Hello , Welcome to the June edition of fleettorque - brought to you by Fleetcare! |
| Lk wr ur goin |
 It's official: texting can damage your health. This may not be news to anyone already suffering from SMS thumb or RSI, but people who engage in the daring pursuit of walking and texting at the same time might like to know that recent research in the UK has concluded that as many as one in ten people have already injured themselves by bumping into lampposts while busy tapping out an SMS.
In fact, it's such a problem that 10 posts in the London area of Brick Lane have been clad in rugby-style padding to prevent any more texters coming a cropper as they saunter along, oblivious to street furniture. If this results in a marked decrease in walking-and-texting-related accidents then the local authority is considering extending the scheme to other 'high-risk' areas of the city, and even painting coloured lines on roads to stop texters tangling with the traffic.
So, if you're tempted to text while in charge of your own two feet, think again!
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| Conflict in the car park |
 Many an argument has broken out in a crowded car park over who has called first dibs on the best space available and although there is a whole handbook of regulations on road use, when it comes to parking the car, the rules are that there are no rules.
Who hasn't been infuriated by someone jumping out of their car and standing in the space you were just about to pull in to? Or someone driving against the flow of traffic and nipping in ahead? Minor, stressful situations like these can escalate into violence - just ask the 19-year-old driver who was punched in the mouth by a fellow driver at a Cairns shopping centre earlier this year for narrowly avoiding a collision, and an elderly woman who was recently pushed to the ground in a Brisbane car park for stealing a space from another driver.
To read more click here... |
| Happy birthday, Ma'am |
While the rest of the country will be enjoying the Queen's official birthday with a holiday weekend on 9 June, Western Australians will be having their own celebration on 2 June and waiting until later in the year to wish Ma'am many happy returns.
 Foundation Day is officially 1 June, but in WA it's marked with a public holiday on the first Monday of the month as an opportunity to commemorate the foundation of the Swan River Colony in 1829. The state's first European settlers - men, women and children - completed their long sea journey from Britain on board the Parmelia, under the command of Captain James Stirling, and had their first view of mainland Western Australia on this day.
The sovereign's birthday has been recognised with a public holiday in Australia since 1788, when Governor Phillip declared that convicts and settlers should have the day off on the birthday of King George III on 4 June. Until 1936 the actual birthday of the reigning monarch was observed, but after the death of King George V it was decided to retain the day of his birthday, June 3rd, or the nearest suitable day for the public holiday. For more information on public holidays in Australia click here...
Either way, enjoy the long weekend! |
| Ferrari California |
At last, Ferrari has unveiled its hotly anticipated fourth model - the glamorously named California, a four-seat, V8 aimed at the 'more mature' buyer.
It's due to arrive here in mid-2009 and when it does Ferrari hopes that it will reignite interest in the glitzy Italian brand. With four seats, the Ferrari California is aimed at those who want the looks and performance of a Ferrari but don't want to stretch to one of the two V12 models - the 599 GTB and the 612 Scaglietti.
In keeping with the desires of the target market, the Ferrari California is fitted with a folding hard-top roof, making it exclusively a convertible. The car's body is aluminium to reduce weight and offer better fuel economy and performance from its smaller engines, positioned in the rear of the car, rather than under the bonnet.
Ferrari has not yet released exact details of the engine, but it will deliver 460hp, or around 343kW, at 7500rpm and the V8 will have a deeper rumble than the scream of the F430. When it arrives in Australia in mid-2009, the Ferrari California is expected to be priced at a similar level to the $416,850 F430 though, which has comparable performance but only two seats. |
| Sunroof envy |
 If your car just doesn't match up to the others in the car park, then a new product could be for you. Available on eBay, it's a fake sunroof that you simply place on the roof of your car to give the impression that you've shelled out for a pricier model. All fine, until you're driving on the freeway!
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Wake up and smell the fruitbowl If you're having trouble getting out of bed on these cold winter mornings, try swapping your first cup of coffee for an apple. Apparently, apples are more effective than caffeine at waking up the body.
Give it a go! |
Tax savings
According to a story in the Australian Financial Review on 17th May 2008, $2.3bn is the estimated saving from tax changes to perks in the federal budget. |
Jams of epic proportions
You may think that traffic congestion is a new phenomenon, but not so. Back in the year 45 BC, the roads in Rome were so clogged with vehicles that the Emperor banned all horses and carriages, and in many other Roman cities, vehicles were only allowed to use the urban roads at night because the traffic jams they caused were so bad. |
Auto Safety
The Auto Safety Awareness Program (ASAP), is a joint initiative of the VACC, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, RACV, TAC and VicRoads, designed to raise your awareness of how important it is to maintain the condition of your vehicle regularly, particularly as the wet weather approaches. Auto Safety week will run from Monday June 2nd to Monday June 9th 2008. To find out more click here... |
Wwwacky website
If you were a sports car, which car would you be? This may not be right up there with questions about life, the universe and everything, but finding out which car best reflects your personality could be seen as one small step towards finding out more about your inner self.
Just go to Which Sports Car Are You and answer a few simple and not terribly soul-searching questions about how you see yourself and the 'Which sports car are you?' generator will do the rest. Are you loud, powerful, competitive and happy wielding a sledgehammer? Then you're a Ford Mustang. Are you passionate, high-maintenance and often topless in the summer? You're a Lamborghini Murcielago, in bright yellow according to the picture. A bit of harmless, psycho-automotive fun.
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