News

Cycling comes a turn of the pedals nearer the mainstream this week as high street fashion chain Top Shop launches a range of cycle-wear for women. Top Shop employed two designers who are also experienced cyclists to produce a range of fashionable and functional cycle-wear; Amy Fleuriot and Sarah Buck have done away with day-glow jackets and...

Motorists who drink and drive are putting everyone at risk, according to a car insurance company that found that British drivers overestimate the amount of alcohol they can consume before getting behind the wheel. According to the research, 39 per cent of drivers believed the legal alcohol limit for driving is the equivalent of one pint of...

The new Routemaster bus commissioned by Boris Johnson may run on biofuel made from recycled cooking oil from restaurants and canteens. Although some companies in London already use recycled oil in this way, any diesel-engined vehicle has the potential to run on biofuel without major modifications. The mayor this week said that biodiesel...

Tougher measures aimed at keeping Britain’s roads safe have been introduced. New rulings state that motorists living outside Britain will be issued with on-the-spot fines if they cannot provide a satisfactory address and those behind the wheel of heavy goods vehicles may be hit with penalties if their lorry is overloaded or if they have...

The latest British-designed vehicle produces very little pollution or noise, but it does not have an electric, hydrogen or hybrid engine; the car instead relies on 2,000-year-old technology in a bid to break a speed record of 204.3kmph (127.7mph) set in 1906. Petrol vs Steam The British Steam Car Challenge team is not claiming to have...

Fiat has won a major award for its environmentally-friendly eco:Drive system. The company scooped Digital Technology prize at the Media Guardian Innovation Awards for its innovative appraoch to encouraging green driving. Through the use of a USB stick which is connected to the dashboard, the eco:Drive service gives motorists feedback on...

The Swedish government has presented what it describes as Europe’s “most ambitious” strategy to improve energy efficiency and cut emissions. The country aims for 50 per cent of its energy to be renewable by 2020, for its entire car fleet to be independent of fossil fuels 10 years later and for the country to be carbon neutral by 2050. The...

A move by America and Canada to designate their coastal regions as “emission control areas” could speed the introduction of fuel cell ships. Over 90% of all freight is carried by the world’s 50,000 merchant ships, an industry that is responsible for over 4 per cent of global CO2emissions, but a wholesale move to low-carbon technology had...

Two well-known American stars are in hot water for speeding. Hollywood actor Matt Dillon was yesterday (March 31st) fined after pleading guilty to the offence. Mr Dillon was clocked driving at 106mph in December last year and could have faced a jail term. Elsewhere, OutKast rapper Andre 3000 was arrested at the weekend for reaching 109mph...

The drivers of the future have been given hints and tips on road safety with the help of the slot-car racing game, Scalextric. Schoolchildren were shown the dos and don’ts of driving as part of the Project Kickstart campaign, which aims to educate youngsters on the hazards that they will face when they get out onto the roads. The latest...