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A Fine Day For Birmingham Police

POLICE in Birmingham have discovered they are not immune from traffic fines, after figures released by West Midlands Police show that local law enforcement have fallen foul of the city’s tough stance on bus lane offenders. In a hard-line approach, which had drawn criticism from some drivers, Birmingham City Council put up new signs on existing bus lanes in the heart of the city barring all other vehicles from using them and enforcing the rule with traffic cameras to catch the culprits who flout the ban. As a result, a reported 60,000 fines were issued by the end of last year following the scheme's launch in September, with police drivers accounting for 408 of those transgressions and individual drivers responsible for payment of the fine.

Autoweek in review: What you may have missed

On Monday we woke to a recall involving the Ford Fusion and the Escape SUV for a problem with its 1.6-liter engine that could cause a fire. More than 80,000 vehicles were affected, and more bad news was to come. Auction house RM touted its car list for its January Arizona event, including some Italian and American racing history.

2012 Suzuki Splash launches

The Suzuki Splash gets a bit of a facelift for 2012 with tweaks to the bumpers, grill and interior trim. If you’re looking for something to potter around the urban landscape – and need a bit more room than the normal city car – the new Suzuki Splash may be right up your street. With its upright driving position and extra room compared to the usual city box, the Swift does a decent job of ferrying families round cities.