Page 4 - Town & Around - December
P. 4
4 Town & Around December 2022 Tel: 01485 540620 email: editor@townandaround.net
The best vehicle technologies of 2022
Abigail Brown
s the year is coming to a close (I know, we’re wondering Connected apps/digital keys
where the time’s gone as well!), we thought it fitting to discuss Almost every car company now has an app you can download for your
Athe best tech of the automotive industry so far. If you read our car, with the smartest ones letting you remotely lock and unlock the
column in the October issue, you’ll know we’ve also covered the doors, check the fuel level and tyre pressure, and even remotely start
introduction of self-driving vehicles and how that may impact safety the car. These apps will also display key maintenance features and you
- can you see the theme here? can use them to find your nearest garage, petrol station, or charge sta-
Tech features are hugely important in today’s vehicles; they affect tion.
how you interact with your vehicle, and how it reacts to what’s happen- Similar to contactless for card payments, to use the digital key on a
ing around it. Here we look at some of the key automotive technologies phone, it would have to be held near the car door to lock and unlock it -
of this year and how the driving experience has changed because of and only your phone would have this capability.
them.
Teen driver tech
Driver assistance systems Something that’s particularly cool is that you can now get vehicles with
This is an umbrella term for features like adaptive cruise control, colli- features aimed solely at parents with younger drivers in the house. The
sion warnings, reverse brake assist and cross-traffic alerts. All of these tech is a safeguard for new drivers, allowing parents to put certain set-
tech benefits are focused around safety and ensure you are aware of tings in place and their mind at ease! For example, it can notify you if
cars and obstructions around your vehicle. One of the first examples of the car is driven over a specified speed, disable the audio if seatbelts
this was anti-lock brakes, which are now standard on every new car. aren’t in use and can set a volume limit on the sound system. There’s
even a report card which will tell parents if safety systems like forward
Automatic emergency braking collision warnings have been triggered while your child was behind the
An essential part of safety tech, automatic emergency braking activates wheel.
your car’s brakes when it senses a collision is imminent, which could Of course, this is just a drop in the ocean of the technological
minimise the potential damage during an accident or even help you advancements we are seeing in cars today, but it certainly gives you an
avoid one altogether. idea of how much the industry has progressed in recent years.
For more automotive insights, visit www.kbrownautoskingslynn.co.uk
New play equipment installed in Ringstead
A new and exciting item of play equipment has been installed at
Ringstead Playing Field.
Dave Martin Smith cut the ribbon
Following the removal of the old roundabout, local resident Jay
Mond-Wedd and his family at Courtyard Farm Trust initiated and
have financially supported the project. Looking for something more
challenging for older children and working with the Parish Council,
it was decided to install Wicksteed Leisure ‘Pick Up Sticks’ climber.
Based on the classic game of the same name they are great fun,
their non-uniform style means a different adventure every time! The
Pick Up Sticks represents a great playground challenge for all older
children.
Dr William Jacob, Chair of Ringstead Parish Council said: “We
are very grateful to Jay and his family for their generous donation,
which together with funds from the Community Infrastructure Levy
made available from the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West
Norfolk has enabled the Parish Council to introduce this new and
exciting item of play equipment. It complements the existing range
of play equipment which includes a toddlers climbing frame, swings, Top (from left) Sue Little, Simon Lee and Debbie Rice.
slide and a series of outdoor gym equipment for youths and adults.” Below are Bill Jacob and Valerie Everitt. Photos: Ian Burt