Boxster Spyder Car - Product of Porsche - Road car and Racing heritage

Porsche builds some of the world's most coveted cars, and it has a rich tradition in motor racing.

Porsche builds sports cars to be used as daily commuters, but they can also be taken to a racetrack and flogged all day long. The Boxster Spyder is a perfect example of Porsche's combined road-car appeal and racing heritage. The Boxster S, in my opinion, is the best all-around Porsche, providing stunning performance and handling along with two trunks and a convertible top -- all standard. Porsche has taken the Boxster S and developed a lightweight version called the Spyder. With 79.8 kilograms shed and 10 horsepower added, this is a car built for driving purists.

The skin:

You can tell the Spyder is something special just by looking at it. The fully manual roof is the most dramatic change from the original Boxster S, requiring the driver to get out and dismantle it in sections and store it under the Carrera GT-inspired rear cover. The sexy-looking rear trunk has no struts to hold it up, just a conventional brace. Dismantling and storing the roof looks rather complex, but after a couple of times it is really rather easy, taking only a few minutes.

The cockpit:

The Spyder sits 20 millimetres lower than the Boxster S; this along with the large wheels and cropped roof make a car that stands out. The Spyder has been stripped of anything that takes away from the pure driving pleasure of an open-air roadster. There is no radio, just the sound of the beautiful engine. Yes, the buyer can have the radio as a no-cost option, and I would include it if I were buying one of these cars.

The ride:

So what is the advantage to having a lightweight Boxster? Driving enthusiasts know that the power-to-weight ratio is one of the most important factors in any car. If you have a huge motor in a heavy car, the horsepower advantage is lost. But if you can get a powerful engine in a light car, then you have magic! Since the Spyder is 79.8 kilograms lighter than the Boxster S and the car sits lower to the ground, the extra 10 horsepower is magnified.

The good and bad:

Good: This unique car is pure bliss to drive.

Bad: I don't think I could live with this car all year long.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.vancouversun.com/cars/When+comes+sunny+performance+Spyder/3312944/story.html

I-94 drunken-driving effort nets arrests

Police in seven states made several arrests Friday and Saturday as part of a crackdown on drunken driving along 1,500 miles of Interstate 94, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported.

Preliminary data shows seven arrests for having open bottles in vehicles, five arrests for drug violations, and three arrests on warrants.

There were four crashes involving injuries, NHTSA reported.

In addition, 23 citations were issued for not using seat belts or not having children in safety seats, and 164 tickets for aggressive driving, NHTSA reported.

Agencies from Minnesota, North Dakota, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Montana took part in the effort, which started 8 p.m. Friday and ended 4 a.m. Saturday.

Source:

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/283962/group/News/

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/

Health Tip: Encourage Teens to Drive Safely

Before teens begin driving, parents should discuss a few ground rules to help prevent accidents.

The U.S. National Safety Council suggests how parents can prepare their teens for safe driving:

• Take your teen out for lots of practice sessions, exposing him or her to various driving situations.
• Don't allow your teen to drive with any distractions. That means no cell phones or other teens in the car.
• Establish strict rules about seat belt use and drunk driving, and enforce your punishments.
• Talk to your teen often and openly.
• Be informed about where your teen is going, what he or she is doing and who may be riding along.

Source:

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/639323.html

Safety Driving: Parents should know where, how their kids are driving

Many parents fear handing their car keys over to their teenagers, but what if a parent could track the teen's every move while the youth was on the road?

Plug-N-Track, made by Tucson-based Gateway Communications Inc., is a small box that plugs into a car's diagnostic port. It allows you to track your vehicle's movement, speed, acceleration and deceleration patterns online and through text message, said Jon Rowley, president of Gateway Communications.

While GPS driving-habit trackers are the current trend in safe-driving promotion, with at least 10 different products available online, Rowley said he used his 25 years of experience designing fleet-tracking systems to help Plug-N-Track stand out in the market.

"What makes us unique is being able to quickly, with no professional installers, plug it in to the vehicle," Rowley said. "Simplicity is what makes it really, really nice."

Plug-N-Track retails for $299.99 and requires a monthly service fee of $19.99. Other simular products can run anywhere from $195 for the unit with a $40 monthly tracking fee to $470, also with a $40 monthly fee.

Once users plug the device into their cars, they can then track their vehicles through an online program, similar to Google Maps, or they can text-message the system and receive real-time updates listing the cars' cross streets, their direction and their speed.

Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said that while driver-tracker systems have been shown to decrease dangerous driving tendencies, there is some doubt about whether they will really catch on in the market.

A 2009 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, meant to test the influence of these devices on driver tendencies, actually had a hard time recruiting participants because, Rader said, parents did not want to offend their teenagers by showing they did not trust them behind the wheel.

For more information please visit:

http://azstarnet.com/business/local/article_7c73eb9a-1c14-53ed-8f05-cb6837abb34c.html

Heather Locklear Arrested Over Car Crash

Actress Heather Locklear has been arrested after allegedly hitting a traffic sign.

The 48-year-old Melrose Place star was taken into custody after reports of a crash in California where a No Parking sign had been knocked down.

Police were called to the scene by a local resident in North Ranch Country Club in Westlake, California, when they heard a crash.

According to reports in the US, police examined debris at the scene and found the car involved was Locklear's black BMW.

Locklear's lawyer, Blair Berk, said in a statement: "Ms Locklear was cited with a misdemeanour traffic ticket as she is the registered owner of the vehicle.

"She was never taken into custody. The matter is still being looked into as it is not yet clear who was driving the vehicle."

Locklear, who also starred in TJ Hooker and Dynasty, is due to appear in court on May 17.

In January last year she pleaded no contest to a charge of reckless driving after a journalist phoned police to tell them the actress was behaving erratically shortly before driving away from a supermarket.

A blood test showed no alcohol or illegal drugs in her system. Authorities said her prescription medicine could have affected her ability to drive.

Source: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Showbiz-News/Actress-Heather-Locklear-Is-Arrested-In-Connection-With-Car-Crash/Article/201004415612937?lpos=Showbiz_News_Second_World_News_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15612937_Actress_Heather_Locklear_Is_Arrested_In_Connection_With_Car_Crash

A spring tune-up on cycling safety

Whether you are behind the wheel of a motor vehicle or gripping the handlebars of a bike, this can be a challenging time of year on the streets of cities and towns across the country.

The snow and the slush are largely gone, that's true, and roads are for the most part dry. But the arrival of those bike-friendly conditions means drivers and cyclists may need to relearn how to peaceably coexist. Seasonal cyclists and the four-season warriors will have to get used to each other again too.

The early part of the cycling season can see everyone a bit rusty on the ground rules for safe cycling and for sharing the road.

For more information please visit: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/a-spring-tune-up-on-cycling-safety/article1509027/

“I think what we consistently find is that when there are more cyclists on the road, it's much safer for all cyclists,” says Zlatko Krstulich, president of the Ottawa-based advocacy group Citizens for Safe Biking.

“The big reason is that drivers see one or two and they start to get in their minds ‘Hey, look out for cyclists.' ”

Nancy Kendrew, a co-owner of Toronto's Urbane Cyclist, says the onus to be mindful of cyclists doesn't just rest with drivers.

Ms. Kendrew is a dedicated four-season cyclist, as are others who work at her store, a worker-owned cycle shop. She and her colleagues notice that at this time of year, the seasonal or recreational cyclists can be as much of a threat to their fellow cyclists as cars.

“There's a two-edged thing. We think the No. 1 danger is from motorists – I mean, it's true if you get hit by a car it's much bigger. But if you do something [and] you're clipped by a fast-moving cyclist, it can lead to a serious injury as well,” she says.

“There are cyclists who go all season long. And they're very wary and they're very safety-oriented because they've gone through icy conditions and whatnot.

“And it's sort of like the newbies that come along in the springtime and they're not predictable, they don't stop at lights, they're not obeying the rules, some of them.”

Predictable. That word comes up a lot when you're talking to people knowledgeable about cycling safety. Being predictable is the key weapon cyclists have to protect themselves and others, Ms. Kendrew and Mr. Krstulich suggest. That means:

Bike where you are supposed to bike. Don't weave in and out of traffic.

Signal your turns. Signalling allows drivers and other cyclists to anticipate the directional changes you are about to make.

Obey the rules of the road.

For more information please visit: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/a-spring-tune-up-on-cycling-safety/article1509027/

Mandatory Bicycle Training for Children

Seoul's elementary schools will conduct mandatory courses on bicycle riding, with an emphasis on safety, officials said Wednesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has instructed the schools to introduce four hours of lessons on bicycle riding and safety tips a year.

"Many students ride bicycles to school or for physical exercise, but schools have been negligent in providing safety lessons," an official with the education office said. "This is one of the reasons for the rise in bicycle accidents."

According to police, there were a total of 10,915 bicycle-related traffic accidents in 2008. In particular, accidents involving children have been on the rise. In 2005, 257 elementary school students reported injuries from bicycle accidents. The figure rose to 388 in 2007.

With collaboration with the Seoul city administration, the education office has also distributed safety guidelines to schools. They are aimed at helping children dress properly for bicycle riding, abide by traffic signals and in how to deal with accidents.

According to a recent survey by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Management (KCDC), only three percent of children aged from three to 18 wear helmets while cycling.

The survey said 2.4 percent of children from 3 to 11 years old wore protective helmets in 2007 and 3.2 percent did so in 2008. In 2008, bicycle accidents accounted for 14 percent of traffic accident victims with 46 percent of them being under 20 years old.

In the United States, the helmet-wearing rate was 3.8 percent in 1991, but education and guidance campaigns raised the rate to 14.9 percent in 2007.

For more information please visit: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/03/117_62546.html

Society needs to help seniors who should stop driving

Society needs to do a better job helping seniors drive for as long as is safe and helping them adapt when the time comes to stop, says a new editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The journal suggested the already pressing problem is going to become even more difficult in the coming decade or two as the massive baby boom generation hits this stage in life. By 2025, one in every four Canadians will be 65 or older, noted the editorial, published in Tuesday's issue of the journal.

In addition to finding ways to get seniors who can no longer drive safely off the roads, communities and governments need to put in place programs that help seniors who give up their licences to continue to live independently if they are able.

"Solutions to the dilemma of who will drive our seniors - and eventually us - must be found. The status quo leaves too many seniors isolated and puts too many people at risk," Dr. Paul Hebert, editor-in-chief, and Dr. Noni MacDonald, public health section editor, wrote in the editorial.

They suggested society should plan for driving retirement the way it plans for job retirement.

The aim, they and others said, is not to get all older drivers off the road, but to find a way to identify those who need to stop driving and put in place systems to help them cope once they do.

That goal is harder to meet than one might expect, said Jonathan King, program director for driving research at the U.S. National Institute of Aging.

For more information please visit: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hFGpCAVmribMdSCvAK0FV9_2chrg

Ban on using cell phones while driving vehicles

Driving and using a cell phone concurrently results in driving performance similar to that of drunk driving, according to a driving simulator study.

A study released by the IU Public Policy Institute found that simply prohibiting cell phone usage is not valuable in increasing traffic safety. The study says better law enforcement combined with media campaigns will effectively cut down on distracted driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that nearly 11 percent of all drivers are using a cell phone at any given time during the day. Another study conducted by The National Occupant Protection Use Survey found that this phone use was highest among drivers 16 to 24 years old.

The Indiana legislature passed a law in July 2009 effectively prohibiting cell phone usage while driving for individuals under 18. The law aims to help cut down on distracted driving, thereby helping to better traffic safety. The problem with the law is that it is difficult to put into effect. The law, which targets younger drivers, is only effective against individuals under the age of 18 that received their licenses before July 1, 2009.

For more information: http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=74001

Firefighters battle traffic

FORT MYERS, Fla. - When you call 911, you want emergency responders to get to you as soon as possible. But some drivers can make getting there a real challenge.

It's a daily frustration from Law Enforcement to emergency responders. While most drivers know what to do when they hear sirens wailing, others test fate.

"I try to pull over as soon as I can and just try to get out of the way," Courtney Tincher.

"A lot of people just try to beat the sirens," said Johnny Ordonez.

For Iona-McGregor firefighters, every call is an emergency. But often, getting there is a challenge in itself. "People stop suddenly, or they'll move suddenly as we are about to pass them and that can be very dangerous for them and for us," said Lt. Martin Palijan.

Fore more information: http://www.winknews.com/news/local/84827667.html

Best and Worst Cities for Travelers

In these areas, urban sprawl and solo drivers are the difference between a hassle-free and a harrowing trek to work.

Last week a wave of bad weather buried Washington, D.C., and several Northeastern U.S. cities in snow, shutting down scores of schools, businesses and city agencies. Those unlucky enough to be summoned to work had to excavate their cars from several feet of powder or contend with stalled buses and slow trains.

While the weather was extreme, many Americans have miserable commutes year-round. In some cities, though, workers have it easy.

If you live in Salt Lake City, Utah, Buffalo, N.Y., or Rochester, N.Y., your ride to work is probably the smoothest of any big city in the country. Residents of Tampa, Fla., Detroit, Mich. and Atlanta, Ga., on the other hand, endure the most grueling slog to work.

For more information: http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/12/best-worst-commutes-lifestyle-mass-transit.html?boxes=lifestylechannellighttop

Solar Car Images

In 1997, UniSA, Seaton High School, Fremont-Elizabeth City High and Annesley College formed the South Australian Solar Car Consortium. The aim of the Consortium was to help students design, build and race solar cars in the World Solar Challenge.

It started out as a Taiwanese entry in the Australian World Solar Challenge and was scaled up.

This solar car came from an idea for a Mechanical Engineering senior project, to build a small remote-control solar-powered car. This mushroomed into the largest undergraduate engineering project ever undertaken at Auburn University.

CBS World News Roundup

The CBS World News Roundup is a radio newscast that airs weekday mornings and evenings on the CBS Radio Network.

It first went on-air on March 13, 1938 at 8 p.m. Eastern time as a one-time special in response to growing tensions in Europe -- specifically the Anschluss, during which Adolf Hitler annexed Austria.

The early years

When the show first went on the air it was hosted by veteran radio personality Robert Trout. The first show gave the world the voices of Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer. In fact, it was the first time Murrow had ever delivered a news report. During the early years of the war, Murrow's reports from London and Shirer's reports from Berlin were essential listening to anyone trying to keep informed on events unfolding in Europe.

The program was a 35-minute special report from multiple locations around the world as the pre-war crisis mounts. It was the first time that on-the-scene European field correspondents were linked with a central anchor in New York for a national broadcast.

Most broadcast references credit either CBS President William S. Paley or News Director Paul White as coming up with the idea for the show, as a way to trump Max Jordan's NBC coverage of the Anschluss. The previous day, Shirer had fled from Vienna to London at the request of Murrow (the CBS European chief) to give the first uncensored eyewitness account of Germany's takeover of Austria.

Innovative solar car radiant in Glasurit white

The first good thing was HansGo! back in 2003, followed by SolarWorld No. 1 four years later. Now, the Bochum University of Applied Sciences is presenting a new solar car, the BOcruiser. It's no surprise that BASF Coatings, supplier of the paint for the ultra modern vehicle, is pleased to be on board again with its Glasurit brand. After all, the model's predecessor SolarWorld No. 1 captured the design title of "World's most beautiful solar car" - and was also clad in a finish of Glasurit paint from Münster.

After the luminescent yellow used for SolarWorld No. 1, the BOcruiser is dazzling in white, a color that symbolizes sustainability and is increasingly present on the roads. Rainer Lennartz, who lives in the German town of Lünen-Brambauer and is a member of the Lennartz spraypainting team, was responsible for painting both Solarworld No. 1 and the BOcruiser. A team of around 30 engineering students are presenting a brand new concept with the BOcruiser. The most striking change is the fact that this latest solar car drives on four wheels rather than three, as was the case for Solar World No. 1.

For Lennartz, the requirements for the finish were even tougher than last time. For instance, in order to reduce weight, only the bare minimum of paint was to be applied, a demand not unlike those posed for Formula 1 racers, for which every gram counts. For this project, Lennartz chose Glasurit 22 Line HS 2K Topcoat. "No more than one and one-half layers of paint, but nevertheless fulfill the basic functions of the paint finish, like protection, durability and design," Lennartz said. In comparison, a new car is generally finished with four coats of paint (e-coat, primer, basecoat, clearcoat). Lennartz applied the primer to only some parts of the vehicle's exterior before topcoating it with 22 Line, which has a high degree of hiding power, allowing him to dispense with a clearcoat. The sponsors' logos were painted on with a stencil and sealed with clearcoat, and the surface was subsequently sanded and polished. "Bochum University and I agreed on this version of applying the logos, which prevents the edges of the decals from causing air swirl," Lennartz explained. The driving force for the Lennartz team involves fulfilling a dream. "If the BOcruiser wins the title of 'World's most beautiful solar car' the way its predecessor, SolarWorld No. 1, did, it will be a dream come true."



Every aspect of the BOcruiser is a technical masterpiece. The body is streamlined, with energy efficiency the car designers' top development goal. In addition to the car's proven prize-winning technology, such as its battery management system, innovative components were used as well. For instance, the workshops and labs at the Bochum University of Applied Sciences engineered an in-wheel motor that will power both the BOcruiser and other vehicles in the pipeline. This involved solving a whole range of problems, because the new vehicle is propelled by two motors. For weight and efficiency-related reasons, it was not possible to use a mechanical differential transmission. Instead, electronics and software are to determine the variability of the wheels' peripheral speed in curves. As with SolarWorld No. 1, six square meters of solar cells provide electric power. In this area too, the technology used is becoming more viable for everyday use. Silicon has replaced the costly gallium arsenide in the solar generator.

The BOcruiser will have its first real-life test in October at the World Solar Challenge, cruising 3,000 kilometers through the Australian outback. Project manager Prof. Friedbert Pautzke commented, "Our motivation for building this car was not to be first to cross the finish line at the race. The BOcruiser is part of our series of solar vehicles that is consistently taking the next innovative step toward everyday use. It will be proving its ability to take to the roads for the first time in the race Down Under."

For the team of electromobility pioneers from Bochum University, this journey will not be over once the race in Australia has been completed. Its next project is the Sustainable Individual Mobility Car, or SIMCar for short, an electric car for everyday use. Plans for the three-seater version have already been completed. The car is scheduled to be built in 2010.

Legal car cruise event is held

World leading sports car maker Lotus Cars teamed up with Norfolk Police for one of the UK's first legal off the road cruise events on Sunday.

More than 3,000 people have turned up to the event at Great Yarmouth.

Norfolk Police hope to make it an annual event to stop huge numbers of cruisers causing problems on the roads.

Lotus has sponsored the event by providing a Lotus Elise, a sports car that has won over 50 awards around the world and has a top speed of 125 mph.

The meeting at the Caister Road sports stadium in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, aimed to finish at 2000 BST on Sunday.

Government rules out public inquiry into Potters Bar and Grayrigg rail disasters

The Government today ruled out a public inquiry into two separate train disasters which claimed the lives of eight people.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis instead said the public interest was 'best served' by holding two independent inquests into the 2002 Potters Bar and 2007 Grayrigg disasters.The decision will anger relatives of the victims and rail unions who have called for a joint public inquiry into the crashes, which were caused by faulty sets of points.

Lord Adonis said today: 'I have decided that the public interest is best served by the continuation of the two inquests that have begun into the deaths resulting from the rail accidents at Potters Bar and at Grayrigg.'I have therefore decided not to convene a public inquiry into the accidents, either individually or jointly.'

He said he regreted the length of time taken to reach this decision as well as the anxiety it may have caused to relatives.'However, the chronology of events and the issues are complex and I considered it important to ensure that my decision regarding the next steps is the right one, he said.

'Having considered the material before me, I am satisfied that separate inquests will allow for appropriate further independent investigations of the accidents, with the bereaved and injured able to participate and express their views and concerns in a transparent forum open to public scrutiny.'Although the conduct of the inquests is a matter for the coroners, the inquests will be capable of examining the relevant issues raised by the accidents, including those that are common to both.'

But Keith Norman, leader of the train drivers union Aslef said it was astonishing that the Government is not prepared to give the maximum transparency to what happened.The May 2002 Potters Bar accident happened when a West Anglia Great Northern high-speed train travelling from London to King's Lynn in Norfolk was derailed as it went over faulty points just outside Potters Bar station in Hertfordshire.

Six passengers died and an elderly woman pedestrian was killed when debris fell on to the road beneath the track. In addition, 76 people were injured.

That section of track was being maintained by private company Jarvis while overall responsibility for safety of the railways lay with Railtrack, the private rail infrastructure company later replaced by Network Rail (NR).

An accident report by the Health and Safety Executive in May 2003 blamed poor maintenance for the points failure, with earlier inspections not spotting defects in the points.In April 2004, NR and Jarvis formally accepted liability on behalf of the rail industry for all legally justified claims brought by the bereaved and injured in respect of the crash.

In October 2005, the Crown Prosecution Service said it had advised British Transport Police that there was no realistic prospect of conviction for an offence of gross negligence manslaughter against any individual or corporation in respect of the Potters Bar accident.

The February 2007 Grayrigg accident in Cumbria happened on the West Coast Main Line when a Virgin Rail Pendolino high-speed 'tilting' train travelling from London to Glasgow passed over a faulty set of points at 95mph.

Although only one person died, nearly 90 were injured when a number of coaches were derailed.NR immediately accepted blame for the accident and in a report last October, the RAIB listed a catalogue of safety errors.These included the non-carrying out of a planned inspection that 'should have detected' the faulty points.

Lord Adonis said today that as far as Grayrigg was concerned there would be 'a further independent examination of the accident during an inquest, which I am satisfied is capable of addressing any relevant questions that remain unanswered'.

He added that he would 'make funds available to the Coroner for South and East Cumbria, to assist him in carrying out a full investigation, if these are requested'.

The Potters Bar inquest was adjourned after the Grayrigg accident.Lord Adonis said reopening of the Potters Bar inquest would 'provide an opportunity for a further independent examination of the accident.

Writer Nina Bawden, 84, whose husband Austen Kark was killed in the Potters Bar crash, said families have worked hard for a public inquiry and are disappointed one won't be taking place.

'The Government could have had the decency of informing us first about today's news,' she said.Ms Bawden, who was badly injured in the May 2002 accident, added: 'The reopening of the Potters Bar inquest is at least something. I hope everything will come out.

'I want them to come to a sensible conclusion and make the railways as safe as possible.'But Gerry Doherty, leader of the TSSA rail union dismissed the claim and said it was yet another example of the Government doing the complete opposite of what it claims to be doing.

'Just like alleged transparency over MPs' expenses, these inquests are part of the ongoing cover-up over the Potters Bar tragedy in particular,' he said.'They wait seven years and then announce an inquest which will not report before the next election - just like their alleged inquiry into the Iraq War.'

'If they were really interested in letting the public know what happened at Potters Bar - and the role that private contractors Jarvis played in that accident - they would have ordered a full public inquiry into the tragedy years ago.'

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT rail union, said the inquest announcement was welcome but not an alternative to a full public inquiry.There is a real danger of another Hatfield (the 2000 rail crash in which four people were killed), Potters Bar or Grayrigg and the Government should intervene to reinstate the full renewals programme before we have another disaster on our hands,' he said.

High Speed Train an International Transport Revolution

In Our highways are clogged with traffic. Our airports are choked with increased loads. We are at the mercy of fluctuating oil prices. We pump too many greenhouse gases into the air. What we need is a smart transportation system equal to the needs of the 21st century. A system that reduces travel times and increases mobility. A system that reduces destructive emissions and creates jobs. What we're talking about is a vision for high-speed rail.

Japan

At the entrance to Tokyo Central Station is a plaque which declares the Shinkansen “Product of the wisdom and effort of the Japanese people.” “As an indication of the unity of purpose and of the pride which the Japanese people feel for this achievement, this inscription …. Can hardly be bettered”, writes Rod Smith of Imperial College in his excellent history of the Shinkansen.

Japan’s first railways had been built, to a narrower gauge than ours, by a British engineer in the 1870s. The line from Tokyo to Nagoya and Osaka is the country’s principal 350 mile rail artery, accounting in the 1950s for a quarter of the country’s rail traffic although only three per cent of the rail system by length. It was electrified in 1956, enhancing capacity and reducing the journey time to six and a half hours.

This is where Japanese railway modernization might well have stopped for a generation – as it did, at electrification of principal inter-city lines, in most of Europe at the time. What happens generally seems pre-ordained after the event, and so it is both with Japan’s decision to develop the bullet train and our decision not to. Yet this is quite unhistorical, as Rod Smith explains. On the contrary, the phrase “railway downfall theory” was in vogue in 1950s Japan: the view that rail was an outdated technology which was set to follow horse carriages, canals and sailing ships, to be replaced by faster planes for the longest distances and by the far more flexible and individualistic car and truck for shorter distances.

This view was indeed widely held within Japanese National Railways itself. It was only the vision and leadership of a small group of talented managers and engineers, led by its president and chief engineer, which ordained otherwise. They essentially sidestepped projections about long-term rail decline, concentrating rather on the immediate capacity requirements of the densely populated and economically critical Tokyo to Osaka corridor, convincing the government that a patch-and-mend upgrade to the existing line was too cautious for this key route. This capacity argument, plus the availability of a low interest World Bank loan – jobs and regeneration being a good part of the case for high-speed rail, as for motorways, from the outset – led to the decision to construct a new passenger-only line for this route alone, to the standard international gauge, free from level crossings, with shallow curves and in-cab signalling allowing a consistently high line speed.