Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Hands-free car phones 'should be banned'

THE USE hands-free mobile phones while driving should be banned. This is the view of road safety charity Brake that says four in ten drivers (38%) admit to using hands-free phones in the car despite research that shows talking on a hands-free system is just as dangerous as using a hand-held mobile phone. Drivers who use a mobile phone while driving are four times more likely to be involved in a collision that causes serious or fatal injuries.

Queen’s hat causes car problem in France

Renault | AP The French president has a problem: it turns out none of the Citroen cars currently at his disposal are large enough to accommodate the Queen’s customary hats. So for Her Majesty’s state visit on 6 June, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day, president Francois Hollande has ordered an old Renault out of retirement to make sure the Queen has the necessary headroom. On Bing: see pictures of the Queen’s cars60 years of Royal cars President Hollande is generally seen in a Citroen DS5, as this is the most prestigious French-made car currently available; alternatively he also has routine access to the slightly more limo-like Citroen C6.

Drink-drive Idowu 'fled home row'

FORMER OLYMPIC triple jumper Phillips Idowu, from Essex, was caught drink driving after police were called to a domestic incident at his home. The 34-year-old, from Epping, pleaded guilty to driving his white Land Rover in the town's Bridge Hill after a night out while two and a half times the legal alcohol limit. Speaking after the case at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court, Essex Police confirmed that they had stopped Idowu as he fled a disturbance at his house.