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Pan-European move

July 19, 2012

CECE covers all of the EC and is pushing hard for further investment in infrastructure construction as a means to revitalise the economy. “Our industry looks forward to the implementation of the right policies and incentives to nurture sustainable growth and jobs”, said Ralf Wezel, CECE secretary general. CECE and the European contractor’s association FIEC believe that investment in transport is essential for growth and jobs. To strengthen European competitiveness, delivery of this much needed investment mu

Crushing on the highway

July 19, 2012

Mexican construction giant Ingeniero Civiles Associados is using five Fintec track-mounted mobile crushers to aid in the construction of a key highway project to link Queretaro with Irapuato in the centre of the country. The project forms a key part of an infrastructure upgrading programme that will cost in the region of US$72 million and bring faster transport connections to the central part of Mexico. The road will help boost the economy in the State of Guanajuato by improving transport links to Mexico's

No men at work

July 19, 2012

A campaign by the editor of a women's magazine resulted in road signs being altered in the US city of Atlanta, Georgia. Following this move, over 50 'Men at Work' or 'Men Working' warnings will be repainted at a cost of US$22/sign. The city says that all future signs it buys will be gender neutral. Over half of the Atlanta Public Works department's employees are women, and some had complained about the signs in the past.

Name and shame

July 19, 2012

Police in the Chinese city of Shanghai are using naming and shaming tactics to try and prevent pedestrians, moped riders and cyclists from breaking traffic rules. The police are filming and photographing key intersections and will publish photos and videos of jaywalkers in newspapers and on a special TV channel set up for the purpose. However some human rights lawyers have criticised the scheme, saying that public humiliation is too great a punishment for the offence.

No superhero

July 19, 2012

In the Australian city of Melbourne, an 18- year-old man was critically injured when he was hit by a four wheel drive vehicle. The man had been dared by his friends to stand on a freeway, wearing only his underwear for protection. The vehicle was written off in the incident although its occupants were unhurt. Local police criticised the man for his "utter stupidity" and said it was lucky that no-one was killed.

The wrong stuff?

July 19, 2012

Holidaymakers to Spain are realising to their cost that driving a vehicle while not carrying their license risks a fine from the police if caught. Meanwhile in France, drivers can be fined by police for not carrying a reflective jacket or a hazard warning triangle in their vehicles. Exactly how these measures are expected to tackle factors that provide a major source of road accidents in both countries, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or overtaking dangerously, remains to be seen.

UK Roads Crash Demo Day is a Big Hit

July 19, 2012

Representatives from local authorities, the police, and the highway safety-related business world attended last month’s UK Roads Crash Demonstration Day at MIRA near Nuneaton, in central England. Guy Woodford reports It was never meant to be an occasion for crash test dummies. And each of the latest road safety solutions from leading highway technology companies tested at the UK Roads Crash Demonstration Day passed with top marks. A crowd of over 100 enjoyed the high impact, minimum damage action.

Fuel savings

July 19, 2012

Police in the US and the UK are being forced to tackle motoring expenses due to rising fuel costs. In various US states, police are being told to turn off engines and air-conditioning when vehicles are at rest and that patrols should open windows and park under trees to stay cool on warm days. In some states, drivers stopped for speeding will also have to pay a fuel surcharge on top of their fine, to cover the cost of the fuel used in their pursuit. Meanwhile in the UK, the Devon and Cornwall police force i

Speed record

July 19, 2012

In the UK, a new speed record has been achieved with a Honda Formula 1 car clocking an eye-watering speed of 1,600km/h (1,000mph). However, this was a scale speed and was achieved using the popular Scalextric slot car racing set. For the record attempt a 60m stretch of track was used and this beat the previous scale speed record of 1,115km/h (697mph). The Scalextric cars are 1:32 scale so in fact, the slot car was travelling at a real 50km/h, itself no mean achievement.

Video evidence

July 19, 2012

A man in Leeds has been described by the authorities as the UK city's most stupid criminal, after posting 80 videos on the Internet involving a range of vehicle-related offences. One of the video clips showed the man recording the speed of a vehicle in which he was a passenger. It hit speeds of over 224km/h (140mph), double the maximum allowable speed limit on the UK's fastest roads. The man also recorded clips of the car in which he was a passenger when racing other vehicles, driving away from a petrol fil