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Thursday, April 21, 2011
Alarming car research
It’s never nice having something stolen from you, and it’s even less pleasant having something stolen from you and having your car window smashed in the process.
With the Easter and Spring holidays just round the corner, a large UK vehicle insurer is warning motorists to take extra care of their cars since statistics show that there is often as much as a 10% increase in car crime at these times.
However, research has proven that installing an alarm in your vehicle may not be enough to save it, or its contents, from the hands of opportunist thieves.
In a social experiment, which involved setting off car alarms in busy areas of London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester, it has become clear that car alarms “have become like urban white noise – as commonplace as dogs barking, sirens and everyday traffic”.
Out of all the pedestrians who walked passed the wailing vehicles used in the study, only 17% acknowledged the alarm with a brief glance, and 83% completely failed to register the noise at all.
So, to avoid your car, or the belongings within it, getting stolen – it seems as if an alarm just isn’t enough.
To reduce the risk of automobile theft, don’t park in a quiet or poorly lit area, hide all your possessions so that your car doesn’t look so enticing, and perhaps invest in a wheel lock.
And now, with the lecture out of the way, you can enjoy the warm sunny (fingers crossed) holidays.
With the Easter and Spring holidays just round the corner, a large UK vehicle insurer is warning motorists to take extra care of their cars since statistics show that there is often as much as a 10% increase in car crime at these times.
However, research has proven that installing an alarm in your vehicle may not be enough to save it, or its contents, from the hands of opportunist thieves.
In a social experiment, which involved setting off car alarms in busy areas of London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester, it has become clear that car alarms “have become like urban white noise – as commonplace as dogs barking, sirens and everyday traffic”.
Out of all the pedestrians who walked passed the wailing vehicles used in the study, only 17% acknowledged the alarm with a brief glance, and 83% completely failed to register the noise at all.
So, to avoid your car, or the belongings within it, getting stolen – it seems as if an alarm just isn’t enough.
To reduce the risk of automobile theft, don’t park in a quiet or poorly lit area, hide all your possessions so that your car doesn’t look so enticing, and perhaps invest in a wheel lock.
And now, with the lecture out of the way, you can enjoy the warm sunny (fingers crossed) holidays.
Image by rick via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car, car alarm, insurer, stolen, vehicle, wheel lock
We’re not lost – we just don’t know where we are
We girls have a reputation for being poor map readers – but new research shows that this might actually be a good thing.
A University of Dundee lecturer in behavioural neuroscience undertook research on the effect that sat-navs are having on motorists.
She found that as a result of being led around UK roads by a big arrow, we are starting to neglect our innate ability to familiarise ourselves with our surroundings through the recognition of landmarks.
The lecturer explains that, “With GPS devices and the increase in popularity of hi-tech navigational tools, we're doing less of this visual navigation which the earliest humans will have used expertly.
“If most of our time travelling through new areas is spent following a flashing arrow instead of looking out of the windows, we're not likely to know anymore about the place for having been there.”
So, it may seem obvious, but an important part of finding your way around places seems to be the act of looking at the environment around you.
Maybe having your eyes fixed on GPS instructions or your nose stuck in a book of maps isn’t as useful as men like to make it out to be then. Perhaps relying on our inner compasses and taking in the sights is, quite literally, the way forward.
She found that as a result of being led around UK roads by a big arrow, we are starting to neglect our innate ability to familiarise ourselves with our surroundings through the recognition of landmarks.
The lecturer explains that, “With GPS devices and the increase in popularity of hi-tech navigational tools, we're doing less of this visual navigation which the earliest humans will have used expertly.
“If most of our time travelling through new areas is spent following a flashing arrow instead of looking out of the windows, we're not likely to know anymore about the place for having been there.”
So, it may seem obvious, but an important part of finding your way around places seems to be the act of looking at the environment around you.
Maybe having your eyes fixed on GPS instructions or your nose stuck in a book of maps isn’t as useful as men like to make it out to be then. Perhaps relying on our inner compasses and taking in the sights is, quite literally, the way forward.
Image by krebsmaus07 via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: GPS, map, motorists, road, sat-nav
Friday, April 15, 2011
Dangerous letter ‘Z’
According to research conducted by a leading car insurance company, motorists might be better of steering well clear of any vehicles with the letters “NCZ” on their registration plate.
Apparently, the study of 643,939 accident claims showed that cars which have the letter “Z” in their registration number have the most crashes – and no Z-plates more so than ones which end with “NCZ”.
The letter “Z” features in three of the top five plates linked with at-fault insurance claims, and in two of the top five non-fault – so whether you’re out for a spin in your non-Z-plate-vehicle, or planning on buying a car – stay away from “Z” registrations!
The managing director of the insurance company, which undertook the strange research, stated, “I’m sure this is just a coincidence – we’ve got no plans to charge more for some registrations as a result.”
Well, thank goodness for that – still, take heed!
Apparently, the study of 643,939 accident claims showed that cars which have the letter “Z” in their registration number have the most crashes – and no Z-plates more so than ones which end with “NCZ”. The letter “Z” features in three of the top five plates linked with at-fault insurance claims, and in two of the top five non-fault – so whether you’re out for a spin in your non-Z-plate-vehicle, or planning on buying a car – stay away from “Z” registrations!
The managing director of the insurance company, which undertook the strange research, stated, “I’m sure this is just a coincidence – we’ve got no plans to charge more for some registrations as a result.”
Well, thank goodness for that – still, take heed!
Image by Excal1971 via photobucket
Labels: at-fault, car insurance, claims, crash, non-fault, registration plate
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Mother’s Guilt Day
Mother’s day was a while ago but I still haven’t quite managed to recover.
It’s not that I was up late revelling in my motherhood and sharing a meal and a bottle of champagne – no for me it’s about guilt, pure guilt.
The thing is on the Saturday night I had been out for a friend’s birthday. First we went to the cinema (The King’s Speech, since you ask) then for a civilised and sober (relatively) meal at a posh restaurant in London.
I got back late, you see, so when the kids, unable to contain their excitement, charged into my room and 5:30am to “surprise me” with breakfast, you could say that I found it very easy to conceal my delight, even from myself.
The poor things. They’d put so much effort and energy into the surprise breakfast that they even woke a full three hours earlier than they do on a Sunday morning. And instead of facing up to a beaming and delighted mummy, all they got was the hag from hell being jump-started into an indignant rage.
“Out! Out!” I shouted, emerging from the punctured space of my dreams, where only moments before I’d been swooning in the arms of Colin Firth. “I need some sleep!” Needless to say, there were tears and by the time I was sentient enough to feel guilt, I felt it alright. I was awash with it.
It’s even gone so far that last weekend was spent making it up to the kids. Saturday encompassed both a visit to Peppa Pig World and a trip to see Rio 3D. From Mothers’ Day to Mother’s Guilt Day, all in the space of less than a week.
It’s not that I was up late revelling in my motherhood and sharing a meal and a bottle of champagne – no for me it’s about guilt, pure guilt.
The thing is on the Saturday night I had been out for a friend’s birthday. First we went to the cinema (The King’s Speech, since you ask) then for a civilised and sober (relatively) meal at a posh restaurant in London.
I got back late, you see, so when the kids, unable to contain their excitement, charged into my room and 5:30am to “surprise me” with breakfast, you could say that I found it very easy to conceal my delight, even from myself.The poor things. They’d put so much effort and energy into the surprise breakfast that they even woke a full three hours earlier than they do on a Sunday morning. And instead of facing up to a beaming and delighted mummy, all they got was the hag from hell being jump-started into an indignant rage.
“Out! Out!” I shouted, emerging from the punctured space of my dreams, where only moments before I’d been swooning in the arms of Colin Firth. “I need some sleep!” Needless to say, there were tears and by the time I was sentient enough to feel guilt, I felt it alright. I was awash with it.
It’s even gone so far that last weekend was spent making it up to the kids. Saturday encompassed both a visit to Peppa Pig World and a trip to see Rio 3D. From Mothers’ Day to Mother’s Guilt Day, all in the space of less than a week.
Image © Tim Green aka atoach via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Monday, April 11, 2011
Roof box essentials
According to Halfords, the motoring consumables retailer, there has been a recent 13% rise in the purchase of roof boxes in the UK.
Intrigued as to why that was, the company launched a roof box survey of 3,200 people.
The information gathered showed the biggest reason behind increased roof box buying in Britain, is simply that motorists carry around a greater number of possessions on their mini-breaks and holidays than they used to.
The average driver’s vehicle is loaded with 140 kilos more when going on a holiday than it was in 2006 – that amounts to around the same weight as two adults – or an extra 15 large, and completely filled, suitcases.
Seventy-one percent of those surveyed blamed their mothers for the increased amount of packed items. Obviously old habits die hard then girls...
The top five “must-have” items listed by women were:
Intrigued as to why that was, the company launched a roof box survey of 3,200 people.
The information gathered showed the biggest reason behind increased roof box buying in Britain, is simply that motorists carry around a greater number of possessions on their mini-breaks and holidays than they used to.
The average driver’s vehicle is loaded with 140 kilos more when going on a holiday than it was in 2006 – that amounts to around the same weight as two adults – or an extra 15 large, and completely filled, suitcases.
Seventy-one percent of those surveyed blamed their mothers for the increased amount of packed items. Obviously old habits die hard then girls...
The top five “must-have” items listed by women were:
- A hair-dryer;
- Hair-straighteners;
- Clothes (obviously);
- A mirror;
- Portable lights, such as torches or lanterns. Well, we might take things along with us that men find useless – but at least we didn’t have “rubber mallet” at number three of our list!
- Image by fredsir via Photobook
Labels: driver, roof box, vehicle, women
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Diamonds are a car’s best friend
In celebration of the diamond (60th) anniversary of Formula 3 racing in the UK, Cooper Tires unveiled some diamond and Swarovski Crystal encrusted tyres at the launch of their Cooper Tires British F3 International Series at Silverstone.
The wheels were bejewelled by London specialist FK Diamonds and the owner said, “The process of setting the diamonds was certainly a little different from what we are used to doing.”
The finished result was that every letter of “Cooper” along each of the tyre’s walls sparkled with gems.
We don’t know how much this would cost, but at the CoverGirl office we like the idea of personalising our car wheels with our name in glittering diamonds…Well, we can dream.
Video by coopertire via YouTube
The wheels were bejewelled by London specialist FK Diamonds and the owner said, “The process of setting the diamonds was certainly a little different from what we are used to doing.”
The finished result was that every letter of “Cooper” along each of the tyre’s walls sparkled with gems.
We don’t know how much this would cost, but at the CoverGirl office we like the idea of personalising our car wheels with our name in glittering diamonds…Well, we can dream.
Video by coopertire via YouTube
Labels: car, cooper, formula 3, tyres, wheels