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...]
Education: Road Safety
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...]
Autonomous driving interest accelerates
Three in ten drivers (31%) now favour self-driving cars, up from one in ten (10%) a year ago, they told pollsters for the Britain Under the Bonnet report from Close Brothers Motor Finance. At a time when Government has recently announced plans for driverless cars to be on UK roads as early as 2021, the latest figures show how perceptions are changing and trends are beginning to … [Read more...]
Tradelines 20 March
More than half of van drivers admitted to making calls behind the wheel without using a hands-free device, according to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Van drivers spend an average of 35 minutes on the phone each day in their vehicles, making an average of seven calls a day and one in 10 spend two hours on the phone while driving. Mercedes-Benz is relanching its prestige Maybach … [Read more...]
Cardiff is Wales’ accident black spot
Welsh roads are getting safer, unless you travel and live in Cardiff. Latest figures show a significant reduction in the number of casualties on Welsh roads, with 2017 seeing the lowest number of motorcycle casualties since comparable records began. Welsh roads were also safer for children – with a 15 per cent decrease in casualties of those aged under 16, and a 16 per cent fall in young … [Read more...]
Majority of motorists admit regularly speeding
With Google Maps releasing an update that notifies drivers when the speed limit changes, research reveals that nearly 70% of British drivers are already knowingly driving over the speed limit. Speeding is by far the nation’s most common driving offence, with over two million reported offences in 2016. But despite the threat of hefty fines, points on a licence, and the very real risk to … [Read more...]
Young driver insurance and new car package
Young Driver On the Road has partnered with iKube to offer novice driver insurance from £22 a week, along with affordable car leasing with Vauxhall. With one in four parents (24 per cent) admitting the high cost of car insurance is putting them off encouraging their child to learn to drive at 17, the UK’s leading pre-17 driving school has pledged to end insane premiums for new … [Read more...]
Smart motorways outwit dangerous drivers
With hundreds of miles of smart motorways across England now using the hard shoulder as either a permanent or part-time running lane, the RAC found more than a fifth of motorists have driven in a lane closed by the red X sign in the past year, potentially putting lives at risk. Twenty-three per cent of drivers surveyed by the RAC admitted to having broken this new rule of the road by … [Read more...]
Tradelines 6 March
A proposed ban on commercial vehicles using tyres over ten years old has attracted qualified support from the Freight Tansport Association. It says many member fleets would need tyres replacing inside a decade but some very low mileage vehicles should be exempt from the ban. About 79M cars were sold worldwide in 2018, say the manufacturers. There was a noticeable drop in Chinese … [Read more...]
Honda, MB and SEAT Off-Roaders get top marks for safety
The new Honda CR-V, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the SEAT Tarraco have passed tough new safety tests with the highest marks. All three cars get a maximum five-star rating against Euro NCAP’s tough 2019 requirements. The new SEAT Tarraco shares Volkswagen’s MQB platform with the Škoda Kodiaq, rated as five-stars by Euro NCAP in 2017. Against the more stringent protocols of 2019, the … [Read more...]