The MOT test changed in May 2018, with tighter rules around emissions and safety as well as higher fines for drivers caught with an unroadworthy vehicle. A freedom of information request revealed 68,027 have been issued with penalty charges across England and Wales by police since the changes. The Met Police force caught the most drivers (15,772), followed by West Yorkshire (6,019), Merseyside … [Read more...]
Newslines 20 March
Volkswagen has paid out £28.5 B in fines and settlements, and the German carmaker expects costs to add another £2 B, Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter told media. It was caught hiding excessive levels of toxic diesel emissions in 2015, leading to management changes and hundreds of regulatory probes and lawsuits but has so far resisted UK compensation. Vauxhall’s new Corsa is available on … [Read more...]
Newslines 25 February
Welsh AMs will this summer publish a report on tackling pavement parking by drivers. It follows a year long study into the issue which is causing concern to pedestrians and road safety bodies and is likely to make it a civil offence with a fixed penalty parking fine being considered. The owners of a private track in Mid Wales have been fined £30,000 for safety offences after a car club member … [Read more...]
Seeing red in green zones abroad
The Green-Zones portal has identified the European environmental zones where infringements are most severely punished and unexpectedly denting holiday budgets. Belgium is ranked 10th and 9th among the environmental zones with the highest fines, whose permanent Low-Emission-Zones (LEZ) are located in Antwerp and Brussels. All vehicles, which are not registered in Belgium or the Netherlands, must … [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...]
Welsh drivers in top UK rankings for being banned
Wales has some of the worst drivers in Britain with proportionally the highest disqualified for a variety of offences. The highest proportion of the UK’s disqualified drivers can be found in Scotland and Wales according to new data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). According to the figures, obtained by contact lens retailer Feel Good Contacts through a Freedom of … [Read more...]
Yellow box peril of drivers facing fines
With councils outside London and Cardiff wanting additional powers to use cameras to catch drivers who stop in yellow box junctions, RAC research reveals eight in 10 motorists struggle to get through them without stopping. What’s more, almost half (46%) admit they sometimes get stuck in them accidentally. Two-thirds of drivers (67%) say they find it difficult to get through some yellow … [Read more...]
Motorists’ mishaps costing them millions
Motorists' mishaps are costing them millions in fines, according to insurer Confused.com. Councils in Wales are raked in almost £6 million in fines on drivers for passing through a bus lane in just one year. New research reveals motorists in the region are left feeling confused by bus lane signage, and are making calls for them to be made clearer, as thousands are caught driving in a … [Read more...]
Newslines 30 April
The latest Gig Economy case to be tested in court starts today with courier firm Hermes facing action from GMB Union members. It follows GMB’s landmark success against Uber and is on behalf of eight Hermes couriers who believe they are being denied basic workers' rights and forced to declare as self-employed by the company providing courier services for firms including Next, ASOS, John Lewis, … [Read more...]
Mobile phone law-breakers getting the message
Harsher punishments for using a mobile phone behind the wheel seems to have scared drivers in Wales, as the number of offenders has dropped 40% in a year. This is following the introduction of harsher penalties for the offence, which doubled to £200 and six penalty points in March 2017. The number of FPNs issued to drivers in Wales dropped to 1,567 in 2017 according to new figures obtained … [Read more...]