News

Mercedes cars will from next year have the ability at night and in poor visibility to detect cyclists and pedestrians long before the driver and pick them out with a spotlight. The Active Night View Assist Plus uses an infra-red camera to detect cyclists and pedestrians at a distance of up to 80m. They are then illuminated by one of the...

The electric car pioneers who buy the world’s first mass-produced car, the Nissan Leaf, in Britain next year can choose to pay less than £100 a week. The low residual value of current electric vehicles placed a question mark over the estimated running costs of the Leaf, but used-car experts have predicted it will retain a 47 per cent of its...

A kit that transforms any bicycle into a caterpillar track-driven snow bike has been imported from Canada by the Environmental Transport Association (ETA). The ETA was the first organisation to offer breakdown recovery for cyclists in Britain and now includes the service for free with its cycle insurance. The £600 K-Trak system is believed...

With overnight temperatures expected to plunge to well below zero across the country tonight and the harsh conditions expected to last until Friday at the earliest, drivers are being warned to prepare for potentially hazardous driving conditions. If you drive an older vehicle, cold temperatures can play havoc with your car – battery failure...

Which? has named the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) as a ‘best buy’ for travel insurance for those aged 65 to 74. The independent advice magazine analysed twenty-two aspects of travel insurance and has published the results in a league table of which companies provide the best all-round cover. A spokesperson at the ETA said: “The...

A TV ad for German electronics supplier Conrad features an imaginative way of beating bike thieves; a portable, remote-control robot powered by motorised skateboard wheels clamps to the nearest lamp post and lifts the bicycle out of the reach of thieves and their bolt cutters. The idea of lifting bikes out of harm’s way is not new; Dominic...

With much of Britain expected to experience snow overnight, many commuter cyclists will be faced with uncertain conditions come morning. There are a number or accessories available to cyclists who want to adapt their bikes for snowy conditions, from metal-studded tyres to full caterpillar track systems, but a few simple tips can help you...

Cyclists who ride beneath overhead power lines occasionally suffer a small electric shock, according to the National Grid. So-called ‘micro shocks’can happen when a cyclist passes through the electrical field surrounding a power line and picks up a small electric charge themself. If the cyclist is holding rubber hand grips at the time they...

For the first time in its 47-year history, the title of European car of the Year has gone to an electric vehicle – the Nissan LEAF. The jury, which included 57 leading motoring journalists from 23 European countries, compared the Leaf with forty conventionally-powered cars from manufacturers including Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Ford, Vauxhall and...

Boris Bikes will from next Friday be available for hire by casual users. Until now, users of the popular cycle hire scheme have needed to pre-register before taking the bikes. From Friday 3rd December anyone with a credit or debit card will be able to go to their nearest docking station and follow the simple on screen instructions at the...