Ford, BMW, Daimler and VW are working together on future recharging systems for cars. They want to streamline possible connections and offer standards which they hope other ev makers will adhere to by 2020. The eagerly awaited Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV will be shown to dealers and selected high profile customers this summer just before its public unveiling. Sales start end of 2018 and … [Read more...]
Education
Row over “safer cars” claim by SMMT
New driver assistance technology is making British roads safer, says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders - if you're lucky enough to have it fitted. The vehicle makers’ body in the UK says systems to reduce errors and accident severity are “available” on 70% of new cars, but the claim has been attacked by the insurers’ test centre at Thatcham which says 70% still don’t have standard … [Read more...]
Road kill figures released for Wales
Welsh Department for Economy and Transport said 444 animals were found dead on Wales’ roads in 2016 and 2017. But further research by Confused.com suggests these figures could be even higher, as 40% of Welsh motorists admit they have hit an animal while driving. Some animals are more likely to fall victim to roads than others. In fact, badgers were the most killed animal over the last two … [Read more...]
Newslines 20 January
Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant must halve its production costs if it is to meet PSA goals, company boss Carlos Tavares has told journalists at Detroit motor show as he prepares to meet UK Government and unions. The new owner of Ellesmere Port and Luton van plants said their French equivalents cost half as much to operate and it has already announced 650 job cuts in the North West and has … [Read more...]
Newslines 13 January
Welsh drivers have been suggested as the friendliest in the country in a poll for TV channel Dave. Mini drivers mind their manners, but bullying beamers have been named ‘rudest on the road’ with big 4x4 vehicles and Mercedes coming in for criticism as well, while the fearsome reputation of the ‘white van man’ only came in fifth place in the poll. Nissan has updated its popular Switch Scheme, … [Read more...]
Call for crackdown on poor lane-discipline
Confused.com says four in five drivers have been tailgated while a third admit to hogging the middle lane. Despite a proliferation of poor lane discipline it remains a notoriously difficult offence to monitor. “Careless driving” includes offences such as tailgating, middle-lane hogging, undertaking and driving too slowly. Yet only 2,012 drivers fell foul of “careless driving” spot fines in … [Read more...]
Have you got the Talent to be a good driver, ask GEM
Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is encouraging every driver to make a New Year’s resolution based on safer driving. GEM has created " TALENT "as a quick and easy checklist to reduce risk on every journey and according to GEM’s road safety officer Neil Worth, there’s something for every driver in the six short and simple tips. “Showing our TALENT for driving means … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 January
There were 30,500 traffic jams on Welsh roads in 2017 which cost drivers and the Welsh economy almost £278m, traffic analysts at Inrix reported. Wales' longest sustained traffic jam of 2017 was a seven-hour, 10-mile queue on the M4 motorway on 27 October and the westbound M4 before Brynglass Tunnel is the worst costing £14m in lost time. When it comes to the UK’s motorists setting their New … [Read more...]
Newslines 1 January
New Year’s Eve is one of the most celebrated days of the calendar, and no doubt UK drivers were very much looking forward to clinking a drink or two when the clock struck midnight. But, a word of warning to party-goers, research by Confused.com found more drink-drivers have been caught on New Year’s Day for the past four years, more than any other date in the calendar. The first day back … [Read more...]
Late, very late or dead, you decide
In what might be considered a case of misplaced priorities, over a million drivers are more worried about being late for work this Christmas than sliding on icy roads, getting stuck in deep snow or other dangerous weather conditions, according to AA Cars. The AA-Populus poll, which surveyed over 18,500 drivers, found that although this winter has already seen snow and temperatures drop below … [Read more...]