Our friends at the Association of British Drivers have pointed
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out a survey which proves that, while trucks can be the cause of some road accidents, they are not the only dangerous objects around. The Department of Trade and Industry's annual home surveillance study reports that a number of serious accidents are caused by such harmless items as birdbaths, wellington boots and loofahs. More than 10,000 people are hurt each year in accidents involving socks and tights, 3,421 are injured by clothes baskets, 1,810 are hurt by walking into tree trunks, and 6,000 by tripping
over their trousers or falling down the stairs. And when did you last give your armchair a maintenance check? Armchair injuries rose to 18,890 last year!
All very amusing on paper, but no offence intended to anyone affected by such incidents.
Orange trees in Sussex? Truck drivers may have noticed the seemingly mraculous appearance of an impressive new tree close to the IV 23 over one recent weekend. Closer inspecton of this (literally) outstanding specimen by CM'S nature correspondent revealed that it is actualiy made of resin
coated steel tubes and bolted to the ground. Its intended purpose in life is as an inconspicuous mobile telephone mast for Orange. All very impressive_ and ever more so when the neighbouring trees reach the same size. A few decades should do it.
Beer. It's a substance regarded with almost religious reverence by the vast majority of the Commercial Motor staff: lifeblood and magical elixir in one. But it's not often we get to mention our favourite tipple in relation to transport (as drink driving is a very very, bad thing), so it's nice to see that Northampton's Frog Island brewery has conjured up a fine transport-themed brew to commemorate the sad demise of its dray van and the arrival of a spanking new Mercedes Sprinter. Now if they want to send us any samples they can
reach us at the usual address.