News

New drivers should make sure they keep safety features in mind when buying their first car according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). Neil Greig, IAM director of policy, said: “Cost is a key issue, but opting for the cheapest vehicle can mean cutting safety corners and paying more to run it – newer cars tend to have...

They may look like a new foe for Doctor Who, but child-shaped bollards that give the impression they are about to cross the road are the latest attempt by a council to slow drivers as they pass local schools. The steel mannequins cost £350 each and have been placed outside Avenue Primary School in Leicester to help enforce a 20mph speed...

Toyota has announced plans to produce a new hybrid car which is more fuel efficient than the Prius. The city car-sized vehicle is expected to achieve a fuel economy of about 85mpg. Japanese newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, reports that the firm will launch a hybrid based on the Toyota Viz, a model known in Britain as the Yaris. The car is...

A proposal to replace the car scrappage scheme with an environmentally-friendly version for cyclists has been rejected by the government. The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) proposed a ‘pounds-for-pedals’ scheme to give cyclists £100 to spend on a new bicycle, but in contrast to the car scrappage grant the traded-in bike was not...

Fritz Henderson, chief executive for General Motors, commented: “Our Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle will achieve unprecedented fuel economy.” A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “An urban figure of 191mpg is ten times better than many SUV vehicles, a performance that will tempt many drivers...

Electric supercar-builder, Tesla Motors, sold a record 109 vehicles last month helping it to earn $1 million profit. The company sells cars via its website and at showrooms in London and at three sites across America. A further six outlets are expected to open over the coming year. The Tesla Roadster is the first production electric vehicle...

The government has released figures which it claims show that its scrappage scheme has been a "real success". According to the statistics, there have been 154,927 new vehicle orders since the initiative was launched. The Southeast has had the highest take up, accounting for 18 per cent of these. Lord Mandelson, the business secretary,...

A town in the north of England could implement new road safety measures to help cut accidents in the area. Officials in Blackrod are considering a mobile speed operation in an effort to reduce the number of people driving too quickly through the region. According to Sergeant Danny Brophy, who has recently met with local councillors to...

The idea of using ‘geo-engineering’ projects to tackle climate change is not new, but amongst the various proposals to either reduce sunlight levels or take CO2 out of the air by man-made means, one in particular is gaining increasing support from the scientific community. A study by the think-tank, the Copenhagen Consensus Centre has...

Young drivers are the most supportive of speed cameras, a new study by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has found. The research showed that 17 to 24-year-olds gave the highest approval ratings for the devices, having a more positive attitude towards them than many older people. Those aged over 45 were the least supportive. Neil...