Women take more driving lessons than men and spend a lot more in their attempts to throw away their L-plates.
But men are only two months “ahead” of women in passing their test, being 19 years and five months old on average compared with 19 years and seven months for women, a survey from British Co-operative Insurance found.
The poll showed women take an average of 22 driving lessons compared with a figure of 16 for men and they spend almost 40 per cent more than men on learning to drive.
Co-operative Insurance motor insurance head Grant Mitchell said: “Our findings show that men tend to need less practice before passing their test.” (PA)
Prison loses keys
Inmates at the first UK prison to be transferred from the public to private sector were locked in their cells for almost a full day after a set of keys fitting every cell door went missing.
Staff at Birmingham Prison, which houses 1,450 prisoners and was taken over by private security firm G4S earlier this month, noticed the keys were missing.
It is not known if the keys have been found, or what action has been taken by the prison, but the firm insisted there was no risk to public safety. (PA)
Driver kills runners
South Africa’s Transport Minister is calling for murder charges against an allegedly drunk driver accused of killing five runners who were training for a marathon.
A sixth runner preparing for next month’s Soweto Marathon was badly injured in Saturday’s accident in Johannesburg.
In a statement yesterday, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said: “Following allegations that the driver of the vehicle was drunk, the driver should be charged with murder.” (PA)
Defunct satellite
A defunct satellite has entered the atmosphere but there is no information yet on whether any of its pieces have crashed into Earth, Germany’s Aerospace Centre said.
Agency spokesman Andreas Schuetz said there was no indication yet above which continent or country the Rosat scientific research satellite entered the atmosphere. He said scientists are no longer able to communicate with the dead satellite and it must have travelled about 12,500 miles in 30 minutes before entering the atmosphere.
Most parts of the minivan-sized satellite have been expected to burn up during re-entry, but up to 30 fragments weighing 1.87 tons could crash into Earth at speeds up to 280 mph. (AP)
Pierpoint dies
Long-time CBS News correspondent Robert Pierpoint – who covered the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination and several presidential administrations – has died in California, family members said.
Daughter Marta Pierpoint said her father died at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital of complications from surgery after falling and breaking his hip on October 12. He was 86. Mr Pierpoint retired in 1990 after a 40-year career. (AP)
Mistaken for a bear
A member of the US Marine Corps Reserves has been shot and killed in Oregon after authorities say a hunter mistook him for a bear.
Christopher Ochoa, 20, and a friend were hiking through a field in Western Oregon on the way to Silver Creek Falls Park on Friday evening. Mr Ochoa was wearing dark-coloured clothing.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says a 67-year-old Oregon man hunting for bear with his 12-year-old grandson saw something moving in the brush and fired one shot from a .270-calibre rifle, striking Mr Ochoa. He was alive when deputies arrived, but died at the scene. (AP)
Tram ride
A 15-year-old boy stole a tram in the Russian Urals town of Zlatoust and picked up and dropped off passengers for around 40 minutes before being caught.
The teen took the tram for a ride after spotting the empty vehicle parked on a side track. He then travelled along the tram’s route, picking up and dropping off passengers, said Pavel Pavlov, a senior police official who added the youth is believed to have a keen interest in trams and must have learnt to operate them.
The offence of taking a vehicle could be punished by up to five years in prison but the teen is unlikely to face any jail time because of his young age and lack of previous convictions or malicious intent. (AFP)