The real identity of Top Gear’s tamed racing driver, The Stig, has long been a topic of considerable debate amongst motoring enthusiasts for years now.
But new financial documents have been unearthed which could finally put an end to the speculation on just who is hiding behind that white racing helmet.
The Coalition Government has announced plans to ban the use of wheel clamping on private land in England and Whales.
Home Office minister, Lynne Featherstone says the new rules should be brought into line with those currently in effect in Scotland, where clamping vehicles on private land was subsequently banned after a judge deemed that the act amounted to ‘extortion’ and ‘theft’.
A new report predicts that in the year 2020 21% of new vehicles sold in the United Kingdom will be powered by alternative energy. But the report highlights that manufacturers need to do more to help allay motorists’ fears over the longevity and depreciation of batteries in electric cars.
According to the research conducted by Eurotax Glass’s, hybrid cars will be the dominant ‘green energy’ power until 2019 after which the technology will be overtaken by the sale of electric vehicles.
A 37 year old Swedish man is facing a whopping £650,000 speeding fine for getting caught travelling at 180 mph whilst driving through Switzerland.
Speeding fines in Switzerland are calculated based on the income of the offending motorist and the severity of the speed. Having been clocked driving at two and a half times the speed limit, the Swedish motorist is now facing the highest possible penalty of 300 days of fines at £2,166 a day – a total of £650,000.
“We have no record of anyone being caught travelling faster in the country,” said a police spokesman.
The powerful 6 litre Mercedes SLS was eventually caught by a speed camera by a speed camera on the A12 highway between Bern and Lausanne, after successfully evading numerous radars en-route simply because he was going too fast and they were incapable of clocking speeds beyond 200kph (125mph).
It was a new generation of radar machines that finally caught him travelling at close to 300kph (186mph).
“I think the speedo on the car, which is new, is faulty,” he told police by way of an explanation.
Lack of local funding means that speed cameras across the country are to be switched off according to a prediction by David Sparks, the leader of the Labour group on the Local Government Association.
As the Coalition Government’s spending cuts start to take effect, many local governments have little alternative but to pull the plug on speed cameras in their counties.
A report published by the UK insurer AXA reveals that 800 lives are lost each year on Britain’s roads through accidents caused by road rage or disrespectful driving.
The independent survey highlights that almost 4 in 10 drivers involved in the 222,100 accidents each year on British roads felt frightened or angered by other motorists in the moments leading up to a crash or collision.
July’s summer heatwave caused road accidents in the UK to soar, as male drivers became increasingly distracted by womens’ skimpy outfits, new insurance claim figures show.
The new statistics published today by car insurance company Sheilas’ Wheels, show that 29% of male drivers admitted to being distracted by short skirts and low-cut tops in the Summer weather, leading to a record number of accidents on the road.
Popular UK breakdown organisation, the AA, has come under fire this week for refusing to sign an industry code of conduct for after market vehicle warranty providers.
Established by the automotive watchdog Motor codes, the code of practice requires firms to use ‘plain English’ in the small print of their policies, and to ensure that their claims procedures are simple and easy to understand.
The M25 has been singled out as the most boring and depressing road in Britain according to a Road to Freedom survey of 3,000 car drivers and bike riders conducted by Motorcycle News.
Following close behind in second place is the Birmingham stretch of the M6, with the A1 in London, and the M5 near Bristol in 3rd and 4th place respectively.
Many motorists choose to buy a hybrid vehicle because they believe running a hybrid car will save them money in the long fun. But new research published by the British Columbia Automobile Association suggests that those who buy a hybrid model continue to pay a premium rate for it.
The BCAA compared the purchase price, financing, and fuel costs of 16 hybrid cars over a period of five years and concluded that only one hybrid car cost less to buy and run over the five years than its petrol counterpart.
The hybrid vehicle that came top in their study was the Mercedes S400 Hybrid Sedan, which overall was found to cost £3,200 less to own and operate than other hybrid models studied.
