30/08/2012
Hair-raising highway ordeal
Driving can sometimes be a frightening business, but one woman driver in the United States recently had a particularly terrifying behind-the-wheel experience.
While driving along the highway, her car suddenly accelerated and could not be slowed down.
Over the course of 58 miles, she consistently reached speeds of 120 mph.
Initially police thought that they had a speeding car in their hand and tried to get the driver to pull over – and although they were right about the speeding, they were wrong about having a criminal driver on their hands.
Understandably alarmed that she could not get her KIA 4WD to stop or slow down, the woman called her husband and the emergency services in the hope they would be able to help.
First she was told that she should put her car into neutral, but that didn’t help, so police then cleared the highway while clearly preparing for the worst.
Finally, she was told to lift her stuck accelerator pedal while simultaneously braking. Relief all around: it worked.
What an astonishing and hair-raising ordeal! Certainly a far cry from the more humdrum motoring dilemma of looking for the cheapest car insurance quote!
Photo © The Tire Zoo via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
While driving along the highway, her car suddenly accelerated and could not be slowed down.
Over the course of 58 miles, she consistently reached speeds of 120 mph.
Initially police thought that they had a speeding car in their hand and tried to get the driver to pull over – and although they were right about the speeding, they were wrong about having a criminal driver on their hands.
Understandably alarmed that she could not get her KIA 4WD to stop or slow down, the woman called her husband and the emergency services in the hope they would be able to help.
First she was told that she should put her car into neutral, but that didn’t help, so police then cleared the highway while clearly preparing for the worst.
Finally, she was told to lift her stuck accelerator pedal while simultaneously braking. Relief all around: it worked.
What an astonishing and hair-raising ordeal! Certainly a far cry from the more humdrum motoring dilemma of looking for the cheapest car insurance quote!
Photo © The Tire Zoo via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: accelerated, braking, car, cheapest car insurance, driver, driving, highway, motoring, pedal, police, quote, speed, wheel
20/08/2012
Ignoring sun-soaked pedestrians
In the summer it’s only to be expected that people will stop wearing their scarfs, trousers and long-sleeved tops, and start enjoying the sunshine.
However, for some drivers this is causing a bit of a problem, because they get distracted by pedestrians when they should be paying attention to the road ahead.
Apparently, according to some research undertaken by a provider of car insurance, 60% of men and 12% of women have been distracted while behind the wheel due to an attractive pedestrian.
Furthermore, an astonishing 21% are even distracted by billboards which have good-looking models on them.
Distracted driving can lead to traffic accidents, so it’s important that drivers avoid staring at pedestrians and re-direct their attentions to the highway.
One moment of inattention could result in a motorist running a red light, colliding with a vehicle, or even clipping a cyclist.
So – everyone just take a cold shower and remain focused on driving safely!
However, for some drivers this is causing a bit of a problem, because they get distracted by pedestrians when they should be paying attention to the road ahead.
Apparently, according to some research undertaken by a provider of car insurance, 60% of men and 12% of women have been distracted while behind the wheel due to an attractive pedestrian.
Furthermore, an astonishing 21% are even distracted by billboards which have good-looking models on them.
Distracted driving can lead to traffic accidents, so it’s important that drivers avoid staring at pedestrians and re-direct their attentions to the highway.
One moment of inattention could result in a motorist running a red light, colliding with a vehicle, or even clipping a cyclist.
So – everyone just take a cold shower and remain focused on driving safely!
Photo © GrrLash via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: billboards, car insurance, colliding, distracted, driver, highway, pedestrians, red light, road, safety, summer, traffic accident, wheel
13/08/2012
Driving as a hobby
According to a survey undertaken by a car insurance company and Populus, out of more than 20,000 respondents, 55% of motorists have been on an aimless drive.
It might sound like an odd thing to do, but, just like any other hobby, such as fishing or painting, it’s all about having some time to enjoy an activity without other distractions.
Similarly to how fishing as a career or painting as a trade are perhaps not as enjoyable as having these activities as past-times, driving to get somewhere is sometimes not as fun as just driving to drive.
However, there should be a limit as to how often someone gets behind the wheel on a road to nowhere. Ten per cent of people reportedly go on a purposeless drive every week!
Think of how much fuel and money they’re wasting! I know I certainly can’t afford to be driving from point A to point A once a week.
Still, it would be nice to get away from my usual routes every now and then and just explore. There are a lot of streets I never have to go down to get to the shops or to work, and I’ve often wondered where they lead…
It might sound like an odd thing to do, but, just like any other hobby, such as fishing or painting, it’s all about having some time to enjoy an activity without other distractions.Similarly to how fishing as a career or painting as a trade are perhaps not as enjoyable as having these activities as past-times, driving to get somewhere is sometimes not as fun as just driving to drive.
However, there should be a limit as to how often someone gets behind the wheel on a road to nowhere. Ten per cent of people reportedly go on a purposeless drive every week!
Think of how much fuel and money they’re wasting! I know I certainly can’t afford to be driving from point A to point A once a week.
Still, it would be nice to get away from my usual routes every now and then and just explore. There are a lot of streets I never have to go down to get to the shops or to work, and I’ve often wondered where they lead…
Photo © Dominic’s pics via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: activity, car insurance, drive, driving, fuel, hobby, motorist, road, route, streets, wheel
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
27/02/2012
Law-breaking clampers sent to jail
The stereotype of the disrespectful, power-abusing traffic warden is well known to members of the British motoring public. However, the illegal behaviour of a group of Worcestershire wheel clampers would have been enough to place most drivers into a state of temporary shock.
Apparently, the crooks deliberately targeted and acted aggressively towards vehicle owners who they deemed to be vulnerable. Both elderly and female drivers were hit with extortionate parking fines of up to £335.
A driver from Malvern said, “I felt that if the clampers had held a gun to my head and taken the money I couldn't have felt any worse. I felt angry, traumatised and emotional. I felt I had been robbed.”
There was some solace for the victims of the car park crime, as each of the clampers was sent to jail for between 12 and 32 months. The relief that the prosecution must have felt upon the issuing of these sentences can only be imagined.
The judge said, “What of course is wholly wrong is the use of enforcement measures to provide a service to help traders and others suffering from illegally parked cars, but to use the company as a vehicle to obtain money dishonestly from the public by blatant use of authority and power.”
Those people who are interested in the laws of motoring will now be waiting to see what happens in the case of potentially fraudulent whiplash claims, which have been the focus of media attention recently.
Apparently, the crooks deliberately targeted and acted aggressively towards vehicle owners who they deemed to be vulnerable. Both elderly and female drivers were hit with extortionate parking fines of up to £335.A driver from Malvern said, “I felt that if the clampers had held a gun to my head and taken the money I couldn't have felt any worse. I felt angry, traumatised and emotional. I felt I had been robbed.”
There was some solace for the victims of the car park crime, as each of the clampers was sent to jail for between 12 and 32 months. The relief that the prosecution must have felt upon the issuing of these sentences can only be imagined.
The judge said, “What of course is wholly wrong is the use of enforcement measures to provide a service to help traders and others suffering from illegally parked cars, but to use the company as a vehicle to obtain money dishonestly from the public by blatant use of authority and power.”
Those people who are interested in the laws of motoring will now be waiting to see what happens in the case of potentially fraudulent whiplash claims, which have been the focus of media attention recently.
Photo © ecastro via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car park, claims, clampers, crime, drivers, illegal, motoring, parking fines, traffic warden, vehicle owners, wheel, whiplash
06/01/2012
Icy roads are no problem with the Volkswagen Aqua!
Over the winter months many motorists think very carefully before they get behind the wheel and hit the road – rain, ice and snow can all have a negative effect on driving safety, and, to avoid a road accident, drivers sometimes choose to use an alternative form of transport or to not go out at all.
However, a Chinese designer has sought to change all this with the invention of a new super car called the Volkswagen Aqua.
According to reports, 21-year-old Yuhan Zhang designed an all-terrain vehicle which can seamlessly move between different surfaces for a competition run by Volkswagen.
The vehicle is able to drive on sand, water and roads alike and works similarly to a hovercraft. Two engines mean that it is able to hover above the ground as well as moving forward.
Plus, the car is environmentally friendly with zero fuel emissions as it is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.
The car has been designed with technology which is currently available, but we have a feeling we might be waiting a long time to experience driving one of these!
However, a Chinese designer has sought to change all this with the invention of a new super car called the Volkswagen Aqua.
According to reports, 21-year-old Yuhan Zhang designed an all-terrain vehicle which can seamlessly move between different surfaces for a competition run by Volkswagen.
The vehicle is able to drive on sand, water and roads alike and works similarly to a hovercraft. Two engines mean that it is able to hover above the ground as well as moving forward.
Plus, the car is environmentally friendly with zero fuel emissions as it is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.
The car has been designed with technology which is currently available, but we have a feeling we might be waiting a long time to experience driving one of these!
Labels: Aqua, car, conditions, dangerous driving, road, vehicle, Volkswagen, wheel
01/07/2011
Warning: Poor road maintenance ahead
There are so many potholes on Britain’s roads at the moment that price comparison website Confused.com is petitioning the Department for Transport to introduce a pothole warning sign to be used across the country.
The company has commissioned a common red-bordered triangular sign, and in the centre it has chosen to place the image of a car with one wheel down a hole.
Confused.com decided that enough was enough when it realised, after doing some research, that even if councils had sufficient budgets for road maintenance it would take them about 11 years to fill all of the potholes and generally repair damaged areas of road.
The price comparison company’s chief marketing officer stated, “Although repairing these roads is obviously the long term solution, something needs to be done now.
“Currently the UK’s road signs include warnings for wild horses, wild animals, cattle and even toads but potholes aren’t considered worthy enough. A pothole road sign is a vital step in preventing accidents and reducing insurance claims.”
The AA however, is not so taken with the idea. A spokesperson explained, “It costs up to £100 to put up a sign but £50-£60 to fix a pothole.”
Hmm, now we don’t know what to think. Generally we like the idea of a pothole sign, but money-wise it doesn’t look so appealing.
Well, if you like the scheme, you can always sign the petition. We’re going to mull it over some more.
The company has commissioned a common red-bordered triangular sign, and in the centre it has chosen to place the image of a car with one wheel down a hole.
Confused.com decided that enough was enough when it realised, after doing some research, that even if councils had sufficient budgets for road maintenance it would take them about 11 years to fill all of the potholes and generally repair damaged areas of road.The price comparison company’s chief marketing officer stated, “Although repairing these roads is obviously the long term solution, something needs to be done now.
“Currently the UK’s road signs include warnings for wild horses, wild animals, cattle and even toads but potholes aren’t considered worthy enough. A pothole road sign is a vital step in preventing accidents and reducing insurance claims.”
The AA however, is not so taken with the idea. A spokesperson explained, “It costs up to £100 to put up a sign but £50-£60 to fix a pothole.”
Hmm, now we don’t know what to think. Generally we like the idea of a pothole sign, but money-wise it doesn’t look so appealing.
Well, if you like the scheme, you can always sign the petition. We’re going to mull it over some more.
Image by Mike Willis via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: Department for Transport, potholes, repair, road, sign, wheel
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