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A new study by the insurance specialist Thatcham has revealed that over 125,000 drivers are putting themselves at risk from whiplash. According to research, more than 60% of drivers in this country have their seats set up badly.

Researchers also say that headrests should be considered as important as seat belts. In order for them to work effectively, they should be at the same height as the top of the drivers head, badly adjusted headrests can potentially cause more damage than having none fitted at all.

It is believed that one in five rear crashes causes a permanently disabling neck injury.

Once again the advantage of having a company car has rated in the top 10 of perks, alongside healthcare provisions, such as eyesight checks and dental care.

The perk of having a company car has only been knocked off the top spot due to the emissions based benefit in kind tax changes that have been implemented.

According to research of half a million employees, more than half of those asked were offered a company car, although this has been a lot higher previously (80%) but has been reduced due to the introduction of CO2 based tax since 2002.

It appears that manufacturing firms are the most likely to give an employee a company car (75%), the least likely to offer a company car is the public sector, with only 22% doing so.

Many companies rely on Approved Mileage Allowance Payments instead as a method of paying employees who instead use their own car for business use. As it stands the average mile reimbursement rate is 16p for company cars and 39p for private cars on business trips.

These findings above show that as companies are being made more aware of green issues, they are using this as a method on cutting back in the spend on company vehicles while perhaps encouraging employees with pay per mile schemes, or additional benefits instead.

Growing concerns that biofuels will affect oil prices have been played down by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The concern from from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that the ongoing drive to promote biofuels as an alternative energy source risked driving oil prices “through the roof”.

OPEC is considering cutting its investment in new oil production in the face of a possible shift to biofuels. Both the US and European Union are looking to cut oil imports.

But IEA head Claude Mandil told the Financial Times that OPEC had nothing to fear.

“Even in the most optimistic scenarios, the contribution from biofuels would be very small,” he said.

Approximately half a million motorists in the UK have illegally swapped their speeding penalty points with friends or family to avoid being banned, new research reveals.
It found that 7.5 Million drivers would ask their partners / family to take on their points, particularly if it would mean them avoiding a ban.

Nine and half million motorists are also prepared to take on someone else’s points if they close to losing their licence.

Commissioned by insurance company Churchill, the study of almost 1,700 drivers aimed to look at just how far motorists are prepared to go to beat the increasing number of speed cameras springing up across the UK.

It found that 495,000 drivers, about 1.5% of Britain’s 35 million drivers, have already exchanged points with someone to avoid being “over the limit” on their licence.

A fifth of those researched said they would not be able to work if they lost their licence.

A Churchill spokesman said: “This research shows the lengths that some drivers will go to in order to stay on the roads, despite committing driving offences such as speeding.

“Trying to escape convictions by swapping points with another person is highly illegal and can lead to prosecution.”

The research also shows that half of all drivers believe that having more points on a driving licence doesn’t make a motorist a bad driver. Two-thirds of respondents also welcome government proposals to introduce graduated penalty points, which would mean drivers caught fractionally over the speed limit receiving two points and those caught at higher speeds getting three or more points.

Last year, bosses at AA Business Services encouraged fleets to make it clear to drivers that points swapping is illegal and carries serious penalties.

The company’s research found that the problem was particularly commonplace with vans or pool cars where there is no designated driver.

Demand for satellite navigation systems as optional extras is continuing to grow.
Research from a major leasing company has shown that demand has increased by 50% during the first quarter of the year, compared with the same period last year.

Over the past four years demand has grown by 155%, figures produced by LeasePlan show.

In a survey of nearly 130,000 drivers, Leaseplan identified how many drivers requested a sat-nav unit as an integrated optional extra to their company vehicle.

Bosses believe company motorists are looking to the systems due to pressures to improve on time management.

Managing director David Brennan said: “This research backs up a trend we’ve been seeing among our customers for many months now – that sat-nav has become a key business tool for a nation of company car drivers.”

The company notes that many new cars now come equipped with integrated sat-nav either as standard or as an optional extra, “showing the realisation from the motor industry that the devices are becoming less of a perk and more of a must have for many drivers”.