Ever complain the weatherman didnt get it right? Well, hes likely about to get a lot better at his job.Thats because in the future, just turning on your cars wipers could be enough to send out an accurate report its raining to your local news station.Toyota is working with weather information provider Weathernews Inc. in Japan to improve the accuracy of rain forecasts, using real-time data from cars with windshield wipers connected to the system.Weathernews has an observation network with 13,000 locations throughout Japan, and is testing a program that combines the networks data with information collected from Toyota vehicles through the Internet. Wipers that are on indicate precipitation, while their speed indicates how hard its raining. According to Kyodo News, Weathernews said its radar cant detect precipitation from clouds that are below a two-kilometre altitude, and that its on-ground observation tools are limited.Toyota has been focusing on weather information as one of its in-vehicle connected services. It recently launched the Crown and Corolla Sport with Internet access and plans to have nearly all of its cars sold in Japan equipped with connectivity, which it said can also provide drivers with real-time vehicle data, and information on restaurants, hospitals, or other points of
Origin: Toyota uses wiper data to help forecast the weather
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Tarmac uses waste tyres to make rubberised road asphalt
A new rubberised asphalt being trialled by construction materials firm Tarmac could repurpose up to 1200 used tyres per mile. According to the company, the UK exports 120,000 tonnes of rubber waste each year. The newly developed road surfacing material could significantly reduce this figure. The amount of granulated rubber used for each stretch of road would depend on the thickness required, Tarmac states, although the average ratio would be one tyre for each tonne of asphalt. Trials have taken place already in Tarmac’s home city of Coventry, where two 200-metre stretches of public road were paved with the new material. A spokesperson for the council said it was “delighted” with the results and expressed a desire to use “more of the product across the city in the future”. As well as the environmental benefits associated with using rubber in asphalt, Tarmac’s technical director, Brian Kent, told Autocar that the capacity of rubber to absorb movement will reduce the risk of roads cracking. Although more sustainable than existing processes, rubberising asphalt has proven to be more expensive overall. The cost of securing, breaking down and mixing the rubber with the asphalt outweighs any saving made by using the waste material. Tarmac currently recycles a claimed 8.7 million tonnes of waste from other industries each year, including using waste tyres to fuel cement kilns. Rubberised asphalt is already used in the US, where it’s estimated that 12 million tyres are recycled to surface roads annually. Kent said: “In the UK, there’s a lack of the necessary industrial infrastructure required to allow manufacture of this type of material. “Against the backdrop of major investment in the strategic road network, there’s now an opportunity to leverage this technology and unlock the benefits of this circular economic approach.” Talks are underway between Tarmac and Highways England regarding the nature of subsequent
Origin: Tarmac uses waste tyres to make rubberised road asphalt
Nebraska State Patrol still uses a beautifully preserved 1993 Ford Mustang
Every now and then, it’s great to haul out an old piece of hardware to get the job done. If it’s got a bit of a cool factor, all the better. Nebraska’s finest have a weapon in their arsenal which checks both of those boxes. Remember the Ford Mustang SSP? Most gearheads do. SSP stood for Special Service Package, a trim which appeared in the early 1980s, imbuing the Fox-body’ Mustang with a goosed 5.0L V8, heavy-duty suspension parts, and a growly dual-exhaust. Ford’s no stranger to building machines to make the Blues Brothers drool — cop engine, cop shocks, cop brakes, and so forth — but the Mustang SSP holds a special place in the hearts of most car fanatics. Unless it’s sitting behind them roadside with the reds and blues flashing, of course. Sure, this 1993 Mustang might not have the snazzy tech of a modern Dodge Charger or Ford Explorer cruiser, but it has an undeniable road presence that can’t be replicated by either of those present-day machines. Remember, the ‘trunk-style’ Fox-body notch was the Mustang of choice for those in the know, thanks to its light(er) curb weight and slightly-under-the-radar appearance. While the Nebraska force does deploy its sole remaining Mustang SSP — it was once part of a fleet of Mustangs — in road duty from time to time, PR reps for the force say it generally spends its semi-retirement years travelling to public service events, like fundraisers or school-day presentations to kids. In a profession where most cars are ridden hard and put away wet, it’s great to see one of these survivors make it through years of service and still be allowed to stretch its legs from time to time. It has even retained its OE-style wheels, fer chrissakes. As cool as it is, though, I don’t want to spy one in my rear-view
Origin: Nebraska State Patrol still uses a beautifully preserved 1993 Ford Mustang
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