Minister tackles reckless driving

Johannesburg - More than 900 people have been killed on South Africa's roads this month, according to Road Traffic Management Corporation (RMTC) spokesperson Ashref Ismail.

"We are extremely concerned about head-on crashes," he said.

"Out of the 16 major fatal crashes since December 1, 13 were head-ons.

"These are the most devastating because the chances of survival are so low."

On Monday, 19 people were killed in a head-on collision between a taxi and car in the northern Free State.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele called for the courts to be quicker to confiscate and suspend the s
driving licences of motorists found guilty of road traffic violations.

"In conjunction with the Ministries of Police and Justice, as well as the National Prosecuting Authority, we will continue to ensure that we are more aggressive in dealing with irresponsible drivers," Ndebele said in a statement.

"Drivers arrested for any offence must have their driving licences seized as well as suspended and/or cancelled."

His spokesperson, Logan Maistry, said the National Road Traffic Act placed a duty in courts to "suspend or disqualify a driving licence for a person found guilty of drinking and driving, reckless and negligent driving".

People found to be driving over the speed limit by 30km/h in urban areas and 40km/h outside urban areas, also risked having their licences suspended or disqualified.

A first offence would result in a confiscation for six months, a second for five years and a third or subsequent offence would merit a 10-year cancellation or suspension of a licence, he said.

Ismail said a full set of preliminary figures of road deaths would be issued on Wednesday.

A total of 1 149 people were killed on South Africa's roads between December 1 and December 28 in 2010 and 1 304 deaths were recorded for the same period in 2009. - Sapa
Source:Iol.co.za
Tags: Transport Minister,accident stats,licence suspension

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Nokia bid to buy Blackberry

Microsoft and Nokia mull BlackBerry buy
Posted by Chris Davies on December 21, 2011.

Microsoft and Nokia discussed a potential takeover of beleaguered BlackBerry manufacturer RIM, leaks have revealed, while RIM itself has approached Samsung, HTC and others about potentially licensing the new BlackBerry 10 OS.

Talks between Microsoft and Nokia began several months ago, the WSJ reports, though while executives from the two firms apparently regularly meet with top brass at RIM, it's unclear whether the Canadian company has been involved in potential acquisition planning.

RIM is refusing to countenance any possibility of abandoning its hardware business and focusing instead on enterprise software and services. Instead, it has supposedly broached the idea of licensing out BlackBerry 10 – the company's QNX-based next-gen OS that was initially to be called BBX until a trademark dispute forced a rethink – to other companies, in the same manner that Google and Microsoft license their own platforms.

Whether rival firms would be interested in that is uncertain. Samsung and HTC, each of which currently produce both Android and Windows Phone devices, are apparently among those to have been approached by RIM, but no indication of the success of those licensing talks has been given. RIM's profit strategy is also unknown: Google gives Android away, and makes its cut based on mobile advertising and app downloads, while Microsoft charges manufacturers royalties for using Windows Phone 7.

Unfortunately, unexpected delays in when BlackBerry 10 is expected to hit the market – now tipped for late 2012 rather than early in the year as previously believed – may leave RIM's licensing strategy simply too late to gain traction. The company is also said to be considering opening up some of its network services, perhaps including BlackBerry Messenger, to others as another potential way of making money.

Co-CEO Jim Balsillie has apparently said internally that the company will wait until the first BlackBerry 10 handsets go on sale before seriously considering takeover bids.

Source : Slashgear.com
Tags : Nokia,MicroSoft,Blackberry,bid

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Holiday Driving Safety Tips

Speed Limits

The maximum daytime speed limit on most interstate and state highways is 120km per hour. In some areas, the speed limit is lower because of residential areas on certain sections of roads.

Observing speed limits means more than driving faster or slower than the posted speed: it means driving to conditions. When it's raining or foggy, when ice is on the road, when traffic is heavy or when road construction is ahead, adjust your speed accordingly.

Keep Left

Watch for signs on multi-lane highways that read "Right Lane For Passing Only." These signs let you know that the left lane on a divided highway is not a "fast" lane; it is a passing lane.

Sharing the Road with Trucks

Trucks can weigh up to 8 tons and may need up to 500 meters to stop. Here are some tips to help keep you safe when you drive near trucks:

Maintain a safe following distance. When the vehicle in front of you passes a fixed object, you should be able to count at least two seconds before you pass the same object.

Don't squeeze between trucks and the curb. Trucks make wide right turns, and the driver may not see you.

When passing a truck, don't move back into your lane until you can see both truck headlights in your rear view mirror. Never cross behind a truck that is backing up.

Move Over

When you approach a stopped emergency vehicle with lights flashing, law requires that you:

move a lane away from the emergency vehicle.

Give Yourself a Break

If your eyes close or go out of focus, you can't stop yawning, your thoughts wander or you're drifting between lanes, wake up: you're a "drowsy driver." Try to stay alert by doing the following:

Get plenty of rest before your trip.

Get out of your vehicle and stretch your legs every two hours. Rest for 15-20 minutes during each stop.

Don't drink and drive

Even small amounts of alcohol can impair your judgment and your reaction time.

Adapted from: Txdot.gov
Tags : Safety tips,Driving tips,Holiday tips


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Kia Rio wins awards in SA

(SOUTH AFRICA), 22 December 2011. After its unveiling at the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show, the new Rio sparked the interest of many South Africans.


It was launched to the South African media exactly two months later, and has turned out to be a very popular and sought after Kia model.


"The new Kia Rio is a complete revolution from the previous model, and is a highly competitive offering within the very competitive B-segment", comments Ray Levin, CEO of Kia Motors South Africa.

Kia Rio 2012

"The Rio TEC is our flagship model and is very successful. This model offers features only found in more expensive C-segment models, and this creates a very high value proposition due to very competitive pricing", he adds.


After not being on the local market for more than two months, the new Rio has already raked in numerous awards, both nationally and internationally. On 15 December 2011, Independent Newspapers South Africa announced the new Rio as the overall winner in the "Best small/budget car" category in their Motoring Car of the Year competition.


The publishing group describes the Rio as a car "blending trendy styling with impressive ride quality and neat handling" and further describes it as a B-segment car with a "larger than average" interior.


Merely a day later, the Rio was crowned as the Australian Car Guide's Car of the Year, beating close rivals, the Volvo S60 T4 and Ford Focus, finishing second and third respectively. "We are very excited about this news and feel that the Rio was the deserved winner in both cases", adds Levin. "We are confident, that these wont be the only awards that this fantastic product will receive, and that there will be many more to follow", he concludes.


Source : 3Dcars.com
Tags : Kia,car of the year 2011, Kia Rio
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Fuel shortages hits Kruger National Park areas

Johannesburg - The Kruger National Park on Tuesday warned visitors to fill up their petrol tanks before heading to the reserve as it was experiencing a fuel shortage.

Petrol

Spokesman William Mabasa said there was a shortage of unleaded petrol at most of the park's filling stations.


The situation was a result of a general shortage of fuel in the country which was not only affecting the Kruger National Park but many other filling stations in the region, he said.


"There is still petrol in some of the camps. However, rest camps such as Skukuza, Letaba, Lower Sabie, Pretoriuskop and Shingwedzi have no unleaded petrol at the moment.


"We expect delivery of fuel from the supplier on Wednesday, 21 December and as management, we will work around the clock to ensure that this problem is resolved as quickly as possible," Masaba said.


Mabasa said park management would also like to ensure there was enough fuel for guests during the coming Christmas weekend.


"On behalf of management, we also take this opportunity to apologise to all our guests for the inconveniences which they may have suffered as result of this situation," he said.


Source : Fin24.com
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Samsung galaxy note review

Tablets, smartphones and security fears topped our list of most popular stories this week, with the Samsung Galaxy Note in at number one. 


V3 readers were keen to check out the tablet/smartphone hybrid which we rated an impressive four stars thanks to its Super Amoled HD screen and HSPA+ support.


On the same theme, our top 10 tablets and top 10 smartphones to give as Christmas gifts proved popular among V3 readers looking for some advice or ideas for presents for the family.

Samsung galaxy note

Security fears pervaded the top 10 once again, with news of a critical Adobe flaw, a hefty Patch Tuesday from Microsoft and privacy concerns over the latest NFC bank cards all proving popular.


On the smartphone side, news of a Windows Phone SMS bug and Android malware stats also piqued the interest of V3 readers.


Samsung Galaxy Note review
An excellent Android smartphone/tablet hybrid with a handy little stylus 




Source : V3.com
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Christmas money saving ideas

1. Budget


Set yourself a realistic budget, and stick to
it. Rather than adding it all up on a scrap of paper, use our budget calculator to keep a record of everything you spend in the
run-up to Christmas so you always know where you are with your cash.


2. Don't leave it to the last minute
Shopping in a rush means you're more likely to put pressure over price and pay over the odds.


3. Use the internet
Avoid the crush-hour crowds and save money by comparing prices on lots of websites.


4. Store card scrooges
Stay away from expensive store cards. They'll charge you around 8% more than you would pay on an average credit card.


5. Get the right credit card
Getting the right credit card can save you cash so compare deals and make sure you're not paying too much interest on yours.


6. Guard your Christmas gifts
The number of house burglaries soars over Christmas, so take precautions, lock up carefully when you go out and check that you're insured.


7. Get out and walk
Deliver as many cards as possible by hand instead of spending money on stamps and petrol. It'll help burn off those mince pies, wine and chocolate.


8. Keep a cool head
It's easy to get carried away in the run-up to Christmas. Twinkling lights, jolly jingles and the general air of cheer in stores are all designed to help part you from your cash
and it can be a hard balancing act between being generous and knowing when to stop.
Stay focused and don't get distracted from the task at hand.


9. Don't fall for the January sales trick
Bargain-hunters heading for the sales often buy things that don't fit or aren't useful because they're cheap. If it's not in your size or you wouldn't have bought it when it was full price, don't buy it now.


For more information visit thisismoney.co.uk
Source : goodtoknow.co.uk


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South Africa Car Sales improve for November

South African vehicle sales improved by 11.7% year-on-year in November, driven by low interest rates and debt servicing costs, declining new vehicle prices in real terms, and the introduction of new models.

Vehicle sales reached 49 499 vehicles sold in November, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) said on Friday.

A total 44 318 vehicles were sold in November 2010.

Total year to date domestic aggregate new vehicle sales remained 16% ahead of the corresponding 11 months of 2010. Export sales reflected an improvement of 17% in volume terms.

2012 Audi A6

Total new car sales during November 2011 at 33 074 units reflected an improvement of 3 555 new cars, or an increase of 12%, compared to the 29 519 new cars sold during November 2010, with the latest figures reflecting a decline in the growth momentum in the new car sales cycle.

The major contributor to the decline was the lower contribution by the car rental industry due to seasonal factors.

"The slowdown in the rate of growth in the new vehicle sales cycle was consistent with the slower economic growth recorded in the general economy," Naamsa said.

"The low interest rate environment and corresponding lower debt servicing costs, declining new vehicle prices in real terms, the competitive trading environment and new model introductions should support domestic sales over the medium term."

The association anticipated growth to be at a more subdued rate in line with the overall performance of the South African economy.

"The direction of the global economy remained uncertain and international financial markets continued to be characterised by extreme volatility and turbulence. Prospects of slower global growth, particularly in developed economies, could impact on industry export sales going forward."

Moderation in export demand

Exports of South African produced vehicles in November 2011 at 20 480 units reflected a decline of 8 084 vehicles or 28.3% compared to the 28 564 units exported during November last year. The latest export sales figures suggested a moderation in demand in various international markets.

Of the overall sales of 49 499, 85.7% represented dealer sales, 5.8% of the sales were to government, 4.9% represented sales to the car rental industry and 3.6% represented industry corporate fleet sales.

Sales of industry new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and minibuses at 14 125 units during November, 2011, reflected a gain of 12.2% compared to the 12 591 units sold in November 2010. For the first 11 months of 2011, new light commercial vehicle sales were ahead by 11.5% compared to the corresponding period last year.

Sales of vehicles in the medium and heavy truck segments of industry was recorded at 844 units and 1 456 units respectively. Total year to date sales of medium, heavy commercial and buses remained 22.2% ahead of the corresponding 11 months of last year.

Source : http://www.businessday.co.za
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