The Toyota i-Road will be making its début at the Geneva motor show over the next few days and it looks set to tear up the personal mobility rulebook.

The compact, all-electric three-wheeler offers a supposedly comfortable enclosed cabin for two occupants and features ‘Active Lean’ technology that pitches the vehicle through corners like a scooter.
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The zero emissions, near silent powertrain gives a range of 30 miles, with recharging from a conventional power supply taking just three hours.

The i-Road Concept aims to offer future commuters all the benefits of a scooter or motorcycle but with added comfort and safety as standard.

Toyota says: “People using this kind of vehicle want something that is more comfortable, offers better weather protection and is safer than a two-wheeler such as a scooter or motorcycle, but has similar benefits of low running costs, easy parking and around-town manoeuvrability.”

The little i-Road measures 2,350mm long, 1,445mm high and just 850mm wide, making it no wider than a standard two-wheeler. That means the driver can benefit from the ability to ‘filter’ through traffic, something the current Renault Twizy can’t do.

Thanks to the “Active Lean” technology, the driver never has to put his or her feet on the ground, meaning Toyota could create a much safer and waterproof shell for added comfort. The system uses a lean actuator and gearing mounted above the front suspension member, linked via a yoke to the left and right front wheels. An ECU calculates the required degree of lean based on steering angle, gyro-sensor and vehicle speed information, with the system automatically moving the wheels up and down in opposite directions, applying lean angle to counteract the centrifugal force of cornering.

The concept is just that for the time being but Toyota hopes that creations like this will play a significant role in reducing urban traffic congestion and air pollution.

For images, see here:

http://cars.aol.co.uk/2013/03/04/meet-toyota-s-three-wheeled-answer-to-personal-mobility/#photo-1

What do you think? Would you drive this unusual yet ground-breaking vehicle? Sound off in the comments section below!

Snow banked up on either side of a fast, icy, Russian road. A high-powered Audi speeds along driving at speeds of over 60mph. The driver…an eight year old girl!

Parents of an eight year old girl, posted a video online of their daughter driving. With mum sitting in the back of the car and dad occasionally griping the wheel to steady the car, both parents appeared pleased with their daughter’s achievements and at one point, the dad was persuading her to pick up her speed.

After posting the video online, they have been bombarded with criticism and the police are also investigating.

At the end of the video, the girl is seen leaving the car and picking up a windscreen wash container, which she used to reach the pedals.

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New signs to make drivers more aware of their speed have been unveiled in Suffolk.

The 10 temporary Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) and mobile signs are a joint effort between Suffolk County Council and Suffolk police.

The signs, which show the speed you’re travelling at, will be moved to locations across the county identified by Suffolk police, county and parish councillors as having the biggest impact.

The mobile tripod-mounted signs will be used by the community speedwatch groups for up to four weeks at a time. Officers have met with volunteers from 39 groups across the county to explain how the signs can be used, and some have already started using the kit.

In Waveney, the signs are being deployed in 24 locations around villages north of Lowestoft in a continuing bid to get motorists to think about how fast they are going through residential areas.

Thanks to volunteers from the local Community Speed Watch (CSW) team, the sign, nicknamed Sid (speed indicator device) by the team, is being moved around north Lowestoft – taking in Flixton, Somerleyton, Sands Lane in Oulton, Church Lane in Lound, Corton Long Lane and Lowestoft Road in Blundeston in the past week.

It will continue to be used in these parishes as well as in Bentley Drive, Higher Drive and Gorleston Road in north Lowestoft. The device will also soon be shared with teams in Reydon and Yoxford.

Louis Smith, local CSW co-ordinator, said: “Community Speed Watch in villages north of Lowestoft has now been running for three years with eight or nine volunteers carrying out regular checks at locations in the six parishes and ‘Sid’ is now complementing this work.”

PCSO Sue Kershaw, of the Lowestoft North Safer Neighbourhood Team who patrols villages north of the town, said: “Speed is the thing I get most complaints about when I’m out talking to people.”

Guy McGregor, cabinet member for roads and transport at Suffolk County Council, said: “Many people, including pedestrians, cyclists and horseriders, are anxious about the speeds of vehicles on local roads. I am confident that the signs will help to encourage drivers to slow down and will also reassure vulnerable road users.”

He said there were already VAS signs across the county, but mainly fixed ones, adding the mobile signs were for more impact and also gave additional responsibility to the speedwatch groups.

Tim Passmore, Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Better road safety in Suffolk is a major priority of our new Police and Crime Plan.”

A finance company boss, who caused a crash back in May 2010 which left a passenger of another vehicle permanently disabled, has had his original sentence overturned.

Michael Berry avoided jail when it was claimed that due to his job, a jail sentence could mean the collapse of the company and potentially put 17 jobs at risk.

However, with the woman involved in the accident spending four months in hospital and needing to use crutches to walk, the Court of Appeal overturned the decision and ruled that Berry must serve 12 months in prison.

At the original trial he was given a fine of £50,000, a suspended 18 month jail term and a five year driving ban.

Sir Declan, sitting with Lord Justice Higgins and Mr Justice McCloskey in the Court Appeal said: “In our view there were no circumstances justifying the exceptional course of suspending the sentence of imprisonment in this case and accordingly we consider that the sentence was unduly lenient.”

The 12 month prison sentence will now take place of the suspended term and fine however, Mr Berry will still keep his five-year driving ban.

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Motorists in South Wales could be the first to lose their licences if they are found to have poor eyesight.

Police in the area will introduce random checks and ask motorists to read the number plate of a vehicle 20m away. Should they be unable to do this, their licence can be revoked within hours.

The DVLA and police work closely to enable licences to be revoked almost instantly. The changes come after a campaign to highlight the issue after a young girl was knocked down by a 87 year old driver who had refused to surrender his licence after he failed an on the spot eye tests days earlier.

Supt Steve Furnham, of South Wales Police said: Any vehicle in the hands of somebody who doesn’t have full control of it is a lethal weapon.

He hopes that the threat of losing your licence will prompt those with eyesight problems to address the issue.

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Feeling down about failing your driving test? Don’t worry, it could be much worse.

A hopeless learner driver took his test an astounding 38 times before finally passing- at a total cost of £2,356!

Yet this is not a fluke story- he is one of hundreds of learner drivers that have failed time and time again- yet refused to be beaten! Data obtained by Staffordshire newspaper ‘The Sentinel’ has revealed that over 100 people every year fail their test at least six times before finally getting lucky- at the cost of £62 each time.
The figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act from the DSA, reveal statistics from the previous 8 years such as:

– 5 women (all aged 26) took 18 attempts each to pass
– 4 men (aged 31) each took 17 attempts to pass

– 95 women (aged 18-46) failed 6 times.
– Only 59 men (aged 18-46) failed 6 times.

– 24 more men than women re-took their theory tests- two of these took the written exam a whopping 15 times before achieving any success!

– In 2005/6, it took a 67-year-old woman seven attempts to pass her driving test.

– In 2008/9, a 53-year-old man failed nine times before passing.

– In 2009/10, seven men re-sat their practical tests more than 15 times.

Driving instructors today said they were surprised but not shocked to hear the numbers.

Diane Hall has published “L of a way to pass,” which offers advice on how to pass a driving test at the first time of asking.

She said poor observation at junctions, use of mirrors and signals are among the most common reasons for failure.

The 48-year-old, of Swynnerton, said: “It is not about the person’s physical ability or their road awareness; it is more to do with their lack of planning ahead when they are driving.”

“A lot of people mess up on that, especially in busy places such as Hanford roundabout.”

“They misread or ignore the road signs and they have a lack of awareness.”

“People think if you are a young, white, English man, then you are a better driver, but that is not always the case. Some women are very good, natural drivers.”

Pat Bennett, who runs the Solitaire School of Motoring, in Uttoxeter, said: “There are a lot of reasons why people fail their tests, but the main one is that they just don’t check their mirrors enough.”

“I would say women drivers are a lot more aware of danger on the roads than men. Men take more chances.”

“The main piece of advice I would give to people is listen to what you’re are told.”

Barry Proctor, owner of Talke-based haulage firm Barry Proctor Services, believes driving standards have fallen. He said:

“Sometimes people fail their tests because of another driver’s actions. Maybe they don’t indicate where they are going on a roundabout or turn without signalling. But that comes down to the fact that most drivers don’t concentrate as much as they used to. A lot of people drive while they are on their phones or text, so they don’t pay as much attention as they should and it can be very dangerous.”

What do you think? Is there a point in which enough is enough? Should some people not be allowed to drive at all? Have driving standards fallen in recent years? Sound off in the comments section below!

A coach driver carrying 34 passengers has been jailed for nine months after passengers experienced a terrifying ordeal and it came to light he was over the drink drive limit.

Passengers described how the coach which was travelling on a return journey from Liverpool to Penley, near Wrexham was swaying on the M56 motorway, the driver was veering across carriageways and he even went the wrong way around a roundabout.

The coach who had been booked by a parent teacher group said they became increasingly worried throughout the journey and other cars have to take evasive action to avoid the coach hitting them and kept beeping their horns.

Eventually one motorist who had followed the coach for a period and who had contacted the police, jumped out of their vehicle, boarded the coach and seized the ignition keys from the driver.

When police arrested Mr McDonald, the coach driver, he said: “That’s me finished”. He told police he hadn’t drunk for weeks but had succumbed to alcohol and had a few whisky and cokes before picking up the passengers.

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The falling pound and stock market speculators are driving up the cost of petrol, according to the AA. The price of petrol at the pumps has gone up a further 1p in the last five days. The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has said that he has “taken action.” There are a variety of factors resulting in the surging cost of fuel. Paradoxically it might be one of the things the Bank of England is doing to try and stimulate the economy, which is partly to blame.

The pound has lost about a tenth of its value against the US dollar since last spring. Oil is priced in US dollars, so that means it is more expensive for us Brits to buy it. At the same time the actual price of oil has risen sharply in the first six weeks of this year, which is partly to do with Middle East unrest and problems in Iran.

That has been building up into wholesale prices which are yet to feed through to the forecourts, which means more pressure yet to come for the companies that rely upon the usage of fuel, like haulage companies and also hard-pressed motorists.

The AA says the average cost of petrol is now 138.32p a litre. Diesel has risen 4.78p from its mid-January price to stand at an average of 145.10p. The latest figures show that petrol has risen 6.24p a litre since early January, adding £3.12 to the cost of refilling a typical 50-litre tank.

What do you think? Is the price of fuel getting out-of-hand? Sound off in the comments section below!

A Driving Standards Agency (DSA) examiner was arrested due to conspiracy to commit fraud. Evidence found that he had accepted £3000 from driving test candidates in return for a guaranteed pass.

At the same time as his arrest, officers were arresting 4 candidates and 2 driving instructors. It is thought that the candidates approach their instructor, who then has a quiet word with particular examiners.

Over 100 people are thought to have bribed this particular examiner and the police are in the process of revoking the licences of those that have gained a full driving licence unlawfully.

The police are also cracking down on identity fraud, with more than 900 cases across the country. People go on test impersonating the learner due to sit their test.

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Patricia Machin lost her husband last year after his was knocked down and killed near their home in Bournemouth.

Mr Williamson, 30, the driver was convicted of causing death by careless driving and given a suspended prison sentence, ordered to pay £1000 in costs and banned from driving for two years.

However, Mrs Machin has no ill feeling towards him and wrote him a letter of support and hugged him outside court.

She said that she hopes her actions will encourage others to show forgiveness. She said: “On the day the accident happened, Brian Williamson and I just were two strangers but joined together in a nightmare.”

She felt that he showed remorse and urged him to “get on with his young life.”

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