THE company for driver risk management

1 IN 10 WOMEN DRIVERS ADMITS TO PASSION IN THEIR WAGON

Ten per cent of women have had sex in their car, according to a recent survey from evecars.com, the motoring website for women. A further 7% claimed their in-car antics were simply too rude to own up to!

The survey asked women about the most extraordinary things they'd done behind the wheel. As well as the expected saucy behaviour, many women see their cars as an extension of the home, using them as a temporary spare room, dressing room, or party area.

Sales of cars to women are booming with the biggest increase reported among those aged 29 to 44.  Women in Britain are expected to make almost 5 million car purchases this year – half the UK's 10 million forecast total sales. Women also influence 80% of car purchases.

Alex Jenner-Fust, editor of evecars.com, said: 'Women aren’t just getting passionate inside their cars – they can be as passionate as men when it comes to owning and driving them, too.

'Burning your bottom on the engine, as one respondent did, has got to be painful. For many women the experience of buying a car is similarly excruciating. Evecars.com offers reliable car reviews, and advice for women to help them buy the right car at the right price as painlessly as possible.'

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CRASH RATES SOAR FOR YOUNG DRIVERS

"Fleet managers need to ask the right questions – not ‘how long have you held a licence?’ but rather ‘how many hours’ driving experience have you had?’ – and then manage any risk these young drivers present properly"  

Crash rates among young drivers appear to be worsening after a major insurer confirmed that claims by drivers aged under 23 have increased by more than 300% over the last five years.

The news confirms reports that revealed the high rate of risk-taking among young drivers.

“We know from experience that young drivers pose a higher risk of being involved in a crash,” said Norwich Union’s motor risk manager, Bill Pownall.

“Fleet managers should therefore consider the risks that young drivers pose on a firm’s duty of care.”

Mr Pownall suggested that fleet managers should look at introducing clear measures to manage young employees.

“It’s imperative for young drivers to complete an in-vehicle risk assessment in order to determine their competence to drive safely in a variety of traffic situations, prior to being authorised to drive any vehicle for the first time,” he said.

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SAFER CAT’S EYES

"The self-illuminating lights are powered by miniature solar panels, which soak-up and store enough energy during daylight hours to glow throughout the night."

New cat’s eyes that remain lit throughout the night even when a car is not passing are beginning to be installed on London’s roads.

Hillingdon Council has installed 300 of the new solar powered eyes to help provide drivers with a clear view of the road ahead.

The self-illuminating lights are powered by miniature solar panels, which soak-up and store enough energy during daylight hours to glow throughout the night.

Mary Worrall, Head of highways, said: "It is not always suitable to use street lights in some of the rural roads we have in Hillingdon.”

The cat's eyes are being funded by the council’s road safety programme costing around £27,000 to install.

The new lights will save the council thousands of pounds a year by eliminating yearly maintenance and energy costs.

The new cat's eyes have already been trialled for a year to test their effectiveness and will be installed in other areas during 2008.

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TRL WINS TECHNOLOGY WATCH PROJECT

TRL has been awarded the Technology Watch project by the Department for Transport.  With the rapid developments in in-vehicle technologies, the aim of this two year project is to provide the Department with structured, up to date information on vehicle-based active safety systems. These are safety systems that have an intelligent response to assist the driver in avoiding an incident or mitigating its consequences.

Building on previous project successes, Technology Watch will create a web-based database to provide user-friendly information on new and current active system technologies. Complemented by interpretation and analysis from vehicle safety experts, this database will also include information on casualty benefits, costs and risks, as well as up to date research, conferences, standards and industry information.

The Technology Watch project will provide a valuable resource on which to direct and inform future research and policy decisions relating to vehicle safety technologies and, if necessary, identify how best to coordinate the introduction of new technologies in the UK

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