Britain's first motorway car-sharing lane opens today in Yorkshire.

The new lane, built by the Highways Agency, links the M606 and the M62 between Bradford and Leeds.

According to the Department of Transport, the lane offers drivers an opportunity to cut out a notoriously congested stretch where the two motorways merge.

It will be open to vehicles carrying two or more passengers, offering a saving of between six and eight minutes.

"This new lane offers motorists the opportunity to reduce both their journey times and their carbon footprints," said Ruth Kelly, the transport secretary.

"Currently, four out of five vehicles using this busy junction have only one occupant.

"I hope this new lane will encourage people to share their journeys, which will ease congestion, cut journey times and improve local air quality," she added.

Ms Kelly's department has identified 500 miles of motorway that could potentially benefit from car sharing lanes.

A recent police campaign in Tayside may help cut the number of car insurance claims in the area, it has been suggested.The force revealed it conducted a 24-hour crackdown on a variety of motoring offe...

Motorists keen to buy a vehicle that can help them protect the competitive deal they have secured on over-50s car insurance may be impressed with the Honda Accord's performance in a recent safety asse...

Thames Valley police stopped more than 550 motorists last week for a range of offences, including driving without car insurance.During the five-day initiative, officers worked with representatives fro...