| February 2012 |
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| Road safety, 2012-style - Britain’s longest “clutter-free” street - stripped of barriers, signs, kerbs and pavements - was opened yesterday. With the aim of making cars and pedestrians co-exist harmoniously, Exhibition Road in Kensington is now a half-mile expanse of flat “shared space”. |
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| Rethink on plans to cut MoT test frequency - Plans to cut the frequency of the MoT test have been ditched following pressure from road safety and motoring groups. The surprise move, announced by Justine Greening, the Transport Secretary, will mean that cars will continue to be tested after three years and then annually. Ministers had been considering delaying the first inspection until a car was four years old, then testing every two years. (D Telegraph / Independent) |
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| January 2012 |
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| £100 speed fine will ‘pay for victims’ - Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has announced plans to increase speeding fines to up to £120 to help to expand the Victims Surcharge Scheme. Mr Clarke wants all offenders to pay the levy (currently £15) including motorists that are given fixed penalty notices. The current maximum fine is £60. (Nationals) |
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| Theory test to be made more difficult - Answers to the driving theory test will no longer be planted in revision books to stop learner drivers “simply memorising” correct responses. The old system will be swept away in reaction to Driving Standards Agency (DSA) fears that, rather than understanding the driving theory, people were learning to recognise and remember test questions and answers. Following a consultation with driving instructors in 2008, the theory test changes will be implemented next month. (Independent) |
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| Peril of drive-in movie truckers – France has launched a crackdown on long-distance lorry drivers who risk death by watching films, and in one case cooking, while behind the wheel. The issue has become so serious that penalties for drivers caught film-watching have been raised from €135 to €1,500 and the number of licence penalty points from two to three. (Nationals) |
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| Raising speed limit on motorways will “harm health” – Proposals to increase the speed limit on Britain’s motorways and dual carriageways from 70mph to 80mph will cost lives, a new report has warned. Public health experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, writing in the British Medical Journal, say a higher limit could increase gas emissions and air pollution and could lead to increased obesity, with more people taking advantage of shorter car journeys. The Government is considering the move as part of plans to cut red tape and speed up England and Wales by 2013. (Nationals) |
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| Satnavs will be updated to avoid snarl-ups – Satnav manufacturers are to be told to update their maps more regularly to prevent the chaos caused by drivers being misdirected by their navigation systems. The proposal is part of a plan to stop villages being blighted by coaches and lorries that have been guided down unsuitable lanes. The Government hopes to tackle part of the problem by giving councils the power to classify local roads, rather than leaving the decision to the Department for Transport. (Nationals) |
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| Experts to draw up crackdown on drug driving – An expert panel is being set up to consider establishing a new offence of driving after taking illegal drugs. The panel, which may start work this spring, will examine how such an offence can be defined and whether it is possible to set straightforward levels in the same way as for alcohol. RoSPA has taken part in radio interviews on this. (Nationals) |
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| A cold is “worse than drink” for drivers - Motorists are being urged to avoid driving with a heavy cold after tests showed that a sufferer’s reactions were slower than someone who had drank four large whiskies. The report, from insurance firm Young Marmalade, concluded that reaction times dropped and sudden braking became more frequent as concentration was significantly lower, putting the sufferer and other road users at risk. (D Telegraph) |
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| December 2011 |
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| Record 171,000 drivers fined for using a mobile - The number of drivers caught using their mobile phones behind the wheel is up more than a third on the previous 12 months to a record of more than 171,000. Last year, nearly 350 accidents, including 26 involving fatalities, were caused by drivers using a mobile phone. The Road Safety Minister, Mike Penning, has stated that the fine for the offence will be increased from £60 to between £80 and £100 in 2012. (Daily Mail) |
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| Learner drivers allowed lessons on motorways - Learner drivers are to be allowed to have lessons on motorways in an attempt to cut the death toll among young motorists, Mike Penning, the road safety minister, has said. (D Telegraph) |
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| November 2011 |
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| Ban under-25s from driving at night, say motor insurers - Insurers have called on ministers to ban young drivers from taking to the road at night. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) wants strict rules imposed on drivers under the age of 25. It called for a ban on driving between 11pm and 4am and a zero alcohol limit. But road safety minister Mike Penning said such measures would unfairly penalise responsible young people. (Nationals) |
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| HGV review after run of cycle deaths - An independent review of the design and operation of heavy goods vehicles used by the construction industry was announced by London’s Mayor after he met the family of a cyclist killed in collision with a lorry. (Independent) |
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| Road deaths surge linked to cuts - Deaths on British roads rose by almost seven per cent in the first half of the year - the first time in five years, new figures show. Some 940 people were killed in the first six months of 2011 compared with 881 in the same period last year. And 500 of those were between April and June - a seven per cent rise on the 467 last year, provisional Department for Transport figures show. (Nationals) |
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| October 2011 |
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| The Government has said that “it is minded to support” Rebecca Harris MP’s Daylight Saving Bill - which could help to prevent about 80 deaths and more than 200 serious injuries on UK roads each year. However, Scotland would be given the power of veto over any proposed switch to Single/Double Summer Time. RoSPA says Scotland stands to gain more from the change, proportionately, than any other part of the UK. (Nationals) |
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| September 2011 |
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| Pump up the volume, drivers told - Vehicles are now so quiet that there are fears pedestrians and cyclists are at risk because they cannot hear them coming. The Government is considering plans that would force car-makers to turn up the volume again, by installing artificial noise generators. It is working with officials from the EU and the US on proposals to set a minimum noise limit for new vehicles. (D. Mail) |
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| City centre motorists to face more 20mph zones - Motorists face more 20mph speed zones in towns and cities under government plans to be unveiled next month. Norman Baker, a transport minister, yesterday disclosed that he would simplify the rules for councils wishing to introduce the zones. The Liberal Democrat politician also suggested that people making car journeys of less than two miles should switch to walking or cycling. Next month, the government will unveil a review of traffic signs intended to declutter streets and give councils more freedom. (D Telegraph) |
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| Tougher driving test “will stop road rage and ease congestion” - The driving test should be made tougher to prevent road rage and ease congestion, an all-party committee of MPs has said. Traffic congestion would cost the economy an extra £22 billion by 2025 if the problem was not tackled, the transport committee warned. With the Coalition having ruled out “pay as you drive” road pricing, the MPs believed that changing bad behaviour behind the wheel could play a significant part in easing congestion. The leader column in the Daily Telegraph warns against creating “a driving test too far”, arguing that road rage is a function of personality and upbringing rather than driving ability. (D Telegraph / Birmingham Post) |
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| Cars must be fitted with crash alarm from 2015 - All cars are to be fitted with a device which automatically alerts the emergency services after a serious crash. Known as eCall, the technology sends out an alarm if the impact is sufficient to trigger the car’s airbags. It will be compulsory on all new models by 2015, the European Union has said. (D Telegraph) |
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| Insurers to lose fees for passing on names - A fees “racket” in which insurance firms sell client details to “no win, no fee” lawyers that in turn pushes up premiums is to be banned. Insurance companies and claims management firms charge “referral fees” to pass on details of people involved in accidents to lawyers, who then encourage them to pursue personal injury cases. However, there are no current plans to stop the payment of a separate fee to police for passing on details of cars involved in accidents to breakdown firms. (Nationals) |
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| August 2011 |
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| Speed cameras “fail to cut accidents” - Speed cameras have failed to cut accidents on many roads and have actually led to a rise in casualties on some routes, official figures show today. The findings, from an initial sample of 75 local authorities, will prompt the Department for Transport to call on every council to publish detailed information on each camera site, including accident rates and how much has been raised in fines. RoSPA said it welcomed the publication of data, but that it was misleading to use figures from specific individual camera sites to draw conclusions about the overall effectiveness of cameras nationally. (D Telegraph / D Mail) |
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| Lights to be switched off on busy M1 - Lights are to be turned off on one of the busiest stretches of motorway, despite fears from motoring groups that safety could be put at risk. The Highways Agency announced plans for lights to be switched off between midnight and 5am between Luton and Milton Keynes. It’s the latest part of the network to be plunged into darkness as the Department for Transport tries to cut costs. (D Telegraph) |
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| Road deaths fell despite fewer speed cameras - The number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads continued to fall despite speed cameras being stripped out in a number of areas across the country, according to the latest government figures. The Department for Transport’s latest statistics show that deaths dropped by 10 per cent to 1,870 for the 12 months ending in March. Over the same period, the number of people killed and seriously injured fell to 24,770, a decline of five per cent. There was also a 35 per cent drop in the number of people killed in drink-drive accidents, with 250 deaths compared to 380 in 2009. (D Telegraph / Independent) |
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| Call for action as cycling road deaths rise again - The number of cyclists killed or injured on Britain’s roads has risen to a six-year high, prompting calls from safety campaigners for more Government action to protect them. The latest Department for Transport figures show that in the first quarter of this year, 3,370 cyclists were killed or injured compared with 2,961 in the same quarter last year. The number who were killed or seriously injured rose from 447 to 610 - an increase of 36 per cent. The Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust has now asked the Government to consider making cycle helmets compulsory for children. (Independent) |
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| July 2011 |
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| Drivers break the speed limit 18,000 times - The average motorist breaks the speed limit an astonishing 18,000 times during his or her lifetime, a report from Brake claims. It shows the average motorist will have 81 near misses and will be involved in up to 35 minor accidents such as bumps and scrapes. A separate survey, carried out by Weetabix, shows that 14million Britons have almost fallen asleep at the wheel during long journeys due to being over-tired. (D. Mail) |
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| One in eight drivers dozes off on the road - More than four million motorists have nodded off at the wheel in the past year, a survey reveals. One in eight of the nation’s 33 million drivers has “head nodded” for between two and 30 seconds, often without even realising they’ve been asleep. And nearly a third (29 per cent) of drivers have continued their journey. If you are overweight, young and male, or drive for a living, you are particularly at risk, says the report by road safety charity Brake and weight management firm Cambridge Weight Plan. (D Mail) |
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| Million forced to give up driving - More than a million people were driven off the road last year by the cost of fuel and the recession, according to research by Sainsbury’s Car Insurance. The average car owner is spending around £1,720 per year to fuel their vehicle, which is almost a third increase on the year before. Three-quarters of motorists have changed their driving habits in the past 12 months, including driving more slowly. (D. Telegraph) |
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| Road deaths fall to record low - Road deaths have fallen to below 2,000 for the first time since records began in 1926, according to provisional figures from the DfT released yesterday. Altogether, 1,857 people were killed in reported road incidents last year. RoSPA is quoted in the Metro. (Nationals) |
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| June 2011 |
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| British roads are busiest in Europe - Britain’s roads are the most congested in Europe, according to figures compiled by satnav makers TomTom. The UK has 16 cities in a list of the 50 most gridlocked across the continent, with eight in the top 20 including London, Edinburgh and Manchester. (D Mail / D Express) |
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| Crashed the car? Blame it on Dad - Learner drivers are making millions of dangerous moves on Britain’s roads - apparently due to poor tuition by their parents. Qualified instructors say hard-up learners are turning to their parents for lessons to save cash. New figures from the DSA reveal over a million serious or dangerous faults during 1.5million official tests last year, resulting in 147 students or examiners requiring hospital treatment for serious injuries. (D. Express) |
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| May 2011 |
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| Peak district route claims title of Britain’s most dangerous road - A 12km road running through the Peak District National Park has been named Britain’s most dangerous highway. The A537 from Macclesfield to Buxton, dubbed the Cat and Fiddle, has seen crashes rise by 62 per cent in the past three years, with the equivalent of three fatal or serious injury collisions for every 3km stretch of road, according to a report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF). The organisation also claimed that improvements to 15 of the country’s most dangerous routes have prevented about 300 deaths and serious injuries. (Independent) |
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| Hammond wants double summer time - Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, is pushing for the introduction of double summer time to cut road deaths. Rebecca Harris MP’s private members’ bill, which could lead to a three-year trial, is about to enter the Committee stage, but it is being opposed by the Government. However, support for the scheme was contained in the Government’s road safety strategy after research showed it could cut road deaths by 80 a year. (D Telegraph) |
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| Speeders to be shown the red light - Speeding motorists are to be slowed down by traffic lights that turn red when an approaching car breaks the limit. Swindon Council, testing the system from this autumn, hopes that speeders will be “shamed” into obeying the rules in future by “social pressure” from drivers stuck behind them at the red lights. (D. Mail) |
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| Is this the end of the car? - The Independent Viewspaper carries a feature looking at “the decline of driving in Britain”. The professor of transport policy at the University of the West of England thinks that car use in Britain is on the decline, but nobody is sure exactly why. He says we have reached “peak car” - and if this is true, it has important implications for how we design our towns and cities, and where public money gets allocated. |
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| MPs to discuss lorry “safety mirror” plan - All new lorries would have to be fitted with safety mirrors under proposals to be debated in the Commons today. MPs of all parties are supporting the plans, which aim to cut the number of cyclists killed on Britain’s roads. The mirrors will help to eliminate the blind spots around the driver’s cab. (Independent) |
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| April 2011 |
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| The Government has given its backing to the Independent’s campaign to protect cyclists from being killed by lorries and buses. Transport secretary Philip Hammond said he would push for changes to European legislation which would require hauliers to fit nearly half a million lorries in Britain with new mirrors, sensors and emergency braking systems. |
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| Time and safety benefits of Managed Motorway scheme - England’s newest hard-shoulder running scheme has been opened, cutting congestion and improving safety on the M6 in the West Midlands. Roads minister Mike Penning announced key research which confirms that Managed Motorways deliver significant safety and journey time benefits. (Birmingham Post)
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| Signs of stupidity - So few drivers know the Highway Code that two-thirds are totally confused by basic road signs, shocking research by Castrol reveals. One in three are so bemused they simply follow the car in front when they are unsure what to do. When shown “give way” markings, half did not know what it meant, while a third believed “no motor vehicles allowed” meant the opposite. (D. Express) |
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| March 2011 |
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| EU plans to ban cars in cities by 2050 - Cars would be banned from London and other European cities under an EU plan to cut CO2 emissions by 60 per cent over the next 40 years. The European Commission yesterday unveiled a “single European transport area” in a plan that envisages more than half of all journeys over 186miles being made by rail by 2050 as well as banning conventionally fuelled cars in city centres. (D Telegraph) |
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| Traffic lights to go out at night - Traffic lights could be turned off or switched to flashing amber on quiet roads at night. The DfT is carrying out research to see whether the existing use of the lights around the clock is justified. Portsmouth City Council has applied to the DfT for permission to carry out trials. (Nationals) |
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| Lights go out on three motorways - Lights on three stretches of motorway (the M58, the M65 and the M66) are to be permanently switched off to save cash, cut carbon emissions and reduce light pollution. It follows a previous initiative that saw lights switched off on quiet stretches between midnight and 5am, but this is the first time a permanent change has happened. The Highways Agency stated that evidence so far indicates that switching off the lights has not had an impact on safety. (D. Telegraph) |
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| February 2011 |
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| Winter tyres – Community nurses working in the Highlands have asked that their cars are fitted with winter tyres as standard in the future. Until now, the nurses have had to pay for winter tyres to be fitted to their lease cars. NHS Highland is looking into the issue. (BBC News Website) |
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| Crash deaths fall - The number of people killed or seriously hurt on the roads continued to fall last year, according to the Department for Transport. There were 510 deaths between July and September compared with 596 during the period in 2009 - a 14 per cent drop at a time when the volume of traffic fell by just 1.3 per cent. There was also a 5 per cent fall in the total number of people who were killed or seriously hurt. (D Telegraph) |
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| Look sharp, the drivers’ eyesight test is to be cut - Eyesight tests for driving licences are to be made easier. Under new rules announced by transport minister Mike Penning, the minimum distance from which a motorist must be able to read a car number plate will be cut by more than 8ft. It will mean that to gain or retain a driving licence, a motorist will need to be able to read a car’s number plate from just 57ft and 5ins (17.5m). The reform is part of wider changes to rules on drivers’ medical standards on eyesight, epilepsy and diabetes following an EU directive. (D Mail) |
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| Another 300 speed cameras switched off as more councils wield axe - Spending cuts are to trigger the biggest switch-off of speed cameras since the election. More than 300 devices across the West Midlands will become inactive on April 1. With a recent survey showing that about half the country’s cameras are turned off, the number of motorists receiving points on their licence and a £60 fine is likely to plummet. A number of councils have also withdrawn their funding from road safety partnerships as the Government’s austerity programme starts to bite. In the West Midlands, a coalition of seven councils has cut their road safety budget from £1.93million this year to £750,000 in 2011/12. Replacing its existing cameras would cost £4million. Other areas in which cameras are being switched off include Nottingham, Norfolk, Coventry and Wiltshire. (D Telegraph) |
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