Car manufacturers Ford are planning to enable drivers to listen to ‘tweets’ whilst on the move, the technology will be incorporated into the new Ford Focus which will be available in the UK next year and is expected to spread to the rest of the Ford range in due course.
The system known as Applink uses voice recognition to allow drivers a hands-free way to communicate with various devices such as iPhones and BlackBerries and it will read ‘tweets’ out loud to the driver whilst on the move, however even though the system uses voice recognition the driver will not be able to respond to the ‘tweets’.
Nevertheless the system has caused concern from some road safety experts who fear a possible increase in road traffic accidents.
Ford claims that the new technology improves road safety as it removes distractions from the driver and allows him or her to focus on the road but John Franklin, from the RAC, was less enthusiastic he said:
“RAC welcomes any innovation that improves safety by limiting the distractions in the car. However it’s debatable whether this type of technology will help as it’s likely to increase the distractions available to the driver. Tweeting while driving is an unnecessary distraction and shouldn’t be seen as an essential activity when behind the wheel.”
Whether hands free equipment helps reduce the number of car accidents is arguable it is ultimately up to drivers to ensure they focus on the road and keep distractions to a minimum.
Researchers in Oxford are about to start work on a three year study into the mystery of Phantom Limb Pain, a condition where amputees still have feelings in limbs that where removed many years earlier.
Angela Williams was unfortunate enough to lose her right arm above the elbow when she was involved in a car accident when she was only ten years old, more than forty years later Angela occasionally feels pain in the missing limb, she said:
“Some people suffer from phantom pain much more than others. “I remember how once it used to itch. For many years I could feel a sharp pain shooting through it.”
Dr Tamar Makin who is leading the study commented:
“Specific parts of the brain control different parts of the body. Our research will test what happens to parts of the brain controlling the arm and hands when the limb is missing.”
The research team not only want to speak to amputees who have suffered amputation due to car accidents or personal injury but also to those born without hands or arms as there is evidence to suggest that those with congenital limb deficiency have different visual activity in the brain.
Plans to compensate former Slate Workers for the disabling effects of dust inhalation have fallen into disarray.
The former Labour Government proposed the plan of a compensation fund to alleviate the suffering of former slate workers affected by pneumoconiosis which is an industrial disease caused by the breathing in of dust usually in mines.
Campaigners for the Slate Miner’s have had enormous difficulties pursuing any compensation claim due to the fact that that the vast majority of the companies employing the miners have ceased to exist. To help combat this problem the former Labour administration had suggested the setting up of an agency to track down insurers of former slate quarry firms.
Unfortunately the setting up of these Government bodies was interrupted by the General Election of May 2010, and could hamper the campaigns claim for compensation.
Former Aberconwy MP, Betty Williams, whose father died as a result of the effects of slate dust, said “What bothers me now and worries me deeply, is that the present Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government are talking about getting rid of non-governmental organisations - they might not even consider the proposals.
“They might not even consider the setting up of these two bodies, which would help the people that we have been fighting for for many years.”
The Department of Work and Pensions have said they will respond to the previous government’s proposals “in due course”.
A worker who was left disabled by an accident at work has received a compensation claim payout of £50,000 from a businessman.
In November 2006 Gary Hounsome, was struck by a falling pallet of marble tiles whilst he helped to unload them from a container. Mr Hounsome suffered severe injuries which included multiple fractures and has since undergone a variety of surgical procedures to correct the injuries.
It was said in court; the premises where the accident at work took place were owned by Joe Samtani and leased to Iraj Tohidi. It is said that Tohidi did not pay his rent and that Samtani paid for the pallet of tiles.
Dorchester Crown Court found Mr Samtani guilty of breaking the health and safety laws. They fined him £30,000 and made him pay Mr Hounsome £50,000 in compensation as well as the £25,000 costs.
Mr Samtani has been ordered to re pay £20,000 in legal aid and has been given 12 months to pay the compensation claim payout. If he fails to do so Mr Samtani will face 18 months in prison.
A 12 year old boy from Brightlingsea, has won a £3 million claim for compensation for injuries suffered in a horrific accident when he was just a baby.
In September 1998 Ben Eeles, was a passenger in a car travelling along the A12 in Norfolk when a coach smashed into the vehicle he was in causing several fatalities and the injuries he suffered.
Ben, who is now 12 years old suffered extreme head injuries and has been left needing care and attention for the rest of his life as a result of the accident. But despite suffering language, concentration and motor skills problems he is generally a fit and healthy little boy and is able to enjoy playing games and riding his bike with his friends.
The coach company admitted liability for the road traffic accident many years ago and their insurance firm have agreed to a settlement amount for Ben.
The compensation claim payout is set to be in the region of £3.25 million and although the exact figures have been kept confidential due to the severity of the injuries and the amount of care that Ben will require. It is said that the payout will be as a initial lump sum, and then annual payments to help cover the severe costs of his care.
The barrister of the High Court, Bill Braithwaite QC told the court: “One of the features of this young man is that, not only does he have a charming and loving family around him, he is a delightful young chap.”
The never ending debate between those that think speed cameras reduce road traffic accidents and those of the opinion that they are merely ‘cash cows’ could be put to the test this August as Oxfordshire County Council appear likely to remove all 72 fixed speeding cameras in the county, with other councils across the country likely to follow suit.
Speed cameras were introduced to the United Kingdom in 1992 and are estimated to have generated over £100 million in fines each and every year, until recently this went back to local ‘safety partnerships’ but now goes back to the Treasury who use it to fund maintenance and installation of the cameras and it is this funding which is now being reduced by 40% in line with cuts to other Government departments.
Because of this reduction in funding local councils are being forced into removing the cameras (some of the councils have suggested that they may retain the yellow shells as a deterrent a move that is sure to antagonise the average motorist.)
Natalie Hatswell, of the Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Partnership, told the BBC that this would lead to “far more road traffic collisions and possibly serious injuries”. However the Taxpayers’ Alliance claims the evidence cameras cut casualties just isn’t there.
Whichever opinion you agree with the sad fact remains that seven people lose their lives every day on the roads in Britain whilst seventy one are seriously injured.
The new coalition Government does appear to have placed itself into a no win situation with this decision due to the fact that if the number of road traffic accidents increases after the removal of the speed cameras the public will be outraged at the lack of funding, however if figures fall or remain the same the question which everyone will be asking is why did we have them in the first place?
A mothers attempt to pamper herself before an evening out, turned to horror when a routine beauty parlour facial went drastically wrong.
Kathleen Wall from King’s Heath, told the Sunday Mercury:
“It was the most painful thing I’ve ever felt. I was planning to get over to Leicester for a Valentine’s Day party and wanted my nails done. While they were doing that, I spotted another woman having the wax treatment and asked if I could get that as well?
As soon as the beauty therapist put the wax on, I could feel my skin burning. By the time she put the tape over it I was in agony, and I was telling her how much it hurt, but her English wasn’t good.”
Mrs.Wall then stated that when the tape was removed blood began to run down her face eventually ending up on her clothes, her lip later swelled up substantially and she was afraid that she would possibly require a skin graft. Thankfully this wasn’t required but the unfortunate mum still has to take painkillers after such a simple procedure went so terribly wrong.
Mrs.Wall now believes she is scarred for life and has hired a law firm to help with her compensation claim.
The Beauty Parlour involved has denied responsibility claiming that all procedures were followed correctly and that Mrs.Wall accepted the parlours offer of free treatments.
A £30,000 fine was imposed from Castle Bromwich, Birmingham the firm Dura Automotive Body and Glass Systems UK
The car components firm was fined after a manufacturing robot struck Michael Brewer a worker at the company, causing damage to his voice box and nearly paralysing him down one side of his body.
Mr. Brewer was injured while attempting to fix a fully-automated industrial robot in May 2008.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation and discovered that the firm had a system of accessing the robot by putting it on manual before entry rather on the full automatic cycle.
Health and Safety Executive inspectors also found that staff would watch the operating cycle from inside the guarded zone.
They concluded that company had failed to carry out an adequate risk assessment to the risks posed to maintenance staff by operating the industrial robots when staff are within the guarded area.
The company was also ordered to pay costs of £20,000 by the Crown Court in Birmingham.
Edward Fry an inspector at HSE said: “This is a prime example of a company failing to address the risks relating to maintenance work.”
It possible that Mr. Brewer will be pursuing a claim for compensation.
A spokes person for Ashley Ainsworth one of the UK leading companies based in Cheshire, that deals with accident at work compensation said “Employers should make more effort in providing risk assessments to protect their work force”
The number of cars in the UK driven without insurance has considerably dropped, according to figures just released. Also there have been reduced numbers of claims for compensation involving uninsured drivers.
Figures reveal a reduction of 20% in the last 4 years. Estimates put a figure of 1.5 million cars on the road driven without insurance during 2009. This compares to 1.8 million in 2005.
Although the MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) still warns about the dangers of uninsured motorists. 23,000 were injured and 160 killed in incidents involving uninsured motorists in the past few years. The MIB was founded in the 1946 and pays out compensation to those injured on the roads by those who are uninsured.
The top 5 uninsured driver hot spots in the UK are as follows:
Barkerend in Bradford is top of the list, and has been in that position for the last 13 years. Manchester’s West Gorton area comes next followed by 3 areas from Birmingham make up the rest of the top five.
Despite this reduction in numbers, there is still some way to go to remove the remaining 1.5 million uninsured motorists from the roads and to reduce the higher insurance premiums law abiding motorists pay as a result.
Driving without insurance carries a penalty of a £200 fine and 6 penalty points on the driving license. The Police also have the powers to seize any uninsured vehicle, and have them crushed, if a valid insurance is not provided with the set time limit.
Wolverhampton City Council had to pay a massive compensation claim payout to six clubbers who were injured during nightclub events.
Six clubbers are pursuing a claim for compensation after they were injured when they slipped on spilt drinks and bottles that had been thrown on the floor during nightclub events, that were being held at Wolverhampton Civic Hall during 2003 and 2006.
The clubbers who are claiming against the council accused the council of not taken the appropriate steps to ensure that drinks were kept away from the dance floor and that floors were kept clean.
They continued to say that the council should have employed staff to monitor the condition and ensure that sufficient cleaning of spillages should have taken place.
The a representative from the solicitors employed by the six claimants, FBC Manby Bowdler, said four of the injured clubbers had won their trials at Walsall County Council and the remaining two injured parties had been settled prior to going to trial.
The six injured parties won the claim for compensation and were awarded around £75,000 plus costs.
A partner and head of FBC’s personal injury department Tim Gray stated: “The fact that there were a number of incidents over a long timeframe undoubtedly helped us to demonstrate that there was lack of reasonable care shown towards the people attending these events, by the management on an on-going basis.
“People are entitled to enjoy a night out safely. Not only did our claimants suffer painful injuries, they also had to take time off from their work and studies for which they are entitled to compensation.”
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