LEGISLATION
Chancellor George Osborne’s 2015 brought a number of headlines to the automotive industry this time round. With relevant decisions focusing on autonomous car development and fuel duty freezes, this year’s budget went some way to underline the importance of the UK automotive sector to wider economic growth. In a move that will affect many in […]
The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has announced that its latest breakfast network meeting will address key legislation, internet parts and social media misuse for employers in the automotive aftermarket. Taking place at Valeo Service UK, Redditch, on Tuesday 21 April, the event will welcome a representative from Capita, a leading FTSE business and provider of business process management solutions.
In 2014, 1.1 per cent of drivers in England and Scotland were observed holding a phone in their hand with a further 0.5 per cent observed holding the phone to their ear, according to data published by TRL on 25 February 2015. This may not sound like a huge proportion, but it means more than […]
It wasn’t an enormously motoring-centric Autumn statement this year, but UK chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne did confirm that fuel duty is to remain frozen and that the government would fund 84 road-building projects across the country. As far as fuel duty is concerned, some motoring groups had predicted a return of the fuel […]
Road safety campaigner and Brityrex 2014 TyreTalk speaker, Frances Molloy has been “encouraged” by the response from tyre industry representatives following a meeting in Westminster. Supported by Liverpool Walton MP, Labour’s Steve Rotheram, Molloy is campaigning for a change in the law on the fitment of aged tyres. Her son, Michael, was killed in a 2012 crash caused by the blowout of a second-hand, 19.5-year old tyre alongside a fellow passenger and the driver of a coach.
Coventry is set to become the first city in the UK to stage competitive motorsport on its public roads. Coventry City council has given the green light to racing by using new Government legislation designed to allow cities to host motor sports events.
Here in Europe and in other major markets such as Japan, Korea and the US tyre labelling has been the subject of intense discussion for some time. However, if the local news reports are anything to go by, the UAE appears to be taking the concept to the next level with the introduction of smart RFID “tags” which feature both an RFID chip and visual label including a QR code.
Foreign-registered vehicles on Britain’s roads illegally will be seized by police under plans unveiled by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the police are joining forces to identify and take action against foreign motorists who drive in the UK illegally.
Large numbers of businesses throughout the UK are breaking the law and risk being fined after new legislation introduced earlier this year now requires all workplaces to display a new and updated Health and Safety Law Poster.
However many workplaces are unaware of the changes, which were introduced on 5th April 2014, and are still displaying the old poster which was first introduced and became a legal requirement in all workplaces in 1999.
From 1st October a paper tax disc no longer needs to be displayed in the windscreen of vehicles. Drivers will still be required to purchase vehicle excise duty (ved) but will no longer receive a small perforated tax disc in exchange for their money.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “Scrapping the tax disc really is a poignant moment in motoring history and the end of an era. That circular disc in the corner of the windscreen has been an intrinsic part of the look of motoring over the last 93 years. In many ways the car windscreen will look naked without a disc.
2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and workplace equipment supplier Slingsby says new figures revealing the UK is now one of the safest countries to work in the world must be applauded, but warns there is still work to do because thousands of unnecessary accidents still occur every year.
The figures, released by The Health & Safety Executive (HSE), show that in 1974 more than 650 people lost their lives every year at work, compared to a record low of 133 today. The numbers of injuries occurring at work have also fallen significantly from 336,701, 40 years ago, to 78,222 now. Slingsby supplies more than 35,000 workplace products, including a vast range of health and safety related equipment, which helps organisations across all sectors comply with related legislation.
The news back in May that commercial vehicle wheels have been named as a “safety critical item” in European law is something of a breakthrough for those that have been lobbying for the inclusion of wheels in this legislation, not to mention the wheel industry in general and the many automotive and haulage businesses that depend on wheels. Manchester-based Motor Wheel Service Distribution (MWSD), which played a key role in the wording used in the latest EU Roadworthiness Package and continues to be at the forefront the forefront of raising awareness of wheel safety issues, has a right to be particularly pleased with the latest news. However, if you will excuse the pun, the wheels of European legislation and implementation turn slowly. Therefore with 27 countries all at liberty to interpret and apply the rules over a period of years before compliance will begin to be checked – there is still a mountain to climb. With all this in mind, around the time of the news Tyres & Accessories met with managing director John Ellis at MWSD’s Sharston, Manchester headquarters to find out more about what the rules mean for the company and the industry at large.
The European Commission says reports that UK motorists will be monitored by ‘black box’ technology are “not true”, however although draft legislation for the eCall system has been approved, the commission may find convincing motorists of its purpose harder than it thinks.
A new £24 million government fund is intended to give UK-based automotive suppliers a boost. Announced today by Business Minister Michael Fallon at the Automotive Council’s Meet the Buyer event at ExCeL London, the Tooling Funding Programme will help component manufacturers design, develop and manufacture new tooling where they would otherwise fail to acquire funds.
Fires at tyre recycling and processing sites have long been a problem. In order to offer a solution Owen Batham, sales and marketing director of Elite Precast Concrete Ltd, suggests there is a growing need for firms to take a more proactive approach to their fire risk management and to develop more sophisticated disaster recovery plans.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.