Jul 19, 2017
University College London has published a study which indicates that listening to music while driving causes low level distraction that leads to slower reaction times and a reduced awareness of road conditions around you while driving.
The creator of the study, Dr Ulrich Pomper, admits that in normal driving conditions for normal drivers the impact is low level. However, he says that for the elderly, hearing impaired, or drivers who are tired, stressed, or trying to perform complex navigation tasks, the impact can be significant and dangerous.
Mobile phone use while driving has already been proven to be a leading cause of driver distraction and serious accidents. Could this study be the start of road safety experts pushing to ban music in cars as well, on the grounds that it could lead to driver distraction and cause accidents?
Outline of the study
In the study, scientists measured the brain activity of a group of volunteers while listening to sounds coming from speakers. People listening to music were found to have slower reaction times and higher mental stress when looking away from the source of the audio.
The people behind the study also think the effect could be worse when we are tired or under stress, as well as for people with hearing issues and older people. The researchers, from the University College London (UCL) Ear Institute, found that moving the gaze just a few degrees away from the source of a sound can have a profound effect on brain activity.
They believe this is because our brains expect the direction of our gaze to be aligned with what we hear. While we believe we can listen to sounds attentively without looking towards them, the findings indicate that this isn’t the case.
Everyday listening impact
In the test, the researchers aimed to recreate everyday listening situations, attempting to follow a single sound from a range of competing noises ones, under controlled lab conditions. A group of 19 participants each sat facing three loudspeakers and were told to follow the sounds from one while ignoring the other two.
They were also told to look at either the speaker they were following or one of the others. The researchers found that when people looked away from the loudspeaker they were following, their reaction times were slower than when they were looking at the source of the sound.
The effect was also coupled with increased brain activity, meaning people had to concentrate harder on the tasks when they weren’t looking at the loudspeaker they were listening to. People with hearing problems and older people experienced a greater degree of difficulty with the task.
Distracted driving solutions
According to researchers, listening to music or even talking to someone who is to the side of you or behind you could result in you being distracted while driving. Even navigating in traffic, for example by looking right while you listen to a sat nav system, can result in distraction.
Listening to music, sat nav instructions, or people talking in a car is virtually impossible to police or ban. However, a ban on mobile phone use was once thought virtually impossible to police too. There is currently a major clampdown on people using mobile phones while driving, due to their distracting possibilities and risk of causing accidents.
Scientists at Nissan have recently announced a signal blocker that prevents mobile users being distracted while at the wheel. Aimed at ‘compulsive checkers’ who can’t resist checking their phones, the technology brings a 19th-century solution to a 21st-century problem, using the principle of a “Faraday Cage,” developed over 180 years ago. Nissan has introduced a compartment in the armrest of its cars that not only stores the device but acts as a signal blocker, preventing any WiFi and mobile signals from connecting with the smartphone.
Experts said only a few years ago that mobile phone use in cars would be impossible to enforce; now it’s law. If health and safety campaigners or the Police think that listening to music causes distraction and creates accidents, we could be sitting in silence on Britain’s roads in the future.
What do you think about this UCL research? Do you agree that music can be a source of driver distraction? Do you think the authorities would consider banning music in cars if it was proven to cause accidents? Let us know in the comments below.
Jul 19, 2017
An incredible two million people were given a fine in 2016 for using the Dartford Crossing without paying the toll. That equates to 5% of all drivers in the UK, according to new figures released by Highways England.
The bridge and tunnel system connects Essex and Kent both over and under the River Thames. It had human-operated payment booths until 2014, when a number plate recognition software (ANPR) system was introduced to track passing vehicles instead. Motorists now need to pay tolls online. However, it seems that millions of drivers are forgetting to do so, resulting in millions of unpaid tolls and resultant non-payment fines being issued and then chased by debt collectors.
Malfunctioning systems or deliberate avoidance?
Of those fined, over 200,000 have had their cases escalated and been faced with bailiffs chasing payments. Yet many, like one woman from Leigh-on-Sea, are adamant that they did pay the toll at the time. They are therefore fighting the fines.
The lady in question telephoned before making the crossing in November last year. The adviser told her that because she didn’t have an account set up to make the payment ahead of time, she should set up an account and pay when she arrived at her destination.
She took a short weekend break, passing over the crossing, and then signed up for the ‘autopay’ option on her mobile phone, thinking this would mean a payment was taken. Months later, she has received a bill in the post totalling £190.50, with no explanation as to what it’s for.
The letter came from a debt collection firm called Marston. The driver eventually deduced that it related to the crossing made months ago. The £115.50 fine was supplemented by a £75 ‘compliance stage fee’ – all for a toll that costs £2.50 (or £1.67 if you have an account).
The Dartford Crossing was originally meant to be a free crossing. However, it was announced in 2003 that a toll would apply.
The crossing made £161 million from April 2015 until March 2016, an increase of £61 million on the previous year. Nearly a third of the total income made from the bridge and tunnel system is from enforcement action – a staggering £53 million a year.
A fine problem
Highways England says that the fine for not paying for the crossing fee is £70, due within 14 days. If you pay earlier, it goes down to £35, but increases to £108 after a further 14 days has elapsed. After two months, if you still don’t pay, it can be sent on to one of three enforcement agencies. With automatic number plate recognition cameras all over the bridge and tunnel, toll dodging is impossible.
The driver in question argued that she entered her debit card details on the evening after making the crossing, showing she intended to pay. To make matters worse, previous communications about the fine were sent to her old address after she moved house in December and hadn’t yet updated her log book information. Thus, by the time she received paperwork about the matter, it had reached the debt collection agency level.
Electronic toll systems still flawed
This is just one example of an electronic toll system malfunctioning and leaving drivers facing substantial fines. The firms that operate tolls on UK roads and bridges want to move to fully electronic toll systems to make taking payment more efficient and save on the wage costs of manning toll booths.
However, current electronic systems still have flaws within them, preventing drivers from fully accepting and adopting them. This would explain why most toll roads and bridges around the UK still use cash payment, rather than a complicated online process. Examples of cash-collection tolls include the Humber Bridge, the M6 toll, the Mersey Tunnel and the Tamar Bridge in Plymouth.
In fact, the Dartford Crossing is the only major toll bridge in the UK that doesn’t accept cash. As this case shows, there are clearly still some faults to iron out in the system if the UK is to switch more of its toll roads to this type of system.
An electronic tag system, as employed by the M6 toll in the UK and the Sanef toll system in France, is a better approach. A sensible approach would be for Highways England to impose a universal tag across the UK, making it law that all vehicles (including non-UK vehicles as they arrive in the country) must carry a tag linked to a payment card to drive on UK roads. Toll companies could be obliged to adopt the system. Such a move would resolve all the issues for current and future toll road plans in one fell swoop, but the cost is likely to be the limiting factor in this idea.
What do you think of the Dartford Crossing debacle? Are you one of the two million drivers being chased for fines? What do you think is the best solution to resolve the problem of tolls across the UK? Is one universal system for all roads the answer? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Jul 19, 2017
UK drivers are spending an average of 44 hours per year trying to find parking spaces. In the worst cases, drivers are losing as much as 67 hours every year. That’s according to research by INRIX Parking. INRIX states that the time and fuel wasted on the hunt for that illusive space means that every driver in effect pays out £733 per year for the privilege. That adds up to a whopping £23 billion.
Parking pains
The worst area for parking pain is London, with drivers spending up to 67 hours and £1,100 a year trying to park. At the other end of the spectrum is Southampton, with drivers spending on average 35 hours and £588 per year.
To add insult to injury, drivers are also wasting money by overpaying for parking because they are afraid of receiving a ticket if they accidentally outstay their booking. The practice means that motorists are booking 45 hours of extra time per year that (in most cases) ends up being unused. The impact on the nation’s wallets? Another £209 per motorist, totalling an additional £6.7 billion per year. Dr Graham Cookson, Chief Economist at INRIX told The Sun,
“If we add up all the costs in this research, so the time spent searching for a space, the amount drivers overpay for parking and the amount spent in fines, the ‘total’ cost of parking pain in the UK is more than £30 billion a year. This cost is not only borne by drivers but also by local economies as people avoid shops due to parking issues.”
Car parking catastrophe
While the issue represents a major headache for motorists, in extreme cases the situation can prove catastrophic. For instance, doctors and nurses at the University Hospital of Wales are currently facing a collective bill of over £12.8 million from Indigo Parking. The medical staff decided to veto paying Indigo’s car park tickets for the hospital car park because they believed that they should be provided with enough spaces by the NHS to park at work.
After Indigo took legal action, though, the courts found in favour of the company. This has left the NHS staff personally liable for the 100,000-plus tickets accrued. While opinion is divided about whether the staff should have taken such an action in the first place, it reflects a far wider and more pressing issue about being able to find a parking space near your place of work.
In the case of the NHS, it’s an issue that could end up costing lives if staff are late for work or, worse still, decide to leave the public sector altogether. One nurse affected by the court ruling posted on Facebook:
“We are probably going to have to sell our family home. I have decided to leave the NHS. I cannot continue working for someone who doesn’t support their employees.”
There’s an app for that
The stakes are increasingly high, but is there anything drivers can do to tackle the great British parking problem? Thankfully, yes! Drivers are increasingly turning to ‘smart parking’ apps such as JustPark, which allow them to locate and book available spaces in their area via smartphone.
Inevitably, these service don’t offer the ability to book council-owned, on-street parking in advance. Instead, they work in tandem with privately operated off-street parking and even private owners of unused driveways, all offered at rates that often undercut council parking charges.
The ideal solution, though, is knowing there is an on-street parking space available wherever you are, much like sourcing a definitive fuel price in your area using PetrolPrices. While such parking flexibility might seem like a pipe dream, Stockholm-based Easy Park believes its product may well be the next best thing. Targeted for release in the UK in 2018, the firm claims its app will help drive down the time it takes to uncover a parking space in urban areas.
By using crowd-sourced location and parking payment data, the app’s Find and Pay feature is able to offer motorists a parking probability map surrounding their destination. The app displays a route to the destination featuring the streets around it that have the highest probability of a parking space being available.
Ultimately, it is becoming increasingly clear that something needs to be done to stop drivers wasting time and money on something as mundane as parking their cars. While public transport is one solution, perhaps it will be technology that finally slashes the time – and money – it takes to find and secure that precious parking space.
Take advantage of our JustPark offer
Meanwhile, do you have an unused parking space? Do you want to earn extra cash for nothing? It’s simple to do with JustPark. Rent out your parking space and you can earn up to £1,000 a year. Sign up and rent your parking space through us and you’ll also receive up to £60 fuelback too.
Could councils be doing more to help motorists find parking spaces? Or do private car park companies now have an increasing grip on parking nationwide? Let us know your views below.
Jul 19, 2017
With the car financing sector already embroiled in a scandal surrounding loans to customers who can’t afford them, another controversial practice has now been uncovered. Lenders are fitting ‘kill switches.’ The devices can potentially leave drivers of financed vehicles at the side of the road if they fail to make their repayments on time.
According to the Daily Mail, lenders are offering the scheme to people who need a car but have a poor credit score. This demographic makes up 10% of the £35 billion lent for car buying each year. The strategy is a win-win for lenders, opening up new revenue streams by offering loans to customers who were previously regarded as too high risk. If they fail to pay on time, their vehicles can quickly be immobilised and seized.
(Credit – Craig Sunter)
How the kill switch works
The lender installs the switch behind the dashboard, attaching it to the ignition. If the customer pays their standing order each month, the lender sends them a code to enter via a remote control. This keeps the car working. If the customer fails to make a monthly repayment, then the lender doesn’t send the code and thus immobilises the car.
The scheme has raised concerns that if a driver is unable to pay, they could end up stranded at any time of day or night. However, one provider of the kill switch scheme, Car Finance Company, says that being stranded can’t actually happen. The system allows for the lender to send an emergency code out at the customer’s request. This allows them to move the vehicle to their home or another secure location. The company has also stated that cars cannot be turned off while they are in motion.
Serious concerns remain
Despite the sector’s assurances, legal experts remain unconvinced. The National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers believes that kill switches could be illegal. Meanwhile, Andrew Leakey of Stephensons Solicitors told the Daily Mail that in some cases it could be argued that customers are victims of an ‘unfair relationship’ under the Consumer Credit Act. As for lenders, he says,
“They shouldn’t have the power to stop the car there and then. That is before you get into data-protection issues with the box recording your movements.”
So contentious is the technology that kill switches are believed to be part of the car loans market review that the the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is undertaking. The FCA is fearful that another credit crisis could be looming on the horizon because of unscrupulous car loan practises.
Where the US leads, the UK follows
The kill switch is nothing new in the American car loan market. The technology, known as a ‘payment assurance device,’ first hit the US market at the tail end of the 1990s, before lenders rolled it out extensively in the 2000s.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the tech has left a path of controversy in its wake. In some cases, lenders weren’t even telling their customers that kill switches had been installed until after they had received downpayments on the cars. Such shady practices have led to some states banning the technology outright.
Whether the UK will follow in the same footsteps remains to be seen. However, with the car finance market being probed for potential mis-selling already, kill switches look set to plunge the industry into yet another controversy of its own making.
Should lenders be blamed for introducing such technology? Or are they justified in wanting to ensure they are paid on time each and every month? Let us know your views below.
Jul 13, 2017
Data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has shown that new car registrations were down for the third month in a row in June. The SMMT predicts that new car sales could end up being 5% down in 2017 (compared to 2016) if the trend continues. This would be the first time since 2011 that new car sales have fallen year on year.
New car sales have for a long time been an indicator of economic prosperity. When people feel better off, they buy new cars. However, something feels different this time. It looks like a series of exceptional circumstances, rather than just a poor outlook on economic prosperity, is causing this to happen.
General election and Brexit
The recent snap general election and the start of Brexit talks, have been blamed for the drop. People are often wary of buying high value items during times of political uncertainty. Buying a new car is not necessarily a sensible move when finances could quickly become unstable.
However, with sales down 4.8% compared to a year ago, and diesel sales suffering the most, there are several other reasons why this may be happening. In addition, it seems that the types of cars that people are choosing to buy are changing too.
Diesel sales were down 14.7% in June. This indicates that drivers are opting for petrol or alternative fuel cars such as electric and hybrid models, instead of once popular diesels. This is likely due to extra charges that have recently been put in place, which make diesel cars more expensive to own and run.
Taxes and duties on the rise
For example, the new Vehicle Excise Duty that was put into place in April means that those who own vehicles that produce more emissions, such as diesel cars, need to pay more tax, with a flat fee of £140 and a surcharge of £310 for cars which cost over £40,000. The tax change is one possible reason why car sales have fallen, as only those who buy a car following the change have to pay these higher tax charges.
Another cost that will affect diesel car drivers is the T-Charge, or Toxicity Charge, which is being introduced in London in October. The charge will need to be paid by drivers whose cars do not meet specific exhaust emissions standards. It will set them back £10 per day when they drive through certain areas of the capital.
Similar schemes to punish diesel car drivers for idling outside schools or driving into major urban areas are also being considered by 20 UK towns and cities. For example, one local council is trialling a scheme that is charging parents for bringing their children to school by car, rather than by public transport.
Alternative fuel car sales see growth
In contrast to this, alternative fuel vehicle registrations have seen a 27.2% year on year increase. Around 50,000 electric and hybrid cars have been added to the road so far in 2017. They make up 4.4% of all new vehicle registrations for the year, showing that people are becoming more aware of their impact on the environment.
However, 50,000 electric or hybrid new cars is still a drop in the ocean compared to the 2.3m new cars sold with petrol or diesel engines in 2016. It demonstrates how far the industry has to go before alternative fuels become a viable alternative to combustion engine cars.
Volkswagen Golf is top-selling new car
One more detail which has come out of recent research, and surprised many in the motoring world, is that the Ford Fiesta was not the number one bestselling new car in June. This is the first time it has been knocked off the top spot since December 2014.
Instead, the Volkswagen Golf took the crown, with just over 200 more sales than the Ford Fiesta managed to achieve. This is hugely ironic given the almost weekly punishment beatings Volkswagen is getting in the media at the moment. The latest is the furore around 50,000 drivers stating they have lost power due to the removal of the diesel defeat system. This has apparently resulted in “limp mode,” with some cars losing power completely.
With so many changes putting diesel cars out of favour with motorists, and people turning towards alternative fuel vehicles instead, our roads could start to look quite a bit different over the next few years. Here at PetrolPrices we’ll be sure to keep you posted regarding the latest changes.
What do you think about the drop in new car sales figures? Have you changed from diesel to alternative fuels? Are you shocked that the most complained about car brand is the most popular new car to buy? Let us know in the comments below.
Jul 13, 2017
Midland Express Limited (MEL), which operates the M6 toll connecting M6 junctions 3a and 11a, has announced that it will be increasing the cost of its daytime toll charge by 40p. It is the first increase for five years. A one-way trip for car drivers will rise to £5.90 at the main tolls, and £4.40 at the local tolls. Evenings and weekends will be unaffected. Prices for Class 5 vehicles (i.e. HGVs) will be frozen at £11. This is to encourage more large vehicles onto the toll road, something that MEL has struggled to achieve due to the cost.
Carrying 53,000 vehicles per day and stretching for 27 miles, the M6 toll road, originally called the Birmingham North Relief Road, was opened in 2003. It aimed to ease congestion on the M6 and help drivers escape the traffic around Birmingham. However, it has consistently failed to meet the 75,000 vehicles per day expectation it had when opened.
White elephant or a good investment?
Costing a massive £900 million to create, and built to withstand 100,000 vehicles per day, the toll road does not seem to have attracted the amount of traffic that it set out to divert away from the M6. It has proven to be an expensive alternative that is not particularly popular with drivers, with toll fares rising from the £2 per trip cost at launch in 2003 to almost £6 today.
In addition to this, it has caused significant and irreversible effects on the environment, increasing noise, congestion and air pollution in the local area. Many now believe that funding for bus or cycle options would have been a far better alternative for reducing the volume of traffic, as well as being kinder to the environment.
One reasons the M6 toll road has not been as successful as predicted is the post-2008 financial climate. Another is higher fuel prices. Raising the cost of using the road has also pushed drivers away in the past (as anyone who understands economics would expect!). Putting incentives in place to attract more people to use the road may have been more effective. Lowering the cost for HGVs to below £10 could have been a more better approach than freezing prices, for example.
MEL justifies the price rise
Prices for the toll road have not increased since 2012, due to sensitivity around the economic climate and financial stability for both the public and companies. However, MEL has said that the price rise needs to happen so that it catches up with inflation. This is despite people’s wages not seeing the same increase. It means that locals are no better off financially, but are still expected to pay higher charges.
The news comes after it emerged that the toll road has finally started to make a profit, following years of losses. It seems to coincide with plans for more roadworks on the M5 and M6, which are sure to encourage more drivers to use the M6 toll to escape the inevitable congestion. The price hike is occurring just in time for MEL to benefit from this.
HGV toll price freeze
The toll charge for HGVs has been frozen in a bid to tempt more haulage companies to use the toll road. The measure aims to lure them away from the already busy M6. However, at £11 per journey it doesn’t seem that many companies are happy to pay such high fees, preferring to use the money elsewhere. One company went so far as to say that it wouldn’t use it unless it was free.
The fundamental problem with a toll road trying to attract HGVs is that there a free motorway alternative. That motorway is more congested, but haulage firms are more concerned about saving £22 per truck than they are about being 20 mins later for their deliveries. It seems that MEL’s attempt to attract more trade by freezing prices is at best optimistic.
With this new price increase expected to deter even more motorists from using the M6 toll road, it is questionable whether it will ever start making the money that it needs to in order to repay the costs of construction and maintenance. This suggests that those who use it may face even steeper price rises in the future.
What do you think about the M6 toll road increasing prices for all vehicle classes except HGVs? Has this encouraged you to use it more or angered you and made you less likely to use it? Let us know in the comments below.
Jul 12, 2017
Many of us were hoping that falls in the wholesale price for fuel in May and early June would mean that we’d see a fifth successive decline in fuel prices in June. We were not disappointed. However, although the “cheap fuel party” continued in June, there are some indications it may finish in July, followed by steady price rises during the second half of 2017.
UK fuel prices have been slowly declining since February. June’s average price for unleaded fell once more, to 115.9 pence per litre, while diesel fell to 116.8 pence per litre, a drop of 0.8 pence for unleaded, 1.2 pence for diesel from May. This is welcome news for drivers, as rises in road tax and insurance premiums hit them harder than ever before.
In comparison to the same time last year, prices now are 4.4 pence per litre higher for unleaded and a whopping 5 pence per litre higher for diesel. Go back five years to 2012 and prices were 133.0 pence per litre for unleaded and 138.4 pence for diesel. We are certainly better off now than in June 2012, but not compared to June 2007, when prices were 97.0 pence per litre for unleaded and 97.4 pence for diesel before the financial crash in 2008.
(Credit – Pixabay)
Oil price rallies in second half of June
Oil prices rallied in the second half of June, so one would expect average fuel prices to stay the same or even increase in July. It would be the first time since January that prices have increased. Many experts believe that the price of crude oil will rise above $50 a barrel and stay there, something which has not happened since December 2016.
Victory in Iraq against ISIS and the Syrian cease-fire will certainly bring stability to the region, enabling oil producers to have more confidence in their output. There are still issues with US shale oil producers, as well as Nigerian and Iranian oil producers that are not adhering to OPEC’s production targets. There are some indications these supply factors will be addressed in September. If they are then oil prices will rise, as will the cost of fuel at the pumps.
The current picture
In June, supermarkets led the way with price reductions. ASDA introduced a cap at the pump for its petrol stations across the UK. Within a day, all the other big supermarket retailers followed. The large petrol retailers did the same a few days later.
This meant that by the middle of the month, the prices across the board from Asda were 111.7p a litre. Also offering a relatively consistent price was Tesco, with most of its fuel priced between 111.9p and 115.9p, depending on where in the country you were located. Sainsbury’s was the most variable of the big four supermarkets, with fuel prices varying from 111.7p to 116.9p regionally.
Petrol retailer v supermarket pricing
The picture is somewhat different from petrol retailers. On the same dates in June, based on a sample of ten stations for each brand, ESSO’s prices varied from 113.9p to 118.9p across its different stations. Shell had an even wider variation, with prices as low as 114.9p and as high as 122.9p.
Why is there such a great variation in prices from petrol retailers? One reason is that they vary their prices on an almost daily basis to reflect what is happening in the local competitive environment. They also factor in events taking place in the area local to each station, such as large events like football or music concerts.
Supermarkets tend to have a narrow spread of pricing between their stations and are far more uniform in their pricing changes. They compete less against the local market and more against other supermarkets, as their goal is to lure more shoppers to the tills and cheap fuel is a driver for that. ASDA leads the way with its price guarantee, a price cap on all 308 UK stations, which tends to act as the benchmark that other supermarkets set their prices against. You do get outliers, though. Sainsbury’s in particular comes up with prices that are often the cheapest supermarket prices in the UK, along with Tesco on premium fuels.
How can I always get the best fuel price?
While you can’t guarantee the best price (unless you are a member of Costco and use its six sites in the UK), you can follow a few simple steps to stay informed, be aware of pricing changes and know what to avoid:
1. Use the daily PetrolPrices alert email to monitor pricing and see daily changes
2. Only fill up £20-30 at a time to protect against sudden price changes
3. When prices start changing, wait 24-48 hours before filling up
4. Try to be aware of local events and understand how this may affect price
5. Don’t buy fuel on major trunk roads or at motorway services
6. If an ASDA or Costco is nearby, prices will be low, as everyone competes against them
7. Keep your eye out for independents that compete 1-2p lower than the supermarkets
8. If based in an affluent area, check prices in less affluent areas nearby, it can be as much as 3 pence less per litre
9. Clusters of supermarkets close together also usually mean lower prices
10. If you’re in an unfamiliar location, use the PetrolPrices app to help you find the cheapest fuel
What do you think about price changes in June? Do you think the party is over and prices will go up in July? Let us know in the comments below.
Jul 12, 2017
Department for Transport (DfT) data has shown that 80% of drivers are turning a blind eye to the 20mph speed limit. According to official figures, the majority of these motorists are travelling at 21-25mph, with 15% exceeding 30mph and 1% clocked at over 40mph.
The DfT’s data was sourced from nine 20mph areas featuring free-flow conditions and no traffic-calming measures. This is not typical of many 20mph-limited areas across the country. Still, the figures make for sobering reading, especially when compared to road charity Brake’s recent poll, which stated only 52% of drivers were breaking the 20mph limit.
Testing ‘the limit’ of drivers
The often controversial speed limit was introduced in 1991, with 250 areas included across UK roads by the end of decade. In 1999, local highway authorities were allowed to roll out the 20mph limit without needing to apply for permission from central government, which saw an explosion of the limit in many cities and towns. Most recently, some authorities have set 20mph as the standard limit for residential streets, including in Warrington, Hackney and Oxford.
It’s this seemingly indiscriminate approach to 20mph deployment that some motoring groups believe may be causing the problem. The RAC Foundation’s Edmund King explained to The Times newspaper:
“These statistics indicate that blanket 20mph speed limits aren’t particularly effective. Where they are targeted, like outside schools these lower limits work because people can see the point of them. But if 20mph limits are simply imposed over a whole area, people just don’t believe in them and it’s no surprise they then fail to comply.”
The wrong end of the stick?
Others though argue that the goal of the limit isn’t to get motorists driving under 20mph. The AA’s Luke Bosdet told the Daily Telegraph,
“The target is to get people driving below 30mph in these areas. That’s what the 20mph limit is clearly for, and in that sense as far as we’re concerned it’s working.”
He does concede though that how the 20mph limit is rolled out can create issues, arguing that “the problem is a knee-jerk reaction to have these zones everywhere. If local residents want them, they should get them, but the big question is whether they are being consulted. If they’re not being consulted you’re not going to get adherence.”
Adherence is not only a problem for residents or motorists, but law enforcement as well. For instance, in Brighton and Hove the local authority introduced a far-reaching 20mph limit in many areas of the city in 2013. However, Sussex Police went on the record stating that it would not allocate any extra resources to tracking down offending drivers, instead believing that “it’s important that roads are carefully designed to ensure that drivers habitually self-enforce when it comes to speed limits.”
Exception, not the rule
The Sussex Police are the exception to the rule; motorists should expect 20mph limits to remain in place and be enforced. Even after its own startling findings, the DfT still backs the widespread use of the limit:
“Research shows that 20mph zones in the right areas can save lives and we have made it easier for councils to introduce them. It is for councils to set speed limits in their area and police to decide how best to enforce them.”
Are 20 mph limits essential to the safety of our busy streets? Or are local authorities simply rolling them out to boost their budgets through fines? Let us know your views below.
Jul 12, 2017
Headlines in the last few months have indicated that the days of diesel were coming to an end and that diesel vehicles were the main cause of pollution problems around the UK. However, an announcement by tyre company Continental has given hope for diesel fans that it might not be dead yet.
Super diesel technology developed in Germany by Continental indicates that auto-manufacturers will soon be able to make cars that deliver emission levels lower than current EU limits. So what is super diesel technology and how does it work?
Big announcement
Continental has said that its new ‘Super Clean Electrified Diesel’ technology can reduce real world emissions by some 60% and is the way forward for a cleaner, less polluting diesel fuel. Engineers at the company have developed a new after-treatment using electricity, which can reduce NOx emissions by almost two thirds under real world driving conditions. The company has said it is already in discussions with manufacturers about using the technology in their vehicles.
Johannes Dreschel, the development engineer for Continental, explained that the key for the new system was the use of an electrically heated catalytic converter that makes use of a 48V electrical system. Normally, a catalytic converter needs the engine to bring it up to temperature. However, this new tech uses electricity from the 48V system to get the power it needs to work.
Why this makes a difference
Why should this make a difference? Continental explains that because the catalytic converter uses electricity rather than the engine, it can heat up much faster. This means it provides a much more efficient reduction of NOx emissions.
Some current converters have an electronically heated element that uses a 12V system but the new larger, 48V system allows the devices to work far more quickly. In addition to using more power, the company’s engineers have also made subtle amendments to the after-treatment system. These include injecting the AdBlue urea solution to the exhaust immediately, without the use of a separate mixer (as is currently common practice).
Testing the process
In testing, the company took an existing Volkswagen Golf and changed the system from a 12V to a 48V one. It then tested the car under the forthcoming real driving emissions (RDE) cycle. The results showed 60% lower NOx levels than in the standard vehicle without the modifications. It also saw a 3% fall in CO2 emissions and a 4% increase in overall fuel economy.
Another live test involved taking the modified Golf onto Continental’s German test track. A Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) was fitted to the back of the car in order to track the emissions. The car was then taken for a test run, including reaching motorway speed levels. The NOx emissions were recorded at 60mg/km, which is well below the current EU limit of 80mg/km.
Brighter future?
Dreschel strongly believes that diesel cars have a role to play in the future of motoring, but admits that they need to be cleaner. The technology developed by Continental is one of the ways that diesel vehicles can do this, allowing diesel to have a future.
The technology helps to highlight that there are ways to make diesel cars friendlier to the environment. Combined with measures to look at other causes of emissions, the situation of premature deaths from poor air quality could be controlled. This could be achieved without the need to eliminate the diesel vehicle (as some campaigners have suggested would be required).
Governments and pressure groups are pushing ahead with a one-dimensional approach to tackling pollution through banning petrol and diesel vehicles and pushing for electric charge vehicles (EVs). The fundamental problem with this is it will take years for EVs to replace combustion engines. A more pragmatic approach would be to make diesel and petrol engines as clean as possible while rolling out EVs, which do appear to be the future. At present, however, it seems that demonising combustion engines is easier than finding solutions to drastically cut emissions.
What do you think about this super diesel technology? Do you think it should be rolled out as soon as possible or even retro-fitted onto vehicles at no charge? Let us know in the comments below.
Jul 12, 2017
Research by the RAC Foundation has revealed that payouts for crash-related personal injuries are dramatically higher in Britain than in the rest of Europe. This is leaving UK drivers paying far more for their insurance premiums than their European neighbours.
To meet the long-term care costs of someone who has suffered catastrophic injuries in a road accident, compensation payouts can be as much as £10 million in Britain. By comparison, Germany and France offer up to £6 million and Sweden pays out as little as £600,000. So why is there such a disparity?
The key factor is how the medical and care costs are divided up between the state and the insurer. In some regions, such as Scandinavian countries, the onus is on the state to take on the lion’s share of the costs. This helps keep insurance costs down for the country’s motorists.
And now the really bad news…
In Britain though, our already high insurance costs are set to increase further as the government continues to ‘evolve’ the way in which personal injury payouts are calculated. Traditionally, compensation for injuries is based on loss of earnings and how much the cost of care is predicted to be over the victim’s lifetime. This figure also takes into account the predicted long-term interest – the ‘discount rate’ – that the injured could earn on that money. This was typically set at up to 2.5% and would be factored in when calculating the payout.
In early 2017, however, the government dramatically scaled the discount rate down to -0.75%, a significantly lower rate that has had the knock-on effect of insurers themselves now having to pay out more to victims. Now factor in a rise in insurance premium tax from 10% to 12% last month, plus the effect of bogus whiplash claims on insurance prices, and it’s created a perfect storm for drivers who are now experiencing rocketing insurance premiums.
The true cost of motoring
According to price comparison site MoneySupermarket, the cost of the average insurance policy is up from £474 in 2015 to £562 in 2017. It’s perhaps unsurprising that young drivers are being hit the hardest, with their average policy price now estimated at £1,322. Such increases could have serious ramifications beyond motorists’ bank accounts, as the RAC Foundation’s director, Steve Gooding, explains:
“Everyone should pay a fair price for insurance, but if people are priced out of the market, the danger is they choose to drive uninsured and that’s a risk to us all.”
Dealing with rising insurance costs
While rising prices for insurance premiums are set to continue, drivers can take steps to drive down costs. For instance, more and more young drivers are signing up to telematics technology that insurers install in their cars. These ‘black boxes’ monitor the motorist’s driving behaviour, such as speeding or excessive braking. According to research by telematics provider Ingenie, this helps on two key fronts:
• It reduces the number of crashes; one in five young drivers is involved in an accident within six months of passing their test. With telematics fitted, this figure drops to one in eight.
• It reduces insurance premium costs; installing the tech could see a reduction of up to 20% in premium prices for young drivers.
Adopting pay-per-mile insurance
While black box technology can offer some solace for cash-strapped motorists, what about those of us who only drive low mileages each year? One solution being touted by start-up company By Miles is a pay-per-mile premium. With a launch date set for later this year, the company will offer those who only use their cars occasionally the chance to benefit from lower premiums.
Using telematics, the driver will be shown the cost of their journey at the end of each trip via a smartphone app, with a bill sent out each month. Actual pricing has yet to be confirmed, but with insurance costs set to increase further in the months and years ahead, such schemes could well become the norm for the industry, not the exception.
Perhaps one day we’ll even end up with the ability to make pay-per-mile comparisons for each and every journey, much like savvy motorists who currently use petrolprices.com to hunt out the lowest fuel prices in their area. Time will tell.
Who do you feel is to blame for the current sky-high costs of insuring your vehicle? Is it insurers milking their customers? Or is the government exacerbating the situation? Let us know your opinions below.
