First MOT Test to remain at three years
Ministers put road safety first as they today decided to maintain the period before a car’s first MoT test at 3 years. The move comes after a Department for Transport consultation last year to consider changing the wait before the first test to 4 years. Continue reading Safety First
Given the choice, 3 out of 4 motorists would wish for their own name on a number plate if they were given a personalised registration as a gift, according to a recent survey conducted by the DVLA. Continue reading Names top the wish-list for personalised number plates
Mascots from Hibs and Hearts joined 20mph ‘champion’ The Reducer, local politicians and officers from Police Scotland on the track at Meadowbank Sports Centre yesterday to mark the kick-off of the latest stage in Edinburgh’s rollout of slower speeds in residential and shopping streets. Continue reading Mascots kick off Phase 2 of 20mph rollout
The city council’s rollout of 20mph speed limits for residential and shopping streets continues, with new signs and lines starting to be installed for Phase 2 from December. Continue reading 20mph roll-out continues: next time it’s North
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% |
The Reducer will champion city 20mph initiative
Edinburgh is the first city in Scotland implementing a citywide 20mph network. The new limit aims to reduce the risk and severity of road collisions, encourage travel on foot and by bike and help make the city’s streets more people-friendly.
Continue reading Meet The Reducer!
Sunday parking: ‘Status quo not sustainable’ – Cllr Lesley Hinds
City councillors will decide how Sunday parking controls will be introduced at a meeting of the Transport and Environment committee next week. Continue reading Sunday parking fees set to be introduced
Dogs die in hot cars warning
The Scottish SPCA is urging pet owners not to leave their dogs in hot cars as the temperatures rise this summer.
Scotland’s animal welfare charity has also warned that earlier this year a woman from Stirling was convicted after leaving a dog in the boot of her vehicle on a hot day.
Concerned members of the public have already been contacting the charity’s animal helpline after seeing distressed dogs left inside warm cars. The Scottish SPCA is keen to remind the public that they may be risking their dog’s life by leaving it in a hot car for even a short period of time.
Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said, “Most people know what it’s like to get into a car after it’s been sitting in the sun. It’s unbearable and we immediately roll down the windows or turn on the air conditioning.
“Imagine being trapped inside a hot vehicle wearing a fur coat for minutes, possibly hours, and you are some way to understanding how a dog left inside a hot vehicle feels.
“Many people might not realise that even on warm, cloudy days, cars can effectively turn into ovens and dogs can overheat in minutes.
“Leaving a window open or providing water is simply not good enough. Dogs can’t sweat the way humans do and need to pant to cool down which can lead to severe dehydration and hyperventilation.
“We run our campaign every year but we continue to receive a large number of calls from concerned members of the public each summer and we fear some owners don’t fully appreciate the danger they are putting their pets in.
“In April a 45 year old woman from Stirling was convicted for leaving a dog inside the boot of her car without water for approximately one hour on a hot day. She was banned from keeping animals for five years.
“Tragically the Yorkshire terrier, which belonged to the woman’s father, was diagnosed with heatstroke and died after suffering a cardiac seizure.
“We hope this case serves as a warning to other owners who may be tempted to leave a dog in their vehicle on a warm day. Our advice is to leave dogs at home as it is simply not worth the risk.”
Scottish SPCA posters highlighting the dangers of leaving dogs in hot
cars are available to be displayed in local communities. To request
copies please phone the charity on 03000 999 999 selecting option 5 or
email fundraising@scottishspca.org.
Additional powers to confiscate badges and tackle misuse
Drivers and passengers who abuse the blue badge scheme could have their badges confiscated through new legislation coming into force at the end of this month.
The blue badge scheme provides an essential service for disabled people by allowing access to parking bays which are normally closer to work, shops and other community services. This parking access often makes the difference as to whether people with mobility problems can live their lives as fully as they can.
The Scottish Government hopes that by providing these additional powers to confiscate badges and cancel lost or stolen badges, people will think twice before misusing them.
Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: “Blue badge misuse is socially unacceptable as it prevents the 228,000 legitimate badge holders across Scotland from accessing the on-street parking concessions to which they are entitled.
“Granting extra powers for local authorities to tackle blue badge misuse and confiscate badges that are not valid or are being used illegally by a third party for their own benefit will allow disabled badge holders to access services in the community and lead independent lives.”
Research conducted by Transport Scotland in 2012 showed that 76% of BB holders would go out less often if they were without their badge. Many also felt they wouldn’t be able to go out at all.
Dennis Robertson, MSP who was responsible for taking the legislation forward, said: “We need this legislation because people think that third party misuse of a blue badge is okay; although it is not. We as a society should not tolerate that.
“When someone misuses a blue badge they do not just take a parking space they deny a parking space to someone with a disability. When that person is denied a parking space they have to return home and might not be able to do what they went into town for.
“People need to understand that by using someone else’s blue badge they are not just taking a parking space they are taking a parking space from a disabled person who is entitled to it.”
Abuse of the scheme reduces the number of on street disabled parking bays and on-street parking spaces available for use by genuine blue badges holders. Local authorities are keen to stamp out the misuse with Parking Enforcement Officers constantly dealing with possible cases of misuse.
Michael Brady, Enforcement Manager City Parking (Glasgow), said: “All of our officers have been trained in blue badge inspection protocol. This not only ensures that those who use their blue badge properly are treated with respect, but also ensures that if we suspect misuse, action will be taken.
“Checking badges is part of the everyday duties of our attendants and every few weeks we will clampdown on areas where we suspect there is a high level of blue badge misuse taking place. Occasionally it comes down to drivers not realising the rules, however there are many who abuse the scheme and we hear the same excuses daily.
“Blue badges should only be used by those people who have been awarded a badge and have a right to the parking concessions. The power to confiscate will be a crucial tool to tackle abuse and protect the parking rights of legitimate badge holders.”
Glasgow’s most common excuses given by those misusing the blue badge are:
For more information on blue badges and the rules and regulations around their use, visit www.bluebadgescotland.org/
