Learning to drive is a significant milestone in a young person’s life but the costs associated with learning, coupled with the prospect of ever increasing car insurance premiums once the test is passed, can be quite a daunting prospect.
The Driving Standards Agency suggest that it is very unlikely that anyone except an approved driving instructor will have the knowledge and experience necessary to teach learner drivers properly. Research conducted by the agency shows that the average number of professional lessons required to pass a test is 47, along with 20 hours of private practice with someone who has held their driving licence for at least 3 years and is over the age of 21.
According to the AA driving school the average cost of a driving lesson in the UK currently is £24, which makes the prospect of having to afford 47 quite expensive; particularly among a group who are already being hit by increased education fees and a pressurised job market.
All of that said, currently there is no ruling to dictate that professional lessons have to be taken at all. Research carried out with young drivers by learner driver insurer Provisional Marmalade highlighted a worrying trend among this group to ignore the advice given by the Driving Standards Association and spend twice the amount of time practising with a family member rather than a professional instructor in an attempt to save money.
Car insurance comparison site Tiger.co.uk has looked into the average costs associated to getting on the road for learner and newly qualified drivers, demonstrating just how costly it can be – this can be even more for male drivers who continue to pay much higher insurance premiums!
PROVISIONAL DRIVING LICENCE £50
DRIVING LESSONS (BASED ON 47 @ £24) £1,128
LEARNER DRIVER INSURANCE FOR 3 MONTHS* £256
TEST FEE’S (THEORY AND PRACTICAL) £106
COST OF A USED CAR ** £1,350
ROAD TAX £130
AVERAGE COST OF INSURANCE*** £2,431
TOTAL £5,451
If the recent appeal by road safety charity Brake to move to a graduated licensing scheme is adopted by MPs, then a minimum learning period of a year prior to taking a test could be enforced, along with a firm ruling on how many hours tuition must be taken with a professional. This means that learners may end up having to pay out even more on tuition fees but in the longer term it should lessen the chances of them having a serious accident.
A spokesperson from car insurance comparison site Tiger.co.uk commented; “At first glance these costs may appear high but they are normally spread out over a period of time, and a lot of families and individuals make provision for this with savings. Whether changes are made to the licensing system in the UK or not, the more time spent behind the wheel when learning has to be a good thing if it prevents younger drivers having accidents once they are qualified. In the past, practicing with a friend or family member has been problematic due to the cost associated to adding a learner to an existing standard policy and risking loss of a friend or family member’s no-claims bonus. Now there are more options.
"We have now partnered with Provisional Marmalade who provide policies specifically for learner drivers practicing in someone else’s car. Cover can be bought on a monthly basis for up to 3 months and the cover is fully comprehensive. Equally, once qualified, younger driver car insurance need not be un-affordable. Developments in telematics technology has resulted in a number of insurers offering policies using real driving data to price insurance, often meaning younger drivers can get a cheaper deal. There are also some clever ways in which young drivers can get cheaper car insurance. We have published a ‘Guide To Car Insurance for Young Drivers’ to provide guidance on this and it can be found in the news area of the Tiger.co.uk site”.
* Based on cost of provisional insurance provided by Provisional Marmalade for 3 months for a driver in an Ipswich postcode.
** Parkers book price for a 2002 Ford Focus 1.4CL 3 door
*** AA Insurance Premium Index – average cost for young drivers (male and female) April 2011
Source : www.pressdispensary.co.uk
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Monday, 6 June 2011
Coping With Blues And Twos
Many motorists panic when they hear emergency vehicle sirens, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists.
The road safety charity says the problem comes because learner drivers are not taught, as a matter of routine, what they should do when they see flashing blue lights in their mirrors or hear the blast of a siren approaching fast.
Staying calm is the first rule, says Peter Rodger, Britain’s top advanced driver.
His five top tips on how to respond when encountering an emergency vehicle are:
1. Keep calm – if you hear a siren or see blue lights, turn off your music so you can concentrate, and take a few seconds to plan your next move. Panicking and stopping in the wrong place will just snarl up the traffic and delay the emergency vehicle more.
2. Stop – look for somewhere to pull over, and stop if it’s safe, even if the emergency vehicle is on the other side of the road. Consider using your indicators, but only if it won’t confuse other road users.
3. Stay safe – avoid pulling on to kerbs, pavements and verges. Verges can hide a multitude of hazards, and moving on to the pavement can put pedestrians at risk.
4. Stay legal – at traffic lights or junctions, emergency drivers will try to find their way around you. If you go through a red light or into a bus lane, unless directed by a police officer to do so, you are breaking the law and could be fined, irrelevant of your good intentions.
5. Finally – be aware that there may be more than one emergency vehicle coming. Listen for different sirens, look all around before moving off, and bear in mind you may need to move over again.
Peter said: “Loud sirens and flashing blue lights cause many motorists to panic, mainly because drivers are not routinely taught how to respond to them. Emergency vehicle drivers want you to help them reach the emergency they are trying to get to so that they can deal with it as quickly as possible. Behave calmly, legally, safely and predictably and move out of the way as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Source : www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk
The road safety charity says the problem comes because learner drivers are not taught, as a matter of routine, what they should do when they see flashing blue lights in their mirrors or hear the blast of a siren approaching fast.
Staying calm is the first rule, says Peter Rodger, Britain’s top advanced driver.
His five top tips on how to respond when encountering an emergency vehicle are:
1. Keep calm – if you hear a siren or see blue lights, turn off your music so you can concentrate, and take a few seconds to plan your next move. Panicking and stopping in the wrong place will just snarl up the traffic and delay the emergency vehicle more.
2. Stop – look for somewhere to pull over, and stop if it’s safe, even if the emergency vehicle is on the other side of the road. Consider using your indicators, but only if it won’t confuse other road users.
3. Stay safe – avoid pulling on to kerbs, pavements and verges. Verges can hide a multitude of hazards, and moving on to the pavement can put pedestrians at risk.
4. Stay legal – at traffic lights or junctions, emergency drivers will try to find their way around you. If you go through a red light or into a bus lane, unless directed by a police officer to do so, you are breaking the law and could be fined, irrelevant of your good intentions.
5. Finally – be aware that there may be more than one emergency vehicle coming. Listen for different sirens, look all around before moving off, and bear in mind you may need to move over again.
Peter said: “Loud sirens and flashing blue lights cause many motorists to panic, mainly because drivers are not routinely taught how to respond to them. Emergency vehicle drivers want you to help them reach the emergency they are trying to get to so that they can deal with it as quickly as possible. Behave calmly, legally, safely and predictably and move out of the way as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Source : www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
£100 Fines For 'Idiot' Drivers
£100 fines for 'idiot' drivers: After years of speed cameras and penalties for ordinary motorists, ministers switch focus to aggressive boy racers.
* New fixed penalty notices of between £80 and £100 for careless driving rather than going to court
* An end to the right to request blood tests rather than breath tests for drink-driving
* Re-test for banned offenders before regaining licence
* Police station drug-testing and a possible new offence for drivers who drive under the influence of drugs
* The seizure of vehicles belonging to the most dangerous offenders to keep them off the road
Aggressive drivers are to face £100 on-the-spot fines in the biggest shake-up of road safety law for decades.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond will today declare an end to the war on ordinary motorists who make honest mistakes.
But ‘boy racers’ who tailgate, undertake or cut up other motorists, those driving under the influence of drink or drugs and repeat offenders will face tough new penalties.
Tens of thousands who make minor transgressions will be spared points on their licence if they agree to undergo education courses to improve their driving.
Mr Hammond said Labour’s obsession with speed cameras meant motorists caught driving a few miles over the speed limit were currently prosecuted, while ‘idiots’ who endangered lives get off ‘scot-free’.
The Government has scrapped grants for councils to put up new speed cameras, and installations have already slowed down, he said.
Mr Hammond confirmed the Government was also considering raising the speed limit on motorways to 80mph, though he said no assessment had yet been done of the risks and benefits.
He said the Government’s new road safety strategy marked a ‘clear break’ with Labour’s approach since 1997.
‘We want to make a clear distinction between those drivers who are a real danger to road safety – reckless, dangerous drivers – and those who are merely occasionally careless or who make an honest mistake,’ he added.
‘That means much more emphasis on enforcement against those who represent the biggest risk and a big increase in the use of education for those who make minor transgressions.
‘The big problem under the last government was using technology. Speed cameras were installed and speed became the only focus of the road safety agenda. It ceased to be a road safety agenda and became a speed agenda.
'That meant somebody driving at 55mph in a 50mph limit might get prosecuted but the idiot who is weaving in and out of traffic and tail-gating gets off scot-free.’
The number of convictions for the offence of careless driving, Mr Hammond said, fell from 125,000 in 1985 to 28,000 in 2006. Police were increasingly discouraged from pursuing careless driving prosecutions because the courts were ‘clogged up’.
‘So we are going to introduce a fixed penalty for careless driving – something we don’t have at the moment,’ he said. They will be issued by police on the spot, but could also be sent to motorists spotted on roadside cameras. Like speeding fines, the notices will attract three points.
Minor offenders will be invited to avoid points on their licence by going on a driver education course.
‘Serious and repeat offenders are who we want to focus on because they are disproportionately responsible for accidents, deaths and injuries,’ Mr Hammond said.
‘There will be mandatory retraining for offenders before they get their licence back.’
On drink-driving, he said loopholes were allowing offenders to escape justice.
Those who are 40 per cent over the limit are able to demand a blood test but because that has to be carried out by a doctor there is usually a delay.
Mr Hammond said: ‘Alcohol can then clear the body. People are playing that loophole so we are going to close it – no more right to ask for a blood-test.’
There will also be a crackdown on drug-driving with the possibility of a new offence.
Currently, police have to prove both the presence of drugs and that a driver is dangerously impaired – meaning prosecutions are almost non-existent.
Mr Hammond conceded forces that have reduced the numbers of traffic police might have to rethink their priorities in light of the crackdown. ‘Chief constables will decide on how officers are deployed,’ he said.
The moves come as an RAC report reveals that young people are 17 times more likely to be killed on the roads than with a weapon. Road accidents are the biggest killer of young people aged 15 to 24 other than illness it says.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385702/Aggressive-idiot-drivers-face-100-fines-road-safety-law-shake-up.html#ixzz1M1XrdlZ9
Source : James Chapman - www.dailymail.co.uk
* New fixed penalty notices of between £80 and £100 for careless driving rather than going to court
* An end to the right to request blood tests rather than breath tests for drink-driving
* Re-test for banned offenders before regaining licence
* Police station drug-testing and a possible new offence for drivers who drive under the influence of drugs
* The seizure of vehicles belonging to the most dangerous offenders to keep them off the road
Aggressive drivers are to face £100 on-the-spot fines in the biggest shake-up of road safety law for decades.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond will today declare an end to the war on ordinary motorists who make honest mistakes.
But ‘boy racers’ who tailgate, undertake or cut up other motorists, those driving under the influence of drink or drugs and repeat offenders will face tough new penalties.
Tens of thousands who make minor transgressions will be spared points on their licence if they agree to undergo education courses to improve their driving.
Mr Hammond said Labour’s obsession with speed cameras meant motorists caught driving a few miles over the speed limit were currently prosecuted, while ‘idiots’ who endangered lives get off ‘scot-free’.
The Government has scrapped grants for councils to put up new speed cameras, and installations have already slowed down, he said.
Mr Hammond confirmed the Government was also considering raising the speed limit on motorways to 80mph, though he said no assessment had yet been done of the risks and benefits.
He said the Government’s new road safety strategy marked a ‘clear break’ with Labour’s approach since 1997.
‘We want to make a clear distinction between those drivers who are a real danger to road safety – reckless, dangerous drivers – and those who are merely occasionally careless or who make an honest mistake,’ he added.
‘That means much more emphasis on enforcement against those who represent the biggest risk and a big increase in the use of education for those who make minor transgressions.
‘The big problem under the last government was using technology. Speed cameras were installed and speed became the only focus of the road safety agenda. It ceased to be a road safety agenda and became a speed agenda.
'That meant somebody driving at 55mph in a 50mph limit might get prosecuted but the idiot who is weaving in and out of traffic and tail-gating gets off scot-free.’
The number of convictions for the offence of careless driving, Mr Hammond said, fell from 125,000 in 1985 to 28,000 in 2006. Police were increasingly discouraged from pursuing careless driving prosecutions because the courts were ‘clogged up’.
‘So we are going to introduce a fixed penalty for careless driving – something we don’t have at the moment,’ he said. They will be issued by police on the spot, but could also be sent to motorists spotted on roadside cameras. Like speeding fines, the notices will attract three points.
Minor offenders will be invited to avoid points on their licence by going on a driver education course.
‘Serious and repeat offenders are who we want to focus on because they are disproportionately responsible for accidents, deaths and injuries,’ Mr Hammond said.
‘There will be mandatory retraining for offenders before they get their licence back.’
On drink-driving, he said loopholes were allowing offenders to escape justice.
Those who are 40 per cent over the limit are able to demand a blood test but because that has to be carried out by a doctor there is usually a delay.
Mr Hammond said: ‘Alcohol can then clear the body. People are playing that loophole so we are going to close it – no more right to ask for a blood-test.’
There will also be a crackdown on drug-driving with the possibility of a new offence.
Currently, police have to prove both the presence of drugs and that a driver is dangerously impaired – meaning prosecutions are almost non-existent.
Mr Hammond conceded forces that have reduced the numbers of traffic police might have to rethink their priorities in light of the crackdown. ‘Chief constables will decide on how officers are deployed,’ he said.
The moves come as an RAC report reveals that young people are 17 times more likely to be killed on the roads than with a weapon. Road accidents are the biggest killer of young people aged 15 to 24 other than illness it says.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385702/Aggressive-idiot-drivers-face-100-fines-road-safety-law-shake-up.html#ixzz1M1XrdlZ9
Source : James Chapman - www.dailymail.co.uk
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Drivers Face £80 Fines For Any Litter Thrown From Their Vehicle, Even If It Was A Passenger Who Threw It
Drivers are to face automatic £80 fines if litter is thrown from their vehicles – even if one of their passengers is to blame.
Ministers are considering a change in the law that will make motorists responsible for any rubbish dropped from their vehicles.
Council officers will be instructed to note the number plates of ‘offending’ vehicles, and an £80 penalty will then automatically be sent to the car’s registered owner
Evidence could also be collected by CCTV cameras.
Unless drivers are willing to identify the culprit they will have to pay the fine, even if they were not aware litter had been dropped while they were driving. Those who refuse could face trial in a magistrates’ court, with a potential fine of up to £2,500.
Councils and environmental campaigners have been pressing for the change for years, arguing that existing laws make it all but impossible to prosecute drivers for littering.
Supporters say the change would also spare council staff the need to confront drivers suspected of littering.
But there were warnings last night that the new law could quickly become another ‘cash cow’ for councils.
Motorists can already be fined for littering, but local authorities claim the law is almost impossible to enforce as officials have to prove the identity of the person who dropped the litter.
The planned change in the law would make the driver liable unless there was direct evidence that a passenger was responsible.
Clyde Loakes, of the Local Government Association, said the existing loophole in the law allowed offenders to get away ‘scot-free’.
He said the fines would help councils cover the annual £850million cost of keeping the streets clean.
Council staff could be deployed to ‘problem’ laybys and car parks specifically to enforce the litter laws. He added: ‘It’s time to get tough on lazy, selfish people who toss rubbish from moving cars and expect other people to cover the cost of cleaning it up. Getting tough on people who drop rubbish on our carriageways is one way to tackle a problem which is costly, difficult and dangerous to clean up.’
The change in the law could be incorporated in the Localism Bill that is going through Parliament.
More than two million items of litter are dropped in Britain each day, with motorists blamed for 70 per cent of the problem in some areas.
A survey by the Keep Britain Tidy Group found that a fifth admitted throwing litter from vehicles, with cigarette butts, chewing gum and drink cartons among the items most often discarded.
The study found that men aged under 35 were the most likely to drop litter from their cars, particularly if they were smokers.
Ministers have previously resisted extending the power of local authorities because of fears of a backlash from motorists. But they are now said to be persuaded of the need to act on environmental grounds.
Charlotte Linacre, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Motorists are already overtaxed. Councils have to make necessary spending cuts and there’s plenty of fat to trim, they shouldn’t look to plug gaps in their finances by ramping up charges on taxpayers.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1382646/Drivers-face-80-fines-litter-thrown-vehicle-passenger-threw-it.html#ixzz1LEiV4m7J
Source : Jason Groves - www.dailymail.co.uk
Ministers are considering a change in the law that will make motorists responsible for any rubbish dropped from their vehicles.
Council officers will be instructed to note the number plates of ‘offending’ vehicles, and an £80 penalty will then automatically be sent to the car’s registered owner
Evidence could also be collected by CCTV cameras.
Unless drivers are willing to identify the culprit they will have to pay the fine, even if they were not aware litter had been dropped while they were driving. Those who refuse could face trial in a magistrates’ court, with a potential fine of up to £2,500.
Councils and environmental campaigners have been pressing for the change for years, arguing that existing laws make it all but impossible to prosecute drivers for littering.
Supporters say the change would also spare council staff the need to confront drivers suspected of littering.
But there were warnings last night that the new law could quickly become another ‘cash cow’ for councils.
Motorists can already be fined for littering, but local authorities claim the law is almost impossible to enforce as officials have to prove the identity of the person who dropped the litter.
The planned change in the law would make the driver liable unless there was direct evidence that a passenger was responsible.
Clyde Loakes, of the Local Government Association, said the existing loophole in the law allowed offenders to get away ‘scot-free’.
He said the fines would help councils cover the annual £850million cost of keeping the streets clean.
Council staff could be deployed to ‘problem’ laybys and car parks specifically to enforce the litter laws. He added: ‘It’s time to get tough on lazy, selfish people who toss rubbish from moving cars and expect other people to cover the cost of cleaning it up. Getting tough on people who drop rubbish on our carriageways is one way to tackle a problem which is costly, difficult and dangerous to clean up.’
The change in the law could be incorporated in the Localism Bill that is going through Parliament.
More than two million items of litter are dropped in Britain each day, with motorists blamed for 70 per cent of the problem in some areas.
A survey by the Keep Britain Tidy Group found that a fifth admitted throwing litter from vehicles, with cigarette butts, chewing gum and drink cartons among the items most often discarded.
The study found that men aged under 35 were the most likely to drop litter from their cars, particularly if they were smokers.
Ministers have previously resisted extending the power of local authorities because of fears of a backlash from motorists. But they are now said to be persuaded of the need to act on environmental grounds.
Charlotte Linacre, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Motorists are already overtaxed. Councils have to make necessary spending cuts and there’s plenty of fat to trim, they shouldn’t look to plug gaps in their finances by ramping up charges on taxpayers.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1382646/Drivers-face-80-fines-litter-thrown-vehicle-passenger-threw-it.html#ixzz1LEiV4m7J
Source : Jason Groves - www.dailymail.co.uk
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Drivers Who Don't Renew Car Insurance In Time 'Will Be Clamped On Their Driveway'
Motorists who fail to renew their car insurance face having their car clamped in their driveway, seized and destroyed.
The clamp-and-scrap powers, being given to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) by ministers, are a fresh weapon in the Government’s fight against uninsured drivers.
The new system, called continuous insurance enforcement, goes fully live in June and means cars must be insured at all times - and no long have to be spotted on the road to be clamped and seized.
The only exception is if the registered keeper makes an official declaration that the car is permanently off road and not being driven.
Motoring groups fear innocent motorists who forget to insure their vehicle on time because they are on holiday or have an extended stay in hospital will fall foul of the new rules which can also see drivers landed with a £100 fine.
But road safety minister Mike Penning insists drivers will be given a warning letter and a £100 fixed penalty notice before any car is clamped and seized from the driveway.
The Department for Transport said: ’Under continuous insurance enforcement it will be an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle, rather than just to drive when uninsured. The regulations laid today will allow the DVLA to take action against those who ignore warnings to get their vehicle insured.’
’If the vehicle remains uninsured - regardless of whether the fine is paid - it could then be clamped, seized and destroyed. The regulations laid in Parliament today would give the DVLA the powers to take this action.’
Road safety minister Mr Penning said: ‘Uninsured drivers injure 23,000 people each year and add £30 to every responsible motorist’s premium so we need to do everything we can to keep them off the roads.
'These new powers will help us to take targeted action while freeing up police time to deal with the hard core of offenders.'
But the AA's Paul Watters said: ’Many otherwise innocent motorists face being unwittingly fined or clamped for doing little more than being forgetful or distracted by the normal business of life.
‘There must be some flexibility or leniency, otherwise this will become just another scam, like some cowboy parking ticket or clamping operations. It must not become a money spinner.’
He added: ’Safeguards must be in place to ensure that where offences are committed inadvertently, for example through illness delaying renewal of insurance or where a simple registration number mistake has been made on an insurance certificate, drivers are dealt with sympathetically. ‘
The Transport Department said that under the new system the DVLA will work in partnership with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau to identify from their database vehicles which are uninsured.
The Department said: ’Motorists will receive a letter telling them that their vehicle appears to be uninsured and warning them that they will be fined unless they take action.
'If the keeper fails to insure the vehicle they will be given a £100 fine. If the vehicle remains uninsured - regardless of whether the fine is paid - it could then be clamped, seized and destroyed.
'The regulations laid in Parliament today would give the DVLA the powers to take this action.’
Vehicles with a valid Statutory Off Road Notice will not be required to be insured, he added.
The first insurance ‘advisory letters’ warning individuals that they ‘appear to be uninsured’ will be sent at the end of June following a publicity campaign to raise awareness of the Continuous Insurance Enforcement scheme.
The Motor Insurance Database will be used to identify registered keepers of vehicles that appear to have no insurance.
Drivers are advised to check that their vehicle is recorded on the database - via www.askMID.com.
Latest official estimates suggest that 1 in 25 motorists (four per cent) drive uninsured - up to 14 million.
The penalty for driving without insurance is a maximum fine of £5,000 and six to eight penalty points. About 242,000 offenders are convicted for uninsured driving every year.
Measures already introduced in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 gave police improved access to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau database and powers to seize vehicles. In 2009 around 180,000 vehicles were seized.
AA Insurance said their own survey had shown that 6 out of 10 motorists were completely unaware of the changes that could see their car clamped and impounded from their driveway.
An AA/Populus study of nearly 13,000 AA members, an ‘extraordinary’ 59 per cent had not heard about the new law and of the balance who were aware of it, with four out of ten (38 per cent) saying they ‘don’t know what it means’.
Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: 'This tough action is to be welcomed but it is vital that the Government undertakes a campaign to increase awareness.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1378219/Drivers-dont-renew-insurance-time-face-having-car-clamped.html#ixzz1JxL70k3Z
Source : Ray Massey - www.dailymail.co.uk
The clamp-and-scrap powers, being given to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) by ministers, are a fresh weapon in the Government’s fight against uninsured drivers.
The new system, called continuous insurance enforcement, goes fully live in June and means cars must be insured at all times - and no long have to be spotted on the road to be clamped and seized.
The only exception is if the registered keeper makes an official declaration that the car is permanently off road and not being driven.
Motoring groups fear innocent motorists who forget to insure their vehicle on time because they are on holiday or have an extended stay in hospital will fall foul of the new rules which can also see drivers landed with a £100 fine.
But road safety minister Mike Penning insists drivers will be given a warning letter and a £100 fixed penalty notice before any car is clamped and seized from the driveway.
The Department for Transport said: ’Under continuous insurance enforcement it will be an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle, rather than just to drive when uninsured. The regulations laid today will allow the DVLA to take action against those who ignore warnings to get their vehicle insured.’
’If the vehicle remains uninsured - regardless of whether the fine is paid - it could then be clamped, seized and destroyed. The regulations laid in Parliament today would give the DVLA the powers to take this action.’
Road safety minister Mr Penning said: ‘Uninsured drivers injure 23,000 people each year and add £30 to every responsible motorist’s premium so we need to do everything we can to keep them off the roads.
'These new powers will help us to take targeted action while freeing up police time to deal with the hard core of offenders.'
But the AA's Paul Watters said: ’Many otherwise innocent motorists face being unwittingly fined or clamped for doing little more than being forgetful or distracted by the normal business of life.
‘There must be some flexibility or leniency, otherwise this will become just another scam, like some cowboy parking ticket or clamping operations. It must not become a money spinner.’
He added: ’Safeguards must be in place to ensure that where offences are committed inadvertently, for example through illness delaying renewal of insurance or where a simple registration number mistake has been made on an insurance certificate, drivers are dealt with sympathetically. ‘
The Transport Department said that under the new system the DVLA will work in partnership with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau to identify from their database vehicles which are uninsured.
The Department said: ’Motorists will receive a letter telling them that their vehicle appears to be uninsured and warning them that they will be fined unless they take action.
'If the keeper fails to insure the vehicle they will be given a £100 fine. If the vehicle remains uninsured - regardless of whether the fine is paid - it could then be clamped, seized and destroyed.
'The regulations laid in Parliament today would give the DVLA the powers to take this action.’
Vehicles with a valid Statutory Off Road Notice will not be required to be insured, he added.
The first insurance ‘advisory letters’ warning individuals that they ‘appear to be uninsured’ will be sent at the end of June following a publicity campaign to raise awareness of the Continuous Insurance Enforcement scheme.
The Motor Insurance Database will be used to identify registered keepers of vehicles that appear to have no insurance.
Drivers are advised to check that their vehicle is recorded on the database - via www.askMID.com.
Latest official estimates suggest that 1 in 25 motorists (four per cent) drive uninsured - up to 14 million.
The penalty for driving without insurance is a maximum fine of £5,000 and six to eight penalty points. About 242,000 offenders are convicted for uninsured driving every year.
Measures already introduced in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 gave police improved access to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau database and powers to seize vehicles. In 2009 around 180,000 vehicles were seized.
AA Insurance said their own survey had shown that 6 out of 10 motorists were completely unaware of the changes that could see their car clamped and impounded from their driveway.
An AA/Populus study of nearly 13,000 AA members, an ‘extraordinary’ 59 per cent had not heard about the new law and of the balance who were aware of it, with four out of ten (38 per cent) saying they ‘don’t know what it means’.
Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: 'This tough action is to be welcomed but it is vital that the Government undertakes a campaign to increase awareness.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1378219/Drivers-dont-renew-insurance-time-face-having-car-clamped.html#ixzz1JxL70k3Z
Source : Ray Massey - www.dailymail.co.uk
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Majority Of Parents Would Fail Driving Test
Most parents "don't bother" to educate themselves with road rules before teaching their learner drivers, a driving instructor says.
Mark Fraser from Drive Smart Driving School said his experience showed it was unusual to find adults who scored well on driving skills tests.
His comments follow yesterday's release of a national survey by learner driver program keys2drive which found that more than 40 per cent of parents did not know the basic road rules.
The Advertiser asked Mr Fraser to test the driving skills of Tracy Neldner, a mother of three, who was given a 15 minute basic driving test that included making left and right hand turns, straight and general driving and sign knowledge.
She was given a score of five out of ten or 48 per cent for her driving skills - which Mr Fraser said was a high score when compared with other adults he had tested.
"If I do these assessments normally (with adults) I get somewhere between 3 and 13 per cent," he said.
"Most adult drivers don't get more than 30 per cent on a test like this and (some) would get zero."
Mrs Neldner, who received driving lessons when she was a learner driver, said she had not sat a test since 1981 and tried to "model good behaviour" with her sons who currently receive driving lessons.
"It's quite a long time since my husband and I have both had lessons," she said.
"We needed someone who was able to teach (the kids) properly."
Source : Martina Simos
Mark Fraser from Drive Smart Driving School said his experience showed it was unusual to find adults who scored well on driving skills tests.
His comments follow yesterday's release of a national survey by learner driver program keys2drive which found that more than 40 per cent of parents did not know the basic road rules.
The Advertiser asked Mr Fraser to test the driving skills of Tracy Neldner, a mother of three, who was given a 15 minute basic driving test that included making left and right hand turns, straight and general driving and sign knowledge.
She was given a score of five out of ten or 48 per cent for her driving skills - which Mr Fraser said was a high score when compared with other adults he had tested.
"If I do these assessments normally (with adults) I get somewhere between 3 and 13 per cent," he said.
"Most adult drivers don't get more than 30 per cent on a test like this and (some) would get zero."
Mrs Neldner, who received driving lessons when she was a learner driver, said she had not sat a test since 1981 and tried to "model good behaviour" with her sons who currently receive driving lessons.
"It's quite a long time since my husband and I have both had lessons," she said.
"We needed someone who was able to teach (the kids) properly."
Source : Martina Simos
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Drivers Avoid Speeding Penalties
Most of the police forces in England and Wales have signed up to new guidelines that will enable motorists to avoid points on their licence even if they are caught speeding at 86mph, it has emerged.
The new framework will allow speeding motorists to pay to complete a speed awareness course instead, if caught at up to 10% above the limit plus 9mph.
So far 37 police forces in England and Wales, now offer the Speed Awareness Courses ACPO, the Association of Chief Police Officers said.
An ACPO spokeswoman explained: "Over recent years, the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads has fallen significantly reducing both the toll of personal tragedy and the cost to the public purse.
"This reduction has been achieved through a combination of improved engineering, enforcement and education.
"The changes were proposed following a consultation with the UK's leading driver academics who helped to develop the National Speed Awareness Course.
"The initial results of an independent research project showed that Speed Awareness Courses were highly effective in improving long-term driver behaviour on the roads. There is no such evidence to suggest that fines or penalty points offer any long-lasting effect."
Previously, only those driving at at 10% over the speed limit plus 6mph were eligible for the course.
A spokesman for road safety charity Brake said: "We think these new guidelines sends out completely the wrong message to drivers.
"Speeding or driving at inappropriate speeds is a factor in a quarter of all road crashes, tearing families and local communities apart on a daily basis."
Source : www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress
The new framework will allow speeding motorists to pay to complete a speed awareness course instead, if caught at up to 10% above the limit plus 9mph.
So far 37 police forces in England and Wales, now offer the Speed Awareness Courses ACPO, the Association of Chief Police Officers said.
An ACPO spokeswoman explained: "Over recent years, the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads has fallen significantly reducing both the toll of personal tragedy and the cost to the public purse.
"This reduction has been achieved through a combination of improved engineering, enforcement and education.
"The changes were proposed following a consultation with the UK's leading driver academics who helped to develop the National Speed Awareness Course.
"The initial results of an independent research project showed that Speed Awareness Courses were highly effective in improving long-term driver behaviour on the roads. There is no such evidence to suggest that fines or penalty points offer any long-lasting effect."
Previously, only those driving at at 10% over the speed limit plus 6mph were eligible for the course.
A spokesman for road safety charity Brake said: "We think these new guidelines sends out completely the wrong message to drivers.
"Speeding or driving at inappropriate speeds is a factor in a quarter of all road crashes, tearing families and local communities apart on a daily basis."
Source : www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress
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