'Ambulance chasers' face new controls

THE CULTURE of "ambulance-chasing" lawyers and bogus whiplash claims could come to an end following new measures set out by the Government to crack down on insurance fraud. Lawyers will be banned from offering accident victims incentives such as money or free iPad computers to encourage them to make a claim and courts will be given powers to throw out compensation actions where claimants have been dishonest. The reforms by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) aim to tackle the rise of the compensation culture and reduce the amount being paid out unnecessarily by insurance companies - which can lead to higher premiums for honest customers.

GM China opens Advanced Design Center in Shanghai

General Motors China has opened a new advanced design studio as part of the establishment of its Advanced Technical Center in Shanghai. The Advanced Design Center will provide GM China's designers the tools to explore future mobility solutions and technology integration on a local and global scale. "Our new Advanced Design Center in Shanghai is part of the GM Global Design Center network, which webs from California to Germany to India and Korea and points beyond," said Wulin Gaowa, design director of the GM China Advanced Design Center.

Poor quality diesel blamed for winter breakdowns

Thousands of drivers are risking a winter breakdown through being sold poor quality diesel fuel, the RAC has warned. All makes and models of car are at risk, says the breakdown recovery provider, with breakdowns proving more prevalent in eastern England and Scotland, and the greatest concentration of breakdowns occurring in the North East. Winter motoring guide Winter driving tips The organisation hasn’t yet found the root cause of the problem – so it is working with fuel retailers to work out what’s causing it.