As the economy opens up with the pandemic ongoing, vehicle and supply shortages and a surge in demand for MOTs and servicing could force vehicles off the road and miss vital business opportunities if fleets do not plan their vehicle maintenance, warns ATS Euromaster. With predictions of a surge in MOTs from September as a result of the DVSA’s MOT … [Read more...]
Newslines 16 April
The next Vauxhall Astra will include a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and a station wagon version, CEO Michael Lohscheller told Automotive News Europe. The car will be based on the same Stellantis EMP2 platform as the forthcoming new Peugeot 308 due on sale later this year while the Astra will be introduced early 2022 but its still uncertain if the newcomer will … [Read more...]
65,000 learners have penalty points before test
More than 65,000 learners have points on their licence even before passing their test. A staggering 10,639 learner drivers have 7-9 points on their provisional licence, while 1,803 have 10 or more. This means a total of 12,442 learners could have their licence cancelled immediately after passing the test, as provisional points are carried over to the full … [Read more...]
Speeding tickets hit record
The number of speeding tickets issued to motorists in England and Wales has hit a record high, according to government figures. They show that there were over 2.1 million speeding offences recorded in 2018, up by almost 100,000 on the previous year's figures. With the number having increased year on year since 2011, speeding now represents 85% of all … [Read more...]
Max points but no disqualification for 11,000 drivers
IAM RoadSmart has expressed its frustration that six years after calling for action, more than 11,000 drivers a year are still being legally allowed on the roads with 12 or more points on their licences. The issue was brought back into the spotlight this month when Justin Madders, MP of Ellesmere Port and Neston, asked Secretary of State for Transport … [Read more...]
Cardiff drivers are worst in Wales
More than 2.5 million drivers across England and Wales currently have at least three points on their driving licences. Bristol officially has the worst drivers, with 6.8% of the population having at least three penalty points on their licences, while 220 of them have nine points, according to the latest DVLA data analysed by car selling comparison website … [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 … [Read more...]
Call for crackdown on poor lane-discipline
Confused.com says four in five drivers have been tailgated while a third admit to hogging the middle lane. Despite a proliferation of poor lane discipline it remains a notoriously difficult offence to monitor. “Careless driving” includes offences such as tailgating, middle-lane hogging, undertaking and driving too slowly. Yet only 2,012 drivers fell … [Read more...]
Driving distractions danger highlighted
From the buzzing sound of an incoming text message to social media notifications, 26% of drivers are guilty of checking their phones behind the wheel. To highlight how serious distracted driving is, black box car insurer ingenie has created an interactive digital experience titled One-Four-Nine. It is named after the rule within the Highway … [Read more...]
Quarter of drivers hid points from insurers
Nearly a quarter (23%) of motorists did not inform their insurer the last time they received penalty points on their licence. Research by RAC Insurance has found as many as 2.8m drivers have points on their licences which means around 654,158 drivers may be putting themselves at risk of their insurance policy being declared invalid should their insurer … [Read more...]