Distracted driving more dangerous than drunk driving

SNOW and ice can make driving a real challenge for motorists and can even lead to accidents. As snow piles up around the UK, these helpful tips prepare you for challenging travelling conditions in winter . How should you prepare for safe driving in snow? Before heading off in the snow , plan your journey carefully and keep up-to-date with local weather reports . Also: Allow more time than you usually would and ensure all the snow is clear from your vehicle. It is actually against the law to drive with snow on your car. Carry a lock de-icer with you to clear your locks. Make sure any auto wiper control is switched off before turning the ignition on. If they are frozen to the screen the control fuse will blow. Check your tyres for adequate tread so the grip is sufficient. If conditions are very bad you may want to consider using snow socks or chains. Use a good screenwash that protects down to at least -35C to prevent the water from freezing. Being … [Read more...] about How to drive safely in snow and ice – tips as UK hit with winter blast

UK drivers could face major changes to taxes, duties and charges within a month. Increased charges could hit millions of Britain's motorists in 2021. Proposals are being tabled for a range of new schemes in an attempt to balance the coronavirus -hit economy and lessen the environmental impact of driving in the UK. Chancellor Rishi Sunak's March Budget is widely expected to include changes such as increased fuel duty, although the government has not confirmed it. Keith Hawes, Director of Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, says: “While tax increases and changes in tax law are inevitable and even necessary, if not always welcome, it’s already been a difficult year for Britain’s motorists, and proposed tax changes are unlikely to make it any easier. “With the country's finances in the state they are in because of the coronavirus pandemic and with an increasingly pressing environmental need to lessen the damages the cars on our roads do, we're expecting big changes in the March … [Read more...] about Seven driving laws set to hit motorists in 2021 – and they could start in March

BRITS could be BANNED from parking on pavements over fears pedestrians are being forced onto the road. Ministers are considering whether to extend London’s ban to the whole country, with rule-breakers facing £70 fines. The Department for Transport launched a consultation on three possible options in relation to the nationwide ban, which concluded at the end of November last year. A spokesperson for the DfT confirmed to The Sun Online that a date had not yet been set for the results to be published, but they are expected to be announced very soon. The DfT says that three options will be put forward to counteract the dangers of pavement parking, which include extending the London ban across the country. The restriction would allow local authorities to give out fines of £70 on those who flouted the rules. And the second option proposed would be to streamline existing powers for councils to make it easier for them to impose legal notices to regulate vehicles on certain … [Read more...] about Brits could be BANNED from parking on pavement and face fines over fears pedestrians are being forced onto the road

A KIND-HEARTED mum who pushed a LORRY up a snow-covered hill has been gifted a year's supply of free milk as a thank you. Charlene Leslie, was filmed giving a Graham’s milk truck a helping hand in Cowdenbeath, Fife, as Storm Darcy brought heavy snow and the coldest temperatures for 26 years. The mum of three, originally from Edinburgh, went viral after footage emerged online. Speaking today, Charlene said she knows the stunt was dangerous but she couldn't stand by while the HGV struggled through the flurries. She said: “I would never just stand by when I see someone in trouble. I suppose what I did was really dangerous, but thankfully the Graham’s truck got safely up the hill. "In the moment I wasn't really thinking about me, I just wanted to help." Charlene was heading to a local shop with two of her three children, Rihanna, 10 and two-year-old Hunter as well as husky dog, Alaska, when she spotted a car in trouble in Cowdenbeath high street. Moments later she … [Read more...] about Mum gifted year’s supply of free milk after pushing massive lorry up hill in snow

The widow of one of the 10 people who died in the Selby train crash - which happened 20 years ago today - says lessons have not been learned from the disaster. Mary Dunn's husband Steve, a locomotive driver, was killed when a high-speed passenger train was derailed into the path of his oncoming freight train after it hit a Land Rover and trailer that was stranded on the tracks at Great Heck, near Selby in North Yorkshire. The driver of the Land Rover, Gary Hart, was given a five-year jail sentence for causing death by dangerous driving. A jury heard he had fallen asleep at the wheel and drifted off the M62 motorway and down an embankment, with his vehicle coming to rest on the East Coast Main Line. With research from the AA Charitable Trust suggesting 13% of drivers in the UK admit falling asleep at the wheel, Mrs Dunn said more could be done to cut the number of accidents - including the creation of additional rest areas. She said: "The accident rate hasn't really … [Read more...] about Selby train crash: Twenty years on from disaster, widow says crucial lessons have not been learned