27/07/2012
A near miss
We at Duck2Water are never going to leave our kids unattended in the car again, not even for a moment – well, that’s if the keys are in the ignition anyway.
This resolution follows the recent ordeal of a 28-year-old German mother who left the kids in her Peugeot as she loaded the shopping into the boot.
She said, "I put the key in the ignition to use the electronic button to open the boot and load up the shopping, and I left it there as the engine was not running.”
Well, so far, so good, but it is what happened next which caused alarm. As the mother moved round to the backseat to buckle up her toddler, her older son (not pictured) got behind the wheel and turned on the ignition.
Before she knew it the car was heading towards the sea – yes, the sea! – because the car was parked on Dusseldorf harbour.
In a sight which was reminiscent of the Italian Job, the car came to a standstill precariously perched between land and sea.
"If it had gone over the edge it could have been a disaster, instead my son had a very valuable lesson and the car was not damaged. But either way I will be more careful with the ignition keys in future,” said the mother.
Yes, and so will we all, including everyone at Duck2Water car insurance HQ.
This resolution follows the recent ordeal of a 28-year-old German mother who left the kids in her Peugeot as she loaded the shopping into the boot.She said, "I put the key in the ignition to use the electronic button to open the boot and load up the shopping, and I left it there as the engine was not running.”
Well, so far, so good, but it is what happened next which caused alarm. As the mother moved round to the backseat to buckle up her toddler, her older son (not pictured) got behind the wheel and turned on the ignition.
Before she knew it the car was heading towards the sea – yes, the sea! – because the car was parked on Dusseldorf harbour.
In a sight which was reminiscent of the Italian Job, the car came to a standstill precariously perched between land and sea.
"If it had gone over the edge it could have been a disaster, instead my son had a very valuable lesson and the car was not damaged. But either way I will be more careful with the ignition keys in future,” said the mother.
Yes, and so will we all, including everyone at Duck2Water car insurance HQ.
Image © Leonid Mamchenkov via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: backseat, car insurance, engine, ignition, key, Peugeot, wheel
02/04/2012
DJ creates perfect tune for the road
It is hard to deny the musicality of a gently revved Rolls Royce engine or rock and roll style screeching of the Ferrari exhaust. However, it is questionable whether many of us would have the vision to use such noises in the creation of a full length tune.
To see beyond the normal realms of R&B and pop takes somebody with imagination and willingness to experiment. Such traits accurately define Mark Marrington, a lecturer at Leeds University and the brains behind dance track, Cars.
Unlike Gary Numan's 1970s track of the same name, this new release is comprised entirely of vehicular noises. Listeners are treated to an intriguing blend of car horns, screaming brakes and vehicle alarms during the groovy little number.
The technologically-minded academic said, “Making this piece in fact seems to have broadened my ability to hear and process sound. I simply don't find these sounds annoying any more.
“In fact I'm more likely to consider the piped music we hear everywhere blaring from radios, supermarket speakers etc to be the real noise.”
It is fairly unlikely that the piece will find a place in the affections of the British public, as it sounds quite similar to most popular music. Still, Mr Marrington can look forward to acquiring plenty of fans via Youtube.
To see beyond the normal realms of R&B and pop takes somebody with imagination and willingness to experiment. Such traits accurately define Mark Marrington, a lecturer at Leeds University and the brains behind dance track, Cars.
Unlike Gary Numan's 1970s track of the same name, this new release is comprised entirely of vehicular noises. Listeners are treated to an intriguing blend of car horns, screaming brakes and vehicle alarms during the groovy little number.
The technologically-minded academic said, “Making this piece in fact seems to have broadened my ability to hear and process sound. I simply don't find these sounds annoying any more.
“In fact I'm more likely to consider the piped music we hear everywhere blaring from radios, supermarket speakers etc to be the real noise.”
It is fairly unlikely that the piece will find a place in the affections of the British public, as it sounds quite similar to most popular music. Still, Mr Marrington can look forward to acquiring plenty of fans via Youtube.
Photo © photosteve101 via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: alarm, brakes, cars horns, dance track, engine, exhaust, Ferrari, Mark Marrington, pop, Rolls Royce
09/12/2011
Boost your car speed with a missile
When buying a new car, drivers usually take the engine size into account. Some motorists are happy with relatively small engine, whereas others are willing to pay extra for an engine with a bit more bite.
The Indy Boys Inc team from Indianapolis, US, have gone to extreme measures to ensure that their 1967 Chevrolet is the fastest car in town. And by extreme, we mean they strapped a cruise missile engine to the roof.
Now the vintage car is capable of reaching speeds of up to 300mph, as well as firing out 30ft flames which leave an impressive trail of smoke behind the vehicle.
The Indy Boys team have already built the world fastest toilet (yes, really) and a jet powered school bus which can astonishingly reach speeds of 750mph – but parents can relax, this bus isn’t actually used for the school run.
Fortunately the driver of this vehicle only uses the car for shows. We have a funny feeling he’d be hard pushed to find a car insurance provider which would offer cover for a car as modified as this!
The Indy Boys Inc team from Indianapolis, US, have gone to extreme measures to ensure that their 1967 Chevrolet is the fastest car in town. And by extreme, we mean they strapped a cruise missile engine to the roof.Now the vintage car is capable of reaching speeds of up to 300mph, as well as firing out 30ft flames which leave an impressive trail of smoke behind the vehicle.
The Indy Boys team have already built the world fastest toilet (yes, really) and a jet powered school bus which can astonishingly reach speeds of 750mph – but parents can relax, this bus isn’t actually used for the school run.
Fortunately the driver of this vehicle only uses the car for shows. We have a funny feeling he’d be hard pushed to find a car insurance provider which would offer cover for a car as modified as this!
Photo © Dave Hogg via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car, Chevrolet, drivers, engine, motorists, US
01/09/2011
Goodbye red lights and fuel-inefficiency
Want to drive in a more fuel-efficient way? Hate sitting at red lights? Well, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may have a way of avoiding red lights and being more fuel-efficient at the same time.
They have come up with an application for smart-phones, called SignalGuru, which, using GPS technology, will help motorists time their approach towards red lights so that they change to green before the driver needs to slow their vehicle to a stop.
This will mean that on top of not having to wait around at traffic lights so often, it will reduce the amount of time the car engine is idling and, as a result, save fuel.
Unfortunately this clever app has only been tested on smart-phones in Massachusetts and Singapore, but the researchers want to make the system commercially available to all drivers in the near future.
Image © http://snow.ipernity.com via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: app, car, engine, fuel-efficient, GPS, idling, motor vehicle, red lights, smart-phone, traffic lights
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