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It's Your Call
You’ve probably heard the latest call to ban mobile phone use in cars – even if they are hands free. We are told that tough new laws to ban all mobile phone use in vehicles are being considered by transport ministers after a report found that even hands free devices dramatically increased the risk of crashing.
The draft, which federal and state ministers are reviewing stated:-
“There is evidence to support bans on all mobile phone use while driving”
A spokesperson admitted it would be difficult for many people to stop using hands free phones, so the first stage of the strategy would be to encourage drivers of heavy vehicles, buses, taxis and government cars to stop using hands free voluntarily.
It seems that several police authorities support the ban, as Superintendent Max Mitchell of the NSW police force commented:- “In my view it is just as dangerous as speed and drink driving.” Others contend that using a mobile phone is the equivalent of driving with a 0.08% alcohol level.
It looks like this is an onerous step towards a total ban, so let’s examine some of the arguments for and against.
FOR A TOTAL BAN
- Figures suggest that even the use of hands free mobile phones cause accidents
- Driving is a difficult and dangerous undertaking and anything that can eradicate any distractions is worthwhile, and must be vigorously pursued.
THE ARGUMENT AGAINST A TOTAL BAN
- Some research refutes this argument. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported last month that hand held phone bans have no effect on the frequency of car crashes. They stated “month to month fluctuations in rates of collision causes in jurisdictions with bans didn’t change from before to after the laws were enacted”
- If you ban hands free you should ban kids in cars, billboard advertising, radios and chatty passengers.
- What about CB radios in trucks and police cars – will they still have radio communication, or will they be an exception? If so, why?
- Some luxury cars have a phone system that is purely voice activated, so you don’t even have to touch a button or take your eyes off the road. This means that this law would, in these cases, prevent you even talking (OK that’s a bit extreme, but they have a point.)
- It would be unpopular; many motoring organizations (including the NRMA) think it’s going too far, and newspaper surveys suggest that around two thirds of respondents wanted hands free phones, and are against any changes in the legislation.
Do you think is it right, will it happen? Have your say below.
Buffett Cars
BYD is a Chinese car company (BYD = Build Your Dreams). Easy to ignore, unless one of the world’s canniest investors says differently. Not only says – but acts. Warren Buffett bought 10% of the company a couple of years ago investing $230 million. So there must be something special about BYD.
They caught the interest of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and they interviewed the founder, Chief Executive and Chairman Wang Chuanfu.
What has emerged from their interview is one of the most astonishing stories of a company’s expansion in modern history, with huge implications for future transportation.
Wang Chuanfu was a government scientist when he borrowed the equivalent of $300,000 fifteen years ago to make batteries for mobile phones, in Shenzhen in Southern China, just north of Hong Kong. He had a staff of 20 employees.
The company flourished so much so that it expanded into making automotive batteries ten years ago. Yet again, it flourished, and in 2003 it started to make complete motor vehicles. By 2009 it was producing nearly half a million vehicles a year, (to put this into perspective, that would account for nearly half of all motor cars sold in Australia last year).
Just two years ago it launched the first petrol/ battery powered hybrid car in China. It was a huge success and BYD now employs over 200,000 workers.
BYD Hybrid Car
So when the Chairman talks it’s worth listening to.
Interviewed by Peter Day, Wang Chuanfu says that BYD will be the largest car manufacturer in China by 2015 and the largest in the world by 2025. Big claims, but can he back it up?
On the basis of their current speed of growth you have to take them seriously, but even more so when you see their current product range. China has no petrol reserves, so the country is totally dependent on foreign oil – a position that they find uncomfortable. They need to limit their dependence on foreign oil, and are thus very keen to help with the development of battery powered vehicles. In fact the cost in the showroom of a BYD F3 ( the battery/petrol hybrid) is nearly 50% less than its full retail price due to the subsidies received from both the national and local governments. It retails for less than $14,000. Such assistance from the Government has naturally led BYD to concentrate on its development of the electric vehicle, and they are making amazing progress.
Currently there are virtually no fully electric passenger cars on the market in Australia, the exception being the Mitsubishi i Miev (leased out to some government agencies). Its range is 150km before a full overnight recharge.
BYD has already produced a taxi that is fully operational in its home city with a range of 300km between full recharges, and 200km before a part charge that takes less than an hour!
Fully Electric BYD Taxi
That means that they have a fully operational 23 hrs out of 24 electric taxi that can cover 400kms each day.They claim that by 2012 they will have a 400 km range electric car in production for the Chinese market, and it won’t be much longer before they start an export programme for the long range electric cars to the USA, Europe and possibly Australia. Now we can see why Warren Buffett was so keen to invest in this operation.
For the Australian motorist it is pretty clear that electric cars are going to play a crucial role in Australia’s automotive future.
How Not to Be a Road Hog
One of the charges often levelled against enthusiastic drivers is that they are “road hogs”. “They think they own the road!” is a common complaint by non-car road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians (and, out in rural areas, horse riders). With the growing concerns about rising petrol prices and about emissions, more people are turning to these non-petrol forms of transport. You may have heard injunctions to “share the road” with what transport experts refer to as “active modes of transport” and avoid being a road hog.
- Remember that bikes belong on the road. This means that if you have a Give Way or Stop sign in front of you and the bike does not, you still have to give way to the bike, even if it’s the only thing on the road. The bikes have to comply with the usual give way rules at intersections and roundabouts, and so do you – having more power and seats does not give you extra rights. If you were living in Holland, you would have fewer rights: over there, if a car collides with a bike, the car is assumed to be at fault unless they can prove otherwise, with the responsibility for that proof being on the car driver.
- Don’t drive in the bike lane. The bike lane is designed to keep slower cyclists out of your way so you can overtake them easily. It is not designed as an extra lane to allow you to overtake the car in front of you, or to get to the front of the queue at the lights when you’re turning left. Nor is it designed for parking in.
- Don’t drive on the pavement. You might think that this is a statement of the obvious, but when I used to live by a busy intersection where a huge line of cars used to queue up at the lights, I often saw people trying to get to the head of the queue at the lights “because I’m turning left and all those people in front of me aren’t” not only driving in the bike line but also getting a wheel or two up on the pavement and driving along to the head of the queue like that – even though I was walking on the aforementioned pavement with small children. So it does happen. Don’t do it.
- Give bikes a bit of space. They are less stable and may need to dodge road hogs (not like you) who drive in the bike lane, open car doors in front of them, etc. and swerve to one side. They are also less stable and can tip over if a sudden strong gust of wind takes them unawares. A good rule of thumb is to keep at least 1.5 metres clear of a cyclist when you pass just in case he or she falls over as you pass.
- If you drive near an area where lots of pedestrians and cyclists are likely (e.g. near a school), slow down and be prepared for them.
- Be polite and considerate. You may not be obliged to stop and let a waiting pedestrian through if they’re stuck on a traffic island in busy traffic, but it’s a nice thing to do if you wave them through. Consider it a random act of kindness and a way of making the world a friendlier place.
- If you’re out in the country and see a horse rider, slow down and try not to make loud noises suddenly with your engine. Especially do not blow your horn. Horses are emotional things, and if they are frightened by a sudden loud roar (“Lion! Lion! Panic! Run!”), they are likely to start acting up and throw the rider. Watch out for a hand signal that is only given by horse riders: the right arm held to the side and waving up and down from the elbow. This means “I am having trouble controlling my horse; please slow down.”
- If you have to negotiate a mob of sheep or cattle being herded along the road, pull over to the left and slow to a crawl. Again, don’t blow your horn. Sheep run straight ahead rather than to the side and if one sheep runs, others follow. Cattle are large and able to dent your vehicle (Buttercup can think that your wing mirrors make a handy scratching post if you stop). Goats go everywhere. If a collision is inevitable, don’t hit the dog.
- One of the main gripes many have about road hogs is in their inconsideration of other road uses. When you’re out driving, a road hog is easy to spot. They will go right up the back end of a car in front. They will intimidate till the last moment before pulling out and passing at the slightest sniff of a gap in oncoming traffic. Often, but not always, they drive big vehicles or fast vehicles. It’s good to be patient and to keep your distance from other cars around you. I’m sure road hogs are more stressed!
Great Wall Motors on the move.
Great Wall: What a name for a car! However, it’s not all about the name. But I do think they could have come up with something a little more romantic or exotic. Something with a little more panache would have served them better. Shuan means river, and it has a nice elegant sound to it. Shan means mountain. Shan XR8 would do the trick.
Perhaps not Dong, Lu or Ning. Fukien means ‘happy establishment’, but for the European it sounds a little close to… something else.
Some poor soul has to get the lucky job of naming a vehicle for a country with a different language and culture. I shouldn’t poke too much fun at the Great Wall Motors car manufacturing team, as, globally, the vehicle sales are definitely picking up. And you definitely can’t argue with the price. A Great Wall Motors 4×4 SUV vehicle is only going to hit you up for under $24k in Australia. With ABS, airbags and a number of high end features onboard, Great Wall Motors can’t be beaten on value.
With this sort of competition, one thing I do hope will happen is that a new Mercedes Benz or BMW might become a little cheaper for the average Joe Bloggs.
All Great Wall models come with a three year/100,000 kilometre warranty. And this is as good as you’ll find elsewhere.
So far the Great Wall utes and SUVs are standing up to the test. Would I buy one? I definitely would if I had the need. I think that the new price holds so much ‘bang for the buck’ that for three years, at least, you’ve got it made. For the same price, the alternative vehicle would be someone’s discarded work vehicle with medium ks on it – and not under warranty. I know which one I’d prefer.
Level 2, 9 Help Street