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Is This For Real?
By Mike Tersigni
Victimised...Twice: Jason
West was hit with a £1,000 insurance claim by police in England for
damages caused to a police cruiser after a 30-minute chase with the thief who
stole his car.
Lucky Koala: Australian media sources report that a koala, struck by a car and dragged for 12 kilometres, is not only alive, but was essentially uninjured.
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Did you Know...?
By Mike Tersigni
Unfriendly Skies: It is illegal for an American citizen to have contact with an extraterrestrial vehicle and/or its driver.
Sounds Fast: The ThrustSSC hit 763.035 mph, becoming the first car to break the sound barrier.
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Greetings!
Did you know Lloyd's of London - the most famous insurance organization in the world - started life as a coffeehouse? This was because coffeehouses, at that time, were the one place people of all different levels could meet and interact. This meant Mr. Lloyd was usually first with the news. I got to thinking about what a shame it was that we didn't have establishements like the coffeehouses of 17th century England. Then it occured to me that we do: Tim Horton's! I live in a working class neighbourhood in Hamilton, so testing my theory was easy. Sitting in my local Tim Horton's for two solid hours - all in the name of research, of course - I overheard gas station employees discussing current economic conditions, salesmen talking about clients, and a city councillor meeting with leaders of a local community group. Making accurate predictions depends on getting the best available information. To get a gestalt view of what's going in your community and the world, you could do a lot worse than spending an afternoon at the local coffee shop.
Mike Davey,Editor |
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NDP House Leader Calls for Top-Level Changes at ICBC
Michael
Farnsworth, house leader of the British Columbia NDP, has said that directors of
the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) should be held accountable
for failing to provide adequate oversight while employees participated in a
controversial scheme to buy damaged vehicles repaired fixed up at its collision
repair training facility.
"This
is a significant blow to the public view of ICBC," said Farnsworth. "The
government needs to move and make not only changes in polices and procedures
but also changes at the board level."
Solicitor-General
John van Dongen - the man responsible for ICBC - has defended the board's
integrity and the reappointment of three members. Van Dongen has stated that
the board continues to have the full confidence of the provincial government,
pointing out that the directors acted immediately when the problem first came
to light, even hiring outside consultants to conduct an investigation.
As reported on collisionrepairmag.com, an external audit of ICBC's material
damage, research and training facility found that 55 damaged vehicles sold through
auction were later resold to senior managers, employees and others who were
either friends or relatives of employees. Five of the vehicles were later
resold by the insiders for a profit. The audit - conducted by
PricewaterhouseCoopers - also found that concerns about activities at ICBC
reported by whistleblowers on three separate occasions were not properly
investigated.
Geri
Prior, ICBC's CEO, has said the situation created the appearance of conflict of
interest, and polices have since been amended to clearly state that employees
should not purchase salvaged vehicles.
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International News
By Mike Tersigni
In international news this week, shops in the US are being warned
about the dangers of ethanol-based gasoline being used in vehicles for
which they are not designed, while PPG continues to support SkillsUSA
by donating to the organization's competition. Meanwhile, across the
pond in the UK, 3M encourages repairers to repair parts rather than
replace them, and Peugeot and the Morelli Group launch their new Paint
Distribution program.
Shops warned about ethanol-based engine fires
In an effort to be environmentally proactive many UK motorists are
filling up their tanks with ethanol-laced gasoline. For those vehicles
not outfitted to safely burn this type of fuel the result is a serious
threat of engine fires. Unfortunately these motorists are creating a
situation fraught with potential dangers, especially when these engines
are within the confines of repair facilities filled with other
vehicles. Ethanol is a grain-based additive that is water-soluble,
unlike petroleum, and many local fire departments do not stock the
special type of foam needed to extinguish an ethanol blaze.Vehicles
not equipped to safely utilize ethanol-based gasoline cannot handle the
increased alcohol content of the fuel. This can cause o-rings to swell
and gaskets to deteriorate, which can lead fuel and oil to leak,
potentially starting an inextinguishable fire. Repairers are encouraged
to inspect each vehicle coming into the shop, in addition to contacting
their local fire-departments and telling them that Alcohol-resistant
aqueous film-forming foam (AR-AFFF) is a necessary response material to
have on hand.
Read more...
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Sincerely,
Media Matters Incorporated
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