ADAC
The ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V.) is Germany's and Europe's largest automobile club, with more than 17 million members in June 2010.[1] It was founded on May 24, 1903 as "Deutsche Motorradfahrer-Vereinigung" (in English: German Motorbiker Association) and was renamed in 1911. Today it is still the largest motorcyclist association in the world with 1.5 million members.
Both the ADAC, and its older rival AvD (the organizer of the German Grand Prix), are members of the FIA and the DMSB. The European Grand Prix, the former ADAC Eifelrennen, the 24 Hours Nürburgring and many other races are hosted by ADAC.
The ADAC also operates a large fleet of mobile mechanics in yellow cars that assist motorists in trouble - the Yellow Angels. The ADAC runs its own modification center whereby ordinary vans are turned into mobile garages (pictures only depict Ford Galaxies) in 55 man-hours.
In addition to this, the ADAC provides 44 helicopters for urgent medical rescues in Germany, strategically placed so that any location can be reached within 15 minutes. Air ambulance jets are used by the ADAC to rescue their members with a "PLUS" membership or customers who own an ADAC international travel insurance from any location worldwide in the case of accident or extreme sickness. During the 2004 Tsunami in south east Asia, the ADAC evacuated thousands of German citizens and members from the region.
The ADAC also offers its membership to non German residents, having signed contracts with automobile clubs worldwide. In the UK, it is possible to have breakdown recovery through the local AA whilst having an ADAC membership.
The ADAC is publisher of the magazine with the largest distribution in Germany, the ADAC Motorwelt. ADAC Motorwelt, which is also distributed (still in the German language) to ADAC members outside Germany, features articles of common interest to all participants of public traffic, such as product tests, safe driving tips and also places to visit by car or motorbike.
On June 3, 2008, the ADAC suspended its involvement with the FIA over the scandal surrounding Max Mosley and his subsequent retention as FIA president.[2]
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[edit] International affiliates
The ADAC has reciprocal arrangements with a range of international affiliates, including
- The AAA in the USA
- The AA in the United Kingdom
[edit] History
The ADAC break-down assistance service was launched in Germany in 1927.[3]
At the end of 1962 ADAC announced the retirement of their motor-bike-sidecar combinations which would be replaced by 40 appropriately equipped Volkswagen Beetles.[4] Equipment on the new cars included a flashing roof-light, repair tools, a radio-based communication device, compressed air canisters, a spade and broom set, and a basic "doctor-kit" incorporating blood-plasma.[4]
In 1974 the organisation had 3.8 million members at a time when there were 19.0 million passenger cars registered in Germany: by 1990 membership had risen to 10.2 million, with 35.5 million passenger cars registered in the country, so that ADAC membership has grown more than twice as fast as national car ownership.[5] Growth rates during the ensuing twenty years were greatly boosted by German reunification.
June 2010 was the month when the organisation welcomed a young Ghanaian born missionary as its 17 millionth member.[6]
[edit] Research
[edit] EuroRAP in Germany
ADAC is the active member for the European Road Assessment Programme (EuroRAP) in Germany.[7] ADAC regularly publish maps showing safety characteristics of German roads.[8]
These maps based on EuroRAP's Road Protection Score Protocol (or Star Rating Protocol) is a measure of how well a road protects road users in the event of an accident. Data on road characteristics is gathered by driving through road inspections using a specially equipped RPS inspection vehicle (Strassentest vehicle in German). Trained assessors then rate the safety features and hazards on the inspected road and use standardised formula to produce a safety rating—star rating—which is comparable across Europe.[9]
ADAC also undertakes road inspections on behalf of other EuroRAP members, including the Road Safety Foundation in the UK.[10]
[edit] Campaigning for Safe Road Design
The European Campaign for Safe Road Design is a partnership between 28 major European road safety stakeholders that is calling for the EC to invest in safe road infrastructure initiatives which could cut deaths on European roads by 33% in less than a decade.[11] ADAC is the campaign's partner in Germany.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ presse.adac.de: ADAC jetzt 17 Millionen Mitglieder stark[dead link]
- ^ "Mosley stays on as FIA president". BBC News. 2008-06-03. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7430939.stm. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ "Altes vom Auto: Meldungen aus 125 Jahren:Tops und Flops (a summary of the highlights and lowlights of the first 125 years of motoring history)". Auto Motor u. Sport. Heft 4: 16. date 27 January 2011.
- ^ a b "Vor 40 Jahren: Die Kaefer kommen - Strassenwacht auf vier Raedern". Auto, Motor und Sport. 2003 1: 162. date 23 December 2002.
- ^ "60 Jahre BRD". ADAC Motorwelt 6: 38–42. date June 2009.
- ^ "Pater Unswer: Der ADAC feiert einen neuen Mitgliederrekord: Der in Deutschland lebende Ghanaer Pater Moses erhaelt die 17-millionste gelbe Karte com Club....". ADAC Motorwelt. 2010 7: 50–51. July 2010.
- ^ "EuroRAP Partners". EuroRAP. http://www.eurorap.org/partners. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
- ^ "Star Rating Maps Germany". EuroRAP. http://www.eurorap.org/rps_maps?search=y&country=Germany&format=Thumbnail. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
- ^ "What is Star Rating?". EuroRAP. http://www.eurorap.org/rps. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
- ^ "RPS Fleet". EuroRAP. http://www.eurorap.org/rps_fleet. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
- ^ "About the campaign". European Campaign for Safe Road Design. http://www.saferoaddesign.eu/about.aspx. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
[edit] External links
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