Articles by Karla Pincott

What do people do in their cars, and what would they do if they couldn't be seen? Those were the questions posed in a survey of 2000 drivers in the US. And some of the results are surprising. The study revealed 11 per cent of people participated in a sexual activity while driving, 13 per cent at something using cutlery -- we're not talking about a quick handful of chips here -- 19 per cent checked social media, emails and played mobile phone games, and a whopping 58 per cent talked or texted on their phones. What did they want to do if nobody was watching? Nine per cent said they'd drive naked, 15 per cent would have sex, 30 per cent admitted they'd pick their noses, and 54 per cent would sing out loud -- although why it matters if anybody is watching you sing is a mystery. Disturbingly, nine per cent of those surveyed said they'd had an accident while reading a book or newspaper behind the wheel, six per cent while applying makeup, five per cent while engaging in a sexual activity, and two per cent while flirting with another driver. The survey was conducted only on US drivers, but left us wondering if the results would be different in Australia. We've already reported in the war on texting that nearly half of Australians have texted while driving, and 30 per cent of the texters believe it is safe to text and drive. News Corp and Carsguide have campaigned against the habit, and have even published the fatal messages some people texted as they crashed. But do we have the similar figures to the US for engaging in sexual activity behind the wheel? And how many of us want to drive naked if nobody is watching? Would you... or do you already? Let us know in the comments below our full infographic. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Gently, gently, turn it over and … no, you’re doing it wrong. This tow truck driver tries to right an overturned Mazda 3 and fails spectacularly. Watch the tow truck fail video on desktop version here. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

New safety regulations brought into force from today herald the end of the Chinese-built Chery J1 city car and the Great Wall X240 SUV. The new laws require all new vehicles sold to have stability control -- a feature neither of those two offers. The Chery J1 has been a slow seller this year, beset by stiff competition from mainstream brands that saw it slice its price from $11,000 to $9,990 driveway. However even with the price drop, it has sold only 744 this year to the end of September -- down from 969 at the same time last year. The $23,990 Great Wall X240 SUV has fared even worse in sales, moving 340 year to date compared to 849 this time last year. Other vehicles affected by the new laws include the Suzuki Jimny Sierra, however some vehicles that miss out on stability control -- including the Toyota 70 Series LandCruiser and Foton Tunland -- are classified as commercial vehicles and therefore exempt from the ruling. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Diesel SUV sales are on the rise, selling more than 16 per cent than 2012, with nearly 100,000 having already rolled out the showroom doors. And Honda is keen to get a slice of that growing pie next year with the addition of a new diesel engine to its medium CR-V line-up.Hitting Australian in January -- although it's been available in overseas markets for a while -- the turbodiesel CR-V promises fuel economy of 5.8L/100km its 2.2-litre four-cylinder mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. The fuel figures for the five-speed auto will be confirmed closer to launch.The engine develops 110kW of power and a useful 350Nm of torque, sending that to all four wheels as needed with Honda's 'Real Time' system, working in concert with the vehicle's stability and hill descent control systems to better cope with slippery and steep surfaces.It will also feature the CR-V's trailer stability system that detects and helps correct any dangerous trailer swing while towing, and the high-beam support system that uses cameras to monitor and adjust the headlights.Honda says they expect a sales boost from the diesel, adding to the near-10,000 CR-Vs they've sold so far this year. Prices will be confirmed closer to launch, and we should also get an indication of whether the new diesel version improves on the petrol CR-V's tow rating of 1500kg braked and 600kg unbraked.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

We've seen some over-the-top modifications before -- the extreme slants of 'stance' wheels, bitumen-scraping skirts and spoilers set high enough to require an aircraft warning light. But this gold BMW Z4 takes personalisation to a stratospheric level.The sports car has been turned into a Chinese dragon -- either that, or one of the mythical creatures has developed a taste for German metal and started chowing down on the Beemer. And the mod has obviously taken considerable effort, with dragon wings mounted on scissor doors, a tail, claws and other parts meticulously carved out of yak bones. The dragon has been fitted over a gold metallic wrap, with wheels treated to match.The dragon car was created as an exhibit for the recent China Import and Export convention in the country's Guangdong province, which suggests it's unlikely to ever hit the road. However, even with the additions it could still easily be street legal. You might have to convince the police it would keep any fire-breathing urges in check.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Try identifying all 77 of these cars from popular television shows and movies, pictured in cartoon style by the BBC's Autos website. Some of them will be easy to guess: The Dukes of Hazzard's General Lee, Ghostbuster's ECTO-1, and the DeLorean from Back to the Future are all in our image above. But see how you go with the other 74. Head over to the BBC Autos page and try to guess the cars BEFORE you hover over the image to reveal their identity. And when you've got a score, hand the game over to any children in your vicinity, to see how they fare with automotive popular culture. Given that some of the cars go back a few decades, this might be the only computer game you're ever going to beat the kids at. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott    

We’re not sure what caused this, but the driver was lucky to escape without serious injury after his truck flipped onto its side and continued to slide down the road. Watch the truck flip and slide video in desktop version here. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

Need a new vehicle for the coming days of the walking dead? Donal O'Keeffe has it covered. The Irish-born graphic designer -- now living in London -- has penned a fleet of vehicles that will help you survive the brain-eating apocalypse. The horror genre-loving O'Keeffe has based his creations on what might at first seem an unlikely line-up of vehicles: a London bus, London cab, mail delivery van, tuk-tuk and New York taxi. But when you think about it, all of them have already survived a fairly hard life, so shouldn't baulk at helping to ward off hordes of flesh-munching zombies. O'Keeffe's designs fit each vehicle out with all the kit you should need to survive, including stores and weapons -- and even rosary beads. And with the vehicles' surfaces scarred by scratches, dents and the occasional bloodstain, they look like they've already triumphed in a few encounters. Prints of the images are available online, and O'Keeffe told the core77.com website each was created for large format printing. He said he'd also had inquiries from people interested in having him turn their own vehicles into zombie survival designs. If you need a blueprint for protection, contact him via his website.  This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

The Rolls-Royce brand manager in Dubai, Mohammed El-Arishy, has ordered a very special edition from his company's customisation arm, Rolls-Royce Bespoke. Called the Chicane Phantom Coupe, the one-off is a tribute to the Goodwood Circuit near the storied brand's British HQ.To salute the race venue, the Phantom's wood-trimmed interior has been ditched in favour of ultra-modern carbon-fibre, a chequered flag has been embroidered into the seating, and a metal plaque featuring the Goodwood track map installed.Exterior accents have been finished in matte black, and the bodywork painted a gunmetal grey with matching wheels -- the first time they've been painted on a modern Roller.“I wanted to create a motor car that captures the unique atmosphere and history of the Goodwood Motor Circuit,” El-Arishy said. And we have to admit that while we've seen a lot of garish bespoke work on Rolls-Royces -- some of it from El-Arishy's home in the United Arab Emirates capital -- his creation is restrained and tasteful, if a departure from normal fit-out.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Subaru has revealed teaser images of the Levorg concept it will unveil at Tokyo motor show in November -- and likely go on to build as the wagon version of the new Subaru Liberty.