You can now go to prison for a long time if you seriously injure someone while carelessly driving. The law changed this week following campaigns to plug a gap in sentencing guidelines and here Paul Loughlin (below), partner and motoring offences specialist at Stephensons explains the thinking behind the changes. “The consequences of dangerous and careless driving are often profound. Just one … [Read more...]
Fine weather fines to chill you, warning
With the warm weather looking like it is here to stay - motorists are more likely to break some laws they are unaware of. As exciting as the hot weather is, it’s vital not to take your foot off the brake when it comes to road safety. To avoid being burnt by any nasty fines, points on your licence (or losing it altogether), National Scrap Car, the UK’s premier marketplace for scrap vehicles, have … [Read more...]
Welsh Labour councils’ tolls by default warning
The Welsh Conservatives are calling on ministers in Cardiff Bay to rule out making regulations that would allow Labour councils to pursue plans to push forward with economically illiterate and anti-worker taxes. A Welsh Conservative motion recently put before Cardiff Council saw Labour refuse to vote against introducing a congestion charge in the capital city. It was prompted by a proposal from … [Read more...]
Don’t let your dog lead you to a fine
Millions of drivers risk breaking the law when it comes to travelling with their dog - and it might lead them to fines of up to £5,000. Research conducted by the UK's largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has revealed that 42 per cent of dog owners surveyed put their dog in an unsafe place in the car while driving. With around 36 million licence holders in the UK and … [Read more...]
DVLA says Welsh cities among worst tax cheats
Cardiff and Swansea are among the top twelve areas which have the highest numbers of untaxed vehicles, says Wales’ based DVLA. DVLA has launched a new advertising campaign in the highest evading areas across the UK reminding motorists of the real risk of failing to tax their vehicles on time. The message is clear to motorists – if you do not tax your vehicle on time, DVLA will take action - ‘tax … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 March
Isuzu UK has added JT Hughes Group to the dealer network in Newtown, Shrewsbury and Telford. The Shropshire and Mid-Wales based car retailer opened the new Isuzu franchise at the beginning of this month and hopes to grow its existing client base with the new range of Award-Winning pick-ups. The average price of petrol yesterday topped 152p a litre for the first time ever and diesel also reached … [Read more...]
Motorway safety and speeders in Wales
New research reveals that an increasing number of drivers are taking their own precautionary measures when using smart stretches that are already in operation. It comes after the government last month announced a five year pause in the introduction of new smart motorways to assess their safety. A new study for Kwik Fit, the UK’s largest automotive servicing and repair company, has found that 73% … [Read more...]
Welsh police step up breath-tests
Drivers in Wales are far more likely to be breath tested in December than any other month. Analysis of Home Office data by personal breathalyser firm AlcoSense shows that in December last year 4,551 motorists were stopped by Police across Wales on suspicion of drink driving. This was nearly a fifth of the total for the entire year. North Wales led the way with 1,906 tests, followed by South … [Read more...]
Newslines 25 October
The latest RAC Report on Motoring shows that 49% of drivers commuted five days a week before the pandemic but just 32% expect to in the future. In addition, three-in-10 drivers (30%) now expect to commute between one and four days a week with the average number of commuting days in future standing at three per week, down from four before Covid-19 hit. Petrol prices have hit 142.94p a … [Read more...]
100,000 drove without insurance last year
Uninsured drivers have passed the 1000,00 mark, according to data obtained by Confused.com . It found the number of motorists caught driving without the correct insurance increased from 86,914 in 2019, to 100,983 in 2020. This means, those caught could have collectively paid as much as £56million in fines over the two years, based on the minimum penalty dished out to offenders being … [Read more...]
