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A driver in the UK recently escaped serious charges for affray. The man had been driving along the road when he threw two empty coffee cups from his vehicle as it was stalled in traffic. On seeing this, a pedestrian picked up the cups and placed them on the front of the car, while telling the driver in no uncertain terms that littering is an offence. The driver responded by jumping out of his seat and grabbing a baseball bat from the rear of his car, threatening the pedestrian while using similar language.

Drivers in Denmark recently faced delays due to an unforeseen traffic hazard. A truck carrying a load of fish crashed, spilling its contents onto the roadway and causing a blockage. Police had to stop traffic from using the stretch of road until the mess had been cleared away. As fish guts are very slippery, the debris site posed a serious hazard to road safety. Cats in the area seem to have been appreciative of the fracas however.

A couple in the UK are now paying a rather costly price for their willingness to drive too fast for the conditions. The couple were out for a spin in their showroom-new Lamborghini Huracan at the end of 2015 when the driver lost control, sending the car off the road, down a bank and plunging into a fishing lake. Luckily the couple managed to escape and swim to safety, and others in the vicinity at the time were able to give them blankets to keep warm until the emergency services arrived. But despite costing

A British man was recently pursued by police when he was spotted riding his motorcycle at speeds of up to 160km/h close to the city of Brighton. A police helicopter was sent to track him as he dodged police cars at speed and during the pursuit, he managed to crash the bike and lose his helmet in the process. Undeterred however he continued at speed, still followed by various police cars. After entering the city itself, he managed to elude the police car but then crashed his bike again, escaping on foot and

Institute of Quarrying (IQ) CEO Phil James is leaving for a new role after four years in charge of the UK-based organisation. He had joined the IQ in late 2012 as joint CEO with MPQC and drew on his rare combination of quarry management experience and professional body expertise in executing his senior role. James will become the new CEO of the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) in September 2016. In his new post he plans to continue his link with the minerals industry and to combine the challenge

Contractor Balfour Beatty is to construct new truck parking facilities alongside the M20 motorway in Kent in the UK. The package of works was awarded by Highways England and the £130 million deal covers the development of the proposals during the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) phase of the project. This deal also includes the construction of the lorry area subject to a decision to proceed from the UK Government. The £250 million truck parking area was initially announced by the UK’s Chancellor of the Ex

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada believe they may have discovered a cure for ‘concrete cancer’, which afflicts many concrete structures. The Canadian claims for a concrete cancer cure revolve around a novel method for producing concrete using discarded glass. Researchers at UBC’s Okanagan campus were able to reduce the chemical reaction that previously caused glass-fed concrete to weaken, expand and crack. This reaction is widely referred to as concrete cancer. “Every

Paraguay is setting out plans for a series of major road development works, with this programme being planned by the country’s Ministry of Works. The Paraguayan Government says it will spend some US$1 billion on road projects in the area around Chaco, with those of highest priority being built within the next two years. The most important of the projects is the bi-oceanic corridor, which is expected to cost some $700 million to construct. The work on the bi-oceanic corridor is receiving financial support fr

JCB is updating four of its wheeled loaders, introducing DNA from the range-topping 457 that was launched last year. The 427 and 437, along with the smaller 411 and 417, will all use a version of JCB’s CommandPlus cab, with improved field of view. JCB’s Command Driving Position, with revised pedals, an adjustable steering column and seat-mounted hydraulic controls, further improves the driving environment. The smaller 411 and 417 loaders are powered by JCB’s EcoMax Tier 4 Final/Stage IV diesel engines,