News

New motor oil is completely biodegradable

March 25, 2009

A new type of environmentally-friendly engine oil is made not from petrochemicals but recycled tallow, a completely biodegradable byproduct of farming. G-OIL claims to have a performance comparable with traditional petrochemical-based motor oils. Currently only available in America, the lubricant is the world’s first bio-based motor...

General News

Huge demand for nano lottery

March 24, 2009

A modestly-priced motorised vehicle pitched at the millions of people in India who currently travel by bicycle and scooter was always going to be popular, but demand for the world’s cheapest production is such that those wanting to order the Tata Nano are having to enter a lottery. It is expected that 500,000 people will buy a lottery...

General News

Free bicycles for children suggest MPs

March 24, 2009

Extra funding for safer routes, American-style yellow bus schemes and free bicycles for those unable to afford them are measures that could reduce congestion by dramatically increasing the number of children who walk and cycle to school, according to a group of MPs. The transport select committee report on school travel recognised that More...

General News

Brits can 'save money with pedal power'

March 24, 2009

Motorists looking for a cheap alternative form of travel could save up to £2,000 each year if they opt for pedal power. A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), which provides an online car cost calculator said: “It is easy to underestimate the amount it costs to run a car, but running a bicycle is almost free and...

General News

Britain could have world’s best railway

March 23, 2009

The company that is developing plans for a new North-South railway line believes that in a little over a decade Britain could have a 225mph service running every four minutes between London and Birmingham. Sir David Rowlands, chairman of High Speed Two, tells The Times that the most efficient option would be for high-speed, double-deck...

General News

Rural idyll worst for climate change

March 23, 2009

The idea that urban areas contribute a disproportionately-high amount to global climate change is challenged by a study from the International Institute for Environment and Development, which finds that the greenhouse gas emissions of large cities are far below those of rural areas. The study finds that on average people living in cities...

General News

Humans make terrible drivers

January 1, 1970

That safety argument, already iffy at best, imploded on October 2, when a hit-and-run driver struck a San Francisco pedestrian who landed beneath a Cruise robotaxi—which then dragged her 20 feet, potentially worsening her injuries. Later that month, the California Department of Motor...

General News

Say bonjour to flashing zebra crossings

Since the LED panels were embedded in the road, 94 per cent of vehicles now yield to pedestrians, a 27% improvement. Additionally, 55% of vehicles stop at least two metres before the crossing, also a dramatic improvement on driver behaviour prior the flashing feature being fitted.