An estimated 20% of all road accidents are caused by tiredness each year. Commercial vehicle drivers are at particular risk, with about one in four tiredness related crashes involving somebody at the wheel of such a vehicle.

Drivers of lorries, trucks and vans, in particular, are urged to ensure that they have had an adequate amount of rest and that they feel refreshed before setting off on a journey.

John Charles, a representative of Fleet News, said, ‘being fatigued significantly raises the risk of a collision. It makes van drivers less alert to what is happening on the road and less able to react quickly and safely if a dangerous situation arises’.

According to the official guidelines, released by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), commercial vehicle drivers should be on the road for a maximum of 10 hours per day. It is strongly advised that they take a number of breaks within this period. They should organize their trip in advance so that they are fully aware of the places that they can stop.

Mr Charles said, ‘planning journeys more diligently, identifying places where drivers know they can stop safely to rest if they become fatigued and being aware of the body’s biological clock or circadian rhythms’ are all good ideas.

There are a number of contributing factors which can all lead to a driver falling asleep behind the wheel. There is a higher likelihood of this situation occurring at certain times of the day. The most dangerous periods are from midnight to six o clock in the morning and from two o clock to four o clock in the afternoon. It is during this time that the body clock takes a ‘dip’.

Perhaps one of the most obvious causes of driver tiredness is a lack of sleep. People may experience a lack of sleep for any number of reasons. Among these are disturbed sleep, perhaps caused by a baby or domestic problems, or sleep disorders such as insomnia. Insufficient rest periods can also cause a driver to feel tired. It is often best for people suffering from a lack of sleep to be checked at the doctors before driving anywhere.

Medication can also cause a person to feel drowsy. Both prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs can affect an individuals ability to drive. Always ask your doctor or pharmacist of the effects that drugs can have on your driving.

A factor which many people may not consider when driving is that vehicles today are far quieter than they were in years past. The driver may experience such a smooth ride that it is easy to day dream or fall asleep. Commercial vehicle drivers are reminded of the necessity of being alert and refreshed at the start of a journey. If they feel that their mind is wandering it is best to pull over for a rest.

According to research, drivers are usually aware when they are becoming sleepy. They may experience difficulty concentrating, yawning, heavy eyelids, rolling of eyes and neck muscles relaxing. They are advised against attempts to battle their way through the symptoms of tiredness. It is best to pull over at the first possible opportunity.

Alastair Peoples, acting chief executive at VOSA, said, ‘research shows that up to one in six serious crashes are caused by drivers falling asleep and a significant number of crashes is caused by lack of attention which is also often due to sleepiness’.

A sleepy driver poses considerable danger to other road users. Any Commercial Vehicle Insurance policy is highly unlikely to cover accidents caused by tiredness

To get cheap car insurance comparison, web based insurance companies ask for some information about your car. You don’t have to give them your personal social security number or other privileged information that don’t concern your car and if they do, the site is probably a scam so beware. If you want to get the best auto insurance quotes and comparisons, you must make sure that the information you provided are also accurate and true.

Most of the time, the car insurance comparison you get over the internet is much cheaper than the office based companies. The reason for this is that they don’t have to pay for overhead cost and other office related expenses because they are web based. They can also offer great discounts and affordable rates for your auto insurance. They also have a great assortment of insurance coverage which you can choose from depending on what type of car insurance you are looking for.

After months of speculation GM has pulled the plug on Saab, which has left the loss-making Swedish car company no option but to file for ‘Chapter 11’-style bankruptcy. The move means a Swedish court-appointed administrator will oversee efforts by Saab to reorganise itself once more into a fully independent entity, while offering short-term legal protection from its creditors, which will give the car firm the opportunity to try and get itself back on its feet and get protected against bankruptcy. 

However the company has reiterated it can only survive as in independent in the future with significant external funding, it has been reported that last year the company lost nearly £250 million.

‘We explored and will continue to explore all available options for funding and/or selling Saab and it was determined a formal reorganisation would be the best way to create a truly independent entity that is ready for investment,’ said Jan Ake Jonsson, Managing Director for Saab Automobile.

‘With an all new 9-5, 9-3X and 9-4X all ready for launch over the next year and a half, Saab has an excellent foundation for strong growth, assuming we can get the funding to complete engineering, tooling and manage launch costs. Reorganisation will give us the time and means that help get these products to market while minimising the liquidity impact of Saab on GM.’

The company produced a press release today putting on a brave face in regards to the situation, stating Saab’s intention to re-concentrate the marque’s design, engineering and manufacturing operations in Sweden over a three month period, assuming the administrator agrees to the plans. But in the meanwhile the GM decision which was made to cut Saab loose has put the Swedish government under increasing pressure to stump up a taxpayer bailout.

The Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class 55 AMG is a comfort executive car constructed by the German company Mercedes-Benz since 1997 and there has been two productions of SLK cars by the German car production giant since first introduced. 

The Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG built with V8 engine and the productivity is 342BHP – 367BHP at 5500 rpm with 382 ft.lbf – 391 ft.lbf of torque at 2800-5400 rpm.

The 0-62 mph figure of the AMG is estimated at 4.9 seconds but others have claimed times of less than 4.3 seconds. Which is a fantastic figure for mercedes to use to promote the car, along with this the AMG has many other features including amplified brake capability, supplementary engine oil chiller, AMG body gear with unique gills in frontage bumpers, leather finished interior and 19-inch wheels. 

A Roof regulator which permits the cars roof to be released and closed by remote. (Can be operated under 5mph) and while driving without holding down the button. 

LED light system which includes plate lights, signal indicators, etc. The Brake lights are previously LEDs, but now Indicators on the Rearview mirror are LEDs and third brake light enlighten the axis LED light in pause or rhythm.

Land Rover was first introduced to the USA in March 1987. But the take up on the Land Rover in the US was slow, and when first introduced it took almost ten and a half years to sell the first 100,000 vehicles but they then became popular and it took only five years to sell the next 150,000.

And now with an expanded lineup and the Range Rover still stalking the countryside as the king of the luxury SUV pride, Land Rover North America has taken just two-and-a-half years to sell another 100,000 vehicles.

When a Range Rover Sport left the lot in Cerritos, California this month that totaled 500,000 Land Rovers bought and paid for. So on Land Rovers 60^th birthday they have officially sold 500,000 in the US – I think that deserves a huge congratulations!

The news at the annual Retailer Breakfast Meeting at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in New Orleans, that the company reached a historic milestone recently when a Range Rover Sport Supercharged became the company’s 500,000th vehicle sold in the United States.

“Reaching this milestone demonstrates the strength of the Land Rover brand and is a result of a dedicated and passionate retailer network,” said Chris Marchand, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Land Rover North America.

“The Land Rover model line-up has undergone a complete revitalization and reaching this achievement shows the growth we have experienced over the past four years. It took us ten years to sell the first 100,000 vehicles and we have sold the last 100,000 since July of 2006.”

Land Rover takes its responsibility to the environment seriously. Emissions have been cut with all new models and, together with Jaguar, it is investing £700m on technology specifically aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions.  

Today it has been confirmed by Honda that the long-lived Honda S2000 will be no more from next year, the car was introduced in 1999 and although not to everyone’s tastes it has won over the hearts of many road testers, then S2000 is a true drivers car and ALOT of fun, trust me – i own one myself! (pictured)

Very sadly a replacement for the high-revving two-seater, bike technology sports car is in doubt as carmakers are scaling back on their niche products.

Car critic Jeremy Clarkson famously quoted his admiration for the Honda S2000 by saying, “If Dr Jekyll had owned one of these, he wouldn’t have needed a potion to turn him into a right nutter!”

“It is a sports car that papers over some less than ideal dynamic characteristics with a superbly high-revving VTEC engine and the sort of gearbox you can enjoy for hours without even turning a wheel, purpose built as a soft-top, the S2000 is definitely cooler than retrospective hatchet jobs like the heavy and ugly Nissan 350Z Roadster.”

The Honda S2000 is a sports car that papers over some less than ideal dynamic characteristics with a superbly high-revving VTEC engine and the sort of gearbox you can enjoy for hours without even turning a wheel

‘The S2000 is a sports car designed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts,’ said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. ‘It raised the bar for all future roadsters, and it’s already considered a classic by many Honda fans.’

The S2000 was only supposed to be a limited edition to mark Honda’s birthday but survived for ten years and production is due to end in June 2009. 

JE Design made a lot of improvements for this ride. They created a wide body kit, installed LSD Doors and 18? alloys. They modified this car’s engine to deliver 244 BHP and now this Seat Leon could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.4 seconds.

Hardly six months since the release of the first complete conversion kit, JE DESIGN well-known as a Seat tuning specialist, is now presenting the highlight of its Leon suite – a wide body with wing doors. JE DESIGN also gives the new turbo-charged petrol engine an extra boost.

The Seat Leon makes a mighty impression after JE DESIGN has fitted it out with its wide body conversion kit. JE DESIGN starts off comparatively tamely at the front with a new front grille without a badge. However, on reaching the side-mounted body styling elements, it becomes clear that we are not dealing with just an ordinary tuning job here.

This is because JE DESIGN fits the Leon with a 10-piece wheel arch extension kit which enables the Leon to fill out any rear-view mirror that little bit more than usual. The knowledge of this effect magically compels the driver to sport a broad grin across his face when overtaking. 

JE DESIGN’s front spoiler and the boot-lid rear spoiler produce a lift-reducing effect. The rear view is rounded off by the JE-DESIGN rear apron attachment, which can be used both with the standard-fitted rear silencer as well as the awesome-sounding 4-pipe rear silencer specially produced in stainless steel by JE DESIGN. 

JE DESIGN has also been fit with a with a coil-over suspension, which allows the suspension to be lowered between 35mm and 65 mm to suit the driver’s individual taste.

The SLK 55 AMG is now even more dynamic: a new front apron and dark-tinted headlamps give this unique eight-cylinder roadster an even more athletic look even at a standstill. The handling dynamics of the SLK 55 AMG have also been sharpened.

For the first time the car features the new direct steering with variable servo assistance, which makes the 265 kW/360 hp two-seater even more agile and responsive. The SLK 55 AMG is also the only car in its class to feature a V8 engine, and a speed-shift transmission now offers even faster gearchanges.

The redesigned front apron with a more pronounced arrow-shape, the modified Mercedes star, enlarged air dams and a black-painted transverse fin on the lower section ensure a distinctly masculine aura. Large, round foglamps with chrome surrounds are now positioned further outwards, enhancing the impression of width. The specific AMG bodystyling also includes AMG side skirts, the muscular AMG rear apron with a black insert and the AMG spoiler lip.

New features also include dark-tinted projection-beam headlamps, LED indicator repeaters in an arrow design ensure more safety. New 18-inch AMG light-alloy wheels in a multi-spoke design, painted in titanium grey and with a high-sheen star, these provide interesting contrasts when viewed from the side. Outstanding deceleration values are ensured by the AMG high-performance braking system with internally ventilated brake discs all-round.

Honda’s attempt to right-size its development schedule and cope with the economic downturn apparently extends beyond the cancellation of the next NSX. Honda changing its plans for the next two years, and that includes rethinking the development of a range of rear-wheel-drive Acuras, a new V8 and the S2000′s successor.  

Acura seems to be carrying the weight of the bad news, with its RWD 7-series rival, originally due out in 2015, cancelled indefinitely, along with development of a V8 engine that would allow the brand to compete with the best and brightest from Germany. 

Unfortunately, the cancellation of development also extends to Honda’s smaller offerings, Honda planned to release a drop-top version of its CR-Z after the hybrid goes on sale next year, but that model has been axed too. Even more disturbingly, 2009 will be the last year of production for the S2000, with no new model waiting in the wings. This will be very disappointing for Honda as these were exciting plans and it is very unfortunate that it is hitting them so hard.