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Learner drivers lose £1.1 million in lockdown driving test suspensions

Jan 13, 2021

This month, petitions have been launched to call on the government to extend theory test certificates after research revealed almost 50,000 learner drivers were left £1.1 million out-of-pocket last year due to driving test suspensions.

For the majority of 2020, both practical and theory driving tests were suspended to accommodate the new restrictions brought about by pandemic lockdowns. It was found that almost 50,000 theory test certificates expired last year; a theory test costs £23 to sit, meaning that learners have seen £1.1 million worth of passed theory tests go to waste.

As we are now in the midst of another national lockdown, assumed to last throughout February and beyond, it stands that learner drivers could be set to lose another £320,000 due to 13,944 more tests expiring.

Despite pleas from driving instructors, other industry insiders and learners themselves, the government has refused to extend theory test certificates, despite practical tests not being able to go ahead.

While organisations are acknowledging the difficulties and disappointment faced by learner drivers, Marmalade manager, Crispin Moger, said that although he doesn’t ‘doubt that there will have been many learner drivers that would have planned to take their test during the time periods affected by multiple UK lockdowns and will now have lost through no fault of their own,’ unfortunately ‘learners whose certificates have expired will need to take the test and pass it again before the can take their practical driving test adding yet more time to their wait, adding to the backlog we are already expected to see in 2021.’

Concerns have also been raised not just about the cost to learner drivers, but the extent to which the suspension of driving tests is holding back the next generation of drivers. Moger further comments on this, saying ‘for some, this is just another roadblock to gaining freedom and will be a hindrance to many where a driving test pass was at the centre of their plans.’

While the rules may seem set in stone and unlikely to change, the most recent petition has over 30,000 signatures in favour of demanding a 12-month theory certificate extension.

Supporters feel that this extension would prevent additional costs of resitting tests and ease the backlog of learners clamouring to sit their practical assessments at the earliest available date. There are concerns that tests centres will be swamped when they re-open, further delaying tests for so many.

[Image Source: Shutterstock, Jan 21]

Government resists pressure to extend theory certificates

Secretary of the Department for Transport, Rachel Maclean, has responded to test extension petitions by defending the parliamentary decision not to do so: ‘The two-year validity period of the theory test certificate is set in legislation, and the Government has taken the decision not to lay further legislation to extend it.

She went on to explain the reasoning behind the decision, stating: ‘The primary reason is that the two-year validity is in place to ensure that a candidate’s theoretical knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date the critical point they drive on their own for the first time. Extending the validity would provide less reassurance that this is the case.’

She finished by reassuring those that had the opportunity to re-pass a theory test during brief breaks in national lockdowns by saying: ‘those whose certificate previously expired and have since passed the theory test will now have a further two years in which to pass the practical test.’

With the pandemic and lockdowns alike lasting far longer than expected, time is ticking again for learners in this situation and driving instructors unhappy with the government decision.

Ian McIntosh, chief executive of RED Driving School, said he felt that the decision was a ‘huge injustice to learners’ and noted that ‘the theory test is expensive and difficult to pass, and learners cannot book a practical test without a valid theory test pass certificate, meaning thousands of learners will have to wait even longer to obtain their licences.’

He and others in the profession ‘believe all students who passed their theory tests in April 2018 onwards should be allowed to take a practical test when the test centres re-open, meaning thousands of learners will have to wait even longer to obtain driving licenses.’

McIntosh concludes by saying that ‘the government’s failure to extend the theory test pass certificate is a needless bureaucratic bottleneck that could hinder the nation’s Covid bounce back, particularly if learners cannot obtain licences for work purposes.’

Do you think learners should be afforded an extension? Or is the government decision justifiable?

Tell us in the comments.

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Pothole repair time accelerated by 700% in development of new JCB machine

Jan 13, 2021

Potholes are a long-standing problem on British roads, accounting for countless damages to vehicles and complaints to local authorities. Part of the issue comes from the lack of resources and funding available to quickly and effectively fill potholes.

However, a new machine developed by JCB – dubbed the PotholePro – is set to accelerate repair rates by up to 700% in an effort to restore Britain’s roads.

The PotholePro is able to do the job that usually requires three machines, drastically reducing emissions and cost. With a price tag of £165,000 or £600 per week to rent, it offers a much more affordable option for local authorities and road operators and opens up more repair opportunities.

JCB says that this machine is the most efficient of its type, with development leader and JCB chairman, Lord Bamford, stating that: ‘JCB’s solution is simple and cost-effective and fixes potholes permanently first time. Once the machine has done its job, all the contractor needs to do is just add tar.’

The machine has already been in use in Stoke-on-Trent, and the city council has seen positive results. Initial testing revealed that the machine could complete 51 road repair jobs in just 20 days, a task that would typically have taken up to six operatives 63 days to complete.

Councillor Daniel Jellyman was pleased with the result, saying: ‘Potholes are a nuisance to motorists up and down the country and we’ve worked closely with JCB to come up with a solution to what is a national problem. In a time when every penny and pound counts for local authorities, we’re delighted to be at the forefront of developing and trialling new technologies and ways of working, especially ones which could save residents money.’

The PotholePro uses cutting edge technology to combine a 600mm-wide planer – designed to create a level cut and ensure long-lasting results – with a sweeper and cropping tool, eliminating the need for additional machinery. Tests have already indicated that the JCB PotholePro is capable of completing a pothole repair in less than eight minutes – the equivalent of fixing 700 potholes a month.

[Image Source: Shutterstock , Jan 21]

The problem with potholes

The development of the PotholePro comes off the back of a particularly bad year for pothole complaints, with reports to local authorities topping 210,000 in some areas during 2020, despite a decrease in general traffic due to lockdown.

In a study conducted by RAC and published in December 2020, 52% of surveyed drivers said that road conditions were worse than 12 months ago, while 38% stated that their biggest concern as a driver was the state of council-maintained roads. Between July and September 2020 alone, the RAC saw 1,900 call-outs for damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels, likely to have been caused by potholes.

The issue was recognised in the government Autumn 2020 Spending Review, with Chancellor Rishi Sunak vowing to invest £1.6 billion to fix potholes in Britain in an attempt to ‘level-up’ uneven roads.

However, in response to the Chancellor’s statement, chair of the AIA Rick Green said: ‘While these spending commitments are welcome in these challenging times, we are aware that the sums outlined will not be enough to plug the existing multi-billion-pound backlog in road maintenance funding and so our ageing network will continue to decline.’

He went on to suggest that ‘what’s needed going forward is an additional investment of £1.5 billion a year for 10 years to improve the experience of all road users, support recovery an deliver a much-needed boost to the economy.’

It is hoped that JCB’s PotholePro will relieve some of the issues faced by local councils in their endeavour to fund the upkeep of their roads. AA President Edmund King OBE reinforced the importance of road repairs in saying: ‘The toll of pothole damage on cars is already breath-taking. However, as more people take up cycling due to avoiding public transport in the pandemic and if e-scooters are legalised, then sorting out poor road surfaces is more important than ever.’

He finished by praising JCB and their efforts to overcome the issue with potholes: ‘JCB has taken the initiative to fix these problems, and we’re excited to see its new PotholePro take to the streets.’

Are the roads in your local area littered with potholes? Are councils doing enough to protect our vehicles from pothole damage?

Tell us in the comments.

BMW sparks outrage with new privacy-breaching billboards set to target drivers

Jan 5, 2021

Concerns have been raised over a new BMW marketing initiative that requires ‘Vehicle Detection Technology’ to identify BMW cars on the road for highly-personalised targeted marketing.

The ‘Vehicle Detection Technology’ is said to ‘trigger highly personalised, real-time content when a handpicked vehicle type is directly in the sight of a roadside screen.’ The targeting criteria requires a BMW to be over 35 months old and, once one has been identified, the interactive billboards will ‘leap into action.’ The driver will then be shown targeted adverts for BMW’s extended warranties.

While the scheme seems to be nothing more than a smart marketing move on the surface, experts at Motoring Research are worried that it could be used to ‘name and shame drivers’ while social media users expressed concerns that it may breach privacy laws.

Despite concerns, the interactive billboards are set to go live in London, Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester. The boards will be installed on major roads at traffic lights, in prime position to identify a relevant car that is stationary at a red light. Targeted marketing will then be displayed to the driver, warning of potentially expensive issues that are no longer covered.

The Daily Mail suggests that the adverts will also be used ‘despite the fact that many owners of older BMWs could already have an approved extended warranty, or similar products available from specialist providers such as MotorEasy or Warrantywise – or have separate savings to cover the cost of cars is required.’ The fact that the advertising relies on assumption seems to be yet another cause for concern.

Some reports suggested that the system may be able to recognise if an older BMW has an approved warranty or not, with Cars UK going as far as to say drivers this may make drivers feel as if they are being ‘stalked’ in their cars.

Motorists are concerned at having their private details flashed up in public places without their consent.

[Image source: Shutterstock, Jan 2021]

Will the scheme win-over concerned motorists?

In aiding understanding of this new scheme, a spokesperson for BMW explained that: ‘Vehicle Detection technology is a proprietary technology of Ocean Outdoor that uses a mixture of anonymised third-party data sources from the automotive industry to trigger content more relevant to the make or model of the vehicle that has stopped at the lights.’

In an attempt to reassure concerned experts and motorist, they said: ‘The Vehicle Detection Technology does not have access to any data, including warranty status.’

Steve Cann, insurance provide manager for BMW Financial Services, explained further to defend the reasoning behind the implementation of the new scheme. He said: ‘Our customers expect an elevated level of customer service and personalised digital marketing is just one way in which we can engage with them at this expected level.’

He claims that ‘tailored billboard messaging is a unique way of engaging with BMW owners outside of their homes that we hope will leave a memorable impression.’

Head of warranty at Allianz Partners UK also added that the initiative ‘brings together digital marketing expertise and product innovation and is an exciting opportunity to reach prospective customers on the move, during a time when physical interaction is restricted.’

Regardless of this reassurance, commentators took to the internet to express their dislike for the Big-Brother style scheme. One motorist commented on BMW’s ‘arrogance’ while another suggested that BMW had lost its ‘grasp on what the public wants and how they deserve to be treated.’

Another implied that this new marketing scheme might backfire, with the suggestion that it ‘implies BMWs are so unreliable that they necessitate a warranty.’

This latest move is also not the first time in recent months that BMW has caused outrage online. Last month, internet users claimed that it insulted its ‘best customers’ by using a term of ‘insult’ and ‘derision’ in response to a YouTube comment about their new flagship iX electric SUV. To add to this, these new concerns about breached privacy come not longer after 400,000 BMW owners were impacted by the July 2020 data breach, exposing personal BMW driver information.

However, in defence of this latest cause of anguish, BMW has frequently reiterated that their new marketing technology will not name the driver or display information about their vehicle – the signs will only show ads for approved BMW warranty products. It does seem, however, that this reassurance has done little to reduce the online backlash.

Clever marketing tactic or technology taken too far? Would highly-personalised targeted billboard ads sway you? Or does this Big-Brother style scheme make you uncomfortable?

Tell us in the comments.

‘Stealth cameras’ on smart motorways responsible for dramatic increase in speeding fines

Jan 5, 2021

Speeding fines hit an all-time high across England and Wales in 2020, reaching 2.3 million. Research shows that 253,000 of these speeding fines were the result of increased numbers of ‘stealth cameras’ installed on smart motorways.

Figures sourced by the Daily Mail show that ‘253,000 Notices of Intended Prosecution (NPIs) were issued in the 12 months up to Autumn 2020 by 17 of the 20 police forces whose areas cover smart motorways in England and Wales.’

For the first time, these figures have highlighted the significant number of penalties (almost 10% of all speeding fines) are issued on motorways as a result of ‘stealth cameras’.

Deemed vital to the smooth-running of smart motorways, the amount of ‘stealth cameras’ in use has dramatically increased over the last few years, with the number of speed cameras in general having trebled over the last decade. This means that more and more drivers are regularly being caught out.

The RAC suggests that one reason as to why this might be the case is because ‘drivers do not realise cameras on smart motorways, that enforce variable speed limits, can still catch you travelling over the national speed limit when a variable limit isn’t in place.’

However, Highways England has frequently warned that ‘if no special speed limit is in place then the national speed limit applies.’ Speed cameras are in operation on smart motorways. If you don’t keep to the speed limit, you may receive a fine.’

With smart motorways already accounting for 416 miles of road in England and Wales, and with the expectation that this will double in length by 2025, many additional cameras are set to be installed.

Despite these warnings, smart motorways and ‘stealth cameras continue to be a cause of controversy, with these new speeding fine figures serving only to add fuel to the fire.

[Image source: Shutterstock, Jan 2021]

The problem with smart motorways

Via various traffic management methods, smart motorways are designed to improve traffic flow, increase capacity and reduce congestion in busy areas. However, a number of fatal accidents that saw cars break down in live lanes without the protection of a hard-shoulder brought their efficiency and safety into question. Now, campaigners claim that they are also responsible for the growing numbers of unfair speeding fines.

Motoring organisations claim that the rise in speeding fines is because the ‘stealth cameras’ are difficult to spot. They are small, mounted on the side of gantries at the edge of the motorway and, perhaps most concerningly, are often hidden by vegetation or signs. Despite pleas from Highways England for drivers to report obscured cameras, campaigners still claim that this issue is responsible for unfair speed fining.

‘Stealth cameras’, dubbed as such for their original grey colour, are now in operation on the M1, M25, M3, M4, M5, M6, M20, M42 and M62. There are 168 of these cameras in total.

In recent days, motoring groups have raised concerns about how these cameras are being used. Edmund King, AA president, said: ‘The majority of drivers support the use of cameras if used for safety reasons, but there are inconsistencies in their use which can catch drivers out.’

Mr King also suggested that signage could be adding to the issue, despite motorway display signs warning motorists of in-use cameras. He said: ‘signs should be displayed on all gantries that are in place as the objective should be to slow people down, not catch them out.’

Motoring groups are also concerned about when the cameras are being used, with some police forces using them at all times including when the 70mph limit applies, while others only switch them on when reduced speed limits are in place. These groups claim that this lack of clarity is the cause of many an unfair speeding fine.

Highways England, however, have defended the use of ‘stealth cameras’ with Jeremy Phillips, head of road safety at Highways England, reassuring motorists that ‘we’re not using cameras to catch drivers out or make more money out of fines. They’re there to encourage drivers to stick to speed limits, for the safety of everyone using the road, and to help traffic flow freely.’

He also reinforced the fact that the cameras are ‘bright yellow and clearly-signed; alerting drivers to the presence of cameras’ which ‘helps to encourage compliance and improves safety.’

Have you been caught out by motorway ‘stealth cameras’? Do they make our roads safer, or are they the cause of the increase in unfair speeding fines?

Let us know in the comments.

Catalytic converters ‘worth more than gold’, new crime wave spreads across Britain

Dec 30, 2020

Catalytic converter thefts are on the rise across Britain with organised criminals hacking the emissions-reducing devices to steal the expensive precious metals contained inside while they are parked. It sounds like a plot from a Hollywood film, but unfortunately its very real and happening on your doorstep.

The AA say that damage caused by thieves frantically trying to strip them from vehicles are resulting in insurance claims of between £2,000 and £3,000, or in worst case scenarios some vehicles have been written off entirely.

Research by Compare the Market has shown which cities outside of the capital are already being hit by the new crime-wave, and where the greatest growth in thefts has occurred.

Analysis of the data shows London is still the hotspot for this type of theft. There were 15,237 recorded catalytic converter thefts over a three-year period in London – far more than any other city. It seems that criminals are now expanding outside of the M25 and seeking new targets in major cities.

Birmingham was the second worst-hit area with 320 thefts, while Coventry was third with 287 thefts over the same period.

Compare the Market reports that this type of theft has soared six-fold between 2018 and 2019. It found that there were 13,000 reported cases in England and Wales last year – up from 2,000 in 2018.

Catalytic converters are fitted to all petrol cars manufactured from 1993 to reduce the harmful pollutants emitted from exhaust pipes.

The converters take gasses produced and convert them into water vapour and less harmful emissions via a series of chemical reactions.

They are made up of an array of valuable materials including palladium, rhodium, and platinum. Criminal gangs are aware of this small fortune stored beneath your vehicle.

Currently, palladium is even more valuable than gold, having doubled over two years, while rhodium is more than four times higher in value than gold. Platinum is half the value of gold.

Criminals know that they can extract catalytic converters more easily that stealing a car outright, taking value that could be worth a few hundred pounds at a time per converter when the minerals are extracted.

Hybrid cars are a bigger prize because they have more precious metals stored per converter. Models such as Honda Jazz, Toyota Prius, Toyota Auris and Lexus RX are prime targets due to this.

The police and AA say that to help foil the thieves, catalytic converters can be uniquely marked in acid with a serial number.

Motorists are advised to keep their cars in garages or park in well-lit areas. Most converters are bolted on – but they can also be welded on.

And because there is often no third party to claim against, drivers using insurance policies to cover repair costs are also losing their No Claims Discount.

Toyota, one of the biggest car makers affected, said last year that it did not envisage the ‘rapid rise’ in thefts, which in turn ‘impacted our ability to source enough of the parts we need in some cases’.

[Image source: Shutterstock, December 2020]

Ways to tackle catalytic converter theft

Drivers can purchase devices that lock in around the converter to make it more difficult to remove. Providers include Catloc and Catclamp, which can be installed on a number of different vehicles.

However, they are not cheap, with prices as high as £250 for some models, but if it saves £2-3000 to replace a stolen converter, or the prospect of the car being written off then some people may see it as good value.

Mike Hawes, chief executive at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said that catalytic converter theft is ‘of concern both to car owners and manufacturers’.

‘Car makers are taking what steps they can to make the crime as difficult as possible – some even modifying car designs to try to tackle the issue,’ he explained.

‘The industry is providing support and guidance to customers where required and liaising with police forces to see what more can be done to apprehend the criminals and prevent further thefts.

‘In the meantime, police advice to consumers is that they should, where possible, park inside a locked garage, in well-lit areas and close to fences or walls to restrict access beneath the vehicle.’

It seems that this is yet another form of crime the motorist has to face, where the police or the car industry itself does not seem willing or capable of preventing, only providing advice of keep your car locked somewhere you can see it, where criminals can’t get under it easily.

Are you worried about this new crime wave? Are you angry this means if you claim on insurance for a stolen converter you lose your no claims discount?

Let us know in the comments below.

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