More than half of drivers are leaving their cars at home because of the rising cost of fuel, according to an AA poll carried out in the UK. Of the 15,300 drivers questioned during July, 55 per cent said they had made a conscious decision to cut back on car journeys because of the cost of fuel, up from 37 per cent in April.

Two-thirds of drivers (65%) have admitted to potentially dangerous behaviour when driving – three per cent more than last year, according to a recent.

A self-employed painter and decorator has been given an on-the-spot fine for smoking in his own van because it is classified as a workplace.

Bio-ethanol is a new fuel option for petrol engine type cars but it does require some special features to ensure effective use. The fuel is cheaper than petrol or diesel but a shade less efficient. Michael Moroney drove the latest Ford Mondeo with the flexi-fuel engine option and gives his verdict on fuel choices.

As a part of the transport arrangements for the Beijing Olympics, a 50-unit fleet of hybrid vehicles co-developed with Ricardo is being provided by Chinese car manufacturer, the Chery Automobile Company Ltd. Known as the Olympics Green Messengers, these vehicles are some of China's first hybrid vehicles and will go into full production in the months following the games.

Suzuki claims that its new Alto model due for launch at the Paris International Motor Show in October, builds on the strengths of Suzuki's knowledge of small-car development. The new car combines eye-catching style and easy urban mobility with great performance in terms of high fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions.

The VRT registration changes have been welcome news for Honda in the Irish market. Civic IMA Hybrid, Accord and CR-V diesel options, Jazz and the fuel-efficient Civic petrol options all deliver significant customer benefits both in terms of reduced vehicle registration and road tax costs.

This year, Ford is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the car credited with 'putting the world on wheels'. Henry Ford's iconic Model T, which brought the world into the age of the 'horseless carriage', is also responsible for hundreds of innovations that jumpstarted the automotive industry as we know it.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) calls driver fatigue a silent killer and in a sense, that is just what it is. Fatigue operates in much the same way as alcohol.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has reported that its brand new factory is scheduled to be ready for next April's start of production of the new i-MiEV all-electric 5-door city car. The factory will initially produce 1 million palm-size lithium-ion cells a year, which is enough to power 10,000 vehicles.