Road safety and breakdown recovery specialist GEM Motoring Assist is warning drivers to be on the look-out for increasingly dangerous potholes. The GEM message comes as council budgets for compensation fall by more than a half, with potholes across the country remaining unrepaired for months at a time. The latest Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance report suggests 18 per cent of local roads … [Read more...]
Education: Road Safety
Yellow “money-boxes” for Welsh capital, drivers warned
Cardiff's yellow box junctions are cash machines for the city council, according to analysis by the RAC, which has been looking at their legal implications. Almost every yellow box junction of 100 analysed in London and Cardiff is bigger than it needs to be to prevent traffic congestion, leading to countless unnecessary fines for drivers, a new study commissioned for the RAC has found. The RAC … [Read more...]
Four Welsh towns have UK’s shortest L-test time
Wales passes the test for the best places to learn to drive in Britain. Learner drivers Cardigan area can expect a short wait of 4.06 weeks between when they book their test and when they eventually get around to taking it. Cardigan is one of four Welsh areas that are the quickest places to secure a driving test slot in the UK. Carmarthen in Wales has the second quickest waiting time to … [Read more...]
Used car buyers skip vital checks
A recent study has revealed that many used car buyers skip vital checks before making a purchase. In fact, one in ten Brits admitted that they make no checks at all when buying a used car, leaving them unaware of any potential vehicle issues. The survey, conducted by online car-changing marketplace Carwow, uncovered just how common it is for used car buyers to skip essential checks. Despite … [Read more...]
Newslines 12 March
About 9% of commuters to Cardiff spend over an hour a week sitting in traffic, they told pollsters for CarMats. This contrasts with more than a quarter of drivers stuck in Edinburgh's jams or 22% in London and Leeds while the least time was reported by drivers in Norwich. The KIA EV9 has won two major awards for 2024. It was last week voted UK Car of the Year and also Worldwide Women's Car of … [Read more...]
EV drivers beware of big fines and possible penalties
There are now more than 1 million EVs on our roads accounting for 2-3% of cars in the UK and as this increases millions of EV drivers should beware of five driving offences that could result in big fines and possible penalty points. Motoring experts at ATS Euromaster researched the most bizarre, and potentially unheard of, electric vehicle fines, that you need to be aware of and how much they … [Read more...]
Newslines 11 March
Controversial 20mph speed limit signs have been cut down in Carmarthenshire. The unauthorised removal of the signs which were part of a £35Million lower-speed limit programme by Welsh Government have been condemned by the local authority which put them up and said they now will be replaced at additional cost to services. It’s very concerning to see delays on our most important roads increasing … [Read more...]
International Driving Permit changes as Post Office lose business
The provider of international driving permits is changing and the Post Office has lost the contract. From 1 April 2024, IDPs will be exclusively available from participating PayPoint stores across the UK. An IDP is not usually required for the majority of popular holiday destinations abroad. However, there are over 140 countries, including Turkey, Mexico, Canada and Australia, where an IDP is … [Read more...]
Young drivers hit by automatically bigger premiums
The cost of car insurance for young drivers has jumped by £644 on average in the past year, according to new Young Drivers research from Compare the Market. Car insurance premiums for motorists aged under 25 have reached £2,009 in January 2024, compared to £1,365 in the same month last year. Car insurance now represents 66% of the total car running costs for young drivers. Young drivers are … [Read more...]
Fleets must face up to drug-driving rising risks
Fleets need to redouble their efforts on drug-driving, FleetCheck is warning, as a leading police officer reported that the issue was a bigger problem than drink-driving in some constabularies over the Xmas period. Speaking to the BBC this week, chief constable Jo Shiner of the National Police Chiefs Council said there was a "social acceptance" of drug taking and driving, particularly among … [Read more...]