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Drivers will be granted a six-month exemption from MOT testing, allowing people to carry on with essential travel, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

 

Cars, motorcycles and vans will be granted a MOT exemption that will enable essential travel to work where it cannot be done from home, or shop for necessities.

 

All cars, motorcycles and vans that require a MOT test will be exempt from needing a test from March 30. The Department for Transport (DfT) urges that vehicles must be kept in a roadworthy condition as drivers could face prosecution if they are driving unsafe vehicles.

 

This 6 month extension has caused concern with the IGA who say that the current MOT failure rate is 31%, which means that nearly 10 million vehicles do not meet even the basic roadworthiness level of compliance. DVSA warns drivers that their car must stay roadworthy and that fines can be issued for up to £2,500 (with a ban and 3 points) for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

 

The DfT advises that people should stay at home and avoid travel. The only reasons people should leave their homes is set out in the government guidance.

 

Transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “We must ensure those on the frontline of helping the nation combat COVID19 are able to do so.

 

“Allowing this temporary exemption from vehicle testing will enable vital services such as deliveries to continue, frontline workers to get to work, and people get essential food and medicine.

 

“Safety is key, which is why garages will remain open for essential repair work.”

 

Legislation will be introduced on March 30 and will come into immediate effect for 12 months. Drivers will still need to get their vehicle tested until the new regulations come into place, if they need to use it. Garages will remain open for essential repair work.

 

If vehicle owners cannot get an MOT as they are in self-isolation, the DfT says it is working with insurers and the police to ensure people aren’t unfairly penalised for things out of their control.

 

“The temporary MoT exemption is positive as it will allow vital services to continue and aftersales workshops to prioritise essential repair works on critical vehicles”, said Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK.

 

“We welcome the transport secretary’s comments that ‘safety is key’ and aftersales departments will remain open for essential repair work.”

 

Karen Hilton, chief commercial officer at HeyCar, believes granting the six-month exemption from MOT testing is the right thing to do. She said: “We’re really pleased with the news that MOTs have been scrapped for at least six months. We’ve had queries from concerned customers about what they should do, as taking their car for an MOT seems to conflict with the Government advice to stay at home. People have enough worries in this time of crisis without having to consider how they get their car in for MOT.

 

“Scrapping the MOT for all vehicles while the country goes through the coronavirus lockdown is the only sensible approach, removing risk for motorists and mechanics alike.

 

“This isn’t business as usual, we are all being told to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary and while the MOT is vital for all vehicles, especially older ones from a safety point of view, it’s just another one of those appointments that will now have to wait in order to protect the health of the community.

 

“Many mechanics are small businesses who will be hit hard by the loss of income. There is sure to be a wave of motorists who need an MOT once the exemption is lifted.”

 

To be clear, the Government are currently saying that MOT Centres and garages can stay open after 30 March but obviously all the advice re social distancing should continue to be followed so that means:

 

• Taking contactless payments (the limit goes up to £45 from £30 on 1 April 2020)
• Not printing MOT certificates
• Keeping customers and staff at least 2 meters apart
• Remind employees and customers to wash their hands for as long as it takes to watch Son Heung-Min score and celebrate his wonder goal against Burney in December
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are touched regularly
• Use seat covers and disposable gloves

 

By Graham Hill thanks to various contributors.

Millions of motorists have been ripped off in a £150million delivery scheme to inflate the price of new cars, it is claimed.

 

Eight in ten new cars have seen price increases of up to £60 after shipping firms conspired to fix delivery costs, according to a lawsuit.

 

A total of 17million cars are said to have been affected over ten years. Now lawyers are to launch a US-style ‘class action’ against five of the world’s biggest shipping firms to try to win money back for consumers.

 

Customers affected include those who bought from Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Citroen and Renault, between October 2006 and September 2015.

 

At the heart of the case is a line near the end of every customer’s new-car bill which reads: ‘Plus delivery.’

 

The exact amount of ‘overpayment’ owed per customer will vary based on how far the car may have travelled, including from the Far East and the US.

 

The maximum overpayment is £60 with an average of about £9 per car. But if a family has bought or leased a number of new cars over the decade the sums quickly add up, according to legal firm Scott+Scott which is bringing the action.

 

The ‘class action’ – a group legal suit under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 – has been filed in the Competition Appeal Tribunal on behalf of consumers and businesses who purchased or leased new cars and vans between 2006 and 2015.

 

In 2018, EU watchdogs found the five shipping firms guilty of running an anti-competitive price-fixing cartel – and fined them £330million.

 

They ruled that the firms had coordinated tenders, allocated customers, conspired on capacity reductions, and exchanged commercially sensitive pricing information to maintain or increase shipping prices.

 

All the companies had acknowledged their involvement and agreed to settle the cases, watchdogs said.

 

The shippers were caught out by a so-called ‘ratters’ charter’ which gives immunity to the first member of any cartel to blow the whistle on their partners. This gives guilty firms an incentive to ‘rat’ first on the others to avoid hefty fines.

 

Lawyers say car-makers are not the guilty parties, pointing out that they too were outraged by the rip-off.

 

The five companies are Japanese carriers MOL, K Line, and NYK, Sweden’s WWL/EUKOR, and Chile’s CSAV. Although not household names, their role in moving cars around the world is huge.

 

The case is being led by Mark McLaren, formerly of consumers’ group Which? A pre-trial hearing is expected in the autumn.

 

He said: ‘When UK consumers and businesses purchased or leased a new car, they paid more for the delivery than they should have done… I strongly believe that compensation should be paid when consumers are harmed by such deliberate, unlawful conduct.’

 

David Scott, of Scott+Scott, said: ‘Consumers and businesses who bought or leased a new Ford, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes or Toyota, for example, are owed money.’

 

He added: ‘Just because these international shipping companies aren’t household names shouldn’t mean that they are able to get away with it.’

 

If the ‘class action’ case is won anyone who bought an affected car will be automatically entitled to money back. All they need to do is provide their details and proof of purchase or lease and they will get paid.

 

The shippers have already been hit be penalties beyond the EU, including Australia, China, Japan and the US.  By Graham Hill thanks to the Daily Mail

Vehicles will be diverted away from pollution hotspots by signs that react in real-time to increases in harmful emissions.

 

The technology will be trialled in the Central Bedfordshire Council region thanks to a new network of 24 air pollution sensors.

 

The network, which has been installed by Westcotec in partnership with Airly, provides open-access, real-time air quality information via an online live map link.

 

Speaking at the launch of the network at the Move urban mobility exhibition in London, last month, Central Bedfordshire Council senior road safety engineer, Tim Oxley, set out the opportunities now available to reduce exposure to high levels of pollution.

 

“This project provides a significant step forward in relation to the action we can take when air pollution levels are high,” he said.

 

“We previously had to wait for data, meaning we were unable to make on-the-spot interventions. Now, by integrating the real-time data with other roadside technology, we can take immediate action that will reduce exposure to high levels of air pollution – steps such as putting traffic diversions in place.”

 

Oxley believes the real-time sensors provide an “excellent opportunity” to be proactive in dealing with air pollution and to minimise its impact on people.

 

He says the council has a number of initiatives planned, thanks to the new network, including projects with schools, monitoring pollution from buses and traffic diversions using vehicle-activated signs when air quality levels require.

 

Westcotec, which specialises in vehicle-activated signs and traffic safety systems, is monitoring the air quality levels and developing future signage to work in conjunction with the air quality reading.

 

The first sign showing live pollution data was expected revealed at a trade show in Amsterdam planned for April.

 

Westcotec head of sales and marketing Olly Samways explained: “We have always been interested by pollution rate against traffic flows and speeds.

 

“As a step on from monitoring, being able to reduce the actual amount of pollutants when a high level is reached was an even larger area of interest. We regularly install over-height and flood monitoring devices that divert vehicles so this would work in a similar way.”

 

The technology has the potential for local authorities to focus their efforts on those specific areas which require action, rather than the blanket restrictions imposed by clean air zones (CAZs).

 

Oxley told Fleet News the level of interest from other local authorities in the technology had been “extremely high”.

 

Central Bedfordshire Council was keen to get involved in the trial after learning Westcotec was looking for a test bed for the technology.

 

In terms of how the air pollution signs will work, Samways explained that the data can be sourced using the open API.

 

“When a pre-determined figure is reached, an alert can be sent through the internet to a 4G modem within the sign, which can enable the sign to display such messages as ‘HGV DIVERT AHEAD’ together with directional arrows,” he said.

 

“We can create diversion signage that will only trigger when pollution levels are high, and which will guide specific categories of vehicle – such as heavy goods vehicles and buses – away from at-risk areas at these times.”

 

The technology trial in Bedfordshire comes as Coventry City Council announced it would not be introducing a CAZ, after receiving Government support for an alternative emissions reduction plan.

 

It includes vehicle restrictions on specific roads, new cycle routes, electric buses and changes to road layouts.

 

A £1 million scrappage scheme will also be trialled in Coventry next year, with motorists given up to £3,000 worth of mobility credits to ditch their car.

 

The credits will be provided on a smartphone app through which participants will also be able to plan and book their journeys.

 

Later in the year, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) will invite people, who are willing to give up their cars, to apply for the two-year pilot project.

 

TfWM, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), is working up the detail of the scheme ahead of its launch.

 

The trial is funded from the £22m Future Mobility Zone grant to the region by the Department for Transport (DfT) to develop and test new transport technology and schemes. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A new study has revealed that in-vehicle infotainment systems are impairing reactions times behind the wheel more than alcohol and cannabis use.

 

Stopping distances, lane control and response to external stimuli were all negatively affected by the use of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in a new study by TRL and IAM Roadsmart.

 

Among the results, the study found that reaction times at motorway speeds increased average stopping distances to between four and five car lengths.

 

The study also found that drivers took their eyes off the road for as long as 16 seconds while driving (equivalent to a distance of more than 500 metres at 70 mph), and using touch control resulted in reaction times that were even worse than texting while driving.

 

Neil Greig, policy and research director at IAM RoadSmart, said: “Driver distraction is estimated to be a factor in around a third of all road collisions in Europe each year.

 

“While previous research indicates that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto perform better than more traditional buttons and controls, the results from this latest study raise some serious concerns about the development and use of the latest in-vehicle infotainment systems. Anything that distracts a driver’s eyes or mind from the road is bad news for road safety.

 

“We’re now calling on industry and government to openly test and approve such systems and develop consistent standards that genuinely help minimise driver distraction.”

 

During the study, drivers completed a series of three drives on the same simulated test route to assess the level of impact of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. On the first run, drivers did not interact with the system. On subsequent runs, drivers interacted with the system using voice control only and then using touch control only.

 

Both methods of control were found to significantly distract drivers, however touchscreen control proved the more distracting of the two.

 

While many drivers realised the system was causing a distraction and modified their behaviour by, for example, slowing down, performance was still adversely affected with drivers unable to maintain a constant distance to the vehicle in front, reacting more slowly to sudden occurrences and deviating outside of their lane.

 

“Individuals driving for work are just as at risk as the general public, so we would also encourage employers to review their advice and policies in light of this research,” added Greig.

GEM Motoring Assist has welcomed Government plans to improve the safety of smart motorways, but warned motorists will still face being stranded in the road.

 

The road safety group was one of many organisations to express concern recently at the risks posed by the absence of hard shoulders, the cost-saving increase in distance between refuge areas and the problems relating to vehicles being stranded in motorway lanes.

 

It has criticised the lack of clear information relating to the use of smart motorways, and has called for an end to the use of smart motorway jargon, such as ‘all-lane running’ and ‘live lanes’, which will mean nothing to the average driver.

 

GEM road safety officer Neil Worth said: “The toll of deaths, injuries and near-misses on smart motorways in recent years is unacceptably high, so we are relieved that the government has listened to the valid concerns of road safety groups.”

 

The Government announced a series of measures to improve the safety of smart motorways earlier this month, following a review commissioned by transport secretary Grant Shapps.

 

The Government plans include: scrapping the use of motorway hard shoulders at busy times; increasing in the number of places vehicles can stop in an emergency on motorways where hard shoulders have been removed; increasing the number of traffic officer patrols; providing better signage; and improving public information and awareness, including what to do in an emergency.

 

Read more about the Government’s 18-point smart motorway plan here

 

However, Worth said: “We remain concerned that enough is being done to reduce risk for those motorists unfortunate enough to experience a breakdown on a stretch of smart motorway.

 

“Although under these plans there will thankfully be more places to pull over in an emergency, we warn that many drivers who break down will still face the real risk of finding themselves stuck on the carriageway, with no protection whatsoever.”

 

GEM Motoring Assist was established in 1932, as an independent driver-based road safety association. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

All road-user charges will be suspended in the capital from today (Monday, March 23) until further notice, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.

 

The congestion charge and fees for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) have been suspended during the coronavirus outbreak to ensure London’s critical workers are able to travel round London in the way that best suits them.

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the move also supports the supply chain, the effort to keep supermarkets fully stocked and the city’s continued operation.

 

Government advice is that people need to limit social contact and travel should only be undertaken if absolutely necessary.

 

The roads need to be kept clear for the emergency services and critical workers who need to get around by car, said TfL. Drivers are asked to consider the wider implications when thinking about using their vehicles.

 

To keep the public transport network running TfL has already reduced the number of stations open and are ensuring they are appropriately staffed.

 

For some critical workers, in the current circumstances, driving to work will be the simplest option, which is why the charges have been lifted.

 

To further support vital hospital staff getting into work during these challenging times, NHS workers will be given a code that waives the 24-hour access fee for Santander Cycles, meaning any journey under 30 minutes is free.

 

In addition to free access, docking stations near hospitals are being prioritised to ensure there is a regular supply of bikes for medical staff to use.

 

Khan said: “People should not be travelling, by any means, unless they really have to. London’s roads should now only be used for essential journeys.

 

“To help our critical workers get to work and for essential deliveries to take place, I have instructed TfL to temporarily suspend the Congestion Charge, ULEZ and Low Emission Zone from Monday.”

 

Paul Cowperthwaite, TfL’s general manager of road User charging, explained that London’s critical workforce is wider than just the core emergency services.

 

“Emergency services workers are absolutely fundamental to our response, but supermarket workers, utilities engineers, refuse collectors, and many more, also need to be able to travel to keep the city functioning,” he said. “This is why we have temporarily suspended road user charging in the capital.”  By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News

Electric vehicle drivers are set to face longer periods of downtime in the event of a mechanical failure or collision if automotive aftersales businesses don’t adapt more quickly to handle new models.

 

As CO2 caps and taxation are expected to push more drivers into electrified cars over the coming years, and environmentally-conscious businesses seek to increase their electric van fleets, dealerships, workshops and bodyshops are under greater pressure to deal with repairs and maintenance to the batteries and high-voltage electrical components in these vehicles.

 

While maintaining an electric or hybrid car or van is often no more difficult than one powered by a combustion engine, technicians must be specially trained in order to avoid getting shocked by the electrical system.

 

EVs with a driveline fault, or those involved in a collision can prove the most difficult to deal with as manufacturers are often slow to release technical repair information and roll out training.

 

Michael Brown, fleet manager at Virgin Media, said: “You need to build in things like if an EV is involved in an accident, it’s going to have to go to a specialised dealer to be repaired. There is also a higher risk of the vehicle getting written off if the battery is damaged.

 

“We’ve had problems with Teslas. Someone had a rear bumper repaired and it was literally just a new bumper needed to be put on. Our approved bodyshop wasn’t allowed to touch it, so they had to put it on a recovery truck, drive it 200 miles to a Tesla-approved repairer and then the driver sat there and waited while it got repaired.”

 

The number of plug-in cars on UK roads is low at the moment, accounting for less than 1%. Many of them are in the hands of private buyers as fleets have struggled to get hold of high volumes of stock.

 

This year, a number of manufacturers promise to increase EV fleet volumes, meaning there will be more on the road doing more miles.

 

By 2030, the National Grid predicts there will be between 2.7 and 10.6 million EVs on UK roads. As part of its Road to Zero Strategy, the Government plans to end the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars altogether by 2035.

 

Pete Eden, national business process and technical manager at the National Body Repair Association (NBRA), said: “Most OEMs have prog-rammes in place that see hybrids and EVs are recovered and taken to facilities that have trained personnel to repair them. They also have recovery agents in place trained to lift such vehicles safely.”

 

But not all UK dealers have the personnel or equipment to work on electrified vehicles – yet.

 

“EV/hybrid tooling is widely available now, the main thing missing from the repair of EVs/hybrids is knowledge,” Eden added.

 

Paul Taylor, fleet manager at Morgan Sindall, said manufacturers are still playing catch up when it comes to maintaining EVs.

 

He explained: “The problem, particularly with electric commercial vans, for us in the outlying areas is getting the maintenance done because they’ve not got that big a range. When we put our first few (electric vans) in at Heathrow, the supplier told me where the nearest dealer was and I said I couldn’t get there.”

 

Work is being done to boost the level of EV-trained technicians in the industry, which currently stands at about 5% according to the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).

 

Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK, said: “Due to the rapid growth of the EV market, franchised dealers and manufacturers are quickly retraining their staff and, as a result, there is currently no expectation of longer waiting times for repair and servicing of EVs.

 

The organisation launched its own Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme last year, which requires that retailers have enough EV trained technical staff so customers will not face ‘unreasonable wait times and barriers to servicing or emergency repair work’.

 

More than 60 dealerships have now been ‘EV approved’ responsible for several major brands. These include Nissan, Volkswagen, Kia, Hyundai, Renault, Audi, Mitsubishi, JLR, BMW and Volvo.

 

Last October, the IMI’s TechSafe standards for car technicians working with EVs were officially endorsed by the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

 

The accreditation is designed to give fleet operators and EV drivers confidence that their vehicle is being maintained or repaired by competent individuals.

 

Allianz Partners UK, which provides roadside assistance technicians to work on behalf of OEMs, is ensuring its entire workforce achieves the accreditation. Its technical development manager Ian Burchette, said: “As EVs become more popular we have a duty of care as an assistance provider to protect not only our technicians when they repair these vehicles, but also the public and our partners.

 

“We have always invested in the continual professional development of our technicians, making sure they are trained to the highest level. The skills and professionalism of our roadside assistance technicians are at the heart of our success, and this new commitment enables us to continue to deliver the best customer service on behalf of our manufacturer clients.”

 

The AA told Fleet News that all its technicians are trained to work on EVs, minimising the wait time in the event of a call-out.

 

A spokesperson said that, while the most common reason for a call-out was a flat tyre, easily fixed at the roadside, if the vehicle was to suffer a failure of the driveline components, the technician would not attempt a roadside repair and, instead, the vehicle would be recovered to a suitable workshop.

 

Bodyshops replace workshops

 

Much of the danger involved in the handling of EVs and hybrids is best understood by the body repair industry, where risks from damaged components are higher, leaving it best placed to handle repairs of these vehicles.

 

Graham O’Neill, CEO of ACIS, a distributor to the accident repair market, predicts 21st century bodyshops will replace traditional mechanical garages and servicing centres as EVs become mainstream.

 

He says bodyshops will become vehicle “hospitals” with all the expertise to perform battery transplants.

 

“Bodyshops are different to what they used to be, and the more professional ones are certainly ahead of the game when it comes to EV training on how to repair vehicles safely.

 

“We have put many of these bodyshop technicians through the ACIS EV and ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) training programmes, as the demand is there,” O’Neill said.

 

It’s possible that in the future there won’t be servicing of engines, simply the replacement of the batteries or the repair of electronic components.

 

Currently, many dealerships are already outsourcing these services to manufacturer-approved bodyshops because they don’t have the room or the ability to recalibrate the vehicle’s ADAS systems post-repair.

 

“This outsourcing extends the process and the complexity and cost to drivers who are increasingly looking to reduce their key-to-key time so they can get back on the road as fast as possible. Today’s bodyshops have become more agile and customer-centric,” O’Neill added.

 

Initially, manufacturers only provided training to approved bodyshops, making it difficult for the independents to attend. This has changed, according to Eden, who says there is a “growing market” offering training on hybrid/EV systems.

 

“The OEMs don’t always get the vehicle directed to them as some are insured independently. These vehicles find their way into independent repair facilities. Today, many of the UK independent repair shops are investing in the equipment to repair EVs and hybrids,” Eden said.

 

How Norway is coping with EV repair and maintenance

 

Norway is often seen as a benchmark for electric vehicle adoption. In just a few years, the country has achieved a rapid growth of EVs on its roads, enabling it to have Europe’s lowest average CO2 emissions.

 

The country’s network of workshops and recovery agents has been forced to adapt rapidly to this changing dynamic.

 

Car manufacturers have been instrumental, by internally certifying Norwegian mechanics to be able to handle the high-voltage batteries and other diagnostic tools required to repair and maintain the vehicles.

 

Erik Lorentzen, head of analysis and consultancy at the Norwegian EV Association, said: “In 2019, the market share for new EVs reached 42%. It was a significant growth of 30% compared with 2018. So, of course, we have seen a significant growth in workshops offering service and repair on electric cars, by providing both the necessary tools and certification.

 

“This increases competition. The Norwegian EV Association has been encouraging this for a number of years since it benefits all EV owners.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News.

A record number of people avoided penalty points on their licence last year, after taking driver awareness courses.

 

The figures, from the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme, show almost 1.5 million people, including company car and van drivers, chose to take a course, rather than add points and face a possible ban.

 

That equates a threefold increase in the past nine years, when a little more than 467,000 drivers attended a course.

 

In 2019, the vast majority – some 86% (1.28m) of drivers – avoided points by taking a speed awareness course, up 8.1% (96,000) on the previous year.

 

This was followed by almost 107,000 drivers, who were sent on the ‘national motorway awareness course’ for offences committed on smart motorways, including breaking variable speed limits, ignoring red ‘X’ signs and wrongly stopping in emergency lay-bys.

 

The course was introduced three years ago.

 

A further 76,000-plus drivers took the ‘what’s driving us?’ course aimed at drivers caught tailgating or using a mobile phone at the wheel.

 

The classroom-based courses can cost up to £100 and take about four hours to complete.

 

Research by the RAC Foundation – based on Home Office data for 2018-19 – suggests that 44% of all speeding offences detected in England and Wales result in someone being sent on a course.

 

“It would be good to think that as more and more people pass through the doors of these courses, so our roads are getting safer,” said Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation. “For some, at least, that appears to be true. The challenge is in making the lessons stick once the motorists attending them are back out in the often all-too-aggressive world of modern traffic.”

 

Analysis of 5,000 UK business drivers over a 12-month period revealed that they exceeded speed limits by 19.4%, on average (48mph on a 40mph stretch and so on).

 

The data, from telematics firm Airmax Remote, also showed that there were, on average, eight speeding events per mile.

 

Richard Perham, managing director of Airmax Remote, said: “Speeding is a major issue, especially for businesses that rely on fleets – not only from a safety point of view, but also the impact on fuel economy and poor mpg.

 

“It is imperative that drivers who are guilty of speeding are given the appropriate training to ensure that they comply with road speed limits.

 

“Not only can businesses suffer from a poor profile resulting from speeding (as company branding can appear on a vehicle), the extreme of this is a corporate manslaughter case and if the driver responsible for a fatal accident is known to have a long history of speeding, then blame can be placed on the business.”

 

Home Office figures show there were 2,386,780 speeding offences detected in England and Wales in 2018-19 – a 37% rise on the 1,740,217 detected in 2011-12.

 

It was also 4% higher than the 2,292,534 speeding offences recorded in 2017-18.

 

The total number of all motoring offences detected across the two countries in 2018-19 was 2,837,661, meaning speeding accounted for 84% of them.

 

Of the 2,386,780 speeding offences detected in 2018-19: 44% resulted in the offender being sent on a speed awareness course; 34% attracted fixed penalty notices (FPNs); 12% were later cancelled; and 10% resulted in court action.

 

The analysis – based on Home Office data and carried out by Dr Adam Snow of Liverpool John Moores University and Doreen Lam of the RAC Foundation – reveals the headline figure for those caught speeding hides large variations between constabularies.

 

West Yorkshire topped the list with 181,867 people caught speeding in 2018-19; second was Avon and Somerset (159,210) followed by the Metropolitan Police, including City of London (157,494).

 

At the other end of the scale Wiltshire Constabulary caught only 807 people speeding, Cleveland caught 11,937 and Derbyshire 12,256. Wiltshire turned off its speed cameras in 2010.

 

Across the 43 constabularies of England and Wales, the vast majority (97%) of offences were detected by speed cameras.

 

The variations across police forces will, in part, be down to geographical area, road type and traffic volume. They will also be created by local policing priorities.

 

Gooding concluded: “The simple rule for drivers who don’t want to risk ending up with a speeding ticket is not to break the limit in the first place.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News.

The Government will have to help businesses to recover from the effects of Coronavirus. In the US they have cut interest rates to 0% down from 1.75% which is a massive drop aimed at stimulating the economy.

 

However, the UK’s Bank Of England was only at 0.75% in the first place so dropping to 0.25% was never going to have the shot in the arm effect that the massive drop in the US would have on its economy.over there.

 

So one of the rumours flying around at the moment to stimulate the UK economy is a temporary drop in VAT.

 

Some are suggesting a drop from 20% to 15% with some suggesting a drop of as much as 10% to a standard rate of 10%.

 

This would immediately affect the quotes going out as soon as the drop is confirmed by the Chancellor but how will it affect you if you already have an agreement?

 

Well, years ago I was criticised for showing my monthly figures for a PCH excluding VAT. The reason for this was to make it clear that your monthly payments can be adjusted in line with the current VAT rate.

 

So to be clear if the VAT rate is dropped and you have an ongoing PCH agreement your monthly payments will also drop accordingly.

 

So if you are currently paying £200 + VAT you’ll be paying £240 per month. But if the rate drops from 20% to 10% your payments will drop to £220 per month.

 

However, when the rate increases you will be back to where you were. But you will enjoy a short term benefit which you wouldn’t enjoy if you had a PCP. By Graham Hill

In this article I’m warning about Coronavirus and how to best protect the inside of your car without damage. Whilst most of us are taking precautions at work and at home it’s easy to forget about our cars. And if we remember to protect our cars you should know that some cleaners that we use on work surfaces are not suitable for the inside of your car and can cause serious damage.

 

For example, bleach and hydrogen peroxide both kill the virus but can damage your upholstery. And I’m not talking neat I’m talking about those chemicals as a constituent part of the cleaner. So it’s important that you check the component parts of any cleaner that you intend to use. Another dodgy ingredient is ammonia. You should not use any ammonia-based product on car touchscreens as they can damage the anti-glare and anti-fingerprint coatings.

 

If you are the only person in your car then the risk is reduced but of course if you participate in a car share or you regularly rent cars you need to take more care. Make sure you have some sanitiser gel to use in the car and to share with passengers. Then also treat the steering wheel (considered to be one of the highest sources of germs that you will regularly come into contact with – higher than a toilet seat).

 

Clean the gear shift, door handles, inside and out, indicator and windscreen wiper stalks, buttons, touch screens, armrests, grab handles, seat adjusters, in fact anything that you or a passenger may have come into contact with.

 

So having checked the ingredients for the above you also don’t want to pay over the odds for product that is aimed at auto interiors but are being sold at a premium. So what can you use that is cheap? Experts recommend Isopropyl Alcohol as being the most effective against Coronavirus and safe for the interior of your car. The most effective contain over 70% alcohol.

 

Manufacturers of product in the US suggest that most, if not all car surfaces have been tested safe to be cleaned with Isopropyl alcohol, from plastic to metal and leather, even soft cloth upholstery. If in doubt consult the manufacturer/dealer and if you are really worried use their proprietary product. Don’t forget if you use say a bleach-based product and it damages the leather seats etc.and the car is being handed back at the end of the agreement you could be charged a substantial amount to repair/replace the damaged seating.

 

Vigorous washing with soap and water can also destroy a coronavirus. Coronaviruses are surrounded by a protective envelope that helps them to infect other cells, and destroying that envelope can effectively disarm them.

 

“Friction from cleaning also participates in the destruction,” says Stephen Thomas, M.D., chief of infectious diseases and director of global health at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. “You want to do the best with what you have, so even soap and water can chip away at the risk.”

 

Soap and water are also safe for most car interiors—especially fabrics and older leather that may have begun to crack. Just be sure not to scrub too hard, says Larry Kosilla, president of car detailing company AMMO NYC and host of a popular YouTube channel about car detailing.

 

Most car leathers and imitation leathers have urethane coatings for protection, which is safe to clean with alcohol. But most leathers are dyed, and cleaning too vigorously can remove the dye.

 

Kosilla says he’s heard from car owners who think their light-colored leather is getting dirtier as they scrub it, which isn’t the case. “It’s not getting dirtier, you’re removing all the color on top,” he says.

 

Take care of your leather upholstery after you clean it, says John Ibbotson, chief automotive services manager at CR. “You should use a good leather cleaner, then a good leather conditioner afterwards,” he says.

 

If your car has fabric upholstery, Kosilla warns against cleaning it with too much water or too much soap. “The goal is not to create too many suds. If you get suds, you’ll have suds forever,” he says. In addition, if you soak through the fabric down to the cushion beneath, it could end up creating a musty smell or encouraging mould growth in the cushions. Instead, Kosilla recommends lightly agitating the fabric with a small amount of water and laundry detergent.

 

Both Stout and Kosilla recommend cleaning all surfaces with a microfiber cloth. That’s because they’re made of fabric that consists of tiny little loops that capture and sweep away dirt and dust particles before they can scratch delicate or shiny plastic surfaces. By comparison, the dirt and debris in your car can stick to even the cleanest paper towels or napkins and scratch surfaces—”like sandpaper,” Kosilla says.

 

Once you’re finished cleaning, don’t forget to wash your hands before and after driving. It’s a good habit to get into even outside of the spread of COVID-19, as it will keep your steering wheel and other frequently touched surfaces in your car from looking dingy.

 

“The number one thing is to clean your hands,” Kosilla says. “You can clean your steering wheel, but if you have dirty hands, you put that dirt back on.”

 

Washing your hands is still one of the best ways to defend yourself against COVID-19, says Thomas.

 

“It is known that coronaviruses can persist on surfaces, but as of right now we still think infections via respiratory transmission are still primarily the main route from person to person,” he says.

 

So there you have it, views that I’ve collated from the UK, US and other countries. The thing is don’t panic but take extra precautions and hopefully, you’ll be safe and virus free. By Graham Hill