Study across Scottish Borders shows 20mph speed limit a success
A study by Edinburgh Napier University has shown that the rollout of 20mph speed limits across the Scottish Borders has reduced average speeds by 3mph. With previous research showing that there is an average 4 per cent reduction in collisions with each 1mph reduction in average speed on rural roads, the study demonstrates the significant knock-on effect the new speed limit is likely to have, particularly when seen within the context of the national Road Safety Framework to reduce deaths and serious injuries to zero by 2050.
Continue ReadingGovernment Support for Phase-Out Dates: NFDA Members’ Survey Highlights Urgent Need
On Friday 15 September, the NFDA responded to the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee’s Electric Vehicle Call for Evidence which aims to better understand how the Government will achieve its upcoming 2030 and 2035 deadlines for the phase-out of non-zero emission vehicles and to understand the costs/benefits associated with the 2030 phase-out date.
Continue ReadingTyreSafe presents new partnerships, launches Tyre Safety Month campaign materials
TyreSafe has held its annual briefing with a slick online presentation designed to demonstrate its direction under a new chair. Presenting contributions from a veritable rollcall of regional and national road safety and risk management stakeholders, chair Stuart Lovatt and TyreSafe manager Jason Simms detailed the last 12 months of TyreSafe’s activities, which have included a tyre safety demonstration day at Mira, the development of new and existing partnerships with road safety organisations such as National Highways, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), Roadsafe, and several fire and police service representatives, and a range of events in local communities around the country. Lovatt explained how TyreSafe’s work is of crucial importance to the Safe System Approach, the widely accepted strategy on reducing the number of fatalities, casualties and incidents on Britain’s roads. Emma Burley, Tyresafe communications lead, also introduced the 2023 Tyre Safety Month Campaign, ‘Be Safe and Save’, indicating another way in which TyreSafe is tweaking its approach in 2023. The campaign emphasises how maintaining the good condition of tyres fitted to cars also reduce costs to motorists, a tyre safety message designed to resonate deeply in the cost-of-living crisis. TyreSafe also unveiled its latest national tread depth survey, conducted with the assistance of members at the point of replacement. Before launching into the briefing, Lovatt and Simms also paid tribute to previous chair Stuart Jackson, who stepped down after 14 years at the helm last year, prior to Lovatt’s election.
Continue ReadingShandong relaxes restrictions on new high-end tyre projects
On 17 August 2023, several government departments in Shandong Province, China jointly issued a notice relaxing regulations for establishing high-end tyre projects. A more detailed explanation is that some new tyre manufacturing projects will no longer need to eliminate the original production lines with the same energy consumption.
Continue ReadingGovernment mandates and infrastructure investments to fuel EV growth globally – GlobalData
The electric vehicle (EV) sector registered exponential growth during the last decade due to depleting fossil fuel reserves and growing awareness about the impact of global warming. As EVs are a viable option to replace internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, EV sales increased substantially in several countries despite the automotive industry facing supply chain constraints in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Global EV sales reached 7.7 million units in 2022, up from 1.4 million units in 2018, and are anticipated to reach 51.6 million units in 2035, driven by government mandates and infrastructure investments, according to data and analytics company GlobalData.
Continue ReadingEV inquiry launched by House of Lords
Given the importance of decarbonising transport to reach net zero, the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee launched an inquiry into electric vehicles (EVs) on Wednesday 9 August. The call for evidence is available online here. The aim of the inquiry is to understand how the Government will achieve its target of decarbonising cars and vans in the UK, with a particular focus on passenger cars, as well as exploring the main barriers to doing so. It will also seek to understand the costs, alongside the benefits, associated with the 2030 end date of sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the UK, and Government progress towards both its 2030 and 2035 deadlines.
Continue ReadingUS anti-dumping review preliminary results favour Thailand factories
Recently, the United States Department of Commerce’s anti-dumping review investigation on PCR tyres produced in Thailand has a preliminary result. Tyrepress China notes that the new developments are positive for Thailand’s tyre factories.
Continue ReadingTata gigafactory ‘not enough’ to save industry but ‘a good start’ – Institute of Mechanical Engineers
Tata’s decision to build a new electric car battery plant in Somerset has been welcomed by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. The institute said the gigafactory represents a “good start” in the drive to revive an ailing UK automotive sector, but emphasised the need for additional investment in order to support growth and EVs as part of the country’s decarbonisation strategy.
Continue ReadingTata UK gigafactory: aftermarket needs government support for EV upskilling to ‘filter down’ – IMI
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has welcomed Tata’s decision to locate a multi-billion-pound electric car battery plant in Somerset, while emphasising the need for additional government support to “filter down” to the aftermarket. Steve Nash, CEO of the IMI, said: “There is no question that this is great news for the UK economy, with the prospect of thousands of jobs. For the UK to become a centre of excellence in the electric battery field is crucial for future decarbonisation ambitions. Such a sign of intent from the UK government to support the Tata decision is encouraging for the whole automotive sector. What we now need is for that intent to filter down to the aftermarket too.”
Continue ReadingIndependent garages welcome SERMI scheme
UK independent garages have responded enthusiastically to last week’s announcement that they will be able to access Security-related Repair and Maintenance Information (SERMI) using the same framework as their EU counterparts, thanks to agreements reached by the Independent Garage Association (IGA). The IGA reports that garages are getting in touch in large numbers to register their interest in the scheme, which will transform the way garages and workshops access manufacturer technical information on security systems such as keys and ECU coding, by creating one central audit and certification process.
Continue ReadingDelay on MOT decision “unacceptable” – IAAF
The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) is calling on the government to make its decision on the MOT test frequency, with the Federation calling the lack of clarity on the matter “completely unacceptable”, and harmful for the entire supply chain.
Continue ReadingETRMA calls for ‘sectoral regulation’ following Data Act agreement
The European Parliament and Member States have come to an agreement relating to the Data Act. The Data Act is legislation designed to make a competitive data market, opening opportunities for data-driven innovation. The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) welcomed the agreement.
Continue ReadingTrade Remedies Authority extend NTDA’s consultation deadline
The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has extended the NTDAs deadline for submission of pre-sampling questionnaires following a request from the tyre industry body. At the start of May, TRA initiated two transition reviews into anti-dumping (T0035) and anti-subsidy (T0036) measures on lorry and bus tyres imported from China. However, the initial deadline for that was 18 May 2023 – too short a time period for many.
Continue ReadingMOT technician receives prison sentence for faking brake test results
An Abertillery MOT tester has been sentenced to 12 weeks in prison and ordered to pay £2128, according to DVSA Enforcement. The MOT tester in question, whose sentence has been suspended for 12 months, was convicted after they issued four pass certificates over a number of years to a camper van that wouldn’t fit on testing equipment. In other words, the required MOT tests couldn’t have been carried out according to regulations.
Continue ReadingTRA to review anti-Chinese-produced truck tyre tariffs
Following the news that the EU introduced new definitive duties against Chinese-produced truck tyres, and the suggestion that a UK investigation is imminent, the UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has initiated “two transition reviews into anti-dumping and countervailing measures on lorry and bus tyres imported from China”.
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