Brits Plan to Boost Speed Limit to 80 MPH

(NEWSER) - NPR reporter Jason Beaubien didn’t plan to drive across Cuba, but it did provide an apt look at the many problems the island faces. The “Spanish phrase ‘No hay,’ meaning ‘there's no fill-in-the-blank,’ was a constant refrain on this trip,” he reports. The country’s transportation crisis means that cars are rarely available, and the only rental car he could find was a $100-a-day Samsung heap. More»

Drivers left crossing their legs as states close pit stops to save cash

(NEWSER) - The pit stops along American highways are starting to go the way of the Pony Express as states slash their budgets, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some states argue that the mushrooming of gas stations and motels at interstate exits make the rest stops obsolete, but American Automobile Association officials warn the trend means drivers will need "a strong rear end and a strong bladder" to hit the highways. More»

(NEWSER) - What's Italian for "leadfoot"? A Milanese man going 168mph was busted on four separate highway cameras in less than hour, ANSA reports. He was driving for his employer, whose lawyers argue that he should be responsible for just one infraction. They said they also plan to cite a court ruling that says signs identifying cameras must be a certain distance from a speed trap, adding: “Naturally, we do not condone such driving at all.” More»

Woman who slammed into victim at 70 mph said phone wasn't involved

(NEWSER) - A UK woman who sent more than 20 text messages while driving before crashing into a stopped car and killing another motorist has been sentenced to 21 months in jail, the Times reports. Philippa Curtis, 21, said she was not using the phone when she plowed into Victoria McBryde at 70 mph in 2007 and was able to text while keeping her eyes on the road. More»

(NEWSER) - Is 16 too young to drive? A safety group today began a push to encourage states to follow the lead of Japan, China, Russia, and most of Europe by raising the legal age to 18, the Detroit Free Press reports. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for youths aged 15 to 20, and the numbers have been rising over the last decade. More»