A female Saudi motorist speaks to the media after driving her vehicle in defiance of the ban on driving in Riyadh. Photo: Fahad Shadeed/Newscom/RTR

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

In the ultra-conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia, women aren't allowed to drive. While there's no official law that bans women from getting behind the wheel, it's a de facto rule since the women simply aren't issued the local licences that citizens require to legally drive in the country. 

There have been some significant steps made recently that hopefully mean change might be coming. According to a story in Reuters, Prince AlWaleed bin Talal, a billionaire and nephew of King Abdullah, has thrown his support behind legalizing women driving. For him, it makes economic sense because there are at least a half-million foreign drivers who are paid to drive them around, which would in turn both keep more money in the country and leave more money in hands of families.

Saudi women have responded to unrest before when the "Women 2 Drive" movement started in 2011 by posting videos and pictures of them behind the wheel. It sent a loud message to the ruling monarchy that the country would have to come around sooner rather than later. However, several women were detained and questioned while another two faced serious charges.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

The recent launch of the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo proved to be my first time in Italy, which obviously is on any car-nut's list of places to go. But not on the mainland where Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati ply their trade, but in Sicily. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, and has a pretty amazing history and mix of cultures and architecture styles thanks to several very different groups of conquerors over the years.

But one thing Sicily is also known for is the Mafia. La Cosa Nostra.

So when one of the other Canadian journalists on the trip mentioned there was actually a Mafia museum around, I figured great, but probably too far away from where we were staying. Turns out the Museo Della Mafia is in the town of Salemi, which our route was supposed to pass closely by on the second day. Everyone agreed it would be worth the detour, especially since we weren't in a rush to catch a flight at the end of the day.

Salemi is the very definition of old European city with tiny spiderweb of streets, alleys, walkways, staircases and more. After fighting our way to the city centre and - miraculously - finding a parking spot, it still required plenty of walking around and wrong turns to find the place.

The Mafia exhibit was a part of a local museum that focused more on the region's history, and once upstairs where the above photo was taken, we certainly were in for a shock. One curator (through the rough translation of our colleague) said that there was no romanticising here. No Godfather or Goodfellas. Just mini-documentaries (unfortunately in Italian, but general enough to get the drift), and a maze-full of walls covered in reproduced front-page stories from some of Sicily's important newspapers.

The photos weren't glorified, nor censored. Just as true a depiction of how the island's suffered under the Mafia for hundreds of years. A pretty humbling way to spend a couple hours, but I would have felt like I'd missed out otherwise.

Have you made similar trips or out of the way discoveries? Given that it's almost road-trip season again, do you have favourite places to visit that you'd recommend? Let us know in the comments!

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

About a month ago, an episode of the American Top Gear featured a challenge where the three hosts had to come up with the best idea for a new taxi to replace old dead Crown Victoria. Comedian Adam Ferrara had the brilliant idea of buying an out-of-service ambulance and outfitting the rear as a Las Vegas party bus, complete with booze-filled drink tubes, comfortable seats and more. He figured he'd be able to use the emergency lights and sirens to help move other vehicles out of his way, and while a couple scenes showed him taking advantage of the system, there were plenty of reminders from his fellow hosts that it was completely illegal.

Well, whether Ferrara (and the show's writers) were inspired by an incredible story coming out of Russia or the other way around, the similaritites between the two are spooky.

According to a story in the National Post, wealthy Russian businessmen are apparently hiring ambulances to help avoid Moscsow's legendary traffic jams. Just like on TG:USA, the ambulances are stripped of any medical equipment and fitted with more luxurious trappings for the VIPs willing to hire them. Police say they started seeing ads on the internet for 'ambulance-taxis' charging rates of 6,000 roubles (just under $200 Canadian) an hour and started cracking down.

Given the snapshot of Russian driving in general we get from the ubiquitous 'dash-cam' videos posted on the internet, the situation is chaotic at best. The story figures between double- and triple-parked cars and little traffic enforcement on Moscow's ring-roads that wealthy 'businessmen' late for meetings would probably jump at the opportunity to get where they need to with little fuss.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Out in the Maritimes, we're hunkering down in preparation for the ginormous snow storm that's currently making trouble in Ontario and parts of Quebec. So what better time to provide some advice on not only how to stay on the road, but what to do should you happen to go off. With some areas expecting anywhere from 40-60 centimetres of snow and blizzard-like winds that'll make near-zero visibility, we need all the help we can get.

MSN Autos Canada has a great Winter Driving section with plenty of archived stories and excellent information, and that should be the first place to look. Some of the gems include what to include in a winter survival kit, how to survive getting stranded, and lots more.

Some basics to remember:

First, whatever you do, stay with the vehicle. The only exception would be if staying with it or inside it would place you in more danger than not... for example, if it's perched on the edge of a ravine or too close to downed power lines. That's the best piece of advice that ups your chances of being found safely.

Second, stay inside and only venture out to keep the area around the exhaust pipes clear of snow and ice. If they get clogged, then the toxic fumes will instead creep into the cabin and can kill you. Make sure to run the engine for about 10-15 minutes out of every hour for warmth, and move your arms and legs around to keep blood flowing properly.

Third, try to attach a bright piece of cloth to the car's antenna or another part to make it more visible to other drivers or rescuers.

Finally, one piece of advice passed along from an old rally-driver friend is to always keep a can of dog food in the trunk. Why? Well, other things might get eaten or spoil when you're not in an emergency, but no one's going to eat dog food unless they absolutely HAVE to.

Stay off the roads if you don't have to travel, and if you do, keep your speed down and your eyes up.

By John LeBlanc for MSN Autos Canada

Paper road maps? They are so old school, right? What with the advent of Global Positioning System navigation systems — either built right into vehicles or as a portable handheld device — the idea of unfolding a map to figure out how to get someplace in your car has become as anachronistic as rolling down your car windows by hand.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Being a car-nut on holiday can be either amazing or pure torture: depending on your destination, there are either loads of things to do, or nearly none at all. So it takes some real dedication and community effort to help other car nuts in need. Let's see how many fun things we can come up with for some popular vacation hot-spots.

I know in the Dominican Republic that there are dozens of off-road adventures where Suzuki Samurai or Jeep Wranglers are supplied. Also, if you're at Disney World in Orlando, it's possible to get a three-lap ride in an Indy Car at Walt Disney World Speedway for just over $100, or drive eight laps for $400.

So lets hear your suggestions. They could be museums, or cruise-nights, or out-of-the-way dirt-tracks. Doesn't matter. Anything goes.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

As the days get shorter and the nights colder, that unmistakable sense that Fall is coming quickly is surely upon us. While it might seem a little early still, there were plenty of trees that had turned a brilliant scarlet on the five-hour drive to Halifax from Fredericton. The portion of that drive that's truly stunning is the section that parallels the Saint John River Valley before shooting east towards Moncton. In another two weeks, it'll be truly magnificent.

So what are you favourite places to visit and roads to drive when Mother Nature decides to let her hair down? Do you have a secret spot that feels like no one else has discovered?

For a little more inspiration, check out this story on finding Canada's True Colours.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

When I was younger, Montreal was my favourite city to drive in. Its tight confines, aggressive drivers and confusing orientation made it enjoyable to conquer the chaos. Were the roads ever the greatest? No way. Always potholed and frost-heaved. The overpasses and off-ramps were very dishevelled, but that was part of the appeal.

Now that I'm older, although not necessarily wiser, the increasing number of incidents around the province are starting to make me question my safety. The concrete slabs that fell in the Ville-Marie Tunnel recently didn't hurt anyone, but there is a long list of previous accidents where that wasn't the case. Five people died in 2000 and another in 2006 around Laval, but apparently very little has been done in the meantime to improve the public's safety.

So, if you're travelling by car, how do you avoid the worst of the risk? Or, do you think this whole issue is overblown, that similar risks exist anywhere in Canada because our weather is constantly raging havok on our infrastructure?

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Go RVing Canada, a group consisting of RV makers, dealers and campground operators, is joining the 21st century. Its website will now host an interactive blog that allows RV-ers to research campgrounds in other regions before hitting the road. What makes this different than previous efforts is that the reviews and 'blog posts' are written by actual RV-ers, not just toe-ing the corporate line.

For now, it looks like there is only one post per province and territory, but the hope is that as the site gains in popularity, more people will contribute ideas to the site. Early days still, but there's definite promise.

You can check out the Go RVing Canada blog here.

So is this a tool that you'd use and trust over, say, private RV-oriented blogs or forums? Would any experienced RV-er use this site, or is it aimed at the 'newbies'?

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

My wife, daughter and I are planning a few days camping in mid-August - real camping, in a tent, not an RV or trailer, although we will be in relative civilization at Parlee Beach Provincial Park in New Brunswick. My wife and I have camped before, but never with a small child. So this will be our first kick at the can.

Knowing from previous vacations that we tend to overpack for nearly any occasion, I'm looking for help. What tips do you have for streamlining the trip? What can we leave behind, and what absolutely needs to be there.

Not sure what vehicle we'll be driving - possibly a Subaru Legacy or Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, depending on the timing - so we won't have the luxury of a wagon or SUV's extra room.

Also, if you have ideas on rainy-day games to play with kids in a tent, we're open to that too.

Photo courtesy OctaviusB at sxc.hu