The family of a couple killed by an 80-year-old driver have called for compulsory retests for older motorists. At the moment, drivers and motorcyclists over 70 simply have to renew their licence every three years, declaring that they are fit to drive, including to an eyesight standard. Roger and Christine Barton were killed when 80-year-old Michael Hamburger pulled out in front of their VW Tiguan, which was pushed into the opposite lane of traffic and struck by another car. Winchester Court heard that Mr Hamburger had an “unobstructed” 500-metre view of traffic in clear and dry conditions. Georgina Abbot, daughter of the Bartons, said, “I think we should all be retested at a certain age. Relying on a driver to declare their

The RAC is calling on the Government to run an independent study into the issue of headlight glare, after a survey in November 2023 found that 85% of drivers affected said they thought the problem was getting worse. The survey of 2000 drivers, commissioned by the RAC, found that 89% stated that some car headlights are too bright, with three in four of those they were dazzled regularly. More than two-thirds said they had to slow down until they could see clearly again. About the same proportion (68%) said it took between one and five seconds before their sight recovered, while more one in ten said it took six or more, quite sobering when you think how far a 60mph car

It’s official, London’s streets are the slowest in the world. That’s according to a survey by sat nav maker Tom Tom, which analysed traffic speeds in 387 cities across 55 countries. That showed a typical three-mile journey through the capital taking 24 minutes at an “optimal traffic time,” (ie not rush hour) and 49 minutes for a six-mile trip. During rush hour, time spent on the six-mile commute stretched to 88 minutes – nearly an hour and a half – with average speeds in the city centre typically 15mph. The chronic traffic congestion also led to more pollution, with London, closely followed by Paris, coming out as the biggest emitter of CO2 emissions among the cities analysed. An average petrol car

The BMF has welcomed Honda’s New Rider Programme, which aims to simplify the process of getting on the road as well as spreading the cost. The new package seeks to tempt novice riders into motorcycling with an all-in-one finance package which includes a new bike, training, and riding kit. The company hopes that, as well as spreading the sometimes-daunting upfront costs over a longer period, this all-in-one package will simplify the whole process of getting on the road for the first time. The New Rider Programme is being offered by the Honda School of Motoring, which can provide tailored packages to suit complete beginners or those who already have their CBT or A2 licence and want to progress. Instruction takes place at

Eric de Seynes, Yamaha’s European President and Chairman of its supervisory board, has downplayed the potential role of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for bikes, highlighting the many practical difficulties. “Hydrogen is obviously a next-generation technology, but it requires a lot of energy (to produce),” he said when interviewed by Motorcycle News. “So until the world is producing more energy, cleaner energy, green energy, hydrogen is a dream. We know how to make a scooter run with hydrogen, how it works and how we can manage it. But to make it real for our customers is another story.” He added that hydrogen needs three times the space of petrol for storage and if kept in liquid form needs to be cryogenically

Bright, long-lasting LED lights may now be standard issue on modern motorcycles, but the next generation of illumination is already under development – lasers. Some cars have already have laser headlights, which offer a brighter light even than the latest LEDs, illuminating the road up to 600 metres ahead. So far they haven’t made it onto bikes, thanks to bulky packaging and a high price, though BMW showed a K1600GT with prototype laser headlight in 2016. However, we could see laser lights on motorcycles before too long, with two major manufacturers having submitted patent applications which look like serious production options. Both Honda and Yamaha are developing systems which place the bulky laser unit under the seat, rather than try and

Poor quality helmets and lack of infrastructure have been blamed for a sharp rise in motorcycle casualties in some African countries. Road deaths across Africa have risen by 17% in the past decade, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, compared to a 5% average drop across the whole world. The WHO puts this partly down to a general rise in motorised traffic in Africa, but particularly to the increase in small motorcycles used as taxis, the famous ‘boda boda,’ of East Africa. “About 10 years ago we saw a big increase in motorcycles in Kenya,” said Gladys Nyachieo of the Multimedia University of Kenya. “Very quickly we saw an increase in motorcycle-related accidents.” Helmets are compulsory in both Kenya and Rwanda,

What puts you off electric motorcycles? If it’s the lack of gearchanging and involvement with rising and falling engine revs, then Toyota may have something for you. The company has been working on a simulated manual transmission for electric cars since early 2022 and there’s no reason why e-motorcycles won’t be able to use the same kit. Drivers get a ‘manual’ gear-lever and clutch, but the actual changes are simulated by onboard electronics. In late 2022 the company installed the system in a Lexus UX300e, and Takashi Watanabe, Chief Engineer of Lexus’ electric vehicle department at the time, described how it felt. “From the outside, this vehicle is as quiet as any other BEV. But the driver is able to experience

Yamaha has unveiled the battery-powered Booster, which could be the basis of a new class of powered two-wheeler. It’s not an electric moped – it’s got pedals which you have to use to get power. Nor is it an electric bicycle – top speed is 30mph rather than the 15.5mph ‘pedelecs’ are restricted to. In fact, it’s not a fast e-bicycle (S-pedelec) either – these can reach nearly 30mph but are clearly developed from pedal bikes. Instead, Yamaha is hoping that the Booster will help pioneer a new class of PTW which blurs the lines between all of these camps, perhaps giving the best of all worlds. With the latticework alloy frame, pedals and saddle, it could not be mistaken for

Fancy riding a two-wheeled Bentley? Well now you can, except that it’s not really a Bentley at all but a Ducati Diavel. Based on the 168bhp Diavel V4, it’s been repainted in a Bentley-esque British Racing Green (though Ducati call it ‘Scarab Green’), tweaked bodywork to make it look slightly less aggressive and a revised silencer in two banks of two outlets. The idea is to suggest a resemblance between the V4 Duke and the £1.7 million Bentley Batur, the most powerful production car offered with the flying ‘B’ badge. Price? Well, at £58,000 the Bentleyised Diavel is quite a pricey accessory to sit next to the Batur in your garage. If that’s not exclusive or expensive enough Ducati is also offering

What’s in a name? Well if you’re Vespa, it’s worth over Euro 1 billion. And that’s not the value of factories, machinery and work in progress owned by the world’s best known scooter manufacturer, just the name. Piaggio commissioned branding experts Interbrand to take a long hard look at the Vespa name – one of the most recognisable in the world – and work out how much it was worth. “Interbrand employed proven, proprietary brand valuation techniques,” went a statement from Piaggio, “incorporating financial analysis with primary and quantitative data collected through a global market research, conducted across Vespa’s 10 key markets (Italy, France, Germany, Spain, USA, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, China and India)...The study confirms that Vespa is globally perceived (as)

2024’s Goodwood Revival is ditching fossil fuels in favour what it terms sustainable fuel. The move is in line with the FIA’s current stipulation for racing, which is that all racing vehicles (cars or bikes) must use a fuel containing a minimum of 70% “advanced sustainable components.” At Goodwood, which runs 6th-9th September 2024, the fuels will be used in the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy races, which see classic racers from Manx Nortons to MV triples competing, ridden by current and former world champions. The organisers say that no modifications are needed to use the fuels, and point out that a 1925 Bentley Speed Model used sustainable fuel to win the Rudge-Whitworth Cup in 2023. “Goodwood has an illustrious motorsport history and