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| Contents |
Issue No. 352 -- 23 January 2006 |
Editor's Message
Tributes to the late Anton Rupert
Letters to the Editor
Quote/s of the Week
Ad Hoc Article/s of the Week
Bits and Bobs
The Legal Beagle
Help Desk
Where are they now?
Club and Other News
Humour
Recipes
Sports News
SA Motoring News Item
South African dam levels
Water pollution in SA rivers
Credits and Contact Info
Subscribing and Unsubscribing
| Send this Issue to a Friend! |
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Greetings to all readers,
My faith in humanity has had a major boost during this week.
There has been such a positive feedback from a multitude of subscribers that I feel distinctly positive about my future at SAW!
Many thanks to all that have written to me and Maureen. Please continue writing, as that gives us the feel for things. Particularily good will be suggestions about what subjects or contents should added/ shortened / deleted?
Next week I hope to have a new correspondent from New Zealand, so that will be something to look forward to. Other correspondents are being recruited in more countries.
Want to write or advertise? Then contact me at the usual address... editor@saw.co.za.
Maureen says: Apologies if you received more than one copy of SAWmail last week. Telkom gremlins in the works again. Should be fixed for this week (holding thumbs...)
| Tributes to the late Anton Rupert |
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Rupert: Madiba of SA business
The death of Anton Rupert, 89, - South Africa's genius entrepreneur - is a massive loss to the South African business community.
Read more here...
http://www.fin24.co.za/articles...
____________________________________________________________________
From £10 to billionaire
Johannesburg - Business tycoon Anton Edward Rupert, 89, who died at his home on Wednesday night, was a pioneering billionaire, entrepreneur and conservationist. He was born on October 4 1916 and raised in Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape.
Read more here...
http://www.fin24.co.za/articles...
____________________________________________________________________
SA tycoon Anton Rupert dies at 89
South African business tycoon Anton Edward Rupert (89),who died in his sleep at his home in Stellenbosch on Wednesday night,was a pioneering billionaire, entrepreneur and conservationist. Rupert died at about 11pm on Wednesday night, family spokesperson Hans Knoetze said.
Read more here...
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage...
| Letters to the Editor |
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[Steve Hall runs an aircraft ferry outfit from Tampa-Florida USA, from where he directs worldwide operations. As a Flying Instructor I’ve been able to assist him or his pilots locally in South Africa by checking them out with some re-familiarisation on types. Ed]
Says Steve:- One of my pilots, Matt Shanley, just delivered a
Cessna 172S from Wichita to Reunion Island via Windhoek, Lanseria & Durban.
The new C172 wasn't with the usual Garmin 1000 glass panel, but a single Bendix King Nav Com, a Transponder and a King 950 Series HF.
This is the first 172 that I have seen that had a $30,000 HF installed in its panel. Despite the fine HF, the installation had problems. The installer failed to caulk the coupler feed- through insulator. Passing the Gulf of Guinea Car-Wash or the Equatorial ITZ over the Gulf, the insulator shorted out and the HF was finished!
Century Avionics at Lanseria bench checked the HF components, isolated the problem and fixed it in one day. The Aero Club in Reunion received an aircraft that was new and squawk free.
To facilitate the delivery, we installed two tanks;a 100 gallon and a 45 gallon tank according to our approval and Fed.Air Regulations 23.561. All tanks were restrained to a minimum of 9g's deceleration per Fed. Aviation Agency regulations.
The aircraft routed Bangor, Santa Maria, Las Palmas,Accra, Windhoek, Lanseria, Durban,to final destination Reunion Island.
That is what happened recently. We have a couple of Cessna Caravans going to Dar-es Salaam, coming in this month.
See ya,
Steve
[C172 = a single-engined 4-seater light aircraft.
HF = High Frequency Radio – for long range ;
ITZ = Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone – lots of gigantic thunderstorms in rows. – Ed]
Cash is king.
Refuse to be someone else's slave.
| Ad Hoc Article/s of the Week |
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A taxing new year
Maya Fisher-French: Getting Personal
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage...
Over the past year, the finance minister has made a number of tax changes that will have a material impact on taxable incomes. While you may be celebrating lower tax rates, the government is starting to squeeze the items that can be used as tax deductions, including medical aid contributions and travel allowances.
According to Doelie Lessing, director at Werksmans Tax, now is a good time to start reviewing your situation in preparation for the new tax year. Not only is your tax burden likely to increase, but you need to ensure that you comply with the new rules.
Most people will be affected by the change to the tax treatment of medical aid contributions as from March 1 2006. According to Lessing, employees currently do not pay fringe benefit tax on the first two-thirds of their medical aid contributions paid by the employer.
For example, if your contribution is R2 700 a month to a medical aid for a family of four, and it was paid for by your employer, R1 800 did not attract fringe benefits tax, which means that it was paid out of pre-tax money.
Now the government has imposed limits. Tax deductible and/or fringe benefit tax-free contributions for the main member and first dependant are limited to R500 each and R300 for each subsequent dependant. So a family of four can now only deduct R1 600 from their taxable income or contribute R1 600 out of pre-tax money if the contribution is paid by an employer.
Read more here...
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage...
Cape Power failures
An electricity black-out in Cape Town has nothing to do with the maintenance work at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, Eskom and the city of Cape Town said on Friday. "It has nothing to do with us, it has to do with the City of Cape Town," said Carien de Villiers, a spokesperson for Koeberg. Charles Kadalie of the City of Cape Town said the black-out started at about 14.4, when a fault occurred at the Montague main station which supplied incoming electricity from Eskom to the city. "There was a (power) trip," Kadalie said, adding that a technical team was trying to ascertain the cause of the black-out. It has nothing to do with Koeberg." Kadalie said the city was "synergising" its gas turbines to augment electrical power to the city. He said a significant portion of the city was without power including Milnerton, large portions of the central business ditrict, Woodstock and surrounding areas.
http://www.mweb.co.za/news/?p=article1&i=57888
Zimbabwe coughs up ahead of IMF visit
Harare - Zimbabwe has made a $2,5-million (about R12-million) payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ahead of a visit by the world lending body next week, the finance minister said on Wednesday.
"Yes we did the payment," Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa said.
"When we have made another payment we will let you know, but it is better to talk after the mission has come."
A five-member IMF delegation is due to arrive in Zimbabwe for a six-day visit Tuesday.
The IMF has threatened to expel Zimbabwe from its ranks for failing to pay back loans since 2001 and has given the southern African country until February to settle its accounts
A finance ministry official said Zimbabwe was planning to clear the balance of $144,3-million by November this year.
"We paid $2,5-million to the International Monetary Fund during week ending 13 January," the official said.
Central bank spokesperson Kumbirai Nhongo refused to comment, saying the bank was not at liberty to disclose details of its dealings with the country's creditors.
In October last year central bank governor Gideon Gono promised the IMF that the remainder of Zimbabwe's debt would be paid in two instalments in February and November this year.
In September last year, Zimbabwe paid a surprise $120-million - more than a third of its outstanding debt - to the IMF following threats of expulsion.
The central bank said that payment came mainly from "free funds" and export earnings.
It has paid back $148-million since February last year.
Zimbabwe is in the throes of an economic crisis battling chronic foreign currency shortages and a triple-digit inflation.
Given the country's dire economic straits, last year's payments prompted speculation and suspicion as to its source, with economists noting that Zimbabwe could not afford to spare hard currency.
The IMF said in October that it would investigate the source of the loan payback and would report on its findings to the executive board in March.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?newslett...
Touch Wood
South Africans love wooden furniture and many households have a few heirlooms to which the owners are so attached that, if necessary, they'll trek with them to the other side of the world. This sentiment is related to wood's best property: it becomes more beautiful as it ages and, even when slightly worn, such an item always has a story to tell.
Wood in South Africa
In South Africa, good wooden furniture is traditionally associated with indigenous wood such as stinkwood and yellowwood. Today, these types of wood are generally unaffordable and, in the case of stinkwood, unobtainable. According to the website www.botany.uwc.ac.za, less than 0,5% of South Africa is covered by indigenous forests. As indigenous wood grows very slowly, trees that grow faster are planted commercially to meet the demand for wooden products. This is why many furniture manufacturers use exotic wood.
When furniture manufacturers buy wood, availability and cost play the greatest role in determining what they choose. Buying wood these days is almost like purchasing shares, according to Jan du Toit of Classic Revivals. Wood prices are also not constant and fluctuate according to supply and demand. This is why quotes given by manufacturers are usually only valid for a limited period.
The days of turning up our noses at exotic wood are clearly over. Our good indigenous varieties, such as yellowwood, blackwood, stinkwood, and white and black pearwood, are strictly regulated and are usually sold at auctions. Prices are sky high: stinkwood costs about R50 000 per m3, compared with R8 000 per m3 (at the time of going to print) for beech, which chiefly comes from America but is also supplied by Europe.
Contemporary Wood
Wood is just at home in contemporary interiors as it is in a classic or rustic living space. People who choose a contemporary décor style aren't necessarily minimalists but enjoy applying some of the principles of this movement. Wood works well in living spaces in which simplicity is the keyword, as it adds essential warmth to the clean, simple lines and economical décor.
Décor tip: A single wooden furniture piece can be a striking focal point in a contemporary living space. Allow it to come into its own by lighting it with a standing lamp at night, or by using down lights.
Classical Coziness
It almost goes without saying that a few wooden furniture items will be included in a classical cosy living space. Fans of classical décor love nostalgia and a touch of romance, but this doesn't mean that their décor scheme should be limited to heavy, solid wooden furniture and antiques. These items can easily be combined with a few newer items that have been painted or veneered. Detail such as mirrors and glass vases, which are big fashion news this summer, bring this type of room to life.
Veneer furniture is quite at home in a classical living space. Jan du Toit says veneer was already in use in the 1690s and by the eighteenth century was being incorporated in a lot of Cape furniture, which is extremely sought- after today. The use of veneer was not only to reduce costs, but also to improve the appearance of the furniture: by using veneer, for example, you can make a classic cupboard with four almost identical doors. In those days, it was for this reason that veneer was often used on top of solid wood. This is no longer done today, as solid wood expands and contracts over time, causing the veneer to loosen or bubble.
Décor tip: Mix old and new: combining old and new is still popular and people with a classical décor style shouldn't hesitate to make space for a contemporary or painted item of furniture.
Buying wood
The identification of wood, especially when it comes to antiques, can even be confusing for experts. Wood becomes darker over time and, after a century, a wood variety such as imbuia can look quite different to the way it did when it left the sawmill.
Jan du Toit explains: 'If you want to identify wood properly, you should look for a neatly sawn and finished surface grain.' Experts use a magnifying glass for this purpose, or even a microscope. Jan says people should always look at the overall appearance of the colour and grain of the wood but should remember that the following also plays a role:
• the direction in which the wood was cut (radially or lengthways);
• the part of the tree from which the plank was cut;
• stain and polish could have altered the original colour of the wood; and
• all wood darkens over time.
Joiner Morné van Staden has these tips for those who want to buy wood:
• Take a hand plane along and use it to pen the grain slightly to see if it's symmetrical.
• Look at the core of the wood: does it have a good grain that runs in one direction? If not, the wood may have been cut incorrectly and could therefore warp.
• Look for inherent faults in the wood, such as a prominent crack.
Finishing and care
There are many products that can be used to finish and care for solid wood. You should choose your product based on what you will be using the wood for and the type of look you prefer. All the well-known brand names (Dulux, Plascon, Qualichem Genkem and Woodoc) have toll-free numbers from which you can obtain good advice.
Here is a brief summary:
Oil: The oils that are used on indoor wood are usually of vegetable origin. They are reasonably water resistant and offer a measure of protection against marks. Furniture oil is available at some supermarkets, but for surfaces associated with food, such as a dining table, cutting board or counter, you can use olive oil or sunflower oil from the grocery cupboard. Add garlic before oiling a wooden salad bowl to give salads a wonderful, subtle flavour.
Stain: Always test this on an offcut or inconspicuous place to make that sure you like the colour. There ' s a choice between oil and water-based stains – read the instructions on the packaging before making a choice.
Varnish: This protects wood against insects, heat and marks. It usually has a polyurethane base, with a choice between matte, satin and gloss finishes.
Wood wisdom
1. Solid wood: Furniture made of solid wood is becoming increasingly valuable. Mostly exotic wood is used for the manufacture of new furniture: apart from imbuia and maple, there's oak, beech and cherry wood, as well as meranti and balau. According to Jan du Toit of Classic Revivals, modern furniture in South Africa can also be made from any of the following: sapele mahogany from tropical Africa; afzelia from Cameroon and Nigeria; utile from the Ivory Coast and Ghana; guarea from the Ivory Coast and Nigeria; merbau from Southeast Asia and East India; African mahogany from West Africa; and dark-red meranti from Malaysia and the Philippines.
2. Chipboard: This is available in thin sheets of compressed chipboard that have been bonded with a synthetic resin. The surface is reasonably smooth and is available in various thicknesses. W hen it has a veneer layer, it is used, for work surfaces, doors and the frameworks of kitchen cupboards.
3. Hardboard: This is a thin, firm sheet consisting of shavings and
wood pulp that are bonded together under heat and pressure with a bonding agent. Hardboard is available in various thicknesses and is often used for the back panels in bookshelves and cupboards.
4. Plywood: This is a flat panel consisting of several thin sheets of wood veneer. Every layer's grain lies at right angles to that of the next layer, forming a neat grain. The sheets are glued together under pressure to form plywood. It's available in a variety of thicknesses and gradings.
5. Veneer: This is wood that is cut or peeled into symmetrical sheets. They are glued together for use as plywood or laminated veneer. These days, most contemporary wooden furniture is manufactured from veneer. Only an expert can repair it if it becomes damaged and it can't be sanded, as the wood layer is only several millimetres thick.
• Article and photograph/s supplied courtesy of Home / Tuis Magazines. For your practical guide to beautiful living, get the latest issue of Home / Tuis now.
About the Human Pin Code
The Human Pin Code is a scientific method of analysing our personality, as imprinted on our day of birth. It very a very accurate indication of a person’s processing style.
Each of us has a choice in how we respond to our environment, which makes us each of us unique. Pin codes are like tools in a personality “tool-box” – by knowing what tools we have, we can understand how our personality functions, and thereby make choices on how we wish to live our life.
The Human Pin Code technique was developed over a period of twenty four years with tens of thousands of case studies, by author and physicist Douglas Forbes.
The Human Pin Code does not discriminate against race, colour, creed or gender.
The Human Pin Code can change your life. The Human Pin Code helps people understand why they and others behave or react the way they do. This leads to tolerance of themselves and to understanding of others, which leads to love.
Understanding yourself and others and the synergies between you, makes fear disappear and create joy.
Read more about it on the website: http://www.humanpincode.co.za
The Glycemic Index Foundation of South Africa (CC9936171/23)
Our mission:- to assist you in managing your blood glucose levels. [Essential reading for all diabetics !] Read more at http://www.gifoundation.com/
The Upper Room
Sign up for the free E-Mail Daily Devotional by visiting
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[a free daily e-mail prayer service] Subscribe by visiting
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Editor's picturesque little local church
...can be seen here by visiting
http://www.vaalmeander.co.za/entertainment2.htm#st
Mindfulness and Gratitude: The Gotta-Love-It Game
We've heard all about the power of gratitude. We know that having an "attitude of gratitude" can help us approach the world with a greater sense of spaciousness and humility.
We go about our day, grouching about this, feeling cranky about that, and dropping into bed at night completely exhausted. We think, "I should stop complaining and appreciate the good things more."
It's pretty easy to see the good things in our lives once we pay attention. The tricky part is staying in full gratitude mode when the not-so-good things pop up.
Here's a flash for your "Hmmm" file: our best mindfulness exercise is to be grateful for the things that we complain about! After all, we learn a lot more about ourselves from our list
of pet peeves than we do from our list of stuff we love.
Don't agree? Compare these two lists:
Chocolate. Pink Clouds. Clean sheets. Dewy mornings.
versus:
Loud cars. Flashy jewelry. Dirty silverware. Drive-time radio.
The pet peeve list is a lot more interesting, don't you think? There's some good digging to be done there, and a great deal we can learn.
Playing around with gratitude is a great way to grin about all that's right in the world but it's even better as a technique for finding the silver lining in our frustrations.
It doesn't have to be a down-on-your-knees sort of gratefulness. You don't have to be moved to tears or raise your hands to the
heavens. A smirk of gratitude for those little thorns in your side can be remarkably healing and uplifting.
In fact, little blasts of appreciation for the funkiness of life can be more beneficial on a daily basis than an obligatory session of
"I Shouldn't Complain."
I highly recommend a little mindfulness game I call "Gotta Love It." It's very simple. Whenever something annoys you, ease back into a nice comfy cushion of gratitude. Think, "I gotta love that Paris Hilton--she just makes my world more entertaining." Or "I gotta love my neighbor's midnight ukelele sessions--I learn so much more about myself everytime I hear him."
The more far-reaching and diverse your list of "Gotta Love It" subjects, the more you will learn about your personal triggers. And the more you learn about your personal triggers, the more mindful you will become about your reactions.
Watching how much you love the smell of roses isn't likely to give you much of a glimpse into your own way of responding to the world.
Watching how much you hate the smell of cigarette smoke is sure to be more revealing.
Play the Gotta-Love-It game with gusto. Shake your head and chuckle at the ridiculous. Watch yourself grin with gratitude for the very
things that make you go ballistic.
You are the one giving your Gotta-Love-It subjects the power to either ruin your day or rev up your mindfulness. You get to choose which way to go.
Those who can grin are the ones who win in this game. Your strategy?
1) go out
2) get grouchy
3) get grateful
4) start grinning
Gotta love it.
Your Secret Assignment: Don't You Love It?
I hope you'll have fun with the Gotta-Love-It game this week. It's a great way to play with mindfulness while going about your day.
There's no need to make it too complicated--just follow the four steps above.
I Am So Grateful
I am so grateful to so many of you who are writing to me with rave reviews of your lessons in the Awakening Awareness ecourse. Yourexcitement is contagious, and I am deeply humbled by the stories you are sharing. I really appreciate your correspondence and
your willingness to connect so meaningfully.
It's just as important to know what DOESN'Tcreate stress for you as it is to know what DOES. This is all part of the process of learning aboutyour responses. That's what makes this course so powerful!
If you're ready for some serious self-discovery thanks to a lighthearted technique, this ecourse is perfect for you!
What will YOU discover?
To sign up for this ecourse now, visit:
http://www.Real-WorldMindfulness.com/products.htm
Gotta-Love-It in Mazatlan
Want to hear my Gotta-Love-It list for this week?
Construction (Yes, still lots of pounding as they continue to work on the apartment next to ours. And for some reason, every day around 3:00 pm the workers play The Doors' "Riders On the Storm."
We have a nice opportunity to learn how to tuneout the hammering--and appreciate their singing.)
Confetti (There's less than a month until Carnaval, and Mazatlan hosts the third biggest celebration in the world! The heart of it is two blocks from our home, and the pre-celebrations have begun. This means we get a chance to converse with the one-armed man we pay to sweep up the confetti and take out the trash.)
Cruise ships (It's cruise season, and Mazatlan has a cruise ship docking near here just about every day. This means that prices at our local market are higher for those of us who can be mistaken
for tourists. What a great chance to use our Spanish to explain that we live here.)
Watch my blog for the latest: MassageYourMind.blogspot.com
Contact Information
email: Maya@MassageYourMind.com
phone: 971-223-0626
U.S. mailing address: 2850 SW Cedar Hills Blvd #21, Beaverton, OR 97005 USA
Mexico mailing address: 1610 Heriberto Frias, El Centro, Mazatlan, Sinaloa 82000 MEXICO
web: Real-WorldMindfulness.com
Maya Talisman Frost has taught thousands of people how to pay attention.Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches playful, eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation.
To read her free tips and tricks for practical awareness, visit
http://www.Real-WorldMindfulness.com.
(C) Copyright 2006, Maya Talisman Frost
Nobody requested legal help this week.
Position available for experienced turner-machinist
Our company, based in Westmead outside Durban, KZN, is a specialist precision engineering firm.
We are in the process of implementing the ISO 9000:2000 quality management system.
We are looking for an experienced machinist or a turner machinist to run, and oversee staff on, lathes, mills and other general engineering machinery, including some fabrication work.
An added advantage would be someone with experience in setting (not necessarily programming) and running CNC machines,although this is not essential. Your age is an ADVANTAGE! We are looking for someone with maturity, wanting responsibility and the ability to adhere to strict tolerances. Su or Rob can be contacted at deseng@mweb.co.za .
Searching for Dunn's
Looking for Claire Dunn and her daughter Patsy Dunn.(relations to the Bond family previously of Zululand - South Africa). Patsy must be in her late 40's and was a superb ballerina but went into professional photography. Patsy had a brother called Eddie who died a number of years ago in a motor car accident in the Gauteng area South Africa.
They spent many years in Umhlanga Rocks and probably just as many years in the Pretoria area. It was last heard that Patsy was in the States, possibly New York and that Claire may also have been there.
Claire has a sister in the Knysna area called Georgette. Patsy knew a mutual friend of ours and his name was Peter Grove previously of Zululand and also moved to Johannesburg area. Any leads ?
Contact: Linda Bond-Swanepoel at lindas@facmail.com (Canada)
Linda Swanepoel
Fifth Avenue Collection
www.fifthavenuecollection.com/lswanepoel
604-870-0315 Home Office
604-825-4118 Cell
___________________________________________________________________
This appeal from Lawrie Wright:-
I'm an expat South African living in Brisbane and doing a research project for the M.Litt-degree.
My research deals with South African-born emigrants to Australia 1976 - 2000.
Any applicable readers willing to assist me by completing an anonymous survey questionnaire would be sincerely welcome.
With thanks,
Lawrie Wright
wrights@powerup.com.au
no report received- come on guys & dolls !
About Pilots
1. As an aviator in flight you can do anything you want... As long as it's right... And we'll let you know if it's right... after you get down.
2. You can't fly forever without getting killed.
3. As a pilot only two bad things can happen to you and one of them will.
One day you will walk out to the aircraft knowing that it is your last flight in an airplane...
One day you will walk out to the airplane not knowing that it is your last flight in an airplane...
4. Any flight over water in a single engine airplane will absolutely guarantee abnormal engine noises and vibrations.
5. There are Rules and there are Laws. The rules are made by men who think that they know better how to fly your airplane than you. The Laws (of Physics) were made by the Great One. You can, and sometimes should, suspend the Rules but you can never suspend the Laws.
More another time...
Source: http://www.strategypage.com/humor/articles/military_jokes_2004713.asp
Trying to fly
Deep within a forest a little turtle began to climb a tree.
After hours of effort he reached the top, jumped into the air waving his front legs and crashed to the ground.
After recovering, he slowly climbed the tree again, jumped, and fell to the ground. The turtle tried again and again while a couple of birds sitting on a branch watched his sad efforts.
Finally, the female bird turned to her mate.
"Dear," she chirped, "I think it's time to tell him he's adopted."
Nothing received.
[I'm working on this one -Ed ]
Cobras snatch victory
Winning cricket returned to Newlands on Friday night as the Cape Cobras celebrated their first limited overs win of the season against the Dolphins in their opening Pro20 Series match. Since beating the Lions in a SuperSport Series match in Johannesburg in November, the Cobras had played eleven matches in the various competitions without a victory.
For the visitors, they suffered their eighth successive defeat in the competition, spread over three seasons. The other trappings of the instant form of the game also returned, but the other welcome return was the crowd of over ten thousand.
Read more here: http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Cricket/0,,2-9-839_1866936,00.html
| SA Motoring News Item |
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SUVs not safe for kids – study
Children are no safer riding in sport utility vehicles than in passenger cars according to a study.
This was largely due to the doubled risk of rollovers in SUVs cancelling out the safety advantages of their greater size and weight. Researchers said the findings dispel the bigger-equals-safer myth that has helped fuel the growing popularity of SUVs among families. SUV registrations climbed 250% in the United States between 1995 and 2002.
We're not saying they're worse or that they're terrible vehicles. We're challenging the conventional wisdom that everyone assumed they were better, said Dr Dennis Durbin, a pediatric emergency physician who took part in the study, published on Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics.
Eron Shosteck, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said he had not seen the study but cited government research released last summer that found SUVs have become less top-heavy since 2000 and made dramatic improvements in rollover resistance. SUVs have an exceptional safety record and are safer than or as safe as cars in the vast majority of crashes, Shosteck said.
The study, which Durbin called the first on SUVs and child safety, was sponsored by Partners for Child Passenger Safety, a research project of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the world's largest insurer, Bloomington-based State Farm Insurance Co. The researchers looked at accidents involving nearly 4 000 children under age 16 between 2000 and 2003, and found child injury rates of about 1.7% in both cars and SUV’s.
The study examined only 1998 or newer cars and SUVs with second-generation air bags. On average, the SUVs weighed 800kg more than the cars studied. The study found that the extra weight of SUVs enhanced safety, reducing the risk of injury by more than a third. But that was offset by findings that SUVs were more than twice as likely as cars to roll over in crashes.
Children in rollovers were three times more likely to be seriously injured than those in non-rollover accidents, according to the study. he findings surprised researchers, who assumed heavier SUVs were safer than cars when they launched the study a year ago, Durbin said. SUV safety will probably improve because of legislation approved by Congress this year that requires the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to develop standards for carmakers to address SUV rollovers, he said.
To the extent that SUV makers can solve the rollover problem, we may see them becoming the safe haven for children that they have the potential to be, Durbin said.
Carmakers already have made strides through engineering and new technology such as electronic stability control, Shosteck said. NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson agreed but said he hopes the study will encourage families to check safety ratings closely before buying. I think there is a segment of the buying public that may be buying them with the false impression that they are buying the safest vehicle they can for their families,Tyson said.
Article from Wheels24 /SAPA
| South African dam levels |
TOP |
In view of the welcome recent rains you can see all about the SA dam levels. Click here:-
http://www.dwaf.gov.za/Hydrology/applets/weekly/WeeklyIndex.html
| Water pollution in SA rivers |
TOP |
Govt to probe chrome spill
The government has launched an investigation into the release of effluent containing toxic hexavalent chromium into the Crocodile river near Brits in December.
A joint statement from the department of water affairs and the department of environmental affairs said a decision would be made about what legal action would be taken against the responsible parties on the conclusion of the investigation.
The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which funded African Chrome, has been conducting a clean-up and rehabilitation of the site since 2001.
Read more here:
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1866637,00.html
Mpumalanga sewerage dam breaks
The Department of Water Affairs has warned of possible pollution in the Crocodile river in Mpumalanga after a sewerage dam broke near White River.
| Credits and Contact Info |
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