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| on Nov 15 2011 | |
| News & Articles >> News |
Road Deaths Halved Since 1992
Deaths on Britain’s roads fell below 2,000 in 2010, for the first time since records began. The DfT said that 1,857 were killed, a reduction of 365 on the figures in 2009. A total of 22,660 people were seriously injured, a reduction of 8%. However there was a disappointing rise in the number of cyclists killed and injured. 111 cyclists lost their lives in 2010, a rise of 7% on the previous year.
Kevin Clinton, RoSPA’s head of road safety stated, “Road deaths are below 2,000 for the first time since records began in 1920. In the mid-1980s they stood at around 5,500”. The achievement has been attributed mainly to the government-led comprehensive road safety strategy part of the Strategic Framework for Road Safety.
Driving Test Injuries
Over 300 examiners and test candidates were injured during tests last year. Five examiners suffered physical attacks and 209 reported verbal assaults. The biggest mistakes on tests were poor observation at junctions (there were 65,988 dangerous incidents).
DSA reported that 147 major injuries were sustained in 2010 where a candidate or examiner needed medical treatment from a GP or at hospital.
Uninsured Drivers – Watch Out!
It is now an offence to be the keeper of an uninsured vehicle rather than just to drive when uninsured. Registered keepers will be sent a letter telling them that their vehicle is uninsured and warning of the consequences if no action is taken.
Those who ignore the warning will receive a £100 fine and could have their vehicle clamped, seized and destroyed. The Motor Insurer’s Bureau has seen a 20% rise in the number of successful searches by owners who have checked their insurance details on the Motor Insurance Database. Drivers can check this by visiting www.askMID.com.
An estimated 1.4 million drivers are flouting the law. This adds about £30 to the insurance premiums for those insuring their vehicles. The new law will run alongside the existing offence of using a vehicle with no insurance which is enforced by the police.
Changes to the UK Theory Test
The UK driving Theory Test is changing. From 1st January 2012 the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) announced that they will stop publishing the live multiple choice questions used in Theory Tests. These changes will affect learner drivers and motorcyclists, trainee ADIs and LGV/PCV drivers.
The DSA will make available a parallel set of theory test questions to help candidates prepare for the test. These will be known as the Official Revision Questions. These revision questions will cover the same topics but may be worded slightly differently from those which candidates will be asked in the actual Theory Test.
The move by the DSA is, they say, expected to encourage wider learning and understanding of driving related resources. This should contribute to new drivers having greater awareness of relevant driving issues.
Candidates can no longer simply memorise the correct answers, but will instead have to learn and understand the principles behind driving. With the increased emphasis on revision, learners will undoubtedly benefit from a dedicated, reliable and up to date theory test revision aid and practice tool such as Driving Test Success (visit www.drivingtestsuccess.com) if they want to achieve a first time pass.
Speaking on the change, Road Safety Minister, Mike Penning MP, stated “This emphasises the fact that driving is not just about vehicle-handling skills, but also about having the knowledge and understanding of safe driving theory.
Stopping the publication of the questions and answers will mean that candidates will have to understand the theory rather than memorise which answers to choose in the multiple choice section”.
The agency has recently launched its first ever mobile phone apps for theory test revision, which have been developed to help candidates learn in this way. As the ownership of iPhones continues to grow, the new official apps provide ideal software for candidates on the go, and a lot of work has gone into making them the most comprehensive on the market.
The new theory test books were published on 19 September, and contain questions and answers for revision and text to enhance both the knowledge and understanding required to reach test standard.
The Official DSA Guide to the Theory Test for Car Drivers now incorporates an entire extra book-worth of supporting text through links and QR codes that can be accessed with a computer or on the move with a mobile device. Shortly after this, revised and updated CD Roms, downloadable software, PDFs and e-books, will also be published.
Writing on the Wall for Trainee Licences
From September 2011, the Bill Plant School of Motoring stopped employing PDIs as franchise holders. They are the third biggest school in the UK and are following in the footsteps of the AA who have never accepted them. It will be interesting to see what happens now that the AA own BSM who still use the trainee licence.
Pressure on Government over Fuel Prices
“Getting MPs and Ministers to face up to the scandal of sky high petrol and diesel prices is vital if we are to get a better deal on pump prices”, say the Fair Fuel UK team. They have only to get 17,500 more signatures on the Fair Fuel UK e-petition on the Governments new e-petition website.
Reaching 100,000 signatures will trigger a vital debate in Parliament about the damage that high petrol and diesel prices are doing to families, businesses and the economy. If you haven’t had chance to sign this vital e-petition, Fair Fuel UK ask you to do so now at www.bit.ly/FFUK-Gov They need to hit the 100,000 as MPs go to their various party conferences.
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