With the judgement on whether you are able to drive placed on the driver’s shoulders, it begs to pose the question, is the current law fit for purpose as the average population age rises along with life expectancy?

More dangerous than ‘boy racers’

However, Edmund King, president of the AA, said “We wish the Duke of Edinburgh well. Many commentators use high profile car crashes involving elderly drivers as a reason to call for bans or restrictions on older drivers.

If driving restrictions based on age and safety were introduced, we would be more likely to restrict young drivers rather than older drivers.

Young, predominantly male, drivers are much more likely to crash within six months of passing their test than older drivers within six months of hanging up their keys.

He went on to say “The decision to hang up your keys is a tough one but should be based on personal advice from your GP and family rather than being based on some arbitrary age,

We all age differently and the car is an essential lifeline for many elderly people.”

The law and older drivers

There is no law on repeated eye tests, which makes it easy for you not to notice that you need glasses. Over the past few months, there has been a big push for eye tests every so often to be made compulsory under UK law.

Unless you have a declarable medical condition, there is no law on medical fitness or a medical assessment, apart from those driving minibuses or any large commercial vehicles.

Advice for older drivers

They encourage drivers to drive during daylight and avoid unknown routes unless necessary. Only two weeks ago we reported that collisions due to cautious drivers are up by a third, and those who are driving in unfamiliar areas are often much more cautious.

Once you reach the age of 60, you are automatically entitled to a free eye test. It is worth booking in and taking advantage of this, as it can help to detect other medical conditions, not just your eyesight.

Keep fit by doing 15-20 minutes of exercise a day. Whether this is a short walk through a local park, or attending a class at your nearest gym, keeping fit will make sure your joints are mobile and can help with coordination, both useful skills for driving.

Get a drivers assessment or speak to a local driving instructor for a one-off lesson that you can use to make sure you are aware of the roads. With this, you also get a professionals opinion on how you drive and things for you to watch out on. The Older Drivers Forum has a great collection of courses by professional bodies such as the Fire and Rescue service, the Insititute of Advanced Motorists and more. The aim of these is not to criticise your driving but instead to make sure that you are confident on the roads, and to keep you driving for longer.

Take a look at your car. Is it the most appropriate for your needs, and have your needs changed? What may have been a luxury, good-looking car may now need to turn into something that is easy to get in and out of, clear speedometer and bright enough lights.

Sgt. Heard from the Older Drivers Forum said that those who have a eye test and driving assessment regularly are less likely to crash or be involved with a collision, so it is worth investing in these things before it is too late.

Every year, car manufacturers recall around a million vehicles for safety checks or repairs, under the vehicle safety recall scheme. One in 13 cars on UK roads right now has had a safety recall issued but has not had the issue resolved.

In an interview with motoring magazine Auto Express, The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) who, together with car manufacturers and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) oversee the recall scheme on behalf of the government, said they now want the MOT test to include a check for recalls, to encourage owners to act on recall notices sent out by manufacturers and make sure that owners are not driving vehicles with dangerous issues they don’t know about, unaware.

Total recall

There were significant changes made to the MOT last year; with stricter emissions checks and new defect categories. Over one million UK cars have failed the revised MOT test because of a fault that categorised as ‘dangerous’ under the new rules introduced in May 2018. These more rigorous assessments judge these vehicles to pose an ‘immediate risk to road safety and/or a serious impact on the environment’. With around 2.39 million cars with outstanding safety recalls in the UK, this latest change could mean even more vehicles failing.

Safety recalls most often involve issues with airbags, brakes, fuel, steering, seatbelts, or an issue which causes the risk of fire. These defects are difficult to find during routine maintenance and can—as defined by the DVSA—involve ‘sudden and catastrophic failure’, with little or no warning to enable the driver to take preventative action.

Many drivers are unaware their car is subject to an outstanding safety recall because the manufacturer wasn’t able to contact them because of a change of registered keeper or because of a non-notification of a change of address. Locating the owners of second-hand vehicles is more difficult because it‘s almost impossible for car manufacturers to find the owners who use independent businesses for the servicing and maintenance of their cars instead of using franchised garages.

By law, dealers must check for outstanding recalls before the car leaves the forecourt, but, because no law exists to force owners to fix dangerous faults, if you buy from a private seller, it’s possible the owner ignored a past recall.

Ironing out the details

When interviewed by Auto Express, Neil Barlow, Head of MOT Policy and the MOT Service Manager at DVSA said the DVSA will work with the Department for Transport to decide how they can adjust the MOT system to cover outstanding future safety recalls.

“It would make logical sense where appropriate for the MOT to be aligned with the safety recalls system,” Mr Barlow said, adding, “work will need to take place to minimise the time between the repair being carried out and a database being updated.”

So, should drivers have concerns over facing possible instant MOT failures? Mr Barlow said owners needed ‘reasonable time’ to get any recall issues fixed and that the DVSA “has to also ensure that motorists have fair warning of newly added recalls,”, and that manufacturers ‘harmonise’ the way they record safety recalls “so that all vehicle types are covered”.

Auto Express also spoke to President of the AA, Edmund King who expressed:

“Generally, the recall system in the UK works quite well.”

“The MOT system should be used to flag up to owners recalls that haven’t been acted on, as advisory notifications,” he said and added that safety recalls “should only lead to an automatic fail if the recall fault is a major safety risk or has already been flagged up at a previous MOT.”

In Germany, recall checks are already part of their equivalent of the roadworthiness assessment and the car only fails the check if the registered keeper has not acted on the recall issue by the time the garage retests the vehicle.

How safe is your car?

If your car’s manufacturer recalls your vehicle for a safety reason, the manufacturer will send you a letter telling you why it’s being recalled and what you need to do next. You shouldn’t have to pay for any repairs or parts.

If you find a serious defect that affects the safety of your vehicle, one of its parts, or an accessory, report it straight away. You must give details of what happened and provide the vehicle registration; the make, model, and year of the vehicle; the current mileage, if the car has a manual or automatic gearbox, and whether engine uses petrol or diesel. Include any photos you have of the defect.

By law, you‘re responsible for making sure you keep your vehicle in a safe condition. If you don‘t get your vehicle inspected and fixed, you not only put yourself and others at serious risk, but you may invalidate any insurance claim you make. For driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition you could get a fine of up to £2,500, three points on your licence, or receive a driving ban.

In February 2018 the DVSA launched a vehicle recall checker where you can check to see if your car needs to go back to the manufacturer to resolve any issue. You only need to know the vehicle’s registration number.

Have you ever received a safety recall notice for your vehicle? Are you in favour of the proposed changes to the MOT? Let us know your views in the comments.

“Always eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you” – one of the lesser-known quotes from the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, in which ‘Big Brother’ is always watching. Despite being seventy years old this year, the whole “Big Brother is watching you” has never been apter, with the number of speed cameras dotted around.

A raft of new speed cameras introduced in the south-west has the ability to monitor your speed, check your seatbelt, detect mobile phone usage or see whether you’re eating, smoking or drinking, and it could lead to prosecution. These new cameras have been nicknamed ‘The Yellow Vultures’.

While we’re used to seeing average speed check cameras throughout various locations, these new cameras are the next generation, they use infrared tech and high-definition, which means that day or night, they have the ability to catch you unawares.

The legality

While smoking, eating or drinking while driving isn’t actually illegal (currently), there is an argument for distracted driving; a study by Leeds University found that motorists consuming food while driving were on average, 44% slower than usual. But if you were found to be speeding while distracted, you could face a charge of careless driving, along with the speeding conviction.

One further point is that these new breed of cameras are much more accurate, which in theory, means that when we reported back in August that Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, Britain’s Road Policing Chief wanted to fine motorists for breaching the speed limit by just 1mph, he may just get his way.

Currently, the National Police Chiefs Council guidelines recommend a 10+2 limit, that is 10% over, plus 2mph – 35mph in a thirty limit, 57mph in a fifty and so on, but that really is only a courtesy, set in the days where speedo accuracy wasn’t top of the list for the manufacturer; most speedometers were set from the factory to under-read by around 5% purely for this reason.

It’s also worth pointing out that the old ‘lane change’ trick won’t work either – gone are the days that you could confuse an average speed check camera by swapping lanes, or by riding a motorcycle with only a rear-facing number plate. The yellow vultures are capable of spotting every indiscretion, committed by any vehicle.

Spotting the cameras

At the moment, the new breed of super-camera only has limited geography – based in the south-west on the Gdynia Way heading into Plymouth and the A38 at Haldon Hill, but if proven successful you can almost guarantee that they’ll be rolled out nationwide.

The camera unit itself is similar enough to existing average speed cameras, but the tell-tale is that they’ll be preceded by a bank of LED equipment and sensors 20 metres before the first camera, even so, you’ll need sharp eyesight to know when you’re entering a zone.

The reality is that the cameras are there for speeding, and while they’re technically capable of spotting things like missing seatbelts, eating and smoking, it’s unlikely to lead to prosecution unless you commit an act of careless driving due to it. However, they’re also capable of spotting mobile phone usage, and that can only be a good thing.

What seems to be an unknown is whether the cameras are constantly scanning for illegal or dangerous driving, or whether they only activate due to speeding.

Avoidance

From what we understand, it seems a genuine effort to place the emphasis on safety first rather than raise revenue, but this could just be the tip of the iceberg, the trial run before understanding just what the real-world capabilities are.

As we reported last week, slow doesn’t necessarily mean safe, but it seems that on the whole, anti-speeding measures are generally accepted, where appropriate. As to whether a fine for eating a sandwich on the go, or staying caffeinated would be quite so well received remains to be seen.

It would seem that since ‘speed’ cameras were overtaken by ‘safety’ cameras (meaning fewer locations), the battle has been on to justify further camera usage, perhaps in a bid to minimise loss of revenue, or it could just be that the UK is in need of safety education when it comes to driving?

Driving within the speed limit is clearly the best way to avoid prosecution, and perhaps you’ll be doing your digestive system good by not having a three-course meal ‘on the go’, but then perhaps you should be allowed to choose for yourself.

One of our partners, Drivesmart, has a speed camera detector which they’ve given PetrolPrices members an exclusive 28% off, bringing the price down to £129.99. The Drivesmart Alpha has been developed by experts in the speed camera detection business, having brought out their first detector over 10 years ago when they were the first pioneers to offer free database updates. You can buy that here.

What do you think of the new breed of safety camera? Is it too much? Let us know in the comments.

As you’ve no doubt heard from an old sage, speed limits are just that; a limit, not a target, but apart from very few locations, there’s nothing about minimum speed limits (marked with a circular blue sign with white numerals).

Many drivers believe that ‘slow is safe’ regardless of conditions or traffic, but recent figures released by the Department for Transport show that road crash casualties due to excessively low speeds increased by almost a third in 2017; 175 injuries and two fatalities.

The AA warns us that “driving like a snail can be every bit as dangerous as driving too fast”, they also go on to say that perhaps part of the problem may be the record number of elderly drivers on the roads – almost five million over 70, with more than 100,000 over 90.

The effect of driving slowly

This isn’t the driving style associated with hypermiling, being courteous or even safe motoring; driving excessively slowly brings further hazards – bringing confusion to other drivers, the possibility of forcing erratic manoeuvres through frustration, slowing traffic up, even cases of road rage.

A poll by Hyundai revealed that someone driving too slowly is the 7th most common reason why drivers swear when behind the wheel and that nearly 1/3 of all respondents have had a near miss caused by someone driving too slowly. 60% of motorists say their stress levels raise when stuck behind someone driving too slowly, and about half of them are tempted to undertake.

It’s deemed that serious that the Police could charge you with Inconsiderate or Careless Driving, the maximum penalty for which is a £5,000 fine and 9 penalty points. As further evidence as to just how dimly it’s looked upon, driving too slowly is the tenth most common reason for a driving test failure, with examiners viewing it as a lack of confidence or skill.

While there are some exceptions, a national minimum speed limit has never been introduced, although some motoring organisations believe that a minimum limit could have a beneficial effect on traffic flow, although in reality that seems unlikely – where there is a minimum limit in place currently, it’s low, usually 20 mph.

What can you do?

Driving slowly can be viewed as a great stress-buster, it also helps to save your licence from any speeding problems, and with no safety judgement or discretion from ‘safety’ cameras, it’s no surprise that some motorists are taking that option. It’s when they take it too far that it becomes a problem.

As with most incidents of poor driving, the best advice is to distance yourself from it, and while the option to slow down further may not be that viable, you should look to ways of clearing it, perhaps by taking another route (where possible). It’s been shown that middle-lane hoggers on motorways are a particular threat or nuisance.

There is no easy solution to the problem – introducing a minimum limit could further exacerbate traffic problems, and of course, policing it would be difficult, that’s before we get to dwindling police numbers.
It’s worth noting that some safety campaigners believe that “speed limits are rarely safe to travel at”, and their advice is to “slow right down” in all conditions, on all roads. Perhaps it’s these campaigners that are part of the problem?

Speed kills

While understanding that excessive speed is indeed dangerous, there is an argument for appropriate speed, and that argument should work both ways; lower speeds don’t necessarily mean appropriate speed. With that said, there is a disproportionate divide between the two when it comes to statistics – 175 injuries attributable to excessively low speed, opposed to nearly 20,000 injuries for speeding.

Defining ‘low speed’ is difficult, what constitutes a risk to some motorists, may be acceptable to others, the definition of Inconsiderate Driving is that the accused must have driven in a manner that inconvenienced others, whether that results in an accident or not. What this means, in reality, is that any driver accused of such behaviour should be able to give a reasonable account as to why they were driving in such a manner.

It’s clear that this is a traffic violation that causes frustration and anger, but perhaps driver education is better than punishment; with speed awareness courses being deemed appropriate for motorists caught just over the limit, why not introduce a course for dangerously low-speed driving?

Have you been stuck behind someone driving too slowly? Do you feel that there is an argument for minimum speed limits with enforcement cameras? Or is this just another tax? Let us know in the comments.

In a new report by the National Insitute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), they called for all new roads to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and bus passengers. While some industry chiefs agree with this idea, others are quick to criticise, claiming that NICE are catering to the “Lycra army.”

The proposals

NICE is currently asking for responses to a consultation on their report to improve roads for pedestrians, cyclists and bus passengers. Some of their proposals include restricting vehicular access on certain roads, widening footpaths to make way for pedestrians, getting pupils to walk a mile a day and much more.

The proposals by NICE have been suggested as a drastic way to aim to reduce obesity, lower toxic air pollution and ease pressure on the NHS. They believe that their proposals are essential in lowering the nationwide obesity crisis.

Street and road planners have been encouraged to make roads as convenient as possible for cyclists and pedestrians, and make motorists the lowest priority on roads. NICE recommend widening pavements in order to allow for pedestrians in wheelchairs to safely navigate the pavement.

Smaller things such as asking employers to hold meetings standing up, encouraging staff to use the stairs, and asking employers to provide subsidised gym memberships and showers at work to encourage staff to cycle in. While these are small things, NICE hopes these can improve the overall health of people.

Professor Gillian Leng, the deputy chief executive and director of health and social care at NICE, said: “Getting people to be more physically active by increasing the amount they walk or cycle has the potential to benefit both the individual and the health system.

As a society, we are facing a looming Type 2 diabetes crisis, which is in part caused by people not exercising enough. We need more people to change their lifestyle and to take more exercise.

People can feel less safe when they walk or cycle compared with when they drive. We’ve got to change this.

So asking planners to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and those who use public transport when roads are built or upgraded can ensure they are safe, attractive and designed to encourage people to get out from behind their wheel.”

Concern from the industry

As cited by the RAC, new road building is scarce and often happens in housing estates where there is limited space to play with anyway. Housing estates are not often built near facilities such as doctors surgeries, supermarkets and similar, instead of in larger open spaces, so people will still need to travel in cars to get to these places.

Howard Cox of motorists’ group FairFuelUK said: “Yet another stupid out of touch edict. What planet are these so-called experts on?

The whole economy depends on road transport. A three-piece suite can’t be delivered on a bicycle. Of course, roads should be designed to cater for all users, but not by stifling the highest-taxed drivers of cars, vans and trucks in the world, for the sake of the Lycra army.”

Government response

Back in April 2017, the government published a Cycling and Walking strategy, which set out their aims to increase the number of people cycling and walking every day. The government wants to double the number of cycling or walking ‘stages’ by 2025 They define a stage as anytime someone is using a new method of transport in a journey, such as cycling to the station before getting a train or walking to meet someone before lift sharing.

In November 2018, the government went on to publish outcomes of a consultation based on their plans, and created the following points:

• Review the existing guidance in the Highway Code to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians
• Invest £100,000 to support police enforcement by developing a national back-office function to handle dash-cam footage
• Improve enforcement against parking in cycle lanes
• Appoint a cycle and walking champion
• Encourage local authorities to increase investment in cycling and walking infrastructure to 15% of total transport infrastructure spending
• Engage with cycling and walking bodies to develop a behaviour change campaign

And now, in the present day, the government are committed to encouraging people to walk shorter journeys where at all possible, wschool-agedn to school and encourage older children to cycle to school. 90% of primary school age children live less than 15 minutes walk from their school and three-quarters of secondary school aged children live a 15-minute cycle from their house.

In response to the NICE statement, a Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘DfT guidance is crystal clear that street design should explicitly consider pedestrians and cyclists first. Our Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy safety review, published last year, set out further measures to improve safety, including a review of the Highway Code.’

Do you think that motorists should be the lowest priority on our streets? How often do you make a walkable journey in the car? Let us know below

Car theft is something none of us wants to experience. If faced with a space where our car once was, the first thing we’d do is call the police—and hope this would either bring our car back or, failing that, discover the perpetrator and bring them to justice. Yet, an astonishing 75% of vehicle thefts are remaining unsolved as our police struggle to find the criminals responsible.

This information comes after an analysis of Home Office crime data for 44 police forces, including the British Transport Police. The study also found that the current level of vehicle theft is higher than it’s been in years.

Thieves left unpunished

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published the figures from the Home Office crime outcomes data for theft or ‘unauthorised taking’ of a motor vehicle and only 4% of cases resulted in charges or summonses being issued. Together, the 44 police forces logged 106,334 offences—the highest figure for the same period since 2009/10.

The analysis found West Midlands Police had closed 91% of recorded vehicle thefts without a suspect being identified, while the Metropolitan Police closed 85% of cases of recorded vehicle thefts for the same reason. The City of London Police were the force with the highest percentage of closed cases, at 96%. In fact, every police force except five forces closed over half of all cases without identifying a suspect.

So why are criminals responsible for three-quarters of all reported stolen cars going unpunished? Police chiefs say it’s due to an increased workload and fewer police officers, which mean they have to prioritise cases with a realistic chance of prosecution.

Criminals given ‘a green light’

The national percentage of vehicle thefts rose by 1% from the previous year to 77%. Over the same period, the number of police officers in England and Wales fell to 122,404 – the lowest number since comparable records began in 1996. Added to this challenge is the increasing number of complex and difficult offences police forces must investigate, such as rape and other violent crime.

Have car thieves become wise to not only the nation’s squeezed police resources but to modern car security, too? Simon Williams, RAC Media Relations Manager thinks so. He said:

“This is a sign that thieves have found ways around car security systems and have ways of selling vehicles on with little or no fear of being caught.

“The fact fewer suspects are being identified is very worrying and no doubt a symptom of the declining number of police officers and the resulting reduction in time that can be dedicated to investigating these crimes.”

Home Office statistics showed an overall increase in the total police workforce, but this number accounted for staff and not police officers, which decreased from the year before, along with Police Community Support Officers, special constables, and officers in ‘front-line roles’.

Labour politician Yvette Cooper MP, said:

“Too many investigations are closing without suspects being identified and we are hearing increasing reports of the police being too overstretched to investigate.

“Police forces are under immense pressure with rising serious and violent crime and changing patterns of crime alongside cuts in the numbers of officers and PCSOs. These figures suggest that investigations into volume crimes are now being hit. Failing to identify suspects gives criminals a green light to re-offend.”

Protect your property

So, if getting your vehicle back or hoping to see a thief punished is unlikely to happen, the best way to protect yourself from car theft is to work on prevention. Here are steps you can take to keep your car safe:

Double-check you’ve locked your car and beware of thieves who use ‘jammer’ devices to disrupt the signal between the fob and the car, leaving it unlocked and vulnerable to theft. You can do this by putting it in a tin box, and stow it safely in a draw.

Wherever you park, turn your car wheels, as thieves will avoid vehicles that take more effort and time to move. Use a driveway if you have one—thieves will favour cars further from houses—and always drive in rather than reverse in and out again. Try to use car parks with security patrols and/or CCTV, and park close to other cars.

To reduce the risk of carjacking in slow-moving traffic or a traffic jam, wherever possible, close your windows, lock your doors and hide any valuables.

The best way to secure your vehicle is with a tracker. Although this won’t prevent theft, it increases the chance of the car being recovered by the police. If you don’t have any car security, make fitting an immobiliser the priority. Car thieves avoid cars with visible devices and deterrents such as stickers warning of alarms and trackers. Any alarm is good but factory-fitted ones are the most secure and may also lower the cost of your car insurance.

Use a sturdy lock for the steering wheel, pedals or gearstick, and get your car’s registration number etched onto your car windows. These old-fashioned deterrents are making a comeback in our digital age.

You risk getting both a fine and your car stolen if you leave your car unattended with the engine idling. Whenever you leave the car, switch off the engine and lock the doors.

Never leave your keys unattended in public and when you’re at home, make sure your keys are out of sight and out of reach—and don’t be one 96% of motorists at risk of having their car stolen using a ‘relay attack’. Never take your keys upstairs or hide them in the bedroom though—it’s better to let a determined car thief have access to your vehicle rather than put yourself or your family at risk.

Have you ever had your car stolen? What was the outcome? What measures do you take to secure your vehicle against thieves? Tell us in the comments.