Drivers are being forced to slow down on motorways and A-roads in England, as the speed limit has been reduced from 70 to 60 miles per hour along extensive stretches of major roads, according to new analysis from Churchill Motor Insurance. The proportion of major roads with a 70mph limit has declined from 83 per cent in 2020 to 78 per cent in 2023 and drivers cannot rely on navigation apps … [Read more...]
Over £3M spent on 50mph Welsh speed cameras
Over £3m of taxpayer money has been spent by the Welsh Government installing speed cameras on five stretches of major Welsh roads. A written question from the Welsh Conservatives has shown £3.34m was spent on installing speed cameras on the M4 in Newport and Port Talbot as well the A470 in Pontypridd, A483 in Wrexham, and A494 in Deeside. Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Transport Minister … [Read more...]
Councils cutting corners on carriageway care, reports RAC
Six-in-10 drivers (60%) believe the condition of local roads they use regularly is worse than a year ago, with a similar proportion (55%) complaining the standard of pothole repairs is – at best – ‘poor’, new RAC data* has found. What’s more, only 4% think the state of the local roads in their area has improved in the past 12 months, down from 6% for the last two years. The research conducted for … [Read more...]
M4 loved by over a quarter of truckers
Truckers love motorways. The lorry drivers who spend their working lives trundling up and down the M-ways actually confess to liking them and have rated their favourites for a Roadchef poll. The people who spend most time trucking on Britain’s main roads have spoken and claim that the M6 toll - a free flowing route around Birmingham - is the very best motorway in the UK. Often referred to on … [Read more...]
Motorway safety and speeders in Wales
New research reveals that an increasing number of drivers are taking their own precautionary measures when using smart stretches that are already in operation. It comes after the government last month announced a five year pause in the introduction of new smart motorways to assess their safety. A new study for Kwik Fit, the UK’s largest automotive servicing and repair company, has found that 73% … [Read more...]
The coming of autonomous vehicles
Last year, the UK became the first country to allow self-driving cars on motorways at low speed, but the reality is still many years away for the country as a whole. The country is making incredible progress in the trials for autonomous vehicles and is funding innovative projects that will pave the way towards the transport revolution. Technological advancements in terms of AVs are at the … [Read more...]
Newslines 12 January
Pirelli tyres equip the new Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition, the fastest and most powerful version of the first all-electric SUV produced by the Blue Oval. A new technical collaboration between the companies has resulted in a specific Pirelli P Zero tyre, part of a family of Ultra High Performance tyres that offer the right balance between driveability and comfort. Automotive experts … [Read more...]
RAC Breakdown predict huge jams this weekend
Drivers will make the most of the fine weather expected this final bank holiday weekend of the year with an estimated 16.7m leisure trips planned, a similar number to 2019, say RAC Breakdown. The figures suggest today, Friday, could see the largest numbers of cars on the roads with 4.3m leisure journeys by car planned and, according to transport analytics experts INRIX, a 25% increase in delays … [Read more...]
What drivers hate doing
Over a third (37%) of UK drivers avoid driving on motorways (men 29% and women 45%), over half (52%) avoid city centres and 50% avoid parallel parking and parking on a hill. A Censuswide survey for InsuretheGap.com, an independent provider of Guaranteed Asset Protection car insurance, of over 1,500 UK drivers identifies the top situations that drivers avoid. Older drivers are much more likely to … [Read more...]
Newslines 10 August
Drivers are planning on making an estimated 45m daytrips* in August, according to a survey conducted by RAC Breakdown, with more than a quarter (28%) saying they will be taking more outings than last year – perhaps indicating the extent of the COVID-19 staycation. While these figures do not include overnight stays which are likely to increase traffic volumes still further, they show half of all … [Read more...]