First Dacia Duster SUVs leave India bound for the UK

The first Dacia Duster SUVs built in RHD for the UK market left India this morning to help satisfy Renault’s growing order book for the Duster. With the sort of response the Duster has received in the UK – with prices for the entry-level Duster starting at just £9k – Renault are no doubt wishing they’d brought the Duster to the UK sooner. But such was the demand for the Duster in mainland Europe and emerging markets that they just couldn’t get production of RHD Dusters organised for the UK until now, when Renault’s plant at Oragadam, near Chennai in India, finally managed to satisfy its home market demand sufficiently to leave enough capacity for RHD cars bound for the UK and Ireland to roll off the production line.

Increase in crashes linked to mobile phone use

As many of us admit to taking selfies at the wheel, researchers have noticed a rise in the number of rear-end shunts on UK roads – despite many manufacturers now offering cars with collision avoidance systems that can brake automatically. According to new research by Accident Exchange, crashes involving one car hitting the back of another have increased by 7% in the last three years. Rated: self-braking cars that avoid a crash Nearly 1 in 10 admit to taking selfies at the wheel With each rear-end smash costing insurers £2,000 on average, premiums could rocket until driverless cars hit our streets.

One Lap of the Web: Ugly cars, ugly accidents, and a Motocompo for sale

-- Do you like ugly cars? Of course you do, that's why you come here to read about Ladas and the Sir Vival. Mystery Blogspotter AutoFug tears down ugly cars from concepts to Ferraris to mostly Hondas, as of recent -- even Pininfarina and its supposed plagiarism doesn't go without notice.