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Why Mr Bean is being blamed for decreasing electric vehicle sales

<p>Rowan Atkinson has been blamed for a decrease in electric car sales, with a "damaging" article being debunked in the House of Lords. </p> <p>The actor and comedian, who is also a well-known car enthusiast, wrote an article for <em>The Guardian</em>, claiming he felt "duped" by electric vehicles, saying they aren't as eco-friendly as they are often portrayed. </p> <p>Atkinson says the problem with the vehicles' sustainable marketing focuses on just one part of the car’s operating life: what comes out of the exhaust pipes and ignores other elements such as the manufacturing and the mining of rare earth minerals, shipping and building of the batteries.</p> <p>These claims, and the article itself, have been addressed by the UK's House of Lords, with politicians blaming the story for a decrease in electric vehicle sales. </p> <p>UK think tank the Green Alliance says, “One of the most damaging articles was a comment piece written by Rowan Atkinson in The Guardian which has been roundly debunked.”</p> <p>Other deterrents identified by the committee were the high purchase price and insufficient charging infrastructure.</p> <p>Social media users were quick to take Atkinson's side in the debate, with one person writing on X, “If Rowan Atkinson is responsible, then give him a knighthood.”</p> <p>Another user says, “Rowan Atkinson with a degree and masters in Engineering. Knows more than those pushing electric cars.”</p> <p>"Apparently it's Mr Bean's fault for the poor take up of electric cars. Cancel him," another said.</p> <p>For the last 12 months, high power costs in the UK have meant that fast charging your electric car can be more expensive than refuelling a petrol or diesel vehicle.</p> <p>The UK is planning to ban sales of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035, despite the slip in sales. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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Five things to keep in your car's glove box

<p>Whether it’s a long drive to visit family or a quick trip to the local shopping centre, your car should always be equipped with a few essential items. Does your car have all of these items?</p> <p>While many of today’s new cars feature the latest gadgets and technologies for comfort and safety, many don’t come with other useful everyday items which are vital in case of emergency or an unforseen event. For example, a flashlight would come in handy if you need to change a tyre in the evening or an in-car phone charger for when your battery has gone flat. By storing these types of essential items in your glove box, you’ll always be prepared for when life takes an unexpected turn.</p> <p><strong>1. Important documents wallet</strong><br />One item that should always be stored away in the glove box is a plastic folder or wallet with your vehicle documents, such as owner’s manual, emergency contact numbers and proof of insurance. A spare pen and paper will also come in handy. The owner’s manual should always be left in the car so you never lose it and should be the first point of reference for when experiencing car trouble.</p> <p><strong>2. Plastic bags and tissues</strong><br />You would be surprised at the number of times you’ll need a plastic bag or some tissues. There could be a spill, a car mess or a passenger may not be feeling well. All good reasons for keeping a few plastic bags handy. The same can be said for tissues or wet wipes, which will be useful if your hands get greasy from having to change a tyre or lift up the hood of the car to check the oil and water levels.</p> <p><strong>3. First aid kit</strong><br />Always a good inclusion no matter where you go. A basic first aid kit can be purchased from your local pharmacy. Along with the basic contents, such as bandages, antiseptic cream or solution, and a pair of tweezers, make sure you include any items specific to you. If your first aid kit won’t fit in the glove box, pop it under the front passenger seat so it’s easily accessible, if needed.</p> <p><strong>4. Torch</strong><br />For long trips, it’s a good idea to have a torch stowed away. You never know when you might need to change a tyre or inspect your vehicle for unusual sounds that might occur whilst driving at night. A small LED flashlight would do the trick – and remember to keep a spare pack of batteries in the glove box too.</p> <p><strong>5. Mobile phone charger</strong><br />Back in the days before we all had mobile phones, we actually remembered phone numbers! However, nowadays, many of us have these important digits stored away in our phones. This makes having a spare phone charger very important, especially when you need to contact someone and your phone has run out of battery. There are phone car charges which you can plug into the power outlet in your car to then charge the battery on your mobile phone.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Hospitalised driver cops fine after dodging flying couch

<p><span>A driver has been handed a hefty fine after he reportedly swerved his car because a couch fell from a truck travelling in front of him.</span><br /><br /><span>Jake Singer was driving with his girlfriend from Boca Raton, in the US state of Florida, on February 20 when a couch from a truck fell in front of him, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Singer swerved and flipped his car to avoid the couch.</span><br /><br /><span>He and his girlfriend were both hospitalised as a result of the accident.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Singer told the Sun-Sentinel. People "could not believe" he and his partner were okay.</span><br /><br /><span>However Mr Singer is not happy after he copped a fine over the crash.</span><br /><br /><span>He told reporters a police officer arrived at the hospital to give him the ticket.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840155/driver.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/eda143eb9d7a4df3970552ec552ad352" /></p> <p><em>Image: Twitter</em><br /><br /><span>“TIL (today I learned) that if you swerve to avoid a flying couch on I-95N in FL [Florida], make sure not to change lanes or you’ll get a citation for improper lane change from FL Hwy Patrol [Florida Highway Patrol],” he tweeted.</span><br /><br /><span>“Even if your car crashes into the median and flips over, totalled. (We’re both fine, somehow).”</span><br /><br /><span>According to the paper, a police officer gave Mr Singer a US$166 (A$213) ticket for “failing to drive in a single lane”.</span><br /><br /><span>Florida Highway Patrol Lieutenant Yanko Reyes said the ticket had to be issued.</span><br /><br /><span>“Remember, in Florida it is recommended to have at least a two-vehicle length between your vehicle and the vehicles in front of you because that way you have enough time to react in case something like this happens, in case somebody brakes, in case debris falls on the roadway, you’re able to avoid any and all difficulties,” he told the Sun-Sentinel.</span><br /><br /><span>The explanation didn’t sit well with Mr Singer, who took to Twitter to write: “I hereby challenge Lt Reyes to drive two car lengths behind a flying couch at 80mph (128k/h) and avoid it without leaving your lane.</span><br /><br /><span>“Hope you have enough time to look at the totality of the circumstances.”</span></p>

Legal

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Car almost flips onto roof as another vehicle merges into its lane

<p>Merging into another lane in peak hour traffic can sometimes be a difficult task, and one video taking on a busy road in Sydney has shown us exactly how not to do it.</p> <p>The footage, which was captured on a busy Sydney road and posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DashCamOwnersAustralia/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Dash Cam Owners Australia</strong></em></span></a> is as perplexing as it is worrying, and both drivers involved in the incident were quick to point the finger of blame at the other party.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDashCamOwnersAustralia%2Fvideos%2F1731624303563869%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>Hundreds of commenters have had their say on the incident.</p> <p>“Whether indicator on or not, you can not merge until it is 100 per cent clear to do, so merging driver must ensure it is safe to merge. Even a 10 year old kid knows that,” one man wrote.</p> <p>Amazingly, the woman in the vehicle involved came across the video and commented on the post.</p> <p>“This is going to help so much with the insurance process,' she wrote.</p> <p>“I was the one the lady hit and she even has the nerve to blame me like it was my fault! She said ‘I indicated and you had enough space for me to merge in front of you.’ She didn't even stop or come back just continued driving like nothing happened.”</p> <p>Road rules in New South Wales state that merging motorists must give way to vehicles in the lane they are tyring to move into.</p> <p>“Before changing lane, signal in plenty of time and check for other vehicles by looking in your mirrors and your blind spot,” the rule book states.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Who do you think is in the wrong?</p> <p><em>Image credit: Facebook / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DashCamOwnersAustralia/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dash Cam Owners Australia</span></strong></a></em></p>

Insurance

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Woman stunned by abusive "typed" note left on her parked car

<p>Coming back from the shops to find an abusive note left on your parked car is something that’s happed to all of us (or at least someone we know) at least once. But even then, we bet you’ve never seen an abusive note like this one.</p> <p>When Auckland woman Jo Clarke spotted the note below on her vehicle after a spot of shopping she couldn’t believe her eyes, not so much due to the letter’s content, but the fact that the writer had gone to the trouble of printing it out.</p> <p>“A nice little note was left for me at Shore City car park. I was even within my white lines! Must have been an ex boy/girl scout,” she told <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>NZ Herald</strong></em></span></a>.</p> <p>“Thanks for parking so close. Next time leave a f***ing can opener so I can get out. A**holes like you should take the bus,” <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>NZ Herald reports</strong></em></span></a> the note read.</p> <p>Clarke <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>told NZ Herald</strong></em></span></a> she was in the white lines, and saw the humour in the incident.</p> <p>“It was a narrow space that I reversed three times to leave space on either side and was within the white lines.</p> <p>“I thought it was advertising at first. The card was popped inside my driver’s window facing inward.</p> <p>“I was just more surprised someone had typed cards on hand waiting for someone to cross them.</p> <p>“No one has ever called me an a**hole before so I thought that was quite empowering and funny.</p> <p>“I do have a nice new work car so they might have been a bit annoyed about that, too.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Do you think leaving a not on a stranger’s car is ever justified? </p>

News

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4 ways to extend the life of your car

<p>Cars are a massive convenience for everyone, but, let’s face it, they can be a complete drain on the ol’ bank account. So, it stands to reason that the longer you can go without having to buy a new (or, at the very least, newer) car, the more money you’ll save for those wonderful things in life, like holidays, dining out and pursuing your hobbies.</p> <p>Not sure your car can make it? You’ll be surprised how effective these four life-lengthening tips are.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Keep it clean</strong> – it goes without saying that a clean car (both inside and outside) is much more pleasant for yourself and your passengers. But, giving it a regular wash is also essential for preventing rust and protecting your car against the elements.</li> <li><strong>Keep it light</strong> – the heavier your car is, the more power (and petrol) it requires – it’s as simple as that. Clearing out the junk in your car will not only get you better fuel economy, but you’ll notice how much easier it is to drive.</li> <li><strong>Keep it slow</strong> – at least, keep it slow when you start the car. Just like you, your car needs a little time to get ready. If it’s been resting for more than a few hours and you immediately put your foot down, the friction within the engine will make it wear out faster. Try letting it warm up for a minute before you take off. Your car will thank you for it.</li> <li><strong>Keep it maintained</strong> – it’s all well and good if your car looks spic and span, but it’s what’s under the hood that counts. Make sure you regularly check your tyres, fluid levels, and schedule your car to be serviced every six months (or 10,000km if sooner).</li> </ol> <p>Tell us in the comments below, how old is your car? How do you keep it running like new?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/finance/money-banking/2017/02/why-everyone-should-start-actively-investing/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Why everyone should start actively investing</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/finance/money-banking/2017/02/yahoo-issues-warning-about-email-account-breach/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Yahoo issues warning about email account breach</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/finance/money-banking/2017/02/ways-to-cut-your-grocery-spend-in-half/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>8 ways to cut your grocery spend in half</strong></em></span></a></p>

Money & Banking

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Huge security flaw discovered in millions of vehicles

<p>Owners of cars constructed by a popular automobile manufacturer have been warned of a huge security flaw present in millions of vehicles built between 1995 and 2015.</p> <p>A paper published by researchers at the University of Birmingham found a low-tech way hackers could gain access to cars made by VW group brands Volkswagen and Audi.</p> <p>The researchers used an audio frequency technique to ‘eavesdrop’ on the remote keyless access keys of the car, and in turn mimic the signal with ‘cheap technical devices’.</p> <p>It’s believed over 100 million vehicles worldwide could be vulnerable to an attack.</p> <p>The papers stated, “It is conceivable that all VW Group (except for some Audi) cars manufactured in the past and partially today rely on a 'constant-key' scheme and are thus vulnerable to the attacks.”</p> <p>Do you own a Volkswagen or an Audi? Do you think enough security measures are taken these days to protect our vehicles from these sort of threats?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/08/beautiful-birthday-gift-brings-grandma-to-tears/"><strong>Beautiful birthday gift brings grandma to tears</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/08/car-salesman-rescues-elderly-woman-after-she-mistakenly-calls-him/"><strong>Car salesman rescues elderly woman after she mistakenly calls him</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/07/baby-fights-for-control-of-car-radio/"><strong>Adorable baby fights for control of his mum’s car radio</strong></a></em></span></p>

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