North & South

driven by equality

SOME PEOPLE ARE safer than others on the road. That’s because, even in 2019, most automakers still produce cars based exclusively on data from male crash test dummies. To help solve that problem and make driving equally safe for everyone, Volvo is sharing more than 40 years of safety research, making its database of real-world crash data available to the whole industry. VOLVO IS SHARING MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF SAFETY RESEARCH, MAKING ITS DATABASE OF REAL-WORLD CRASH DATA AVAILABLE TO THE WHOLE INDUSTRY. Volvo’s cars are developed with the aim to protect all people, regardless of gender, height, shape or weight, beyond the ‘average person’ represented by crash test dummies. In sharing their research, their dream is that all cars will protect everyone – as safety is their main priority. Test drive…

the road to safety

1927: The first Volvo car, Volvo ÖV 4, left the assembly line, created out of concern that no one was making cars safe enough for Swedish roads. 1959: Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seatbelt, an innovation shared with the entire automotive industry, protecting everyone – regardless of size, gender or body shape – saving more than one million lives. 1970s: The Volvo Traffic Accident Research Team was formed, gathering data from actual car accidents to find out what happens to real people in a crash – men, women and children. The analysis has led to many of the innovative systems in Volvo cars today. 1995: Volvo tested with a female crash test dummy, starting with the only available small-sized, female frontal-impact dummy. 2001: A small-sized side impact dummy was included in Volvo’s…

requests denied, delayed & redacted

THE LETTER arrived on a Friday afternoon when thoughts were turning to walking the dog and weekend chores. It was from the Corrections Department, and contained an apology to me. In September 2017, I’d applied to visit a prisoner who claimed he had been wrongfully convicted and wanted to speak to me. Over the next five months, I sent Corrections five emails asking for an update on my application. Three times Corrections simply didn’t bother replying. In February 2018, it said a decision on my application was expected “this week”. Three months later, I’d heard nothing more. So the prisoner’s lawyer wrote to Corrections, threatening legal action, given eight months had now elapsed. His email was also ignored. A week later, he again wrote to Corrections. This time they replied, and I…

noel o’hare

When a reader contacted Wellington freelance writer and author Noel O’Hare about a story he’d written years ago for the NZ Listener on psychic Jeanette Wilson, it didn’t take him long to decide it was time for an update (The Psychic Will See You Now, page 50). “It combines three elements that have always concerned me: New Age beliefs, alternative medicine and multi-level marketing,” he says. “It was like journalistic catnip.” As a former Listener senior feature writer and health columnist, O’Hare has written about all three, often as a participant. Assignments have included a tantric sex training weekend in Canterbury, an altered consciousness workshop in Auckland, and mingling with wannabe millionaires at an Amway revivalist-style rally in Wellington. Despite winning several NZ Skeptics Society awards, O’Hare says he is not a…

north and south

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supercharge your kiwisaver

Those steps include utilising online tools and advice to learn more about maximising your savings. It’s about making sure your money is working every bit as hard as you do, now and in the future, ANZ’s Managing Director Wealth Craig Mulholland says. As a nation we need to learn to save more so we can maintain our lifestyle in retirement. HARNESS THE TOOLS ANZ’s KiwiSaver Account Calculator and Risk Profile Tool can really help you delve deeper and power up your savings. The Risk Profile Tool supports you in deciding which fund might be right for you by assessing your tolerance for risk. It aids in understanding how much volatility (ups and downs) you want to accept. The KiwiSaver Account Calculator lets you test out scenarios to highlight the sum you need to contribute to…