Michelin wins unanimous verdict in US$80 million rollover case
A Florida jury has ruled unanimously in favour of Michelin North America, Inc., in a high-profile product liability case that included claims filed by three plaintiffs who were involved in a 2009 rollover accident. The crash resulted in catastrophic brain injuries to two minor passengers, ages 14 and 16, and injuries to an adult. In their closing arguments, the plaintiffs lawyers asked the jury to award the victims more than $80 million in damages.
Mesnac, Michelin and others drive RFID standardisation forward
Mesnac, the Chinese tyre factory and systems specialist, reports that it is continuing to support the development of international standards for RFID tyre tags – a technology the company has been investing in for more than a decade already. To this end, Mesnac representatives recently spoke at an ETRO (European Tyre and Rim Technical Organization) summit on the subject. ETRO held its meeting in July 2016 in Brussels, Belgium.
The UK may have voted to leave Europe, but for the time being we are still subject to European regulations. The EU says that tougher CO2 standards for cars and vans will be introduced to help cut transport emissions and improve air quality in Europe. They form part of a package of measures announced by the European Commission, which for the first time will also include fuel efficiency targets for trucks.
Brexit vote means uncertainty for motor trade – Scotlands Ash Garage
With the nation voting to leave the European Union, the proprietor of Scotlands Ash Garage in Didcot, Peter Welch, is beginning to assess the implications this has for independent garages, stressing the importance of transferring EU legislation into UK law.
NAMA ‘pleased at government response to clocking problem’
Recently, the National Association of Motor Auctions (NAMA), the UK’s leading representative body for vehicle auctions, sent a letter to the newly appointed secretary of state for transport, Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, raising the subject of odometer fraud, or ‘clocking’; the practice of altering a vehicle’s odometer to show a lower mileage than that actually travelled, thereby increasing the re-sale value of the vehicle.
The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) has written to Andrew Jones MP, parliamentary undersecretary of state for transport, calling for a reform of the current testing regime for motorcycle riders.
CMA car insurance recommendations ‘do not address issues’ – RMI Bodyshops
The final requirements of the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) Private Motor Insurance Order were brought into effect on 1 August. It is claimed that the requirements, which apply to all providers of private motor insurance, have been put into place to reduce premiums for drivers. However, RMI Bodyshops (NAB & VBRA) feel that the requirements are not, in themselves sufficient to reduce premiums.
TRA lobbies MPs to protect UK tyre recovery infrastructure
TRA members will lobby their constituency members of parliament in their effort to fight off Environment Agency plans to bring in new storage limits which they say could put many responsible recyclers out of business. The association believes that the proposed new norms which it is claimed will lead to a reduction in waste fires will hit the tyre industry disproportionately.
What cabinet reshuffles and a UK-China free-trade deal might mean for the tyre industry
It seems reports of the demise of the Department for Transport (DfT) were over stated. On 16 July – coincidently the day of the annual TyreSafe briefing – the new post-Brexit UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, embarked on a cabinet reshuffle. As it turned out this was no simple parlour shuffle, but a full-on single-hand pharaoh shuffle. As heads rolled and others moved in, while still others moved around, unnamed sources told The Telegraph that the Department for Transport (DfT) was being shut down. At the time, it looked like the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Energy and Climate Change were also being axed to make way for more streamlined departments for Industry and Infrastructure.
The National Franchised Dealers Association has called on the government to delay the new apprenticeship levy. Due to start in April 2017, the levy will be applied to employers with a wage-bill of over £3 million who will contribute with a tax of 0.5 per cent of their wage-bill. “The NFDA supports recent calls by businesses to the government to delay the apprenticeship levy”, said Sue Robinson, director of the association.
SMMT consults on proposals aimed at improving air quality in London
New political leaders are starting to make their mark on the automotive landscape. The new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has just launched a consultation on air quality in the capital.
Changes mean driving test ‘will reflect real-life driving’
Millions of newly qualified drivers will be better prepared for life on the road under changes to the driving test that will better reflect real life driving. The proposals announced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will help reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads, and ensure safer drivers and journeys.
TyreSafe: over 10 million vehicles on an illegal tyre
TyreSafe shared the results of its latest national tyre survey on 14 July, with the shocking headline figure suggesting that “over 10 million UK motorists could drive a vehicle with an illegal and dangerous tyre during 2016”. Speaking during the Tyre Safety Month Briefing, TyreSafe chairman Stuart Jackson shared how the survey, conducted by TyreSafe in partnership with Highways England, reveals that more than 27 per cent of tyres were already illegal when they were replaced. That equates to more than one-in-four of the 37 million cars and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) on the UK’s roads.
Chris Grayling MP, the former leader of the House of Commons and former justice secretary, has been named as secretary of state for transport. The appointment signals the survival of the Department for Transport (DfT) after new Prime Minister Theresa May led a cabinet reshuffle so wide-ranging that it is probably better described as a government restructure on 14 July.
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