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We know the scientists of the world spend an awful lot of time making our lives better, but the guys and gals in white coats sometimes study topics that aren’t all that exciting. Case in point? The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand announced at their annual meeting that owners of newer vehicles are more likely to catch the flu than those with old beaters.

The reason? Older vehicles have dried out, cracked and broken seals that help circulate fresh air through the cabin. Meanwhile, newer vehicles, with their fresh and uncompromised seals, let in less fresh air when air circulation is set to lower levels. As a result, the owners of the newer vehicles are more likely to catch cold or flu from a sick passenger inside the vehicle.

Dr. Scott Bell, Director of Thoracic Medicine at the Prince Charles Hospital, wants drivers to know that “high risk people should be cautious of who they travel with in passenger cars during outbreaks of influenza.”

That makes sense, but what if you’re in a beat-up old jalopy? We’re guessing you shouldn’t have sick passengers in old cars, either, but what do we know? Dr. Bell says you’re at least less susceptible to illness if you crank the air on high and thumb off the recirculating air button.

[Source: Drive | Image: Flickr KB35 via CC 2.0]

PSA: Want to avoid the flu? Buy an old car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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United Auto Workers president Bob King wants to reverse the UAW’s eroding course, and one of the best ways to strengthen its position is through increased membership. The Detroit News reports that King and company are looking to bring the power of one to the nearest transplant automaker producing vehicles in the U.S. King says that he wants foreign automakers to know that the UAW has learned from past mistakes and that the rank and file is not “the evil empire.” Good to know, right? Well…

After King informed the transplants that the dark side has no power over the UAW, he then went on to tell automaker management at Toyota and Honda that efforts to block the right to fair bargaining will be branded “human rights violators.” King reportedly went on to accuse some transplants of spending millions to keep unions out of plants, adding “I would not want to be a company that was branded as a human rights violator.” And what happens if the UAW feels the automakers are continuing to block workers’ rights to vote for or against the right to organize? King says the next step is to stage global protests that could cost automakers “hundreds of millions of dollars” to combat.

[Source: Detroit News | Image: Paul Sancya/AP]

Report: UAW’s King threatens to expose carmakers who avoid unions as “human rights violators” originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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