Motorway solutions stations: time for modify?

Motorway services stations. A lot of of us would consider them a necessary evil, what with their high pump prices, soulless food ‘courts’ and banks of money-guzzling arcade games.

But the government wants perceptions to adjust. The Division for Transport is appointing a panel of experts – architects, motoring organisations and representatives of service station owners – to devise ways to make service stations far more eye-catching.

Amongst the measures getting considered are improved structural style, increased green space and outside play locations, and far more independent retailers and meals outlets.

Higher provision of charging points for electric cars will also be created.

Practical benefits

This is not just a cosmetic exercising. As we all know – and as gantry signs on motorways frequently remind us – tiredness kills. So if service stations can be created far more alluring, maybe much more of us will stop for a rest.

The DoT suggests that practically 20% of accidents on significant roads are sleep connected. And incidents involving tired drivers are much more probably to lead to death or serious injury than any other road accidents.

But maybe it’s not just the dispiriting encounter of visiting a standard service station that’s deterring us from taking that much-necessary break.

Although they need to by law supply totally free parking of at least 2 hours, the cost of staying longer than the legal minimum can be prohibitive.

The charges vary according to the service station operator and the location, but are typically about £12 for a automobile and £20 for a lorry or caravan. That’s really a expensive nap.

We’re told the charges are clearly displayed, even though I’ve by no means noticed a single sign in any of the several service stations I have visited up and down the nation.

Risky business

David Davies, MP for Monmouth and a former lorry driver, thinks the fees could encourage drivers to take dangers and wants the government to change its policy and force stations to offer free parking for longer.

Or, as he puts it: “It is poor enough that motorists pay over the odds to acquire a coffee or snack at a service station without the be concerned of paying vast charges for taking forty winks. This is profiteering plain and basic. There is no justification whatsoever for creating a charge.”

Davies has the backing of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). Neil Greig, IAM director of policy and analysis, is similarly outspoken. He says: “Service places are meant to be about security and taking a break on a lengthy boring journey. All also often these days they are much more about promoting factors at inflated rates to a captive audience.

“The 2-hour parking rule leaves numerous drivers confused and worried that they could inadvertently go over the time limit if they quit for a break, which is not a excellent recipe for safer motoring.”

Candid cameras

Service station operators monitor vehicles coming in and out with automatic plate recognition cameras positioned at entrances and exits. Motorists who remain longer than 2 hours and do not pay the appropriate fee are typically sent a parking charge notice for as a lot as £100.

If you think the charge is unfair, you can appeal. Information of the appeal process ought to accompany the notice, or you can appear on the firm’s site. You may, for example, have broken down or been held up by poor weather.

If the operator is a member of the Authorized Operator Scheme run by the British Parking Association (BPA), you will also have access to the independent Parking on Private Land Appeals (Popla).

Penalty decision

A parking charge notice issued by a private firm does not have the same legal clout as a penalty charge notice or a fixed penalty notice issued by the local council or the police.

Some motorists for that reason ignore charge notices, but it’s risky since the organization could take you to court to recover the income.

Motorway solutions stations: time for modify?

Motorway solutions stations: time for adjust?

Motorway solutions stations. Numerous of us would consider them a needed evil, what with their higher pump costs, soulless food ‘courts’ and banks of funds-guzzling arcade games.

But the government wants perceptions to modify. The Division for Transport is appointing a panel of professionals – architects, motoring organisations and representatives of service station owners – to devise techniques to make service stations more desirable.

Amongst the measures getting regarded as are enhanced structural design and style, increased green space and outside play locations, and more independent retailers and meals outlets.

Greater provision of charging points for electric automobiles will also be created.

Practical benefits

This is not just a cosmetic exercising. As we all know – and as gantry signs on motorways often remind us – tiredness kills. So if service stations can be made much more alluring, probably a lot more of us will quit for a rest.

The DoT suggests that practically 20% of accidents on main roads are sleep related. And incidents involving tired drivers are much more probably to trigger death or serious injury than any other road accidents.

But maybe it is not just the dispiriting encounter of going to a standard service station that’s deterring us from taking that considerably-necessary break.

While they need to by law supply cost-free parking of at least 2 hours, the cost of staying longer than the legal minimum can be prohibitive.

The charges differ according to the service station operator and the place, but are generally about £12 for a auto and £20 for a lorry or caravan. That is fairly a costly nap.

We’re told the charges are clearly displayed, though I’ve by no means noticed a single sign in any of the a lot of service stations I have visited up and down the country.

Risky business

David Davies, MP for Monmouth and a former lorry driver, thinks the charges could encourage drivers to take dangers and wants the government to change its policy and force stations to offer you free of charge parking for longer.

Or, as he puts it: “It is negative sufficient that motorists pay more than the odds to acquire a coffee or snack at a service station with no the be concerned of paying vast charges for taking forty winks. This is profiteering plain and easy. There is no justification whatsoever for generating a charge.”

Davies has the backing of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). Neil Greig, IAM director of policy and analysis, is similarly outspoken. He says: “Service places are meant to be about safety and taking a break on a long boring journey. All as well frequently these days they are a lot more about promoting factors at inflated costs to a captive audience.

“The 2-hour parking rule leaves a lot of drivers confused and worried that they may possibly inadvertently go over the time limit if they cease for a break, which is not a great recipe for safer motoring.”

Candid cameras

Service station operators monitor vehicles coming in and out with automatic plate recognition cameras positioned at entrances and exits. Motorists who stay longer than 2 hours and don’t pay the correct fee are typically sent a parking charge notice for as a lot as £100.

If you feel the charge is unfair, you can appeal. Information of the appeal procedure must accompany the notice, or you can appear on the firm’s site. You may, for instance, have broken down or been held up by poor climate.

If the operator is a member of the Authorized Operator Scheme run by the British Parking Association (BPA), you will also have access to the independent Parking on Private Land Appeals (Popla).

Penalty selection

A parking charge notice issued by a private company does not have the same legal clout as a penalty charge notice or a fixed penalty notice issued by the nearby council or the police.

Some motorists as a result ignore charge notices, but it is risky due to the fact the firm could take you to court to recover the funds.

Motorway solutions stations: time for adjust?

Are vehicle-getting solutions a good notion?

Selling a vehicle can be difficult. A private sale is a hassle, even if it goes smoothly. But you frequently have to deal with a variety of time wasters and chancers. There could be advertising costs, too.

Portion-exchange is no less complicated. Who wants to haggle with a auto salesman, who primarily haggles for a living?

3 steps to heaven?

But there is an option. A quantity of firms, such as webuyanycar.com and thecarbuyingservice.co.uk, offer to sell your car in 3 simple steps.

It begins with an online valuation. You basically type in the registration quantity of the car and answer a couple of concerns about the situation of the auto. The valuation need to pop up within minutes.

Valuations are typically assured for up to 6 days and depend on a number of elements, such as the industry price of your automobile, its mileage and service history.

Rust never sleeps

The valuation is also subject to an inspection. So, if you forget to mention the dent in the bumper or the rusty pain2rk, the business could spend much less for the automobile.

The valuation is typically free of charge and you are below no obligation to comply with-by way of and sell your automobile.

You therefore have the possibility to evaluate the supply with a component exchange deal or the cost of comparable automobiles in the classifieds to check if you can get a better price.

Constantly remember that the service tends to make its money by selling your auto for money than it paid you for it, so you are primarily trading a portion of the worth for ease and comfort of a rapid, slick sale.

Let’s assume you determine to go ahead and sell your auto. Some firms gather the automobile from your residence or workplace. Other people count on you to take the vehicle to a branch or drop-off centre. You would then have to make your personal way home.

Webuyanycar.com, for instance, has branches nationwide, although the carbuyingservice.co.uk operates from drop-off centres in Yorkshire, the North West and the Midlands, as nicely as a quantity of Asda car parks.

Other businesses such as money4yourmotors.com run a collection service.

Paper chase

Do not just turn up with your vehicle. You have to make an appointment very first. It’s also a excellent idea to get the paperwork with each other.

You will almost undoubtedly want the log book, the service history, MOT certificate, spare keys, and your bank information.

The organization must give you a checklist in advance, or you can normally uncover the information on the firm’s website.

Whether or not you take your vehicle to a branch or arrange collection, the firm will inspect the car prior to handing more than any cash. The inspection may possibly also involve a test drive.

Potential difficulties

It’s at this stage that prospective issues could arise.

If the automobile does not match your description or if the inspector discovers a fault with the car, the business does not have to honour the valuation.

It is as a result critical to give as much detail as you possibly can when you comprehensive the on the internet valuation form – and be totally sincere, as the truth will out!

Transfer window

If you agree to the sale, the cash must be transferred immediately to your bank account. The whole procedure can be over in 20 minutes, even though you ought to be wary of letting anybody drive your vehicle away till you are confident the cash has arrived.

Watch out for transaction costs, also. Some firms charge a charge when you sell the automobile to them, which could be as much as £75. The fees ought to be produced clear at the outset, but it is worth checking, just in case.

Vehicle buying services generally accept all makes and models of vehicle or van. Nevertheless, if you car is specifically old or is an import, you might have to make contact with consumer services as an on the web valuation may not be feasible.

You can also sell a vehicle with outstanding finance. But don’;t forget that the remaining debt will be deducted from the sale value.

You may possibly be in a position to negotiate a greater price tag for your auto through a private sale or even a dealer. But if you locate it hard to channel your inner automobile salesman, then a car buying service is a rapid, easy and haggle-free way to sell your auto.

Are vehicle-getting solutions a good notion?

Supercar Subdivisions: McLaren’s “Special Operations” Division Specifics its Solutions

McLaren’s so-known as “Special Operations” (MSO) branch has been undertaking cool stuff for years, even back when the division was recognized as the McLaren Consumer Care Plan and tasked only with sustaining McLaren owners’ F1s in the 1990s (which inherently qualifies as “cool stuff”). These days, MSO offers everything from carbon-fiber aero kits to fully rebodied a single-offs for the most moneyed of McLaren-isti. So broad is MSO’s portfolio of solutions that McLaren has decided to organize the secretive outfit’s a variety of personalization endeavors along 5 tiers: MSO Defined, MSO Bespoke, MSO Restricted, MSO Heritage, and MSO Applications. Here’s what every single element entails:

MSO Defined: essentially carbon-fiber interior and exterior trim pieces, such as the extended side blades and aero addenda that McLaren bolted onto its hot MSO 650S notion earlier this year.

MSO Bespoke: every thing from custom stitching on the seats to special paint and leather colors to full a single-off bodies such as the, um, creative, 12C-primarily based X-1 idea from 2012. McLaren says that 20 % of all 650S models and 95 % of all P1s constructed this year feature some degree of MSO Bespoke content.

MSO Restricted: low-volume, unique-edition models, like the McLaren 50 12C and the aforementioned MSO 650S.

MSO Heritage: service, upkeep, and personalization for vintage F1 and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren models.

MSO Applications: production, preparation, and upkeep of upcoming McLaren P1 GTR Driver Plan cars.

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Custom upfitting of exotic sports automobiles is absolutely nothing new, of course, and we envision that the high-rollers who sashay into a McLaren showroom with a blank verify care tiny about which internal subdivision does what to their new ride they just spec it out and wait for it to arrive. But for us mere fanboys, these juicy particulars provide daydream fodder about the factors we may do with a McLaren if we had unlimited sources at our disposal. How much is this week’s Powerball jackpot once again?

Supercar Subdivisions: McLaren’s “Special Operations” Division Specifics its Solutions

SAIDI says it has workable solutions for concerns about lack of driver training

South Africa was rocked by the news report on Tuesday 14^th October 2014 that a a shocking crash occurred on the N12 Alberton freeway. 4 innocent people were killed and 57 or thereabouts, were injured.

The next morning at 8am the Honourable Minister of Transport, Ms D. Peters, announced that a lack of driver training was responsible for the road carnage.

SAIDI has the solutions to the lack of adequate and fully comprehensive driver training.

SAIDI has extensive plans for every driving instructor in South Africa to be trained to the highest possible standard, comparable to International standards, to suit South African conditions, provided we can secure an appointment with the Honourable Minister of Transport, Ms Dipuo Peters.

We are all geared to “train the trainers” to prepare a massive contingent of driving instructors to offer excellent driving instruction with exactly the same fully-comprehensive training, across the board, to meet the need of all the whole driving population in the country.

We believe there can be no compromise when it comes to road safety. This is a matter of life and death, when we consider the devastation just one driver can cause.

So we believe the time is over to stop talking about road safety.

SAIDI has workable solutions!

Now it is time to accept our God-given responsibility and to train the Nation’s drivers, to reduce the official road fatality statistics (an official average statistic of 14 000 people a year, which might feasibly actually be as high as 22 000 according to a highly-experienced practising paramedic), and get down to teaching the public new ways of protect themselves from becoming victims of other drivers’ bad driving.

We either train drivers comprehensively, covering defensive and advanced training techniques, or we don’t do it at all.

Our plan includes:

1. Refresher course for experienced drivers, with insurance benefits;


2. Understanding what affects drivers attitudes:


3. Upgrading the defensive driving standards of all licenced drivers;


4. Thorough and comprehensive learner’s licence training directly from the national road traffic act;


5. New driver training;


6. “finishing off” lessons;


7. Per-primary school children;


8. Primary school pupils;


9. High school pupils;


10. Foreigners and immigrants;


11. Habitual offenders;


12. People with disabilities, such as paraplegics and quadriplegics;


13. Pregnant mothers, mothers with babies and children;


14. Senior drivers; people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, etc. etc.

and it provides many totally unexpected additional benefits to the community as a whole.

Please contact us if you want to be part of the solution!

Best regards,

P.A. Allen

;

Also view:

How do I become a driver Instructor?

SAIDI says it has workable solutions for concerns about lack of driver training

SAIDI says it has workable solutions for concerns about lack of driver training

South Africa was rocked by the news report on Tuesday 14^th October 2014 that a a shocking crash occurred on the N12 Alberton freeway. 4 innocent people were killed and 57 or thereabouts, were injured.

The next morning at 8am the Honourable Minister of Transport, Ms D. Peters, announced that a lack of driver training was responsible for the road carnage.

SAIDI has the solutions to the lack of adequate and fully comprehensive driver training.

SAIDI has extensive plans for every driving instructor in South Africa to be trained to the highest possible standard, comparable to International standards, to suit South African conditions, provided we can secure an appointment with the Honourable Minister of Transport, Ms Dipuo Peters.

We are all geared to “train the trainers” to prepare a massive contingent of driving instructors to offer excellent driving instruction with exactly the same fully-comprehensive training, across the board, to meet the need of all the whole driving population in the country.

We believe there can be no compromise when it comes to road safety. This is a matter of life and death, when we consider the devastation just one driver can cause.

So we believe the time is over to stop talking about road safety.

SAIDI has workable solutions!

Now it is time to accept our God-given responsibility and to train the Nation’s drivers, to reduce the official road fatality statistics (an official average statistic of 14 000 people a year, which might feasibly actually be as high as 22 000 according to a highly-experienced practising paramedic), and get down to teaching the public new ways of protect themselves from becoming victims of other drivers’ bad driving.

We either train drivers comprehensively, covering defensive and advanced training techniques, or we don’t do it at all.

Our plan includes:

1. Refresher course for experienced drivers, with insurance benefits;


2. Understanding what affects drivers attitudes:


3. Upgrading the defensive driving standards of all licenced drivers;


4. Thorough and comprehensive learner’s licence training directly from the national road traffic act;


5. New driver training;


6. “finishing off” lessons;


7. Per-primary school children;


8. Primary school pupils;


9. High school pupils;


10. Foreigners and immigrants;


11. Habitual offenders;


12. People with disabilities, such as paraplegics and quadriplegics;


13. Pregnant mothers, mothers with babies and children;


14. Senior drivers; people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, etc. etc.

and it provides many totally unexpected additional benefits to the community as a whole.

Please contact us if you want to be part of the solution!

Best regards,

P.A. Allen

;

Also view:

How do I become a driver Instructor?

SAIDI says it has workable solutions for concerns about lack of driver training

Innovative IntelliSafe solutions in all-new Volvo XC90 for tricky parking and tight manoeuvres

• 
  Automatic bay parking as well as parallel parking


• The driver gets a bird’s-eye view from above the car

Designed around modern car buyers’ expectations of smart functionality, the all-new Volvo XC90 features a set of innovative solutions that make tricky parking situations and maneuvering in tight spaces perfectly easy.

Volvo’s IntelliSafe support technologies now include an upgraded Park Assist Pilot that can automatically reverse into a parking bay and execute hassle-free parallel parking. Furthermore, the all-new Volvo XC90 can display a digitally created 360° bird’s-eye view of the area around the car on the large centre screen.

“Several studies by research institutes reveal that up to 2-thirds of interviewed motorists feel uncomfortable in tight parking situations. Options such as the extended Park Assist Pilot and bird’s-eye view function turn these potentially stressful situations into comfortable, precise and safe manoeuvring,” says Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development of Volvo Car Group.

The further-developed Park Assist Pilot facilitates both parallel and bay parking by taking over and operating the steering wheel while the driver handles the gearbox and controls the car’s speed.

Ultrasonic sensors detect the parking space

The parking manoeuvre is based on information from twelve ultrasonic sensors around the car. When the driver activates the Park Assist Pilot in a parallel parking situation, the sensors start to scan the side of the car for empty parking slots. When a parking slot measuring a minimum of 1.2 times the car’s length is detected, the driver is notified by an audible signal and a message in the instrument cluster. In a bay parking situation, the slot needs to be the width of the car plus one metre.

The display then guides the driver step by step via texts and animations in the instrument cluster until the car is parked.

A bird’s-eye view from above the car

The all-new Volvo XC90 also features Surround View that gives the driver a 360° bird’s-eye view of the surrounding area with the car as the centre point.

Surround View relies on 4 concealed fish-eye cameras – one integrated into the front, one integrated in each of the door mirrors and one fitted above the rear number plate.

 “The 360° Surround View is exceptionally useful in situations where the driver’s direct view is obstructed, such as leaving a tight driveway with obstacles on the sides or when reversing towards a trailer or caravan,” says Peter Mertens. “360° Surround View also provides great support during parking, for instance when you want to make sure that all parts of the car are within the lines of a parking spot.”

Cross Traffic Alert

The outstanding IntelliSafe solutions in the all-new Volvo XC90 also include Cross Traffic Alert, which covers the driver’s back when reversing out of a parking space. It warns of approaching traffic up to 30 metres on each side, alerting the driver with an audible signal and a warning on the centre screen.

Also view:

Who is at fault for the rear-end collisions of cars reversing from parking areas?

Note on Insurance Chat the following:

What does the law say about stopping and parking on public roads?

Where is the safest place to park to avoid parked car insurance claims?

Innovative IntelliSafe solutions in all-new Volvo XC90 for tricky parking and tight manoeuvres