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Nearly half of motorists (48 per cent) say they would not consider a more eco-friendly vehicle if Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) tax breaks were increased according to a poll by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists)1. Fifty per cent think that it is fair that VED on cars is based on the CO2 it produces.
 
Thirty-two per cent think parking permit prices should be based on the size or length of the vehicle (the more space it takes up, the more you pay). While twenty-nine per cent think everyone should pay the same. Only five per cent of respondents felt that the CO2 emissions the vehicle produces should influence permit costs.
 
Low Emission Zones (LEZs) are slightly more popular.  LEZs were introduced in London in 2008 to reduce pollution from heavy diesel vehicles.  Forty-six per cent of drivers think they that they should be introduced for private vehicles, 41 per cent disagree. 
 
Twenty-two per cent of motorists think that driving has no impact on global warming.  This is in line with other surveys that show 7 per cent of people think global warming is not happening and seventeen per cent believes it is panic about an exaggerated threat.2
 
IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Eco-friendly vehicles haven’t got the appeal so much so motorists are willing to pay higher costs in VED to compromise. Motorists aren’t fully convinced of how low CO2 emissions are beneficial to them, or society.”
 
“While more can be done to increase awareness about the benefits of eco cars, drivers can do their bit by changing to green driving to help reduce CO2. Looking ahead and anticipating hazards will mean less stopping and starting and a smoother journey.”
 
IAM eco driving tips:
 • Keep your vehicle moving for as long as possible, even in traffic queues. This is far more fuel efficient than stopping and starting, so slow down earlier, to avoid braking as harshly and often.
• Stick to the speed limit. This offers a good compromise between economy and getting somewhere. Remember, speed limits are a maximum, not a target.
• Reverse into parking bays. If you do all the manoeuvring with a hot engine you can drive straight off when you come back and warm the engine up more quickly.
• Check your vehicle regularly to ensure it operates efficiently. In particular check the condition of your tyres, and measure tyre pressures when they’re cold.
• Remove unnecessary weight, including roof racks, car clutter and heavy items in the boot. The more weight you carry in the car, the more fuel you’ll burn.

www.iam.org.uk

Eighty-two per cent of people now think it is acceptable for authorities to use speed cameras, however 45 per cent think that raising income is still a main reason for their use, according to the results of the IAM’s annual speed camera survey.
 
Speed awareness courses are also popular – 72 per cent of people think that speed awareness courses are a good idea.
 
The results show that people think speed cameras are beneficial to road safety. Eighty-five per cent of people think that speed cameras have helped to contribute to the fall in road deaths since 1990s.
 
The results for the home nations vary:
 • Speed cameras are least popular in Wales where 32 per cent of people think their use is not acceptable.  The survey also shows that Wales has the highest rate of people caught speeding – In the last three years 27 per cent of people were caught speeding or knew someone in the household who was caught speeding.
 • In contrast, cameras are most popular in Scotland where only 15 per cent think they are unacceptable. Only 14 per cent of Scottish were caught speeding or knew someone in the household who was.
 • In England, 19 per cent of people were convicted or knew someone in their household who was caught speeding in the last three years. 20 per cent think their use is not acceptable.
 
Generally, people find that speed cameras are more acceptable than five years ago. In 2007, 30 per cent of respondents said speed cameras were not acceptable, a figure which has reduced every year to 16 per cent this year.
 
IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Simply catching and fining drivers does not change drivers’ awareness of the hazards of excessive speed. The popularity of speed awareness courses show that the public think training is the best option.
 
“Speed cameras are an essential part of the policing toolkit and are becoming more and more accepted, but it’s clear that some people need reassuring about their purpose and funding.”

www.iam.org.uk

You are packed and ready to go on your motorcycling holiday abroad - Maps, Sat Nav, credit card, and toothpaste. Just the mosquito spray and clean underpants to get...

Your bike is brimmed with petrol and ready to board the ferry for France or Spain. Your Passport is up to date and all the arrangements for contact numbers with friends and relatives have been made; but what about motorcycle repatriation insurance? You are fit and healthy and your motorcycle is in good condition and only has nine thousand miles on the clock which brings it well within the guarantee period. 

Your aged parents need travel insurance, so why should you? If need be, you’ll push your motorcycle back to the Ferry in the event of a breakdown, or if you have to, in the event of a motorcycle accident you can leave it at the roadside and get the nearest plane back. 

But what if you are so seriously injured that you have to be flown back to the UK by air ambulance(repatriated)? What if you contract a disease that renders you unconscious? What if you injure other people and you are at fault? The ‘what ifs’ are endless and so are the bills that will follow you around if you aren’t insured, this is when you think “ I should have taken the motorcycle repatriation insurance option on my bike policy”. Cases have been known to attract bills that can amount to hundreds of thousands and sometime millions of pounds. 

These aren’t the kind of cases that you can go to the County Court with and offer to pay at £5 per week. Medical Insurance companies don’t mess around for their money and usually bankrupt you and take your home and possessions from you. And all because you decided that you didn’t need motorcycle repatriation insurance.   Repatriation for injured motorcyclists is a costly procedure. Imagine the hospital bills and travelling bills that have to take into account the recovery of your machine. 

So, what sort of Insurance will you need? How much will you need to be covered for? To be on the safe side, two million pounds worth of cover should be adequate to take care of your needs. You must also make sure that your motorcycle insurance policy covers you for motorcycle repatriation. Another essential is the need for 24 hour coverage. Accidents and illness don’t take heed of what time of day or night it is; but motorcycle insurers and the emergency services do. You must read the small print and understand what you are and are not covered for BEFORE YOU GO.   ‘Support’ insurance will offer you exactly what it says on the document. It will offer you accident assistance and medical treatments. It will also offer you motorcycle legal assistance when you need it most. In some countries, once you are involved in an accident, the matter involves the Police that will usually want to arrest you and incarcerate you in a cell from the moment you are well enough to be imprisoned; guilty or not!  Also check with you bank or any personal insurance you may have. Check with your credit card company to see if they offer you insurance that includes motorcycle repatriation. 

Members of the European Union can obtain basic motorbike insurance cover for medical emergencies and treatment through the EHIC scheme. It is worth looking at the terms and conditions that it offers. Remember, it is only basic insurance and will not cover emergency motorcycle repatriation. 

Always take copy documentation with you and leave copies with people who are the first point of contact. Always leave contact details about your person in case you are rendered unconscious and details of your identity are needed as a matter of urgency by the emergency services. 

eMCI*members Rieju and Zero showcased their electric motorcycles at the sixth annual Eco-Rally on Saturday (18^th August) - demonstrating that the advantages of two wheels over four extends to electric vehicles too!

Both manufacturers were able to offer something pertinent for this year’s theme ‘Future Cities, Future Transport’, by addressing issues of performance and affordability, which are often cited as reasons not to switch to greener forms of personal transport.

The Eco-rally

The rally, which is effectively a mobile motor show of the world’s latest eco-friendly vehicles, had not featured motorbikes enough in previous years, according to organisers Revolve. Manufacturers Rieju and Zero were keen to remedy this situation, demonstrating all the benefits of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds in their electric form.

There were two stages to the route; the first was along the M40 from Oxford to London’s iconic Ace Cafe; the second leg was an urban route through the capital from the Ace Cafe to Waterloo Place. Rieju’s Jamie Masterman explained how the bikes easily outperformed the cars on urban roads, ‘We allowed the electric cars a 25 minute head start but within 15 minutes the Zero motorcycles and Rieju’s Mius moped had already caught them up in traffic’.

‘With the combination of filtering and use of bus lanes, the electric two wheelers proved not only to be the most affordable, but also the quickest. Of course quicker journey times means even less congestion’, Jamie Masterman added.

Zero’s DS model, a dual purpose machine suitable for on and off-road riding did the Oxford to London leg of the journey, which was for those vehicles with a greater range. Dan Lynch from Zero explained the DS did it with ease, ‘With the 1 hour charge at the Ace Café pit stop we could also have reversed the route from central London and gone all the way back again’.

Performance

The Zero DS has a range of 114 miles and a top speed of 88 mph. It does the equivalent of 579 miles to the gallon or more simply put - a penny a mile.

Affordability

Rieju’s new scooter, the Mius, was introduced at the eco-rally as one of the most affordable electric vehicles available from a mainstream manufacturer. Rieju were also involved in putting forward the case for commuting on electric motorcycles at the Eco-conference, held earlier in the week at City Hall, where they launched the scooter. The affordability of electric motorcycles and scooters was warmly received at City Hall, as it was felt motorcycle riders could make use of the electric infrastructure in London, as there are currently just 500 registered users for all kinds of electric vehicles. Jamie Masterman suggested this was ‘probably due to the high cost of electric cars’.

Charging

Zero motorcycles and the Rieju Mius can both be charged using a domestic electricity supplyand the network of public charging facilities is growing daily, Jamie Masterman explained, ‘Asda will soon have charging points in all car parks and within three months London will have more Electric Charging points than petrol stations. When you combine this with free road tax licence and use of selected bus lanes in an increasing number of cities, an electric motorcycle, scooter or moped makes perfect sense as the new green congestion buster’.

It’s official - electric bikes are cool!

In addition to the universal benefits of commuting on a PTW, in terms of easy, free or cheap parking, and being able to move more easily through traffic, there was an added bonus in terms of temperature, as Zero’s Dan Lynch explained, ‘It was a blessing to be riding a bike with an engine which doesn’t generate heat on what turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year!’