Apparently, in Richard Hammond’s section in The Mirror on Friday he came down on the side of those who run out of fuel on the motorway. He stated that, whilst an average of 43 people per day break down due to just that reason, he’s suprised that it isn’t many more and that the government should “force motorway service stations to sell fuel at a reasonable price”.

Whilst it’s true that some service stations charge much more than standard petrol stations, there’s also an element of personal responsibility here that just cannot be ignored. You wouldn’t take a journey on flat tyres, so why on Earth would you go on a section of road where traffic is travelling at significantly quicker speeds than anywhere else fully knowing that there’s a chance you may see the Fuel needle go past the red?

Short of some sort of personal catastrophe, I have no sympathy at all for those who run out of fuel on the motorway – and in fact it worries me that these people are behind the wheel. If a few pence is the cause for concern, drive to a town or village. Few other issues can provide an excuse for such a stupid reason for a stop.

I don’t know about you, but my local council seems to insist on setting up roadworks that take an age to complete and provide maximal disruption for everyone. I won’t name the road but a major north route has been affected due to certain parts being closed, despite it being the weekend. If the signs are suggesting that a workforce may be in the road, then surely it follows that this must be a possibility? I’ve not seen anyone work on a road over the weekend yet.

Road closures have a major impact on our motoring lives, forcing us to find alternative routes, contribuing to CO2 emissions as queues build up and generally making life more difficult. Unless there’s an imminent danger or other serious reason to keep the road closed, you’d think they would switch to a temporary reduced limit. Still, sometimes it’s planning that seems to be lacking on our roads…

Traffic congestion is a global problem and the concern has been aggravated with the introduction of smaller and cheaper cars. Once stuck in a traffic jam you can seldom do anything to help your self other than being patient. Instead of getting stuck in jams, it is advisable that you get a real-time traffic enabled GPS on-board for that would save you time and reduce the car’s emissions as well.

It is not just a personal suggestion but a fact backed by a survey which reveals that real-time traffic info can save American drivers four days a year and could cut CO2 emissions by 21% which directly means a lot lesser harm to our beloved surrounding which is diminishing every damn day. Since this survey comes from NAVTEQ, this can be seen as a promotional tactic but we still believe there is an element of truth in it.

PRESS RELEASE

NAVTEQ Study Shows Traffic-Enabled Navigation Can Save Drivers 4 Days per Year

Results Build Upon Fuel and Carbon Emission Savings Previously Reported

CHICAGO, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ — NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions, has revealed further insights from a proprietary research study designed to assess the consumer impact of everyday use of navigation devices. These findings focus specifically on the impact that the addition of real-time traffic has on the driver experience, and point to the use of traffic information as a primary influencer in time savings for the average driver.

The results are from a three pronged study conducted in two metropolitan areas of Germany – Dusseldorf and Munich — which evaluated drivers without a navigation system, drivers with a navigation system, and drivers with a navigation system that included real-time traffic. Previous studies in this field focused more on “getting lost” scenarios versus the benefits to drivers of navigation system use during the course of their normal driving habits.

The study revealed that the drivers using traffic enabled navigation devices experienced dramatic time savings, spending 18% less time driving on an average trip versus drivers without navigation. If applied over the course of a year, a driver who does not currently use a navigation device would save themselves 4 days of driving each year if they had a traffic-enabled navigation system. Additionally, the findings show that drivers with real-time traffic experience reductions in distance traveled as well as increase fuel efficiency which would lead to a decrease in CO2 emissions per driver of .79 metric tons, or 21% less than a driver without a navigation system.

These results not only point to the positive impact on German drivers, they can be projected to other countries as well, for example*:

– UK drivers with traffic enabled navigation would save 2.5 days per
year and drop their CO2 emissions by 20%

– US drivers with traffic enabled navigation would save 4 days per year
and lower their CO2 emissions by 21%

* Study results have been applied to country specific data (e.g. market size; average annual miles driven) in reporting these figures

The participants, who had not previously owned a navigation device, had their vehicles outfitted with a logging device which was used to track the route they drove and their driving speed. The study results reflect more than 2,100 individual trips, more than 20,000 kilometers and almost 500 hours on the road.

The study was conducted by NuStats, a social science research firm that over the past 25 years has established itself as a leader in population surveys and qualitative research pertaining to transportation in general, and personal mobility and transit use in particular.

“This study continues to support the positive role that navigation plays in improving the consumer driving experience,” says John MacLeod, executive vice president, NAVTEQ Connected Services. “In addition, the study supports the tangible benefits of navigation on fuel savings and environmental impact.”

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data that enables navigation and location-based platforms around the world. NAVTEQ supplies comprehensive digital map information to power automotive navigation systems, portable and wireless devices, Internet-based mapping applications and government and business solutions. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 4,400 employees located in 192 offices and in 43 countries.

If you’re going to be present at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, our suggestion is to check out the Porsche Corner as the Germans will have a race car on show. The factory race car is based on the 911 GT3 RS and is powered by a horizontally-opposed 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine which produces a commendable 450 hp at 8,500 rpm. Even though there are no official numbers, this configuration is good enough to help the car pelt from 0 to 100km/h in less than four seconds and the overall top speed should be somewhere around 314km/h. The only color choice available will be Carrera White and it will be priced around €149,850.

You know when 9ff makes a resolution to manufacture something extraordinary out of the ‘extraordinary’; the auto fanatics are surely in for a treat. In this madness of enthusiasm it will only be some of those Arab sheiks that will benefit, but, we are still ready to celebrate. The word on the street is that 9ff is planning to build just three examples of a GT9-R without a roof — yes a convertible. And if you thought the Bugatti Veyron Targa will not find a topless monster challenging its 1000+ horses that make the car fly at 250mph, you were probably wrong. Since 9ff will only spin off three of these supercars, I am more than certain that Buggati will feel the heat and probably even melt down. [via Autoblog]

Koenigsegg may not be an owner as experienced as GM but it has taken the right decision of hurrying the announcement of the 2010 Saab 9-5. It may not be hurried in the context that an upgrade took a decade but even then, it is good to know that the upgrade has finally arrived. The influences of GM are still evident but that in no manner harms the car. The 2010 Saab 9-5 comes with a number of engine choices which include a 1.6-liter gas turbo variant capable of producing 180hp, a 2.8L V6 turbo that churns 300 horses and a 2.0L 4 Cylinder turbo capable of producing 220hp. For the green freaks, there is an E85 based 2.0L engine and a 2.0L turbo diesel choice. All these engine variants will be mated to a six-speed gear transmission. [via Jalopnik]

The German Nurburgring Circuit and the American Death Valley are two places where the Spy photographers always camp in with their top notch cameras to catch glimpses of the scorchers of the future. This time around, it is the 2011 Porsche Boxster which was caught testing in Germany, thus revealing a few facets of the upcoming baby. The rear LED light clusters and the elongated and bulging front end is what is seemingly new there. On the other hand, the spoiler, the third brake light, the side sills and the vents, are all unchanged. Maybe these similarities are only for the test mule and we hope that a production ready model is what the spy photographers capture, the next time around. [via WCF]