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Councils and road authorities in England, Scotland and Wales have paid out almost £13 million for vehicle damage caused by potholes between January 2018 and October 2021, new research suggests.

Motorists across England, Scotland and Wales submitted more than 145,000 compensation claims to councils, with 37,366 motorists receiving compensation, on average, of £347 – a success rate of 25%.

The cost of filling a pothole has previously been estimated to cost £47.

National Highways (formerly Highways England), in charge of England’s trunk roads, was the highest paying authority, stumping up just over £865,000 in compensation.

The research, from What Car?, comes after The Asphalt Industry Alliance published its latest ALARM report, with local authorities in England and Wales facing a nine-year backlog of road repairs estimated to cost more than £12 billion.

Five county and city councils were found to have paid more than half a million in compensation between 2018 and October 2021, including Lincolnshire County Council, Surrey County Council, Lancashire County Council, Staffordshire County Council, and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Lincolnshire County Council received the highest number of damage claims across the four years, with 8,810 claims, of which 4,313 were successful, costing the local authority more than £760,000 – £177 per claim.

Wiltshire Council was found to have the highest share of compensation claims paid, with 86% of the 1,594 claims paid, totalling £302,000 over the four-year period.

Slough Borough Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Councils were the second and third highest, paying out 65% and 62% of all claims, respectively.

In total, 11 councils across Britain paid more than half of all claims.

Not all local authorities answered the Freedom of Information request; 344 responded while 161 said they were unable to provide figures as road compensation often fell under the remit of county and city councils, rather than borough or district councils.

Meanwhile, a survey of motorists it conducted found almost one in four 24% motorists had damaged their vehicle in the past 18 months from hitting a pothole.

Two-thirds of respondents were aware they could claim for the damage caused from their local roads authority, though only one in 10 had ever done so.

Top 20 councils and road authorities per pothole compensation 

Position	Council or Road Authority	Total Claims	Claims successful	Share of claims paid out	Total Payout (£)
1	Highways England	4,781	2,707	56.62%	865,254.75
2	Lincolnshire County Council	8,810	4,313	48.96%	764,588.00
3	Surrey County Council	6,380	893	14.00%	608,284.00
4	Lancashire County Council	4,016	1,903	47.39%	520,745.26
5	Staffordshire County Council	5,659	1,502	26.54%	517,367.00
6	Stoke-on-Trent City Council	1,430	892	62.38%	507,055.78
7	Oxfordshire County Council	3,578	1,512	41.11%	378,770.00
8	Cambridgeshire County Council	2,666	942	35.33%	354,931.56
9	Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council	804	75	9.33%	350,500.00
10	Dumfries and Galloway Council	1,568	585	37.31%	324,111.39
11	Wiltshire Council	1,594	1,381	86.64%	302,911.10
12	Shropshire Council	2,412	811	33.62%	282,454.13
13	Dudley Metropolitan Borough	463	238	51.40%	262,862.49
14	West Northamptonshire Council*	2,995	770	25.71%	234,961.87
15	Derbyshire County Council	2,099	772	36.78%	222,264.60
16	Hampshire County Council	6,046	732	12.11%	219,284.22
17	Northumberland County Council	1,409	663	47.05%	196,450.00
18	Warwickshire County Council	1.153	515	44.67%	189,853.00
19	Flintshire County Council	600	248	41.33%	177,205.00
20	Devon County Council	2,734	720	26.34%	170,069.00

*As of the April 1, 2021, South Northamptonshire Council, Northamptonshire County Council, Northampton Borough Council and Daventry District Council ceased to exist and formed the new West Northamptonshire Unitary Council. The data provided prior to the April 1, 2021, relates to those claims submitted to Northamptonshire County Council and covers the County as a whole. The data provided since April 1, 2021, relates to the West Northamptonshire area of the County only.

By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News

Highways England bosses will not face corporate manslaughter charges for deaths caused by two collisions on all-lane running sections of the M1 in South Yorkshire.

South Yorkshire Police concluded that the organisation cannot be held liable for the offence because, in legal terms, it did not owe road users a ‘relevant duty of care’ under the terms set out in the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

The investigation was launched following concerns expressed by senior coroner Nicola Mundy at the pre-inquest review into the death of Nargis Begum.

Begum was killed in September 2018 when another vehicle collided with her husband’s Nissan Qashqai, which had broken down on the M1.

A separate collision, which led to the deaths of Jason Mercer and Alexandru Murgeanu in June 2019, was also investigated by South Yorkshire Police. In both instances, the lack of a hard shoulder was considered a contributing factor to the deaths.

Assistant chief constable Sarah Poolman, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “I would like to express my heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives on the smart motorway in South Yorkshire. Families and campaigners are fighting with dignity and admirable determination in their search for answers and action following these tragedies.

“The force launched a ‘scoping exercise’ to ascertain whether there is a reasonable suspicion that Highways England may have committed the criminal offence of corporate manslaughter. Within our terms of reference, we also included the incident which led to the deaths of Jason Mercer and Alexandru Murgeanu.

“As part of our work, we sought specialist advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Having considered the CPS advice, we have concluded that in the circumstances, Highways England cannot be held liable for the offence of corporate manslaughter.”

Following the death of Begum, a death by careless driving investigation was launched into the driver of the vehicle involved in the collision. A file was submitted to the CPS and charges were not authorised. The driver was subsequently released with no further action.

Lorry driver Prezemyslaw Szuba was jailed for 10 months for causing the deaths of Mercer and Murgeanu by careless driving. He claimed the collision would have been avoidable if there had been a hard shoulder.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is halting the rollout of new, all-lane running smart motorway schemes until five years of safety data is available.

The move has been welcomed by MPs and campaigners, who have been calling for the construction of new smart motorways to be paused while safety concerns were addressed.

A Transport Committee report, published last year, concluded there was not enough safety and economic data to justify continuing with the Government’s plans to roll out an additional 300 miles of all-lane running motorway by 2025.

The report said Government plans to remove the hard shoulder from all future smart motorways and use the lane for live traffic are “premature”.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

New mobile phone laws while driving will come into force from March 25, with research suggesting many drivers are ignorant of the changes.

It had been thought that the new rules, which ban drivers from using their phones to take photos or videos, scroll through playlists or play games, would take effect alongside changes introduce to the Highway Code from Saturday (January 29).

However, the Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that the new rules will take effect from March 25, with the necessary legislation now making its way through Parliament.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “This is a much needed upgrade of the law to help make our roads safer.

“Mobile phones offer many distractions and this sends a clear message that picking them up to use them will not be tolerated.”

The law will also become tougher as the use of smartwatches, tablets and laptops behind the wheel will apply.

King added: “Drivers will be extremely limited on when they can pick up their phone, mainly to call the emergency services when there was no opportunity to safely pull over and to make contactless payments at drive-thrus.

“Being sat in a traffic jam or waiting at the lights is not an excuse, we want people to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.”

The Government announced late last year that it would tighten the rules on the use of mobile phones, making it illegal to use a hand-held device under virtually any circumstance while driving.

It was already illegal to text or make a phone call (other than in an emergency) using a hand-held device while driving.

Anyone caught using their hand-held device while driving will face a £200 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence.

The Government says that drivers will still be able to continue using a device ‘hands-free’ while driving, such as a sat-nav, if it’s secured in a cradle.

A study by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has found that almost half of van drivers are risking a £200 fine and six penalty points on their licence as a result of using a sat nav app on their smartphone.

The research of 1,000 UK van drivers found 46% use an app on their smartphone.

While it is still legal to use sat nav on your mobile phone, it must be safely secured to the dashboard or windscreen, where it must not block your view.

David Hanna, head of sales operations at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “We know that van drivers rely on sat navs to get them from one job to the next, but it’s important they do so legally.”

Previous legislation had made it a criminal offence to use a hand-held mobile phone to call or text while driving, but not for other actions such as taking photos.

The law said that an offence is committed if a driver uses a handheld mobile phone for “interactive telecommunication” while behind the wheel.

The phrase reflected how, when the law was written in 2003, smartphones were not in existence and mobile devices were used for sending texts or making calls.

It has enabled lawyers to successfully argue that using a phone’s camera while driving does not constitute “interactive telecommunication”.

It was brought to a head in 2019, when the Director of Public Prosecutions lodged an appeal with the High Court after Ramsey Barreto had a conviction quashed for filming a crash on his mobile phone.

The 51-year-old was prosecuted and found guilty after police saw him driving past an accident using his phone to make a video. However, he had the conviction overturned at Isleworth Crown Court, after his lawyers successfully argued that the law only banned the use of mobile phones to speak or communicate while behind the wheel.

Publishing its decision in July 2019, the High Court dismissed the appeal, agreeing with Barreto’s lawyers.

Drivers concerned over Highway Code changes

Separate research from Venson Automotive Solutions reveals that not all motorists support Highway Code changes, believing they could create more dangerous situations on UK roads, opposed to reducing them.

According to the Venson survey, 79% of motorists disagree with the change that allows cyclists to pass slower-moving or stationary traffic on the right or left, including at the approach to junctions.

Cyclists will be advised they should proceed with caution, especially when deciding whether it is safe to pass lorries or other large vehicles. The question being asked by motorists is “what is deemed safe?”, says Venson.

However, almost half of respondents agree with the new rule which states drivers should remain behind cyclists and motorcyclists at junctions, even if the cyclist is waiting to turn and are positioned close to the kerb.

Changes include requesting drivers to give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which the driver is turning.  This is supported by 44% of survey respondents.

In addition, drivers will have to give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing. 

Pedestrians and cyclists will also be allowed to cross the road in front of slow-moving traffic if the changes are approved.

Alison Bell, marketing director for Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “There is a lot of new information for drivers to take onboard.

“It’s essential that businesses operating a fleet of vehicles have a process in place to allow drivers to familiarise themselves with new changes, as well as brush up on existing rules. 

“Businesses and drivers have a duty of care to themselves, other road users and pedestrians. A failure to understand the new rules and correctly implement them could result in financial penalties, law breaking or worse, guilty of an avoidable accident.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Compensation Experts have revealed the top 10 most accident-prone cities based on road accidents and accidents in the workplace.

Using data gathered by The Office of National Statistics (ONS) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE), The Compensation Experts have broken down the top 10 most accident-prone cities in the UK based on total road and workplace accidents per capita.

Kingston upon Hull claimed the top spot; there were 603 reported-road traffic accidents and 207 workplace accidents reported last year, that makes for a total accident count of 910.

Peterborough follows as the second top accident-prone city with 327 road accidents and 232 workplace accidents, totally 559 accidents. Peterborough’s lower population increases its accidents per capital to 0.0028.

Portsmouth comes in third position, seeing 427 road traffic accidents and 142 workplace accidents, giving Portsmouth an accident per capita rate of 0.0027.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson at The Compensation Experts, said: “With more accidents happening in cities up and down the country each year, it’s more important than ever to ensure you’re covered should the worst happen, but we urge Britons to stay safe and be vigilant when out and about.

“To see which areas are the most accident prone in the UK, please read our full study.”

Fleets and business drivers are being warned of major changes to the Highway Code, which take effect from Saturday (January 29).

The new rules are aimed at improving road safety for vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

For more information on the study visit The Compensation Expert website.

Rank	City	No. of Road Accidents	No. of Workplace Accidents	Total Accidents	Accidents per capita (Index Score)
1	Kingston upon Hull	603	307	910	1.000
2	Peterborough	327	232	559	0.713
3	Portsmouth	427	142	569	0.672
4	Nottingham	553	319	872	0.648
5	London	49386	23448	72834	0.588
6	Wakefield	387	451	838	0.570
7	Derby	415	190	605	0.560
8	Brighton	553	131	684	0.556
9	Birmingham	1802	851	2653	0.549
10	Wolverhampton	376	238	614	0.547

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The fitment of camera systems/digital recording has reduced collisions or near-misses for 59% of fleets, a survey by Brigade Electronics, has revealed.

55% of survey respondents also said it improved driver behaviour, while 44% safety technology had helped with insurance claims.

The road safety company comissioned a survey of the readers of Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines to get their views on the reasons they use cameras and video technology on their fleets, how useful they are, and what they consider when they decide to invest.

Brigade said that clients are playing an increasing role in the adoption of this technology, as 12% of respondents said cameras are a contractual requirement from a client, a 3% rise on 2020.

The survey revealed that one-fifth of operators have no plans to use road safety technology and the most common reason (44%) is that it is not seen as relevant to the operation.

Brigade said that, changes to the Highway Code that came into effect in November with further new guidance being added on January 29, will increase the responsibility of commercial vehicle drivers, making it more important to be able to mitigate risk.

The new hierarchy of road users means those who are most likely to be seriously harmed, such as pedestrians and cyclists, will have greater priority over other road users – with HGV drivers ranked lowest.

Chris Hanson-Abbot chairman BE of Brigade Electronics, said: “It’s good to see that the benefits of cameras and other safety technology are being recognised by fleet operators.

“As cameras on their own are a passive technology that does not alert the driver to act, Brigade always recommends that they are combined with active technology such as sensor systems with driver alerts to reduce collisions.

“However, there is still some way to go. Only 47% of fleets have 100% of vehicles fitted with the technology – despite overwhelming evidence they improve safety and save lives.

“That said, only 2% of operators said their fleets had no safety technology at all, which is encouraging.”

The survey also revealed how customers who start using the technology are quickly convinced of the benefits – on a scale of 1 to 5, 73% rate vehicle camera and recording technology as a 4 or 5.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Soaring energy prices could lead to increases in the price of new cars, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes has warned.

Vehicle manufacturers are already facing a rise in the cost of materials such as lithium and cobalt, key to electric vehicle production, with some experts expecting this alone to be enough to push vehicle prices up as the car parc increasingly electrifies.

However, Hawes said the cost of energy will become the industry’s most pressing challenge once the ongoing semiconductor supply issue is resolved.

“There is the expectation will improve as the year goes on, particularly in the second half of the year, but there will still be ripples into 2023,” said Hawes, speaking at a media event where it was announced that the number of cars produced in the UK in 2021 fell 6.7% to 859,575 units.

“If the semiconductor issue can be resolved, energy will be the most immediate and pressing challenge as we can see what’s coming down the line in terms of price increases.

“The margins on volume car manufacturers are wafer thin and energy will potentially be going up 50%, 60% or 70%.

“There were vehicle price increases last year and, like any other manufacturing sector, if you’re facing increasing input costs, it is going to pull pricing up.

“But manufacturers will always do everything they can to mitigate those costs, either through investment or reductions in other areas.”

This means EVs could face a pricing double whammy. Typically a battery accounts for around 40% of the cost of making a BEV, with the cost of producing them having fallen by almost 90% in the past 10 years.

Figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance show the inflation-adjusted price of battery packs for cars was $1,200 per kWh in 2010. This had fallen to $132 last year.

The impact this has on the cost of producing an EV is significant. Assuming a kWh price of $132, it would have cost $6,000 to produce a 50kWh battery last year. In 2010, this would have been $60,000.

Prices of many of the elements used in EV battery production rose sharply in the second half of 2021: for example, battery-grade lithium carbonate rose to a record high of $41,060 per tonne, more than five times higher than last January, cobalt doubled to $70,208, while nickel jumped 15% to $20,045 a tonne.

“We’ve got an ever-increasing reliance upon elements such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, manganese and copper for EV batteries,” said James Nicholson, partner in advanced manufacturing and mobility at EY.

“For a while now, a lot of those commodities have had supressed prices and there’s a strong chance that as demand goes up and these metals become quite scarce, we will see some of those material prices continue to lift.

“That’s going to put a pinch point on the cost of the materials that go into battery cells and that could lift the price to the carmaker and eventually the consumer.”

James Frith, head of energy storage research at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, added: “This creates a tough environment for automakers, particularly those in Europe, which have to increase EV sales in order to meet average fleet emissions standards,” says

“These automakers may now have a choice between reducing their margins or passing costs on, at the risk of putting consumers off purchasing an EV.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Tracker has revealed that the Range Rover Sport has been named the most commonly stolen and recovered vehicle for the third consecutive year.

Analysis of data by the stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) company, Tracker Network UK, shows that Range Rover and Land Rover models dominated in 2021, with a total of seven models accounting for almost half (44%) of all stolen cars recovered by Tracker last year.

Mercedes-Benz accounted for almost one in five (18%) vehicles the company recovered.

With keyless car entry systems becoming increasingly commonplace, Tracker says it is no surprise that keyless theft has risen to an all-time high; 94% of all vehicles recovered by Tracker in 2021 were stolen without the thief having possession of the keys.

Clive Wain, head of police liaison for Tracker, says that due to the pandemic, global demand for car parts has created a boom in ‘chop-shops’ – buildings which house stolen vehicles for stripping down so their expensive parts can be sold on.

Furthermore, according to Wain, the lack of parts for new car manufacturing resulted in a surge of sales in the second-hand car market, creating a lucrative business for car thieves to fill the shortage.

“Prestige models have always been the go-to for criminals who exploit the demand for these desirable cars in territories like Europe, Middle East and Africa,” he added.

“We are continuously intercepting shipping containers packed with stolen vehicles at ports around the country and 2021 was no different. However, due to the pandemic lower value cars have also seen an increase in theft rates.”

The BMW X5, which has held the top spot in Tracker’s league table six times in the last ten years, slides down from fourth place in 2020 to fifth position in 2021.

The Audi A4 makes its first appearance since 2011, holding position nine alongside the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The Audi Q7 sneaks in at number 10, the first time to feature in the Tracker league table since its inception in 2009.

Wain concluded: “Whatever the value of a car, an important barrier to stop thieves is using traditional physical security devices like steering wheel locks and wheel clamps.

“In addition, placing the key fob into a signal blocking pouch which is lined with layers of metallic material, will stop a key’s signal from being intercepted by would-be thieves.

“However, thieves are increasingly determined and employ sophisticated methods too.  In the event of a vehicle being stolen, an SVR solution will significantly increase the chances of it being quickly recovered and returned before it’s sold on, stripped for parts or shipped abroad.”

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Users of autonomous vehicles should be legally protected in event of a collision, a new report suggests.

The Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission have published a joint report, making recommendations for the safe and responsible introduction of self-driving vehicles.

Under the Law Commissions’ proposals, when a car is authorised by a regulatory agency as having “self-driving features” and those features are in-use, the person in the driving seat would no longer be responsible for how the car drives. Instead, the company or body that obtained the authorisation – typically the vehicle manufacturer should face regulatory sanctions if anything goes wrong.

The report recommends introducing a new Automated Vehicles Act, to regulate vehicles that can drive themselves and suggests that a clear distinction should be made between features which just assist drivers, such as adaptive cruise control, and those that are self-driving.

Nicholas Paines QC, public law commissioner, said: “We have an unprecedented opportunity to promote public acceptance of automated vehicles with our recommendations on safety assurance and clarify legal liability. We can also make sure accessibility, especially for older and disabled people, is prioritised from the outset.”

Modern vehicles are fitted with many driver assistance systems and the report anticipates that, in future, these features will develop to a point where an automated vehicle will be able to drive itself for at least part of a journey, without a human paying attention to the road. For example, a car may be able to drive itself on a motorway, or a shuttle bus may be able to navigate a particular route.

The report follows a consultation into the legal ramifications of autonomous driving technology.

The Law Commissions recommend a new system of legal accountability once a vehicle is authorised by a regulatory agency as having self-driving features, and a self-driving feature is engaged.

The person in the driving seat would no longer be a driver but a “user-in-charge”. A user-in-charge cannot be prosecuted for offences which arise directly from the driving task. They would have immunity from a wide range of offences – from dangerous driving to exceeding the speed limit or running a red light.

However, the user-in-charge would retain other driver duties, such as carrying insurance, checking loads or ensuring that children wear seat belts.

If the vehicle drives in a way which would be criminal or unsafe if performed by a human driver, an in-use regulator would work with the carmaker to ensure that the matter does not recur. Regulatory sanctions would also be available to the regulator.

In the case of autonomous taxis or minibuses, where there is no driver, any occupants of the vehicle would simply be passengers. Instead of having a ‘user-in-charge’, a licensed operator would be responsible for overseeing the journey.

Matthew Avery, chief research strategy officer at Thatcham Research, an organisation which was part of the consultation for the Law Commissions’ report, said: “The transition to safe introduction of automation with self-driving capabilities is fraught with risk as we enter the early stages of adoption.

Today’s report is a significant step, as it provides important legal recommendations and clarity for the safe deployment of vehicles with self-driving features onto the UK’s roads.

“In the next 12 months, we’re likely to see the first iterations of self-driving features on cars on UK roads.  It’s significant that the Law Commission report highlights driver’s legal obligations and they understand that their vehicle is not yet fully self-driving.  It has self-driving features that, in the near future, will be limited to motorway use at low speeds.

“The driver will need to be available to take back control at any time, won’t be permitted to sleep or use their mobile phones, the vehicle won’t be able to change lanes and if the driver does not take back control, when requested, it will stop in lane on the motorway.  It is critical that early adopters understand these limitations and their legal obligations.”

The report has been laid before Parliament and the Scottish Parliament. It will be for the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments to decide whether to accept the Commissions’ recommendations and introduce legislation to bring them into effect. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Thatcham Research has revealed the safest new cars that launched in 2021, with EV and Hybrid models among the best performers.

A total of five cars were highlighted by the safety research organisation, including the Skoda Enyaq, Mercedes EQS and Polestar 2.

The Nissan Qashqai and Toyota Yaris Cross also made the list.

Matthew Avery, Chief Research Strategy Officer, Thatcham Research comments: “It’s fantastic to see carmakers continuing to prioritise safety, with all but four vehicles tested by Euro NCAP in 2021 achieving a four or five-star rating. Most are rising to the safety challenge and it’s encouraging to note EVs are performing very well as a group too.

“As well as the development of active safety technology to help avoid crashes and protect vulnerable road users, we also welcome the continued introduction of passive safety innovations such as centre-airbags, which prevent occupants from colliding into one another during side impacts.”

The panel of judges who selected 2021’s safest cars includes: Thatcham Research’s Matthew Avery; Claire Evans, What Car? consumer editor; Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general; and Loughborough University’s Pete Thomas, Emeritus Professor in Road and Vehicle Safety.

Judges favoured affordable vehicles that will bring the biggest safety benefits to the greatest number of drivers. Of particular importance were robust ‘active’ crash-avoidance systems, effective ‘passive’ occupant protection features, well-delivered driver interface technology, and a commitment to standard fitment across the range.

Selections will now form the shortlist for the 2022 What Car? Safety Award. The overall winner and two runners up will be revealed on January 20.

The Mercedes EQS scored some of the best Euro NCAP test results of the year, impressing judges with its improved Safety Assist technology and occupant protection, including a centre console-mounted airbag to contain occupants during side impacts.

The top-selling Qashqai is one of the best-ever performing cars in Euro NCAP tests, achieving more than 90% in three out of four safety categories. Applauded for its Reverse Automatic Braking, Lane Support and Emergency Lane Keeping functions, the Qashqai’s popularity and price point offset the current absence of all-electric or hybrid versions from its range, according to judges.

The Polestar 2 is the first model from the new electric-car brand to be tested against Euro NCAP protocols and has all the safety features expected from a Volvo-derived EV. The car was commended for its impressive passive safety performance, due to its excellent body structure and very effective restraint systems.

Skoda’s Enyaq scored well in frontal offset testing, with the car engineered to minimise damage to other vehicles in a collision, and its Adult Occupant Protection score of 94% was the second highest of all the cars tested. Skoda is planning improvements to the Enyaq’s Lane Assistance technology, which judges felt was a little ‘over-zealous’.

The Toyota Yaris Cross was commended for its encouraging overall performance in safety tests and its affordability. Judges felt the car’s popularity will help democratise safety technology, allowing many motorists to access and benefit from recent innovations.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Almost half of fixed speed cameras are not working, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request answered by 26 out of 44 police forces.

Of the 1,092 fixed speed cameras, 523 are inactive. Wiltshire Police reported that they have no fixed or mobile cameras but just rely on handheld cameras.

Some areas – like North Yorkshire, Durham, and Northamptonshire – have no fixed speed cameras working at all. Some of the cameras started to be switched off 10 years ago when funding arrangements were changed, and they became too expensive to replace.

The findings, from a BBC Panorama investigation, come as death rates on UK roads have plateaued over the past decade, after previously declining for 30 years. The death rate on the country’s roads increased by 5% in 2020.

AA president Edmund King, who contributed to the programme, says the UK needs ‘more cops in cars’. 

“It is tragic that road deaths have plateaued over the last decade after a period of sharp decline,” said King. “These deaths are totally unnecessary and should not be happening.

“We have safer vehicles; we should have safer roads and safer drivers. It is a scandal that five people per day die on our roads. This is totally unacceptable.”

King says that almost eight times as many people are killed on the roads every single year than die from knife crime. “We cannot continue in this way,” he added. “There should be a national commitment from the Prime Minister down to end this carnage.”

The AA’s Yonder driver surveys over the past decade show an 80%-plus acceptance rate for speed cameras from drivers yet the situation today is a “total postcode lottery”, according to King

“Speed cameras are effective in reducing speeding but are only one part of the armoury and do nothing to deter drink, drugged and other forms of dangerous driving,” he said.

“We need a concerted effort to reduce road deaths and often basic measures like more road markings or improved junctions can help.

“But ultimately, we need five-star drivers, in five-star cars, on five-star roads, with five-star enforcement and five-star political commitment to reduce road deaths.”

Recent AA Yonder surveys show that more people appear to believe that it’s becoming easier to get away with motoring offences which must be down to a reduction in dedicated traffic police.

More than one in four (26%) say that in their area, there’s little or no chance of being stopped and punished for drink driving, or for speeding.

More than four in ten (42%) says there’s little or no chance of being stopped and punished for driving while using a handheld mobile phone.

More than half (52%) says little or no chance of being stopped for careless driving.

A report from the Police Foundation, ‘The Future of Roads Policing’, due to be published next month is expected to analyse the reduction in numbers of dedicated traffic officers.

Between 2010 and 2014 numbers of dedicated traffic officers fell by 22% and between 2015 and 2019, numbers fell by a further 18%.

It will also recommend that roads policing should be included in the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR) to make it a national priority so that the Home Office, police forces and Chief Constables are more visibly accountable for policing our roads. This recommendation is fully supported by the AA and DriveTech.

Another FOI request by Panorama provided answers consistent with the Police Foundation’s figures. Thirty-four of 44 forces confirm that in 2016, they employed 5,014 dedicated traffic officers; today that figure is down to 4,257 – a cut of 757 dedicated traffic cops; 15% in five years.

King concluded: “This leads to the conclusion that ‘cops in cars’ are essential. We have seen a correlation between plateauing road deaths and the decline in the number of dedicated road traffic officers. If some people think they will get away with motoring offences, they will take more chances.

“We should reverse this decline as traffic police are needed in this national crisis with five people dying on our roads daily. This is not acceptable on any level.

“The bonus, as well as saving lives on the road, is that more traffic police can lead to a reduction in general serious crime as serious criminal offenders are more likely to also be serious traffic offenders.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News