Friday, October 14, 2011
London landmark lands on MPs
Could you imagine the car accidents and carnage which would occur if Big Ben (the clock tower, not the bell) actually fell over – well, apparently it could happen because Big Ben’s tower is beginning to lean.
But, if you’re a London young driver, you don’t need to worry about getting a special clause in your car insurance just yet, because it is likely to be somewhere in the region of between 4,000 and 10,000 years before there’s a risk the structure could topple over.Apparently, the tower leans to the north-west by 0.26 degrees – which means it’s 0.5m out of line at the very top – and this is enough to make the lean visible to the naked eye.
Some pundits have suggested the listing may have been caused by the building of an extension to the Jubilee Line on the London Underground but experts who have been monitoring the tower since 1999 say there is no evidence to support this.
Other specialist civil engineers suggest that the clay on which the famous clock tower is built is drying out more rapidly on the north side and this has caused the structure to sink on one side. However, there is no concrete theory! Ha ha – concrete theory – get it!
And architectural historians worried about the demise of important, beautiful buildings need not be too concerned because if the tower eventually falls, its trajectory will see it landing on Portcullis House, the modern block just over the road from the Houses of Parliament, which is home to the offices of many MPs.
I’m not saying a word!
Image © J Venn
Labels: car accidents, car insurance, London, young driver
Monday, May 16, 2011
More bad press for young drivers
Oh dear! Once again, young drivers do themselves no favours in the press by admitting some really stupid things in response to a survey.
The Belfast Telegraph reported statistics from an unnamed source which stated that two out of every five young drivers felt it was okay to travel ten miles an hour, or more, faster than a speed limit set at 30mph.
It also stated that almost a quarter of the motorists questioned believed drinking up to one and a half pints of beer, or corresponding amount of alcohol, and then taking control of a car is acceptable.Apparently, 500 young drivers, 16 to 21 years of age, were questioned and the results were revealed to coincide with the launch of the United Nation’s Decade of Action for Road Safety Campaign.
Sadly, 58% of those polled thought that young motorists drive more dangerously when they are transporting their peers and this statistic is almost certainly borne out by the numbers of young drivers, and their young passengers, who become victims of car accidents.
Julie Townsend, spokesperson for road safety charity, Brake commented, "We're calling for a commitment from Government for action to tackle young driver crashes, and the needless casualties that result. Young drivers and their behaviour hold the key to the future extent of carnage on roads."
Image by jepoirrier via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car accidents, young drivers