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.
New car sales in July continued to drop, with petrol cars down 9.3%. Diesel cars crashed even further, with a drop of 20.1%, according to the latest sales data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
While new petrol car sales are down this month, they’re actually up by 4.3% for the year to date. Diesel sales, on the other hand, are down 11% overall. The blame for the significant drop has been laid squarely at the government’s feet, as a result of its plans to drop petrol and diesel cars by 2040, plans for city centre charging and the confusion surrounding a potential diesel scrappage scheme.
Scrappage scheme delayed
Many expected the government to announce a diesel scrappage scheme as part of its recent air quality plan. This would deliver on the promise made in May to introduce compensation for drivers who scrap or retrofit their old diesel cars. Fast forward to July though, and the government has instead launched a consultation on a targeted scrappage scheme.
The onus is now on local authorities to come up with their own schemes as part of a drive to reduce excess NOx pollution over 18 months. These will then be signed off by the government. The new approach has been met with plenty of criticism. Former Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary Ed Davey MP states,
“The government promised compensation to help diesel drivers replace their cars just a few months ago. Now the scrappage scheme has been all but scrapped. It’s a shameful betrayal of diesel car drivers and shows the utter lack of ambition of this plan.”
Is scrappage the right approach?
Interestingly, those representing the motor industry are not yet convinced by the practicalities of scrappage schemes. SMMT’s Chief Executive Mike Hawes told Auto Express magazine,
“The difficulty is two-fold. Where is the problem of air quality? It will be in very localised areas, so which cars are you going to target? These located in the area or those moving in and out?
“Secondly, it’s the oldest cars you want to get off the road, pre-Euro 4. That vehicle is over 12 years old, but there are over two million of those on the road. But if you own one of those you are not the average new car purchaser. How do you incentivise someone who has a car worth a couple of grand to spend £25,000?”
Car makers to the rescue
While policymakers and pundits continue to argue over the perceived pros and cons of a diesel scrappage scheme, it could be car makers who end up leading the charge to secure a workable strategy for people wanting to move to cleaner diesels and alternative fuel cars. BMW/Mini has announced its own version of a scrappage scheme, which could see owners of older diesels being offered up to €2,000 (£1,800 at the time of writing) off the price of a new BMW or Mini.
Branded as a ‘fleet renewal campaign,’ because the German car company insists that it won’t scrap any traded-in cars, qualifying car owners can choose from a range of cars that meet Euro 6 regulations and that emit 130g/km or less of carbon dioxide. According to Carbuyer, this means not only can buyers choose from a diesel BMW 3 Series 320d or the stonking BMW 5 Series 530d, plug-in hybrids also qualify. These include the Mini Countryman Cooper and the electric-powered BMW i3.
It’s worth noting though that BMW doesn’t stipulate exactly how much of the discount you can expect when you come in with your beaten up old Volvo diesel. It will be “dependent upon model bought.” The scheme is expected to be rolled out across the EU by the end of August. It will run until the end of December. If successful, we wouldn’t be surprised to see BMW extend the offer.
While the government, rival politicians and the media continue to argue over scrappage, perhaps BMW’s innovative approach is the pragmatic solution. After all, it’s car makers who stand to lose out if diesel continues to be the focus of the pollution debate. Thus car brands must play their role in bringing about the serious change needed to reduce pollution levels across the UK’s towns and cities.
Is the government doing enough to ensure that diesel drivers aren’t being left stranded? Or should it be up to the car industry to help resolve the NOx crisis? Let us know your thoughts below.
Motorists in Derby are claiming that a new roundabout has caused ten accidents in 48 hours. They are blaming a lack of lighting and signage for the cluster of fender benders. But are such road issues just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Britain’s road network? Are you up to speed with all the dangers that the UK’s motorists face?
The roundabout on the A516 in Derby had only been open for two days when drivers revealed that it had caused multiple accidents because motorists were failing to see it in time. So bad was the situation that one motorist, David Wilson, not only crashed his car but witnessed another car drive over the roundabout while he waited to be rescued. Wilson told the Daily Mail,
“Fortunately, for whoever was driving, it was a Land Rover and they were able to get over the island without too many difficulties, but other people are going to crash there until something is sorted.”
What went wrong?
Thankfully, no one has been hurt in the accidents thus far. The roundabout was built to service a new housing estate development. It has subsequently been fiercely criticised by locals, who are demanding that the council install rumble strips. The council has investigated. It believes that the roundabout’s new lighting had stopped functioning and that the issue has now been resolved.
However, some could argue that the roundabout is a typical sign of Britain’s increasingly inferior road network. There are a host of issues that, at best, infuriate drivers and, at worst, can cause serious damage to cars and those in them.
Potholes driving motorists potty
As many a swearing driver will attest to, potholes are public enemy number one. According to recent research, there is one pothole per 110 metres of road in Britain. These cost motorists £684 million a year in car repairs, with a pothole compensation claim being made every 17 minutes. Successful claims cost the government £2.3 million in 2016.
To tackle the pothole plague, the government has set aside £250 million for its Pothole Action Fund. However, the funding is a drop in the ocean according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance, which claims that £12 billion is needed to sort out Britain’s potholes. A recent report by Car Parts 4 Less highlighted the 10 worst afflicted roads:
Cottage Lane, Ormskirk
Liverpool Road (A57), Salford
Chester Road, Poynton
Topsham Road, Exeter
Bingley Relief Road (A650), Bradford
Dunstable Road, Luton
Dividy Road, Stoke-on-Trent
Hills Road, Cambridge
Stratford Road, Solihull
Garrett Lane, Wandsworth
Skid-happy highways
An investigation by the Department for Transport revealed that 26% of our A roads require “further investigation” because they offer inadequate skid resistance. The findings are the highest since records began back in 2007/2008. Some 11,000 vehicles skidded on dry roads and led to accidents in 2015.
“It means that, if a law-abiding driver is travelling within the speed limit and a child steps out, what may have been an avoidable accident could become a tragedy.”
Road signs driving us to distraction
The onus is on drivers to keep abreast of the Highway Code. However, our mass of road signs and their meanings are leaving two in five motorists flummoxed. Driver confusion can lead to sudden braking that can cause congestion and accidents. While many of us may pride ourselves on our knowledge of the rules of the road, it’s worth taking this test to see just how clued up you really are about the UK’s road signs.
The issue is being exacerbated because our roads have been flooded with too many unnecessary road signs, claim some critics. In 1993, there were 2.45 million signs in England; by 2013, this had increased to a staggering 4.57 million. Many believe that such prolific use of signs can lead to confusion and sudden, risky driving manoeuvres.
To tackle the issue, the government gave powers to councils in 2016 to rip down unneeded signs, “ensuring road signs that are used far longer than needed have a ‘remove by’ date; making sure traffic signs are visible on unlit roads; stopping temporary message signs from being cluttered with adverts and distracting logos.” The government believes that the move could “save £30 million in taxpayers’ cash by 2020, leaving drivers with just the signs they need to travel safely.”
What needs to be done to sort out the dangers of the UK’s highways? Is the only solution more investment, and in the current economic climate, will that ever happen? Let us know your thoughts below.
A petition to introduce compulsory, age-related driving tests is gathering momentum. Benjamin Brooks-Dutton started the petition to the Department for Transport and Secretary of State for Transport after his wife Desreen was killed by an 85-year-old driver who mistook his car’s accelerator for the brake. The vehicle was travelling at 54 miles per hour in a 20 mile per hour zone when it mounted the pavement and struck Desreen.
The petition now has more than 250,000 of the 300,000 signatures that it is seeking. In addition, Harriet Harman MP has written to Lilian Greenwood MP, Chair of the Transport Committee, urging it to hold an inquiry into the mandatory re-assessment of drivers over the age of 70.
The news comes as DVLA figures reveal that the number of drivers aged 90 and over in Great Britain has topped 100,000 for the first time. When it comes to drivers aged between 80 and 89, the figure rises to more than 1.2 million.
“Older drivers have reduced ability to judge and adapt to speed and to read complex driving situations. Vision, reaction times and skills in executing manoeuvres decline with age.”
Medical conditions as well as age can impact on driving ability. As such, older drivers are already required to self-assess their medical fitness to drive every three years. However, the Older Drivers Task Force report highlights the fact that self-declarations are unreliable, citing one study that found a 60% disparity between self-declarations of cardiac problems and physicians’ evidence of the same.
Despite this, there is a growing body of evidence to show that older drivers are actually less dangerous on the roads that younger drivers. An accident data study by Swansea University found that drivers aged 70 and over are involved in between three and four times fewer accidents than male drivers aged between 17 and 21. Meanwhile, the Older Drivers Task Force study of police records found that drivers aged over 70 are less likely to kill a pedestrian than middle-aged drivers, and only half as likely to do so as drivers below the age of 25. The report also confirmed that,
“Drivers over 70 are less likely to be involved in crashes involving speed, loss of control or alcohol as a cause. They are more likely to be involved in a right of way violation.”
Should regular testing be compulsory for older drivers?
The Older Drivers Task Force reports that self-regulation is common among older drivers. Many choose to make fewer journeys and avoid more challenging conditions, such as driving at night or travelling on the motorway. However, self-regulation does not work for all. As the judge sentencing the driver who killed Desreen Brooks observed,
“An elderly driver who knows, or should acknowledge, that he or she is losing his or her faculties is no less a danger than a drunken driver who knows the same.”
Driving refresher courses are widely available and provide an option for older drivers to hone their skills. These are voluntary courses, though, and only available to those who can afford to take them.
The idea behind mandatory testing for older drivers is that it would catch those drivers whose faculties are no longer sharp enough that they should be behind the wheel, but who are not self-aware enough to realise this. One must query, however, why it is only older drivers who should be subjected to re-testing. Drivers aged 17-19 are disproportionately involved in car accidents according to DVLA figures. They account for just 1.6% of drivers, but are involved in 6% of accidents. Older drivers, meanwhile, account for 10% of drivers but are involved in just 6% of accidents.
Based on the statistics, wouldn’t it be a better road safety investment to annually re-test those who have just qualified to drive, rather than homing in on those who have decades of experience under their belts?
Do you think older drivers should undergo mandatory re-testing in order to keep their driving licenses? Or is the risk posed by elderly drivers being blow out of proportion? Leave a comment below to let us know your view.
The thought of getting into the car during the summer months can be an unpleasant one, as there is rarely a more uncomfortable place to be than in an overheated vehicle.
Thankfully, there are plenty of options for keeping you and your passengers cool during summer car journeys, so we’ve put together a list of our five top rated accessories to help you keep cool this summer.
No long car journey is complete without a selection of food and drink, but during the summer months it can be difficult to keep snacks and beverages cold, which always makes them less appealing.
An in-car fridge is the ideal remedy for this issue, and the compact and lightweight Indel B TB18 Portable Compressor Refrigerator is the perfect option for cars of any size. Due to its size and high performance, this is the ideal for both cars and campervans.
Boasting an 18-litre volume and extremely low combustion rates, this fridge has an adjustable strap so is easy to carry around when it’s not in use in the car. It is also one of the highest rated for keeping a consistently low temperature condition.
Keeping the car cool can be tricky, especially when you’re stuck in traffic or parked up, making a dual head car fan a great addition to any journey. It’s also a great way to save money by not using the air conditioning system, as it uses less energy and so saves you money on fuel.
Designed to blow hot air out of the car, and to improve air circulation and quality, the Florally Dual Head Car Auto Cooling Air Fan will instantly cool all passengers, and conveniently can be attached anywhere on the dashboard.
There are thousands of different sunglasses available for use while driving, but do they all protect you from harmful UV rays and (more importantly) make driving easier?
It is vital that your vision is not compromised while you are driving, but this can be an issue when the sun is blazing into your car, and reflecting from the road into your eyes. The best way to combat this is to wear high UV protection sunglasses, like thsee highly rated ATTCL Men’s Sports Polarized Sunglasses. The glasses, which reduce the effects of glare from the road, protect your eyes and have a comfortable fit, while looking stylish too.
Although air conditioning in the car is often enough to keep you and your passengers cool during summer car journeys, sometimes it isn’t powerful or quick enough to keep you comfortable in the heat.
Air Conditioning Recharger Auto Freeze can be used to make your air con colder, as well as help it to work up to 50% faster. It also helps to extend the life of your air conditioning system by protecting it and sealing any leaks. We really rate this product because it means you can turn the air conditioning right down, thus saving on fuel costs while keeping ice cold.
Having pets or children sitting in the back of the car on a hot day can be a concern, as they can be more affected by the heat than adults are. Protecting them is important, especially on long journeys. JellyBabaBaby Car Window Sun Shades are perfect for achieving this. They are created from double layer material which blocks UV rays, shading those in the backseats from both heat and light.
Designed to fit over the door frame, the sun shade covers the entire window pane. The windows can still be opened when the shades are in use, so a cool breeze can enter the car through the material.
With these cooling car accessories, you can be sure that travelling will be a comfortable experience all summer long. Tell us what you think about these products in the comments below.
The automotive industry, along with the public sector and education sector, has been dragging its heels in terms of making the most of advances in digital technology. Why? Well, there are several factors at play, but one of the main reasons is that the automotive industry has been hugely profitable for a long time. This profitability has mean that embracing change has not been a top priority. After all, why change a winning formula?
However, several large companies (Google, Uber, Tesla) have disrupted the automotive sector of late, forcing incumbent automakers to rethink their future plans. We’ve all seen what the emergence of Uber has done to the taxi industry – it is the beginning of a transportation revolution as significant as the Model T Ford replacing the horse and carriage. In 20 years’ time, drivers will look back and wonder why we didn’t realise how backwards we were.
Driverless cars, 5G motorways and the death of diesel are three significant developments that are set to alter the dynamic of Britain’s roads over the next few years. As such, we’ve rounded up these and other changes to look at what the future of motoring in the UK really holds.
The death of diesel
Diesel’s days are numbered. The government is aiming for 80% of vehicles on the road to be zero emissions by 2050.
April 2017 saw a 27.3% drop off in new diesel car registrations, so it seems the push to demonise diesel car ownership is working. With scrappage schemes and city centre toxicity charges both in the pipeline, we can expect the proportion of diesels on the road to decrease steadily.
The Liberal Democrats are pushing for an outright ban of diesel cars by 2025. This is relatively pointless as a measure to tackle pollution unless it applies to heavy goods and public vehicles as well. However, it shows how fashionable the idea of getting rid of diesel has become among politicians.
Impact on UK Motorists: As it becomes more expensive to run a diesel car, and drivers have good incentives to scrap pre-euro 4 models for greener alternatives, it seems inevitable that diesel cars will slowly fade away into history. It’s unlikely to happen by 2025 though.
Worryingly, a large proportion of Britain’s car industry is subsidised by diesel sales. A fall in diesel vehicle sales could well accelerate the recent talk of job losses within the car industry.
Smart fuel pumps
Denmark-based a2i Systems uses artificial intelligence to change the fuel price at the pumps in real time. This technology is coming to the UK later this year, with one supermarket already in advanced talks about implementing it. Prices in the UK already change frequently. It’s common for pump prices to increase over busy times like weekends, for example, but currently most stations do this manually.
With the a2i system, pump prices will change based on who is filling up. Loyal customers looking for deals may see the price go down, while those driving expensive cars may see the price tick up.
At PetrolPrices.com, we anticipate seeing a supermarket combine smart pumps with its loyalty scheme. This could, for example, result in greater discounts at the pumps for customers who buy goods from the supermarket.
Impact on UK Motorists: Real-time dynamic pricing on fuel is inevitable. It will be arriving in the UK sooner rather than later. Smart pump pricing will both benefit drivers and frustrate them in equal measure. However, the logic behind it means that if you are smart about when you buy fuel, you could save more money each time you fill up. Just be sure to avoid filling up in peak demand periods, when prices will be at their highest.
Electric vehicles
Globally, there are almost 1. 5 million electric cars in use, compared with 1 billion combustion engine-powered vehicles. Even though electric car sales are growing ten times faster than cars powered by traditional fuels, it will take years to achieve anywhere near 50% of all cars on the roads being electric. Some experts predict that the UK will not be fully electric until 2075, while others feel that hydrogen cell power and other fuels will emerge to replace electric cars. Many see electric cars as a stepping stone rather than the end state.
Tesla is leading the way with electric cars and now every car manufacturer offers at least one electric model. However, they’re still seen as expensive and not yet as good as a traditionally fuelled car. The limitation on range, combined with rapid advances in battery technology, means the secondary electric car market is non-existent. This is keeping adoption in the marketplace low, as only new electric cars are bought.
Impact on UK Motorists: We believe that electric will stay a niche rather than a mainstream car market in the UK for the next five years. There needs to be a greater level of affordability, where second-hand electric cars with ranges of 400 miles per charge can be bought for less than £10,000. The availability of charging points and the speed of charge points also need to be resolved before mass adoption can take place. Tesla is looking at covering the entire outside of its cars in solar cells, to increase range and power the cars as they drive.
Connected cars
Seen by many as the prelude to “driverless cars” (we’ll get onto that later), a “connected car” relies on a computer system to perform most functions, reducing the actions required from the driver. Connected cars enable a host of digital services and media companies like Google and Facebook are keen to be inside the operating systems, so that they can provide services directly to drivers and passengers.
Take Tantalum, for example. Tantalum is building technology that turns the car itself into a digital service. You can fill up at a fuel pump and the car will make the payment for you as you drive off.
These cars can include internet access and can communicate with other “connected” devices. They have the potential to limit accidents by talking to other cars. In 95% of all road accidents, human error is the leading cause. It’s thought connected cars could reduce worldwide fatalities by 30%.
Many new car models are already connected. Some newer cars come with an app, enabling the driver to communicate with the car. They can even unlock it while hundreds of miles away.
Impact on UK Motorists: Connected cars are going to be a revolution for motorists, not only in terms of the services provided but also the reduction in the rate of accidents. UK motorists will find the range of new products and services overwhelming in the next few years. It won’t take long before people will think they can’t live without them – much like mobile phones.
Driver-less cars
A driverless, or automated, car is exactly as you imagine – it’s a car that can drive itself. They are operated by a powerful computer that follows a map of the roads and reads thousands of different things at once, in the same way the human brain does when we drive. Driverless cars use sensors to detect where road obstacles are in order to avoid collisions and prevent accidents.
Some cars are already semi-autonomous. Tesla’s range of cars can drive on some motorways in a driver-less way. Experts are suggesting they could be on UK motorways as early as 2019, although this may seem ambitious to the more sceptical among us.
The cars are already being trialled in some states across America. Nevada is a key state for driverless trials, largely because the road system is simple and has fewer cars. The first trial in the UK occurred recently, when a group of passengers were driven around London in a driverless bus.
Impact on UK Motorists: Experts suggest that driverless cars will kill the need to own a car. The predict that by 2050 no one will own their own car anymore, as they will simply get into a driverless vehicle and tell it where they want to go. This type of vision of the future may scare many people, but if you consider the amount of free time made available by not needing to drive, if the cost is low then the benefits could be significant.
5G motorways
The Labour Party manifesto pledged to bring 5G (the unreleased super-fast mobile network) to all motorways and major roads around Britain by 2019. This coincides with the country’s goal of being an “early adopter” for autonomous vehicles. The internet access would allow the cars to stay connected to their map system, as well as other cars, whilst moving along.
The current standard of internet connection is insufficient to enable connected vehicles to function fully. 5G would change this. It would also allow those with connected and driver-less cars to spend journeys watching films or working. A Google study found that the average commuter could gain an extra hour every day if he/she didn’t need to drive.
Impact on UK Motorists: 5G would mean vastly improved internet access on motorways for passengers, as well as facilitating driverless cars. However, the cost to invest in and deliver a 5G network on the main road system would be hard to justify without rolling out 5G across the rest of the UK at the same time.
New crimes (car hacking)
Many people are concerned by the security threats that all this new car technology will bring to Britain. Year upon year, cars are becoming more reliant on computer technology. The Society of Motor Manufacturers says that 1.5 million motorists a year now leave showrooms with cars reliant on computers.
The concern is that the security systems aren’t yet matching this advancement. However, it seems car manufacturers are starting to take notice of the threat. Vehicle manufacturers are investing billions of pounds to make cars safer and more intelligent, and are constantly investing in security patches to prevent cars from being hacked.
Sadly not all manufacturers are keeping pace. Jeep was famously caught out recently when hackers demonstrated that its new cars could be taken over remotely, including switching the engine off and opening the doors from many miles away.
Impact on UK Motorists: Motorists could be held to ransom by hackers and scammers unless there are serious advances on current security systems. This is perhaps the single greatest threat to the future of motoring. As cyber-crime is now the fastest growing type of crime globally, the risk is that hacking cars could become a scarily common new trend.
Are you excited about the future of motoring? Do you think the future of motoring will be better or worse than today? Let us know in the comments section below.
