Diesel vehicles set to boom in the US…

Sales of clean diesel cars, trucks and SUVs in the US are set to outpace the sale of hybrids over the next five years according to a new report from the Diesel Technology Forum entitled ‘Is Diesel Set to Boom in the US?’

The report predicts that both diesel and hybrid vehicles will grow in the US due to likely increases in fuel economy and emission standards legislation. By 2012 it is predicted that 1.5 million clean diesel vehicles will be sold, compared with 1.2 million hybrids.

The Diesel Technology Forums fact file on the issue states;

• Diesel cars, trucks and SUVs provide 20% to 40% better milegae than petrol vehicles.
• The nationwide availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel in October 2006 provided 97% cleaner diesel fuel.
• There are 4.8 million diesel cars on US roads (Alliance of Automobile Manufactures)
• According to the US environmental Protection Agency, America could save up to 1.4 million of oil per day if one third of US cars, pick-ups and SUVs were diesel-powered.

The results predict that diesel vehicles will storm away in the US, which is good news for reducing emissions. Lets hope that vehicle technology developments keep pace and help ensure that other emissions from disel vehicles are minimised.    

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The right to request flexible working gathers momentum…

Eighty-two percent of human resources professionals believe that all employees should have the right to request flexible working and more than half (57%) already offer the right to all staff according to a snapshot survey from People Management.

Outside the Human Resources profession there is still resistance to change as the attititude of line managers (28%) and operational pressures (27%) were seen as significant barriers to change.

The RAC Foundation is a supporter of the organisation and movement Workwise UK, which has recently launched a ‘quality mark’ standard for businesses to aspire to when looking at adopting flexible working practices. From a transport perspective commuters travel on average two and a half time around the world during their working careers. The congestion, environmental and health impact of this traditional 9-5 approach to work is becoming less desirable and it is encouraging to see that human resources professionals are taking the issue seriously and helping to gather and maintain momentum around the issue.  

(Source: peoplemanagement.co.uk)

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Wk beginning 21st May…a busy week for transport policy

Last week was rife with policy announcements, which have taken a little while to digest. In transport terms the Draft Transport Bill and the Energy White Paper pose some interesting developments.

The Energy white paper sets out the potential for transport emission reduction in both the near and long term, which is a welcome change from previous thinking, which saw few improvements from transport in the imediate future. Low carbon transport technology is top of the agenda which will be supported by;

• £20m of new DfT funding for public procurement of lower carbon vehicles.
• £30m of support for a new research and development ‘innovation platform’
• Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation
• Measures to change behaviour to reduce emissions from transport
• Fleet average procurement target of 130g/km for UK central government
• £5m per year investment in low carbon transport technology research at the Energy Technology Institute.

Heres hoping that the research yields some useful technologies for the future, but a great deal more should be done in the meantime to help consumers make the best car purchasing decisions now.

The Draft Road Transport Bill (summarised on the DfT website) is a welcome addition with no real surprises. The only queries here at the Foundation were;

• What impact would reduced obligations to consult with the public have?
• If it is possible for smaller geographical areas to join together to take part in road user charging, could a patchwork quilt of schemes, which slowly joins at the edges be our future reality?

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Children identified as biggest distraction whilst driving

Children are more distracting than using a mobile according to a recent poll by Liverpool Victoria Insurance.  

Children were identified as the number one reason for losing concentration while driving. These findings support work recently completed by the RAC Foundation which found that one quarter of drivers have been stressed or distracted by a car-sick passenger, and over 60 per cent have resorted to dangerous behaviour as a result.

40 per cent of parents have stopped on the hard shoulder to attend to the sufferer; 12 per cent have sped up to reach their destination quicker; while 10 per cent turned round to help their child without stopping the car.

In spite of this, however, less than half of drivers questioned in a survey* into motion sickness said that they took any preventative steps to avoid the problem. Asked how they prepared for a family car journey:-

• Parents’ top priority was sorting out the food and drink for the journey (87 per cent).[*] Car safety came high on the list, with 76 per cent checking oil and petrol levels.
• Only half the parents checked that car seats were safely fitted (53 per cent).
• One in three packed a sick-bag or bowl so that emergencies could be taken care of safely (31 per cent)
• Just 16 per cent asked their children to take travel-sickness medication.

With half-term upon us, the RAC Foundation is urging drivers to ensure that carsickness doesn’t pose a potential safety risk or ruin the vacation.

Medical opinion estimates that motion sickness affects up to eighty per cent of the population at some time, most commonly when people are travelling by car, air or sea. Only one third of the children in the survey were never sick.

Travel sickness can have a major impact on the family’s experience of the whole day or holiday, not just the journey itself. Almost 10 per cent of respondents to the survey said that it ruined the journey for everyone or left the family unable to enjoy themselves once they reached their destination.

Although there is no cure for motion sickness, it can be prevented in all but some extreme cases. The RAC Foundation issued some general advice for motorists on how to avoid it:

• Over the counter drugs. A remedy, such as cinnarizine (available under brand name) can be taken two hours before the journey and can prevent travel sickness for up to eight hours. Motorists should always ensure that any drug they take has no side affects that could in any way affect their driving ability.
• Alternative therapies include Acu-pressure bands, and ginger root, taken as a drink, in capsule formula or chewed raw in small slivers.
• Travel in the front seat and face forward, keeping the head steady.
• For children, travel games and tapes that don’t involve looking down make good diversions. Anything that requires looking out of the window is suitable, as are word and rhyme games.
• Avoid direct exposure to the sun.
• Choose straight roads – they are less likely to make you feel queasy than winding ones.
• Get plenty of fresh air.
• Travel with a leak-proof container or a strong plastic bag in case of emergencies that catch you before you can pull the car over safely and stop.

Sheila Rainger, Campaigns Manager for the RAC Foundation said:

“Travel sickness is distressing for those children who suffer it and can ruin a journey for everyone. Worst of all, a sick child can distract a driver’s attention with dangerous consequences. Planning ahead to minimise travel sickness is an essential part of preparing for a safe family journey.”

ENDS

*Online survey for Stugeron 15. 800 men and women with children aged between 5 and 12 were questioned at the end of February 2007. The findings of this research may be freely quoted provided reference is made to Stugeron 15.

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Getting the basics right

Almost one in three business drivers don’t regularly check their tyres and 11% have never given it a thought according to new research from Arval.

Inappropriate tyre pressure can lead to poor fuel consumption and an increased likelihood of collision. In 2005 tyre defects were a contributory factor in 1% of all road accidents (DfT, 2006). Seatbelt wearing rates for drivers are currently at 93%, where as only 69% of van drivers belt up when driving (Think, 2006). Getting these basics right is vital and these figures prove that education and routine maintenance can do a great deal more to help make travel safer for business drivers. 

(Source: Businesscar.co.uk)  

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How petrol prices might change lifestyles in the US

Record high petrol prices in the US have left consumers feeling the pinch according to a new report Consumer Reports Auto Pulse Survey on gas prices from the National Research Centre.

According to the report fuel price rising are expected to have the following effects on people lives;

• 73% will drive more slowly and accelerate more smoothly in order to save gas
• 71% will drive less
• 63% will reduce spending on restuarant meals and entertainment
• 52% will have more difficulty paying for essentials like food and healthcare
• 50% will cut back on vacation plans
• 43% will walk or ride a bicycle more
• 43% will carpool more
• 32% will use public transport more

This attitudes survey provides an interesting insight into the potential impact of fuel price rises. Previous studies in the UK have found a link between rising fuel prices and reduced travel so that element of the survey rings true, is not a little exaggerated. The figures express peoples intentions rather than their actual behaviour in relation to fuel price changes, but it is interesting to see how other non-transport or ‘secondary order’ effects stack up in household cuts. Interestingly using public transport more receives the lowest score. Although the UK is very different to the US it would be interesting to see if public transport also came such a long way down the list…

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Connecting cities…the importance of road transport?

Improved local governance, greater financial freedom, a ‘menu approach’ to buses and an increased emphasis on commuter/regional trains and gateways are the way forwards for the UK’s cities according to a new report out this week from the IPPR ‘Connecting cities: local transport, national connectivity and economic growth’.

The report, which is a culmination of a number of meetings in the main cities throughout the UK comes up with some very sensible suggestions of how we can encourage thriving regions, and a sense of local pride comes out very strongly. However, as the panalist Stephen Glaister very astutely pointed out the report flatly ignores the impact that the road network has and will have on city regions, a rather large oversight considering that 93% of all passenger travel (let alone freight travel) relies on the road network. Of course, documents such as this should encourage and aspire people and government to promote more sustainable means of travel, but a ‘package’ approach, including rather than ignoring the importance and role of roads is required.

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MIND YOUR LANGUAGE…Not waving but cursing: new RAC Foundation study into communication launched today

Is the UK a nation of horn hogs tooting from the same hymn sheet – or are motorists a motley crew of confused communicators risking collisions with misleading signals, asks the RAC Foundation, launching a new survey today (25).

With millions of vehicles out on the road this May Bank Holiday weekend, communication between road users has never been so important . A toot of the horn or a raised hand can avert road rage – or provoke it. Motorists may not even be speaking the same language behind the wheel: in the USA, 35 per cent of drivers (Autoadvantage Road Rage Survey 2007) use the horn in reaction to bad driving, while just 8 per cent use obscene gestures to make their feelings known, while previous surveys have shown that the rude hand signal is the UK motorists’ first choice (EOS Gallup Survey).

The RAC Foundation survey “Behind the wheel – communicating with other road users” asks motorists and other road users about the ways in which they communicate with each other – and their reaction when they are on the receiving end.

Elizabeth Dainton, Research Development Manager at the RAC Foundation said:

“Toots, hoots and waves are all part of the unofficial language of the motorist – but can be easily misinterpreted with potentially disastrous results. We hope that this survey will give us a better understanding of how the nation communicates whilst out on the road.”

RAC Foundation Communication Fact File

• In 2005 a Taunton lorry driver who waved to motorists to warn them of a speed trap ahead was prosecuted for obstructing the police, though he was cleared on appeal as there was no proof that any driver had seen his signal.
• In France, a driver flashing his headlights at a junction doesn’t mean “After you, Claude” but “Out of the way – I am coming through.”
• 2CV owners wave at each other when they pass. Smart owners do the same.
• In the USA, Harley-Davidson riders have an elaborate vocabulary of signs and signals. A biker stopped by the side of the road with their helmet on the ground needs assistance, while a biker with a safety-pin on his leathers is signalling that he is “passing through” rival territory rather than looking for a fight.

The survey can be viewed and completed at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=216593916388.

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Children feel safer when driven by Dad

47% of children feel unsafe with their mother driving compared to 39% who don’t feel safe with dad at the wheel according to new survey findings from Privilege Car Insurance.

Nine percent of children have been in an accident with mum driving, compared to 8% with Dad. The most common complaints was that mum was bad at parking (24%) and dad was drove too fast (21%). When parents were asked about their own driving behaviour 58% claimed that they drove more carefully when their children were in the car.

These results show how important it is to focus on improving general driving standards as well as focusing on specific at risk groups such as young drivers. It is astounding that almost one in twenty children are scared of their parents driving, which should act as a wake up call and encourage drivers to think about their passengers.

 (Source: www.privilege.com and reported in Express 24.05.07)  

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40% of mobile phone users break the law

Forty percent of mobile phone users break the law by using their phone while driving according to a new Which? survey.

Thirty-three percent of drivers have illegally made or received a call while driving in the last 12 months. A third also admitted to (32%) have read or sent a text whilst driving. However nine out of 10 users were aware of the fine for using a mobile phone without a handsfree kit whilst driving.

This survey provides new evidence that people are aware of the new mobile phone law, but some are simply choosing to ignore it. An increased presence of Road Traffic Officers could make a significant difference to compliance, providing yet another reason why a greater police presence on UK roads is necessary.

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