Aug 25, 2017
In order to pass their driving theory tests, motorists are expected to memorise a whole host of road signs and their meanings. Some of these are signs that they will see daily, but others are ones that they may never actually see in real life. The issue is further complicated by the sheer number of signs, and the fact that some mean one thing, but look like they could or should mean something else.
Beware of double meanings
A recent case in Suffolk highlighted the complexity of ensuring that road signs are fit for purpose. Children and those driving on the UK’s roads while visiting from abroad reported confusion and consternation over a sign reading ‘Cats Eyes Removed.’
To those who’ve learned to drive in the UK, the sign’s temporary presence (in combination with the resurfacing work that was taking place) was nothing remarkable – it merely warned that the usual reflective markers in the centre of the road would not be visible for a while. However, several of those who saw the sign and hadn’t learned to drive in the UK were shocked by the blatant boast of animal cruelty.
People who were distressed by the sign included an American tourist, who had to do a double take of the sign in question, then ask a local about the meaning of it, and a five-year-old girl who got upset about the welfare of her pet cat.
The most misinterpreted road signs
While the Suffolk case is perhaps something of an oddity, there are plenty of road signs in the UK that drivers regularly misinterpret. Given that road signs exist to give drivers the information they need to drive safely, this highlights the need for drivers to keep up their knowledge of the UK’s road signs, even after they’ve got through the rigours of the driving theory test.
According to Vehicle Exports, the top five most misinterpreted road signs are:
The national speed limit sign
Many drivers believe this sign means that there is no speed limit. However, it actually means that it’s the start of a national speed limit area. The result is that many drivers are unaware of the maximum speed at which they are supposed to be travelling.
The uneven road sign
The uneven road sign is to warn drivers to take care due to the uneven road surface ahead. However, many drivers think the sign means there are speed bumps up ahead, resulting in them not slowing down as they’re waiting to see the bumps before braking.
The road narrowing sign
Many drivers think that the sign that warns of a narrowing road on both sides is in fact showing the end of a dual carriageway. This can lead to confusion about what speed to travel at in order to stay safe, as well as drivers seeking to merge into the left-hand lane for no reason.
The no motor vehicles sign
One can’t help but wonder why this sign wasn’t created with a line through the car and motorbike that are pictured. The result of this is that vehicles can end up on roads where they shouldn’t be, putting the cyclists and pedestrians who are permitted on the road in danger.
The minimum speed limit sign
It’s not unusual for drivers to confuse a minimum speed limit sign with a maximum speed limit sign. This encourages them to drive more slowly, when they should be going at least a little faster, causing confusion amongst other road users.
More uncommon mistakes
Other road signs that drivers misinterpret are usually those that they don’t encounter very often. These include signs found around level crossings, those relating to steam trains, the aeroplane road sign (which is in place to warn drivers to expect sudden noise from aircraft passing overhead) and signs for the attention of motorcyclists, e.g. specific parking spots.
Some of these signs pose more risks than others when drivers misinterpret them. Nevertheless, people who use the roads regularly should try to be as clued up as possible about what the signs that they encounter mean – and how to react to particular ones to ensure that they are driving as safely as possible.
Understanding road signs is an important part of being able to drive safely. They often warn drivers of hazards up ahead, and confusion about what signs are trying to portray can have devastating consequences.
Were you familiar with the meaning of all of the road signs pictured above? Should drivers be retested regularly to ensure that their road sign recognition skills remain tip top? Leave a comment to share your views.
Aug 24, 2017
New UK vehicles are in need of some serious safety upgrades, according to a coalition of transport organisations. The team of motoring organisations includes fleet representative body ACFO, Brake, the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation and the European Transport Safety Council. The group wants Britain to wholly adopt the European Commission’s recent plan to increase safety standards on all new vehicles, it has said in a
joint letter to Roads Minister Jesse Norman MP.
Published last year, theEuropean Commission (EC) plan highlighted 19 safety technologies that it is considering making mandatory on all cars. While Britain is all set to leave the EU, the coalition believes that we must support any resulting measures produced by the EC to ensure that the UK’s safety standards continue to improve, rather than fall behind those of our European counterparts following Brexit.
Tech to the rescue?
The technology being examined by the EC covers a range of active and passive features that are currently available on some models of cars – but critically, not all. Active safety measures are seen as essential for ensuring accidents don’t happen in the first place. They include automatic emergency braking, lane keep assistance, driver drowsiness/distraction monitoring and intelligent speed adaptation. The latter is an overridable system that helps drivers keep to speed limits.
The passive safety measures being considered for introduction or enhancement include tyre pressure monitoring, crash event data recorders, emergency braking displays (think flashing brake lights), improved crash testing (plus the introduction of rear impact testing) and ‘alcohol interlock device interface standardisation’ – in other words, the compulsory fitting of breathalysers in all cars.
Pedestrian protection
To protect pedestrians and cyclists, the EC is also exploring the potential of enhanced detection systems to improve collision outcomes, with head impact protection on A-pillars and windscreens, along with pedestrian detection when reversing.
Trucks and buses are also coming under the EC’s spotlight, with the focus again on keeping pedestrians and cyclists safe. Proposed measures include the introduction or improvement of rear underpin protection, side guards, improved front end designs and better direct vision for lorry drivers, so they can see more from their windows.
Pan-European vehicle standards were last upgraded in 2009. Now, the coalition insists that the UK must keep pace, raising the bar and implementing “further cost effective life-saving safety measures as standard.” With over 1,700 people killed in road collisions in 2015, the coalition believes it is “crucial to ensure the effective delivery of the ‘safe system’ approach adopted by Britain, driving towards the ultimate target of zero road deaths and serious injuries.”
Are you the weakest link?
While improved safety features are seen as vital, there are concerns about the impact they have on drivers. The fear is that motorists are becoming over-reliant on technology to do the driving for them. For instance, Canadian police have speculated that systems like lane departure warnings are leading to some motorists believing that they don’t need to check over their shoulders anymore.
Then there’s the other end of the spectrum: some motorists are simply too confused by the new technology to engage with it. Instead, they are turning off safety features wherever possible. The National Safety Council in the US believes that “if people don’t understand how that works or what the car is doing, it may startle them or make them uncomfortable.”
Ultimately, any safety technology can only be good news when it comes to reducing road collisions. However, perhaps the real takeaway here is that all the tech in the world can’t change the fact that a vehicle’s weakest link is the driver. Well, that is until autonomous cars take over…
Are advances in car safety technology the answer to reducing road accident rates? Or are we becoming too reliant on our cars taking care of us? Let us know your thoughts below.
Aug 24, 2017
While the government leaves it up to local authorities to come up with official diesel scrappage schemes, carmakers have realised that something needs to be done now to slow down sliding diesel car sales figures. We’ve already reported on how BMW has stepped up with its own scheme, which offers owners of older diesels the chance to enjoy €2,000 (£1,800 at the time of writing) off the price of a new BMW or Mini diesel, hybrid or electric vehicle.
Chasing the competition
The scheme has obviously sparked the interest of Mercedes, which has just announced its own programme. Branded the ‘diesel changeover bonus,’ the company is offering owners of any make of diesel between Euro 1 to 4 the chance to trade in their inefficient motor for a plug-in hybrid or Euro 6 diesel-powered Mercedes, with £2,000 off the asking price.
The key difference between the Mercedes and BMW schemes is that the latter states you must have owned your old diesel for a year. Meanwhile, Mercedes says you only need to have owned it for six months. Alas, the range of cars available to purchase from Mercedes is more limited than those in the BMW/Mini range.
Mercedes does offer a small range of hybrid cars that qualify for the £2,000 subsidy (that can be topped up by the Plug-In Car Grant offered by the government). However, those hoping to snare a reduced price on the Mercedes-owned Smart Electric Drive vehicle will only enjoy a £1,000 discount.
Finally, there is further good news for owners of Euro 1 to 3 diesels. Mercedes is offering them the full discount plus compensation, as it will scrap their old cars. The diesel changeover bonus scheme will run to the end of the year. However, like BMW, if it proves to be successful, we wouldn’t be surprised if Mercedes extends it.
Ford follows suit
Not to be outdone, Ford has also just announced its own scrappage scheme, stating that it “shares society’s concerns over air quality.” Any Ford registered before 31 December 2009 can be traded in and scrapped in exchange for thousands of pounds off a new Ford. The company estimates that the deal, which runs until the end of 2017, could be help to take hundreds of thousands of the most polluting cars off our roads.
Ford’s incentives are certainly attention-grabbing. They range from £2,000 off the price of a new Ford Fiesta to an impressive £7,000 off the price of a Transit van. Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, comments,
“Removing generations of the most polluting vehicles will have the most immediate positive effect on air quality, and this Ford scrappage scheme aims to do just that.
“We don’t believe incentivising sales of new cars goes far enough and we will ensure that all trade-in vehicles are scrapped. Acting together, we can take hundreds of thousands of the dirtiest cars off our roads and out of our cities.”
Out from under a dark cloud?
Volkswagen is also set to announce a similar scheme in the UK. The company is currently suffering a beating at the hands of governments, the media and an angry public due to the ongoing ‘dieselgate’ disaster. VW’s scheme has already launched in Germany. It offers drivers of any Euro 1 to 4 car the chance to trade in for a VW or Audi with a potentially hefty discount. Of the three German carmakers’ schemes, VW’s is by far the most generous, with discounts of up to €10,000 (£9,000) on select models.
Whether this generosity will be reflected in the UK version, which is expected to launch soon, no one knows. However, we can expect the carmaker’s scheme to remain competitive if VW has any sense, as it can use such discount options to help revitalise its damaged brand.
To the future
The big question remains – are such schemes enough to save the diesel from disappearing under a cloud of NOx? Diesel sales have plummeted by 11% in the past seven months, while petrol sales have grown by 4.3%. Sales of alternative-fuel vehicles have soared by a whopping 41% over the same period. In an AutoExpress interview, Greg Archer, clean vehicles director at the campaign group Transport & Environment, said,
“We anticipate a market share of 40 to 45 per cent for new [diesel] cars as an EU average by 2020, compared to 52 per cent today. After 2020, the market will continue to decline to around 30 to 25 per cent of new cars by 2025.”
The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders’ Mike Hawes remains pragmatic, stating in AutoExpress that “the automotive industry has some of the most challenging CO2 reduction targets of any sector and continues to deliver reductions as it has for nearly two decades.”
He argues that for this trend to continue, “modern low emission diesels and alternative fuel vehicles such as plug-ins, hydrogen and hybrids must be encouraged with long term incentives. Turning our back on any of these will undermine progress on CO2 targets as well as air quality objectives.”
Are such schemes too little too late? Or are they the right move to rehabilitate diesel in the eyes of the car-buying public? Let us know your opinions below.
Aug 23, 2017
When you move house, there’s so much to remember to do. Apart from the actual moving process, there are things like council tax, bank information and credit cards to update. One thing we often forget to do is update the address on our driving licence. However, drivers are being warned they could face a £1,000 fine if they don’t have the right information on it.
The cost of forgetting
According to the figures, well over a million people have an out of date address on their driving licence – as many as 1.5 million could face a fine, based on stats from Compare the Market. This would net the DVLA a juicy income of £1.5 billion if it issued all possible fines.
The information shown on your driving licence is a legal requirement, in case you have an accident. Likewise, information on the vehicle log book and the road tax direct debit should also show your correct address.
However, most people aren’t aware of the seriousness of neglecting this simple task. The research showed that over a third didn’t know this was the law. That figure rose to 50% for drivers aged 18-24, 11% of whom use an incorrect address on their licence. This is despite the DVLA website detailing the penalties for not updating your licence when you change address.
Free service
Changing your address with the DVLA is a free service and there’s no restriction on your ability to drive while you wait for your new licence to be issued. As Compare the Market’s John Miles points out, £1,000 is a high price to pay for something that’s free of charge!
This legal requirement is just one that many drivers are unaware of and could face a fine for. Examples of things that can land you a fine include driving with licence plates that are too muddy to be read and splashing pedestrians with puddles – that one can cost you as much as £5,000 if you’re found to have done it on purpose.
(Credit – Ed Seymour CC BY 2.0)
The nomadic lifestyle
Part of the rise in potential fines for out of date licence addresses is down to the number of people who regularly move home or live in temporary addresses. A 2013 study by This Is Money found that 6.8 million people lived ‘unofficially.’ Nearly three million of these admitted that they knew their driving licence was wrong.
What many people don’t realise is that, in addition to a fine for because of your driving licence, you can invalidate your home insurance by not informing insurers of the people living at your address. Constantly changing address can also damage your credit rating.
Motor insurance
Generally, if your driving licence doesn’t have the correct details on it, this won’t invalidate your motor insurance policy. However, there can be consequences if you forget to update the details on your policy as well as your licence. For example, you could be rated on the wrong address or fail to receive notifications about a renewal or a problem with your policy.
Updating your information with the DVLA is one of those irritating tasks that comes with changing address. However, as the free service can save you from a fine of £1,000, it is a task that is well worth adding to your list. If you’ve moved recently, we suggest double checking now to ensure your details are accurate!
Have you been fined for failing to update the address on your driving licence? Are the penalties for this too steep, or should the DVLA issue even larger fines in order to curb the number of transgressions? Leave a comment below to share your views.
Aug 23, 2017
Many people who commute to work by car breathe a sigh of relief when the school holidays start. School holidays mean much quieter roads during rush hour, making getting to the office far less stressful, thanks to there being fewer motorists to contend with.
What do the figures say?
According to car insurance specialists Elephant, the average commuter knocks 12 minutes and 7 seconds off his/her morning commute every day as a result of the kids being off school. This adds up to over an hour a week during the school holidays. Add on the time saved during the homeward commute and that’s a decent amount of time to claim back for yourself during these quieter periods.
The Elephant study showed that Londoners save the most time during the school holidays, reducing their morning commute by an average of 16 minutes. Those in Northern Ireland come second at 13 minutes and 30 seconds, while the West Midlands comes third, with drivers saving an average of 12 minutes and 50 seconds.
Road safety outside schools
The Sutton Trust reports that around 20% of traffic on the road during rush hour is school traffic. As such, it’s not surprising that when schools are closed for the holidays, the roads are a lot less busy, while the start of a new school year leads to a sudden surge in congestion.
With so many parents dropping their children off at school at the same time, road safety around these drop off points can be an issue. This is a particular concern if the school is on a main road that commuting drivers also use.
Many schools seek to put preventative measures into place to make the roads safer for everyone. Popular measures include installing CCTV, asking parents to volunteer for parking patrols, and running campaigns to raise awareness. However, one project in South London has come up with a more creative solution to this issue.
Action urgently required
Following twelve collisions over four years outside Richard Atkins Primary School, four of which involved children under 10 years old, it was clear that something needed to be done to make the area safer for pedestrians and drivers.
With the help of the London Borough of Lambeth, cycling and walking charity Sustrans created a shared space style environment. Space was taken from vehicles and given to pedestrians, and a chicane style layout was put in place using planters, trees, and bike stands.
In addition to this, parking spaces were removed, and the speed limit was lowered to 20mph. These measures were put into place to deter drivers from using the road as a cut-through, as it would no longer make their journey quicker.
The changes encouraged a drop in the number of HGVs that use the road, making it far safer and easier for parents and carers to cross the road with their children.
Sometimes, this ‘out of the box’ thinking is what we need in order to tackle issues of road safety, particularly as the school term starts once again. More creative solutions can sometimes be the answer to important safety concerns.
How to have a stress-free school run
If you’re dreading starting the school run again, or commuting to work once the traffic increases in September, there are steps that you can take to make your journeys more bearable. These five top tips should help you to enjoy calmer journeys, at the same time as avoiding aggravating your fellow drivers:
- Don’t speed up behind people at traffic lights and sacrifice your braking distance in the hope of rushing across right behind them before the lights change.
- Try to avoid driving slower than the speed limit, provided safety permits – dawdling can really irritate people who have somewhere to be in a hurry.
- When you finally get to the school car park, make sure that you don’t take up two spaces.
- If you can’t find a parking space, don’t leave your car somewhere illegal where it causes a hazard. Double yellow lines are there for a reason!
- If you have to use the motorway, never hog the middle lane and don’t take slip roads late to avoid the traffic queuing at the exit – cutting in at the last minute is a dangerous practice for you and the drivers around you.
Although the school run can be a hassle, driving safely and considerately means that parents and commuters can share the roads and get to their destinations feeling stress-free.
What impact does school term-time traffic have on your commute? What more can we do to tackle the congestion that the start of a new school year creates? Leave a comment below to let us know your thoughts.
Aug 23, 2017
Highways England has announced its next series of major road improvements, with £19.9 million being invested as part of the Growth and Housing Fund. The road improvements are focused into three schemes, which could lead to as many as 10,000 houses being built and 6,000 jobs created. PetrolPrices takes a look to see if your area will benefit from any of the newly announced improvements.
The three new schemes
The first scheme involves an expansion of the M27 at Junction 9, Whitley Way, which lies around 10 miles from Southampton. The project could see up to 3,500 new homes built and 250 jobs created. It is funded by £9.9 million from the Growth and Housing Fund, as well as a further £3 million from Highways England’s Congestion Relief fund.
The second project is the expansion of Gloucestershire’s A46 at Anstey Lane. The scheme could result in the creation of 2,300 homes and 260 jobs, with £5 million funded by the Growth and Housing Fund. A further £2.8 million would come from private investors.
In the East Midlands, the third project is the expansion of Junction 23 on the M1. The plans will involve £5 million from the Growth and Housing Fund, £3.2 million from local growth funding and a further £10 million worth of private funding.
The Growth and Housing Fund
The government and Highways England created the Growth and Housing Fund to help boost the economy by creating safe, efficient and reliable roads for journeys around the country. It is one of the five objectives of their Strategic Business Plan and involves a total investment of £15 billion. It covers major roads and motorways spread over 100 schemes.
Most of the projects, like those above, are funded in part by the scheme, along with private contributors and local authority investment. This allows for major works to be undertaken to improve the road system, as well as the building of more homes to deal with the country’s housing shortage.
Other schemes being funded
As well as these large projects, a number of smaller regional schemes have already been announced. Some are already taking place, with many due to be finished in the next 12 months.
The A589 Greyhound Bridge in Lancashire is being refurbished in order to allow HGVs to cross it. Improving access for larger vehicles to the area should boost businesses, helping them to thrive and continue employing local people.
The A361 in Devon will see regeneration to the dual carriage stretch, which will support local businesses and tourism in the area, as well as enhancing access to the M5. The project will also include improvements to the drainage system.
Meanwhile, around £5 million is earmarked for works on rural and regional roads in Northumberland, making it easier for people to reach top tourist destinations such as Hadrian’s Wall and the Northumberland National Park.
Major program
These projects are all part of the biggest investment in the road network since the 1970s. The government realises that this is a key part of boosting the country’s economy, which is a priority in these politically and financially sensitive times. Not only will the infrastructure improvements make for better experiences for people who use the roads regularly, and for those visiting nearby attractions, but they will also make business deliveries easier.
Since April 2015, Highways England has delivered £4 billion worth of investment in motorways and main trunk roads. 16 schemes are currently underway. The projects have added 175 miles of capacity to the country’s roads, including work on smart motorways to help the flow of traffic on the busiest roads.
Will this investment ensure that the UK’s road network is truly fit for purpose, or is congestion increasing at such a pace that improvements just can’t keep up? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Aug 17, 2017
The new September ’67’ plate is here and with it, some outstanding opportunities to source a unique plate that is both lewd and crude. Well, there would be if it wasn’t for those hawk-eyed folk at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). As ever, they’ve been culling the worst offenders to ensure that the sensibilities of UK drivers aren’t offended while out on the road.
Cover your eyes now!
According to AutoExpress Magazine, some of the ‘highlights’ from the ’67’ plate batch include OR67 ASM, DO67 SHT, DO67 GER, NO67 HED, AR67 OLE and BA67 ARD. These are but a handful of those detailed in an epic, ten-page document that the DVLA gave to the publication.
The agency conducts the culling process twice a year. Its remit is not just to stop smutty plates making it out into the wild, but also to stop anything that could be deemed potentially offensive on racial, religious or political grounds. Examples include JE55 US and U16 OUT (the latter in relation to the then-impending Brexit referendum).
Despite the DVLA’s diligent work, out-of-order number plates have been known to slip through its net. Sassy drivers though shouldn’t rest on their laurels if they do manage to bag a rude plate – the agency has the power to recall them whenever it wants. Even those who try the personalised plate route can expect to be pulled up if they dream up something that crosses the line.
Why punters pay to personalise
The big question is why people want such plates on their cars in the first place. Unique and personalised number plates are big business. We’re buying more and more of them, with 335,000 of us buying personalised plates in 2015 alone. The trend generated a whopping £102 million for the government over the course of the year.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Angela Bahn of Regtransfers magazine revealed that such plates were seen as distinctly downmarket in the 80s and 90s. However, that snobbery all but vanished in the Noughties. Bahn cites several reasons for the increasing popularity of personalised plates, from the old tactic of trying to hide the age of your car, through to promoting your business. Of course, some personalised plates act as nothing more than a source of enjoyment for the driver.
How much would you pay for personalisation?
For some people, it’s not rude words that are the most offensive thing about unique or personalised plates, but how much people are prepared to pay for them! Here’s Autocar’s top ten list of the most expensive plates ever bought in the UK and what they cost their spend-happy owners:
10. D 1 – £300,096
9. GB 1 – £325,000
8. M 1 – £331,500
7. 1 S – £340,000
6. 1 D – £352,411
5. S 1 – £404,063
4. F 1 – £440,625
3. G 1 – £500,000
2. X 1 – £502,500
1. 25 O – £518,480.
According to Regtransfers Magazine, such illustrious plates also accrue value over time. ’25 O’ can currently found on a 1961 Ferrari 250 SWB and is now worth an eye-watering £750,000.
Even the runner-ups are doing well – the ‘F 1’ plate currently attached to the bumper of a Bugatti Veyron (after being rescued from a Volvo S80, no less!) can be bought for a cool £10 million according to its owner. If your budget can’t quite stretch to that, fret not, because the DVLA’s searchable database reveals that ‘WB67 KER’ is still available for a far more reasonable £399…
Are personalised plates the ultimate display of vanity? Or are they important for expressing a driver’s individuality? Let us know your opinions below.
Aug 17, 2017
According to the latest figures from police constabularies, drivers committed more than two million speeding offences in the UK in 2016. This is a new record for a twelve-month period. In total, 2,293,228 speeding offences were recorded during the year.
Are we all speeding more? Or is there simply an increasing number of ways that we can be caught?
Speeding around the UK
The information revealed some interesting trends. For example, Avon and Somerset police recorded the highest number of offences during 2016, followed by Thames Valley and Greater Manchester. Part of the reason for this increase is that Avon and Somerset is one of the forces that are enforcing the 70mph speed limit on motorways, along stretches of new smart motorway. This relatively new step is catching out plenty of motorists and resulting in a boom in speeding fines.
Speeding in the UK is a serious problem. According to the RAC, 222 people died in accidents where speed was a contributing factor in 2015 – that’s around 15% of the total deaths on the road. Worryingly, the figures indicate that, despite awareness of the dangers of speeding, more drivers are doing it than ever. Or could it be that the increase is actually due to new and increased ways to be caught?
Top earning speed cameras
Speed cameras are big earners for local governments. The top ten highest-earning cameras across the UK brought in over £3 million in fines in 2016. The year before, one camera alone, on the A1 northbound near Great Ponton, Lincolnshire, caught 6,000 motorists, earning a staggering £1,661 a day.
In second place was the camera near Scunthorpe on the M180, which caught over 5,800 motorists in the same year. Three of the top ten highest-earning cameras are located around the M25, including one on a 50mph zone where motorists travel an average of 62mph.
Avoiding the fines
A surprising figure from the 2015 speeding fines stats was the number of people who avoided fines. While 800,000 speeding fines were issued during the year, a total of 1.3 million individuals managed to avoid a fine. Figures haven’t been released for 2016 to compare yet, but should make for interesting reading once available.
There are several ways to avoid paying a fine if you’re caught speeding. One of the top methods is to take a speed awareness course. Around a third of those caught speeding choose to attend a course rather than pay a fine. However, there are also some more creative ways to avoid paying speeding fines. Recorded reasons include speeding drivers lying to say they were speeding due to an emergency, claiming they no longer owned the car and lying about who was driving the car at the time.
Changes to speed fines
April 2017 saw the introduction of new tiers and costs of speeding fines in the UK. The changes were aimed at slowing people down, so time will tell if they achieve their intended purpose. The new fines can be up to 50% higher than the previous ones. Fines used to be up to 100% of a driver’s weekly earnings. That figure has now increased to 150% for excessive speeding offences. The maximum fine that can be issued for speeding is £1,000 – or £2,500 if the offence was on a motorway. Offenders can also receive six points on their licence and be banned from driving for a brief period (up to 56 days). The minimum fine and number of points issued for speeding remain at £100 and three points respectively.
Only time will tell if the new, harsher penalties bring speeding numbers in the UK down over the course of 2017.
Will harsher fines and higher numbers of speed cameras finally start to curb our tendency to speed? Or is speeding simply an inevitable result of the congestion that delays us on other parts of the road network? Leave a comment below to let us know your views.
Aug 17, 2017
The government has announced new rules that will allow learner drivers in England, Scotland and Wales to have driving lessons on motorways from 2018. The Department of Transport (DoT) said the lessons would need to be in a dual controlled car and with an approved instructor.
At the moment, only drivers who have passed their test are allowed to drive on the motorway. However, back in 2015 the DoT announced that it would consider changing the law. Now, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has said that he is confident that the move will make our roads safer. The idea is that lessons on the motorway will create a supportive environment that will help learner drivers to “develop a practical understanding of how to use motorways safely” before they are able to drive on them independently.
A scary experience
Mr Grayling added that young drivers were more likely to be seriously injured or killed while driving on Britain’s roads. One of the big factors behind this is a lack of experience. The UK has some of the safest roads in the world. The DoT wants to do everything it can to preserve that reputation and to make our roads safer still.
Speaking to BBC News, one new driver admitted that it was a scary experience to have passed her test and then go on the motorway for the first time. Reading up on the theory of driving on the motorway, she admitted, didn’t really prepare her for the real thing.
The newly qualified driver said that motorway lessons would have helped with those nerves. She was keen that motorway instruction be part of learning to drive in the future. Her view, like that of Mr Grayling, was that it would help drivers feel more confident and experienced while on the motorways, thus contributing to making our roads safer.
Connection to road deaths
Figures from the DoT show that there were 1,810 deaths on the country’s roads between September 2015 and September 2016. After the 2015 figures were reported, documents were published suggesting steps to help reduce the number of deaths. These included higher fines for drivers using mobile phones and a new research program to look at improving safety for inexperienced drivers.
The latest DoT announcement – that learner drivers will be allowed to have lessons on motorways – has certainly been greeted with enthusiasm.
RAC spokesman Pete Williams backed the move, saying that while motorways are statistically the safest roads, they can also be daunting for those using them for the first time after passing their test.
Edmund King of the AA likewise backed the new announcement. He described motorway driving as the Achilles’ heel of learning to drive. King added that almost half of motorists know someone, such as a friend or family member, who avoids driving on motorways.
Motorway rules
Learners will have to get the hang of some of the basic rules of motorway driving prior to their lessons, including giving priority to traffic already ahead when joining the road and learning to match their speed to fit in with the flow before considering overtaking.
Other rules include only overtaking on the right-hand side when it is safe and legal to do so – although in congested conditions you can keep up with traffic in your lane, even if this means breaking this rule. However, you shouldn’t weave between lanes just to try and get to your destination faster. Learners should also be aware that drivers should always drive in the left-hand lane when the conditions are good, maintaining a steady speed within the speed limit.
First-time motorway users are advised to keep calm and plan ahead. They need to learn to ease off the accelerator to create a gap when required or speed up quickly when joining the road. Of course, learners also need to remember to watch the speed limits – while most are 70mph, there are plenty of areas with 50mph limits featuring average speed cameras.
Here at PetrolPrices, we welcome the move to give learner drivers lessons on the UK’s motorways. The new arrangement will allow learners to get to grips with motorway driving safely, in dual controlled cars and with approved instructors – rather than on their own with nobody there to guide them should they need advice!
Do you think that it’s right to allow learners onto our motorways? Will the move improve the safety of our roads or not? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Aug 16, 2017
Buying a car is soon to become “as easy as buying a can of Coke.” Chinese ecommerce company Alibaba is due to launch its first car vending machine next year.
This new development will allow potential customers to browse available cars on their smartphones. Pressing ‘buy now’ will release the car that they’re interested in.
Can anyone buy one?
Unfortunately not… the system will be connected to financial information so that Alibaba can access data on the interested customer’s credit rating. If their score is high enough, the customer will be able to pay a 10% deposit and drive the car away.
Following this, the new owner will be required to pay monthly instalments, as with any finance plan. What they won’t have to do is sit through a variety of conversations in a car showroom and fill out reams of paperwork in order to get their new vehicle.
Successful trials
Similar car vending machines have already been trialled. For example, Autobahn Motors recently opened a futuristic, 15-storey showroom in Singapore, which holds cars in 60 slots. Potential customers can release them by selecting their favourite on a touchscreen on the ground floor. The car arrives within two minutes, so that the customer can view it.
Meanwhile, US company Carvana uses an eight-floor tower to sell cars in San Antonio, Texas. This also resembles a giant car vending machine.
This method of selling cars is becoming increasingly popular. It reduces both staff and storage costs, thus saving companies money. It also gives those brave enough to innovate a very interesting selling approach to market to their target audience!
(Vending in trial in Singapore – Autobahn Motors/Facebook)
The history of car buying
Until the late 1990s, people could only buy cars through dealerships, or from a private seller. Both processes come with their fair share of pressure for customers, as you’re dealing directly with the people who stand to make money out of your decision to buy.
Then along came the internet. People began to advertise and sell cars online. Dealers had to start being a little more competitive with their pricing, as it was easier for people to get more than one quote. Buyers suddenly became less prepared to put up with being worn down by inescapable sales patter.
Now, the internet allows car buyers to see all of the options available to them just by clicking buttons or tapping a screen. There are also reviews to read and watch online for almost every model of car – a far cry from our former reliance on specialist motoring magazines and recommendations from family and friends.
For people who find negotiating prices face-to-face awkward, the developments in car buying have been most welcome. You can negotiate prices online and consider your options privately and at your own pace, with offers made through emails and messages, especially through auction sites like eBay.
Changing the customer experience
BMW has sought to change with the times in terms of the car buying experience. The company now employs ‘car geniuses,’ who know all there is to know about its collection of vehicles. These staff members aren’t motivated by sales – their role is simply to give potential customers all of the information they need to make a decision.
This removes the pressure of customers having to talk about their finances or possible contract terms. Instead, they can focus on finding the model that is perfect for them and fall for it at their own pace.
Meanwhile, Volvo is taking an alternative – and far more futuristic – approach to progressing the car buying experience. The firm is working with Microsoft on ‘HoloLens.’ This will allow people to interact with Volvo’s cars and brand using holograms, while still being connected with the world around them.
Volvo is the only automotive company currently working with Microsoft on this project. It hopes that it will help people to see specific features, and choose cars’ finer details, as they create them to their own specifications in holographic form.
Car companies are constantly looking at ways in which they can make the car buying process easier for their customers. Many are seeking to embrace new technology in order to do this, thus opening up many possibilities for the future of car buying. PetrolPrices believes that car vending machines and holograms are just the tip of the iceberg – watch this space for further updates!
Would you buy a car from a vending machine? Or do you prefer face-to-face contact when it comes to purchasing a vehicle? Leave a comment to let us know.
