It is common knowledge that drunk, drugged, or distracted drivers pose a danger to themselves and others on the road. But tired motorists, who tend to be overlooked when thinking about unsafe driving, are just as perilous. Indeed, collisions caused by drowsy drivers are 50% more likely to result in death or serious injuries. This is because, if dozing, the person at the wheel doesn’t have the … [Read more...]
Education: Road Safety
Drivers in Wales face tougher breath testing regime
Drivers in Wales are being warned they are around two and a half times more likely to be breath tested this December than any other month. Analysis of Home Office data by personal breathalyser firm AlcoSense shows that in December last year, Welsh Police stopped 3,344 motorists suspected of drink driving. That compared with 1,375 in an average month. South Wales led the way with 1,165 tests, … [Read more...]
Tradelines 30 November
The excessive margins being taken on fuel by the UK’s four big supermarkets have been further called into question as the RAC discovered membership-only retailer Costco has reacted to the falling wholesale market by cutting its petrol by 8p a litre to 147.7p– 12p less than the average price of a litre bought at a supermarket and 14p lower than the UK average. The RAC – which earlier this week … [Read more...]
Newslines 28 November
Government plans that could see novice drivers being allowed to automatically drive lorries have been condemned by the UK’s leading independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart. A recent government consultation suggested that drivers who possess a category B car licence should be instantly entitled to a category C1 licence, which allows motorists to drive vehicles weighing up to 7.5 tonnes … [Read more...]
‘Wrong’ lights motorists face £1,000 fine
Since 2011 all new cars in the UK are legally required to have ‘daytime running lights’, or DRLs, that come on automatically when the engine is started. These low-wattage lamps are designed to increase visibility and reduce vehicle accidents during the day but in many cases the DRL system does not automatically illuminate rear lights. If you’re relying on DRLs on winter roads with poor … [Read more...]
Welsh Tories call-out Labour’s new speed limits
The Welsh Conservatives challenged the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay over plans to impose a default 20mph speed limit in Wales and expand the number of 50mph zones. Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar MS took Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters, to task following an interview he did on ITV’s Sharp End last week, when he criticised the “remarkably narrow sighted view” of Cardiff … [Read more...]
Newslines 22 November
Chinese car makers have Europe in their sights with highly specified, lower priced cars which come with the highest safety ratings as well such as the NIO ET7. Matthew Avery, director at Thatcham Research, a British car research centre funded by insurers and a Euro NCAP board member said the latest testing regimes had given top awards to a handful of Chinese makers looking to enter Europe … [Read more...]
Winter worries for motorists even before they drive
Winter is setting in with darker mornings and evenings, colder temperatures and the jolly festive period right around the corner. As exciting as the festive period is, wintery temperatures make driving conditions more dangerous and can lead to unsafe vehicles and habits which could result in punishment. To avoid any nasty fines, points on your licence or losing it altogether, the experts at … [Read more...]
Newport M4 50mph limits now enforced
Drivers caught exceeding 50mph on the M4 around Newport face fines from today when cameras are switched on a year after being installed. The limit between junctions 24 and 28 of the motorway around Newport was lowered to 50mph to tackle pollution caused by congestion as traffic bunched up. The Welsh government said it marked the final stage of a plan to improve air quality … [Read more...]
Shocking car thieves considered by drivers
Nearly a third (31%) of drivers would challenge a thief trying to steal their car - men 41% and women 22% and rising to 35% of over 55s, compared to 26% of under 54s. More than one in ten (11%) would also like to take drastic action to protect their car, e.g., putting an electric shock device on the car door to stop thieves men 14% and women 8%. The Opinium survey of 2,000 UK drivers by … [Read more...]