Vehicle Development that Affects Transport Planning
Ford - Driving Skills for Life
Ford Australia has announced that its free Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) course will tour Australia for a fifth consecutive year. Conducted in conjunction with the Amy Gillet foundation, it provides free driver training in techniques that are not the normal part of getting your L plates.
It aims to increase the use of safe and calm driving techniques as well as teach new drivers how to share the road with other vehicles and cyclists.
One approach to help drivers avoid ‘dooring’ cyclists is called the Dutch reach, in which a driver uses their far hand (left hand for right hand drive vehicles) to open the car door which forces drivers to turn their head and look behind them hopefully to check for cyclists.
The Driving Skills for Life is a free course funded by Ford and carried out at six locations around Australia.
Ford - Driving Skills for Life
In the past it was relatively easy to get used to a new car. But now cars are so laden with features that take more than one button to access and control it is a much more difficult task. It is questionable how much an owner can benefit from features including safety devices if they do not understand how to access them or how to react when the car gives them some feedback.
Land Rover is addressing this issue.
With infotainment systems and fancy controls, it is a struggle to get used to a modern car.
Fortunately, the new 2019 Range Rover Sport SVR, released in the UK has an app called Land Rover iGuide.
With the app, you can move your phone around the car (hopefully only when stationary) and point to areas that you need to understand better. If, for example, you point to the sun-roof controls, you’ll see highlights on those buttons. All you then do is click on these highlights, and it will show you the correct section of the manual.
Apparently, the technology has been around for some time but the real test will be if, eventually, we can free up the glove box by not having a 500 page or more manual.
Jaguar/Land Rover tackles exclusion of disabled people with ‘the valuable 500’ pledge
Jaguar Land Rover has pledged to work even more closely with disabled people as it joins a global movement dedicated to addressing disability inclusion in business.
Britain’s largest automotive manufacturer has committed to doing more research with disabled people to help future vehicles better meet their needs.
The pledge comes as the company signs up to become a member of The Valuable 500, an international organisation founded by campaigner and social entrepreneur Caroline Casey, who is legally blind. The Valuable 500 aims to unlock the value of people living with disabilities across the world by placing disability inclusion at the top of business leadership agendas.