In a bid to try to reduce dangerous air pollution, the Welsh Government has released plans to lower the speed limit of five different stretches of road to a maximum of 50mph, two of which are on the busy M4 motorway. This would be the first parts of any motorway in Britain with a fixed speed limit lower than 70 mph.

They hope that this move will reduce nitrogen dioxide levels on roads that currently exceed legal emissions limits and expect that lowering the speed limit will have almost immediate results on the amount of air pollution in these locations.

Clean Air Fund

The plans to reduce speed limits are part of the Welsh Government’s £20 million Clean Air Fund which seeks to lower the amount of air pollution in Wales and show the country as being a leader in innovative and effective clean air solutions.

This comes from the Welsh Environment Minister, Hannah Blythyn, who stated on the 24th April that one of her key priorities is to reduce air pollution and that she is confident that the proposals they have in place will help them to achieve this goal and create cleaner air for both local communities and the environment.

In a recent study by the World Health Organisation, Port Talbot in Wales came top as having the worst air pollution in the UK. However, air quality in Wales has improved overall compared to previous decades, and Blythyn is hopeful that by taking further action to reduce air pollution from all possible angles, the Government can lower the risks that both the public and the environment are currently facing.

The Welsh Government admitted that they failed to suggest suitable ideas for reducing air pollution in the past, and this is why it has been pushed into the spotlight now.

The fund will run until 2021 and will also help to support local authorities to comply with nitrogen dioxide limits, plus a website will be launched which allows people to look at the air quality levels in their area in real-time.

This website will also feature data on current and forecasted air pollution levels, plus historical information and related health advice too. In addition to this, schools will be able to access educational games, tools and materials which they can use to teach children about air pollution, the dangers that it can bring, and they can help to reduce it.

Clean Air Zones have also been proposed which will be areas of the road which are out of bounds for older, more polluting cars, or charges them for entering these zones. Ministers are currently looking into whether these zones should be made mandatory for local authorities or if they should be voluntary, whereas in England Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton authorities have all been told that the need Clean Air Zones in place by 2019.

Will reducing the speed limit work?

It is proposed that the sections of road which will have their speed limit reduced are the M4 between 41 and 42 Port Talbot, the M4 at Newport, the A494 at Deeside, the A483 at Wrexham, and the A470 between Upper Boat and Pontypridd. This change will take place in June this year.

The Welsh Government believe that by reducing the speed of traffic on these stretches of road they could cut dangerous emissions by up to 18%, but not everyone feels that this will be the case.

For example, RAC’s Head of Roads Policy, Nicholas Lyes, is sceptical about the new speed limits although he supports the Clean Air Zones which have been suggested. He believes that because these roads often experience traffic jams that lowering the speed limit to 50mph is unlikely to make a difference as although it could help with the flow of traffic, jams are still likely to occur and these are one of the causes of pollution.

This means that nitrogen dioxide levels wouldn’t necessarily fall, and Lyes suggests that the Welsh Government take a look at the capacity of these roads to get a clearer understanding of what could be done differently.

How might this affect you?

If you use one of these five stretches of road, then you are likely to see the change in speed limit to 50mph by the end of June. It may improve the flow of traffic if you are used to sitting in jams during your journey, but it will also mean that your trip will take longer to complete.

These new 50mph speed limits will be mandatory so you must stick to them like you would any other speed limit while you are travelling on one of these roads. Be aware that its likely that when these measures come in, they will be supported by a range of mobile and fixed camera placements to ensure that people are adhering to the new 50 mph speed limits.

In some cases, the cameras may be difficult to spot, as a new generation of HADECS cameras being rolled out on smart motorways are cleverly obscured in various ways to catch drivers out when they enter these new speed restricted zones.

Do you think that lowering the speed limit will have a big impact on air pollution in Wales? Do you use one of the roads that will be affected? Let us know in the comments below.

• Men named John are the most likely to cause accidents
• Ford Fiesta is the car which is involved in the most road accidents
• Law firm reported that the most common incident is being hit from the rear
• Halifax is road accident capital of the UK

New research from law firm Your Legal Friend delves into the statistics of recent road accidents within England and Wales, highlighting the most dangerous drivers on our roads.The study was based on real accident data from their system based on 25,000 claims over the last year.

The research examined factors such as the vehicles, gender and age involved in road accidents, as well as the dates and times that the most and least accidents take place. The research revealed that 93% of accidents resulted in some form of injuries, with neck injuries (74%) as the most common trauma, followed by back injuries (59%).

While there is a common misconception that age is a detrimental factor when its comes to road accidents, the study also revealed that drivers are most likely to cause an accident are at the age of 30. However, it also revealed that drivers are more likely to be on the receiving end of the accident at the age of 32, making your early thirties the most dangerous time to be out on the road.

Wrong place, wrong time

While the climate and weather does sometimes play a large role in road conditions, April was reported as the safest month on the roads with only 7.25% of all accidents, while July was the most dangerous month, with 9% of all accidents happening this month.

• Sundays are the least chaotic day of the week, with less accidents than any other day.
• Fridays are peak time for accidents, as drivers rush home after the working week.
• The most dangerous time to be on the road was 5-6pm. in the evening on any day.
• The research also revealed that the highest proportion of road accidents took place in Halifax, followed by Liverpool, Coventry, Barking and St Albans.

Which vehicle models should you look out for?

Ford cars proved to be the most accident-prone car brand with one involved in 16% of all accidents, Ford Fiesta Zetec models are the most common cars to be involved in an accident.

The 10 vehicle models most likely to cause an accident are:

1. Ford Fiesta
2. Mercedes Benz Sprinter
3. Ford – Focus
4. Ford – KA
5. Vauxhall – Corsa
6. DAF Trucks – LF
7. Volvo – FH
8. DAF Trucks – CF
9. Renault – Clio
10. DAF – XF

The 10 vehicles most likely to fall victim to an accident are:

1. Ford – Fiesta
2. Ford – Focus
3. Audi – A3
4. Mercedes Benz – Sprinter
5. Volkswagen – Golf
6. Ford – Ka
7. Renault – Clio
8. Citroën – DS3
9. Vauxhall – Corsa
10. Vauxhall – Astra

While these statistics are not proportional to the number of cars it does show that lorries (DAF) are more likely to cause accidents. While this is obvious because of their size, surely we should be concerned at the number of trucks that are on the list that are causing accidents? Is there something that can be done in the haulage community to help prevent numerous accidents?

Philip Waters, a Solicitor from Your Legal Friend commented on the findings: “At one point or another, most people have experienced that heartbreaking moment of their first road accident. This study has revealed some rather interesting statistics, challenging a few common misconceptions about drivers in society today. These facts challenge stereotypes around women drivers and the elderly on the road, showing that men in their early thirties are the most likely to cause, and be involved in, road accidents. While no two drivers are the same, it would seem over-confidence on the road can be the most harmful trait for anyone, and that all drivers should ensure that safety is their first priority while out and about.”

So, whether you’re looking to see if you’re likely to cause an accident or which drivers to avoid on the roads, check out the interactive tool here, or read through a breakdown of the statistics in this graphic.

What do you think of these statistics based on real accident data? Are you a John and drive a Fiesta in Halifax? Have you been a victim of an accident on Friday night and agree with these results? Let us know in the comments.

A new study from insurer Direct Line found that half of UK drivers think that speeding is acceptable and the majority of those spoken to admitted to speeding.  The survey spoke to 2,000 motorists and found that 50% of them saw nothing wrong in speeding.  It begs the question, does the UK have a problem with speeding and are we choosing to ignore it as a nation?

Surprising results

The Direct Line survey also showed that 78% of drivers admitted to speeding at some point, with 5% saying that they break the law every time that they get behind the wheel.  Some of the most common ‘acceptable’ speeding offences include doing 79mph in a 70mph zone, 56mph in a 50mph zone and 26mph in a 20mph zone.

The impressions of what is ‘okay’ regarding speeding is conveyed in the stats for people with speeding fines.  The survey found that nearly two-fifths of the drivers said they had a speeding conviction and the most common of these were for doing 37mph in a 30mph zone and 61mph in a 50mph area.

When asked why they had broken the speed limit, just over half of the survey group (51%) said that it was because they were unaware of how fast they were travelling.  Another third (34%) said that they were purposefully speeding because the roads were empty. And 19% said the reason was that they were running late, 14% said they were caught out in an area they thought didn’t have speed cameras.

A growing problem

Speeding is apparently a growing problem around the UK.  According to the latest stats released towards the end of last year, a total of 1.97 million fixed penalty notices were issued in 2016, a rise of 25,000 on the previous year and a massive 107,000 on the 2014 figure.

It means that one in three UK motorists are being fined every year, mostly due to the rising number of automated speed cameras around the UK. The figures also include the people who opt to do speed awareness courses rather than accept fines and points on their license.  Of the total number, nearly half of those picked the course route rather than paying a fine.

Speeding hotspots

There are also regional differences around speeding fines with hotspots being highlighted around the UK.  Research from UK Carline in January this year looked at speeding offences based on police force areas as well as top speeds that drivers were caught doing.

It found that West Yorkshire had the highest number of speeding tickets issued in 2017 at 142,000 followed by Surrey at 62,000 and West Mercia at a similar figure.  The City of London constabulary distributes the lowest number of speeding tickets at just over 3,100, but this may be more due to the nature of the capital’s roads and traffic than anything else.

West Yorkshire also hold the record for the highest speed with a driver caught doing 160mph on the motorway – the driver was 90mph above the speed limit.  Drivers were recorded at 150mph in Surrey and Kent as well as just below this in Lincolnshire and Dundee.

Perhaps even more frightening was some of the recorded speeds in 30mph zones.  The highest was in Dundee at 106mph followed by West Yorkshire at 102mph and Dorset at 96mph.  It shows that being in residential areas does seem to deter some drivers from exceeding the speed

Why we speed

The disregard for the rules around speeding is an interesting one.  We all know that going too fast increases the chance of an accident and can lead to injury or even death.  But other factors encourage us to put aside these concerns and press down on the accelerator.

Some of the reasons that people give for speeding shows the pressure of life sometimes gets the better of us.  A survey by Aviva last year showed that everything from running late for work to being pressured by aggressive drivers behind us results in us speeding.  Distractions such as music or children can also mean we don’t realise we are breaking the law.

Another strong reason for speeding is that we believe we are safe, competent drivers.  A Safe Driving Survey from 2016 found that 8 out of 10 motorists thought they were safe drivers.  The Thames Valley Police said that 95% of all road crashes are due to human error.  So, do we believe we are safer on the road and better drivers than we are?

Other reasons for speeding

As cars become more and more technology orientated and more is done for us without thinking about it, there is a danger that we naturally become too dependent on tech.  It can result in being reliant on safety features, warning lights and little beeps to tell us when something is wrong.  It is referred to as behavioural adaptation. It means we are adapting to letting the car do more thinking for us and failing to monitor ourselves as much – hence speeding without realising.

The final point from the psychology side is known as the Ripple Effect.  You are at a traffic light, and just before it turns green, someone behind hits the horn.  You feel cross and pull away at high speed to get away from them.  Their behaviour has had a ripple effect on your own and caused you to speed.

Speed limits for a reason

We all know that speed limits can be frustrating and speed cameras a menace.  But it is easy to forget that they are often there to protect us and others around us.  For example, 20-30mph limits are usually in residential areas, around schools and hospitals where a slower speed could result in saving someone’s life if there is an accident.

Motorways may seem to be a ‘safer’ place to speed because there are fewer fatalities and accidents than normal roads, but this relies on our skill as drivers which may not be as universal as we believe.  And the higher the speed, the higher the risk of severe injury or death if there is an incident.  In 2016, there were 229 deaths on the roads involving a speeding vehicle and another 1,549 people seriously injured, motorway accidents formed less than 20% of that figure, but had a much higher fatality rate compared to normal road accidents.

Smart motorways are the latest weapon aimed at catching out drivers who speed, what many drivers don’t realise is that smart motorway cameras are on all the time and not just during times when there are speed limits on the boards above lanes. While it may seem like they have been created to catch drivers out who speed, its actually to prevent accidents from happening by actively encouraging drivers to lower average speed and managing congestion more effectively during busy times.

Do you agree that we have a problem with speeding in the UK or are the speed limits too slow? Do you think further measures such as smart motorways are the right way to go or is average speed cameras a better approach? Let us know in the comments below.

The latest must-have gadget for your dashboard is one that could even save you money. The trend towards installing dashcams in your car is one many have adopted for a range of reasons. Moreover, it turns out that some insurers will now reduce the cost of your car insurance by up to 20% if you have one installed too.

It seems that the growth of dashcams has really taken off in the UK and there are now well over 1 million in use on the roads today. Insurance companies are also encouraging more drivers to install one in their car because it means they can save money on accident claims by using video evidence to speed up claim time and resolve costly decisions where there is split liability or claim fraud.

Catching the incident

People have taken to installing dashcams with the aim of avoiding being caught out in scams on the road. Moreover, they also appeal to insurers as they can record footage of an incident. It could prevent costly legal disputes about who was at fault by providing clear evidence of what happened. As a result, this could see a reduction of up to 20% in your premium when you install one.

The main reason people are installing them is to stop those dodgy insurance claims made against them. Recently footage was shown of a cyclist who threw himself in front of a Nottingham motorist and then ran off when he realised he was being filmed. It can also track attempts made by fraudulent drivers who brake very hard causing the car behind to crash into them from behind. This is known as a classic “forced rear-ending” or “crash for cash” scam; dashcams eliminate any chance you can be made to pay for this.

Combating the scams

While these scams are highlighted via YouTube, many others cannot be proven, and dodgy insurance claims are costing the industry £36 million a year. Dishonesty in the car insurance sector is the highest in any area of the industry. A total of 70,000 fraudulent claims were detected last year which was a drop of 2%. Moreover, measures such as the increased use of dashcams could help continue to bring this figure down.

The AA says that around 1 million people already have a dashcam installed in their car that records what happens on the road ahead. They predict that this figure will double in the next couple of years as manufacturers begin to install them as standard. It compares with the number from four years ago where just 300,000 drivers had the tech installed.

Visual deterrent

Not only does a dashcam help to stop fraudulent claims, but it is a general deterrent to bad behaviour on the roads. One driver from Surrey recounted how she paid £130 to have a dashcam installed in her Golf. While she has not seen a reduction in her insurance, she does believe it has stopped other drivers’ bad behaviour.

If someone is tailgating her or cuts her off, she merely points to the camera to make them aware that they are being filmed. It often results in a friendly wave and a more cautious approach due to being on camera.

Improving technology

The dashcam technology itself is also developing to make the devices more useful and cost-effective. They can be picked up for as little as £30 or up to around £200 and come with a pad to stick behind the rear-view mirror. They plug into the car charger socket.

Devices can run on an hour-long loop or even restart for each journey. Moreover, if you are involved in an incident, you can stop the recording to make sure that the event is saved in the memory. If you can make a 20% saving on your car insurance, the dashcam pays for itself in the first year.

If you are involved in a non-fault incident where you cannot prove you were not to blame, you will see a big increase in your insurance the next year – it can double in some cases. However, having a dashcam can prove cases where otherwise it would go against an innocent motorist.

Dashcam insurance policies

So far, only a few insurers have confirmed that they offer a discount for dashcam installation including AXA, Adrian Flux, SureThing, and Swiftcover. They offer discounts of between 10-20% for having the device installed and some now even come with a free dashcam, such as Co-Op Insurance. The added benefits include making the car less attractive to thieves who may not know if it is active. Moreover, the chance to catch out those scammers who cost us all money in higher insurance premiums is a definite positive to having a dashcam.

Great dashcam deals

PetrolPrices recommends two dashcams for members.

Roadhawk have a great range of dashcams for both car and bike, see the full range here

The DriveSmart Ultra HD 4K Dashcam is an amazing piece of kit, and with PetrolPrices you can get it for 47% off here

Have you installed a dashcam and own a dashcam car insurance policy? Would you consider it if it saved you up to 20% on your insurance? Let us know in the comments below.

The point of public transport should be simple. It is cheaper and easier than private transport, more environmentally friendly and allows you to get where you need to be at a sensible cost and on a regular schedule. However, a case study by the co-owner of LatestDeals.co.uk shows that in some cases it’s more cost effective to buy a car and drive than it is to pay for a train ticket.

In theory, the idea of buying a car, making sure it is taxed, insured and with enough fuel should not come anywhere near the cost of travelling by train. The sad truth is that some train companies are profiteering on certain routes at peak times to such an extent that this has now become a reality.

London to Bristol – the story

Tom lived in London and wanted to visit another co-owner of the website who lives in Bristol. The quote for a return ticket at peak time from London to Bristol was £218.10. He decided to see if it was possible to buy a car and drive it for less than this quite substantial amount of money for such a short journey.

First, he did some research and found a car – a 1997 Honda Civic that he bought for just £80 with six months left on the MOT. The road tax for the vehicle was £81.38 and the cost of insuring it for a day was £20.43. The car used £25 worth of petrol for the journey. A total cost of £206.81 – saving £11.29 versus the cost of a train ticket.

The bigger picture

Added to this, Tom pointed out that at the end of the experiment he still had the car which could be resold for a similar amount or possibly more. The car ran well, and he was quite impressed with it.

Alternatively, if he wished to do so, he could continue to pay for the insurance and have use of the vehicle for longer. There are added costs to be considered with this, such as servicing and ongoing petrol costs, but ultimately using and driving a car on intercity routes in peak times beats trains on cost hands down.

Of course, this is not the whole picture. For starters, the experiment was based on peak time trains; if you travel at off-peak times, there can be a significant saving in the cost of the rail ticket. The Independent looked at the price and found an off-peak return was just £140.

Then there’s the time factor. Driving wasn’t an easy job because the M25 was very busy and there were accidents and roadworks on the M4. The journey in the car took 3 hours 30 minutes while the trip on the train was just 1 hour 43 minutes.

Other public transport options

While the case study is an interesting one, it doesn’t cover all the public transport options available. The rail journey in question is a straight route from the capital to Bristol. However, if you take a staggered trip, it can make a saving, as frequent rail users know. A journey that went via Salisbury, for example, cost £73.30 for an Anytime fare.

Then there’s the bus. National Express operates frequent services with flexible fares of £48.80 from Victoria Coach station to Bristol. There is a new on-demand service offered by Sn-Ap that has a maximum ticket price of £25 return

A growing problem

Tom’s experiment highlights an increasing problem across the UK, which is the fact that it can be cheaper to run a car than to use public transport and especially trains at peak times. Train fares at peak times are often price matched to plane fares to compete for the business traveller, and therefore the cost has been steadily increasing in recent years.

This rising price has also meant more people are doing just what Tom did, buying a car instead of using public transport. It is why there is a higher number of vehicles on the road than ever and why congestion and pollution problems are at an all-time high.

Figures show that the number of cars on UK roads reached a new highest figure in 2016 of 31.7 million, an increase from 31.5 million the previous year and from 29.9 million ten years before that. As more people turn to inexpensive and often polluting cars to avoid the higher cost of public transport, this figure could continue to grow.

If the Government are serious about tackling road pollution, they need to look at the cost of public transport during peak times and intercity routes. Train operators have been getting away with this for many years now.

Labour is looking at the drastic step of making all rail companies publicly owned again and reducing prices, so they are more in line with other Western European countries, such as France and German, both nationally owned where fares are 30-40% the price compared to the UK. Doing this one could have more environmental benefit and reduce pollution far more than taxing drivers of polluting cars to the hilt.

Do you know of a train route that costs over £200 return? Have you switched to driving because of the expense of rail? How did you feel about the cost of your journey or season ticket? Let us know in the comments.

Using a mobile device while driving is one of the most dangerous things that a motorist can do when behind the wheel, but it is thought that new AI technology could help police forces to crack down on this activity without the individual knowing.

The idea is that roadside camera detectors could be used to take photos of people using their phones or other devices while driving, as they will be intelligent enough to be able to both detect the exact vehicle which is being driven via ANPR and then identify the offence in action as the offender drives past.

Image recognition AI software

At present, it is not known exactly how this new AI technology will work, but it is understood that image recognition software will be part of it and police forces around the world are looking into how they could be using this technology to help them to detect and deter criminal activity.

Basic versions of AI are already being put to use in automatic number plate recognition technology, and advances in the development of long-range cameras and other high definition imagery can help police to get clear photos of those who are breaking the law while on the roads.

The police force in New South Wales, Australia, is backing a Government decision to find technology-based solutions which will help to address the problem of people using their phones while driving, and they are currently looking into solutions such as long-range cameras, and helmet cameras being worn by police on motorbikes.

They hope that machine learning systems could be taught to recognise mobile phones and other devices being used, and could then capture images of drivers using them while behind the wheel. This would then be linked to an automated number plate recognition system so they could track down the guilty motorist.

Camera trial reveals the extent of mobile use

A high definition camera placed on Sydney Harbour Bridge to capture images of motorists using mobile phones while driving ended up spotting someone committing the offence every 30 seconds, showing just how often this particular law is being broken.

The camera was in action on the 12th of December 2017 between the hours of 8 am and 2 pm, and during this time it snapped 743 motorists using their phone, which equates to 4% of all drivers.

This issue is at the forefront of the New South Wales police force’s agenda as 29 people died on their roads during the festive period last year which was almost twice as many as the year before. Using a mobile phone is becoming one of the most common reasons for people to be involved in a crash as it is a leading cause of driver distraction.

To really enforce how dangerous this activity is, Bernard Carlon who is the Executive Director at the Centre for Road Safety said that those who have a mobile phone offence are twice as likely to be killed or injured in a car crash. This doesn’t always match up with other data as many collisions involving mobile phones are unreported due to a lack of evidence.

Laws around using a mobile phone while driving

In the UK is it against the law to use your mobile phone, or another handheld device, while behind the wheel unless you are pulled over safely with the engine off, or are in an emergency situation when you need to call 999 and pulling over is not an option.

This means that it is illegal to use your mobile phone when stuck in traffic or waiting at traffic lights, and this can sometimes apply to hands-free devices too. In addition to this, devices such as sat navs and mobile phones which are attached to the windscreen should not obscure the area swept by your windscreen wipers. Turning the volume down on your mobile phone if its linked to the car audio system, or adjusting Google Maps on your phone while driving is also regarded as illegal.

Breaking these laws could land you with a £200 fine and 6 points on your driving license, so we suggest always keeping your phone out of reach if you find it difficult to avoid the temptation to check it when you are driving.

At the moment, using a handsfree kit connected to your mobile phone is legal, but if you then use your mobile phone in the process of using your handsfree kit, (such as turning off a call), this is illegal. It is this type of grey area which makes mobile phone use while driving one of the most contentious issues of the moment because many people don’t actually know what is and isn’t allowed.

Do you fully understand what is and isn’t allowed with mobile phone use while driving? Do you think that the introduction of AI technology will deter people from using their phones while driving? Let us know in the comments below.