Driving licence records to go online

DVLA to launch a system that will allow insurers to check driving licence records online, making deception and mistakes less frequent. 

Also Insurance premiums for motorists may be cut by up to £15 a year after the government announced that all driving licence records were being put online as part of my lisence project .

The searchable database for individuals and companies to check speeding endorsements and other details could also bring down the cost of car hire.

Currently insurers are unable to check licence details when they sell policies, and so have to "price in" the risk that drivers either lie to them about endorsements to get a lower quote, or simply make a mistake.

But a system due to be launched by the DVLA in March will allow them to access the information through the gov.uk website using an individual's licence number, national insurance number and postcode.

The Association of British Insurers has estimated that honest motorists could save £15 on their premiums thanks to the data being put online.

Car hire companies will also have their administration burden reduced through being able to check drivers' details online rather than by phone.

The paper counterpart to the driving licence card is due to be phased out by 2015, and there will be an assisted service for those who find it difficult to use the internet.

Queen Street Mill in Burnley gets Grade I-listed status

Queen Street Mill in Burnley, has frequently been used for film and TV shows, is recognised as last working steam powered cotton mill in the world.

The Queen Street Mill in Burnley Lancashire, which gets Grade I listing in the new year. Photograph: Alamy

A magnificent survivor from the age of steam will greet the new year as a Grade I-listed building, its importance finally recognised as the last working steam powered cotton mill in the world.

The giant Victorian steam engine of Queen Street Mill in Burnley Lancashire, was originally named Prudence; steam engines of the time were often affectionately christened. The engine, still running after 120 years, was renamed Peace in 1918 in honour of the fallen soldiers of the first world war, who included many former mill workers.

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http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/dec/25/victorian-queen-street-mill-grade-i-listed-status

Motoring Laws You May Have Broken Without Knowing them

Legislation to make driving under the influence of drugs as a specific offence has been welcomed after it was announced in last week's Queen's speech. It's already widely known that driving after taking banned drugs such as cannabis or cocaine is illegal but did you know that patients on prescription drugs also face prosecution if their driving is impaired by medication?

To stay on the right side of the law, a modern driver needs to be fully aware of the catalogue of potential motoring offences that they might be committing, and  this list seems to be growing by the day.Here are 10 examples of less common offences that might catch you out:

Warning fellow oncoming motorists
Warning other drivers of a police speed trap could land you with a fine of up to £500. A 64-year-old male motorist from Grimsby helped a fellow driver avoid a potential prosecution and was hit with a fine and costs totalling £440 by magistrates.

Dirty number plate
Number plates that obscure the registration details can lead to a £1,000 fine.

Beeping your horn
Sounding your horn while stationary is illegal, unless to warn a moving vehicle of danger. In fact, you can't use your horn on a residential street from 11.30pm till 7am in any circumstances.

Changing a CD
...or, sipping a hot drink, eating food or doing your make-up while driving could be considered careless or even dangerous.

Pulling over to take a mobile phone call
You may still be considered by police to be 'driving' and therefore breaking the law if the engine is running, even if you are parked at the kerbside. Be safe: park up and switch off or use a hands-free phone.

Playing loud music
Playing loud music, especially with your car windows down, could be regarded as causing a distraction for either yourself or other road users.

Cradling a baby in your arms
As a passenger, holding a baby while the car is moving, even if you are wearing a seatbelt, is unlawful and the driver is responsible. All children must have a 'restraint', such as a booster seat or baby seat, until their 12th birthday or reaching 135cm tall. Travelling in a taxi is an exception.

Road rage
Being abusive or making rude hand gestures to a fellow road user or pedestrian can be judged inconsiderate, careless driving 

'Morning after' drink-drivers
Convictions of motorists who are over the alcohol limit from the previous night are on the rise. Some people who stop drinking alcohol at midnight may still be above legal limits for driving at 4pm the next day - 16 hours later - depending on the amount consumed.

Even beyond these less well-known laws there are numerous motoring myths that can land you in trouble. Inaccurate but commonly-held beliefs, such as the 'two-week leeway for changing a tax disc' or the 10% speed limit discretion, often get motorists fines or points on their driving licence, which can in turn lead to an outright ban via the totting-up system.

Solicitor Natali Farrell of Just Motor Law said: "It is useful for motorists to refresh themselves of the law by re-reading the Highway Code to avoid some of the myths.''

"Knowing the law can help a motorist avoid breaking it. Some offences are less clear-cut than say, speeding, and open to interpretation, which means there may be scope to challenge on several grounds."

Whats 'Highway Hypnosis’ ?

Whats   'Highway Hypnosis’   ?

A train driver says he was experiencing "highway hypnosis" just prior to the derailment in which four people were killed last week in New York. So what is it?

This is what you sometimes experience as a driver when you can't recall the previous few seconds of your journey, says Paul Watters of the Automobile Association in the UK. It's more likely on mundane or familiar trips when you don't need to take in the Road Signs.

"It's a strange feeling. You're not necessarily inattentive but you're in a slightly different state. I don't think it means you're going to have an accident but it means you're not completely engaged in the task of driving, so we would advise members not to get distracted like this."

It does not mean you're falling asleep, says Jim Horne of the Sleep Research Centre in Loughborough University, who adds that it's like reading a newspaper at breakfast but you're not taking in the words because you're listening to what's going on in the kitchen.

The answers

• It's when as a driver you 'zone out'
• It ends when you suddenly don't remember what you've just done
• Experts dispute how dangerous it is

Driving long distances can cause the brain to behave in the same way as it does under meditation, says Stuart Robertson, a hypnotherapist in Edinburgh who specialises in treating drivers. In his view, it's a relaxed state but if a dog was to run into the road, the driver could react as quickly as normal - or quicker, he believes - because the sub-conscious is still highly engaged with the environment.

But others do believe highway hypnosis causes accidents. Drivers who "zone out" have slower reaction times, according to Joshua Maxwell, an ergonomics engineer at the Hyundai-Kia Technical Center in Michigan, which has just begun a study measuring brainwave activity and creating some kind of warning system.

It could explain why at some accidents there are no skid marks before a car went into the back of a lorry on the hard shoulder, says Peter Rogers, chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Technological advances like cruise control are part of the problem, he says.

"If you're in Leeds and set off to go to Carlisle, you have a long journey without much driving input required for a lot of the time."

'Unlimited driving tests for £31' advert is banned

A website's advert has been banned by the ASA for advertising unlimited driving theory tests for £31, when it charges almost double the price

Learner drivers are being misled by online adverts, the ASA has ruled Photo: PA

An internet advert claiming to offer unlimited driving theory retests for £31 has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for its misleading information, as the actual cost was £59.50.

A Google sponsored search result for the website www.book-your-theory-test.co.uk stated: "£31 Book Your Driving Theory Test Unlimited Retests Until You Pass!".

However, the Driving Standards Agency challenged the advert for its misleading information as the advertiser charged £59.50 for "unlimited retests", as well as a compulsory booking fee of £8.50.

The complaint was upheld by the ASA after it agreed that the advert was misleading for its claims that its theory test cost £31, when in fact it charged a minimum of £39.50 because of the compulsory booking fee - and this should have been included in the headline price, the authority said.

Furthermore, the "unlimited retests" claim was made next to the price of £31 under the Google sponsored search advert, yet a consumer has to pay £59.50 to receive unlimited retests, and this was only made clear on the website itself.

Drivers urged to switch off phones

Drivers should tune in to road safety by turning off their mobile phones, according to campaigners.

The message, part of a campaign from the Brake charity, comes at the start of Road Safety Week, and is supported by the Association of Chief Police Officers.
Brake wants to see drivers turning off their phones or putting them in the boot and also urges everyone to refuse to speak on the phone to someone who is driving.
Survey carried by Brake, with Specsavers and mobile workforce management solutions company Romex, revealed:
* 575,000 UK drivers have points on their licence for using their mobile phone at the wheel or being otherwise distracted;
* Of these, 6.5% have totted up six points or more;
* 62% of children aged 7-11 report being driven by a driver talking on a phone and 79% have spotted drivers on mobile phones outside their school or home.
Brake also highlighted research showing that 98% of drivers are unable to divide their time without affecting performance and  mobile phone use at the wheel along with eating, drinking and smoking are all proven to increase the risk of a crash.
Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said: "We're living in an age when being constantly connected is the norm. More and more of us have smartphones, and find it hard to switch off, even for a minute.
"While there are enormous benefits to this new technology, it's also posing dangerous temptations to drivers to divert their concentration away from the critical task at hand, often putting  vulnerable road users in danger.
"Many people who wouldn't dream of drink-driving are succumbing to using their phone and other distractions while driving, oblivious that the effect can be similar and the consequences just as horrific."

Driving test age rise considered for teenagers

 

Learners can currently take a driving test aged 17

Continue reading the main story

Ministers are due to publish a Green Paper this year after considering the Transport Research Laboratory's report.

It recommends a one-year "learner stage" beginning at 17, during which drivers would have to total at least 100 hours of daytime and 20 hours of night-time driving  practice under supervision.

Learners can then take their test at 18 and, if they pass, will get a probationary licence and have to display a green "P" plate.

During this stage, drivers will face the curfew and all those under 30 will be banned from carrying any passengers also under 30.

Other proposals under consideration for young drivers are a ban on all mobile phone use, including hands-free phones, and a lower alcohol limit.

After the 12-month probationary period, drivers will automatically graduate to a full licence and unrestricted driving.

Statistics show that more than a fifth of deaths on British roads in 2011 involved drivers aged 17-24.

The report suggests implementing this new system could cut annual casualty numbers by 4,471 and save £224m.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "Young drivers drive around 5% of all the miles driven in Britain but are involved in about 20% of the crashes where someone is killed or seriously injured.

"We are committed to improving safety for young drivers and reducing their insurance costs - that is why we are publishing a Green Paper later in the year setting out our proposals.

"This will include a discussion about how people learn to drive.

"The research report has been produced by the Transport Research Laboratory under commission by the Department for Transport and it, amongst other things, has informed the Green Paper."

Proposals welcomed

RAC Foundation motoring research charity, director S. Glaister, welcomed the proposals.

He said: "Young people are four times more likely to die in a road accident  than as a result of drink or drugs. "Yet, as a society we seem to turn a blind eye to the carnage. If this was any other area of public health there would be an outcry.

"This is about ensuring their long-term safety and mobility. Not curtailing it."

 

President of motoring organisation AA, Edmund King said the proposals were addressing the problem of young drivers in the "wrong way".

"You should prepare young drivers to be safe when they get their licence rather than give them their licence and then restrict them," he told BBC's Breakfast.

He said he would like to see mandatory lessons on motorways, in rural areas and in bad weather, and warned of the problems of policing the restrictions such as carrying young passengers.

Julie Townsend, of road safety charity Brake, welcomed the report, saying it was further recognition of the compelling case for graduated driver licensing.

She urged the government to act "swiftly and decisively" to commit to the system to help reduce the danger young drivers posed to themselves and others.

Currently drivers in England, Scotland and Wales need to pass a theory test, then a practical test before they can apply for a full driving licence. The minimum age to hold a full car licence is 17, or 16 for some people claiming mobility benefit.

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Learners can currently take a driving test aged 17

Continue reading the main story

Ministers are due to publish a Green Paper this year after considering the Transport Research Laboratory's report.

It recommends a one-year "learner stage" beginning at 17, during which drivers would have to total at least 100 hours of daytime and 20 hours of night-time driving  practice under supervision.

Learners can then take their test at 18 and, if they pass, will get a probationary licence and have to display a green "P" plate.

During this stage, drivers will face the curfew and all those under 30 will be banned from carrying any passengers also under 30.

Other proposals under consideration for young drivers are a ban on all mobile phone use, including hands-free phones, and a lower alcohol limit.

After the 12-month probationary period, drivers will automatically graduate to a full licence and unrestricted driving.

Statistics show that more than a fifth of deaths on British roads in 2011 involved drivers aged 17-24.

The report suggests implementing this new system could cut annual casualty numbers by 4,471 and save £224m.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "Young drivers drive around 5% of all the miles driven in Britain but are involved in about 20% of the crashes where someone is killed or seriously injured.

"We are committed to improving safety for young drivers and reducing their insurance costs - that is why we are publishing a Green Paper later in the year setting out our proposals.

"This will include a discussion about how people learn to drive.

"The research report has been produced by the Transport Research Laboratory under commission by the Department for Transport and it, amongst other things, has informed the Green Paper."

Proposals welcomed

RAC Foundation motoring research charity, director S. Glaister, welcomed the proposals.

He said: "Young people are four times more likely to die in a road accident  than as a result of drink or drugs. "Yet, as a society we seem to turn a blind eye to the carnage. If this was any other area of public health there would be an outcry.

"This is about ensuring their long-term safety and mobility. Not curtailing it."

President of motoring organisation AA, Edmund King said the proposals were addressing the problem of young drivers in the "wrong way".

"You should prepare young drivers to be safe when they get their licence rather than give them their licence and then restrict them," he told BBC's Breakfast.

He said he would like to see mandatory lessons on motorways, in rural areas and in bad weather, and warned of the problems of policing the restrictions such as carrying young passengers.

Julie Townsend, of road safety charity Brake, welcomed the report, saying it was further recognition of the compelling case for graduated driver licensing.

She urged the government to act "swiftly and decisively" to commit to the system to help reduce the danger young drivers posed to themselves and others.

Currently drivers in England, Scotland and Wales need to pass a theory test, then a practical test before they can apply for a full driving licence. The minimum age to hold a full car licence is 17, or 16 for some people claiming mobility benefit.

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