A record 60 cars have been announced in the running for the 'Semperit Irish Car of the Year 2005'. The winning car will be revealed at a ceremony in the Berkeley Court Hotel on Thursday, November 18th.
Entries range from the new Porsche 911 Carrera and Mitsubishi Evo VIII to the more realistic contenders like the new Opel Astra, Ford Focus and what many suggest will be a strong outside bet, the Toyota Prius hybrid. While the Ford Focus is listed among the 60 competing models, it's continued participation will depend on the car being on sale in showrooms in time for the November deadline. Last year's car of the year award went to the Toyota Avensis.
The Trabant, the symbol of communist-era motoring still a common sight on the streets of Hungary, has become the favourite pick of car thieves.
According to the daily newspaper Napi, Trabi-owners topped the list of car theft victims surveyed.
"For the majority of people, the most dangerous thing they do while at work is drive on public roads." That's according to the British Health and Safety Executive. With new legislation on safety in the workplace being introduced, the issue of employees and company vehicles can be a potential minefield for employers. A conference for those responsible for safety and company vehicle drivers is being held on November 10th at Clontarf Castle to address the issues involved. Organised by health, safety and risk management consultancy firm, Nifast, the speakers include Eddie Shaw of the National Safety Council, Prof Denis Cusack from the Medical Bureau of road safety and the recently appointed head of the Garda traffic division, Supt John Farrelly. Topics include managing driver risk, penalty point enforcement and its impact on employers, and drink and drug driving. Details can be found at www.nifast.ie
Saab's 9-3 and Toyota's RAV-4 have earned a "double best pick" designation from the tough US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The 9-3 is the first passenger car ever to achieve the distinction, which followed a series of 31 mph side impact crash tests.
This rating is in addition to last year's 40-mph frontal offset crash tests.
In the IIHS's side-impact test, a moving deformable 3,300 lb barrier - simulating the front of a typical pick-up or sports utility vehicle - strikes the vehicle's driver side at 31 mph.
The news was not so good for Jaguar. It's X-Type got the worst rating of any midsize saloon in the side-impact tests. The X-Type fared worse than some less expensive cars, according to the results. A Jaguar spokesman said the IIHS test is a new test and designed to simulate a side impact from a pick-up or large SUV which would be more typical to the US than Europe.