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Worldwide new vehicle sales in 2012 are expected to rise 6.7 per cent over 2011 volumes to 77.7 million vehicles, according to Polk, a leading global automotive market intelligence firm. The company’s analysts believe the global economy will weather the current European sovereign debt crisis and consumers will return to showrooms around the world in 2012.

The Nepalese Government is pushing ahead with its road network improvement programme The government has managed to upgrade roads in 72 of the country’s 75 districts, despite the geographic challenges presented by its mountainous terrain and frequent steep slopes. One recent road revamp has been in Manang district where a new road has connected Chame with Besisahar and Lamjung. The link from Besisahar-Chame is 65km long, with plans in hand to surface a 35km stretch with asphalt over the next two years. Work

Effective yestereday, a new US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule prohibits an estimated four million commercial truck and bus drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving.

Funding worth some €177.5 million from the European Commission (EC) will pay for a highway construction project in Romania. This non-refundable financing will pay for the construction of a 27.4km stretch of the Lugoj-Dumbrava highway. This section forms part of Lugoj-Deva highway that is itself a part of the Pan-European Corridor IV. The highway section will be built by a consortium formed by the Italian companies Tirrena Scavi, Societa Italiana per Condotte d'Acqua and Cossi Construzioni. Meanwhile moderni

The UK Government is now working on a plan to address the road safety issues caused by driving under the influence of drugs. A panel of experts has been set up to evaluate the levels of various illegal drugs in the bloodstream that would affect driving ability.

Plans are in hand in Russia to improve the main highway that connects the country with Finland and the Scandinavian nations of Sweden and Norway.

Official statistics from Taiwan's Ministry of Interior show that in the first 11 months of 2011, there was a 3.28% increase in the number of road accidents that resulted in injuries or deaths, compared with the same period in the previous year. The number of traffic accidents that resulted in deaths at the scene of the accident or within a 24 hour period climbed 3.47% to 1,847 compared with the previous year.

The latest official statistics from the Italian authorities show an improving road safety situation. Italy's statistics institute Istat has data showing that road accidents decreased by 1.9% to 211,404 in 2010. Meanwhile the number of people injured dropped by 1.5% to 302,735, and fatalities were down 3.5% to 4,090. Despite having failed to achieve the 50% fatalities reduction target set in 2001, the country saved €25 billion in social costs. Accidents decreased by 1% on highways, although fatalities rose b

The Colombian authorities have launched 17 road infrastructure tenders worth a total of US$1.89 billion. The tender process is remaining open until 30th January 2012.