A family of innovative...
A family of innovative new small Mazdas is on the way to replace the 2 supermini. Bosses have seen a secret preview of two concepts set to debut at September"s Frankfurt Motor Show. A source told us: "You need variety and volume in this class."
Safety experts are dismayed...
Safety experts are dismayed that last December"s law banning hand-helds hasn"t proved more effective. "The message has not got through that using them reduces safety," said a spokeswoman for the Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents. "People have to learn it"s unacceptable to risk lives just to make a call."
The Government plans to increase penalties from the current í‚á£30 fixed fine. "We intend to make the offence subject to a three-point endorsement and a í‚á£60 penalty," a Department for Transport (DfT) spokesman said. "You are four times more likely to crash when using a mobile and driving."
The case for stiffer penalties has been boosted by a DfT report written by scientists from the Transport Research Laboratory. They used microwave detectors and trained spotters to survey traffic, and found that the number of car drivers using hands-free kits has "crept up" since 2002.