Starter Toyota Celica Mr2 00-05 1.8l L4 1.4kw New on 2040-parts.com

Mobile phones set to be biggest roads killer

MOBILE PHONES are likely to be the number one cause of fatal collisions on the UK’s roads by 2015. The number of drivers making calls, texting and using social media while driving has risen dramatically, which has led Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin to propose doubling the number of penalty points added to a driver’s licence if caught using a mobile phone while at the wheel. Figures from the Department for Transport show there were 378 accidents in 2012 that were directly attributed to mobile phone use, with 17 deaths recorded as a result.

Finalists announced in Fiat UK's 'Smiles per Hour' design competition

Fiat UK has picked five finalists in the ‘Smiles per Hour Design Competition', a design contest we first told you about back in July. The aim of the competition was to find a budding designer in Britain who would develop a clever and amusing new way to travel. Following an initial judging process, the selection for best designs comprised of Simon Tarrant's 'Street Rower'; Nick Rawcliffe's 'Snowbone'; Natalie Daghestani's 'Hylo female commuter shoe'; Steven Spong's ‘Longbow'; and Harley Zblewski's 'Suitcase Car' -  a design we first saw at Coventry University's annual Degree Show in June.

One Lap of the Web: A Miata ninja, classic race cars and the world's most vintage-car-friendly city

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- If you (or your children) love the smartphone and tablet app Fruit Ninja, you will get a kick out of Motor Authority's photo gallery from the Donington Historic Festival.