malumbu

Trump is driving a wedge between the UK and EU.

The posts on this part of the forum are virtually all complaining Sue. Some people wake up in the morning angry. Fortunately some of us don't. Looking at the world there is of course plenty to be angry about. We can discuss this on the Lounge. I try from time to time but they tend to be hijacked or gather zero interest. There are a small number of you who I expect have never posted anything positive. Shame.

Perhaps we could all try to post something positive? It's lovely and sunny outside, birds are making nests, spawn had turned into tadpoles, spring flowers are out, this part of the forum has been peaceful for the last few days.

Good to see that there is some joined up-ness to the works, not quite sure if this was pointed out earlier.

Sorry to hear. You should be covered for damage through the Motor Insurance Bureau. If she did not give you contact details report to the police, in particular if she didn't stop. https://www.mib.org.uk/ https://www.theaa.com/car-insurance/advice/what-to-do-after-a-car-accident

So you are against affordable rents and ownership for those on low incomes, key workers etc. Who is going to clean our buildings, serve in our shops, and look after us when we are old or ill? Some state intervention, particularly social housing, extremely welcome. Sorry if I have misquoted you.

That's a bit of a how long is a piece of string question. It's as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it, flying with an obscure airline via a country you've not heard of and sofa surfing Vs part of a luxury cruise. There will be loads on line eg this may help https://www.neverendingfootsteps.com/cost-of-travel-japan-budget/

What's wrong with spaghetti trees? I understand that the conditions are ideal for a good harvest. When I was younger I'd spend a couple of weeks in Italy helping with the harvest before moving onto pick grapes in vineyards. I'd urge youngsters to do similar, for example during the school and university summer holidays

https://www.datacars.com/

I cycle there.

Looking from the other perspective cycling and public transport are a reasonable option for many. And as I have been quoted, without being named earlier, many of us choose to live in a location due to transport links, and convenience for amenities, leisure and work. I've always lived close enough to shops, bus stops and train stations. As do all of you. In my time in London public transport and connectivity has improved for example the Jubilee Line extension, what was previously knows as the Overground, and Lizzie Line. The introduction of the one hour ticket on the bus, following the two journeys in an hour, has been excellent, but the world of public transport was revolutionised with the introduction of the Oyster card and subsequently contactless. There may be a case for charging us to park our vehicles on all public roads. Making it less attractive to drive will change some travelers' behaviour. How many of us would want to drive into central London with the C charge and zero free parking in many locations? Gone are the days when I could drive into London for the evening and easily park near Waterloo. One thing that has perplexed me for years is who on earth would ever drive up Charing Cross Road unless it was essential? I expect most of us have walked up their on a Saturday night when there is grid lock of vehicles. Yes you can find areas that are more difficult to get to by public transport - parts of NW and NE London are a pain to get to. Much of this was no central planning during the golden age of rail, when it was about getting most the masses into central London from the burbs and beyond as new commuter belts were established. Lack of connectivity between southern and SE services, with lines often crossing, is a pain. Having adjacent, or near adjacent, stations (some of which were amalgamated) - LB, Waterloo/Waterloo East, Kings x/St Pancras, New X and New x Gate, Victoria demonstrates the lack of joined up thinking. The rich land owners not allowing routes to join up in Central London in a New York Central Terminus way.

It's my profession. That's why I know a lot. I present facts or opinion based on my understanding. But I have no great interest in the fine detail of vehicle counters and all that dull stuff that gets discussed ad nausium on other threads.

I expect that they work similar hours to most on this forum. Ask Conway, they were very good in getting back when I reported one of their vehicles parked, with the engine on.

Totally the opposite, engine isn't labouring due to constant slowing down and speeding up meaning less nitrogen oxides, higher fuel economy, a smoother ride for the occupants, safer roads, less wear and tear including brake wear which contributes to pollution. Trouble is the masses are ignorant of things like this, And many simply don't care about harmful emissions. If you go in the M4 out of London you will see that the 60mph restrictions which discourages speeding and aggressive acceleration, as this leads to more nitrogen oxides. I've worked in the field for a long time. This has no particular relevance to a simple question asked on this thread.

I expect that it will be the opposite, all those people from Lee will say, I may as well walk/drive to Blackheath. Better for local shops and the environment

Smoother, slower driving, at loosely a constant speed, allows for more vehicles on the road. It messes up when drivers get into the accelerate/brake mode, as many do, particularly on traffic calmed roads. I was always tempted to take a video on Court Lane, when it was a through road, driving between 16 and 18 miles an hour, and not braking once. And then compare to virtually everyone else who accelerate between speed bumps, and banged the brake on just before. Taking just as long, but this would allow for less vehicle density. The problem is with all the theory of slower speeds, traffic calming and the like, that most people aren't very good drivers, in terms of smoothness. I'd beat most of you in a competition on fuel economy.

20mph actually increases the capacity of major roads. I'm starting to get into AI as it seems to agree with me: Improved Traffic Flow: Lower speeds mean drivers can maintain closer following distances and react more quickly to changes in traffic flow, leading to smoother and more efficient traffic movement. Enhanced Junction Capacity: At junctions, it's easier for drivers to merge into slower-moving traffic, reducing congestion and improving the overall capacity of the junction. Reduced Bunching: Lower speeds reduce the "bunching" effect where vehicles tend to group together, which can lead to stop-and-go traffic. Increased Safety: Lower speeds also improve road safety, as drivers have more time to react to hazards and the severity of accidents is reduced. Encourages Active Travel: 20's Plenty for Us says that safer streets encourage more people to walk, cycle or wheel, which can reduce congestion and improve air quality.

Well I don't know how Germany will prop up their car industry, it is difficult to do state aid if you are in the EU - the UK did it in 2008 when it introduced the scrapage scheme. State aid is hardly helping UK steel production - another Brexit benefit? German manufacturers were in trouble long before Covid. The Chinese state massively subsidises their EVs which the then dump on Western markets. Let's see how Trump plays out on that. Not all Chinese products are good, some of the MGs are cheap and very nasty. William Morris must be turning in his grave at what happened to his brand - MG = Morris Garages, a specialised arms of the then Morris motor company.

A separate subject, but does this include ratting on a neighbour for paying them cash for a small job in the house or garden? Worrying!

I was quite pleased with my last post, as this was written from memory and experience, rather than recent research. I then found a recent article from the Grauniad about decline in UK manufacturing which is worth a read https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/30/uk-car-production-falls-to-lowest-level-since-1954#:~:text=British car production fell in,fossil fuels to electric vehicles. Spoiler alert, apparently Brexit is not working well Cars did get heavier due to improved safety, mandated under type approval, widespread adoption of power steering, and other improvements That became standard. Driving a Citroen AX may be fun but not colliding into a fixed or moving object at speed. But the super sizing of vehicles in recent years has led to a further increase in average weight.

Why are you buying the car industry's propaganda? There are plenty of lighter weight EVs with reasonable ranges. 200 miles plus. I wager that many drive longer distances than this only a few times a year. The manufacturers make far more money on large vehicles. The market is saturated, there are too many factories across the world, cars last twice as long as they did a few decades ago so demand for new has fallen. Therefore they market the dream of larger vehicles, ICE and electric . Leasing appears unsustainable and may collapse like a pack of carrs. Sooner or later the market will readjust; The UK went through this many years ago with much of the mass production ending. For some reason nations cling onto manufacturing for national pride. Germany can't continue like this. Trump will protect his industry with ludicrous tariff that could backfire. China may continue to flood the market. Bit of a mess.

Go on the South Circular in West Dulwich during school start and end and you will see a disproportionate number of large SUV type vehicles - I expect that this is to do with wealth, but maybe also a feeling of greater safety. Ford stopping production of the Fiesta three years ago is a good indication of how the car industry works, persuading owners to go bigger brings in more profit. Their reason, despite the popularity, was they needed space in Cologne to produce a new EV. Yes, you've guessed it, a SUV style EV (Ford Explorer). It's brutalist design says a lot to me. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ford-fiesta-production-ends-after-47-years

Euro NCAP is a voluntary scheme, it is useful, but doesn't guarantee that you will not hurt a pedestrian, your own occupants, or other road users, in a collision. Ultimately it is speed and weight that are the main determinants. 20mph zones is generally a good thing in urban areas. Driver training, particularly refresher training, would be valuable. I feel that there is enough general information about the hazards of speeding, but more could be done to encourage smoother driving, and better anticipation of the road ahead and awareness of other road users. Traffic calming is a mixed blessing, it doesn't always encourage smoother driving and hence less congestio, and there is danger that the frustration that some feel may manifest itself in the foot on the throttle where there are uncalmed roads, particularly where there are no speed cameras, An odd bit of road is along Crystal Palace Parade, being in Bromley who generally hasn't adopted 20mph, speed limit goes up to 30, but you are surrounded by 3 boroughs with 20mph throughout. I've got an article on the safest vehicles from Autotrader but I will post this once I have the typical kerbside weights. Ultimately it is us, as responsible citizens, that can do more to reduce pollution, reduce congestion, improve road safety through smarter choices. The vehicle we drive, including shared ownership, when, how and where we drive (if we drive at all on a particular journey). I've said this so many times! Central government could put out a stronger message, but following the nonsense of Sunak's manufactured culture wars, and with Reform breathing down everyone's necks, Starmer doesn't want to put across the message above for fear of losing votes. Shame, up to Johnson recent PMs have been generally going the right way. I suspect that the data on the vehicles most involved in collisions reflects some demographics - Prius's Uber drivers (although my limited experience is that they are generally better drivers), Corsas and Astras can be hot hatches. I've not looked a the evidence,

Guardian article is fairly balanced and quotes other points of view on 20mph, although none of the major parties are against it in principle. I'm not sure why you saw some sort of agenda. I do like the concluding line - There is, perhaps, a lesson here for politicians, although not an easy one: sometimes it can be best to ignore the noisiest voices, and take the evidence-based course. In this situation the evidence is compelling. Slow vehicles down and there will be less harm where there is a collision, even if there is no other road user involved such as driving into a lamppost.

I'm not sure that motorbikes and scooters are the issue. It's generally cars that speed down Underhill having commuted on it for best part of 20 years. I've never been worried walking on UR at night, but... That is probably because I am familiar and comfortable with the area. It's as much about perception on urban roads. I'd not feel so relaxed about an area I was unfamiliar with.