New Heavy Vehicle Speed Compliance Laws in 2010: South Australia

Image via Wikipedia

On 1 February 2010, new nationally consistent Heavy Vehicle Speeding Compliance laws HVSC will come into effect in South Australia. The aim of the new laws is to reduce heavy vehicle speeding to make the roads safer for everyone.

The new laws will apply to you if you use, operate or manage heavy vehicles including buses with a gross vehicle mass of more than 4.5 tonnes.

The new laws:

• require those that use, operate or manage the transport of goods or passengers to implement speed management systems to ensure the safety of drivers and all other road users
• require you to monitor and review speed compliance on a regular basis to ensure that drivers do not speed and that your business practices do not encourage speeding
• require you take reasonable steps to ensure those you do business with are aware of their responsibilities under the new speed laws.

Offences under the new laws are classified according to the level of risk. The greater the risk to safe road use caused by the offense, the greater the penalty. Penalties will range from an infringement notice to court imposed penalties.

via Freight Heavy Vehicle Speed – Transport SA.

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Save Fuel And Still Get 5-Star Safety

New safety rating results show that low fuel consumption cars can also achieve the highest safety ratings.

The Mini Cooper diesel hatch, the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic diesel hatch, the Volvo C30 diesel hatch, all models of Toyota’s environmental flagship, the hybrid Prius, have achieved a 5-star safety rating from Australia’s leading independent vehicle safety advocate, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

ANCAP Business Manager, Nick Clarke, said the results show new car buyers they can save fuel and still get 5-star safety. “These ratings show that manufacturers can make a range of fuel efficient vehicles which do not compromise safety results,” Mr Clarke said.

Other ANCAP results show the recently released Subaru Liberty Exiga and the upgraded Hyundai Santa Fe with 4 cylinder engine also achieved 5-star ANCAP ratings. The Honda City sedan achieved a 4-star rating.

The results released today are from crash tests undertaken by ANCAP in Australia and by ANCAP’s sister organisation EuroNCAP, to internationally recognised protocols.

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Proton S16 cheapest car

The price line for new cars in Australia has just dropped to $11,990 – including on-road costs – thanks to Proton.

The Malaysian carmaker has acted early to head off the potential price threat from Chinese imports, and to try and reach critical mass in local showrooms before the Geely and Great Wall brands gain traction in 2010.

The Proton price fighter in the S16, a four-door sedan with a 1.6- litre engine, and the company is aiming for around 1800 sales a year. The S16 is a major gamble for Proton, which has never gone beyond a bit player in Australia despite good looking cars including the baby Savvy. It has struggled to meet quality expectations and performance targets for local buyers.

via Proton S16 cheapest car | Review | carsguide.com.au.

 

Freight Heavy Vehicle Speed – Transport SA

Image via Wikipedia

On 1 February 2010, new nationally consistent Heavy Vehicle Speeding Compliance laws HVSC will come into effect in South Australia.

The aim of the new laws is to reduce heavy vehicle speeding to make the roads safer for everyone.

The new laws will apply to you if you use, operate or manage heavy vehicles including buses with a gross vehicle mass of more than 4.5 tonnes.

The new laws don’t change the speed rules that apply to drivers, they just increase the responsibility of everyone involved in the transport of goods and passengers to ensure they do all they can to prevent speeding.The new laws:

• require those that use, operate or manage the transport of goods or passengers to implement speed management systems to ensure the safety of drivers and all other road users
• require you to monitor and review speed compliance on a regular basis to ensure that drivers do not speed and that your business practices do not encourage speeding
• require you take reasonable steps to ensure those you do business with are aware of their responsibilities under the new speed laws.

Offences under the new laws are classified according to the level of risk. The greater the risk to safe road use caused by the offence, the greater the penalty. Penalties will range from an infringement notice to court imposed penalties.

via Freight Heavy Vehicle Speed – Transport SA.

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LED signs may brighten ad revenue for buses

The LEDs that are transforming vehicle lighting are expanding into a new area: bus advertising. Lighted displays installed on buses can change messages often, even linking to GPS systems to pinpoint ads as buses travel into different neighborhoods.

via Electronics – Truck & Bus Engineering Online.

 

reBlog from waynechecker.net: waynechecker.net

I found this fascinating article today:

# HCCI engine could come close to matching the efficiency of a typical hybrid engine.waynechecker.net, waynechecker.net, Oct 2009

You should read the whole article.

 

2009 Tokyo Auto Show Highlights by Edmunds’ Inside Line

2009 Tokyo Auto Show Highlights:
http://www.insideline.com/auto-shows/tokyo/2009/
Mitsubishi PX MIEV @ 2009 Tokyo Auto Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGWtSqlTy2Y
It may be smaller, but don’t count it out. There’s a lot to see at this years Tokyo Auto Show, including the Lexus LFA, Toyota FT-86, Honda CR-Z, and more.

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Top Gear Ken Block

Well I decided that its time I publish a fun post for a change … so please enjoy …

 

Fuel substitution futile

Putting a higher octane fuel in your car won’t boost performance unless it’s designed for it.

And Australian motorists are wasting millions of dollars a year pumping high performance fuels into cars which gain no benefit from the high-profile, high-priced products.

“The oil companies have for years encouraged the view that there is performance benefit in using a higher octane fuel because they sell the premium fuel as a premium product at a premium price,” warns NRMA vehicle specialist Jack Haley.

via Fuel substitution futile | Review | carsguide.com.au.

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AS GREENEST WAY TO TRAVEL, BUSES MAKE EVERY DAY EARTH DAY | ABA

I found this fascinating article today:

WASHINGTON – The status of motorcoaches as the undisputed greenest way to travel make every day Earth Day for the members of the American Bus Association.“When you go by motorcoach, you’re traveling on the greenest travel option,” said ABA President & CEO Peter J. Pantuso. “Earth Day is April 22nd. But buses are the eco-friendly choice any day. So at ABA, every day of the year is one to celebrate reducing our carbon footprints, cutting energy use and saving fuel.”The Union of Concerned Scientists, an activist group known for its environmental advocacy, recently released a report titled “Getting There Greener: The Guide To Your Lower Carbon Vacation” in which they recommended going by bus. “A couple traveling on a motorcoach will generate nearly 50 percent less global warming pollution than they would driving a hybrid car,” the scientists concurred.A recently updated study from DePaul University found that more bus travel cuts CO2. “The growth of new bus operators … over the past year has reduced the carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 36,000 tons,” DePaul researchers reported, citing “… the proportional shift in travel from less fuel-efficient modes” to more efficient bus travel.Motorcoaches lead every other travel mode in terms of their fuel efficiency on a per-passenger basis, averaging more than 200 passenger miles per gallon, according to an updated study by MJ Bradley & Associates, “Updated Comparison of Energy Use & Emissions From Different Transportation Modes,” which looked at 14 travel modes.“Independent scientific and academic third parties are corroborating that buses are the greenest way to travel,” Pantuso added. “Motorcoaches are part of America’s energy solution. For buses, every day of the year is Earth Day. April 22nd is only one of 365.”waynechecker.net, waynechecker.net, Sep 2009

You should read the whole article.