MASTERDRIVE Contract Hire and Leasing has become the latest company to call for air conditioning to be fitted as standard on all cars. The company believes that benefits in combating driver stress and respiratory problems such as asthma outweigh the perceived disadvantages of increased fuel consumption and the effect on global warming of external heat build-up on vehicles using air conditioning.

As a result Masterdrive says research should be concentrated on ways to minimise environmental impact from air conditioning rather than continuing to do without it.