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Seven-in-10 drivers would like lower motorway speed limits in wet weather, according to new research from the RAC.

Road accident statistics from the Department for Transport (DfT) show that 246 people were killed or seriously injured on UK motorways in 2019 when the road surface was damp, wet or flooded

An RAC survey of more than 2,000 drivers suggest that 72% would like to see the standard 70mph speed limit on motorways reduced in wet weather to improve road safety and encourage better driving habits.

A third (33%) said the limit should be reduced to 60mph in the wet, less than one in 10 (7%) think it should be cut to 65mph, while almost one in six (17%) said they would like an even lower limit of 55mph or even 50mph. One in seven (14%) would like to see the limit cut but were not sure by how much.

France cuts its speed limits during inclement weather, with the 130km/h (80mph) limit reduced to 110km/h (68mph – a reduction of around 12mph).

Rod Dennis, from the RAC, said: “Statistically, the UK has some of the safest motorways in Europe but it’s also the case that there hasn’t been a reduction in casualties of all severities on these roads since 2012, so perhaps th

ere’s an argument for looking at different measures to help bring the number of casualties down.

“Overall, our research suggests drivers are broadly supportive of lower motorway speed limits in wet conditions, as is already the case across the Channel in France. And, while most drivers already adjust their speed when the weather turns unpleasant, figures show that ‘driving too fast for the conditions’ and ‘slippery roads’ are still among the top 10 reasons for motorway collisions and contribute to significant numbers of serious injuries and even deaths every year.”

Of the reasons given by drivers who advocate lower motorway speed limits in the wet, 78% said they felt lower limits would encourage some drivers to slow down, while 72% believed it might save lives, so is worth trying.

Two-thirds (65%) said slower speeds might improve visibility with less spray from moving vehicles, and half (53%) felt it would reduce overall vehicle speeds, even if some people ignored the lower limit.

Among the fifth of drivers (21%) who are against the idea of a lower motorway speed limit in bad weather, a majority said it was because most drivers already adjust their speed to the conditions (54%), or because there would be difficulty in defining when the new limit should apply (60%).

Four in 10 (42%) said many drivers choose to ignore existing speed limits anyway and a similar proportion (41%) thought drivers wouldn’t obey a lower motorway limit.

When asked whether a lower speed limit in the wet should be posted on stretches of motorway that already feature variable speed limit signage, including smart motorways, 73% of drivers were in favour, with 15% against the idea and 11% unsure.

“The overall success of any scheme would of course depend on sufficient numbers of motorists reducing their speed, but even just a proportion reducing their speed in the wet would be likely to improve the safety of the UK’s motorways,” continued Dennis.

“There would also be a number of practical hurdles to be overcome such as deciding what that lower limit would be, updating the Highway Code and fitting roadside signage to inform drivers of the new limits.

“Finally, it’s worth remembering that an increasing number of stretches of motorway no longer have permanent 70mph limits, as all smart motorways feature speed limits which are automatically adjusted to ease congestion based on traffic flow.

“With digital signs now so commonplace, arguably the means exist to conduct a trial to see whether there are safety benefits of setting different speed limits in inclement weather.”

Highway Code Rule 227 states that stopping distances in wet weather are at least double those required for stopping on dry roads.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced a new version of The Highway Code will be published in the autumn.

Changes will include: a hierarchy of road users that aims to ensure road users who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they may pose to others; and a strengthened pedestrian priority on pavements and when crossing or waiting to cross the road.

It will also contain guidance on safe passing distances and speeds and ensuring that cyclists have priority at junctions when travelling straight ahead.

The overhaul of The Highway Code is part of a £338 million package to fuel active travel, announced on Friday (July 30).

Infrastructure upgrades, the changes to The Highway Code and new requirements to ensure that active travel schemes’ effects are properly assessed are among the raft of measures included in a new Summer of Cycling and Walking document.

Independent opinion polling and new research also published by the DfT shows that active travel schemes are supported, on average, by a ratio of two-to-one.

As the UK prepares to host COP26 later this year, these initiatives will play a key role in the Government’s drive to build back greener from the pandemic and achieve net zero emissions by 2050, says DfT.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps explained: “Millions of us have found over the past year how cycling and walking are great ways to stay fit, ease congestion on the roads and do your bit for the environment.

“As we build back greener from the pandemic, we’re determined to keep that trend going by making active travel easier and safer for everyone.

“This £338m package marks the start of what promises to be a great summer of cycling and walking, enabling more people to make those sustainable travel choices that make our air cleaner and cities greener.”

This announcement aims to build on the Prime Minister’s £2 billion gear change cycling and walking programme, which was announced one year ago.

As well as improving safety for cyclists, the Government is also aiming to make cycling easier and more accessible through a new scheme aiming to increase awareness of e-cycles and tackle barriers to their use.

An e-cycle support programme will be launched later this year and comes after the government has already provided funding to help 9 local authorities deliver e-cycle initiatives.

Other key measures included in the Summer of Cycling and Walking include plans to publish a new road safety strategic framework.

The Government has also recently announced that the new Active Travel England (ATE) commissioning body, which will hold the national cycling and walking budget, will begin work later this year. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Software experts have discovered numerous security flaws with a range of smart electric vehicle (EV) chargers.

They were able to remotely switch the chargers on and off, remove the owner’s access and lock or unlock the charging cable.

Devices from Wallbox and Project EV – both approved for sale in the UK by the Department for Transport – were found to be “lacking adequate security” by researchers at Pen Test Partners.

Speaking to the BBC, Vangelis Stykas, a cyber-security researcher, said: “On Wallbox you could take full control of the charger, you could gain full access and remove the usual owner’s access on the charger. You could stop them from charging their own vehicles, and provide free charging to an attacker’s vehicle.

“Project EV had a really bad implementation on their back end. Their authentication where it existed was pretty primitive, so an attacker could easily escalate themselves to being an administrator and change the firmware of all the chargers.”

He says changing the programming on the device would allow an attacker to permanently disable the charger, or use it to attack other chargers or servers.

Hackers could also infiltrate a home network, in cases where the chargers were connected by Wi-Fi.

Pen Test Partners believes that multiple chargers could also be controlled at the same time using some of the vulnerabilities it found, which could potentially be used by an attacker to overload the electricity grid in some areas and cause blackouts.

The company assessed charging units from Project EV, Wallbox, EVBox, EO Hub, Rolec and Hypervolt.

Most of the faults have now been addressed, however charge point owners are advised to install the latest software updates to the devices. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Software experts have discovered numerous security flaws with a range of smart electric vehicle (EV) chargers.

They were able to remotely switch the chargers on and off, remove the owner’s access and lock or unlock the charging cable.

Devices from Wallbox and Project EV – both approved for sale in the UK by the Department for Transport – were found to be “lacking adequate security” by researchers at Pen Test Partners.

Speaking to the BBC, Vangelis Stykas, a cyber-security researcher, said: “On Wallbox you could take full control of the charger, you could gain full access and remove the usual owner’s access on the charger. You could stop them from charging their own vehicles, and provide free charging to an attacker’s vehicle.

“Project EV had a really bad implementation on their back end. Their authentication where it existed was pretty primitive, so an attacker could easily escalate themselves to being an administrator and change the firmware of all the chargers.”

He says changing the programming on the device would allow an attacker to permanently disable the charger, or use it to attack other chargers or servers.

Hackers could also infiltrate a home network, in cases where the chargers were connected by Wi-Fi.

Pen Test Partners believes that multiple chargers could also be controlled at the same time using some of the vulnerabilities it found, which could potentially be used by an attacker to overload the electricity grid in some areas and cause blackouts.

The company assessed charging units from Project EV, Wallbox, EVBox, EO Hub, Rolec and Hypervolt.

Most of the faults have now been addressed, however charge point owners are advised to install the latest software updates to the devices.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Up to 800 Shell electric vehicle (EV) charging points will be installed in as many as 100 Waitrose shops across the UK by 2025.

Each site is expected to have six 22kW and two 50kW rapid charging points so customers can charge their vehicles while they shop.

The first charge points are expected to go live early next year and will represent Shell Recharge’s first move into ‘destination charging’, whereby customers charge their vehicle while it is parked at a location they are primarily visiting for another activity such as shopping.

Shell’s ambition is to grow its Shell Recharge-branded network to 5,000 charge points on forecourts and other locations by 2025.

Bernadette Williamson, general manager Shell UK Retail, said: “This is great news for EV drivers across the UK, knowing they can easily, quickly and reliably charge up at Shell charge points while shopping at Waitrose.

“We want to make EV charging as hassle-free as possible and support our customers wherever they want to charge.”

Waitrose executive director, James Bailey, added: “We’re delighted to bring our customers 800 new charging points for electric vehicles, including new rapid charging capabilities, as the UK moves more and more towards a sustainable transport network.”

The charge point deal comes as a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation has found that some areas of the development of the UK’s charging infrastructure are facing problems which will hinder the roll-out of electric vehicles (EVs). 

It says that this could impact the Government’s plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and its wider commitment to make the UK net zero by 2050.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The following article illustrates why branding on vans could void their insurance but I’ve included the article for all to read because it could equally apply to doing similar to your car.

Van operators are being urged to check vehicle signage or branding is recorded as a modification on their insurance policy or risk voiding their cover.

Insurance comparison website Quotezone.co.uk says many van operators are unaware that their van’s branding falls into the modification category on current policies, alongside items such as spoilers and alloy wheels.

Drivers need to keep their insurance provider up to speed with any modifications, including newly added branding or signage, because those modifications can sometimes change the van’s risk profile, it says.

Signage or branding on a van, for example, might increase the risk of a break-in if thieves think valuable equipment or tools might be stored in the vehicle.

In addition, if the vehicle is ever involved in an accident the cost of repairing or replacing the signage might increase the overall cost of repairing the van.

The insurance comparison website advises van owners to make sure forms are correctly answered when taking out a new policy, inform their existing provider if signage or a vehicle wrap is added after the policy was taken out, and if in doubt ask the provider.

Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk, said: “It’s worth checking how their insurer views any branding on the vehicle to ensure they’re correctly declaring everything they’re required to declare.”

Making sure the policy is always accurate ensures drivers are protected should they need to make a claim, added Quotezone.co.uk.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Electric vehicles (EVs) fall short of their claimed WLTP range figures by 14.8%, on average, according to independent testing by What Car?

The magazine put 10 of the latest EVs through a real-world range test to see how close they could get to the official figures.

The best performing model was the Porsche Taycan, which was 3% shy of its official 290-mile figure, achieving 281 miles in the test.

The Porsche beat the Mazda MX-30 into second place, with that falling 7.1% short of its quoted 124-mile range. The Fiat 500e was farthest away from its official range, falling 29.2% shy of its 198-mile WLTP figure.

Ford’s Mach-E fell 20.2% short of its official figure, but the Extended Range RWD achieved the highest outright test mileage, covering 379 miles before its battery ran out.

What Car? tested how close 10 current electric vehicles could get to their quoted WLTP range figures. The test was conducted on a closed vehicle proving ground, on a 15-mile route consisting of 2.6 miles of simulated stop-start urban traffic, four miles of steady 50mph driving and eight miles of driving at a constant speed of 70mph, to simulate motorway journeys.

Each of the vehicles was fully charged and left outside for 15 hours, before being fully charged again ahead of the test. The cars were then driven until they ran flat, with on-road position and driver changes at the end of each lap.

Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: “Range is one of the key criteria for new and used electric car buyers. Our real-world driving test shows that some electric vehicles can get incredibly close to their quoted figures in the real world, while others are farther behind, so it’s important buyers do their research and organise test drives when considering a new electric vehicle.”

What Car? EV range test results:

Make / Model	Usable battery size (kWh)	Official (WLTP) range (Miles)	Test range   (Miles)	Shortfall	Miles per kWh*
Porsche Taycan 4S Performance Battery Plus	83.7	290	281	3.0%	3.4
Mazda MX-30 SE-L Lux	30.0	124	115	7.1%	3.8
Kia e-Niro 64kWh 3	64.0	282	257	8.5%	4.0
Renault Zoe R135 GT Line	52.0	238	208	12.4%	4.0
Audi Q4 e-tron 40 S line	77.0	308	266	13.6%	3.5
Volkswagen ID.3 58kWh Pro Performance Life	58.0	264	226	14.2%	3.9
Skoda Enyaq 60	58.0	254	207	18.3%	3.6
Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD	88.0	379	302	20.2%	3.4
Tesla Model 3 Long Range	70.0	360	284	21.1%	4.1
Fiat 500 42kWh Icon	37.3	198	140	29.2%	3.8

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The number of people paying company car tax has again fallen substantially, with HMRC reporting 70,000 fewer people paying for the benefit.

The latest benefit-in-kind (BIK) statistics, published by HMRC today (July 29), show there were 800,000 company car drivers in 2019/20 – down from 870,000 the previous year.

New company car tax rates, including an initial zero percentage rate for pure electric vehicles (EVs), were introduced from April 2020, with many leasing companies suggesting an increased uptake in company cars.

However, any potential increase in company car drivers will not be reflected in HMRC’s figures until the next year’s data set is released. 

Instead, this year’s provisional figures suggest the number of employees receiving the benefit has fallen by some 160,000 in the past five years, from 960,000 in 2015/16.

The new data also shows that the amount of company car tax collected has stayed the same at £1.75 billion, despite the dramatic decline in employees paying BIK on a company car between 2018/19 and 2019/20.

National Insurance Contributions (NICs) have increased, however, with the tax man collecting £750 million in 2019/20 compared to £730m in 2018/19.

The reduction in company cars seen over the past few years coincides with the introduction of voluntary payrolling.

HMRC claims that at least part of the reduction is due to employers moving from submitting P11D returns to collecting tax on company cars through payroll.

In 2016/17, employers were not able or required to submit more detailed information about company cars when collecting tax on this benefit through voluntary payrolling.

The following tax year employers payrolling car benefit were able to provide more detailed data about the cars being provided through their FPS (Full Payment Submission), which at the time HMRC told Fleet News would rectify the situation.

However, HMRC says suggests that “significant numbers” were not reported in all three years, even after reporting became mandatory in 2018/19.

Between tax years from 2010 to 2016 the reported number of recipients of company car benefit remained relatively stable (at just under one million).

More recently the number of reported company car users has fallen to 900,000 in 2017/2018 and then to 870,000 in 2018/2019.

Provisional figures show a further fall to 800,000 in 2019/20, with HMRC suggesting that there is likely to be a substantial number of individuals in these years who received company car benefit that (while taxed at payroll) was not properly reported.

Over the same period the total taxable value of reported company cars has increased significantly.

In tax year 2010/11 it was £3.66bn but by 2019/20 it had reached £5.42bn. This increase, says HMRC, is primarily due to increases in the average taxable value of a company car, which is itself a result of increases in average car list prices and increases to the ‘appropriate percentages’ used to calculate a company car’s typical value.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Transport for London (TfL) is launching a consultation on the congestion charge, which could reduce the hours of operation.

They were extended in June 2020 when the Government had to bail out TfL after a financial crisis caused by the onset of the pandemic.

The operational hours of the charge were extended to include evenings and weekends, and the charge was increased from £11.50 to £15.

The consultation is seeking views on the future operation of the congestion charge, with the main proposals including no charges in the evenings to support London’s recovery, operating between 12-6pm on weekends and retaining the current charge level of £15.

The proposed new weekend charging hours are targeted at reducing congestion at the busiest times, says TfL.

Weekend car and private hire traffic before the pandemic was higher than during the week and made up 70% of traffic in the charging zone on a Saturday and Sunday.

If the proposed new weekend hours are brought in it is estimated there will be an increase in sustainable travel compared to before the pandemic, with around 8,000 new public transport trips and 3,000 walking and cycling trips each day on the weekend, it claims.

The proposal to stop the congestion charge at 6pm on weekdays is in line with the pre-pandemic hours, rather than the current 10pm finish time.

Evening traffic data will be kept under review, given that weekday travel patterns in particular remain uncertain, says TfL.

Following feedback from those living in central London, the plans include opening up the 90% residents’ discount to new applicants. The discount has been closed to new applicants since August 1, 2020.

Other proposals include: no charge between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day inclusive; the charge to be in operation on bank holidays from 12-6pm; and being able to pay up to three days after travel.

TfL is also consulting on retaining recently expanded reimbursement schemes for NHS patients, care workers, local councils and charities during epidemics and pandemics.

The pre-pandemic NHS staff and patient reimbursement arrangements will continue.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “As we look to the future it’s vital the charge strikes the right balance between supporting London’s economic recovery and helping ensure it is a green and sustainable one.

“These proposals support the capital’s culture, hospitality and night-time businesses which have struggled so much, as well as encouraging people to walk, cycle and use public transport.

“We must not replace one public health crisis with another due to filthy polluted air, and our measures to create more space for walking and cycling have already had a huge impact. I urge Londoners to have their say and take part in the consultation.”

It is proposed that the discount for using AutoPay will be removed and the current £17.50 charge for paying three days after travel will be retained. The ability of residents to pay for consecutive days online and via the app will also be removed, following the widespread take-up of AutoPay.

Other discounts and exemptions, including the Blue Badge Discount and Cleaner Vehicle Discount, are unaffected by the new proposals.

If they are agreed following the consultation, the changes to hours will take place on February 28, 2022. Other proposals will be implemented immediately after a mayoral decision on the changes.

Natalie Chapman, Logistics UK’s head of policy in the south, welcomed the proposal to revert the operational hours of the congestion charge back to the original weekday timings in place before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Logistics UK has long campaigned for flexibility surrounding delivery hours to encourage and enable businesses to carry out their deliveries at less congested times to reduce emissions, improve the safety of vulnerable road users and increase operational efficiency, she said. Moving back to the original timings provides additional flexibility to retime deliveries and is supported by our members. 

“However, Logistics UK opposes the proposal to retain the higher £15 charge and weekend charging, which simply amounts to an additional tax for logistics businesses who currently have little alternative but to use lorries and vans to keep London stocked with all the goods the population needs.”

Nick Bowes, chief executive of the Centre for London, labelled the congestion charge as being an “ageing and clunky technology”.

“When it was first introduced, the congestion charge was world-leading, but its effectiveness has diminished with the pace of growth in London and changing travel patterns,” added Bowes.

“As a matter of urgency, Transport for London should make the most of new technology and develop a simpler, smarter and fairer system of road user charging in the capital.

“It will take bold political leadership but, done properly, a smart road user charging scheme would improve air quality, promote active travel and reduce congestion, and play a key role in filling the hole in Transport for London’s budget.”

The consultation closes on October 6, 2021. To respond, visit : tfl.gov.uk/ccyourview  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

MPs on the transport committee are warning that unless charging habits change, or the National Grid is strengthened, the charging needs from millions of new electric vehicles (EVs) will cause blackouts to parts of the country.

In Zero emission vehicles, published in July, the MPs have set out a series of recommendations to Government to boost the production and purchase of EVs.

The report questions whether the Government’s current plans are enough to deliver the public charging infrastructure needed across all regions of the UK and whether it will benefit everyone.

Drivers who live in rural or remote areas or who do not have off-street parking, for example, are at risk of being left behind, it says.

The MPs warn that a clear policy framework is essential to ensure that industry can deliver the vehicles and charging infrastructure required to deliver the Government’s net zero ambition.

Huw Merriman MP, chair of the transport committee, said: “Putting guarantees in place on infrastructure is crucial, but one report after another flags concerns to Government about the provision of electric car charging infrastructure.

“Let ours be the last; it’s time that ministers set out the route map to delivering a network of services for everyone across the UK.”

Just last week, a Competition and Markets Authority investigation found that some areas of the development of the UK’s charging infrastructure are facing problems which will hinder the roll-out of electric vehicles (EVs).

It says that this could impact the Government’s plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and its wider commitment to make the UK net zero by 2050.

EV infrastructure strategy

The Government’s transport decarbonisation plan promises an EV infrastructure strategy by the end of the year, which will set out the its vision for infrastructure rollout, and roles for the public and private sectors in achieving it.

By 2030, it expects to have 2,500 rapid charge points across the strategic road network, and 6,000 by 2035.

It says it is also working with Ofgem on the deployment of the Energy Networks Association’s £300 million Green Recovery Scheme, announced in May, to accelerate motorway service area and wider EV charging infrastructure investment.

The UK has around 25,000 charge points currently and, while there is still uncertainty, forecasts suggest more than 10 times this amount will be needed by 2030.

The transport committee report says that the Government must work with the National Grid to map national coverage to eradicate ‘not-spot’ areas and identify locations where the Grid will not cope with additional usage.

It should also make public charging provision a requirement of local development and provide funding for local planning and transport bodies to hire staff with a mandate to deliver charging infrastructure.

Furthermore, it suggests that it needs to protect the consumer from excessive charges and multiple accounts when charging in public and address the discrepancy between the 5% VAT incurred for home charging and 20% VAT for on-street.

The report insists that industry uses price to change consumer charging behaviour to a ‘little but often’ approach and at times when the National Grid can meet total demand.

17 electric vehicle charging tariffs

Research from Cornwall Insight shows around 17 EV tariffs are available, with some of the tariffs still in testing phases and not available to all customers. On top of this number, there are 11 Time of Use (ToU) EV tariffs on offer.

Katie Hickford, an analyst at Cornwall Insight, said: “EV tariffs can provide households with savings compared to a standard tariff offering, but there is reduced choice currently, with comparisons between the different offerings challenging, although improvements are being made for consumers.

“As EV sales continue to rise, we would expect more innovative tariff offerings to cater for this section of customers, especially as the uptake of EVs moves to mass adoption.”

The transport committee report notes that with charging at home substantially cheaper than on-street charging, pricing must be fair for people who charge their EVs in public spaces.

It welcomes the Government’s commitment to regulate interoperability between charge points and pricing transparency for public charge points later this year. However, mandating industry to use pricing to move consumer behaviour towards a ‘little and often’ refuelling habit will also help, it says.

Zero-emission vehicle mandate

The MPs are also calling on the Government to introduce a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate as a matter of priority if it is to hit its target of 100% ZEVs by 2035.

A ZEV mandate would incentivise car manufacturers to steadily increase sales of zero emission vehicles towards the 2030 target for all new vehicles to have ‘significant zero emission capability’.

This, it says, would bring ZEV vehicles within reach of more consumers encouraged by cost-effective ways to support purchases compared to taxpayer-funded incentives.

Merriman says that the Government’s inclusion of a ZEV mandate in a recent consultation is welcome but not enough on its own.

He continued: “Charging electric vehicles should be convenient, straightforward and inexpensive and drivers must not be disadvantaged by where they live or how they charge their vehicles.

“Shifting the subsidy from the taxpayer to the manufacturer will incentivise those who deliver the fewest electric vehicles in our showrooms to up their game.

“Unless the National Grid gains more capacity, consumer behaviour will have to alter so that charging takes place when supply can meet the additional demand. The alternative will be blackouts in parts of the country.

“We also cannot have a repeat of the broadband and mobile ‘not spot’ lottery which would mean those in remote parts cannot join the electric vehicle revolution.”

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, says that for most drivers, the opportunity to charge an EV in their garage, on their driveway or in a dedicated parking space offers cheaper running costs.

However, he said: “For the 30% of homeowners with no access to dedicated off-street parking or workplace charging, they have no choice but to pay the rates set on the public charging network.

“On the road to electrification, we cannot allow one group of drivers to benefit while others struggle – in effect, a two-tier system of have and have-nots.

“An independent body overseeing the fees being charged on the public network would help reassure drivers that they are paying a fair price.

“Rather than focusing on tying manufacturers up in red tape to meet EV sales targets, we need to improve the incentives offered to consumers to buy electric vehicles. Scrapping VAT would be the most influential policy to help spark the electric revolution.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News