It May Be an Automatic - But You've Still Got to Be There

The boss of Tesla's Autopilot programme has just quit.  Probably not connected but it is on the back of a couple of accidents including, tragically, a fatal one.

 

So, not a good idea to put too much faith in the system right now.

 

Like this bloke from Nottingham did:

The BBC report on how Bhavesh Patel moved into the passenger seat after putting his car into autopilot while at 40mph on a motorway.

 

The twerp.

 

Patel said he was the "unlucky one who got caught", the court was told.

 

That implies others do it regularly without getting caught.

 

I doubt that, but if it is true, then hopefully his 18 months driving disqualification, 100 hours of unpaid work and Crown Prosecution Service costs of £1,800 will put them off.

 

Especially as it is so easy to spot a Tesla driving under autopilot by the blue lines and circles emanating from the car: 

Why Do I Want One of These? - Is it Just the Name?

Yes, probably.

It's the new Ford Escort - the Autoguide story is here.  It's a saloon!  Unfortunately, it's only going on sale in China.

 

I'd really like to see one with proper Ford Rally lamps: 

 Wouldn't touch a new Vauxhall Viva though:

Unfortunately, it's only on sale here.

Danger - Low Bridge

Must have been REALLY low to do that to a Range Rover.

A brand new Velar at that.

Very embarrassing for the driver - who wasn't decapitated.

But that is because he was driving the car transporter it was riding on.

It happened yesterday morning on the M61, the Manchester Evening News story is here.

He also badly damaged another car on his transporter and a breakdown recovery vehicle which was behind him and was hit by the Velar's roof.

Fortunately, nobody was injured.

There's actually a bit of confusion in the article about whether it was a Velar or an Evoque.  Looks to me like one of each:

I particularly liked one of the comments which was added by a MEN Reader calling himself mancton:

"Fake news didn’t hit a bridge they’re all convertibles."

Ant-erior Collision

Ant McPartlin was up in Court today after a collision.

He was found guilty of drink-driving.  He was fined £86000 and banned from driving for 20 months.

 

Meanwhile, outside, there was another collision:

Oops!

Embarrassing.

At least Wayne Rooney didn't crash when he was caught drink-driving.

Although that was supposed to be embarrassing because he was driving a car owned by a woman he was having a fling with.

 

I'd have thought the fact it was a VW Beetle would be more embarrassing.

Highway To Hell

Here's a 2014 story about a singing road in The States.

That may be an OK idea out in the middle of New Mexico.  Especially if National Geographic are paying for it.

Sietske Poepjes thinks it's a good idea.  So she spent just under £70K of not National Geographic's money installing one in The Netherlands.  She is described as a "local minister for infrastructure and cultural affairs".

But that does include the cost of removing it again after one day.

Whether or not she is still a local minister for infrastructure and cultural affairs isn't mentioned in this BBC story.

Apparently, if you build one near to where people live, it soon becomes very annoying for the local residents.

Especially if people start driving at twice the speed limit to hear the tune at twice the speed.

So Road Trippin' is out, even if you are King of the Road, be it Telegraph Road, Thunder Road, Electric Avenue or The Road to Nowhere.  Hit The Road, Jack - The Long and Winding Road.

Duns-Folding?

Interesting story from Autoguide this week about the Top Gear Test Track.

The test track made famous by Jeremy, James & Richard but now being used by Matt, Chris & Rory.

 

Following on from the planning permission requested for a mega-motor museum in Oxfordshire, we now have a planning permission request to turn the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey (better known as the Top Gear Test Track) into a mega-housing development.

 

Sacrilege!

 

Although it is amusing to read in the article that the Americans think Surrey has its own Secretary of State.

 

Anyway, a bit more digging brings up this Waverley Borough Council page about the proposals.

 

The page owner is Ben HAMMOND.

 

Coincidence!?

 

Yes, probably.