03/08/2012
Amazing bravery under pressure
Duck2Water’s Bravery Award this week goes to the 12-year-old girl who managed to steer a car to safety when, as passenger in her grandfather’s vehicle, he died suddenly while driving along the motorway.
Although he had let his granddaughter know that he was feeling below par, it still came as a total surprise to the girl when her granddad’s head hit the driver window and he lost consciousness, all with his foot still placed firmly on the accelerator.
Tragically, the 63-year-old had died of a heart attack. "He said he was scared, closed his eyes, and put his head on the glass. That’s when I knew he was dead," said the brave girl.
"I didn’t know what to do. I took off my seat belt and slid over to put my foot on the brake. I was looking around and thought, should I go into the corn field, should I keep going?'" she added.
Amazingly, she managed to make the car come to a standstill after driving it into a field and into some trees – all without suffering injury.
Just like her mother said, this young woman driver is a real hero. She lost her grandfather and saved her own life and, potentially, those of other road users all within the space of a few minutes. Amazing! We at Duck2Water car insurance salute her!
Although he had let his granddaughter know that he was feeling below par, it still came as a total surprise to the girl when her granddad’s head hit the driver window and he lost consciousness, all with his foot still placed firmly on the accelerator.Tragically, the 63-year-old had died of a heart attack. "He said he was scared, closed his eyes, and put his head on the glass. That’s when I knew he was dead," said the brave girl.
"I didn’t know what to do. I took off my seat belt and slid over to put my foot on the brake. I was looking around and thought, should I go into the corn field, should I keep going?'" she added.
Amazingly, she managed to make the car come to a standstill after driving it into a field and into some trees – all without suffering injury.
Just like her mother said, this young woman driver is a real hero. She lost her grandfather and saved her own life and, potentially, those of other road users all within the space of a few minutes. Amazing! We at Duck2Water car insurance salute her!
Photo © Horia Varlan via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car insurance, grandfather’s car, passenger
29/06/2012
Airbag seatbelts from Ford
Having airbags for the front passenger and driver is all very well and good, but what about the backseat passengers?
It’s quite rare, in my opinion, to have any safety equipment ready to leap into action to save backseaters from injury in a collision.
Well, next year Ford will be offering inflatable seatbelts for backseat passengers as an extra – which will probably cost around £250.
Initially the belts will be available only in the Mondeo, but the company plans on having it available in all of their family cars eventually.
The seatbelts, which will act as airbags for anyone in the rear of the vehicle, are safe for use with a booster seat and wil fully inflate in 40 milliseconds.
Hopefully this will lead to a reduction in the number of whiplash, back and head injuries suffered annually in the UK.
The inflatable belts have already been available to the American public since late last year, and apparently the company states that so far 40% of customers have elected to have the safety extra.
I’m not surprised! Changing the paintwork colour of a Ford Mondeo can cost anything from £200 to £545 – with that in mind £250 for something which will protect someone from suffering harm in a crash is a very good price!
It’s quite rare, in my opinion, to have any safety equipment ready to leap into action to save backseaters from injury in a collision. Well, next year Ford will be offering inflatable seatbelts for backseat passengers as an extra – which will probably cost around £250.
Initially the belts will be available only in the Mondeo, but the company plans on having it available in all of their family cars eventually.
The seatbelts, which will act as airbags for anyone in the rear of the vehicle, are safe for use with a booster seat and wil fully inflate in 40 milliseconds.
Hopefully this will lead to a reduction in the number of whiplash, back and head injuries suffered annually in the UK.
The inflatable belts have already been available to the American public since late last year, and apparently the company states that so far 40% of customers have elected to have the safety extra.
I’m not surprised! Changing the paintwork colour of a Ford Mondeo can cost anything from £200 to £545 – with that in mind £250 for something which will protect someone from suffering harm in a crash is a very good price!
Photo © Criterion via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: air bag, backseat, crash, driver, Ford, inflatable seatbelt, injuries, passenger, safe, vehicle, whiplash
18/11/2011
Will private cars become a public place?
Apparently The British Medical Association is asking ministers to extend the smoking in public places ban to the inside of people’s private vehicles.
Now, although this may sounds outrageous, the potential ban has research backing it which can’t really be ignored.
Reportedly, people in a car with a smoker are exposed to 23 times more toxic fumes than they would have been when in a smoky bar or pub before the smoking ban was put in place in 2007.
Personally I think that there should be a ban on people smoking in their cars when they have passengers, especially children. I know from first hand experience that having someone’s smoke fly at you from the front seat for 10 minutes every 15 to 20 minutes of a long journey is not pleasant.
However, I can also see things from the smokers’ group Forest’s perspective. One of its members has stated, “Legislation is a gross over-reaction. What next, a ban on smoking in the home?”
True…and how would we set about policing smoking in cars when people are constantly speeding on the motorway without so much as a warning?
It’s a tough one.
Now, although this may sounds outrageous, the potential ban has research backing it which can’t really be ignored. Reportedly, people in a car with a smoker are exposed to 23 times more toxic fumes than they would have been when in a smoky bar or pub before the smoking ban was put in place in 2007.
Personally I think that there should be a ban on people smoking in their cars when they have passengers, especially children. I know from first hand experience that having someone’s smoke fly at you from the front seat for 10 minutes every 15 to 20 minutes of a long journey is not pleasant.
However, I can also see things from the smokers’ group Forest’s perspective. One of its members has stated, “Legislation is a gross over-reaction. What next, a ban on smoking in the home?”
True…and how would we set about policing smoking in cars when people are constantly speeding on the motorway without so much as a warning?
It’s a tough one.
Photo © Mykl Roventine via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: British Medical Association, car, front seat, motorway, passenger, private vehicle, smoking, speeding
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