‘High speed, high risk’ is the campaign message from Dyfed-Powys Police aimed at reducing the number of motorcycle-related deaths and serious injuries on the region’s roads. In 2018, 67 motorcyclists were killed or seriously injured on roads in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys, with the figures for Dyfed-Powys showing that men were eight times more likely to be included than … [Read more...]
Education
Drive and ride for life
It’s undeniable that young drivers are at significant risk when they get behind the wheel. One Allianz claims handler attended an event recently and heard from the parent of an 18 year old who tragically lost her life when driving. As a parent himself he was moved by the experience. The danger of driving too close highighted: https://youtu.be/si-lzQO8eH4 Tony Newman, head of motor … [Read more...]
Welsh councils must be more ambitious with travel schemes
Welsh councils must be more radical and ambitious implementing active travel, they were told yesterday by Transport Deputy Minister Lee Waters. Speaking at a workshop in Cardiff, Lee Waters warned authorities that the latest round of funding will reward ambitious ideas rather than be based solely on geographical spread, and he pledged to support those councils who need help in improving their … [Read more...]
Newslines 29 March
ŠKODA’s dynamic SportLine series will expand with the introduction of an Octavia variant with two engine options and an automatic box. Featuring a dramatic black design package and a fully loaded specification list, the new Octavia SportLine is the latest addition priced from £23,870. A tuned 300PS 2.0 litre engine and quattro grip underpin the new Audi SQ2. It accelerates from … [Read more...]
Pull the plug on plug-in hybrids, say green group
"Fake" electric cars should be banned, says green group Transport & Environment. On the day the European Parliament rubber-stamps stricter CO2 limits for new cars and vans, Transport & Environment warns that carmakers can exploit loopholes in the regulation to push sales of fake plug-in cars over electric vehicles with no tailpipe emissions. As the rules on crediting EV sales leave … [Read more...]
Potholes take a pounding on road users
Councils repaired 1.86 million potholes over the last 12 months, more than 20% increase on the previous year. The Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey found that highway maintenance budgets have increased from an average of £20.6m to £24.5m year-on-year, mostly "patch and mend" repairs. The report estimated that councils would actually need to spend £1bn a year for the next … [Read more...]
Newslines 26 March
The number of motorists ditching vehicles in Wales has increased by more than 200% in five years, as the region has become a scrapyard for abandoned cars. Details obtained by Confused.com through Freedom of Information requests to local authorities in Wales reveals 466 abandoned vehicles were removed by councils in 2017/18 – that’s one car per day on average, at a cost of £30,793. Delaying … [Read more...]
Illegal mobile-phone use is rising, says RAC
After a fall in the proportion of drivers admitting to using a handheld phone while driving in 2017 following the introduction of tougher penalties, RAC figures show the problem is actually worsening – and illegal use among some groups has rocketed. Across all age groups, a quarter (25%) of drivers – the equivalent of 10m people – admit to illegally making or receiving calls while driving, … [Read more...]
Transport review poses new safety fears
With a wide-ranging review of transport laws announced by the government this week, IAM RoadSmart has warned that the rise in the use of electric scooters alongside vehicles on our roads is bad news for road safety. The Department for Transport revealed its report 'Future of mobility: urban strategy' today, which is described as the biggest regulatory review in a generation to explore … [Read more...]
Welsh drivers spent almost £4,000 on first cars
New drivers in Wales are forking out just over £3,900 for their first car. In the North West and London they splash out more than £5,000 on their first wheels. The average amount of money spent on buying a new driver’s first car is now £4,276, an increase of 42% on the 2017 figure of £3,005. According to GoCompare Car Insurance new drivers in the North West spend the most on their first … [Read more...]