Calls for a lower drink-drive limit, the real cost of motoring for young drivers and mobile phone addiction on Britain’s roads
It’s been all go these past seven days in the world of fleet so we’ve lots to cover in this week’s news round-up, so with out further ado..
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A plan by Alex Attwood, the Environment Minister for Northern Ireland, to lower the current alcohol/blood ratio from 80mg per 100ml of blood to 20mg has been met with resounding support from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
Mr Attwood also proposes a graduated penalty scheme, an automatic referral to a drink-drive rehabilitation scheme and the removal, in certain cases, of the driver’s right to insist upon a blood or urine sample test instead of a breathalyser test.
The plan from the Irish MP would also give the police greater powers to breathalyse, with the need to prove a reasonable suspicion before doing so no longer required.
“RoSPA has long campaigned for a lower drink-drive limit across the whole of the UK, which no government has yet been willing to implement. We support Northern Ireland’s proposal and hope that if it goes ahead the rest of the UK would follow its lead. A lower limit would save lives,” comments Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at RoSPA.
Would you like to see these changes go through and are you in favour of these proposals being implemented throughout the UK? We would like to hear your views on this matter.
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Autumn is here and with that refreshing nip in the air and its golden hues of slumbering summer. But it also comes with leaves in your bonnet and squeaky windscreen wipers so thanks to the IAM and Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger, here are some simple but effective car maintenance tips for Autumn.
- Clear out plenum chambers (the tray-like area under the bonnet, below the windscreen) as this can fill up with water when it gets blocked with leaves. This water can seep into the car’s electrics, causing expensive and potentially dangerous damage;
- A patch of wet leaves can be as dangerous as hitting standing water – take care and reduce your speed before driving onto them. Avoid hard acceleration or braking as it can cause skidding. And be aware that there may be a dip, pothole or other road hazard hiding under those leaves covering the road;
- In cold weather, clear windscreens of condensation or ice before setting off. Always give yourself extra time, to ensure visibility is at an optimum before starting your journey;
- Make sure your wiper blades are in good condition. If they squeak as they wipe, they probably need replacing, and always make sure they are turned off before starting the ignition to save the blades and the risk of a blown motor fuse when the first frost hits;
- Autumn can also take its toll on car batteries – keep the top of the battery clean and dry and make sure the terminals are tight and free from corrosion;
- If a battery is more than three years old, check it now; you might save yourself many a frustrating start to a morning.
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Staying with IAM, the road safety charity has shown that the average cost to young drivers for their first year on the road is a staggering £12,000, the breakdown of which, excluding fuel and maintenance, is shown below:
- Average cost of lessons before you pass test, £1128;
- Driving test costs (theory and practical assuming first time pass), £100;
- Five-year-old Kia Picanto, £3000;
- Insurance (based on popular comparison site quote), £7900;
- Tax and MOT, £180.
While many young drivers save hard for their very first car, it is the insurance that will be the most expensive item, and with the average full-time salary for 16-17 year-olds at £9,300 and for 18-21 year-olds, £14,440 (2009 figures) it can prove prohibitively so.
“The average cost of a claim by young drivers is £4,500, but insurance can cost nearly twice that. This will have an effect on road safety because young drivers are consequently unlikely to afford newer and safer vehicles. It also affects their chances of getting a job, especially in rural areas where a car is essential to get to work," comments IAM chief executive Simon Best.
IAM believes pre-driving training for 14-16 year olds and post-test training in the first 12 to 18 months after young drivers pass their test would reduce the need for insurance claims and therefore the insurance industry could respond with lower premiums.
Post-test training is something that has successfully been introduced in other European countries with Austria showing other benefits such as a 30 per cent drop in the death rate for young male drivers.
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Brake has released the results of recent research that shows three out of ten drivers text whilst at the wheel. The research also showed that one in eleven drivers will also surf the web, use social networking sites or apps when driving.
With a recent Ofcom report warning of ‘smartphone addiction’ on the rise in the UK is appears the potential to crash and killing or maiming other innocent road users is also on the increase, with texting alone making drivers 23 times more likely to cause a serious accident.
Responding to this and news that road accidents in the US are also on the increase due to smartphone technology Julie Townsend, Brake campaigns director, said: “People who text, use the web or social networking when driving are taking enormous risks with their own and other people’s lives. This kind of irresponsible behaviour is illegal and it kills so there should be no excuses. We are concerned that the increasing uptake of this technology could lead to more crashes and casualties caused by distracted drivers, as is happening in the US. It is vital that the Government acts now to prevent an upsurge in distracted driving, and it’s vital that drivers listen to these warnings and make a pledge to never use their phone when driving.”
Brake warn that as more drivers become distracted at the wheel this could lead to more deaths and injuries on UK roads, leaving more families to deal with the horror of a sudden and violent casualty.
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Staying with Brake, they have been working with Colas Ltd to produce the Pledge2DriveSafely campaign to promote the safety of at-work drivers and call for companies to do more to protect them.
The campaign is delivering Pledge2DriveSafely workshops throughout the UK and is inviting fleet and driver training managers to attend to impart practical training in the scheme’s six core principles of safe driving, which calls on all drivers to pledge to drive:
- Slow – within speed limits;
- Sober – free from alcohol and drugs;
- Sharp – not tired, ill or with poor sight;
- Silent – phone off and out of reach;
- Secure – belted up in a safe vehicle;
- Sustainable – only when you have to
“These workshops are a vital tool in tackling your company’s road risk through working with your drivers. The campaign has enormous potential to save lives and I would urge all fleet managers to attend," commented Caroline Perry, Development Director at Brake.
“Colas is delighted to continue its sponsorship of this key initiative to promote safe driving practice across all business areas. It is very pleasing to note the synergies between the Pledge2DriveSafely ethos and the core message of Colas’ own long-standing Safer Attitudes in Driving Campaign, which has seen the number of road crashes involving our company vehicles reduce by approximately 40% over the past decade,” added Lee Rushbrooke, Colas CEO.
For more information or to book visit www.fleetsafetyforum.org and click on Events, or contact 01484 559909.
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Fleet Operations announced the appointment of Mike Roe to Managing Director of Fleet Operations and the organisation’s sister business, EuroFleeting.
Mr Roe, who has 25 years fleet experience will be overseeing the company’s continued UK and European expansion plans with his predecessor Ross Jackson moving to the role of Chief Executive.
Mr Jackson said: “I am thrilled that Mike has decided to join the business; he brings a wealth of experience with him and an impeccable track record in the industry. We are aiming for further significant growth both in the UK and on the continent on the back of a number of major national and international contract wins and Mike’s knowledge and experience will be key.”
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Confused.com have recently taken a poll of 2,000 drivers to find that over half could not cope without music in their car and wouldn’t even consider buying a car without a stereo.
It seems music really does move us and fifty five per cent of us admit to singing along at the same time!
The poll also found the top ten finger drumming tunes to be:
- Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen;
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen;
- Bat Out Of Hell by Meatloaf;
- Shut Up and Drive by Rihanna;
- Dakota by Stereophonics;
- Fast Car by Tracey Chapman;
- Ace of Spades by Motorhead;
- Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen;
- Highway to Hell by AC/DC;
- All Right Now by Free.
So what is your favourite driving tune? Cars by Gary Numan? Drive My Car by The Beatles? I Get Around by The Beach Boys? Ernie, The Fastest Milkman in the West? Why not let us know this, or any other comments you may have on any of this week’s covered stories.
So that’s it for another week, but fear not for in seven days we shall return (obviously we’ll still be here in the meantime) with another News Round-up of the best fleet stories out there so until then drive carefully and sing loud, sing proud… but keep your windows firmly up eh?
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