Toll road removes fees – a sign of what’s to come?

Oct 3, 2018

Christmas has come early for those who cross the Severn toll bridges frequently, as Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns announced that they will be axed on Monday 17th December, a week earlier than planned.

The toll, which was reduced at New Year this year, will be completely axed in a bold move aiming to improve the southern Welsh economy.

Historic move

The toll on the Severn Crossings has been around since the original bridge was opened in 1966, some 50 years ago. And now, half a century later, the toll will be removed completely to allow for “toll-free, free flow” journeys between England and Wales.

Mr Cairns, speaking at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, said “My number one aim when I became secretary of state for Wales, was to do away with tolling that for half a century has restricted and distorted the growth and connections of the Welsh economy.

Wales will be more open for business than ever. Scrapping tolls before the festive period is an early Christmas present for hard-working commuters who will be £1,400 per year better off.

This is just the start of my plan to pursue yet more growth for a stronger and a better-connected Wales. Scrapping the Severn tolls is an example of the Conservatives ensuring that all four nations of the UK thrive after Brexit, in doing so, transforming the joint economic prospects of south Wales and the west of England.”

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The end of an era?

Toll roads have slowly phased out since the 1600’s turnpike roads, an ancient method of paying for the upkeep of roads was introduced. While very basic, they helped to keep roads maintained.

In the 1960’s when turnpike roads were formally abolished by the government, some still remained operated by companies or by local or national authorities. One famous toll road, the M6, remains one of the few roads to have a toll added in recent years, rather than it being removed.

Toll roads are unpopular with some motorists, who argue that we should either pay tolls or pay tax on fuel/Vehicle Excise Duty rather than both. This move, pushed by Mr Cairns, will save motorists who travel across the Severn frequently up to £1,400.

A pattern across the country

The removal of the toll at the Severn Crossings shows that tolls do not necessarily benefit the economy. The toll made the government around ten million a month, but it is hoped that the free entry to Wales will not only benefit the Welsh economy but help to improve relations, boost tourism and increase the business growth in Wales.

There are over 20 toll roads across the country, and while some argue that they help to reduce emissions nationally, others argue that the cost of tolls is just another financial burden on the motorist that they don’t need, creating an unhealthy relationship between the government and the motorist.

It has been suggested by some of our members in comments of previous posts to either charge the motorist on fuel duty or to charge them for using the roads. Some mentioned France, where major roads are tolled, and you pay every certain distance as a potential option, but others pushed for a complete removal of tolls, as in Scotland who abolished all tolls in 2008.

The pro’s and con’s

One of the obvious benefits to this is the reduction in cost for daily commuters. Some could save up to £1,400 a year for daily travellers. For companies who pay £16.70 a time for a lorry to cross the bridge, it means that the half a million or so a year that one haulier company could potentially pay, this can be invested in otherwise developing the business.

However, the downside could potentially be increased congestion in the area as the routes become more popular. When the tolls were removed on the Tay and Forth road bridges, environmental campaigners protested the change saying the extra pollution would provide no benefit to the Scottish economy, who at the time had just released a paper stating the need to reduce emissions drastically.

Should this toll removal be reflected in other parts of the country? Do you agree with toll fares? Let us know in the comments below

Fuel duty will not rise, says Theresa May

Oct 3, 2018

In a surprise move by the Prime Minister, Theresa May, delivered a speech at the Conservative Party Conference yesterday, October 3rd, promising that fuel duty will not rise in the budget released on the 29th October.

“On their side”

With this statement, the PM said that the government is “on the side of hardworking families.”
Mrs May demonstrated her rededication to those who just about manage each month, saying “Many people in towns and cities across our country, cannot take these [substantial savings] for granted. They are the people this party exists for.

They are the people for whom this party must deliver. It’s for them that we cut income tax. Introduced a National Living Wage. Extended free childcare. And froze fuel duty every year. Because for millions of people, their car is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.

Money in the pockets of hard-working people from a Conservative Government that is on their side.”

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Response from the Chancellor

Philip Hammond, who last month we reported on wanting to raise fuel duty, has admitted that while the cost of freezing duty would come at great cost to the Exchequer, he acknowledged “The high oil price and the near-record pump price of petrol and diesel are also imposing a significant burden on motorists.”

“So we have decided that to support hardworking families, we will once again freeze fuel duty in the upcoming budget.”

Scrapping the rise will save the motorist £1.20 every time they fill up, on average, but will cost the Treasury £800 million over the course of the financial year.

Not all good news

Following in the wake of this news, it was also revealed that the current supermarket price war is set to be short-lived as the oil price has skyrocketed recently. This time last week it was at $80 and as of the 3rd of October, it was sitting at $84 dollars. Tensions between Iran and America, as well as a volatile pound amid the Brexit negotiations have all contributed to the high prices of oil.

For drivers of petrol cars, there has been some relief towards the end of September, with the price of petrol starting September at 131.1ppl at a national average, and finishing at 130.4ppl, thanks to the price war.

Diesel drivers, on the other hand, have seen the opposite with prices starting at 133.9ppl, dropping the following week to 133.4ppl and then at the end of the month hitting a high of 134.5ppl. While the price of diesel is higher at the moment due to “increased European demand for heating oil which is produced from the same ’part of the barrel’, but the higher oil price and weaker exchange rate means the effect is exaggerated,” says Simon Williams of the RAC.

Prepare for increase

Experts are warning that an increase in fuel prices is incoming and to be prepared. If you can, fill up your tank now as the prices are lower.

The RAC’s Simon Williams said of the increases “Petrol drivers will be hoping that September was the month that stopped the rot in terms of rising pump prices, but this may well not be the case. A dark cloud is hanging over forecourts as oil is at a four-year high and there is lots of volatility in the exchange rate due to the increasing tension of the Brexit negotiations.”

Check the prices near you by downloading the PetrolPrices app and you’ll be able to check the prices wherever you are in the country.

You can also save money on your driving by using some hypermiling techniques, see if any of these tips help:

  • Don’t use unnecessary speed. The Department for Transport figures states you’ll use up to 9% more fuel driving at 70mph than you would at 60mph and up to 25% more fuel travelling at 80mph instead of 70mph. The faster you drive, the greater your fuel consumption. Set off a little before you need to, to avoid feeling rushed.
  • Keep the car moving as much as you can. The ability to do this depends on traffic conditions and what’s happening on the road ahead, but slowing down and having to speed up again uses more fuel.
  • Keep your engine revolutions low by changing up gears early. You’ll lose speed fast if you let the engine labour. Try to keep the engine speed in the ideal fuel-efficient spot.

Do you think that the right decision has been made over fuel duty? How will the projected increases affect you? Let us know in the comments below

Motorists top concern revealed – and it may not be what you think

Sep 26, 2018

As winter looms ever closer and people start using their cars more, we often notice the shocking state of our local roads. New research by the RAC has revealed that the state of local roads is of the highest priority for drivers, above issues like the cost of filling up, people using their phones at the wheel and the aggressive behaviour of other motorists.

The RAC’s annual report on motoring, which takes a stratified sample of drivers from across the UK and asks them questions on motoring, has been released and reveals the issues that motorists themselves feel are the most important.

Dissatisfaction on the increase

66% of motorists agreed that over the last 12 months, road surface across all networks has deteriorated, with 78% of motorists stating the state of UK roads was “generally poor.” The widespread annoyance is not fixed on one area although those in the East of England, the East Midlands and Scotland have seen an increase in dissatisfaction year on year.

People are also unhappy that of the £4.6bn that the government raises from fuel duty alone, there is no clear long-term investment plan for local roads from that sum. Almost half of the motorists would be willing to pay more tax if they knew it meant the roads would be fixed and returned to full working condition.

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Beast on the streets

After the Beast from the East earlier this year caused havoc on roads across the country, the statistics on the poor state of roads will have been affected by this. Nevertheless, earlier this year after the spell of bad weather, the Department for Transport announced a meagre £100 million extra budget available to local authorities to fix the worst of the potholes. While this may sound like a large sum, the actual amount needed to return our roads to a working state is around £9.3 billion. The £9.3 billion encompasses the maintenance backlog and was estimated by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) in their annual report earlier this year.

The annual report from the AIA showed that a fifth of all local roads are in “poor structural condition” meaning that they have a life expectancy of five years or less. This is three percent up from last year and continues with the rising trend. While some of this is due to the Beast from the East, the RAC Pothole Index, which is aggregated to remove seasonal effects, shows that the state of roads has reduced considerably since 2017.

Angry drivers on the phone

Directly behind the state of local roads, a high number of motorists listed the behaviour of other drivers as a concern for them, namely related to mobile phone use behind the wheel. The aggressive behaviour of other drivers is a major concern for drivers with it coming fourth in the list overall concerns.

Drink driving had a large statistically significant increase of people who knew or thought they had driven over the limit in the past 12 months, rising from 8% to 12%. This increase is worrying as the number of deaths attributable to drink driving increased in the latest batch of government statistics released.

The higher cost of motoring

The third highest concern for motorists was the rising cost of motoring, which includes car insurance, parking costs and any other taxes.

The vast majority of motorists say that their fuel costs have increased since last year, which reflects the rising wholesale costs, the weakened pound against the dollar and increased oil prices.

Alongside fuel prices, the only other place with an increase in concern from motorists was the cost of parking. Cash-strapped councils are charging more than ever for parking, and the cost of permits has increased as well. This could potentially be influenced by the surcharge applied by some councils, mainly in central London, to diesel cars.

What should change?

The RAC, acting as a voice for the motorist, recommended some changes based on the report. One solution they proposed was ringfencing two pence from fuel duty to go towards repairing roads. Over 10 years they estimated this would raise £9.4bn, enough to cover the current backlog. Motorists also said they were concerned with the seeming lack of a long-term plan to improve local road quality, and so the RAC recommended that the government produce a strategy on repairing roads and ensuring they can withstand all weathers.

A large majority of motorists were also concerned at the state of major roads on the strategic road network and so the RAC recommended that Highways England review their policy and processes on repairing larger roads in order to gain maximum efficiency.

As said by the road safety charity BRAKE, the RAC backed a call to lower the legal blood alcohol limit to 50mg in order to minimise the injuries and deaths that could potentially happen as a result of drink driving.

What do you think of the suggestions made by the RAC? What would you change in the motoring world? Let us know in the comments below

Speed bumps have damaged a fifth of drivers cars

Sep 26, 2018

For motorists, driving over a speed bump can be both unnerving and uncomfortable. An unexpected jolt, bump, or scrape may lead you to worry if you’ve damaged your car—and you’d be right to have concerns.

New research by Comparison website Confused.com shows that over a fifth of drivers report vehicle damage from driving over speed bumps. They also discovered that, between 2013 and 2015, local authorities paid out around £35,000 in compensation to drivers whose vehicles had sustained damage from speed bumps.

A bumpy ride

The UK has 29,000 speed bumps, humps and cushions—8,516 of those are in London—a bad place for speed bump damage. Between 2013 and 2015, £15,717 worth of compensation went to drivers to cover expenses incurred by damage from one of the capital’s many speed bumps.

Confused.com used the Freedom of Information Act to get data from various councils and also surveyed 2,000 motorists. Here’s what they discovered:

  • 41% of motorists claim speed bumps cause ‘too much’ damage to cars
  • 22% reported that driving over a speed bump caused damage to their car
  • 48% of the incidents related to damaged tyres
  • 33% of the incidents related to suspension damage
  • 27% said speed bumps were ‘ineffective’ at reducing speed
  • 28% said they want road markings and signage for speed bumps made clearer, as they find them hard to spot
  • 27% say speed bumps cause disruptions to traffic flow
  • 23% avoid driving down roads that have speed bumps
  • 58% say speed bumps should be lower
  • 29% said they sped up in between speed bumps
  • 19% don’t slow down for them at all
  • 22% oppose speed bumps due to the constant change of speed they cause—known to be bad for the environment
  • 23% say councils should abolish speed bumps to improve air quality

It confused 17% of those surveyed why councils often choose speed bumps instead of other traffic-calming measures but speed bumps have their supporters. In fact, about half of those surveyed said speed bumps guard pedestrians, with 44% saying they improve road safety.

Councils often place speed bumps in areas where there’s a lot of pedestrian movement. The bumps force motorists to slow almost to a stop, to avoid causing damage to the bumper, undercarriage, or even the steering rack.

Other concerns about speed bumps include the chance of damage to emergency vehicles who may cross them at high speeds. Damage to low-riding vehicles, even at low speeds, is another concern. Yet thorough studies carried by transportation organisations say the benefits outweigh any damages caused.

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‘Inverted potholes’

Amanda Stretton, Motoring Editor at Confused.com, said although it’s clear that speed bumps aren’t popular with many motorists, they’re there for a reason. She advised those drivers who think they’ve damaged their cars while driving at a reasonable speed should—if safe—check the height of the bump, to see if they would be eligible for compensation.

“But forking out hundreds of pounds to fix tyres or suspension is a cost we’re sure drivers could do without when the cost of motoring is becoming less affordable as it is. “, she added.

Garages do well from speed bumps, from drivers who bring in their damaged cars for repairs. The Confused.com survey discovered that the average repair cost for damage from speed bump is £141. One garage owner from Islington, Tony Marco, said the lowest parts of the car—the middle exhaust box, the rear exhaust, the oil sump, and all the rubber bushes that move around and flex as you go over the bumps—are where most damage occurs. He added that most people don’t realise speed bumps are the reason for the damage.

The Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) says the belief that speed bumps make our roads safer is a ‘simplistic notion’.

ABD Director, Brian Gregory said: “Speed humps are nothing more than inverted potholes; they are a danger to all road users.”

Claiming for damage

Most experts say driving over speed bumps the way you’re supposed to and not too often, won’t damage your car. Preexisting wear to the car would decide most damage (such as bad alignment, worn tyres, or weak suspension) or hitting the speed bumps too fast. Yet, if you drive over them often, your vehicle may incur damage, so avoid these areas if possible during daily journeys.

It can be difficult for motorists to make a claim for compensation because a speed bump is a speed-calming measure, not a road defect, but they have size restrictions. Here are the permitted measurements:

Height: 100mm—although the government recommends that they’re not higher than 75mm.
The vertical face should be below 6mm.
The bump should be narrower than 900mm.

If you find you need to make a complaint about a speed bump, you need to contact the area’s council. They might handle your grievance through their complaints procedure, or they may refer your case to their insurers.

If the council refuses to compensate you for the damage to your vehicle, you can take them to court. You can sometimes get free advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau, a law centre, or a solicitor. Don’t forget that some insurance policies offer legal help and some trade unions and motoring organisations offer legal help for their members.

The HM Court Service website has information on making a claim through the county court: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service

Find your local Citizens Advice Bureau: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

For information about Highways England: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/highways-england/

Have you ever damaged your car on a speed bump? Do you think the UK should abolish speed bumps or do you want them to stay? Let us know in the comments

BREAKING: Relief for motorists as supermarket price war starts

Sep 26, 2018

Supermarket giant Asda confirmed this morning (26th September) that they have reduced their national price cap on unleaded by two pence a litre, bringing it down to 126.7ppl. Morrisons were quick to follow and announced that they were cutting unleaded on all forecourts by up to two pence a litre. Sainsbury’s have also hopped on the bandwagon, and from Friday 28th September will be cutting unleaded by up to 2p a litre. Late on Wednesday afternoon, Tesco announced that they too would be cutting the cost of unleaded by up to 2p a litre.

This national price cap means that petrol drivers can expect to pay no more than 126.7ppl in Asda forecourts from the 26th September, a welcome relief from the sky-high prices we have seen recently, which are the highest in four years. For Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s customers, a welcome maximum two pence a litre drop will also help to ease the burden.

What started the price war?

A drop in the cost of wholesale has meant that supermarkets, who are often the quickest to respond to drops, are able to cut prices drastically overnight. While oil prices are still rising the wholesale cost has dropped, and the response from brands is a positive way of passing on the savings.

Asda was first to announce a drop on Wednesday 26th in the morning, and their cut took immediate effect, Morrisons came in a close second, with an announcement shortly after. The Morrisons cut kicked in on Thursday 27th along with the Tesco cut, and Sainsbury’s the day after with their drop starting on the 28th of September (Friday).

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In the last twelve months, eight of them have seen a rise in the cost of filling up. At the end of August, the prices hit a four year high with the average litre of unleaded costing 130.2ppl and the average litre of diesel costing 132.8ppl. While this is mostly unchanged at the end of September, with the modal average litre at 129.9ppl for unleaded and 133.9ppl for diesel, the prices are still high compared to this time last year. In September last year, the average litre of unleaded was 119.3ppl, and the average litre of diesel was 120ppl.

The price of oil dropped to $71 a barrel in Mid-August, and it seems these savings have finally been passed down to the motorist.

Response from supermarkets

Data from the PetrolPrices database, dated 25th September 2018, shows that the average price for supermarket brands nationwide is in line with the national average, but some are much lower.

Asda’s modal average price on the 25th September was 126.7ppl, showing their price cap starting early, Sainsbury’s were a few pence behind at 129.9ppl, and then Morrisons and Tesco brought up the rear at 130.9ppl.

Asda’s Senior Fuel Buyer, Dave Tyrer, said: “Today’s latest move shows that Asda is once again cutting the cost of filling up for motorists following a decrease in the wholesale costs on unleaded. Our new national price cap of 126.7ppl will be welcomed by the millions of drivers across the UK who has seen prices rise by 10 pence per litre since the start of summer and are currently at their highest for five years.”

Ashley Myers, Head of Fuel at Morrisons, said: “We always try to keep our fuel prices as low as we can, and far below the UK average.”

Karen O’Connor, Category Manager for Sainsbury’s, said: “We are committed to helping our customers live well for less whether they’re stocking up on groceries or refuelling their cars and that’s why we’re dropping the price of unleaded petrol from Friday. Whether in-store or at the pumps, customers know they will get fantastic value with Sainsbury’s.”

Tesco has confirmed a price cut of up to 2p a litre that came into effect 27th September, and did not pass on an official comment.

At the moment, the longevity of this price cut is uncertain. The cheaper oil at the end of August going into the beginning of September rose steeply afterwards and with it now sitting at around $80 a barrel, it is unlikely that this drop will remain around for a sustained period of time.

If you’re lucky enough to need a fill up as payday approaches, then you are in luck. The price cuts should all be in full effect, so if you’re not picky about fuel, then use our map search to find a supermarket near you.

What about diesel?

Currently, no supermarkets are cutting the price of diesel, as the wholesale price of diesel hasn’t dropped, instead continuing to rise. If you’re a diesel driver, then you will unfortunately not benefit from the supermarket price war, but hopefully, there will eventually be some slight relief.

If you are a diesel driver, here’s a couple of tips to make your tank last a bit longer:

Keep your engine revolutions low by changing up gears early. You’ll lose speed fast if you let the engine labour. Try to keep the engine speed in the ideal fuel-efficient spot.

Don’t use your air conditioning unless you must. It uses the power of the engine which increases fuel consumption.

Ensure that your car is operating at peak performance. A 10% drop in tyre pressure can affect the efficiency of the tyre and rolling-resistance, leading to a decrease in MPG. Equally, a dirty air filter can have a dramatic effect on fuel usage – some experts claim that replacing a dirty air filter could improve your mileage by as much as 10%.

Are you glad that the prices are dropping? Will this help you out? Let us know below

BMW, Daimler and VW under investigation for limiting emissions technology

Sep 19, 2018

In what seems to be a never-ending slaughter of German car manufacturers, they don’t seem to be helping themselves. A new in-depth investigation by the European Commission is intending to discover whether VW (Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche), BMW and Daimler, so-called the ‘Circle of Five’, colluded on a project to restrict the competition on development and roll-out on technology designed to help clean out emissions of both petrol and diesel cars.

How did this all come about?

In October of 2017, the European Commission entered into Anti-Trust investigations at the ‘Circle of Five’ headquarters to understand if any EU anti-trust laws had been broken. Now, nearly a year later, a formal investigation has been opened to properly investigate the matter.

The EU received information that cartel-like behaviour could potentially be happening through a report by the German magazine, Der Spiegel in a report they published last year. The report exposed the cartel and revealed documents that show potential collusion since the 1990’s. It states that VW initially self-incriminated themselves by voluntarily admitting to cartel-like behaviour in more recent years, but since that reveal, Der Spiegel researched heavily into the potential issue.

The EU frowns upon cartel behaviour, and this, if proven to be true, is a very prevalent example of cartel behaviour that limits the competition in the market, and potentially harms civilians by stopping them from buying lower emissions cars.

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What is the investigation focusing on?

The core focus of the investigation is certain emissions control systems, two devices that are selective catalytic reduction (‘SCR’) systems to reduce harmful nitrogen oxides emissions from passenger cars with diesel engines; and ‘Otto’ particulate filters (‘OPF’) to reduce harmful particulate matter emissions from passenger cars with petrol engines.

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy at the Europen Commision, said: “The Commission is investigating whether BMW, Daimler and VW agreed not to compete against each other on the development and roll-out of important systems to reduce harmful emissions from petrol and diesel passenger cars. These technologies aim at making passenger cars less damaging to the environment. If proven, this collusion may have denied consumers the opportunity to buy less polluting cars, despite the technology being available to the manufacturers.”

It is believed that the companies discussed numerous other technical issues as well, including at what speed a convertible roof could safely open and close, cruise control, common quality requirements for car parts, common quality testing procedures and crash testing.

While the EU anti-trust laws leave room for technical cooperation, it seems that this has gone a bit too far for the commission this time, hence the opening of a formal inquiry.

At the current stage in the investigation, the commision has no reason to believe the companies colluded on the defeat devices of the Dieselgate scandal.

Why is this important?

Something that is heavily frowned upon by the European Commission is cartel behaviour and anti-competitive behaviour. Since the 2015 dieselgate scandal, automotive groups, especially those based in Germany, have had to tread carefully, but this doesn’t help the already tarnished image that they, especially VW, already have. By potentially demonstrating this kind of behaviour, more shame will rest on the shoulders of the groups.

As this involves emissions, something that is currently at the forefront of the automotive industry’s issues, this propels the investigations to new heights. If the inquiry finds anything that shows that by engaging in anti-competitive behaviour the groups allowed higher emissions then it becomes a whole different ball game. It links it straight back to the dieselgate scandal and shows that despite everything there has been no change in the mindset of the companies. If the inquiry shows that they did engage in anti-competitive behaviour and from that emissions contributed to premature deaths and other pollution-related illnesses, then the fines could reach into the billions of Euros.

Next steps for the groups

All of the companies and brands involved, BMW, Daimler, VW (encompassing Audi, VW and Porsche,) are fully cooperating with the inquiry.

BMW said it was “wholeheartedly committed to the principles of market economics and fair competition,” and added “From the start of the investigation, the BMW Group has supported the commission in its work and will continue to do so. Due to the ongoing investigation, the BMW Group will not comment on the case.”

Daimler confirmed partaking in the investigation and filed a leniency application but wouldn’t comment any further on the matter.

All of the companies are focusing on electric cars now in order to show they are changing, indeed the BMW i8 and i3 are some of the most distinguishable electric cars on the roads. VW is aiming to release their first pure EV next year, called the iD, which will be a hatchback.

After this, the companies will have to do a lot of work to not only improve their image but to prove that they are contributing positively to society and actively helping to reduce emissions.

Do you think that this inquiry will show anything? What do you think about what has come to light? Let us know below

Tailgating causes one in eight casualties on British roads

Sep 19, 2018

Tailgating is the most annoying habit among UK drivers, but analysis by Highways England (HE) has proven that it’s so much more than an annoyance – more than 100 people are killed or seriously injured every year on Britain’s motorways or major A roads; in fact, one-in-eight casualties are the direct result of tailgating.

Research has been carried out using dash cams, heart rate monitors and facial recognition systems that shows a typical response is anger, contempt, surprise and a sharp increase in heart rate, with drivers feeling ‘victimised’ or targeted.

Head of road safety at Highways England, Richard Leonard, states: “Tailgating distracts the motorist’s attention from the road, making them more likely to make a mistake”.

Space invader

Armed with this research, Highways England is launching a ‘Don’t Be A Space Invader’ campaign, supported with the backing of former Formula 1 champion, Nigel Mansell, who is also the President of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) RoadSmart, a road safety charity. Mansell himself describes the habit of tailgating as ‘deplorable’.

Worryingly, Highways England(HE) believes that in most cases of tailgating, the driver is simply unaware that they’re doing it (a passive tailgater), which when compared to another statistic they’ve released, gives you a clearer understanding of the size of the problem.

Earlier this year, HE surveyed just over 1,100 motorists, with 25% of them admitting to tailgating another driver in the last three months – and that’s the people that are aware they were doing it – the majority (according to HEs own findings) don’t – extrapolating that figure would tell us that the number of drivers guilty of tailgating must be over half.

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The campaign

The Don’t Be a Space Invader campaign has been designed to try and quash tailgating completely, through raising awareness, giving advice and trying to get inconsiderate drivers to understand the implications and effects of tailgating. It will be shown throughout the country and companies such as National Express will be using the campaign on their long-distance coaches.

Raising awareness for the passive tailgater is all well and good, they are perhaps the most dangerous kind of tailgater, but it’s not going to stop the habitual bully from trying to push you along at an increased pace, and while powers do exist to tackle that problem, they rely on dwindling numbers of mobile traffic police – less than 10,000 tickets have been issued since the introduction of new legislation in August 2013, allowing the police to give on the spot fines.

‘Stay Safe, Stay Back’ is the strapline, and it’s hoped that it’s enough to prompt people in to thinking about their driving, rather than just semi-autonomously going about their daily commute.

Effects of tailgating

One insurance company has revealed that more than 25% of the claims between January and August of this year have involved a car being hit from the rear, and along with personal injury, there is the added increase to the insurance premium, loss of NCB and potential for legal proceedings.

Tailgating has also been linked to an increase in traffic jams thanks to the ripple effect of the brake lights, and should you be caught by the police, you’ll be liable for a £100 fine and potentially three penalty points.

But there are things that you can do, either as someone that’s inadvertently tailgating or as someone that is being tailgated:

  • Always try to keep to the two-second rule as a minimum – leaving a gap of at least two seconds between you and the car in front (double that when it’s wet)
  • Be aware of your surroundings – familiarity breeds contempt, so pay extra attention on your regular journeys
  • Never assume the driver in front is aware of you
  • Check your speed – are you driving too slowly or too fast?
  • Do not speed up to ‘lose’ a tailgater – there is a chance that they’ll just follow you
  • If it’s safe to do so, pull over and let the tailgater pass – don’t be tempted to police the roads yourself
  • Never brake test a tailgater
  • Check the official Highways England Space Invader site for further information

Tailgating has affected nearly 90% of motorists in one form or another, it seems to be happening on an epidemic proportion, and with modern life being lived at a pace, it’s unlikely to end soon. It seems that driving standards, in general, are on the decline, but with more campaigns like this, that could be turned around, and surely, we need to make driving a more pleasurable experience again.

What do you think of tailgaters? Should they face further legal action? Do you think this campaign will work? What else could Highways England do to make a difference? Let us know.

Petrol prices set to rise as oil industry struggles

Sep 19, 2018

At PetrolPrices.com, we’re keen to keep our members and readers abreast of what’s happening in the world of petrol and diesel. It seems we’ve only just reported on one fuel price story when another rears its head. Last week came with worrying news that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is considering increasing fuel duty and this week we learn that world events may mean yet another rise in the cost of fuel.

Independent advisory body, The International Energy Agency (IEA) has cautioned that the price of oil may be about to climb during the following months due to declining oil production in major oil-producing countries. So, why is the oil industry struggling?

Higher prices may be on the way

After the tenth consecutive week of fuel inflation, drivers are witnessing the most expensive petrol and diesel since 2014, yet things aren’t looking to improve as a series of factors are against us.

When US President Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and imposed heavy sanctions, oil-production slowed and the oil-abundant country of Venezuela is struggling to produce oil as the country continues to spiral into further economic crisis.

Brent crude was as low as $65 a barrel just a month ago but has since seen prices increase to $70-$80 a barrel, yet, according to the IEA, we may witness even higher prices due to decreasing oil-production in Venezuela and Iran—and fighting in Libya is affecting the oil industry, too. This isn’t good news for drivers who, after facing multiple price hikes, are seeing petrol and diesel at their highest prices in four years.

In June, in a drive to reduce prices, the oil cartel Opec agreed to increase production and, although the major oil-producing countries have pumped more crude oil—in August they produced a record 100 million barrels of oil a day—the production problems in Iraq and Venezuela may scupper OPEC’s efforts.

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On the brink of record highs

The weakened value of the pound and increasing oil prices have both increased the cost of filling up our tanks. At the time of writing this, PetrolPrices.com data shows the average cost of a litre of petrol as 131.4p while diesel stands at an average 134.3p per litre. The cost of filling up an average 55-litre family car with unleaded or diesel has increased by around £6.00 since April.

Simon Williams, Media Relations Manager of the RAC said “Fuel prices are teetering on the brink. If oil supply gets any tighter, or the pound gets any weaker against the dollar, we could see the price of a litre of fuel climb to very unwelcome heights,” and warned of the potential of getting close to the record highs of 2012. The IEA said if Venezuelan and Iranian exports continue to fall, markets might tighten and oil prices could rise “without offsetting production increases from elsewhere.”

Brent crude — the international measure of oil prices — was today trading at $78 a barrel, yet those at the HSBC Bank who track oil prices said the chance of the price going up to $100 a barrel was, “not out of the question, given the increasing lack of global spare capacity” and UBS bank analysts said this would increase global inflation from 3% to 4%.

Ransom money

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said there’s a chance that the cost of oil will soar even higher over the next months. If this happens, motorists will need to find more money to cover the cost of filling up at the pumps, and the chancellor will be in a very sticky situation as he decides whether the Government should increase fuel duty.

The tax on fuel hasn’t increased since 2011 but the chancellor has been considering raising fuel duty to increase public spending, yet one must ask—since transport costs are the largest part of a family’s budget—will the average motorist have any money left to spend?

For many people, it’s not possible to replace all of their travel with alternative modes of transport, less so if they live in a rural area. This means having no choice but to pay the high petrol and diesel prices and trim their budgets in other areas — or risk job loss, poverty, and social isolation. It’s no wonder many drivers feel somewhat held to ransom.

While we wait to see what will happen at the pumps, drivers can still reduce their motoring costs. Why not download the PetrolPrices.com app for maximum convenience and money-saving on the move.

Are you prepared for a further increase in petrol and diesel prices? Will you have to cut other areas of spending? Are you able to make use of cheaper forms of travel? What do you think is the best way to prevent rising fuel costs? Let us know in the comments.

Philip Hammond wants to raise fuel duty in Autumn Budget

Sep 12, 2018

The subject of fuel duty is perhaps one of the most contentious in British society. We already pay one of the highest proportions of tax to fuel in the world, indeed a 2014 study by the RAC Foundation showed that UK motorists were paying some of the highest proportional tax in the EU, second only to Sweden.

Chancellor Philip Hammond hinted at scrapping the freeze on fuel duties in a speech to MP’s in Treasury questions yesterday, saying that the impact of the policy, “must be looked at again.” Maintaining the freeze is predicted to cost the Treasury £38bn over the next three years, twice as much as we spend on NHS doctors and nurses.

Impact on the government and households

Since the fuel duty freeze in 2011, it is estimated the freezes have saved the average car driver £850 and the average van driver £2,100. However, in that process, it has cost the Exchequer over £46bn in revenue for the financial year ending 2019 and will continue to cost them if they do not increase the fuel duty.

Fuel duty, which currently stands at 57.95ppl, has remained the same since 2011 as successive ministers have not lifted the freeze for one reason or the other. This has been, in part, attributed to the promise of “blue-collar Conservatism” as outlined by David Cameron after the 2015 election. Any proposal to increase fuel duty would likely prompt a rebellion from a large group of Tory backbenchers who feel it would harm their prospects amongst some working-class voters.

Robert Halfon, a former Conservative minister, asked Mr Hammond to agree that the fuel duty freeze was beneficial to the economy, which Mr Hammond deflected by outlining the cost for the government and highlighting the savings for the motorist.

Mr Halfon, speaking to the Independent on the issue, said “The parliamentary arithmetic would make it incredibly difficult to introduce such a huge tax rise hitting millions of working people, it would also be a tax rise for businesses when they need financial stability in terms of leaving the EU, while lower fuel duty gives an impetus to economic growth which offsets the loss of tax revenue.”

There are, of course, questions as to whether the economic benefits of the freeze on fuel duties do, in fact, compensate for the significant loss of government revenue.

Also in the news

Volkswagen receives compensation in Dieselgate scandal

Have an article you’d like to see? Submit an idea here.

Impact on the motorist

Based on a rise of 2ppl a litre, we did some arithmetic to try and establish how much extra it would cost the motorist each year and what the economic effects would be.

With a 2ppl rise, motorists could expect to pay £30 more at the pumps. Based on the average UK price from this year so far, which is 128.7ppl, a rise of 2ppl in fuel duty would take it to 130.7ppl. Based on our predictions of a 2ppl rise, this could generate £927 million income for the government to go towards NHS funding, and removing the deficit, as promised by the Conservatives in their manifesto.

This, however, is not the only thing to take into consideration. By increasing the fuel duty, all companies would either have to take a hit in profits or increase the list price of items. It would cost an extra £800 a year to fuel a lorry at the price of 130.7ppl as well and so for companies that rely on road haulage, this could mean a huge increase in already astronomical costs for fuel for companies.

Rather complicated maths led us to approximate an extra £100 annual costs to the motorist if the government chose to up the cost of fuel duty, due to haulage costs and also for personal expenses. With the average UK salary hitting £27,271, according to the National Office for Statistics, and the average weekly budget for transport being £79.70, any increase here would be monumental, especially for low-income families, who are already struggling. Even the smallest of increases could push ‘just about managing’ families over the edge.

Other options

Aside from pushing for a rise in fuel duty, the government has a few other ways that it could potentially fund the £20bn for the NHS, including raising income tax for the first time since 1970 and others taxes on goods such as alcohol and tobacco. Conservative ministers hope that raising fuel duty would be the least contentious of their rather limited options and enable them to give much-needed funding to the NHS and other essential public services.

As Theresa May said earlier in the year, the money has to come from somewhere and so “fair and balanced” tax raises are a viable solution. Mr Hammond needs to find a way to fund the NHS without reneging on manifesto promises, and at the minute, one of the most feasible, but unliked, ways seems to be increased taxes on the motorist.

Moving forward

However, if a rise in fuel duty is on the cards, one way in which the government could offset the impact on business would be the introduction of subsidies to firms who invest in alternative fuels and electric vehicles. The government announced on Tuesday at the first ever zero-emissions summit in Birmingham, plans to increase funding for Zero Emissions vehicles, and also plenty of funding for Research and Development in the area.

Do you think a fuel duty rise could be justified? How much would you expect a fuel duty rise to be? Let us know below

Volkswagen receives compensation in Dieselgate scandal

Sep 12, 2018

2015: Volkswagen admit to fitting some of their diesel cars with a ‘defeat device’, aimed squarely at cheating the emissions tests for diesels around the world, in whichever form that testing took place. To date, it’s thought to have cost the Volkswagen Group over £38bn in penalties, fines and compensation.

2018: The High Court of Justice has awarded the Volkswagen Group nearly half-a-million pounds in compensation with regards to costs for a Group Litigation Order that directly relates to the ‘dieselgate’ scandal.

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Legal action

As the latest round of legal action against Volkswagen commences, in which investors are seeking compensation for the loss of share value to the tune of £8.2bn, there have been a number of “unnecessary and ineffective hearings” brought against the VW group in 2017 by legal firms acting on behalf of the UK owners, many of which have been premature, needless and unreasonable according to the court.

With this in mind, they will be awarding costs against some of the claimants to the value of £468,000 to Volkswagen, but it should be noted that this in no way diminishes the legality or the action against the Volkswagen Group in the longer term; this is perhaps more of an indication of the ‘ambulance chaser’ attitude toward the legal teams trying to make a fast penny from the action.

Despite there being no payout (as yet) for UK owners, Vopayoutn have already settled many cases in America, with claimants receiving a typical payout of between $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the age of the vehicle, so far, they’ve paid around $14bn.

Also in the news

Speed limits on motorways could be increased to 80mph

Have an article you’d like to see? Submit an idea here.

The UK situation

To date, Volkswagen has offered to remove the defeat device from affected vehicles, as a free of charge service, but some drivers have commented on the lack of performance of the vehicle afterwards, which is no surprise.

There are a number of planned actions against the Volkswagen Group, the reason why the High Court has sided with VW in respect to the compensation has nothing to do with their liability, but there has been a deadline imposed; you need to register your claim before 26th October 2018 regardless of whether you’ve had the device removed or no longer own the vehicle. Missing this deadline could mean you’re not eligible for compensation.

Gareth Pope, head of group litigation for Slater and Gordon said: “Volkswagen have demonstrated high levels of contempt for UK owners by refusing to admit liability in the UK, over the same issue that they’ve paid compensation for elsewhere. They are relying on existing and former owners to not sign up to a group action”. It must be stated that Slater and Gordon are one of the firms criticised by the court for bringing premature and unnecessary action.

The bigger picture

It’s possible that this issue doesn’t just affect Volkswagen owners either, it’s believed that some Skoda, Seat and Porsche vehicles were also affected; the problem is so deep that the maker of the engine management system (Bosch GmbH) are ‘sponsoring’ some of the fines.

Volkswagen management has said that the Senior Management teams knew nothing of the cheating until 2015, that the decision to deliberately falsify the emissions was taken by middle-management and engineers, and if that was really the case, you’d have to wonder what other Quality Control procedures have been missed.

It’s this delay in reporting the scandal that has led to group litigation from investors – the share price lost 40% of its value in one day (approximately €25bn), and with record fines and compensation claims, Volkswagen has (to date) lost around $50bn, with yet more to lose when the UK legal action happens.

It’s worth noting that the U.S. has taken around $25bn in fines, penalties and compensation for the 580,000 diesels sold, whereas, in Europe, that number is closer to 8,000,000 diesel vehicles sold.

Further still, in December 2017, a Senior Engineer for Volkswagen USA was jailed for seven years for his part in the scandal, and the U.S. authorities are pushing to extradite Martin Winterkorn (Chief Executive Officer for Volkswagen) to face justice, but no extradition treaty exists between the USA and Germany so that’s unlikely to happen, however, it does send out a strong message to Volkswagen.

It seems that even three years later, Volkswagen is still paying the consequences for what’s become the biggest motoring scandal that we’ve seen, but it’s thanks (in part) to their action that new legislation in the form of the WLTP has been implemented, and that’s a good thing.

Are you part of the group litigation against Volkswagen? Do you think that Volkswagen’s CEO should face a prison sentence? Do you agree with the decision to compensate VW for unnecessary action? Let us know in the comments.