News in Brief

04th February 2008

Switch on to TV traffic cameras
Now you can see traffic jams before even leaving home. The Highways Agency, Transport for London and ITV have teamed up to put more than 1,200 road traffic cameras online.

Images are updated every few minutes, and can be seen on the new www.itvlocal.com Traffic and Travel service. Other key features include an interactive map of England and Wales, with speed restriction and roadworks locations. There is also rail, air and sea news, access to local travel websites and tube service updates for Londoners.

ITV is the first broadcaster allowed to use the traffic camera feeds on this sort of scale. A spokesman said: “Our aim is a one-stop shop for travel, providing information that’s easy to access and simple to use.”

Clever cockpit thinks for itself
With all the hi-tech equipment crammed into cars, motorists face more distractions than ever. But a smart dash that senses stress levels and reduces the information displayed could change all that.

Scientists from the Technical University of Berlin have come up with the system, which uses technology similar to hospital EEG machines to measure brain activity while on the move.

If it detects the driver is getting overwhelmed, it turns off potentially distracting functions such as the sat-nav and radio. This allows them to concentrate better, improving reaction times by as much as
one second in the process.



Tough Jeeps top of damage table
The Jeep brand has a rough and ready image, but its cars suffer worst from suspension, axle and steering damage, according to Warranty Direct. In all, 47 per cent of the claims the cover provider received for Jeep models
related to these problems.

Bosses say the failures are often caused by potholes and the poor state of UK roads. Chevrolet came a close second, with 46 per cent of claims to do with such damage. Jaguar followed on 42 per cent, with Kia, Subaru and Volvo on 40 per cent.