Motorway lessons for learner drivers from 2018

The Government has announced that as from next year learners will be able to have motorway lessons in dual control cars with approved driving instructors. (England, Wales and Scotland)

Currently you have to have passed your driving test to be allowed to drive on motorways. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the lessons would make UK roads safer.

He said: "Allowing learners to drive on motorways in a supportive environment will help them develop a practical understanding of how to use motorways safely before driving independently."

Mr Grayling said young drivers were more likely to be killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads - and a lack of experience was an "important factor".

"The UK has some of safest roads in the world and we want to make them even safer," he said.

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Motorway rules

• When joining the motorway give priority to traffic already on the road. Match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow and remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking
• When you can see well ahead and the road conditions are good, drive at a steady cruising speed within the speed limit
• Always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking slower-moving vehicles, return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past
• Only overtake on the right-hand side, when it safe and legal to do so. In congested conditions, however, you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake
• Do not stop on the hard shoulder except in an emergency
• Do not reverse, cross the central reservation, or drive against the traffic flow. If you have missed your exit, carry on to the next one

Source: The Highway Code

For more on this story please read this article by the BBC

This Dorking road has a very bizarre and unrealistic speed limit

A lane in Surrey has been challenging drivers to keep to a speed limit which seems to defy logic.

On Wotton Drive, in Dorking , people are tasked with driving at eight and three-quarter miles per hour as they approach the entrance to De Vere Wotton House.  The unique speed limit is one of many quirks at at the luxury hotel.

Some believe this quirk is a reference to the world-famous series by JK Rowling, in which young wizards and witches begin their journey to Hogwarts by running through a brick wall between platforms nine and ten - platform 9 3/4.

The management of De Vere Wotton House said the reasons behind the limit was to add a touch of "magic" to guests' visit.

"There is no real logical reason - it's to add a bit of magic, and make visiting the hotel a more interesting experience," said Tracy Montgomerie.

"It's pretty quirky, and there are other surprises around the hotel and grounds for visitors. We had a six million pound refurbishment and wanted to do something different.

“The eight and three-quarters limit is one of those details. The maximum limit on the road with bumps is ten miles an hour, but we didn't want to be too straight-laced.

"It is funny, I don't think anyone can actually do eight and three-quarter miles per hour."

Source: get surrey

Drivers caught using phones for first time now face points

Under new government plans drivers in England, Scotland and Wales caught using a mobile phone for the first time will automatically receive penalty points.
Previously, motorists in some police force areas could avoid points by taking a remedial driving course. However ministers believe it is not a tough enough measure to deter people from using a hand-held phone while driving.

They have also confirmed plans to raise fines for offences from £100 to £200 and penalty points from three to six.

The scrapping of the driving course option is among several measures announced in a government response to a consultation on punishments for drivers caught using hand-held phones.
The government first announced that it was going to increase fines and double penalty points in September.

The new measures, which are due to take effect next year, follow the jailing last month of lorry driver Tomasz Kroker, who killed a mother and three children while distracted by his phone.

Fine numbers plummet

The number of fines issued for motorists caught using a mobile phone illegally has plummeted by 84% since 2011.

Some 16,900 drivers were handed fixed-penalty notices in England and Wales last year, compared with 123,100 in 2011, Home Office data shows.

Motoring groups believe the decline is due to a 27% fall in the number of full-time dedicated roads policing officers in England and Wales (excluding London) between 2010 and 2015.

Department for Transport figures show that a driver being impaired or distracted by their phone had been a contributory factor in 440 accidents in Britain last year, including 22 which were fatal and 75 classed as serious.

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: "By ruling out courses and doubling the fine, ministers are reflecting public concern and showing they want to stamp out a potentially lethal activity before it becomes entrenched behaviour for a growing number of drivers."

The measures will not affect Northern Ireland, where drivers are currently given three penalty points and a £60 fine for the offence.

The Department for Infrastructure has said there are no plans to change this, but it "will continue to monitor changes being made in Britain to see what can be learned".

Source BBC

Rise in Company Car Drivers Speeding on Motorways

Although speeding is illegal, it appears that company car drivers are becoming more relaxed when it comes to this particular driving offence.

New research from RAC Business has revealed that nearly nine out of 10 (88%) company car drivers admitted to speeding on motorways -- a 7% rise on the previous year. (reported by Fleet News)

The research, part of the RAC's Report on Motoring 2016, found discrepancies between how frequently company car drivers and private motorists broke the speed limit.

According to the report, nearly half (48%) of company car drivers break the motorway speed limit on the majority of their journeys, while just over a quarter (26%) of private motorists admitted to doing the same.

The number of company car drivers who said their typical speed on the motorways was 80mph also increased, with 51% confessing so this year, compared to 46% in 2015. And there was a rise in those driving at 90mph, which grew from 5% last year to 7%.

The report also revealed worrying views on traveling at such speeds, with 60% finding it acceptable to drive at 80mph on the motorway.

What's more, nearly a third (31%) of company car drivers said they believe the current speed limit is inappropriate for the road, while almost three quarters (71%) feel the motorway limit should be increased to 80mph.

Discussing the Report on Motoring 2016, RAC Business's corporate business sales director, Jenny Powley, said that some worrying upward trends were brought to light.

Powley added: "A key way in which companies can respond to this growing problem is to make the most of telematics technology to identify high risk drivers and journeys and use the data to inform their staff training."

Do you think the motorway speed limit should be increased to 80mph?

Stop a Douchebag

We have come across something quite interesting through "anonymous" about an issue in Russia where people are driving on pavements to avoid traffic.  A small group of people have come up with a great way to combat this problem 

On sidewalks and footpaths, the brave young protagonists stand in the way of bad drivers, politely ask them to head back to the road and if they refuse, plaster a hard-to-peel-off sticker (which proclaims in Russian: I Spit on Everybody, I Drive/Park However I Want) on the windshield, right in front of the driver’s seat.

"Stop a Douchebag" - is a Russian youth movement that attempts to enforce the road traffic regulations in Russia.

To read in more detail please visit the anonymous site

The Movement's channel on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/stopxamlive

 

Think Britain's Roads are Busy Now? Just Wait Until 2034 When There'll be an Extra 20 MILLION Drivers

Roads could be jammed with an extra seven million drivers within 20 years, according to the RAC Foundation.

The number of road users will leap from 36 million to 43 million if current trends persist, the foundation said.

It said its forecast was consistent with Government figures which predict that compared with 2010, traffic levels on urban roads in England and Wales will rise by around a fifth by 2025 and by a third by 2035.

The biggest increase by 2025 is predicted to be in eastern England and Yorkshire and Humberside (both up 25%), while the biggest rise by 2035 is Yorkshire and Humberside (up 40%).
The RAC Foundation's 43-million vehicle forecast came as it published essays by transport experts in a paper entitled Moving Cities: The Future Of Urban Travel.

The essays showed 49% of people in England and Wales now live in towns or cities with a population of at least 250,000 with three-quarters of households in towns and two-thirds in cities owning a car.
RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said any new road investment due to be announced this week by the Government was very welcome.

He went on: "But our work illustrates the massive challenges we also face in unclogging our urban areas. Traffic forecasting is not an exact science but the direction of travel is clear: towards increasing jams.

"We all want to see more drivers using alternative methods of getting about but the Government's own figures suggest we face an uphill battle under present policies.

"To preserve the quality of life in towns and cities we must revise our travel expectations and ministers need to set clear and coherent strategies to facilitate this."

Source