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Audi Urban Future Awards 2010 - Phase 2

Imagine a utopia where digital technology allows for an uninterrupted traffic flow of autonomously driven pay-as-you-go ‘taxis' that liberate the urban landscape from the unnecessary clutter of road signs, traffic lights, parked vehicles and the pollution caused by street lights. This was the winning proposal from Berlin architect J Mayer H who has won the Audi Urban Future Awards. In this visionary cityscape for 2030, the car will transform from being a machine for maneuvering in traffic to a sensorial experience machine – the opened up urban space allowing its inhabitants to appreciate buildings and other monuments overshadowed by sheer traffic and its support systems.

Shocking stats reveal mobile use while driving

AS MANY as 13% of drivers are still using hand-held mobile phones while at the wheel, according to a survey. And 4% have admitted to regularly sending or reading text messages while driving, the poll by road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line showed. The number of people owning up to using hand-held mobiles at the wheel has fallen from 36% in 2006 to the current figure of 13%.

Car hire costs branded ‘extortionate’

MORE THAN 45% of hire car users described hidden costs such as insurance and fuel as extortionate, according to a new survey. 200 UK consumers aged over 30 and earning more than £20,000 per annum were quizzed for the survey, conducted on behalf of Carhiremarket.com, with over 45% agreeing that hidden costs for insurance and fuel were extortionate. Users cited greater transparency or an all-inclusive upfront price as a more desirable option.