Motorists will clock up £283 in fines on average during their time in the driving seat, research revealed yesterday. The total punishment for offences by the nation’s drivers, including speeding and parking violations, works out at a staggering £10bn. Those in London rack up the highest lifetime tally, with an average of £680, while those in Northern Ireland tot up only £90. Motorists in the North-East recorded the second highest average at £352. Men lose the battle of the sexes as they are hit with £344 in fines during their driving careers compared to £210 for women. The survey suggests misdemeanours cost motorists £200m in total each year. If that figure is multiplied over a 50-year career at the wheel, then the nation’s total hits the £10bn mark. The research found that 34% of drivers have been fined for speeding at least once and 6% have been caught three or more times. Nearly four in ten have been slapped with at least one parking fine and one in 14 are serial offenders with three or more tickets. The survey of 1,017 motorists for the esure car insurance website found that more than a third of motorists are confused by the myriad of parking rules and regulations. Others admit they do not know many of the other highway laws which could lead to fines. More
(AD Remarks ~ There must be a good ammount of drivers who obey the rules and have never had any fines, so what does that say about some other drivers and their driving?)
Many sports fans could be putting their lives at risk during the summer of sporting events by listening to important matches and races on the radio while driving. A new research study released today by Direct Line, commissioned with Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), reveals that motorists’ reaction times are 20 per cent slower when they are emotionally and mentally engaged in listening to sports commentary on the radio while behind the wheel. If travelling at a speed of 70mph, this distraction would add six metres to a motorist’s stopping distance. To put this into context, this increase in distance travelled is 10 per cent further than the additional stopping distance when driving with a blood alcohol level at the UK legal limit (80mg/100ml). During the testing, there were nearly 50 per cent more incidents of hard braking while motorists were listening to sports commentary on the radio, in comparison with driving without any distracting factors. This suggests that the motorists were not paying enough attention to the road and had to make late decisions to respond to the conditions and drivers on the road around them. Worryingly, motorists do not perceive. More
(AD Remarks ~ Anything that takes our attention from the roads is a big problem. If anyone has got a big wager on a race, they would be advised to drive slower while listening, or even stop for a few minutes.)
Young people admit to shocking levels of speeding, frequently with their friends in the car with them, finds research published today (30 June 2010) by charity Brake and FedEx Express. The survey of 2,800 British youngsters by the road safety charity and courier service, carried out as part of their 2young2die campaign, found: •More than half (56%) have been a passenger in a car driven by a young driver at more than 40 mph in a 30 mph limit or at more than 70 mph on a rural road. •1 in 5 (23%) have raced on a public road as a driver or passenger. •1 in 10 (10%) have overtaken another vehicle, at speed, without being able to see what is coming. Young passengers find it difficult to speak out when put at risk by speed, or don’t perceive the risk. More than half (58%) of young passengers who’d been in a car driven by a speeding young driver said they didn’t ask the driver to slow down. The result is tragic loss of young lives. Road crashes are the biggest killer of young people aged 15-24. Young drivers are involved in more fatal crashes and more are killed than any other age group of drivers. A huge 43% of people who die on the road in crashes involving speed are aged 16-25. Many more young people suffer catastrophic injuries such as brain injury or paralysis. More
(AD Comments ~ Some young drivers don`t realise the dangers to themselves and others of excessive speed. On driving lessons they are taught good skills and examiner passes them with the sasme good skills. After the test, young drivers need to still be responsible, at what is still a young age for driving a motor vehicle, but many do not and the high casualty figures show this all too graphically.)
As many as 10% of Britain’s motorways and A-roads present an unacceptably high risk to drivers, a major report revealed today. Half of all crashes occur on just one tenth of Britain’s road network, the report from the Road Safety Foundation found. Most of the higher-risk roads are in north west England, Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands, while Scotland has the highest risk rating of all the regions. The West Midlands is the safest region, while the most persistently dangerous road is the A537 between Macclesfield in Cheshire and Buxton in Derbyshire. The report, which covers 28,000 miles of roads, also found that one third of all fatal and serious crashes occur at junctions and that single carriageways offer six times the risk of danger to motorists than motorways and twice that of dual carriageways. Also drivers were seven times more at risk on major roads than on minor ones. More
(AD Comments ~ In this current climate of spending cuts, will their be money available to correct these problem roads?)
As many as 22% of motorists fail to wear seatbelts all the time, a survey today shows. And around the same number do not put them on when they are travelling as passengers, the poll by insurance company esure found. Based on responses from 1,372 motorists, the survey also showed that 5% have gone on entire journeys without buckling up. Also, one in six does not wear a belt on short trips, while 10% of passengers have to be prompted to wear them by the driver. More
(AD Comments ~ Sealtbelts could save your life, so why do so many not wear them?)
Motorists are eating up to a fifth of their daily calories by snacking behind the wheel on junk food and chocolate bars, a new survey says today. It says the average British driver consumes a whopping 3,960 calories each week at the wheel of their car – equivalent to two days of a woman’s recommended daily calorific intake. Figures released today find that nearly six out of ten of choco-guzzling motorists regularly tuck into their favourite snacks while driving, totting up an average of 410 calories on each journey. A high energy chocolate bar alone contains about 280 calories. According to the Korean car-maker Kia Motors ‘Spare Tyre report’, which analysed British driving habits, UK motorists make nine trips by car each week, grazing on food and drink on most occasions. The report says: ‘Chocolate, sweets and fizzy drinks were revealed as the snacks that most drivers eat at the wheel – the combined calories of a fizzy drink and bar of chocolate totalling 410 calories each time. ‘The combined in-car calories represent 21 per cent of the recommended daily intake for a woman and 16 per cent for a man.’ To work off the effects of their indulgence, the motorists would have to spend an hour on an exercise bike or 30 minutes on a tennis court. The recommended daily calorie intake is 2,500 calories for a man and 2,000 for a woman. When asked about their reasons for snacking at the wheel, the ‘Spare Tyre’ report found that nearly half of motorists eat and drink on the go because they don’t have time at home. Some 1 in 6 of drivers admitted to drinking their morning cup of tea or coffee in the car in order to extend their lie in, while 10 per cent said that they regularly juggle a sandwich with the steering wheel. More
(AD Comments ~ We all need to make time to eat properly, in this health sconcious world. Also remembering that eating and drinking while driving can impair driving skills, making you less safe on the roads!)
The number of road deaths recorded on British roads fell to a record low last year, according to the latest Government figures. Released by the Department for Transport (DfT), the figures show that 2,222 people died in accidents last year – a drop of 12% from the 2,538 deaths reported in 2008. This represents the lowest annual total since records began in 1926, and a vast reduction on the post-war high of almost 8,000 recorded in 1966. Child deaths saw a particularly marked reduction – falling from 124 in 2008, to 81 last year. Meanwhile, there were 26,096 people killed or seriously injured (KSI), representing a fall of 6% over the previous year, and around 222,000 road casualties – around 4% fewer than 2008. More
(AD Comments ~ If the figures are to be believed this is a step in the right direction. Still more needs to be done though.)
Men and women may continue to argue about who are the better drivers, but one area where there is a clear difference between the sexes is the type of accidents they have in their cars. Research by women’s car insurance specialist, Diamond has found there are certain types of accidents women are more likely than men to be involved in. The list for women includes accidents in car parks, bumps on roundabouts and prangs at traffic lights. On the other hand, male motorists are more likely than female motorists to have a head on collision, drive their car up or down an embankment or hit a crash barrier. Diamond studied data from over two million accidents over five years and found a marked difference between the types of accidents men and women have. Sian Lewis, managing director of Diamond, said: “We hold a vast amount of data on accidents and wanted to see if there was a difference between the sexes. “It soon became clear that there was; women tend to be in more accidents at slower speeds, where cars are close together, while men have more high-speed accidents where it is easy to lose control. “Our research suggests the way men and women drive is different. Possibly men drive faster and more aggressively than women, while women are more easily distracted than men behind the wheel of car.” More
(AD Comments ~ So know we know!)
NEARLY 40 vehicles have been crushed as part of a crackdown on persistent drink-drivers. Officers believe the “outstanding success” of the six-month-old scheme could see it extended to first-time drink-drive offenders caught several times over the limit or who refuse to provide a breath test or drive while banned. Under the pioneering Scottish crackdown, prosecutors can seek the destruction of the vehicle of anyone caught twice for drink-driving. Prosecutors have the power to seek to forfeit the vehicle of any driver charged with an imprisonable offence, so the scheme could eventually cover those convicted of dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving. The 39 vehicles seized so far include a £20,000 Audi TT by Grampian Police and a Land Rover Freelander in Edinburgh. The more valuable ones are sold while the rest are crushed. More See also Previous post for punishments around the world
(AD Comments ~ Should make a good deterent. Everyone know drink driving is wrong and illegal, this may ram home the message!)
Motorists in Scotland who misuse railway level crossings will have their actions recorded by two new vehicles with state-of-the-art cameras. The van and car are the first to be used and introduced by British Transport Police (BTP) in Scotland to monitor safety at level crossings. The car will monitor the central area of Scotland while the van will be based in Inverness and watch the level crossings in the north of Scotland. The vehicles will be manned by two officers each. The vehicles, which can record crossing misuse anywhere in the country, went on show on Tuesday to mark International Level Crossing Awareness Day. Footage can be downloaded and shown to drivers to educate them on the proper procedures at a crossing. It can also be used as evidence following an offence. More
(AD Comments ~ Surely the thought that a fast moving train will crash into you and likely kill you should lead you to be more alert at level crossing, than a camera taking a picture of you taking a risk and sending you a fine. But not for some it would seem!)
The observational study compared the behaviour of motorists driving in their ‘normal’ style to their behaviour if they followed the Highway Code. At the same time it monitored the response of other motorists to the differing driving styles and behaviours. The results found that 93 per cent of the motorists under observation were tailgated by other road users when driving in accordance to the Highway Code, while just 47 per cent were tailgated when driving in their usual style. The study also revealed that 40 per cent of drivers following the Highway Code were either over or undertaken by other motorists. Worryingly it is motorists who drive safely by sticking to the speed limits, such as novice drivers and parents with small children, who are likely to be most vulnerable to bullying behaviour. The study showed an increased use of the rear-view mirror and raised heart rates by these drivers when tailgated, suggesting that many drivers become stressed and emotionally upset as a result, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of accidents. More
(AD Comments ~ Highlights what we already know that some drivers attitude needs to change. As always its the honest motorist that can suffer, through just following the rules and trying to do the right thing.)
It seems the supposed British sense of fair play is far from a universal attribute – at least according to a new poll that reveals drivers’ attitudes to hitting a parked car. According to the elephant.co.uk survey of 3,000 people, one in five drivers wouldn’t leave their name and car insurance details after hitting a parked car and visibly damaging it – such as scratching the paintwork or leaving a dent. And it seems that drivers of hot hatches and superminis need to be wary – another one in five drivers would base their behaviour on the type of car they had pranged, with these two categories least likely to be found with a friendly note if another driver had nudged them. Coming in a close joint-second was a quartet of vehicular bêtes noires, comprising taxis, transit vans, 4x4s and executive cars. However, those polled said they were more likely to own up to bumping a ‘disability vehicle’, and felt far more compulsion to admit hitting a police car. Overall, 59% said that they would always leave their details if they caused obvious damage to a parked car, while a scrupulous 20% said they would leave their details even if no damage was visible to the other vehicle. Two-thirds said they wouldn’t bother if there was no visible damage. More
(AD Comments ~ Seems that everyone is not as honest as they should be these days!)
Ministers have been urged to cut the drink-drive limit by nearly half in a government-commissioned report. Sir Peter North’s review said reducing the limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg would save hundreds of lives. He also recommends that the current mandatory 12-month driving ban should be maintained for the new 50mg limit. The review was commissioned by Labour and it is not certain that the new government will adopt its findings. Sir Peter, a leading academic and legal expert, makes a total of 51 recommendations in his report. These include making it easier for police to identify and prosecute drug-drivers by allowing nurses, as well as doctors, to authorise blood tests of suspects. Based on new research by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Sir Peter said that as many as 168 lives – about 7% of UK road deaths – could be saved by a reduced drink-drive limit in the first year. This could rise to as many as 303 lives by the sixth year, he said. Sir Peter said: “Research conclusively shows the much higher risk posed by drink-driving. “With a blood alcohol level between my proposed new limit of 50mg per 100ml and the current 80mg per 100ml limit, a driver has a six times greater risk of road death than a non-drinking driver. More
(AD Comments ~ Will lowing the limit have such a great effect? as many who are caught are well over the current limit anyway. But it may make people think more about their actions, before getting behind the wheel, which can only make the roads safer.)
Eleven families across the UK have successfully demonstrated that making simple changes to day-to-day travel behaviour can help cut family fuel costs by 27 per cent in just six weeks. This equates to a potential annual saving of £310 on family petrol bills. The findings come from the Shell Smarter Drivers experiment – launched to better understand how fuel savings can be made by real families undertaking everyday journeys. Using cutting-edge in-car telemetry technology, participants’ journeys were monitored over a six week period. The results, out today, have been independently analysed by leading sustainability think tank, Forum for the Future. They show that by changing behaviour in two areas – driving in a fuel efficient manner and local journey planning – families can achieve significant savings on their petrol bills. One family showed that it was possible to reduce fuel bills by up to 62 per cent, the equivalent of saving £710 a year. The overall winners of the experiment based on the two criteria of improving fuel efficiency and local journey planning were the Choo family from Cardiff. The Choo family managed to reduce their fuel bills by a staggering 57 per cent, which equates to a potential saving of £654 a year. Amanda Choo from the Cardiff family said: “We were astonished to see how much we could save by making simple changes to the way we drive and travel. We have changed our behaviour without needing to revolutionise our lifestyle. We encourage other families to follow the Shell Smarter Drivers tips – they really do make a big difference and once you start doing things like driving more smoothly they become second nature.” More
(AD Comments ~ We all know that higher speeds and quicker acceleration can reduce economy, but its another thing to have the discipline to drive in a calm fuel efficient way at all times!)
According to a poll, 1 in 10 drivers has admitted their ability to drive was impaired after taking medication, whilst 3% actually admitted to having had an accident or near miss when driving under the influence of prescription or over-the-counter drugs. 12 per cent of all those questioned also admitted to not realising they could be breaking the law if they drive while affected, with almost a third of people said they regularly take medicines and drive. The poll of drivers carried out by road safety expert GEM Motoring Assist, has led them to develop a new leaflet to raise awareness of the issues associated with Driving whilst affected by prescription medicines. More
(AD Comments ~ A very understated problem. Lots of medications can make you drowsy, we all need to be aware the problems and be prepared not to drive on occasions)
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