Installer - profinder.eu
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the<strong>Installer</strong><br />
December 2012<br />
Read The<strong>Installer</strong> online –www.<strong>profinder</strong>.<strong>eu</strong><br />
Comment<br />
Profinder Magazines<br />
Editor<br />
Brian Shillibeer<br />
Assistant Editor<br />
Cathryn Ellis<br />
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E.chris.sims@<strong>profinder</strong>.<strong>eu</strong><br />
the<strong>Installer</strong><br />
Vol 16 No 11<br />
Published November 2012<br />
Copyright ©Profinder MagazinesLtd 2012<br />
the<strong>Installer</strong> is the official<br />
journal of:<br />
When Iset about writing this month’s Leader Comment Ifelt compelled to look<br />
back to the start ofthe year. Curiously Ihad forgotten that Ihad written the<br />
following:<br />
Austerity measures, though perhaps necessary, are not working. Austerity does<br />
not have to be quite so flaming well…austere! Paying off the national debt<br />
(which if you look at the figures is nigh on impossible anyway) is important but<br />
there needs to be abit of common sense –and there needs to be growth if we<br />
are even going to think about it. Strangling the Feed-in Tariff, failing to cut fuel<br />
duty, not cutting VAT on home improvements and pfaffing around with a<br />
nonsensical Green Deal are downright destructive.<br />
Ihad also written about ‘confidence’ and how it affects markets and the<br />
economy –particularly from the home owner’spoint of view.<br />
Ithink the George Osborne’s recent Autumn Statement bears out what Iwas<br />
saying.<br />
Anyway, moving on –our report onthe National Home Improvement Council<br />
Annual Awards (for which The <strong>Installer</strong> and sister publication The Fabricator<br />
were sponsors) will now appear in the Januaryissue.<br />
Road safety<br />
Aconsultation on plans to increase the speed limit for some HGVs in abid to<br />
boost economic growth have been announced by UK Roads Minister Stephen<br />
Hammond.<br />
The current speed limit on single carriageways for HGVs over 7.5t is 40 mph.<br />
Under the proposals, this could be increased to 45mph or 50mph. The speed<br />
limit for smaller HGVs (those between 3.5t and 7.5t) is 50 mph and this will<br />
remain unchanged.<br />
Department for Transport statistics on monitored free-flow roads estimate that<br />
around 70% of HGVs over 7.5t currently travel over 40 mph and it is argued<br />
that these HGVs have an unfair competitive advantage over those that stick to<br />
the speed limit.<br />
The freight industry says that the proposed changes will help growth by<br />
improving journey times, cutting congestion and reducing costs to business<br />
and the cost of goods people buy.<br />
The consultation will run until 1st February 2013 so do make sure you have<br />
your say at: www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-34/<br />
Camden, one of London’s largest boroughs, meanwhile is planning to<br />
introduce across the board speed limit of 20mph on all its roads. There will<br />
be apublic consultation.<br />
Fine the stupid<br />
If Iget an opportunity to have my say it would be this –most road accidents<br />
involving pedestrians are caused by pedestrians. Speed is afactor in reducing<br />
injury ifthere isanimpact or afactor in allowing adriver to avoid an<br />
accident. Camden and the Governement would be far better off reintroducing<br />
lessons in simple road crossing; getting teachers and the police to monitor<br />
roads near schools and insisting pupils use safe crossing points –and arresting<br />
idiot adults who insist on setting bad examples. Hell get the cameras working<br />
on face recognition and the fines could easily drag us out of recession.<br />
Opinions expressed in theinstaller<br />
are those of the contributors and do not<br />
represent editorialpolicy. The publisher<br />
charges for the use of editorialpictures.<br />
MerryChristmas and asafe and prosperous New Year to you and yours.<br />
Brian J. Shillibeer, Editor<br />
#theinstallermagazine or installer@<strong>profinder</strong>.<strong>eu</strong><br />
4|Editor’sComment |theinstaller
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