Old road

The first road atlas of its kind in western Europe, a 17th century book showing a highway network in England and Wales of just 73 roads, is to be sold at auction for up to £9,000. The route atlas, published in 1675, includes 100 double pages of black and white maps laid out in continuous strips depicting the major roads and crossroads across England and Wales. The work from the Britannica first volume ­ also marks the first time in England that an atlas was prepared on a uniform scale, at one inch to a mile. The 17th century map-maker claimed 26,600 miles of road was surveyed for preparing the atlas.

Nearly half-a-million road accidents a year are caused by women drivers applying make-up behind the wheel, a new survey discloses.
Around one fifth of the female motorists confess they have touched up their mascara on the move ­ equivalent to 3.2 million of Britain's 15 million women drivers. The poll of more than 4,000 drivers by women's motor insurance group Diamond comes a year after the introduction of a new offense of causing death by careless driving, which carries a prison term of up to two years. Previously, careless driving offenses ­ including applying make-up, eating and map-reading ­ were punishable only by a fine.