Euro NCAP kicks off the start of a new year of car safety testing by recognizing the top performers of last year and the winners of the 2021 Best in Class awards. Euro NCAP tested 33 new cars in 2021, of which 22 achieved the top 5-star rating with Skoda finishing holding two top awards, more than any other car maker. Among the successes, the Mercedes-EQ EQS emerged as best in the “Executive … [Read more...]
Education: Road Safety
Carmarthenshire slips to top of winter accidents in Wales
Government data shows that London has more accidents (4,846) when the weather is poor than all other regions across the country, with nearly double the accidents that occur in Scotland and Wales, put together (2,629). The compilation for Leasing Options showed that within London itself, Lambeth was found to have the most bad-weather related accidents, with 248 occurrences reported last year. … [Read more...]
Welsh police step up breath-tests
Drivers in Wales are far more likely to be breath tested in December than any other month. Analysis of Home Office data by personal breathalyser firm AlcoSense shows that in December last year 4,551 motorists were stopped by Police across Wales on suspicion of drink driving. This was nearly a fifth of the total for the entire year. North Wales led the way with 1,906 tests, followed by South … [Read more...]
Winter warning from road safety experts
In 2020, over 18,000 accidents were reported across the UK where rain, snow, fog, or high winds were a contributing factor. More severe road traffic accidents are happening in winter due to motorists being unprepared for driving in winter weather and ignoring weather warnings, and IAM RoadSmart believes now is the time to remind drivers how to drive safely when the temperature drops, and the … [Read more...]
Serious concerns over Renault Zoe accident protection
The final round of Euro NCAP testing of 2021 reveals some sobering safety scores for two new vehicles from the carmaker who brought five-star safety to the market 20 years ago. The Renault Zoe and Dacia Spring have achieved zero-stars and one-star respectively in safety assessments. The Renault Zoe, a vehicle in the Supermini class, becomes only the third car in Euro NCAP’s history to achieve … [Read more...]
Newslines 6 December
Polestar has released a second teaser image of the forthcoming Polestar 3 pure electric performance SUV. It will launch in 2022 as the company’s first SUV and will be its first vehicle to be built in the US, in Charleston, South Carolina. Stellantis has collaborated on a pilot project to build near Milan a 1,000 metre road implanted with an electrical loop to test inductive charging in … [Read more...]
Wise up to winter weather warning
Green Flag, has released winter weather driving tips to help drivers stay safe on the road over the next few months. If driving in wintery conditions isn’t avoidable, Green Flag has shared its top five supplies drivers should carry, in case their vehicle breaks down this winter: Reflective jacket Phone and charger Boots and a warm coat Waterproof trousers Blankets, food and … [Read more...]
Assisted Driving tech is getting better say testers
Thatcham Research and Euro NCAP are encouraged by the results of their latest Assisted Driving Gradings, which show all seven of the mainstream vehicle manufacturers whose cars were tested, are committed to fitting robust Assisted Driving technology at every price point. The world-first Assisted Driving Grading assessments were introduced in October 2020 and are designed to support the sensible … [Read more...]
Repairers are poorly prepared for rising EV sales
The steep rise in electric vehicle sales is a pivotal moment for all EV stakeholders, writes Adrian Watson, Head of Engineering Research at Thatcham Research. September 2021 was the UK’s best month ever for new battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Not only did the 32,721 new BEV registrations account for 15.2% of the market, … [Read more...]
Write-offs are worrying more drivers
Almost one in three (32%) UK drivers have had a car written off by an insurance company (men 35% and women 30%) and 8% twice or more. London drivers are the most likely to have written off a car, with almost half (48%) having had a car written off by an insurance company. This is almost twice as high as other regions including Wales (23%) and the West Midlands (24%). In the Opinium survey of … [Read more...]