Cars may know best

Volvo has asked the Swedish Government to waive the country's strict drink-drive laws to allow the testing of drivers who booze on the job. The carmaker wants to test new technology designed to make the car take control of steering when a driver's reaction time is slowed because of intoxication or fatigue. If the request were granted it would be the first exception to Sweden's drink-drive laws. The testing would be done on a special track. In Sweden, just one beer or glass of wine can land a driver in jail for as long as six months.

Pitt and Berry, Gallado and Chrysler

What do actors Brad Pitt and Halle Berry, and the Lamborgini Gallado and Chrysler 300C have in common? They all have great faces, according to a survey carried out by Chrysler in the United States. The face of a car matters just as much as the face of a person when it comes to characteristics that appeal to people, says the survey. Chrysler ran the study to help it find what buyers are looking for in a new vehicle. Balance and elegance were the two most appealing features among 74 per cent of respondents. The survey also asked respondents to name the people who had the most appealing faces. Brad Pitt was the top male face, followed by Robert Redford and Johnny Depp. Halle Berry was the top female face, followed by Audrey Hepburn and Julia Roberts.

British drivers slack

The use of seatbelts in Britain in the past 20 years has saved 50,000 lives, 509,000 serious casualties and 1.59 million minor casualties, says its Department of Transport. Yet 40 per cent of front-seat occupants and 10 per cent in the back seat still aren't wearing them. The statistics have been highlighted in a safety campaign called Think Before You Drive. The motoring watchdog tells Britons to belt up. "Nine people die on British roads every day - that's the equivalent of 17 passenger planes crashing with no survivors each year," it says. In New Zealand, an average of 1.2 people die on the roads every day, or more than a jumbo jet-load of people a year.

Vote for ugly cars

British website www.cardata.co.uk is running a contest to find the ugliest car. The "name and shame" shortlist already contains some controversial examples, including the boggle-eyed Fiat Multipla and the curious SsangYong Rodius. The site welcomes contributions from this part of the world.

We are the world

Police in Florida used a plane to track a motorcyclist who had twice taunted highway patrols by outrunning them at speeds that reached 220km/h. The driver was police cadet David Carpenter, 24. He was told to look for a new career.