Motorists using a phone while driving will receive 6 points on their licence and a £200 fine
Drivers caught using a phone within two years of passing their test will have their licence revoked under new rules which come into force today. Penalities for using a phone at the wheel will also double to six points and a £200 fine. Continue reading Hang up: crackdown on phone use while driving
The rollout of 20mph speed limits on Edinburgh’s streets continues, with phase two coming into force one week today on 28 February – and this time it’s us!
Continue reading Counting down: 20mph speed limit in North Edinburgh one week today
Ahead of Road Safety Week (21-27 November), new research from Swedish bank, Ikano Bank, has found that motorists in Edinburgh feel unsafe on the roads with almost a third of drivers (32 per cent) regularly feeling unsafe when driving. Continue reading One third of Edinburgh drivers feel unsafe on the roads
EDINBURGH IS HOME TO SOME OF THE UK’S MOST IMPATIENT DRIVERS
Two thirds (69 per cent) of drivers in Edinburgh confess to feeling impatient when driving, while more than half (55 per cent) said they regularly feel stressed. Almost a third (30 per cent) also admit to regularly suffering from road rage, according to new research released today by Ikano Bank.
The Swedish bank commissioned the Europe wide survey to explore the differences between attitudes to driving in different nations.
Just under half (45 per cent) of Scottish drivers say they’re stressed behind the wheel and over half (57 per cent) saying they feel impatient.
The survey also covered the UK’s 14 biggest cities. Drivers in Newcastle declared themselves the angriest with four in 10 (41 per cent) drivers admitting to regularly feeling cross, followed closely by Sheffield (40 per cent) and Manchester and Cardiff (both 39 per cent) tied for third.
Liverpool led the way as the calmest driving city, with one in six (16 per cent) regularly feeling angry, followed by Bristol (27 per cent) and Nottingham (31 per cent).
Sweden topped the Europe wide table for the least angry, impatient, anxious and stressed drivers. A third of Swedish drivers (30 per cent) said they regularly got angry in the car and less than half (48 per cent) said they sometimes felt impatient. Stress levels are also lower, with half of women and just a third (37 per cent) of men affected.
This is despite Swedish drivers spending the most amount of time stuck in traffic than any other nation. Almost half (46 per cent) of Swedish drivers said they spent more than four hours in traffic jams each week and one in ten (11 per cent) said they spend more than 10 hours. This compares with just 13 per cent and one per cent respectively in the UK.
Italy’s drivers admitted to being the angriest (45 per cent), most impatient (67 per cent) and most stressed (60 per cent). The UK was second in the table with Spain in a close third.
Simon Ripton, Head of Direct to Consumer at Ikano Bank, said: “In the UK, we have long been famous for our capacity for waiting patiently in queues, but these results show that we could learn something from Sweden.
“With one in 10 Swedish people saying they sit in traffic for more than 10 hours per week, it’s obvious that they are not having an easier time of it on the roads – so it’s clearly something to do with the Swedish attitude towards driving.
“Sweden is often cited for offering an excellent work-life balance with fewer people working long hours and more of an emphasis on family life as a priority, and this could have a lot to do with the way people feel when they get behind the wheel.
“At this time of the year, when the new car registrations are released, we see an increase in applications for personal loans from those looking to buy new cars. With our Swedish heritage, we want to make things as simple as possible for our customers, hence we were interested in comparing the experience our customers are having on the roads.
“We think there’s a lot to be said for the Swedish way of life. With that in mind, we’ve launched our ‘Drive Like a Swede’ competition, where we’re giving away advanced driver courses to 100 motorists with the aim of making their experience on the road just that little bit better.”
For more details on how to enter to win one of 100 advanced driver courses with IAM Roadsmart, please visit www.ikano.co.uk/like-a-swede.
Research overview:
UK Cities
| Liverpool | Nottingham | Dundee | Sheffield | Aberdeen City | Leeds | Edinburgh | |
| Angry | 16/100 | 31/100 | 36/100 | 40/100 | 36/100 | 31/100 | 30/100 |
| Impatient | 60/100 | 46/100 | 59/100 | 62/100 | 67/100 | 62/100 | 69/100 |
| Stressed | 47/100 | 49/100 | 44/100 | 43/100 | 47/100 | 51/100 | 55/100 |
| Anxious | 35/100 | 47/100 | 39/100 | 35/100 | 31/100 | 37/100 | 30/100 |
| Average | 39.58% | 43.22% | 44.49% | 44.64% | 45.14% | 45.44% | 45.70% |
| London | Birmingham | Cardiff | Greater Manchester | Bristol | Newcastle upon Tyne | Glasgow | |
| Angry | 34/100 | 33/100 | 39/100 | 39/100 | 27/100 | 41/100 | 35/100 |
| Impatient | 62/100 | 59/100 | 68/100 | 66/100 | 70/100 | 68/100 | 71/100 |
| Stressed | 50/100 | 56/100 | 52/100 | 52/100 | 61/100 | 59/100 | 64/100 |
| Anxious | 40/100 | 43/100 | 37/100 | 41/100 | 41/100 | 40/100 | 40/100 |
| Average | 46.39% | 47.67% | 48.81% | 49.33% | 50.00% | 51.84% | 52.60% |
| Dundee | Edinburgh | Cardiff | Sheffield | Glasgow | Liverpool | Aberdeen | |
| Relaxed | 95/100 | 94/100 | 92/100 | 95/100 | 87/100 | 92/100 | 86/100 |
| Happy | 97/100 | 94/100 | 92/100 | 88/100 | 96/100 | 90/100 | 94/100 |
| Average | 95.76% | 93.75% | 92.06% | 91.67% | 91.56% | 90.83% | 90.28% |
| Bristol | Greater Manchester | Leeds | London | Newcastle upon Tyne | Birmingham | Nottingham | |
| Relaxed | 88/100 | 87/100 | 85/100 | 86/100 | 87/100 | 80/100 | 80/100 |
| Happy | 89/100 | 89/100 | 91/100 | 87/100 | 81/100 | 82/100 | 81/100 |
| Average | 88.28% | 88.00% | 87.96% | 86.11% | 83.82% | 81.01% | 80.51% |
Countries
| Sweden | Germany | Netherlands | France | Spain | UK | Italy | Wales | Scotland | |
| Angry | 30/100 | 30/100 | 31/100 | 38/100 | 43/100 | 38/100 | 45/100 | 31/100 | 33/100 |
| Impatient | 48/100 | 56/100 | 52/100 | 61/100 | 57/100 | 62/100 | 67/100 | 59/100 | 57/100 |
| Stressed | 43/100 | 46/100 | 35/100 | 43/100 | 51/100 | 50/100 | 60/100 | 45/100 | 45/100 |
| Anxious | 18/100 | 18/100 | 19/100 | 35/100 | 37/100 | 41/100 | 47/100 | 36/100 | 34/100 |
| Average | 35.13% | 37.76% | 39.06% | 44.51% | 47.05% | 47.92% | 54.53% | 42.89% | 42.15% |
Life in the fast lane? Changes trialled to make life ‘simpler’ for city drivers
Changes to the city’s bus lanes are to be trialled from TODAY.
“By allowing motorcyclists to use bus lanes we will also be making their journeys both safer and quicker, with little or no impact on buses. Both trials will be closely monitored throughout to assess the impact on all road users.”
Since the 1990s, the Council has invested heavily in bus lanes, which improve journey reliability and save time for buses, encouraging people to travel by bus rather than car.
However, following the introduction of bus lane camera enforcement in 2012, it was found that many drivers were confused over operating hours of bus lanes in the city.
Proposals for the trials are based on a subsequent review of Edinburgh’s bus lane network, which took into account the views of a variety of organisations representing bus lane users.
The review proposed allowing motorcycles into bus lanes and changing around a third of the city’s bus lanes from all day to peak period operation.
Final plans were approved by members of the City of Edinburgh Council’sTransport and Environment Committee last month, making Edinburgh the first city in Scotland to allow motorcycles in bus lanes.
Under the trial, all day bus lanes, which currently operate:
Will be changed into peak periods bus lanes which operate:
All vehicles will still not be able to use 24 hour bus lanes and bus gates (stretches of road which only buses, taxis, cyclists and emergency vehicles can use).
These trials are expected to last at least nine months. This will allow comprehensive data to be collected to assess the actual impact of the changes on all bus lane user groups prior to making any decision on permanent changes.
Further consultation with major user groups will be undertaken as part of the assessment of the trials. A report on the outcomes of this assessment will be presented to the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee in Autumn next year.
Between the 8 and 14 June Fire and Rescue Services across the UK are coming together to raise awareness of the dangers to young drivers of driving whilst distracted.
The campaign focuses on young drivers and passengers because although becoming distracted whilst driving is a significant risk for all drivers, when combined with the inexperience of a newly-qualified driver, it becomes an even more hazardous.
Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay, Director of Prevention and Protection, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “Our crews are often called to the scene of road traffic collisions to release trapped people inside. Sadly, we far too often arrive to the scene of a tragedy. In fact, road collisions are the biggest cause of death for young people aged between 15 and 19. This is why fire and rescue services are keen to raise awareness of the dangers to this group and help save lives.”
Activities that might draw our attention away from the road may include using a mobile phone, texting, and eating. Using in-vehicle technologies such as navigation systems can also be a source of distraction.
The campaign will also highlight how passengers can be a source of distraction and have an important role to play in helping the driver to be able to concentrate on driving safely.
For more information on staying safe on the roads, visit the
CFOA Road Safety Week website.
Police are appealing for witnesses following a hit and run incident in Davidson’s Mains last Sunday (30 November).
A thirteen-year-old boy was on a push-along scooter in Main Street at around 8.10pm when the collision occurred after the car mounted the pavement. He sustained minor injuries and was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
The vehicle failed to stop at the scene of the incident and was last seen heading towards the Drylaw area, and anyone who can assist officers with their ongoing enquiry is asked to come forward.
The vehicle is described as a dark-coloured people carrier type similar to a Citroen C4 hatchback.
Inspector Chris Scobbie said: “Fortunately, the boy was not more seriously injured as a result of this incident, but he still required treatment at hospital. The driver failed to stop and we are conducting local enquiries to trace this individual.
“We are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time of the collision and who may have information relevant to this investigation. In addition, I would urge the driver to come forward as soon as possible.”
Anyone with any information regarding these incidents should contact Police Scotland immediately on 101 or through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Driving licence fees to be cut by up to a third
Drivers will save up to £150 million over the next ten years as the cost of getting a driving licence is slashed, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Transport Minister Claire Perry announced today.
The changes, which follow a recent public consultation, come into force from 31 October 2014. Drivers applying online will see the fee for a provisional driving licence fall from £50 to £34 and online renewals after ten years fall from £20 to £14. The fee for driver tachograph cards – used by businesses to record how far their staff are driving – will fall from £38 to £32.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said: “Giving savings back to the taxpayer is a key element in this government’s drive for a stronger economy and a fairer society. That’s why we’re slashing the cost of getting a driving licence and giving it straight back to young people and businesses, saving £150 million over ten years.”
Transport Minister Claire Perry said: “The cost of driving, especially for young drivers, can be significant and we are committed to cutting costs where we can. Thanks to DVLA making large scale savings to their running costs, we have been able to cut the cost of the driving licence which will save drivers and businesses £150 million over the next ten years.”
DVLA is reviewing all fees and the reduction in driving licence fees is a result of the first part of this ongoing review. Other fees being considered in the review include vehicle first registrations and duplicate registration certificates.
A million ‘first licence’ applications are processed every year and the fees drop will save new drivers £82.2 million over ten years. Over 77% of these applications are made by 17-24 year olds. In addition 2.1 million photocard licences are renewed every year and the changes will save motorists £61.3 million over a decade.
Businesses make another 85,500 renewals a year and will save £2.44 million over ten years while the cost savings to tachographs will save another £3.58 million over the decade.
| Type of licence | Current fee | New fee online | New fee postal application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provisional licence | £50 | £34 | £43 |
| Renew Photocard licence | £20 | £14 | £17 |
| Driver and Company Tachograph cards | £38 | Postal service only | £32 |
Driving licence fees are set to fall by up to 32% under plans announced by Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander and Transport Minister Claire Perry.
The proposals are contained in a public consultation on driver licensing fees. The consultation sets out a proposed reduction in driving licence fees of 32% for digital transactions and 15% for paper applications.
As part of the proposals, drivers who apply online for their first driving licence would see the fee drop from £50 to £34. Drivers who renew their licence after 10 years would see the fee drop from £20 to £14. All driver tachograph cards would fall from £38 to £32.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said: “I have been working hard to drive savings across the whole public sector and it’s great to see the benefit of these efficiencies feed through to drivers and businesses pockets. What the DVLA have shown today is that you can do more for less.”
Transport Minister Claire Perry said: “The cost of driving can be significant, especially for new drivers. I’m pleased to say that we are planning to save drivers £18m a year by cutting licence fees, thanks to the DVLA making significant savings to their running costs.”
The proposals are expected to save drivers nearly £18 million and the industry around £2 million every year.
DVLA is currently reviewing all the fees they charge to motorists and the consultation launched today is the first step in this ongoing review. The consultation (document attached below) closes on 25 August 2014.
14-07-02_Annex_B_Fees_Submission_Public_Consultation
DVLA reveals top ten excuses for not buying a tax disc
A motorist who claimed to have taken so much Viagra he could not leave the house was just one of a number of excuses from people who failed to tax their car last year.
According to information released by Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) yesterday (28 July), motorists caught for not having a tax disc last year used a variety of incredible excuses – and the organisation has compiled a Top Ten.
Among the reasons cited for failure to tax a vehicle, how about: ‘My mate said that if the cost of the tax is more than what the car’s worth you haven’t got to pay it!’
One motorist claimed to have fallen out of a tree while fruit picking and broke both arms so they could not fill in the necessary forms, while another motorist even blamed their mobile phone.
Carolyn Williams, DVLA’s Head of Digital Services, said: “The vast majority of people tax their car on time but it amazes me to see the excuses people come up with. It’s easier than ever before for people to tax their car and our digital services are designed to be used any time of day or night to fit in with people’s lifestyles – so there really is no need for silly excuses.”
The 10 silliest excuses:
The quickest and easiest way to tax a vehicle is to go online or ‘phone 0300 123 4321. It’s a fully automated system and should take no more than 4 minutes. Vehicles must either be taxed or declared off-road – this is done by making a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).
