Inconsiderate or careless drivers finaly being punished

Fed up of getting stuck behind a tractor on a long and winding country lane? been soaked by a motorist driving through a puddle? you may finally have a reason to celebrate.

New figures show the police have handed out around 10,000 on-the-spot fines in one year under new laws which allow them to give £100 tickets to inconsiderate or careless drivers.

The crackdown on anti-social driving has seen people performing the following actions given fines and given three penalty points on their licence.

• Tailgating
• Middle lane hogging
• Undertaking
• Wheel spins
• Handbrake turns
• Driving down roads closed for repairs
• Soaking pedestrians with puddles
• Tractor drivers not pulling over & letting traffic by
• Dirty windscreens
• Driving with a obstacles blocking view on passenger seat

The figures show 9,852 penalty notices were handed out for the careless driving crimes in the 12-months after the new powers came into force in August 2013, The Sunday Telegraph reported. Before then, the offence could only be dealt with in court and many drivers escaped punishment because of the bureaucracy involved.

The figures show that some forces are using the new powers more than others. Gwent Police handed out 608 of the tickets - compared to Essex where not one motorist was fined on-the-spot for careless driving. The most tickets - 1,397 - were given out by the Metropolitan Police.

RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said he was happy to see the powers being used but hoped they would be used consistently across the country. He said: 'As with using mobiles at the wheel and drink-driving, it is not enough to outlaw anti-social behaviour on the roads. People need to believe they will get caught. These figures suggest in several areas they won’t.' But road safety minister Robert Goodwill welcomed the figures, adding: 'Careless driving can risk lives, and I am glad to see police tackling these offences at the roadside. 'This is exactly why this government brought in a fixed penalty notice so officers can deal with offenders on the spot rather than having to prosecute offenders through the courts.'

Lady spent £5,000 on more than 250 lessons over 14 years - Still no licence!

31 year old Janine Mars has spent more than £5,000 on 250 lessons in the last 14 years, She has been through five different driving instructors and is still unable to pull away from a junction without stalling her car.

The situation is currently so bad, she cannot find an instructor near her home in Chatham, Kent, willing to take her because of her poor motoring skills.

It is estimated that during her driving lessons, Ms Mars has driven the equivalent of a road trip between London and Perth in Australia.

Ms Mars said: 'Every year since 2001, passing my driving test has been my New Year’s resolution.

'I took a break after my last test in October but I want to do an intensive week course.

'I reckon that’s the only way I can pass now.

'The last time I tried to get an instructor in Kent nobody would take me because they know how bad I am.

'It’s as if I’ve been blacklisted. I don’t blame them though!'

Despite her inability to pass her test, Ms Mars has never had an accident and believes her problem is a lack of confidence.

'Driving doesn’t come naturally to me. I can’t quite master using both legs and hands at different times. I’ve had the same problem for the last 14 years.

'I’ve never had a crash or accident. Everything will be going really well, calm driving, and then suddenly I fall to pieces. It might only be a minor thing, like I miss a junction or turn, and I’ll be thrown completely off course.

'Everyone tells me I’ll get over that - but 250 lessons later and I’m still waiting.'

'Maybe I’m just one of those people born to be driven. I’m fed up of planning my life around train and bus timetables too. It takes almost twice as long as driving. My mum has promised to go halves on a new car once I pass so that’s even more of an incentive.'

Read Full story Here

Pescribed medicines now amongst those tested for at the roadside

People who have been prescribed powerful anxiety or pain relief drugs are being warned about a new drug-driving law.

The new legislation will includes some prescription medicines.The limit levels for which are set above  prescribed doses so most patients should still be safe to drive. Those who are unsure are advised to seek the advice of a pharmacist.

The new law, was introduced 2 March 2015 in England and Wales, aims to catch those who put the lives of others at risk while driving under the influence of drugs.

It sets very low levels for eight well known illegal drugs, including cannabis and cocaine, but also includes eight prescription drugs, where the levels have been set much higher.

Prescription drugs covered by the new law

• Clonazepam (seizures or panic disorder)
• Diazepam (anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal symptoms or muscle spasms)
• Flunitrazepam (AKA Rohypnol is a sedative) 
• Lorazepam (convulsions or seizures caused by epilepsy)
• Oxazepam (relieve anxiety, including anxiety caused by alcohol withdrawal)
• Temazepam ( insomnia problems)
• Methadone (heroin addiction and for pain relief)
• Morphine (moderate to severe pain)

Robert Goodwill MP, Road Safety Minister, says as long as they stay within prescribed levels, most people will still be able to get behind the wheel of a car.

"If you are taking your medicine as directed and your driving is not impaired, then you are not breaking the law and there is no need to worry," he said.

"We advise anyone who is unsure about the effects of their medication or how the new legislation may affect them, to seek the advice of their doctor or pharmacist.

"There will also be a medical defence if a driver has been taking medication as directed and is found to be over the limit but not impaired.

"Drivers who are taking prescribed medication at high doses [are advised] to carry evidence with them, such as prescriptions slips, when driving in order to minimise any inconvenience should they be asked to take a test by the police."

Ed Morrow, campaigns officer for road safety charity Brake said the organisation strongly welcomed the new drug-diving law.

"This much-needed progressive move by government will make it much easier for police to deal with illegal drug-drivers," he said.

"We are confident that the necessary measures are in place to ensure drivers who take prescription medication are not unfairly penalised.

"However, many prescription medications can have a negative effect on your ability to drive safely, and there is a worrying lack of awareness of this among the public."

How to use the new share a driving licence service

From 8th June 2015, DVLA will stop issuing the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence.

If as a business or organisation you need to check someone’s driving record you can do so using Share Driving Licence.

There are 2 steps to this new service.

Step
1. The driver licence holder will need to log on to the View Driving
Licence service and click on Share Driving Licence. This will generate a
unique one-time use access code that the driver will need to share with
you, along with the last 8 digits of their driving licence number.

Here
the driving licence holder will also have the option to download a
summary of their driving licence information and access code.

Step
2. Once in receipt of the access code you may use this in conjunction
with the last 8 digits of the driving licence number to view the latest
driving licence information from the DVLA. This free, 24/7 service will
be available at www.gov.uk.

Drivers with old style paper driving licences issued before 1998 can also use the Share Driving Licence service.

For more information on these changes and the abolition of the counterpart visit www.gov.uk/dvla/nomorecounterpart.

Could Bad driving in Europe soon be punished in UK courts?

British motorists caught speeding in their own vehicles in Europe could soon have fines sent to their home addresses and be pursued in UK courts, under new plans to let European Union states access our motoring records for the first time.

At the moment British motorists who commit driving offences in other EU countries can be fined only if stopped by a police officer at the roadside. Those whose offences in their own vehicles are caught on camera tend to get away without any sort of punishment, however drivers of hire cars are often traced through their rental companies.

This week that could all change as the European Parliament will vote on a range of measures that will give national police forces the power to send out fines across Europe – and pursue offenders through the courts of their home countries.

Under the new rules, If a driver commits an offence in another country, that state may use their car’s registration number to access their personal data to send out a letter in the driver’s own language, demanding payment and threatening court action if they do not pay the fine.

The new Bill will be the first time that all 28 EU countries take part in cross-border information exchanges. Under the law, British police will also be able to pursue foreign motorists for traffic and speeding fines if they have left the UK.

An earlier law, which Britain had opted out of, was struck down by the European Court of Justice on an administrative technicality. However, the new directive, which was proposed by the European Commission in May, does not allow for Britain to use its opt-out.

 

Read the Full story by the Independent here

Road Safety Chairman Caught Speeding & Using Mobile Phone While Driving

Chairman of the Suffolk RoadSafe partnership, Graham Newman, who promotes road safety messages was caught speeding and driving while using a mobile phone. He said the "slip-ups" happened months apart and denied they made his position untenable, adding that he wanted people to "learn from his experience".

In an interview with Mark Murphy on BBC Radio Suffolk, the Suffolk county Councillor said he was cautioned after being seen by a police officer checking emails on his phone. "It comes down to us in the end to take responsibility for what we do behind the wheel of a car and I'm as guilty as anybody else," he told the presenter.He said that he was "cross with himself" and said: "I try not to do it now. I always make sure my mobile phone is switched off," he said. "I admit what I did was wrong. At any point, I know you shouldn't be using a mobile phone while driving." The incident happened in Star Lane, Ipswich.

Mr Newman went on to admit being caught driving at 37mph in a 30mph limit in Playford Road, Ipswich, for which he completed a speed awareness course.

The two incidents were his only blemishes in 47 years of driving, he said.

Mr Newman said he was caught using his mobile phone before he became portfolio holder for transport in May last year, while the speeding offense happened a short time after.

"I'm at least prepared to be honest and admit what happened, I think we all think that we can get away with this stuff, until something like this happens. It applies to speeding and driving inappropriately and I am looking to pass on my experience."