Jan 24, 2018
According to a new report from The AA, over half of UK drivers think they can get away with dangerous driving on Britain’s roads – because there aren’t enough police around to catch them. Following well-publicised cuts in the number of traffic officers, 54% think that they can escape prosecution if they use a hand-held mobile phone while they are driving.
A growing confidence
A further 55% of them said they would not be stopped for driving a vehicle that was in dangerous or defective condition for the same reason. The poll of 19,500 drivers saw 65% thought they were unlikely to be pulled over for a range of offences such as middle lane hogging or tailgating.
AA president Edmund King described the results as worrying and said there was a need for more ‘cops in cars’ to help deter people from breaking a range of driving laws.
Declining numbers
In one respect, people’s opinions have a basis – the number of road police officers fell by nearly a third in the last ten years between 2007 to 2017, according to a Freedom of Information request sent by the Press Association. It means the number of ‘cops in cars’ has fallen from 3,766 to 2,643.
It is reflected in the perceptions of drivers, with 43% thinking that the police have no visible presence on the motorways, and 65% thinking they have no visible presence on local roads. Police presences have declined, but the fines for some minor offences have soared – due to the use of CCTV cameras.
Perceived presence
According to Mr King, this worrying situation comes as people feel there are no police officers on the roads and therefore there is little chance of getting caught for different offences. And while the CCTV camera can act as a deterrent in some cases, a perceived presence from the police is the ultimate deterrent.
He further went on to say that the significant drop in specialist traffic officers means it has become more and more challenging to keep everyone safe on the roads around the country.
Costly experience
Breaking the rules is still costing British motorists a lot of money – the RAC Foundation issued a report recently showing that drivers are paying more than £1 billion in fines every year. 12 million penalty notices were handed out annually, the equivalent of one every 2.5 seconds. It also means around one-third of the 40 million motorists on the road are receiving a fine.
Speeding remains the most common reason to receive a fine, with new penalties with a maximum fine of £2,500 and anywhere from 3-6 points on your license. There are even situations where you can get an instant disqualification.
Using a mobile phone and eating behind the wheel are two other common offences that can lead to fines. Mobile phones can now see a £1,000 fine and 3 points and, in some cases, you can even be fined £200 for holding a mobile phone while driving regardless of whether you’re using it or not.
Around half a million fines were sent for offences such as not having insurance or failing to renew your driving license. No insurance is a serious one, and there are fines up to £5,000 with driving bans not being uncommon, and standard points given between 6-8. You will also see a substantial rise in your insurance costs when you do start driving again, as convicted drivers are seen as a higher risk.
Highways England
Despite concerns about the lack of police presence, only 45% of those surveyed said that there should be more power given to Highways England officers. Just one third wanted police community support officers to pitch in and help with road policing.
According to Mr King, this shows that people want more police on the streets to deal with crimes when driving rather than any other option.
Have you noticed less police out on the roads? Do you agree there is a crisis? Let us know in the comments below.
Jan 10, 2018
For many people, a satnav unit is a crucial part of getting around, offering those well-timed tips and directions. However, does the position of it on your car windscreen make a difference? It might make it easier to reach but what many drivers don’t know is that there is only one ‘correct’ location according to police forces.
Police advice
The issue was highlighted following a post by Greater Manchester Police’s traffic unit. The Twitter post contained an image of where drivers should be putting satellite navigation units.
In the image, the unit was positioned at the bottom right-hand side of the windscreen. According to the accompanying tweet, this is the ‘only legal place’ to put it. If you put a satnav unit anywhere else, you are breaking the law.
Twitter users were quick to raise issues with this statement, with many saying they place theirs near the rear-view mirror. GMP later confirmed that this is legal as well – providing it doesn’t obstruct the driver’s view ahead.
© Copyright Andrew and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Clear view
This stipulation comes from the Highway Code which states that windscreens and windows ‘must be kept clean and free from obstruction to vision.’ However, there is no actual legislation available that states where the devices should be located, merely that their placement should follow this code.
Further, it is unlikely that drivers will be pulled over for ‘incorrect’ positioning of a satnav unit unless they are placing it somewhere ridiculous – like straight in front of them as they drive.
Many drivers make use of specialist holders for the units, that attach to the air vents, to prevent obstruction. While others may place it on the windscreen, in the bottom right or left corner, meaning it is out of the driver’s general view. Also, make sure that the wires are not trailing across either the steering wheel or the handbrake.
Set and forget
Drivers can also get into trouble for messing around and tampering with a satnav while they are driving. Instead, you should either set it before you leave, and not touch it while driving, or pull over, turn off the ignition and then make the necessary changes to the settings.
Other tips in the code regarding how to use technology safely include not ‘relying on’ cruise control or lane departure warnings. You should use them to assist you but not to reduce your concentration levels while driving.
Satnav tips
The AA has created a list of tips to help you make the most of your satnav unit without running into any trouble with the local police force. The tips include:
• Don’t blame the satnav if you have an accident because you are still the one in complete control of the vehicle – it just gives you instructions.
• Use your eyes first – just because the satnav says there is a road ahead, and all you can see a river, use your initiative and don’t keep driving because the satnav tells you to.
• Remember to account for the size of the vehicle you are driving – satnav units only advise you on the route. For example, if you are towing a caravan, the satnav won’t register this information and therefore you may encounter tight corners, low bridges etc.
• Never watch the satnav – listen to what it says but always keep your eyes on the road.
• Check the route before you leave – satnav units are smart but sometimes they may suggest directions that aren’t practical for one reason or another. So, always check before you set off rather than trying to amend the route while driving.
• Make sure you regularly update the unit – as roads change; the satnav will only register these changes when it is updated.
Satnav units are a useful tool and have stopped many a driver from getting lost, but can also cause problems. So, use common sense when utilising them and you should steer clear of the local police.
How often do you rely on your satnav to get around? Have you been guilty of mounting the satnav in the ‘wrong place’? Let us know in the comments below.
Dec 20, 2017
If you are going to be visiting friends and family over the Christmas period, or are heading away for a festive break, you may want to keep your eyes open for what the RAC are calling ‘Frantic Friday’.
Studies carried out by the RAC have suggested that Friday 22nd December will see commuters making their way home from the final day at work and combining with an estimated 1.25 million leisure drivers, all to create widespread congestion across the UK.
Peak times
It is thought that the busiest time to travel on Frantic Friday will be between 4pm and 8pm, RAC traffic spokesman Rod Dennis stated people should avoid driving at all if possible.
The highest number of leisure journeys is expected on Christmas Eve with 1.87 million journeys being taken as people head to wherever they will be spending Christmas Day, and there will be an estimated 11.5 million leisure trips taken between the 17th and 24th of December.
However, this will be topped almost immediately by a massive 17.5 million journeys being made between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day as people begin heading home or to the shops to pick up the latest bargains in the post-Christmas sales.
(Credit – Highways England)
Roadworks Embargo
To try to alleviate congestion over the festive period, Highways England will be lifting around 400 miles of roadworks so that motorists are not held up, allowing the natural flow of traffic to improve along motorways and major A roads. However, it may only take a broken down vehicle or an accident to cause severe tailbacks, so keep up to date with local radio stations or check before you travel using The AA Traffic News.
This roadworks embargo will be in place from 6am on Friday 22nd December to Tuesday 2nd January so should hopefully help to keep people moving for the whole festive period, including Frantic Friday.
Seeking an Alternative?
Despite Highways England maintenance embargo, planned strikes and engineering works on railways will still be taking place. London is widely-understood to be the worst affected, however, widespread service reductions following strikes may wreak havoc variety across the UK’s Rail system.
It isn’t all doom and gloom though, helping out those who may not want to drive over Christmas are National Express who have announced their largest ever Christmas schedule, this is to combat an expected increase in demand across a large number of locations, including; Cardiff, Leeds, Bournemouth, Bristol, Glasgow and Manchester. In fact they will be offering 30,000 extra seats from 18th December to 2nd January, so perhaps worth considering!
If possible, look to avoid using the roads during this very busy time of year, skip the frustration of long tailbacks, plan sensibly and start enjoying your Christmas break.
What do you think about “Frantic Friday”? Are you going to be braving the roads that day or do you have other plans during the festive period? How do you intend to avoid getting caught in traffic over the holiday period? Let us know in the comments below.
Dec 13, 2017
Petrol and diesel prices are set to rise by 3p a litre before Christmas due to a “perfect storm” of problems with UK supply caused by pipeline damage, a gas refinery explosion in Austria and OPEC’s decision to reduce the amount of oil produced globally by extending production cuts.
These factors have led to an increase in the wholesale price for gas which is now it at its highest since 2012 (73.7p per Therm) and the crude oil price at its highest level since 2015, ($65.72 per barrel). An expected 3p a litre increase is an extra £2 per fill up on a normal family saloon car, the impact on gas prices is not expected to hit us domestically in our energy bills for about 6 months in the future.
Ineos pipeline damaged
The shock damage of the North Sea Forties Pipeline near Aberdeen came after a routine inspection found a hairline crack, which led to a reduction in the supply of oil from the North Sea. The pipeline normally pumps half a million barrels of oil into the UK a day and is one of the biggest sources of oil, which is refined and turned into petrol and diesel.
Owners of the pipeline Ineos said in a statement.”Ineos has mobilized a repair and oil spill response team following the identification of a very small amount of oil seepage during a routine inspection of the Forties Pipeline System at Red Moss, near Netherley, Aberdeenshire, at approximately 10:00 hours yesterday (6 December 2017). We will work to resolve the issue and monitor the situation. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
Austrian gas plant explosion
A few hours later, an explosion at a natural gas facility near Austria’s border with Slovakia left one person dead. A further 18 people were injured in the morning blast at the plant in Baumgarten an der March, east of Vienna, regional Red Cross official Sonja Kellner said.
“The explosion set off a fire, which operator Gas Connect said was contained by midmorning. The facility was shut down”, Gas Connect spokesman Armin Teichert said. Police wrote on Twitter that the situation “is under control.”
There was no immediate word on what caused the blast at the plant, where pipelines connect and gas from Russia, Norway and other countries is compressed before travelling into Europe.
OPEC agree to further cuts
The oil and gas markets were reacting to the accidents while also considering the longer term implications of OPEC’s decision to extend production cuts that was made at the start of December. All factors together led to a further increase in the price crude oil that was already rising in the months earlier. Crude oil surged by 7.6 per cent between October and November, reaching its highest level since December 2016, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Pump prices are now expected to surge from 120.76p a litre to 123.21p a litre for unleaded while diesel leaps from 123.21p a litre to 126.21p.
How to keep fuel costs down
PetrolPrices has said this advice many times, we’re not sure if you’re reading it still but we’re going to say this again because we don’t want any of you to overpay for fuel.
It’s now more important than ever to make sure that you use our cheap fuel locator to always know you are buying the cheapest fuel near you, via website or price alert email. Use our app in unfamiliar locations, especially on motorways or major trunk roads, you can save literally 20p a litre by coming off the motorway and going to the cheapest station nearby by using our app, but do not use the app while you are driving.
Fuel pricing is based largely on fuel duty, the wholesale price of oil and the competition around it. If an ASDA supermarket that sells fuel is near you this will keep the prices of other stations nearby lower because of their “price promise” of being the cheapest supermarket within 3 miles.
If you are willing to drive a few miles, less affluent locations with large clusters of supermarkets tend to have lower prices than more affluent locations. Locations near refineries tend to have lower prices, medium sized towns tend to have lower prices versus rural or highly urban locations. Finally, supermarkets often have deals where they will provide money off if you spend a certain amount at the store. Always check your supermarket and ask them what deals they have.
What do you think of the expected increase in fuel costs just before Christmas? What methods are you using to make sure you keep your fuel expenditure under control? Let us know in the comments below.
Dec 6, 2017
You’re not breaking the law if you use a hands free kit to talk on the phone whilst driving. However, an increasing body of research is indicating that using a hands free kit could be just as dangerous as using your mobile phone behind the wheel. The level of distraction that using a hands free kit causes is at the centre of the issue.
This is especially true if you are having a conversation which is particularly distracting. Research has also shown that you visualise the person you are speaking to while you are on the phone. Doing so takes even more of your attention away from the road.
Copyright © Charging phone by Mark Guim / CC BY 2.0 / Horizontally flipped, extended width, blurred from original
Jail time
The potential dangers associated with using a hands free kit when driving have been brought into the spotlight recently due to a woman being found guilty of killing a motorcyclist while she was using a hands free kit to speak to a friend. Although this was not necessarily the sole reason for the collision, it was highlighted as causing a distraction that could have led to her car drifting across the road.
The driver in question said that she had hit a pothole or a verge, which had caused her to lose control of her vehicle. However, accident investigators found no signs of a pothole or any evidence that she had even tried to brake before hitting the motorcyclist, who died at the scene.
Despite having your eyes on the road when using a hands free kit, it is likely that you won-t be as alert as you would be if you were focused entirely on driving. This can slow your response times to any hazards that might present themselves during your journey. As such, it is always safer to pull over and have your conversation, especially if you are finding it distracting.
High-tech distractions
It is not only hands free kits which have been found to distract motorists from the task at hand. The safety of using high-tech dashboards has been called into question too, following research carried out by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The research looked at how long it takes drivers to perform certain activities on their high-tech dashboard. It produced plenty of interesting data, including the fact that it takes around 40 seconds to program an in-built sat-nav, which is a long time for a driver’s attention to be taken away from the road ahead.
Other high-tech dashboard features that were tested were sending a text message and searching for something on the internet, both of which caused a high level of distraction. Even tuning the radio or making a phone call caused a moderate distraction.
When a driver takes their eyes off of the road for just two seconds, they double their chance of crashing their vehicle. Distractions are partly to blame for 11% of all fatal crashes.
The AAA is pushing for auto manufacturers to start creating systems that don’t distract drivers any more than tuning a radio or listening to an audiobook does. One solution they have proposed is to lock certain high-tech dashboard features when the car is in motion, to prevent the driver from being tempted to use them.
The value of education
Educating drivers about the dangers of using technology at the wheel would certainly help. Perfectly legal technology can cause sufficient distraction to bring about a fatal crash, yet many drivers assume that because the technology is legal, it isn’t dangerous. It can be easy to feel in control despite your focus being elsewhere, even just for a few seconds. Breaking down the assumption that if tech is built into the car it is perfectly safe to use while driving is essential for improving the safety of our roads, particularly as vehicles continue to include more and more high-tech systems.
As research continues, it could well be that we see the use of hands free kits join the use of mobile phones in terms of what is banned behind the wheel. Doing so would certainly help to prevent accidents and make the UK’s roads safer.
Do you use a hands free kit while driving? Do you feel particularly distracted while doing so? Leave a comment to share your views.
Nov 29, 2017
Car vandalism has seen a worrying rise in recent years. According to police data, the number of reported cases has risen by 10% in the past three years, while some parts of the country have seen an increase of as much as 37% over the same period.
Rising problem
Over 210,000 vehicles suffered some kind criminal damage in 2016, including smashed windows, broken windscreens and slashed tyres. That’s a huge increase on the figure from 2013, which stood at 191,000 according to data from RAC Insurance.
The real statistics may even be a lot higher, as many motorists don’t report such incidents for fear that their insurance premiums will increase. They simply pay to rectify the damage themselves rather than face the anticipated expense and the time and inconvenience involved in getting the car repaired via their insurance company. The knowledge that they must report any claim for another three to five years after the incident simply serves to add insult to injury.
(Credit – Chris Upson)
Which areas are worst affected?
RAC Insurance Director Mark Godfrey has called vandalism one of the most ‘frustrating crimes’ because the disruption and distress it causes is the result of selfish, intentional criminal damage. The picture of such damage around the UK is not an even one.
According to figures collected from 24 of the UK’s 37 police forces, Greater Manchester Police saw the most significant increase in car vandalism cases between 2013 and 2016. The number of cases in their patch increased by 37% over the period. In joint second place were Hertfordshire Constabulary and the West Yorkshire Police, both of which saw a 25% increase in the number of vehicle vandalism cases.
The top ten increases recorded by the forces that provided data were:
- Greater Manchester – 37%
- Hertfordshire – 25%
- West Yorkshire – 25%
- Northumbria – 22%
- Cambridgeshire – 19%
- South Yorkshire – 19%
- Dyfed-Powys – 15%
- Bedfordshire – 13%
- Staffordshire – 12%
- Kent – 11%
- Durham – 11%
Regarding the total number of cases reported, it’s no surprise that London’s Metropolitan Police saw the most significant number of cases – 26,064 in total in 2016.
Another issue with car vandalism is that the number of people caught and prosecuted is relatively small. If someone causes less than £5,000 worth of damage, then they can face a fine of up to £2,500 or up to three months in prison. If the damage costs more than £5,000, then the fine rises to £5,000, and the prison term to up to six months.
Protecting your vehicle
One of the problems with vandalism is that it is much harder to combat than other car-related crimes. A good car alarm can dramatically reduce the risk of a car being stolen, but does little to deter vandals. However, there are steps that you can take to protect your vehicle.
If you have a garage or carport, then it’s always a good idea to use it for your car overnight. Making a car harder to reach is a great deterrent, as many vandals are just looking for a quick, easy target.
Some people think that keeping your vehicle out of the light can be a good idea, but the opposite is true when it comes to fighting vandalism. By parking your car beneath a bright street light or external house light, you can reduce the risk of it being vandalised as the vandal has a higher chance of being seen.
While standard car alarms are designed to stop someone stealing the car, you can get enhanced alarms that are motion activated. This means that if something moves the vehicle more than the wind could do, the alarm will sound. While alarms may seem not much of a deterrent, it is surprising how many vandals will move away quickly when a loud sound calls attention to their actions.
You may even want to add CCTV cameras on the outside of your house to cover where you park your car. Their presence can act as a deterrent to the casual vandal. Additionally, if something does happen to the car, you have footage to take to the police to help catch and prosecute those responsible.
Have you noticed a rise in car crime such as vandalism in your local area in recent years? What measures are you taking to protect your vehicle? Leave a comment below to share your experiences.
