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One of Google’s self-driving cars caused a costly crunch to its reputation when it cut up a city bus, causing a crash. However, a rather more ordinary car also was involved in a driverless vehicle incident in Manhattan Island in recent times. The automatic starting system for the Corvette sports car engaged for no apparent reason and turned over the powerful engine, with the vehicle racing away, out of control. It mounted a kerb and struck a pedestrian, leaving her injured.

A high-performance Lamborghini Huracan car appeared for sale in New Zealand recently at the decidedly attractive price of US$1.00. Normally costing $500,000, the car was knocked down in price to sell as it had suffered extensive damage in a single vehicle crash. Quite how the vehicle, which can accelerate from 0-100km/h in less than 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of over 320km/h (200mph), was damaged is unclear, although it is unlikely to have been due to overly careful driving. Replacement parts for a Lam

Four cyclists in Australia found out to their cost that colliding with a dead animal can prove calamitous. The riders were cycling in a group with their club near to Shepparton in Victoria State when they hit a dead kangaroo in the roadway. Some of the riders in the group were able to swerve around the unfortunate creature but others were unable to avoid it, with three suffering injuries that required them to be hospitalised. It is thought that the kangaroo had been struck by a vehicle shortly beforehand. T

An impatient motorist in the UK recently learned a valuable lesson about paying closer attention to road conditions. Following intense rainfall, traffic on a short section of a busy road in South London came to a halt. Beeping his horn furiously as he negotiated a BMW estate car (station wagon) and a bus that were attempting to deviate to another route, the driver of the Vauxhall ploughed straight ahead. However he soon discovered to his dismay that the stretch of water the other vehicles were trying to avo

A woman driver in Russia discovered to her cost just how bad-tempered camels can be. The woman was driving her Toyota from the Astrakhan region to Penza at night when a group of camels crossed the road in front of her, blocking the way. She beeped her horn at the animals in a bid to encourage them to move out of the way, succeeding instead in infuriating the notoriously grumpy camels. The animals then proceeded to wreck her car, although the attack was short-lived, luckily. Both she and her two child passen

One car owner in the UK received an unwelcome surprise when he returned to his car. He had left the vehicle, despite the presence of numerous signs, in a parking area that was closed for maintenance work. The repair crew were working to a tight timeframe and were understandably reluctant to stop operations for just one selfish motorist. Instead, they resurfaced the area around the car, leaving it marooned in a small patch and surrounded on all sides by slowly cooling asphalt. To make matters worse for the d

Researchers at the highly prestigious MIT University in the US are developing technology for advanced autonomous vehicles, with the help of toy taxis and plastic ducks. The research team have set up a large test area to simulate urban streets, fitting cameras to the toy taxis to allow the development of sophisticated algorithms that will help in controlling full-sized autonomous vehicles when the work is complete. The plastic ducks meanwhile have been brought along to enjoy the ride, simulating the presence

A woman driver in the UK recently decided to put her appearance ahead of her safety as well as the safety of those around her. A passenger in another car filmed the woman as she drove along the busy M62 motorway at 80km/h, while applying make-up to her face. The video clip showed her applying make-up while driving for five minutes, occasionally veering from side to side in the middle lane as her attention was distracted from steering. Other drivers opted to overtake on the inside, although this is not allow

Police in Vietnam have been trying to find a young motorcyclist, with a very dangerous riding style. The man was filmed by the passenger of another vehicle, with the clip clearly showing the youth riding his motorcycle and using his feet to steer, while holding a phone in his hand and carrying out a conversation. At one point in the clip a truck driver blasts his horn at the rider, who then nearly falls of his motorcycle. Vietnam has recently introduced a requirement for motorcyclists to wear helmets but it

When a patrolman from the AA motoring organisation in the UK turned up to assist the driver of a broken down vehicle, he had something of a surprise. Sitting in the passenger seat of the Renault Kangoo, was a baby kangaroo. The vehicle belonged to an official from a local zoo, who told the patrolman that the marsupial was tame and not likely to cause any trouble. When the vehicle broke down it was carrying several animals and the zoo official called colleagues to pick up some of the more nervous passengers

Phosphate extraction is carried out on a huge scale in Morocco in harsh, hot and often remote locations. Servicing this equipment is no easy task given the conditions, with special machines having to be used. Phosphate is in high demand. It is used in fertilizer, detergent and food additives. However its fastest growing market is in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, now being used widely for commercial goods as well as electric vehicles. As Morocco is the world's third-largest producer of phosphat