Awful Materials Found in Automobiles

Brian Turner

With all the attention on the outside pollution that the vehicles of today placed into the atmosphere, one would think that the regulators in government and the private institutions that are overseeing the auto industry would've picked up on something else – the toxins that reside inside of each car that is slowly killing drivers under the radar.

Mostly in older vehicles, asbestos was used in different vehicle parts for fire-resistance like brake linings, gaskets, hood liners, clutch plates, etc. Exposure to this substance can lead an aggressive disease called mesothelioma. Hobbyists and mechanics need to take safety pre-cautions before performing on their cars.

The many substances that are used to create the plastics that go inside cars have been shown by many studies around the world to be completely toxic and unhealthy for people of any age, and the things that they cause inside of the body are often not curable and are completely long-term and even terminal in nature.

Phthalates, or phthalate esters, are acidic compounds that are used to increase the usability of plastic through increasing their longevity, flexibility, durability and transparency. They are usually used in PVCs, which is definitely not a group of products that is in favor with the Western world right now. There are many products that are being phased out because they contain these types of chemicals for the same health reasons that they should not be used in cars.

The other large form of chemicals that are used in cars and cause major health problems for drivers is known as PBDEs. This group of chemicals is similar to phthalate esters in that they cause definite long-term, completely incurable problems in all human beings, although they are not being fazed out of products at the same rate as phthalate esters are.

These awful materials usually find their way into the human body through inhalation of dust particles, which are contained on the inside of the vehicles. What this means for drivers is that the one way to keep as much of those toxic materials out of your body as possible is to keep the inside of your car as clean as possible. Along with that, another way to keep these substances out of your system is to wear a gas mask whenever you are dealing in close proximity to the car, including working under the car, pumping gas for the car and looking under the hood for any type of problem.

Citroen C1 facelifted

This is the new, facelifted for 2012, Citroen C1. In addition to the more obvious physical changes, the new C1 will cost £700 less than the outgoing model when it arrives in April this year. 

LED lights have been added to a body that will now come with a greater choice of colours for the outside and a greater choice of cloth materials for the inside. 

The higher spec models will likely be a lot more expensive than the lowest VT trim level and so will not drop much in price, however the car in its most basic form is nonetheless a significant amount cheaper than it was, while looking better as a result.

Detroit Auto Show - Vauxhall reveals new Mokka

Vauxhall has revealed a totally new car, the Mokka, set to compete with the Nissan Juke/Ford Kuga class of cars. To be sold in America as the Buick Encore, the Mokka will arrive in the UK in November this year.

The car measures 4.28m long x 1.645m tall, so although it looks a little like a tall Corsa, it is in fact a much larger car, differing greatly from the supermini. It will however use the Gamma II platform which the next generation Corsa will be based on.

There will be several engines available, both petrol and diesel. The petrols will include a 1.6-litre, 117bhp motor and a 1.4-litre turbo producing 142bhp. Customers will also be able to choose a 1.7-litre CDTi turbodiesel with 132bhp and 221lb ft of torque.

The standard car will be front-wheel-drive but the car will be available in 4x4 specification. All cars will come with start/stop technology and the turbos will be available in either six-speed manual or automatic configurations.

Although it will be related directly to the new Corsa, the Mokka boasts promising amounts of space - with the rear seats folded it provides 1372 litres of load space and 533 with them up.

The car will be fitted with 18-inch wheels and as well as the usual driver assists the Mokka will use hill start assist, hill descent control systems with adaptive forward lighting and even the option of a front-facing camera.