Does Playing Music While Driving Distract You?

Music is something that we all enjoy, whether you listen to it a little or a lot; we all like a good tune to sing along to. But does music cause problems in the car? 

Everyday most people travelling by car will put on the radio or put in their favourite CD, but does this music distract us from driving? Is it dangerous? And why do so many people choose to listen to music while they travel?

The average driver will listen to around 7 hours of music in their car every week. This amounts to around 12 billion hours of noise pollution each year in the UK.

 We also have to look at how this affects other people, if you have your music very loud in your car; it may not only be a distraction to you, but also to other drivers on the road. It has been revealed that around 63% become angry with other road users playing their music too loudly.

Drivers will play music around 72% of the time that they are in their car and around a quarter of these will listen to their music every single time they are in the car. Around 61% of people believe that listening to music makes the journey go by faster, people also find it relaxing and entertaining to sing along with the music, that’s even more noise pollution! 

These reasons explain why most road users choose to play music in their car while driving. But is it risky? Around 22% of men almost had an accident due to playing music in the car and around 12% of women also nearly experienced an accident as a result of listening to music in the car. There is not much in it but this does show that men are a little more likely to become distracted by their music.

It is not only music that causes distraction while driving, research shows that mobile phones, passengers and children can also be large distractions while driving. 

So do you feel like you are distracted by music in your car?

Olympic Games Lanes Make a Return For Paralympics

After a small break from hectic roads from the Olympics, the games lanes are being turned back on again for the start of the London 2012 Paralympic games. Traffic disrupted many journeys last time, but will we see the same sort of disruption this time round?

The Paralympic Route is smaller than the regular Olympic Route, which should make things a little easier for London’s motorists. There are about 8.7 miles of Olympic Games lanes along the Paralympic route. These lanes will be operated flexibly, when there is low demand for the lanes from the Olympic officials and high demand from the general public they will be opened up to everyone until they are needed again.

Although the Paralympic games are on a slightly smaller scale, disruption is still to be expected. During the games people are being advised to avoid the Paralympic Route Network as much as they possible can. Traffic will be particularly bad around the Olympic park, so this area should be avoided whenever possible.

It is also advised that some restrictions in central London roads will be in place today as the Olympic torch relay travels through London. There is expected to be a large amount of spectators watching the torch relay, so many areas in London will be unusually busy.

The A2, A12 and A13 routes into London are also expected to be unusually busy, particularly in the morning. If you are not able to avoid driving along these routes, allow plenty of time for your journey.

The Paralympic opening ceremony will be taking place tonight at the Olympic Park, so all of central London will be much busier than usual.

Overall the chaos caused should be much less than when the regular Olympic Games took place, planning your journey ahead will save time and unnecessary stress.

We hope that everyone enjoys the London 2012 Paralympic Games!

Special Edition Ministry of Sound Nissan Juke

Nissan have teamed up with an unlikely partner, the music producer Ministry of sound. The product of this combination is the new special edition Ministry of sound Nissan Juke. The Juke is available in all the existing engine variants and comes in two colours – black or white.

The Juke comes with 17-inch white alloys, white Mirror caps, white centre console, white door handles and white stitching on the leather seats and steering wheel. You will also receive an 8GB Apple iPod Touch and Ministry of sound headphones with an inbuilt docking station.

All of this kit comes as standard which is quite generous, but being a Ministry of sound special edition, we thought we would hear more about a new sound system being fitted into the Juke. But confusingly there seems to be no mention of this.

Can we really call it a Ministry of sound edition when the music kit does not include a new sound system, the addition of the iPod and headphone are very nice, but many of us already have these and are looking for a bit more than that.

Nissan have also introduced a stop-start system as a £200 option on manual cars with the entry-level 1.6-litre petrol engine.

Prices start from £17,895, and you will have to get onto this quickly as Nissan have said that only 250 will be produced. The addition improves economy by 1.6mpg, to 48.7mpg, and reduces CO2 emissions by 3g/km, to 136g/km, paying for itself after 45,797 miles.

So if you are a fan of Ministry of Sound, this may just be the car for you. It is a great mixture of driving pleasure and music pleasure.

The Best Car Manufacturer?

J.D. Power, one of the worlds leading market research companies, recently done some digging on who the best vehicle manufacturer is, and the results are in.

The C-X16

Jaguar customers voted the prestige-dealer network more highly than any other manufacturer on the market. Customers and clients commented on the clean, comfortable waiting areas, the helpful staff and the precise, streamline process which left nothing to be worried over. XF drivers were particularly glowing in their praise for Jaguar and service advisors were especially praised for their top-notch service.

The only negative knocks on Jaguars otherwise gleaming performance was the cost of service repairs, which have been noted as being quite the bit higher than many other manufacturers out there. Then again, you have to consider that Jaguar use higher-quality materials than many for their prestige-brand, thus the cost should be expected to be slightly more.

Iconic X-Type

Nevertheless, Jaguar still reign as number one with Lexus and Skoda coming in second and third respectively. More impressively for Jaguar, as it’s worth noting that their feature car, the X-Type, isn’t even made anymore.

Jaguars’ next big thing is to be the C-X16, which was also voted ‘Most Exciting Car of 2012’ from WhatCar? Magazine.

The future is bright for Jaguar and we’re excited to see how they develop their brand. 

Written by the team at Alternative Route Finance
Feel free to check out our Jaguar Leasing Deals - including the XF, XFR, XJ, XK Convertible and the XK.

Business Owners:- Whats the Car for You?

There are plenty of vehicles out there to wet the appetite of the businessman or woman today. Petrol to diesel, estate to saloon – the choices can be quite overwhelming.

Is there a right and wrong car to pick for business owners? The short answer is no – it’s your money; you spend it how you want. However, there are some pretty good options out there that you might not know about…

These are my top three recommendations for the business owner – you deserve it.

BMW 5-Series 520d EfficientDynamics

The performance of this BMW is something to behold. The diesel engines powerful enough for anyone, with the entry-level model producing 181bhp. If you’re really keen on pushing the speed limit to the very max, you can have this car with a very lovely, rip-roaring V8 Turbo.

The 5-Series

With the engines being so powerful you’d expect them to be noisy when you’re driving, or at least letting off a bit of a rumble – you’d be wrong however. BMW have thought about the refinement of this vehicle in a meticulous manner. Engine, tyre and suspension are noiseless – it’s just so smooth.

Inside the 5-Series you’ll find a detailed, logical, clear and precise dashboard – it’s the epitome of perfection. The iDrive system ensures that you have access to a wealth of multimedia entertainment and driver aids to make your ride even more enjoyable. Every model also comes with electrical adjustment for the seat height and backrest angle – so this car will be suitable for anyone, no matter what your height or size is.

Aerodynamic wheels, low rolling resistance tyres and longer gearing all give the 5-Seires that added va-va-voom. Coming in at a massive 62.8mpg and an incredibly low 119 g/km, this car is simply amazing.

• Target Price: £30,030 all the way up to £55,915 
• Fuel will cost you around (don’t quote us) £10-£22 per 100 Miles
• CO2: 119
• Tax Band: C-L

Commendable Mentions:

Jaguar XF

Jaguar XF 2.2D:- The Jaguar XF effortless combines class and sport to produce one of the best executive cars you can buy on the market right now. Stylish looks, gorgeous cabin, impeccable handling and a supply, smooth ride. Plus, it’s a Jag. Prices start from just under £30,000.

A7 Sportback

Audi A7 Sportback:- A dream machine for anyone that loves technology, the A7 is loaded with goodies inside it’s beautiful cabin. Crafted carefully by Audi, you can see and feel the effort gone into developing it – blistering speeds, low fuel consumption and a light-weight body frame - prices from starting from a respectful £39,000.

CLS 

Mercedes CLS:- Anyone will tell you that Mercedes-Benz are known for their quality and comfort, and the CLS does not disappoint. Hugely desirable, the CLS was made for the business person. Head-turning looks, incredible practical, refined engine and impressive steering. Stunning car, prices started from £43,575 for entry level models.

 If you’re considering a new car, then these really are the crème da le crème, and if you’ve worked your way to the top then we think you deserve something that really will make your driving something quite special. 

Nissan introduces Black Cab

The Black cab is a symbol of London and our whole country, it is instantly recognisable. So what would you think if the London Black Cab got re-designed? Well Nissan have produced their own take on the Black Cab and it is being supported by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

It is not just our London Cabs that will see a new rival; the Nissan NV200 has already been introduced to Tokyo and is also set to be a new replacement for the iconic Yellow Cab of New York. We have to ask, can Nissan really replace such strong symbols?

The London version of the Nissan NV200 is a bit different to the Tokyo and New York versions; it has a wider axel and better suspension to allow a turning circle of 25ft. This is a requirement of all London taxis as they have to be able to get around tight roundabouts such as the famous Savoy Hotel on The Strand.

The taxi is based on the Nissan NV200 Compact Van; this has been taken and made into a passenger friendly vehicle. It can hold five people and has plenty of room for luggage too. One of the other main focuses of the NV200 is to be accessible for anyone, so Nissan have installed a wide-opening sliding door which has been designed to make it easier for wheelchair users to get in and out of the taxi.

There are some great features on the inside too; the Nissan has USB charging points for passengers and a glass panoramic roof which give a fantastic alternative view of London’s sights for the passenger.

Nissan have said that the new NV200 will be 50% more fuel efficient than the current London taxis which are the TX4 London Taxis. Nissan have also said that it could save cab drivers around £700 in fuel costs. Annual Co2 emissions will be reduced by 37,970 metric tonnes.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, said: “Having taken the significant step of introducing the first age limit for taxis in London (cabs over 15 years old are being decommissioned), I am absolutely delighted that manufacturers are stepping up to the plate and are responding to the challenge I set in my air quality strategy to reduce taxi emissions and improve efficiency.” 

This is all very good stuff, but will people miss the old classic London Black Cabs? Is this enough to convince people that changes are a good thing?

Miniature Olympic Helpers

Usually in the field events at the Olympics like Shot Put and Javelin etc, will require someone to collect the equipment and bring it back after each turn; ready for the next person to use on their turn. At the London 2012 Olympics a human helper will be a thing of the past, we now have something much better and to be honest it is quite funny.

The new Olympic helpers are just 1.1 metres long and 0.4 metres high. That’s right, say hello to the mini Mini Cooper! A radio controlled Mini Cooper has been created to carry Olympic equipment back to the players once they have been used. This method may seem a little crazy but it saves a lot of time and seems to be a efficient method of getting the games equipment back to the players again.

Not only will this help the athletes, it will also give the audience a bit of a laugh seeing the miniature car carrying around large javelins and other large equipment. We think this is a fantastic idea and a great way to promote the Olympic fleet of vehicles.

The mini MINI Cooper can carry up to 8kg at one time, this is equal to two javelins, one shot, one discuss or one hammer. The Mini is powered by a little battery pack and can last up to 35 minuets when being used continuously, and then it will need to charge for around an hour and 20 minuets.

Three of these Mini Coopers have been created for use in the field games which start today. BMW have really put their all into being the official vehicle supplier of the London 2012 Olympic Games, they have been creating all sorts of interesting things to support London 2012 as we have previously talked about and this is just another brilliant idea of theirs.

So what do you think of the Mini MINI fleet? A fun idea or just silly?

London 2012 Fuel Card Cloning

Iconic Image

The Olympics games are now in full swing, and we have to say it’s making London proud. We’ve been enjoying all the games, but things will be reviewed after the games to see where things didn’t quite work – this is just one of those clangers.

Fuel-Cards made especially for the BMW Olympic Fleet were stolen and cloned, reports have discovered. This was back in April and, as you’d expect, kept quite hushed until the problem had been dealt with.

How the perps got hold of the fuel-cards to clone them remains a mystery, but since the start of the games it is being reported that the cards have been retrieved and no further fraudulent use has been undertaken.

The big question rattling around many heads was ‘how did the fraudsters know the PIN to use the fuel cards?’ – cloned or not, each fuel-card has a PIN and this needs to be entered upon use. Yep, you guessed it, the four-digit security lock on the cards just happened to be 2012.

A London 2012 Spokesperson said:

“A very small (around 20) number of pre-Games fuel cards were fraudulently used in April. This was picked up immediately by a team that tracks the fuel card usage daily and the information was passed to the police.”

Fuel Card Examples

“The Games Time fuel cards have been active since the start of July and there have been no fraudulent use of these cards.”

We’re rooting for TeamGB to keep bringing in the medals, and for BMW to keep showcasing their fantastic vehicles.

If you're interesting in what the BMW Olympic Fleet consists on, click on the link for a full breakdown! 

BMW's role in the London 2012 Olympics

BMW are the official automotive Partner for the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Paralympic games. Previously we took a look at the BMW Olympic fleet and how they are helping with the games, but this time we are taking a look at BMW’s role in the Olympics as a whole. BMW have been getting heavily involved with the Olympics and are proud to be partners with London 2012.

BMW started their support by providing vehicles to be Olympic torch relay command cars as the torch travelled all around the country. They have been providing vehicles to shuttle athletes to and from the Olympic stadium and as support for different events, such as using motorbikes to support the cycling events taking place.

BMW have another big Olympic project, the BMW Olympic Pavilion. A competition took place for six architecture firms to produce a design for the BMW Olympic Pavilion and the best design would be created. The BMW Pavilion looks incredible and has lots of interesting features.

 

The Pavilion is set on the waterworks river and uses the river water to cool the building; it then sends the filtered water back into the river and creates a ‘water curtain’ feature which looks amazing.

The BMW Olympic Pavilion is built from steel and recycled content; it has been designed to reflect the heritage of BMW. The building has been built as an addition to the Olympic park and is located just across from the Olympic Stadium. BMW have a big presence at the London 2012 Olympics and have provided a lot of support to the country at this important time.

Inside the BMW Pavilion the lower floor shows off BMW’s role in sponsoring the Olympics, the lower floor also focuses a lot on sustainability and BMW are keen to put this on show. The Pavilion is open to visitors over the Olympic period and is expected to see thousands of people come through their doors.