaguered British motorist:

"Reclaiming the roads for the people who pay for them"
"Demanding proper roads (and railways) in exchange for paying one seventh of all taxes"
"Debunking the nonsense you hear about the environmental impact of the car"
"Promoting effective road safety instead of the criminalisation of safe driving"

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Forewarn Stop and Go Adaptive Cruise Control

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Provides foundation for sophisticated smart safety system
on two prestigious new European vehicles for 2006/7

A ground-breaking new Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) has been developed by Delphi Corp. The new technology increases the precision of ACC at highway speeds and provides an innovative new Stop and Go function that extends the convenience of ACC to congested roads. The new system, which also includes a forward collision warning function, will be introduced during 2006 on two premium-sector European vehicles.

Delphi’s Forewarn® Adaptive Cruise Control uses forward-looking radar to help the driver maintain a driver selected time gap behind the vehicle ahead. At highway speeds, if the lane ahead is clear, the system will maintain the cruising speed set by the driver. When slower traffic is detected in front of the vehicle, the system will automatically maintain the driver-selected headway (adjustable between 1.0 and 2.2 seconds) using throttle control and limited braking. If the gap is closing sufficiently quickly to require manual intervention, audible and visual warnings are given.

The fourth generation Forewarn system is thought to be the first production ACC to successfully overcome the many challenges of extending this functionality to city speeds. "Discriminating between the vehicle in front and other targets is easy for a person but exceptionally hard for a machine," explains Dr Richard Lind, director of advanced engineering at Delphi Electronics & Safety. "Success has come from our combination of expertise in high-precision mechanical systems, electronics and software and from the support we have received from our research teams."

Michele Daniels, senior algorithm design engineer at Delphi Electronics & Safety’s engineering laboratory in Malibu, California, highlighted some of the challenges of developing the system. "At city speeds, it becomes difficult to discern driver intent. Road clutter, such as manhole covers and traffic calming devices (bollards, road humps, etc), also becomes much more difficult to differentiate from potentially hazardous objects," she explains. "Our solution is based on a new type of object discrimination system that uses statistical modelling to test objects against a range of pre-defined criteria."

Particular attention was paid to delivering accurate information about the edges of objects. "If we know how wide the object is, for example, we have a good idea if it is a pole or a car. This tells the system which other tests to apply to confirm this assumption and to add more context," Daniels continues. "People can do this incredibly quickly and accurately. The technology we use benefits from several US Government-sponsored programmes looking at how to incorporate human-like scene analysis routines into software."

To provide the high quality data required for accurate scene analysis at all speeds, Delphi has specified a 76GHz narrow-beam radar system that provides improved angular accuracy and target discrimination compared with rival multi-beam fixed-sensor systems. The wide-angle of view (up to 15 degrees) provides early warning of vehicles entering the lane ahead and superior tracking in tight curves. It also allows an automatic alignment feature to compensate for installation tolerances and for changes in sensor alignment during the vehicle's life, reducing fitting costs for the vehicle manufacturer and increasing system reliability.

The radar system is integrated with a yaw sensor in an easily packaged housing that can be mounted in the nose of the vehicle or in the grill behind a polymer body panel. A separate Electronic Control Unit processes the radar data to calculate the range (distance), rate (closing speed) and azimuth (lateral deviation) of targets up to 150m ahead and delivers appropriate control signals to the engine and brake control systems via the vehicle’s CAN bus.

The first implementations of Delphi’s fourth generation Forewarn system will also include Forward Alert, which warns the driver if the vehicle is closing with an obstacle too quickly and prepares the brakes if a significant frontal impact is unavoidable.

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RAC Foundation Backs Road Safety Bill

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The RAC Foundation welcomes the Government’s decision to create new powers for the courts to tackle careless drivers who cause death behind the wheel.

Today (31st) the Government has tabled amendments to the Road Safety Bill, currently being considered by the House of Lords, which would add the offence of causing death by careless driving to the statute book.

The RAC Foundation has lobbied since 1999 for the introduction of this offence, with an appropriate maximum penalty, in addition to the existing offence of causing death by dangerous driving. We believe that having an offence of causing death by careless driving on the statute books would help by allowing prosecutors to bring a charge appropriate to the level of bad driving; which recognises the death of a third party; and which carries a range of penalties appropriate to the gravity of the offence.

The Foundation has been supporting Sally Keeble MP’s Private Members Bill, which would have created this new offence.

Edmund King, Executive Director of the RAC Foundation, said today “The RAC Foundation for Motoring has consistently argued the need for the creation of a new offence of ‘causing death by careless driving’ and we are delighted to see these amendments being brought forward. We urge peers to give their support to this long-overdue measure.”

The need for a specific offence of causing death by careless driving arises as a result of the disparity between the offences of careless and dangerous driving, both in term of the burden of proof and the sentencing option available to courts following conviction.

Kevin Delaney, Traffic and Road Safety Manager of the RAC Foundation, said:

"The offence of causing death by dangerous driving is extremely difficult to prove and prosecutions tend to be brought only in the most extreme cases of grossly bad or wicked driving.

Prosecutors tend to charge with the lesser offence of ‘careless driving’, or accept a plea of guilty to ‘careless driving.’ This often leaves relatives feeling that justice has not been done following the death of a loved one.

The RAC Foundation believes that having an offence of causing death by dangerous driving on the statute books would help bridge that gap."

Web Site:
RAC Web Site & Roadside Assistance

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Ascari KZ1 Up To Speed for MPH'05

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MPH’05 promises an electrifying mix of supercar exotica, high octane thrills and celebrity excess for motoring fans across the UK. It also promises one of the rarest cars on the planet; the British built Ascari KZ1.

With the first customer cars now being delivered, the event at the Birmingham NEC from 10-13th November and London Earls Court from 17-20th November, offers show goers the opportunity to experience the 200mph Ascari first hand.

Joining 100 of the most sensational prestige and performance cars ever created, the Ascari KZ1will not only grace MPH Gallery with its carbon-fibre body and 500bhp performance, it will also showcase in the main event of MPH’05; a 75-minute live theatrical performance of motoring thrills combined with spectacular lighting and pyrotechnics. To top it all, the event will be presided over by none other than Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and a host of other celebrity presenters.

As well as the KZ1, the Ascari stand will also be offering show goers the chance to embark on a virtual lap of the stunning Race Resort Ascari. Thanks to ‘Occulus’, a single seat cinema with surround sound, wannabe racers can attack all 26 corners of the 5.4km circuit set deep in the Spanish countryside.

Not only is MPH’05 a live spectacle event involving stunts and high octane action, but also a place where you’ll find the latest high-tech gadgets and accessories for your car. There’s luxury shopping with the world’s most desirable and most exclusive brands, plus, this year you can marvel at classics from the past six decades.

For the once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Ascari and a host of other exotic machinery go head to head with Clarkson and the rest of the MPH’05 gang, log on to www.mphshow.co.uk or call 0870 060 6030.

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Give Your Car a Winter Workout

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The onset of winter can be bad news for motorists. Little light, bad weather and worse roads conspire to make driving tiring, unpleasant, and sometimes even dangerous.

According to Ian Davis-Knight, head of MOT and technical operations for the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI), it is up to motorists to protect themselves during the unpleasant months of the year. He said: "Every journey is an opportunity to prevent the worst from happening, and there is a great deal of preventative action that you can undertake yourself."

Before setting off:

make sure that the car is warmed up, and has enough fuel
let someone know your intended movements
listen to traffic news and weather forecasts, and wear warm clothing

Naturally, the need for seasonal preparation also extends to the various systems that run the car. Davis-Knight explains: "Make sure that the antifreeze in the car is fresh. Insufficient anti-freeze can cause cracks and overheating in the engine's cylinder block. It should be changed every two years due to the deterioration of the corrosion inhibitors, or according to manufacturer recommendations."

Other things to do include:

make sure battery is in good condition
on cold mornings use a de-icer on windows, or a scraper
check that the screen wash is not clogged and that the bottle is topped up for use, and make sure that an additive is used to stop it freezing
check windscreen wipers for wear and replace them if necessary
make sure that all heaters and ventilation systems are working so that misting is minimised
give all external lights and mirrors a thorough once-over
headlamps should be correctly aligned
tyre tread depth should be at least 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tread and around the entire circumference, and there should be no cuts or cracks
spray damp inhibitor into the door locks to prevent seizing up

Once the car is ready for winter, you should make sure it is carrying emergency equipment so that, if the worst happens, you are ready too.

Useful supplies could include:

torch, spare batteries and bulbs
screen scraper / de-icer
jump leads
warning triangle
first-aid kit
hands free mobile phone / phone card / cash
blankets and warm jacket (in case of breakdown)
shovel (to clear snow if necessary)
fire extinguisher
rope (for towing if necessary)
road atlas, maps etc

Before you set off, you need to make sure that the light settings match the driving conditions. Davis-Knight observed: "As the winter months go on, drivers will find themselves using their lights more and more, but the use of the lights will need to be appropriate for the road conditions. If conditions change during a journey, alter your light settings accordingly. For example if you use front and rear fog lights unnecessarily you will be breaking the law. It is an offence to apply them on a clear night, when they could dazzle other road users. If you set out and conditions improve during your journey, remember to switch to normal lights."

Separate from the issue of lights, fog is still one of the most potent impediments to safe driving. Other culprits include rain, ice, sleet, and snow. All of these elements can lead to dangerous driving conditions, but cannot cause accidents without the assistance of one vital catalyst, usually provided by the driver: speed.

Davis-Knight commented:"In the winter, speed can be your enemy, so winter driving means steady driving. Stopping distances double in the rain, and when roads are icy they can increase ten times. You should always keep well back from the vehicle in front, but in the winter you should be even further back."

"On treacherous roads, even if yours is the only car for miles, you should drive as slowly as possible in the lowest practical gear. Apart from checking your speed, you also need to consider the way you handle the car as a whole. Steering, gears, clutch, and accelerator should all be used more gently than at other times of year."

A car being driven too fast could end up in a skid. This can be alleviated by easing off the brake or accelerator and steering in the direction of the skid.

These tactics should alter if your car has an anti lock braking system (ABS), and you are driving under more normal conditions. When stopping in an emergency using ABS, apply the foot brake firmly and quickly and do not reduce pressure until the vehicle has slowed. ABS should also assist with steering control.

Essentially, safety in the winter comes down to four things:

check your car
be prepared for anything
be cautious
monitor your speed

If you try to follow these rules you should find yourself on the road to safe winter driving. To make sure your car is ready for the road in the first place, Davis-Knight advises booking your car in for a service: "Careful preparation by the motorist can only go so far."

"There are many elements within a car that will need the kind of professional attention that only a garage can provide. A service performed by an RMI member garage should help make a car ready for the more unfriendly weather conditions of the winter."

To find a reliable garage, motorists should look to the RMI. Davis-Knight explains: "All RMI members pledge to observe the Code of Practice of the Motor Industry. A member will be able to advise you on the type of service you need, and will be able to point out potential problem areas before they arise, or become serious. In fact, whether you want to buy or sell a new or used car or motorcycle, service or repair your existing vehicle, find an auction house, or a cherished number plate dealer, the RMI will be able to help you."

"If you have a complaint against an RMI member garage, the RMI's National Conciliation Service should be able to help you get redress, if the problem cannot be solved in direct consultation with that member."

To find a garage that is a member of the RMI, visit www.rmif.co.uk and use the "Find a Service" function. You will also find details of RMI members that sell new and used cars or motorcycles, provide vehicle servicing and repair, and sell petrol.

Motorists can also use the RMI Consumer Motorline - 08457 58 53 50
This will enable you to find all RMI members mentioned above, and in addition vehicle auctioneers and cherished number plate dealers.

Davis-Knight concludes: "With careful driving and proper preparation, most drivers will travel safely through the winter."

Web Site:
Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI)
AA Web Site & Roadside Assistance
RAC Web Site & Roadside Assistance

Research Material:
The Retail Motor Industry Federation represents the interests of operators in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, providing sales and services to motorists and businesses. Retail Motor Industry Training (ReMIT) is the training division of the RMI. The RMI has a formal association with the independent Scottish Motor Trade Association which represents the retail motor industry in Scotland.

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Large Luxury Car Sector in Terminal Decline

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According to EurotaxGlass’s, the large, prestige-brand luxury car sector is increasingly falling out of favour with new and used cars buyers, resulting in a sharp decline in registrations and high rates of depreciation. This is in stark contrast to most other prestige car sectors that have seen unprecedented growth in registrations coupled with unrivalled stability in their residual values.

Sales of the four best-selling models in the luxury car class (BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 and Jaguar XJ) have declined by more than 25 per cent over the past five years. During the same period the prestige car market as a whole has grown very strongly, up by more than 50 per cent. The net result is that the luxury car share of the total premium-brand market has dwindled to just 2.5 per cent.

Falling levels of demand has meant residual values of luxury cars have been hit hard. In 2004 the average trade value of a one-year-old, 12,000-mile car from the sector was 67 per cent of the original list price, but today that has fallen to just 57 per cent. This compares unfavourably to 70 per cent retained value for the typical large prestige saloon (BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Mercedes E-Class, etc) and 73 per cent for prestige SUVs (Mercedes M-Class, BMW X5, etc).

“A number of factors have contributed to the decline of the luxury car over recent years,” comments Richard Crosthwaite, Prestige Car Editor at EurotaxGlass’s. “There is much more choice in the market than ever before, and many traditional luxury car buyers migrating to prestige-brand SUVs and niche coupe models. We’re also seeing more affordable new luxury cars from the likes of Aston Martin.

“Fundamentally, there has been a sea change in attitude towards the traditional big saloon. It is not considered as desirable as it once was, it has higher running costs than some of the more contemporary alternatives and, crucially, buyers are becoming more aware of the high levels of depreciation.”

Diminishing support for the beleaguered luxury car has even become apparent in the traditional heartland of the sector – the limousine business. “Some of these companies have been transferring their money into the sector below,” adds Crosthwaite. “Vehicles such as the Mercedes E-Class now offer the space they need but the initial outlay and running costs are less, and the residual values are higher.”

Web Sites:
Visit EurotaxGlass's online at www.eurotaxglass.co.uk (trade), www.glass.co.uk (consumer)

Research Material:

About EurotaxGlass’s
William Glass first published Glass’s Guide to Car Values in 1933 and July 2003 marked 70 years of the motor trade’s ‘Bible’. In 2000 Glass’s merged with Eurotax, forming EurotaxGlass’s - Europe's leading supplier of automotive business intelligence across 28 countries. The merger has created a group with unrivalled resources and knowledge.

Today, EurotaxGlass’s offers products and solutions that are essential at every stage of the vehicle lifecycle – from valuation, technical and fleet management data, through to estimating, bodyshop and dealer management systems and web-based services. Recent developments include valuation data for consumers – offered via the Glass’s Motoring Guide website (www.glass.co.uk) – and the pan-European Market Intelligence Service that provides bespoke data and analysis for the industry at large.

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