News

One in five young drivers do not have valid car insurance, new figures from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau have shown. The startling figure represents 250,000 people aged between 17 and 20 years old. The study also found one in ten young drivers claimed that they did not know that it is compulsory to take out car insurance when driving. A...

Network Rail has unveiled proposals for a high-speed train service that could see journey times from Edinburgh to London cut from more than four hours to a little over two. In a report called ‘The Case for New Lines’, the company proposes a 200mph north-south service between London and Glasgow that would take two hours 16 minutes, against...

Synthetic ‘trees’ that are thousands of times more effective at absorbing CO2 than their natural counterparts could one day help slow climate change according to a report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Klaus Lackner, a physicist with the Earth Institute, first developed a prototype machine that would remove carbon dioxide...

A British-built supercar, dubbed the ‘fastest kettle in the world’, has broken a 103-year-old world land speed record for steam-powered vehicles. The 25ft-long car reached an average speed of 139.843mph on two runs over a measured mile at the Edwards Air Force Base in California. Is steam power green? Steam engines can be made to run very...

Peugeot’s 107 has been named as the car most likely to hold its value in Britain. A study found that high fuel efficiency and low road tax were among the reasons why the vehicle performs well in this area. It showed that, after three years, the car was worth 60.9 per cent of its original £8,595 price tag. The vehicle was one of seven small...

Several car manufacturers have unveiled new low-emission vehicles. Suzuki has revealed its SX4 model, which it is set to showcase at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor event. The car uses the same-sized 1.6-litre petrol engine as its predecessor, but through several technical developments, such as a modified cylinder head, manages to emit ten per...

The police have launched a campaign to cut the number of road deaths involving children in Scotland. As youngsters prepare to go back to school, authorities around the country are participating in a crackdown on drivers taking unnecessary risks when they have kids in their car. Brian Anderson, chief superintendent for Dumfries Galloway...

MPs have highlighted the danger posed by overseas-registered lorries on British roads and called for changes in the law to protect other road users. The Transport Select Committee revealed that many these heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from abroad are unroadworthy and their drivers are more likely than their British counterparts to have been...

The Highways Agency has urged motorists to check their fuel levels before setting off on a long journey. The warning comes after 15,788 vehicles broke down on England’s motorways after running out of fuel between July 1st 2008 and June 30th 2009. Derek Turner, director of network operations at the Highways Agency, said that he was alarmed...

Five million regular cyclists may be putting themselves and others at risk because they do not have basic third party cover, according to research by cycle insurance provider ilovemybike.co.uk Should cycle insurance be compulsory? There are two main types of cycle insurance: the type that compensates you if your bike is stolen and third...