James Daley: The Cycling Column
Published: 01 May 2007
Vince Yearley: We don't need talking shops to save kids' lives
Published: 01 May 2007
LAST WEEK saw a United Nations initiative to reduce the road accidents that kill more than half a million children and young adults around the world each year. The initiative highlighted the alarming statistic that road deaths are now the leading cause of death of young people aged 10 to 25.
Alexei Sayle: Colonel Gaddafi, the Lexus and me
Published: 01 May 2007
I see there is a big new Lexus out, called the LS 460. The launch of this car has brought back a lot of complex memories for me, because for nine months I was custodian of an example of the previous model, the LS 430. I had this car on long-term test when I had a column in a monthly car magazine.
James Daley: The Cycling Column
Published: 24 April 2007
Edmund King: How to make road pricing popular
Published: 24 April 2007
It's not surprising that motorists are worried about road pricing. Some 1.8 million people signed the Downing Street petition opposing it. Our way of life depends on the car, but we don't know how road pricing will affect us.
James Daley: The Cycling Column
Published: 17 April 2007
Alexei Sayle: Here's why the Iranians hate us
Published: 17 April 2007
The average Iranian apparently sees the hand of the British empire behind even the most banal crisis such as their toaster getting glued up with cheese or their losing one glove
Sean O'Grady: Why no onw should believe a London cabbie
Published: 10 April 2007
LAST WEEK, I was telephoned by a London cabbie complaining about the latest manoeuvrings by Mayor Livingstone. (For readers outside the capital, I apologise for London-centricity, but visitors to the city will appreciate what I have to say. I also appreciate that my colleague James Daley's cycling column is a little biased toward the capital. Never mind. Read on.)
James Daley: The Cycling Column
Published: 10 April 2007
Sean O'Grady: Honda hybrid passes test with flying colours
Published: 03 April 2007
We've just had to say goodbye to The Independent's long-term Honda Civic Hybrid test car. It has been with us for a year, done 9,000 miles, and nothing has gone wrong with it. Which isn't that surprising - it's a Honda, after all. They always were reliable, and nowadays, I reckon that Hondas have caught up with the German brands on build quality, too. I would also guess that the likes of Honda and Toyota are ahead of BMW and Mercedes-Benz when it comes to integrating electronics in their cars, but I can't prove that.
Alexei Sayle: 'T' is for traffic, 'M' is for mess
Published: 03 April 2007
The other day, driving through London's seedy King's Cross district, I saw somebody on the street talking to himseIf. This is not an unusual sight in that area - indeed, there are often more individuals shouting about squirrels than not around there - except that this person was wearing a fluorescent jacket. I thought at first that they might be giving a high-visibility jacket away with every can of Tennants Special Brew, but on closer inspection I saw that the young person held a small recording device in their hand. Then I spotted another doing the same, and I knew they were counting traffic.
James Daley: The Cycling Column
Published: 27 March 2007
Jools Townsend: The quickest way to save the life of a child
Published: 27 March 2007
A Unicef report recently claimed that UK children have the poorest quality of life out of 21 industrialised countries, judged on issues such as health and social relationships. Our Government aims for every child to "be healthy" and "stay safe" through its Every Child Matters strategy. Yet we are failing to effectively protect our children's safety on roads.
Jonathan Nash: Budget short on green carrots
Published: 27 March 2007
The nation had high hopes that last week's Budget would be a Green one. Perhaps it was the Chancellor's comments to David Cameron after the Conservative leader suggested that penal tax measures should be introduced to curb air travel that caused this optimism. After all, as Gordon Brown pointed out, all the evidence is that consumers respond better to carrots than sticks, and Brown's preference in changing consumer behaviour was "information and incentives", rather than the Tories' punishing taxes.
Alexei Sayle: Brakes? What a lot of namby pamby nonsense
Published: 20 March 2007
Truly, as LP Hartley says in his novel The Go-Between: "the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there". He might have added that shoes were much cheaper, but apart from that I can't say I disagree. They also say that history is written by the winners (though that doesn't include race horses and greyhounds).
James Daley: The Cycling Column
Published: 20 March 2007
James Daley: The Cycling Column
Published: 13 March 2007
Sean O'Grady: It's all hands to the pumps, guys
Published: 13 March 2007
Even before the great contamination scandal, I always tried to avoid buying fuel at supermarkets, as I was never sure the stuff was as good as the "branded" petrols and diesels, which contain detergents to keep your engine clean and efficient.
Alexei Sayle: Only the mad go carless in LA
Published: 06 March 2007
Watching the Oscar awards ceremony last week and seeing Helen Mirren get her award for The Queen, I was reminded of the time I walked to her house in the Hollywood Hills. This happened on my very first visit to LA, when I was staying with my wife at the famous Chateau Marmont Hotel, on Sunset Boulevard, and I did not appreciate how mad it was to walk anywhere.
Steve Stradling: Cameras help spot risky drivers before they crash
Published: 06 March 2007
Higher speeds increase crash severity and frequency. Those who drive fast are likely to cause and suffer more injury. A 1 per cent increase in speed is associated with a 2 per cent increase in the injury crash rate, a 3 per cent increase in the severe crash rate and a 4 per cent increase in the fatal crash rate. From 30mph to 35mph is a 17 per cent increase.
Vince Yearley: Switch off before you drive off
Published: 27 February 2007
I blame multitasking. These days we are all meant to be able to do loads of things at the same time. The problem is, of course, we can't. Not effectively.
Paul Smith: Cameras trigger poor driving... but there is hope
Published: 20 February 2007
Speed cameras make drivers worse and that makes our roads more dangerous. Government statistics fully support the conclusions. Official research supports - but does not draw - the conclusion. All we need now is an official admission that speed cameras have been an epic failure and the consequent scrapping of the speed camera programme.
