Medical professionals are the most accident prone in the UK

A recent press release by the online price comparison site, Confused.com, totally changed my perception of the motorist profiles I have had all my life. Apparently those in the medical profession appeared most frequently in the top ten (50%) car insurance claims in the past 12 months (18th October 2009 and 18th October 2010).

This is surprising because they are supposed to be most aware of all professions when it comes to accidents and injuries.

The results of the research showed that GPs are the most hazardous drivers in the UK with 33% of claims made by them. They were followed by psychologists (30%), district nurses (30%), hospital doctors (29%) and dentists (27%)making a claim.

In what seems to be bizarre findings, 20-20 vision doesn't help as well with opticians making up 27% of those claiming for an incident in the last 12 months. They were closely followed by law abiding policeman who made up 26% of the claimants.

It was not surprising that high earners such as solicitors and accountants are also the most likely to make a claim, contributing to 65% of the top 20.

The safest drivers were actually the low income earners with car valeters being the least likely to make a claim with only 8% putting in the paperwork in the last 12 months.

Here is the full list of the Top 20 occupations that have claimed in an accident:

1. Doctor GP
2. Psychologist
3. District Nurse
4. Hospital Doctor
5. Solicitor
6. Chartered Accountant
7. Head Teacher
8. Dentist
9. Personnel Officer
10. Chartered Surveyor
11. Quantity Surveyor
12. Optician
13. Systems Manager
14. Police Officer
15. Financial Advisor
16. Computer Services Manager
17. Accountant Chartered
18. Pharmacist
19. Probation Officer
20. Local Government Officer

Top 20 occupations least likely to be involved in an accident

1. Car Valeter
2. Labourer
3. Van / Lorry / Fork Lift Truck Driver
4. Farm Worker
5. Scaffolder / Roofer
6. Construction Worker
7. Decorator / Painter / Plasterer
8. Road Worker
9. Coach Driver
10. Security Guard
11. Builder
12. Groundsmen
13. Mechanic
14. Carpet Fitter
15. Warehouse Employee
16. Bar Staff
17. Cleaner
18. Bakery Worker
19. Double Glazing Fitter
20. Factory Worker

Malaysia to become regional hub for Peugeot

French carmaker Peugeot has chosen the Malaysian Naza group to spearhead its expansion in the region following the success of the marque in the country. The Naza Group was appointed official distributor for the Peugeot brand in January 2008. 3,766 units of Peugeot vehicles were sold in 2009 which accounted for 86% of Peugeot sales in the Asean region.

Former Malaysian PM Tun Dr Mahathir launched the Peugeot 207 yesterday. Codenamed as the T33 Project, the car is different from the 207 sold here in the UK and is actually a modified version of the 206. The only difference from the 206 is that it has a slightly elongated boot at the back making it a sedan. The car will be assembled at the Naza plant in Gurun, Kedah.

The car is powered by a 1.6L engine and price on the road with insurance starts from RM72,888 (approx. £14647).

Click link for information on Car rental France.

A little green van called ELVIN

Electric cars do not have an internal combustion engine - which is great for the environment. However, this means that they are amazingly silent. This brings up some unique safety issues. People can't hear the cars coming up behind them.

To find a solution to this problem, a research project in the University of Warwick is using a green van called ELVIN (Electric Vehicle with Interactive Noise) which emits different sounds to see how people perceive the sounds.

Review of MillionCars website

I recently found out about a new Malaysian online car marketplace called MillionCars. It is is not the typical car site and targets all income ranges of consumers in Malaysia. The website has not been even officially launched even though it's already online. Right now it only offers limited features to the users and the first phase development of this website is just to give a chance for the dealers and buyers to get used to the website.

At this moment, individuals or dealers can register. The individual account is open to anyone in Malaysia who wants to sell a car. Individuals would receive 25 credits at registration and they can use the credits to post, renew, add and pro long their ads. If they want to post more than 4 ads, they need to upgrade their account to a dealer.

The second type of account is strictly for car dealers. They will receive 250 credits at the time of registration and they will also get their own online showroom that can be seen from the "Dealer" Page. The free registration promotion for dealers will end mid November (Nov 15, 2010). The google map feature has been integrated to make it easier for the customers to get to their selected dealer's showroom.

As for payment options, the website is integrated with the iPay88, a Malaysian company that offers safe bank online payments. It works just like Paypal. The iPay88 payment system allows different payment systems.

According to Muhammad Nasri, they plan to offer extra features in the next few months for both the buyers and sellers. They are in the process of tweaking the site to make it more user-friendly.

The user could browse used or new cars easily from the front page. Also, keep in mind that this website is not targeted for middle range type of consumers but rather, targeting for all types of consumers in Malaysia.

Top 5 American muscle cars

Americans have always had an obsession with cars – their speed, loud engines and raw power. We’ve dug out the top 5 classic American Muscle cars that embodied these qualities and have become legends among the automotive industry around the world.

Number 5: 1967 Pontiac GTO

The Pontiac GTO was considered the start of the classic muscle car, and in 1967 it had a engine makeover to see it take on a 400 cubic inch enlargement. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on the 81,722 built in ’67, consider yourself lucky to have a classic that pumps 360 hp @ 5100 rpm. For its overall style and “bad ass” appeal we’ve ranked it at number 5.

Random Fact: This car was used in the hit movie XXX starring Vin Diesel (2002)

Image credits: http://static.cargurus.com/

Number 4: 1969 Plymouth roadrunner

This classic was described as “muscle without the bells and whistles”. Stripped of over complicated options, Plymouth decided to make muscle as cheap as possible without sacrificing power. It ended up over taking sales of the GTO by 10,000 units which puts this 390 hp @ 5000 rpm in 4th place.

Random Fact: Plymouth paid Warner Brothers studios $50,000 to use the Roadrunner cartoon character to promote sales

Image credits: http://awesomecarauctions.com/

Number 3: 1968 Dodge Charger R/T

After a spell of dismal sales, Dodge decided to change the styling of the Charger to “coke bottle styling”. In addition to the new style, a performance package was now offered as R/T (Road/Track) which turned an average muscle car into a 425 hp @ 5000 rpm monster. For its sheer power and ingenious redesign it gets the number 3 spot.

Random Fact: When the car was released Dodge wrote, “This is no dream car. It’s a real ‘take-me-home-and-let’s stir-things-up-a-bit’ automobile.”

Image Credits: http://www.2dayblog.com/

Number 2: 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427

Everyone has heard of the Corvette, and it still remains an icon of the pure American muscle car era. 1967 was a special year for the Corvette, not only did it pump out a whopping 435 hp @ 5800 rpm, but included leather seating, air conditioning and many other perks. If you owned this car you were at sexy symbol status, and just short of notoriety it falls to number 2.

 Image Credits: http://image.corvettefever.com

Number 1: 1967 Shelby GT500

Why has Eleanor made it to number 1? The Ford Mustang is the icon of muscle cars and with the magic touch of Carroll Shelby, the Mustang took an overhaul to produce a mean road racing champion. In terms of pure styling, Shelby has the winning look hands down. Being famous does has its advantages, especially in this post – the GT500 ranks number 1 on our list for its style, celebrity status and 355 hp. If you forgot why its become famous, see the video below where the GT500 “Eleanor” outruns the police in “Gone in 60 Seconds “

 Image Credits: http://www.online-ford.ru/



Have a favourite American Muscle car that’s not on the list? We value your comments and looking forward to adding your choices to the list of the top American Muscle cars.

NOTE:
This is a guest post by David who writes on the Make and Model Blog, a car blog discussing all things with four wheels. Make and Model are an online classifieds website advertising a range of used cars including Audis, Fords and Alfa Romeos.

Best safety innovations

Euro NCAP presented the first Euro NCAP Advanced rewards at a press conference held on October 1st 2010 at the Paris Motor Show. The technologies developed by car manufacturers were rewarded for offering scientifically proven safety benefits:

1. Audi Side Assist
2. BMW Assist Advanced eCall
3. Honda Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
4. Mercedes-Benz PRE-SAFE® and PRE-SAFE® Brake
5. Opel Eye
6. Peugeot Connect SOS and
7. Citroën Localized Emergency Call
8. Volkswagen Lane Assist
9. Volvo City Safety

According to the press release,other technologies will be assessed in the coming months and will be announced in 2011.

For more details, go to the NCAP’s website.

Jaguar's C-X75 concept

Jaguar’s has just unveiled their new concept car, the C-X75, at the Paris Motor Show. It's a car that seeks to embrace the influences of classic cars like the 1950s C-Type and D-Type racers and unique 1966 XJ13 Le Mans prototype and project them onto the future.

The C-X75 is a two-seater electric supercar. According to Jaguar, it has a potential top speed of 205mph (330kph) and able to go from 0 to 62mph (0-100kph) in just 3.4 seconds.

The car has four 145kW (195bhp) traction electric engines, with one engine powering each wheel.

The C-X75 will also be at the LA Motor Show from 19th to 28th November.

BTW, Jaguar recently celebrated their 75th Anniversary and I was there at the Coventry Motor Museum admiring the  lovely classic cars. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera and all I have are some pics I posted on Twitter via my mobile.