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In-Car Breathalyzers Now Compulsory – in France
The French have become the first nation in the World to compel ALL drivers to carry a breathalyzer in their cars from July 1st.
This rather draconian legislation has come about due to the high incidence of all road fatalities that involve drivers above the legal limit – a staggering 31 percent. 
As nearly one in three of all fatal accidents involve a drink driver, it’s no wonder that authorities need to take urgent action.
Complying breathalyzers include single use ones that can cost as little as $5.00. Whilst the task of getting drunk drivers off the road is commendable you have to question whether this is the way to do it. Critics claim that this is a toothless measure that will only work with responsible drivers and will have little effect on those who are a real problem. You can see their point when the average blood alcahol level in drivers involved in drink-related fatal accidents is 2.25gms per litre, or more than four-and-a-half times the legal limit! Let me repeat that…..the average blood alcahol level of all those fatal drink- related accidents was more than four times the legal limit. That is an astonishing statistic which would certainly make many visitors wary of even venturing onto the French highways. So certainly something must be done. But is this the answer?
What’s the point? Will it work? Does it make sense? Is it likely to be adopted by the autocrats in Oz?
Have your say below
A "Howard" Motor Car?
Have you seen a rather funny dialogue going the email rounds lately purporting to be a sketch featuring John Clarke and Bryan Dawe?
It’s worth a read so we have re-produced it below. As far as we can discover it was not a skit run on the ABC, and it is not ascribed to either of these humorists, but it’s funny, nevertheless:
Scene: A car yard. BRYAN is perusing the stock. He is approached by JOHN] John: Morning! Looking for a new car?
Bryan: Nope. New Prime Minister, actually.
John: You’re the third one this morning. Anything in mind?
Bryan: You know…… nothing fancy, reliable, economical family model. Something to get the country from A to B.
John: You mean like a Howard?
Bryan: Yeah…a little Johnny. Nothing flash, does the job. Low maintenance, economical, sensible. Runs for years, no troubles.
John: So…. you used to have one?
Bryan: Yeah. About 10 years. Great little model – don’t know why I got rid of him — biggest mistake I’ve ever made.
John: What happened?
Bryan: Traded him in for a Kevin 07
John: Big mistake.
Bryan: Lot of people bought it. Good political mileage.
John: How was the Kevin 07?
Bryan: Came with a $900 factory rebate – that was good.
John: Anything else?
Bryan: Not much. Sounded nice but nothing under the bonnet. It was a lemon.
John: Didn’t stick around for long did it?
Bryan: Nah – had a factory recall. Shipped overseas and was never seen again.
John: What was the problem?
Bryan: Lots. But the final straw was the navigation system. Plug it in and it automatically loses its own way.
John: Whatcha got now?
Bryan: It’s a Gillard-Brown.
John: The hybrid?
Bryan: Yeah. The Eco-drive system – not a good idea. An engine that can’t deliver hooked up to a transmission stuck in permanent reverse.
John: Green paintwork with a red interior. And steering that always lurches to the left for no apparent reason – that’s the one?
Bryan: The Fustercluck model.
John: The only one they made, Bryan. Not the vehicle of choice for the road to recovery – but did they finish up fixing the navigation system?
Bryan: Made it worse. Turn it on and it does a press release, heads off in all directions and goes nowhere.John: So that’s why you’re here?
Bryan: That’s right. I’m stuck with a car that’s wasteful, expensive, ineffective and past its use by date. I don’t suppose you’ve heard of the “Cash for Clunkers” scheme?
John: Join the queue brother.
Back Flip On Ethanol
A huge back flip has been announced by the NSW Government on the ethanol issue. Both Government and Opposition supported the withdrawl of 91 octane unleaded from the garage forecourts in favour of 10 percent ethanol by 1st July 2012. When this was announced and made law in 2009 there was an outcry from motorists, petrol retailers and refineries alike.
Private Fleet discussed the pros and cons at length here and our readers responded here. It was clearly not a popular decision as many motorists would be forced to pay for premium fuel and virtually every NSW motorist would, arguably, face higher fuel bills as the slightly lower ethanol pump price did not compensate for the poorer fuel economy.
Clearly someone was listening as the O’Farrell government announced on 20th January that the cabinet has agreed to dump the ban on 91 unleaded!
So NSW motorists will be pleased, as will interstate drivers who would be faced with having to put 10 percent ethanol fuel or 95 octane premium brew in their tanks when they venture into NSW.
Do you think it’s a great example of the government listening to the people, or do you think they should have gone ahead anyway?
Have you say below.
Is Running On Compressed Air Just Too Much Hot Air?
In 2007 Tata Motors of India announced to the world that they had developed a car that would run on compressed air and that it would be on the market by 2008. In fact they even displayed a car (see below) and said that at least 6,000 would be on the road within months.
There were some remarkable claims made at the launch of this car:-
• It would be totally emission free at the exhaust
• It could be re-charged at home in 4 hours, or at a garage in minutes
• It could have a range of several hundred kilometers before it needs a re-charge
• It would be frozen air that could be directly used as an airconditioner etc.etc.
• A fully optioned car could be put on the road for less than $10,000!
It sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it. So why haven’t we heard more?
Well, that’s a bit of a puzzle as Tata Motors, whilst being the largest vehicle manufacturer in India (and they also own Jaguar and Land Rover) have gone strangely quiet. Tata did admit to having some heat exchange problems with the technology a couple of years ago. In 2009 the University Of Berkely in California published a report that said “Even under highly optimistic assumptions the compressed-air car is significantly less efficient than a battery electric vehicle and produces more greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional gas powered car with a coal intensive power mix.
On the other hand Luxembourg-based MDI, the developer of the concept, is much more confident.
Their latest design (shown below with and without clothes) was exhibited at the Paris Motor show last year.
Financial support for this venture has been provided to MDI by Tata, and MDI is certainly upbeat about putting an air-compressed powered car on the roads in the near future.
So will it happen?
We shall see.
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