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February 2010
4 Comment
The power of recall.
Toyota’s difficulty with pedals is only the tip of a safety-recall iceberg. The submerged bit is reported on extensively in this edition of Commercial Vehicle Engineer (starting on page 13) using the latest bulletin from VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) as its basis.
Our report can be seen as a sorry catalogue of chafing pipes, loose bolts and poorly-programmed electronic control units suggesting serious shortcomings in quality-control procedures at vehicle and component manufacturers. But it can also be seen as compelling evidence that another mechanism - the safety recall system - is working efficiently.
Given the complexity of modern vehicles, Commercial Vehicle Engineer is neither surprised nor dismayed at the number of safety recalls they generate. And we take heart at a recall response rate of over 90 per cent. Now we have to find ways of pushing on towards 100 per cent, regardless of whether any recall in the next batch makes national radio and tv news bulletins.
4 Letters
From Transtech Consultancy Services managing director David Armstrong on our truck operating cost analysis; Carlsberg UK fleet engineer Andrew Davis on much the same subject; Alan Bunting of Harpenden, Hertfordshire on why cars and commercial vehicles don’t mix when it comes to exhaust emission rules; and Clive Price of London on the intriguing engineering story behind the new London bus.
6 News
Last-minute U-turn by Navistar on exhaust emission control. Truck market collapse is Europe-wide: official. Trials and tribulations in US truck market.
10 Largely good
That is the essence of the news on bus and coach roadworthiness revealed by the latest annual “effectiveness report” from VOSA. So which parts are not so good? David Wilcox has the answers.
13 Your safety recall check
Everyone’s heard about the Toyota accelerator pedals, but what about the Renault truck suspensions, loose fuse-box connections on Volvo buses, iffy steering wheels on Ford Transits, Ferrari tyres, and Harley-Davidson front brakes? Tim Blakemore summarises the many safety recalls you really need to know.
18 Intricate routes and tricky connections
There is no straightforward path through the UK’s annual bus and coach registration statistics. Let David Wilcox be your guide.
22 How the mighty have fallen
No matter which way the numbers are sliced, the 2009 UK truck market comes out as the smallest since counting began. What lies behind the headline figures and where do we go from here? David Wilcox investigates.
26 Equipping the operation
Teardrops in the euro zone. They are the Don-Bur variety.
28 People and jobs
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