If you’re planning a bank holiday getaway then be sure you can make your journey a safe and stress-free one. Here’s IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman, to help you prepare for your trip, because a little preparation goes a long way. Take some time to check your vehicle inside and out before you set off. Check the tyre pressure and fluid levels are right … [Read more...]
Travel Features
Company car is just the job
The company car still rules the road for incentives. When looking to find fresh talent, it seems that company cars are still the best bet for businesses, according to new research by OSV. It shows 49% of interviewees would even consider accepting a job that didn’t otherwise appeal, if a car that they couldn’t afford privately came as part of the package. In spite of this, more than half … [Read more...]
Alcohol related accidents accelerate 30%
The number of fatal road accidents involving illegal alcohol levels has risen 30%. Figures released by the Department for Transport today show there were 220 fatal drink drive accidents in 2016 – compared with 170 in 2015. The number of serious casualties was also up – from 1,170 to 1,250. The total number of casualties, including slight injuries, increased by 7% to 9,040. There has, … [Read more...]
Five simple ways to improve your driving safety
Schools are out, kids are out and families are out, so the last thought on most minds is they don't want to end up inside a hospital. With 37.9 million licensed vehicles on the roads in Great Britain, it’s important to take the time to make sure you’re driving safely and confidently. For National Road Victim Awareness Month, Euro Car Parts has put together a checklist of precautions to … [Read more...]
Fuel prices on the rise again, says RAC Fuel Watch
July saw the return of rising petrol and diesel prices at the forecourt, with both petrol and diesel edging up by around 1p a litre, said RAC Fuel Watch. Last month saw the continuation of recent ‘see-saw’ pump price changes – while drivers were stung with one of the worst petrol price rises through May 2018, the following month saw average prices fall by around 2p a litre. This began to be … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 August
MPs will probe the state of local roads in England. The Transport Committee will look at funding and maintenance but it does not include local roads in Wales, paid for by local councils, and the RAC said the main issue was potholes and frequency of incidents. BMW will invest 1 billion euros for a new plant in Hungary. It plans 150,000 cars, which it’s not specified, each year, and supply … [Read more...]
EC asked to ignore UK failure over emissions
Britain has failed to meet strict standards on air pollution but has now asked the EC to ignore that and wants the limit raised. It was the failure to meet EC agreed emissions limits which led to green groups taking the Government to court and winning and which has led to Welsh Government being forced to introduce lower speed limits on the M4 and A55. It the pollution limit is now raised … [Read more...]
£60 M boost begins for Welsh bus and cycle routes
The first share of £60 million support for active travel schemes has been allocated in Wales. As part of the Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan Mid-Point Review 2018 more than £10m has been earmarked for individual projects and packages of local schemes the length of Wales. All local authorities were invited to submit applications - one strategic scheme and one local scheme or package of … [Read more...]
Motorway services’ double standards for drivers
Commercial vehicle drivers are being treated as second class citizens at motorway service stations. That's the conclusion of the Freight Transport Association responding to a new Transport Focus research paper on improvements made to services for private motorists. According to the research, following investment by the motorway service area operators, many of the facilities they offer to the … [Read more...]
New laws may catch out Brits abroad
More than half (59%) of drivers are unfamiliar with a range of new driving regulations introduced this year in France, says RAC Europe. Research carried out with 1,400 drivers found more than three-quarters (78%) were not aware the speed limit on France’s secondary ‘D’ roads was reduced from 1 July from 90kph to 80kph (55mph to 50mph), a move designed to reduce accidents. Failure to comply … [Read more...]