Interesting Fact # 836 - Car Accidents

According to research carried out by DirectLine for the Daily Mirror, satellite navigation systems are being blamed for 300,000 road accidents each year.

(Over 1.5 million drivers said that they had driven badly because they were consulting the devices, either by veering across lanes or making illegal manoeuvres. Might I suggest that if a sat-nav gives you an instruction that is likely to leave you in the middle of a river, or driving the wrong way down a road, ignore it.)

Interesting Fact # 826 - Whiplash

A female driver is three times more likely than a man to suffer whiplash injuries if her car is hit from behind.

(Female passengers suffer from whiplash injuries when their car is hit from the front too. Believe me, I know.)

Interesting Fact # 797 - Hydrogen Powered Cars

For years BMW has been refining its dual-fuel (hydrogen/gasoline) technology. They have now developed the mono-fuel Hydrogen 7, which runs solely on hydrogen.

(According to Argonne National Laboratory it is "one of the lowest emitting combustion engine vehicles that have been manufactured." This is great news! Until you read the Spiegel that is, which says that the hydrogen dispensed at filling stations is generated primarily from petroleum and natural gas. So, the shiny new car puts about as much strain on the environment as a heavy truck with a diesel engine.)

Interesting Fact # 686 - Cars

The Bavarian company Herpa, a miniature model manufacturer located in Germany, announced at the International Automobile show in Frankfort a.M. that they want to put the Trabant back on the streets by 2009.

(Now this won't be a model, this will be a full-sized car. But it will still be made out of plastic, so no difference there.)

Interesting Fact # 643 - Travel

A study by the RAC Foundation has found that around 71% of British workers travel to work by car.

(Whatever happened to "Go to work on an egg"?)

Interesting Fact # 537 - Rolls Royce owners

14% of Rolls-Royce owners also own a private jet and 7% a yacht.

(In addition, on average, Rolls-Royce owners already have an average of seven or eight cars, along with three to five properties. So, do you fancy working out the carbon footprint for these people?)