Congestion on Britain’s streets is getting worse, but drivers polled by online insurance broker www.motorinsurance.co.uk have a novel solution: ban elderly drivers from the roads. Government figures suggest that almost nine in ten respondents felt that road congestion was a serious problem in the country . The solution, according to nearly half the drivers (49 per cent) polled, is a total ban on elderly drivers during peak periods.
Think you would help a woman driver change her tyre on the side of the road? Most men certainly think they are the chivalrous kind, but research conducted by Continental Tyres suggests that even more drive past.
Over half (55 per cent) of the British men questioned claimed they would stop to help a woman changing a tyre by the side of the road. But roadside tests conducted by Conti in five cities in England and Wales revealed that, in the actual event, 97 per cent drove by oblivious. And ladies, don’t even think of getting a puncture in Bristol – not a single passing motorist stopped to offer help. Geordies were found to be far more likely to rise – or crouch – to the challenge.
Following last year’s devastating floods in Mumbai, Apollo Tyres and CVONDM – a Maharashtra-based non-governmental organisation, have compiled a comprehensive disaster management booklet, which will be distributed to all Mumbai motorists. The booklet, which will comprise comprehensive disaster and road safety management tips as well as complete list of all emergency numbers, will be distributed free of charge to all motorists, to equip them with proactive steps and numbers, to effectively reach out as and when required and save theirs as well as their fellow motorists’ lives.
A report from the Energy Department on a US website underlines the importance of maintaining correct tyre pressures; the report estimates that US motorists driving on under-inflated tyres waste more than a staggering 3.5 million gallons of gasoline every single day.
Hi-Q has invested “heavily” in the re-development of its three national training centres. The training facilities in Slough, Leeds and Dudley provide on-going professional training to employees based throughout the UK. Facilities over the three sites include e-learning zones, ramp areas, functioning tyre changing facilities and a fully equipped mock up reception area.
DaimlerChrysler AG has specified Dunlop performance tyres for three all-new 2007 Mercedes-Benz luxury automobiles. Dunlop SP Sport 5000M 265/60R18 and optional SP Sport Maxx 275/55R19 ultra-performance tyres are specially designed for the Mercedes-Benz GL450, the car model’s first sport-utility vehicle. The 4.6-litre, 32-valve V-8-powered SUV generates 335 horsepower.
A new survey published by Bridgestone reveals that more than 80 per cent of drivers believe they have never driven on a tyre which is even slightly unsafe, but only a third of those questioned know what the legal minimum tread depth of their tyres actually is.
And while more than half of motorists claim to have checked their tyre pressures in the last month, 49 per cent of drivers do not know that an under-inflated tyre can dramatically affect a car’s stopping distance.
Cooper will be unveiling its new run-flat technology at the Essen show. The Cooper Zeon 2XS run-flat tyre is designed and manufactured to handle typical air loss situations, allowing motorists to drive on safely for up to 50 miles to their destination or suitable service station. Cooper Tire will be at stand 3-322, exhibiting products including Cooper, Avon and Mickey Thompson tyres.
A study carried out by Continental revealed that 25 per cent of motorists in Germany “frequently” drive faster than the legal speed limit. However, when it comes to assessing other motorists’ behaviour, 92 per cent believed that other motorists speed “often, very often, or always.” It will probably come as little surprise that younger drivers are the worst offenders, with almost half of the 18-25 age group exceeding speed limits.
Quik-Chek is a simple, inexpensive way for motorists to monitor their vehicle’s tyre inflation. Proper tyre inflation is critical to a vehicle’s performance and safety, yet a lot of people pay little or no attention to it. According to one Quik-Chek distributor, many professional service providers don’t consistently perform this important maintenance/safety check unless a consumer specifically requests it. All users have to do is replace their valve stem cap with a Quik-Chek and leave it there. From that point forward, all you have to do is Press ‘n Check to gain an instantaneous reading that lets you know if your tyres are properly inflated.
The seat belt has been named the most important innovation in car safety of the past 50 years in a new poll from Avon Tyres. The much maligned speed camera was voted the 10th. One of the first acronyms to appear on our cars, ABS, or Anti-lock Braking System, came second in Avon’s survey to find the safety innovation that has had the most impact. Airbags, Cats Eyes and Crumple Zones rounded off the top five. Despite much criticism and an explosion in their usage (there are now roughly 6000) speed cameras were named as the most important innovation by 2 per cent of motorists. Avon Tyres surveyed more than 1,100 motorists.
Continental’s decision to launch the third variation of its popular SportContact reflects the increasing importance of high performance products in its portfolio. And when you consider that Continental experts predict that 16 per cent of the replacement market will be made up of WYZ products by 2009, you can see why.
Continental has developed the new ContiSportContact 3 with the car manufacturers and drivers of sporty vehicles in mind. Consequently, shorter braking distances, enhanced handling characteristics and improved driving safety on wet roads are said to be the new tyre’s main benefits. The Continental range also includes a different tread pattern option both for high-powered rear wheel drive cars and for customising requirements. The ContiSportContact 3 is available now.
Goodyear has launched a new “viral marketing” campaign using black humour to draw attention to the benefits of the company’s RunOnFlat technology.
The video clips, which will exclusively be distributed by “word-of-mail,” highlight the perils of roadside tyre changing through an exaggerated, entertaining and certainly unforgettable approach.
Many motorists could unknowingly be driving around with faulty tyres, Birmingham’s coroner warned after an inquest into a road death. Aidan Cotter made his comments after hearing how a pre-existing tyre defect caused a vehicle to swerve off a motorway and crash into a concrete pillar, causing the death of the driver.
The Fuel Efficiency Study by the Transportation Research Board in the USA has called on Congress to allow the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to collect data on the fuel efficiency of different tyres and to make this available to the public. The Board believes that, were they given all the facts, motorists would opt for the most fuel-efficient brands. If this were to happen, no doubt low rolling resistance and fuel efficiency would assume paramount importance in new tyre design.
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