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

Old distractions as bad as new tech

DRIVERS are as much distracted by "old technology" as by new gadgets, according to a survey. Adult passengers, twiddling with the radio and children in the car were the main distractions causing either a near-miss or an accident, the poll of more than 18,000 motorists found. These three distractions came ahead of operating the sat-nav and talking on a mobile phone as the biggest reasons for lack of driver attention.

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.

Volvo S60 saloon (2010) unveiled

This is the new Volvo S60, and it’s the latest attempt by the Swedish safety-mongers to snatch a share of the small executive saloon market that’s dominated by the 3-series, A4 and C-class. Volvo has only released two exterior photos of the new S60 – we’ll see the interior closer to the car’s Geneva motor show unveil in March 2010 – as it wants to highlight the new car’s design. Under now-departed design chief Steve Mattin, the S60 has been created as the car that will start the differentiation of Volvo design and break the one-size-fits-all focus.