Speed limit rise for motorways

The government has dropped plans for an 80mph speed limit weeks after a minister said that trials could go ahead in 2014.

Patrick McLoughlin, the Conservative transport minister, has ruled out the initiative that was announced at the party conference in 2011, despite the enthusiasm of his junior minister, Stephen Hammond. In 2011, the then transport secretary Philip Hammond said the 70mph limit had been "discredited" and a rise to 80mph would boost the economy.

Hammond told autoexpress  magazine that trials of the higher speed limit could be carried out in 2014, followed by its introduction nationwide if they are found to be successful.

"We are thinking about how we could trial it rather than go to a consultation. It would be important to have a good evidence-based trial," he said last week.

However sources close to McLoughlin have told the Times: "This is not going to happen with Patrick McLoughlin as transport secretary because Safety is paramount to him and he would not be confident about it." The shadow transport secretary, Maria Eagle, said the government's plans were in chaos.

She said: "Only a week after the roads minister confidently claimed that trials of a new 80mph speed limit were to go ahead, it's clear that the secretary of state has applied the brakes on his own reckless policy."

Downing Street is understood to believe that while the speed increase would be popular with motoring enthusiasts such it could alienate some female voters.

Pressure groups campaigning under the name no to 80 has estimated that raising the motorway speed limit to 80mph could cost society an extra £1bn a year, including £766m in fuel bills and more than £62m in health costs.

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Safety Concerns for Young Drivers

MOST PARENTS of young drivers worry that their children are under prepared for the roads after passing their driving test, according to a survey carried out by insurance company.

A survey was carried out by direct line insurance company, based on 1000 parents of children aged 16–26 who have a driving licence or are expected to learn to drive soon.

The survey found that :

·         23% of parents worried all the time about their child's safety on the road;

·         58% of parents believed their child was not properly equipped to drive on a motorway;

·         36% reckoned their children were under-equipped for driving in congested city centres and 39% admitted they worried for their ability to drive in the dark;

·         64% wanted a minimum learning-to-drive period;

·         50% said their children were distracted by their friends talking to them when they were driving.

Direct Line managing director  said: "Too many young people are killed or injured on Britain's roads today. We need to give young drivers the time to build their confidence and capability to become proficient and safe drivers.

"We welcome the Government's recognition that there is a safety issue involving young drivers by their announcement to publish a Green Paper on young drivers this summer.

 And we hope these measures will all help to reduce the number of car accidents involving drivers under 25s."

If you have never driven on motorway lessons, driven at night, in rain, fog or icy conditions then why not book Pass Plus course or Refresher Course. There is no test at the end of the driving course, you will get a Pass Plus certificate and you can get discount towards your car insurance.

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Driving Lessons For Learner Drivers

Driving Lessons for Learners

Driving lessons are normally for a minimum of 1 hour but the pupil can decide to take 1½, 2 hour driving lessons etc. if it suites them or wish to get to driving test standard quicker.

The Driving Lesson will begin by instructor asking what was covered in last driving lesson and how much of that student can remember . The instructor will have  planned todays lesson and a route relative to the pupils experience and will state todays lessons plan and objectives. 

Through out driving lesson the instructor will monitor the learner, the road and other vehicles very carefully.  The car will have dual controls so that the driving instructor can stop if necessary.

Subjects covered will include:

·         Controls of the car.

·          Moving off & stopping safely.

·          Angled / uphill / downhill start.

·          Turning left & right from major to minor roads.

·          Emerging at T Junctions.

·          Crossroads.

·          Roundabouts.

·          Pedestrian crossings.

·          Meet, cross & overtake other traffic.

·          Turn in the road.

·          Left hand reverse.

·          Reverse park.

·         Bay Parking

·          Emergency stop.

·         Mock Test

·          Show Me / Tell Me.

The subjects will not necessarily be covered in that exact order as much will depend on the  pupils needs.  Also, the lesson plan could change during the lesson if , the pupil is experiencing difficulty in a particular area then the lesson may be diverted to concentrate on that.

Additionally, driving skills such as clutch control, steering, use of mirrors, road positioning, speed and anticipation will be taught and assessed.

You will also be given tuition and practice on town driving, rural driving & dual carriageway driving.

Knowledge of the Highway Code will also be taught and tested during the driving lessons. When the pupil is ready for the test, they will be asked to apply for driving test date.

Middle-lane hoggers on Motorway may face fines

Drivers who needlessly hog the middle lane on motorways face fines of £100 as well as three penalty points under new government measures designed to crack down on careless motorist.

Fines for a number of other offences on the road – including using a handheld mobile phone while driving, or jumping traffic lights – are also expected to be increased from £60 to £100.

Traffic police will decide which motorist is hogging the middle lane and issue on-the-spot fines.

Although some commentators have argued that fines are not necessarily the right approach for careless driving because cases are often not clear-cut, motoring organisations have long called for better lane discipline by drivers, which they believe could solve many congestion problems.

The Highway Code states: "You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear.

"If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past.

"Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking."

More than a million drivers have been convicted of using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel since 2003, when using one other than for making an emergency call was made illegal.

Careless, reckless or hurried driving has been recorded as being a contributory factor in 16% of accidents, according to statistics from the Department for Transport and Driving Instructors are encouraged to have more emphasis on safe driving when giving driving lessons.

A failure to look properly was the most-reported contributory factor in accidents of any severity and was mentioned in 42% of incidents.