Volkswagen to ramp up its car production in India

World's biggest auto giant, Volkswagen is reaping success, thanks to its new Polo, which has lots of fan followers in India. Volkswagen has invested Rs.3800 crore in its Chakan Plant near Pune, and recently rolled out its 10,000th car during the first week of June 2010. As per the German company's plans, the production house will manufacture cars at full swing leading to 1.1 lakh cars in a short span of 18 months.

According to Joerg Mueller, the Volkswagen Group Chief Representative India & President & Managing Director Volkswagen India Private Limited, the company will start its second shift operations commencing in three months to acheive the production target. Apart from the production target, the newly launched VW Polo customers have to wait a bitter 3 to 4 months to drive their car home from the dealers. The German auto maker focuses on well built quality cars for Indian roads so as to leave not a single customer unhappy in India.

India is the most promising automobile market around the world. As per the expert predictions, by 2015, 3 million vehicles will be needed by Indians as against 1.6 million vehicles sold last year. Mr. Muller stated that India's automobile growth is tremendous and Volkswagen will happily participate in this growing momentum and thereby meets its internal growth and return targets.

Volkswagen Group of cars made the Indian entry with the first car Skoda Octavia. After, 2007 both Audi and Skoda cars were available, and now Volkswagen has got 17 different models including its own Passat, Jetta, Phaeton, Touareg and Polo. In 2010, Volkswagen launched Polo, a hatchback car which has got laurels throught the world.

The yet to be launched Vento, a Polo based sedan will strengthen the Volkswagen's line up of cars in the country. As more than 70% of the Indian passenger car market is dominated by small cars, Volkswagen is studying the Indian market in order to launch a small car below the Polo segment.

Source:

http://autonews.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1015673/VW-to-ramp-up-its-car-production-in-India.html

One alcoholic drink can triple the chances of car accident

A study has found that even a single alcoholic drink can triple the chances of a driver dying in a car accident, as it can increase a driver's blood-alcohol level by more than half the legal limit.

The British study, commissioned by the Government, has advised that legal limits for drinking and driving should be reduced from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg, the New Zealand Herald reported.

The New Zealand Government had last year proposed lowering the blood-alcohol limit from 80mg to 50mg, which is backed by health experts and is included in May's Law Commission report.

The study revealed that the drink-drive limit of 80mg increases the chances of a fatal crash by at least six times, and for those just over the limit, with 100mg blood alcohol level, the risk is 11 times higher.

The British medical regulator, Nice, said road accidents happen mostly with young people, as they are less experienced drivers, immature and have a lower tolerance to alcohol than older people.

Countries, which have lowered the blood-alcohol limit to 50mg, include France, Germany, Italy and Spain, with Estonia, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic having a zero limit.

When the 50mg limit was introduced in 15 countries in Europe it resulted in an 11.5 per cent drop in fatal drink-driving accidents involving 18 to 25-year-olds, the group at highest risk.

Source:

http://news.oneindia.in/2010/06/18/onealcoholic-drink-can-triple-chances-of-caraccident.html

Parents target ATV rules

Off-road warriors as young as 6 are taxing local emergency rooms in an "epidemic" of battered brains and busted bones as lawmakers debate today whether to hike the state’s minimum age for operating an ATV from 10 to 14.

And even that’s not tough enough, believes Katie Kearney of Plymouth, whose 8-year-old son - the namesake of "Sean’s Bill" - was crushed to death in 2006 beneath a 500-pound all-terrain vehicle that the adult hosts of a playdate allowed Sean to drive, unbeknown-st to his parents.

Kearney asserts the legal cutoff should be no less than 16 years old for ATV operators.

"In Massachusetts you can’t ride an electric scooter until you’re 16. You can’t ride a jet ski until you’re 16. You can’t drive a car until you’re 16. Why should you be able to drive an ATV?" she asked.

Last month alone in Massachusetts, a dozen children under the age of 16 required emergency medical care after being thrown from ATVs, crashing into trees, flipping over and, in the case of a 12-year-old Plymouth girl, nearly drowning in a cranberry bog, according to Dr. Peter Masiakos, a pediatric trauma surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"It is epidemic. I can’t imagine burying a child that had a preventable death," said Masiakos, the physician upon whose shoulders four years ago fell the sad duty of telling Katie and Mark Kearney their boy was dead.

Referencing state public health statistics, Masiakos said that since 1982, 19 kids under age 16 have been killed riding ATVs. Between 2004 and 2005, he said 900 children under age 16 suffered ATV-related injuries and 35 more had moderate to severe brain trauma requiring intensive care and rehabilitation.

The state Senate already has approved raising the minimum ATV age to 14. The House will vote this afternoon, considering proposals such as requiring children 16 and under to pass an ATV safety course.

For more information please visit:

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20100609parents_target_atv_rules_push_pols_to_pass_age_limit_in_sons_name/