New Year’s Eve is one of the most celebrated days of the calendar, and no doubt UK drivers were very much looking forward to clinking a drink or two when the clock struck midnight. But, a word of warning to party-goers, research by Confused.com found more drink-drivers have been caught on New Year’s Day for the past four years, more than any other date in the calendar. The first day back … [Read more...]
Education: Road Safety
Late, very late or dead, you decide
In what might be considered a case of misplaced priorities, over a million drivers are more worried about being late for work this Christmas than sliding on icy roads, getting stuck in deep snow or other dangerous weather conditions, according to AA Cars. The AA-Populus poll, which surveyed over 18,500 drivers, found that although this winter has already seen snow and temperatures drop below … [Read more...]
Drivers mental health should concern fleets
Mental health is the next key area where fleets should look make improvements in the health and safety of drivers, says FleetCheck. With around one in four people likely to be affected by a problem of this type during their lives, it is something that employers should include in their risk management assessments, said Peter Golding, managing director. He explained: “It is already a legal … [Read more...]
Newslines 16 December
Around five million drivers believe they have got behind the wheel while over the limit at least once in the past year, according to the RAC. In total 16% of the 1,727 motorists questioned by the RAC say they think they have been guilty of drink-driving, either immediately after consuming alcohol or the morning after a late night drinking session and the result has angered some motorists who … [Read more...]
Fiat Punto fails to score in safety test
The final Euro NCAP test results of 2017 have shown that some carmakers are still choosing not to fit potentially life-saving technologies to new models and some have gone backwards on safety. All 16 cars announced achieved five-star Euro NCAP ratings, but December’s release has seen six three-star Euro NCAP ratings and the first zero-star rating since testing began 20 years ago. It was very … [Read more...]
Product recalls growing threat to profits and reputation
Product-related risk is one of the biggest perils facing businesses today, with recall exposures having increased significantly over the past decade. This is bringing the potential for larger and more complex losses than ever before, warns insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty in a new report. It highlights the automotive industry as being the most impacted by product recalls, … [Read more...]
Newslines 12 December
If you are stuck without a clue of what to buy your car or bike loving relative or friend, wonder no further because IAM RoadSmart’s Advanced Driver Course and Advanced Rider Course is available to buy at a 10% discount until Christmas. The advanced courses are administered by the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity and vouchers don’t have to be redeemed for 12 months. With the special … [Read more...]
Car makers and EU agree new type approval system
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association has welcomed the fact that the European Parliament, EU member states and the European Commission reached a final agreement on a reformed system for approving vehicles before they are placed on the EU market - ‘type approval’. Under this agreement, member states will have to carry out checks on vehicles circulating on their roads at the rate of at … [Read more...]
Learners’ ignorance of ‘phone law is worrying
Global pioneer of telematics-based car insurance insurethebox is asking whether learner drivers facing the new Driving Test launched on 4 December 2017 understand the rules for in-car mobile phone use. For the first time, the test now includes taking instructions from satnav. It found that nearly 1 in 5 (18.38%) of drivers admitted to using their phone for getting directions while driving – … [Read more...]
Keeping-up social media behind the wheel is deadly
IAM RoadSmart’s third annual Safety Culture Survey has found that for the third year running their biggest worries are people updating social media or sending text messages while driving. Drivers checking social media is the biggest single perceived threat that road users feel – slightly higher than those who text and email, and closely followed by drink and drug drivers. The survey of … [Read more...]