Most of the losses are coming at leveraged financial firms, like banks, which will in turn pull back lending, applying another brake on economic growth.

FORBES: The $400 Billion Black Hole

Some car insurers, such as Progressive Insurance in the US, already use sensors that report back on how abruptly drivers brake or whether they are heavy on the accelerator to help it set insurance premiums.

CNN: US carmakers to offer mobile connection

If events go as planned, the Curiosity spacecraft late on Aug. 5 will plunge into the thin Martian atmosphere at 13, 200 miles per hour and quickly brake by swooping back and forth in aerodynamic S-curves, much like the Space Shuttle.

WSJ: Mars Mission Seeks a Happy Landing

The Finn led after stage one but fell back to 19th as a result of his brake problems.

BBC: SPORT | Motorsport | Rallying | Penalised Loeb remains on course

Frankie Hackett, from Brake, said she was worried about going back to "the bad old days".

BBC: Speeding fines in Avon and Somerset fell by 70% last year

During our hands-on, we started off with a bit of a wobble while adjusting to the backward handles, but five minutes later we learned to ignore the conventional cycling posture and leaned slightly further back, plus we got the right grip for the throttle (right) and brake (left).

ENGADGET: YikeBike foldable electric bicycle hands-on Hands-on