Young drivers 'feel invulnerable'

MORE THAN seven in 10 young drivers think they are better than the average driver despite the age group being 2.5 times more likely to be involved in a serious crash, according to a survey by Vision Critical and road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) The IAM says that the average of 71% reveals a perceived 'invulnerability' in young people that is not reflected in the real world. Britain’s most confident young drivers are in Northern Ireland where an astonishing 87% think they are better than average. The facts tell a different story, with young drivers making up 26% of those involved in crashes.

Chrysler to close Pacifica Advanced Design Studios

The 20 designers at Chrysler's Pacifica Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad, California will soon be finding themselves out of a job. The struggling North American automaker announced the closure of the facility on Friday, stating that the company is ‘leveraging resources worldwide, forming new joint ventures and alliances and consolidating operations in order to better achieve global balance.' Responsible for many of the more successful designs hailing from Chrysler in recent times, including the Chrysler 300 sedan and the new Dodge Challenger musclecar, the Pacifica Advanced Product Design Center also yielded the Nassau concept car and the Pacifica crossover – bearing the same name as the west coast studios in which it was created. The work done at the Pacifica Advanced Design Center will be consolidated into the Advance Design function in Auburn Hills and continue to be led by Senior Vice President of Design, Trevor Creed.

Telematics box aids attempted murderer conviction

A ‘BLACK BOX’ telematics device fitted to a hire car has played a significant role in the conviction of an attempted murderer. The device had been previously installed into a car hired by Daniel Paita, 32; a car he was driving on the day he carried out an attack on a man in Glasgow. Paita had claimed he was nowhere near the area, but anti-motoring fraud experts at Asset Protection Unit Ltd (APU) were able to ascertain the car’s true whereabouts via a tracking device within the telematics unit.