Yahoo news - 30th April 2010

It's a parking manoeuvre 67-year old Ralph Hudson will never forget, when he mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake pedal and nearly plunged seven stories to the ground through a car park's brick wall.

Luckily for Mr Hudson his Mercedes C-Class was left dangling half out of the wall and he was able to get out of the car. The cars below were not so fortunate and seven were badly damaged by the falling bricks.

Mr Hudson was parking in the Bank of America car park in Tulsa, Oklahoma when his foot slipped and caused the car to reverse out of control.

Corporal David Crow, of the Tulsa Police Department, said: "We received a report about a car that had hit the side of a building, but didn't realise we'd be dealing with a Mercedes hanging halfway out of the seventh floor."

No one was hurt in the accident and Corporal Crow commented: "I was amazed when we were able to drive the car back into the car park as the rear wheels still had enough grip."

Fire rescue crews arrived to clear up the fallen bricks and to make the wall safe again.

The police added that they would not be issuing a ticket to a shaken Mr Hudson.

Alisdair Suttie

BBC News - 22nd April 2010

Wigan Athletic footballer Charles N'Zogbia has been arrested over allegations that someone else completed the written part of his driving test.

He was held on suspicion of causing fraud by false representation as he turned up at Sale Driving Test Centre in Greater Manchester on Wednesday.

The French winger, 23, was at the centre to sit the practical part of his test when he was arrested, police said.

He has been released on police bail until 3 June.

Mr N'Zogbia, who joined Wigan last year from Newcastle United, scored the winning goal when his team beat Arsenal 3-2 on Sunday.

'Naive mistake'

Wigan's manager Roberto Martinez said: "The way I see the whole situation is that Charles has made a naive mistake.

"We're going to look into every single detail before I give my full side of the story, but what is important is Charles has reacted in a very mature way.

"We need to remember he is a very young man, but he knows he is also a public figure, and he needs to make sure he becomes a stronger and more experienced human being.

"We'll collaborate with the police and with Charles to make sure we get out of this situation in a positive way."

Although he is French, Mr N'Zogbia is eligible to represent England on the basis of residency and there have been calls for him to be selected by manager Fabio Cape

Yahoo News - 21 April 2010

A new speed recognition system is being trialled in the UK. Called 'SpeedSpike', the latest type of camera uses number plate recognition to 'track' cars on busy roads.

The trial, conducted by the Home Office and the Police, was secretive until a House of Commons report unveiled it.

The cameras use similar technology to the average speed check units currently in use on motorways. The difference is that they can track cars in built up urban areas. If they find that a car has covered a distance at an average speed higher than the limit, fines can be automatically generated.

Two places currently have cameras on site - one in Southwark, London, and another on the A374 in Cornwall.

The US company that makes the cameras, PIPS Technology, is hoping to secure a contract to install them nationwide. It claims SpeedStrike is cost-effective, and is proven to reduce speeding in busy areas, including outside schools.

However, the cameras have attracted criticism, notably from Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox, who said "you always have to ask if it is really necessary to watch over people, to spy on them and film them. We will get to a point where it becomes routine  and it should never be a matter of routine that the state spies on its citizens."

Superintendant Tim Swarbrick, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Partnership, defended the cameras, saying "average speed recorders have proved to be very successful in roadworks on the major trunk roads. The have reduced injury and deaths and we would like to replicate this positive effect."

BT Yahoo News - 16th April 2010

Learners based in London and South-east England need more attempts at the driving test to pass than in any other part of Britain, according to a new survey by the AA.

A total of 20,109 people responded to the survey, which revealed that Londoners sat the test on average 2.09 times, while those in the south east needed 2.11 tests, which is 5% worse than the UK average.

Simon Douglas, the AA Driving School Director, said: "Busy, complex roads in London and the south east appear to contribute to learners there finding it slightly more difficult."

Drivers in the east of England returned the best result, taking just 1.9 attempts to pass. They were closely followed by the North-East, Yorkshire and Humberside and the East Midlands.

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is quoted as saying that those who have passed their test have had 45 hours of professional training and 22 hours of private practice - on average.

Douglas sums up the findings: "Many factors shape local pass rates. But wherever you live, professional tuition with a fully qualified Driving Instructor will give you the best possible head start towards passing your L-test and beyond."

The full league table is below:

East of England   1.87

Yorkshire and Humberside   1.91

North -east of Eng;land   1.91

East Midlands   1.92

Scotland   1.97

South-west of England   1.97

West Midlands   1.98

Wales    2.02

North-west of England   2.03

Northern Ireland   2.03

London   2.09

South-east of England   2.11

Yahoo News - 14th April 2010

Learner driver Krisztina Jaksa ended her second driving lesson by crawling out of an upside down car.

The bizarre accident happened in Headington, near Oxford, when the 24-year-old was crossing a junction.

The BSM Fiat 500 she was driving hit a gatepost then flipped onto its roof, smashing the side windows and windscreen. When local resident Ross Dunne heard a crash, he rushed to the scene and helped Ms Jaksa out of the car; the instructor was already getting himself out.

Both Ms Jaksa and her instructor emerged relatively unscathed. According to witnesses, Ms Jaksa said that the steering locked, and panicking, she hit the accelerator hard.

There is no indication that a mechanical fault contributed to the accident in any way.

An ambulance arrived shortly afterwards and police closed the road briefly, but both the driver and instructor were treated only for minor cuts.

BSM Communications Manager Paul Shepherd said that "the company had spoken to the learner driver who is fine and is already hoping to book her next lesson with us soon."