News

Worldwide new vehicle sales in 2012 are expected to rise 6.7 per cent over 2011 volumes to 77.7 million vehicles, according to Polk, a leading global automotive market intelligence firm. The company’s analysts believe the global economy will weather the current European sovereign debt crisis and consumers will return to showrooms around the world in 2012.

Effective yestereday, a new US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule prohibits an estimated four million commercial truck and bus drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving.

In the US state of Texas, work is in hand to build new bridges carrying US-281 over the Colorado River at Marble Falls. The Texas Department of Transportation has set a budget of close to US$30 million to replace the existing Lake Marble Falls Bridge with two new bridges.

Plans are in hand in Russia to improve the main highway that connects the country with Finland and the Scandinavian nations of Sweden and Norway.

Official statistics from Taiwan's Ministry of Interior show that in the first 11 months of 2011, there was a 3.28% increase in the number of road accidents that resulted in injuries or deaths, compared with the same period in the previous year. The number of traffic accidents that resulted in deaths at the scene of the accident or within a 24 hour period climbed 3.47% to 1,847 compared with the previous year.

The latest official statistics from the Italian authorities show an improving road safety situation. Italy's statistics institute Istat has data showing that road accidents decreased by 1.9% to 211,404 in 2010. Meanwhile the number of people injured dropped by 1.5% to 302,735, and fatalities were down 3.5% to 4,090. Despite having failed to achieve the 50% fatalities reduction target set in 2001, the country saved €25 billion in social costs. Accidents decreased by 1% on highways, although fatalities rose b

The Colombian authorities have launched 17 road infrastructure tenders worth a total of US$1.89 billion. The tender process is remaining open until 30th January 2012.

Russia’s road building and upgrading programme is now gathering pace. Russia's Federal Highway Agency plans to bring over 85% of federal roads into conformity with road traffic regulations. The Federal Highway Agency has boosted construction of rural roads by establishing road funds and built over 500km in 2011. The Russian Government plans to allocate nearly US$198 million to build key roads in 2012. The Federal Highway Agency has set road upgrades as a top-priority. Under this plan road bearing capacity w