New laws needed for hands-free in-car phone calls
New laws needed for hands-free in-car phone calls
The TRL’s chief scientist told MPs that the law surrounding hands-free systems in cars needs to be revisited
Future Hyundais to report injuries to emergency services
Future Hyundais to report injuries to emergency services
Hyundai is working with MDGo to create a raft of advanced safety systems for its future autonomous vehicles
Cars may be banned from London's Royal Parks
Cars may be banned from London's Royal Parks
Motor vehicles could be banned from driving through The Royal Parks as part of charity’s Movement Strategy
BP Chargemaster unveils new 150kW ultra-fast charger
BP Chargemaster unveils new 150kW ultra-fast charger
The Ultracharge 150 can deliver around 100 miles of range in 10 minutes, and will appear at 50 BP Chargemaster sites in the UK this year
Lexus One online car subscription service launched
Lexus One online car subscription service launched
Lexus One allows drivers to subscribe on a monthly basis with the option to change cars or end their subscription every four weeks
France reverses decision to cut default speed limit from 90kmh to 80kmh
France reverses decision to cut default speed limit from 90kmh to 80kmh
French government reverses last year’s decision to cut the default speed limit by 10kmh on roads without separation barriers
5,000 Kia Niro hybrid and plug-in hybrid models recalled
5,000 Kia Niro hybrid and plug-in hybrid models recalled
Kia has recalled 5,020 hybrid and plug-in hybrid examples of the Niro in the UK due to an overheating issue in an electrical relay
Three-quarters of EV owners use extension leads to charge
Three-quarters of EV owners use extension leads to charge
Lack of public chargers for EVs leads to extension leads being used in order to charge at home, risking safety
Government announces plan to “revolutionise” parking
Government announces plan to “revolutionise” parking
New national parking data standards will allow for smoother and easier payment methods to be employed at car parks across the UK
Big drop in uninsured drivers caught on UK roads
Big drop in uninsured drivers caught on UK roads
Last year saw the lowest number of uninsured drivers caught on the road since 2012, even though 2017, by contrast, saw the most
Heathrow Airport plans £15 pollution charge
Heathrow Airport plans £15 pollution charge
Drivers dropping off passengers or parking at Heathrow Airport will have to pay up to £15 per day from 2022
Car hire companies ripping off drivers with excess waivers
Car hire companies ripping off drivers with excess waivers
Rental companies’ theft and damage excess prices add as much as 90 per cent to the total cost of hiring a car, research shows
NCPr made £2.44m from drivers with wrong change
NCPr made £2.44m from drivers with wrong change
NCP goes to court to argue that it shouldn’t have to pay VAT on near-£700,000 annual earnings from drivers not having the right change
Disney road signs will teach children about road safety
Disney road signs will teach children about road safety
Special edition road signs featuring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck are available to download online
Theory test pass rate drops to lowest level in a decade
Theory test pass rate drops to lowest level in a decade
The proportion of learner drivers passing the driving theory test has fallen 18 per cent in a decade, new data reveals
Two-fifths of drivers considering an EV as their next buy
Two-fifths of drivers considering an EV as their next buy
Some 12 million drivers are considering going electric with their next car – an increase of 7.5 million in two years
You can now print MoT certificates at home
You can now print MoT certificates at home
The DVSA has introduced a new system allowing MoT certificates to be printed at home, saving British motorists around £6 million a year
Guidelines issued for calibrating safety kit after accidents
Guidelines issued for calibrating safety kit after accidents
Thatcham Research releases new guidelines for recalibrating advanced driver assistance systems following a collision
Ordnance and Mobileye create digital map of Britain’s roads
Ordnance and Mobileye create digital map of Britain’s roads
Ordnance Survey has teamed up with Intel-owned firm Mobileye to create a digital map of the country’s roads
Cat B licence holders can drive alternatively fuelled vans
Cat B licence holders can drive alternatively fuelled vans
New rules will allow motorists with standard category B driving licences to drive alternatively fuelled vans weighing up to 4.5 tonnes
Motorway signs should be redesigned, says watchdog
Motorway signs should be redesigned, says watchdog
Junction numbers on motorway signs are obscured too often, forcing drivers into dangerous manoeuvres, according to Transport Focus
Motorists drive closer to bikes in cycle lanes than on roads
Motorists drive closer to bikes in cycle lanes than on roads
Research suggests drivers do not feel the need to give cyclists in bike lanes as much room as they do on standard sections of road
Number of plug-in cars in UK grew by 3/4 last year
Number of plug-in cars in UK grew by 3/4 last year
There’s now a record of nearly 200,000 plug-in cars on the UK’s roads, thanks to a rise of more than 75 per cent in 2018
Ford launches new keyless fob to combat relay attacks
Ford launches new keyless fob to combat relay attacks
The new key fob enters a sleep mode after 40 seconds without movement, after which it will not respond to hacking attempts
New battery will give electric cars over 600 miles of range
New battery will give electric cars over 600 miles of range
High-density battery technology could eliminate range anxiety, reduce costs and decrease the risk of cars catching fire
Speeding offence postcode lottery revealed by new data
Speeding offence postcode lottery revealed by new data
Number of drivers caught speeding is nearly 170 times higher in some parts of England and Wales than in others
UK’s busiest speed camera catches 50,000 drivers
UK’s busiest speed camera catches 50,000 drivers
Southampton camera brought in £5m from drivers breaking a 30mph speed limit in the space of three years
Pointless and confusing road signs to be removed
Pointless and confusing road signs to be removed
Councils told to remove unnecessary road signs following concerns they waste money, are unattractive to look at and confuse drivers
Number of abandoned cars doubles in five years
Number of abandoned cars doubles in five years
Councils in England and Wales removed an average of 34 abandoned cars per day in 2017/18, costing more than half a million pounds
military veterans automotive jobs
military veterans automotive jobs
Mission Automotive helps ex-forces personnel start new careers in the automotive industry
Dealers overcharge car buyers £300m a year
Dealers overcharge car buyers £300m a year
Some consumers are paying over £1,000 more than they should be when purchasing a car on finance, an FCA investigation has found
More than half of used cars have a hidden history
More than half of used cars have a hidden history
Over 50 per cent of 32,000 used cars given a vehicle history check were found to have something questionable in their pasts
10-year-old tyres set to be banned
10-year-old tyres set to be banned
Department for Transport plans to ban buses, minibuses, coaches and HGVs from using decade-old tyres
Elon Musk could face contempt of court charges
Elon Musk could face contempt of court charges
Tesla co-founder accused of contempt of court after US regulators ask judge to file charges following breach of rules
UK road tax dodging hotspots revealed
UK road tax dodging hotspots revealed
New DVLA data shows London is the top spot in the UK for dodging Vehicle Excise Duty