‏IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig: "Car and road designers have helped to deliver fewer deaths on our roads but the human factor is still the biggest issue in road safety. In isolation eating, phoning, talking, chastising, map reading or glovebox rummaging all sound innocuous enough but when combined with driving on today's busy roads they can have devastating consequences.  Safe driving demands complete concentration and anything that takes your mind or your eyes off the road puts you and others at risk."

Drivers are being urged to take a break and enjoy their food away from their vehicles, as road safety charity Brake and Direct Line reveal more than six in ten (62%) have eaten at the wheel in the past year. Three in ten (29%) unwrapped food themselves at the wheel - a telling symptom of busy lifestyles putting lives at risk. Studies have suggested eating a meal at the wheel increases your risk of a devastating crash as much as talking on a phone. Brake and Direct Line's survey of 1,000 drivers reveals that in the past year: tree in ten (29%) have opened and eaten food at the wheel.

third (33%) have eaten food that was unwrapped and passed to them by a passenger. One in 50 (2%) has narrowly avoided a crash in the past year, having had to brake or swerve to avoid a hazard because they were distracted by food or drink. The numbers of UK drivers eating at the wheel reflects a wider trend towards eating on the move, as lifestyles become ever more fast-paced. Britons have been found to spend more on food eaten on the move than any other country in Europe, with our continental neighbours more likely to take time out to enjoy meals.

Brake and Direct Line's survey shows it's not just meal times being squeezed by our busy lifestyles, as one in five drivers (20%) admit to doing their hair, applying make-up or otherwise tidying up their appearance while at the wheel.

One in 20 (5%) admit doing so in free-flowing traffic, risking appalling crashes. Eating at the wheel is part of the wider problem of distracted drivers, believed to contribute to around one in five crashes (22%). Drivers who attempt to multi-task at the wheel are two to three times more likely to crash, and complex tasks like unwrapping and eating a burger increase the risk even more. The consequences can be deadly, as in May 2012 when cyclist Joe Wilkins was killed by a driver who was eating a sandwich. Brake urges all drivers to give the road their full attention and save any other activities for regular breaks, which should be at least every two hours on long journeys. Brake also calls on government to make traffic policing a national priority to stop multi-tasking drivers putting lives at risk.

It’s been just over a month since KTM took an outstanding 1-2 finish in the notorious Dakar rally and the Austrian manufacturer is excited to announce that the all-new KTM 450 Rally Replica machine will be available very soon for customers to purchase.

The new model of the KTM 450 Rally machine in factory livery made its debut in October at the Morocco rally as a first and final test in race conditions. The machine was then subject to taking on the ultimate test at the Dakar, and the bike went on to work flawlessly throughout the 9,000km race with Marc Coma on-board to take KTM’s 13th consecutive win.

As the previous model of the rally machine was constructed for the 690cc era, this new machine was designed from the ground up to be suited to today’s Dakar terrain and the smaller capacity 450cc engine. With its vast amount of experience, KTM’s Motorsport department built the new bike with KISKA’s expertise in design from clay model to completed design, along with KTM’s R&D department and KTM Technologies.

The bike features an all-new frame incorporating an ergonomic design, a slim body shape with a better seating position, completely re-worked rear suspension and a new overhead single cam 450cc fuel-injection engine. The bike also boasts a front and rear fuel-pump system with multiple tanks, which allows the rider to pick a fuel source to utilise the weight depending on the terrain, a carbon tower at the front of the bike that gives the rider better visibility of the front wheel and thus instilling extra confidence with improved vision along with many other refinements throughout the machine’s design to create the ultimate rally race bike.

It was expected that the competition would be stronger in the 2014 rally, and this has only deepened KTM’s motivation to continue its 13-year winning streak. The years of experience and knowledge in KTM’s rally department along with the R&D team was only magnified with a 1-2 victory again this year, perhaps only more spectacular as second-placed Jordi Viladoms didn’t even ride the bike before reaching Argentina at the start of the race.  

Coma and Viladoms recently visited the factory in Mattighofen and KISKA to thank everyone involved with the rally project for their hard work, which has been pivotal in the success of the factory riders.

KTM’s CEO Stefan Pierer about the all-new 450 Rally Replica: “The success this year in the Dakar rally has highlighted the experience and hard work of our KTM people, who worked closely with KISKA’s team on the new rally bike project, combined with feedback from all of our factory riders and heavy input from Marc Coma. We now want to pass on the experience of such a successful time in this year’s Dakar to any rider who wishes to own this fantastic bike, and especially to those who are committed to making their rally dreams come true or realise their Dakar ambition. The racing service we offer for privateers is as fundamentally strong as the service we give to our factory riders and we are very proud of helping many riders achieve their goals in the rally.”

For those seeking the next level in rally competition the 2015 KTM Rally Replica bike is available to purchase for EUR24,000 (Plus VAT) and can be ordered through your local KTM dealer. A service and support package is available at the Dakar Rally at an additional cost for all models of KTM rally bike. Please ask your local dealer for more information. Please note the machine and service packages are both limited.

www.ktm.com

After announcing their first street legal bike last November at the Italian EICMA exhibition, the S1 'Strada', Paton has also confirmed its participation at the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy in June, competing in the bikesocial.co.uk Lightweight TT Race. Bedford based Olie Linsdell will head up the Italian marque’s entry.

This ambitious challenge has been made possible by the small but determined Italian factory team, by Steve Linsdell of Flitwick Motorcycles who will prepare the bike and rider Olie who will set up the bike and compete.

Olie Linsdell made his Mountain Course debut at the 2007 Manx Grand Prix and his TT Races debut in 2008 but the highlight of his career was undoubtedly his race win in last year's Bennetts 500cc Classic TT when he powered to victory on a Paton BIC 500 BL3 replica.

Roberto Pattoni, Technical Director, Paton commented: "This is a challenging and thrilling opportunity for us but also for Olie as a rider an engineer; to be the rider who brings Paton back to racing on an International stage is a great honour. We'd also like to thank the Isle of Man TT organisers for being very clear and matter of fact on what is required for the brand new Paton to race in 2014."

He continued: "Racing has been Paton’s goal since it started in 1958, and with modern classes it means making a street legal bike, which also carries the added motivation of increasing our small firm's technical knowledge by having to solve problems it has never had to face before as well as providing a new challenge. It is a culmination of all our history into one single product."

"All involved parties are now concentrated on the hard work needed to meet a tight schedule that will see us arrive on the island with a competitive bike in June. The required enthusiasm is definitely there to achieve this goal, with daily technical discussions and updates between the two teams."

The S1 Strada, Paton’s first street legal bike, is a project based on the Kawasaki 650 twin engine, but surrounded by all of Paton’s experience after 55 years of racing. Built to be legal, and excel both on the road and track, it is hoped that Paton will therefore return to the TT right at the sharp end of the field.

Paton would like to encourage any current or potential customers to review the machine's performance, which bar the engine will remain standard when it lines up at the top of Glencrutchery Road in June.

MARCO MELANDRI WAS FINALLY ABLE TO WORK WITH FAVOURABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND IS READY FOR BATTLE.

LOTS OF LAPS WITHOUT ANY PHYSICAL ISSUE FOR SYLVAIN GUINTOLI, CONFIDENT THAT THE PROBLEM WITH HIS RIGHT SHOULDER HAS NOW BEEN RESOLVED.

Phillip Island (Australia), 18 February 2014 – There are only a few days left before the start of Superbike 2014 which will open hostilities this weekend at Phillip Island where riders and teams have already been busy for two days of testing.

For Aprilia Racing - the Italian Reigning Manufacturer World Champion and winner of 5 world titles in 4 seasons - this was the first opportunity to lap in good climatic conditions after the negative impact the weather had on the winter sessions at Portimao and Jerez. So some intense work was done without any hindrances in order to be as ready as possible when the lights turn green for the first time this season.

For Marco Melandri, in his first year astride the Aprilia RSV4, these two days can be considered positive in no uncertain terms. The rider from Ravenna, in addition to finishing the tests with the fourth best time, put in 123 laps to complete a testing schedule aimed at “moulding” the powerful Italian superbike to his needs. Consistently fast, Marco focused primarily on finding his best race pace, trying to optimise the long distance setup. In fact, tyre wear is an incredibly important factor on the fast and demanding Australian track. Being consistent throughout the entire race will therefore be a must. Despite the good times he put in, Melandri knows that there is still room for improvement and he'll be working with his team on that from the first test sessions on Friday.

Marco Melandri: “We were finally able to lap in good weather! I'm pleased because we completed the scheduled programme, gathering a lot of information from the test sessions. Now we just have to put the pieces of the puzzle together in order to find the best place to start for the weekend. I think I have a good race pace. There are still a few spots on the track that give me problems but I'm confident that we'll be able to improve. I need to focus on the fast lap for the qualifiers because starting from at least the front two rows will be very important. I definitely can't wait to finally get back to serious business”.

The unknown factor for Sylvain Guintoli was without a doubt his physical condition after the double surgery on his right shoulder. From this point of view the 92 laps the French rider put in confirm that his recovery is complete. Sylvain was also positive about these tests in terms of performance. The pace he demonstrated even in poor grip conditions places him among the potential key players for the first round of the season. Guintoli's feeling with the bike are similar to those last year when he took a win and a second place on his maiden race astride the Aprilia RSV4 which placed him at the top of the rider standings.

Sylvain Guintoli: “The most important thing is that I am feeling much better physically. The previous tests at Jerez went well too, but after the crash there and when I got back home my shoulder was hurting for a few days. Here, on the other hand, I took a lot of laps over these two days, doing the tests that we had planned and even putting in some decent times. In the afternoon, in similar conditions to what we'll probably have for the races, my RSV4 performed very well both in terms of general settings and tyre wear management. I'm confident and, just like last year, I'm ready for battle”.

Ducati UK Roadshow will visit 18 locations across the UK
• Extended test rides up to one and half hours long
• New 899 Panigale and Monster 1200 will from part of the test fleet

The Ducati Roadshow will again be travelling the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland this summer, bringing an extensive demonstrator fleet to 18 locations. The Ducati event truck and demonstrator fleet have proved popular attractions over the last few years and now the Roadshow has evolved to further enhance the customer experience.

Demonstration rides will now give the customers an extensive period of time to evaluate the bikes with accompanied test rides lasting up to one and half hours taking in a variety of roads and conditions to fully assess the bikes capabilities. Pillion riders may also join in the test rides for the chance to appraise the ergonomics of these machines.

The demonstrator fleet showcases the 2014 range including the acclaimed 899 Panigale and the soon to be launched Monster 1200. Although the 899 Panigale and the Monster 1200 will grab most of the attention there will be an extensive variety of models to choose from. The Diavel is a must to test ride appealing to all types of riders - once ridden many riders fall for the Diavel’s versatility and performance. The Multistrada and Hyperstrada are bikes that will benefit from the extended test ride allowing riders to gauge the renowned touring and sporting abilities of these bikes.

In addition to these popular bikes there will be the flagship Superbike – the 1199 Panigale and the entry level Monster 696 with an optional low seat for shorter riders and novices.

To take a test ride at any of these events, riders must have a valid motorcycle licence (both parts required) and appropriate clothing and safety gear. Local dealership staff will be on hand to give expert technical, sales and service advice and trained riders will be there to guide all test rides.

The Ducati UK event truck along with a fleet of demonstrators and display bikes kicks off at Rosso Ducati in Dublin on the 8th March before going to Moto Rapido in Winchester and then another 16 dates.

For the latest information on the Ducati Roadshow and to find your nearest dealer visit www.ducatiuk.com or contact 08456 718500.