Author: PA Media

Protesters will find it harder to climb motorway gantries built using a new design, National Highways said.

The roadside structures will be “more resilient to trespassers” as steps for maintenance crews will be inside pillars rather than outside, according to the government-owned company.

Gantries above the M25 were repeatedly scaled by Just Stop Oil activists in November last year, bringing traffic on the UK’s busiest motorway to a halt.

The structures are used to display vital information to drivers, such as speed limits, journey times and warnings of safety hazards.

National Highways, which is responsible for England’s motorways and major A roads, held a competition to replace existing designs.

It said: “Although security issues did not form part of the original specification, the new design will be more resilient to trespassers due to entry being concealed within the pillars, making it more difficult to access without authorisation.”

The winning entry was produced by London-based architecture company Useful Studio.

It was selected for its “simplicity and elegance”.

The gantries will have a lower carbon footprint compared with current designs as they use less steel.

National Highways executive director for operations, Duncan Smith said: “Existing designs tend to emphasise function over form.

“Our challenge is to create innovative structures that can accommodate the required signage and equipment that are more sympathetic to the environment.

“In selecting Useful Studio as the winner, the judging panel admired the simplicity and elegance of the pared-back design approach.”

Roads minister Richard Holden said: “Congratulations to Useful Studio and National Highways for their success in creating a modern, secure design that is set to redefine the look and feel of our motorways and roads.

“Their innovative approach is bound to improve the daily journeys of countless motorists while also contributing to a more sustainable future.”

Useful Studio will work with National Highways to develop its design concept.

It is expected to become the standard design for new gantries in around two years.

The competition was part of a wider push to beautify motorways and major A-roads.

Design guidance published by National Highways in July last year included recommendations such as “minimising clutter” and providing “clues” about how to drive.

Government funding for maintaining England’s motorways and major A roads was 31 times higher per mile than for repairing local roads last year, according to new figures.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which conducted the analysis, urged the Treasury to use next week’s Budget to provide more money to councils to fix their pothole-plagued roads.

It said that Government-owned company National Highways spent £192,000 per mile on maintaining its network of motorways and major A roads last year.

That is compared with councils receiving just £6,000 per mile for fixing potholes on local roads.

LGA transport spokesman David Renard said: “All journeys by car begin and end on local roads, which make up the vast majority of our road network.

“Spending more on improving our motorways whilst neglecting crumbling local roads is counterproductive.

“Despite the efforts of councils, which repair a pothole every 19 seconds, our local road repair backlog is rising, with latest estimates showing it would take over £12 billion and nine years to clear.

“This coupled with soaring inflation is making it increasingly harder for councils to keep our roads in good condition.

“The Government should use the spring Budget to give councils the funding they need to fix potholes and improve road surfaces for everyone that uses them.”

Two-thirds of motorists are cutting back on their vehicle usage as a way to reduce fuel bills, a new survey has discovered.

Nearly half the respondents are also driving more economically to use less fuel, while over a quarter are putting off cosmetic repairs to their vehicles. Some 27.4 per cent are also cleaning their vehicles less to save extra money.

Jessica Potts, head of marketing at BookMyGarage, which conducted the survey of 2,113 motorists, said: “The impact of the financial situation in the UK is making itself felt when it comes to expenditure on car running and maintenance costs.

“For millions of families, fuel bills are a significant part of the monthly budget, and when petrol and diesel prices are still so high, cutting usage can make a real difference.

“Reducing annual mileage by just 10 per cent – or 1,000 miles – could save hundreds of pounds in fuel bills. We understand the strain many are under and while cutting fuel bills is a money saver, we wouldn’t recommend cutting corners on car maintenance as it can lead to bigger bills in the long term.”

A recent survey also conducted by BookMyGarage found that one-in-three motorists are choosing to delay or skip servicing their vehicle in the next 12 months due to ‘increasing financial pressures’ while almost half said that they were shopping around to help save money on their car maintenance costs.

A campaign has been launched aimed at reducing the number of young male drivers killed on rural roads.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said its new Think! initiative encourages young motorists to slow down by asking them to consider “Is pushing it worth it?”.

The campaign highlights that speeding leaves 54 young people dead or injured every week in the UK.

Casualty figures show male drivers aged 17-24 are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than drivers aged 25 or over.

Three out of five crashes in which young male car drivers die or suffer a serious injury, happen on rural roads.

Road safety minister Richard Holden said: “Road safety is our priority, but we want to accelerate our efforts to tackle unsafe driving habits and create some of the safest roads in the world.

“We’re highlighting the dangers of relaxed driving attitudes on rural roads so that everyone recognises that pushing the speed limit is just not worth it.”

Think! research shows young men underestimate the risks of driving just a few miles per hour over the appropriate speed for the road conditions.

Dr Gemma Briggs, professor of applied cognitive psychology at the Open University, said most drivers consider themselves to have “better than average” skills behind the wheel so can “handle a bit of extra speed”, but young people have the “added problem of a lack of driving experience”.

She added: “They can’t rely on their previous experience to understand driving situations, so adding other elements to this, such as additional speed, increases the likelihood of young drivers failing to notice hazards and being involved in a collision.”

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: “We know speeding presents a clear and present road safety danger, particularly on country roads where the number of collisions is much greater.

“We also know that far too many young people are injured or killed every year in car accidents, so hopefully this campaign can bring about some much-needed behavioural change among the nation’s least experienced drivers which helps to keep everyone safe on our rural roads.”

A driver was caught by police using just his elbow to steer a car transporter on a busy motorway.

National Highways released footage of the incident on the M40 near Gaydon in Warwickshire.

The Government-owned company responsible for England’s motorways and major A roads said the driver was initially “oblivious” to the police officers filming him as they drove alongside his car-carrying vehicle in an unmarked HGV cab.

The driver quickly put his hands on the wheel when the officers caught his attention.

He was then pulled over by a police car travelling behind.

This was one of three incidents from which footage was released showing distracted driving in late January and early February.

A man was filmed texting on a mobile phone and not wearing a seatbelt while driving a horsebox on the A46 Coventry Eastern Bypass.

In another example, a woman was caught participating in a video call while holding a mobile phone as she drove along the M40 near Junction 16 for Lapworth, Warwickshire.

National Highways said more than 33,000 offences have been recorded since it launched Operation Tramline in 2015.

The initiative involves police officers being deployed in HGV cabs so they can film drivers from an elevated position.

The most common offences are not wearing a seatbelt (9,962) and illegal use of a mobile phone (8,368), followed by 2,257 incidents of drivers not being in proper control of their vehicle.

Consequences for drivers range from warnings to fixed penalty notices, court summons or arrests.

National Highways head of road safety Jeremy Phillips said: “We are committed to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured while travelling on our roads by 50% by 2025 and we have a long-term ambition for zero harm.

“To achieve that we need to tackle the unsafe driving behaviour that we sadly still encounter.

“Hundreds of thousands of drivers use our roads every day and the vast majority are sensible behind the wheel, but some are putting themselves and others at risk.

“Through this week of action we want to encourage motorists to think about their driving and to adopt safer behaviours.

“But those who continue to pose a risk should be aware that we are working with our police partners to make sure they are spotted and prevented from causing serious harm to themselves or others.”

Officers from eight forces will patrol the M1 between London and Leeds in unmarked HGV cabs next week.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing operations Commander Kyle Gordon said: “We are pleased to be working with our key partner National Highways once again as we work to reduce the danger caused on one of our busiest roads, and beyond, by drivers who allow themselves to be distracted while driving.

“Too many people are killed or seriously injured on our roads every year.

“My officers have to visit the families of those killed on our roads five times a day, every day of the week.

“I am very happy to support all initiatives that can help reduce these numbers.”

Department for Transport figures show 67 people were killed and a further 686 were seriously injured in crashes on Britain’s roads in 2021 when a distraction within a vehicle was a contributory factor.

Hundreds of thousands more potentially unsafe vehicles could remain on UK roads this month because their owners cannot afford an MOT test, a motoring company has warned.

Halfords commissioned a survey of 2,006 motorists which suggested that one in six (17%) drivers whose vehicles’ MOT is due in March say they will not be able to afford it.

The majority (71%) of those people say they will continue to use their vehicle anyway.

Halfords warned this could lead to around 406,000 additional vehicles without an MOT being driven on UK roads.

Among the respondents who said they will not be able to afford their next MOT test, two-thirds explained that this is because they have to prioritise their spending elsewhere.

Drivers in Britain can be fined up to £1,000 for using a vehicle without a valid MOT certificate.

Continuing to use a vehicle deemed “dangerous” by an MOT test without rectifying the issues can lead to a fine of up to £2,500 as well as a driving ban and three penalty points.

The tests check a number of parts such as lights, seatbelts, tyres and brakes to ensure they meet legal standards.

Halfords chief executive Graham Stapleton said: “The data shows that March is set to be the worst month we have ever seen when it comes to cars on our roads without an MOT.

“MOTs are vital annual safety checks. It’s not about ticking boxes.

“The fact that so many could be driving their kids to school in vehicles without an MOT is a genuine worry.

“The bottom line is that it is not worth the risk, not just of a fine and points, but of endangering yourself or others.”

Antony Kildare, chief executive of road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: “Households up and down the country are being forced to cut back on everyday outgoings to balance the books, but it’s extremely worrying to learn that such a large proportion of motorists are opting not to have their annual MOT.”

The Department for Transport is consulting on proposals to require new cars, motorbikes and vans in Britian to have their first MOT test four years after they are first registered, compared with three years currently.

After the first test, MOTs are required every 12 months.

– Halfords commissioned research company Mortar Research to conduct the survey in February.

The number of parking tickets issued by private companies in Britain soared by 24% in the second half of 2022.

A record 5.7 million tickets were handed out between July and December, analysis of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data by the PA news agency found.

That is an average of around 31,000 every day and is up from a total of 4.6 million during the same period in 2021.

Each ticket can be up to £100, meaning the total annual cost to drivers could exceed £1.1 billion at the current rate.

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signage, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

In July 2022, the Government withdrew a long-awaited code of practice aimed at eradicating some of the sector’s worst actions following a legal challenge by parking companies.

The DVLA figures show the number of records obtained from the agency by companies chasing car owners for alleged infringements in private car parks such as at shopping centres, leisure facilities and motorway service areas.

They do not include car parks run by councils.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “If only the rest of the economy was booming like the private parking sector, perhaps we’d all be feeling more prosperous.

“Private parking looks set to be a billion pound-a-year business, if it isn’t already, with demands for up to £100 a time being sent out to drivers at the rate of more than one every three seconds.

“There’s widespread agreement that the Government should be setting up a regulatory framework for the industry, but it is nearly four years since the relevant law was passed.

“These numbers surely suggest that what’s needed is action now.”

The code of practice, which was due to come into force across Britain by the end of 2023, stated that the cap on tickets for some parking offences should be halved to £50.

The withdrawal pending a review of charges could lead to a further delay in its implementation.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokeswoman said: “We are determined to create a new private parking code of practice which will bring in a fairer system with motorists’ interests at its heart.

“We’re working with industry and consumer groups to introduce the code as quickly as possible.”

Some 184 parking management businesses requested vehicle owner records between July and December.

ParkingEye was the most active, buying 1.1 million records.

The DVLA charges private companies £2.50 per record.

The agency says its fees are set to recover the cost of providing the information, and it does not make any money from the process.

– Here are the number of vehicle keeper records obtained from the DVLA by parking management companies in the second half of every year since 2017:

2017: 3.4 million

2018: 3.5 million

2019: 4.3 million

2020: 3.0 million (affected by the coronavirus pandemic)

2021: 4.6 million

2022: 5.7 million

More than a third (36%) of people admit to feeling nervous overtaking lorries while driving, a survey has found.

The same proportion of respondents to the poll of 2,000 British adults commissioned by National Highways said they do not know how many blind spots heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) have.

Lorries are fitted with additional mirrors to aid visibility, but they do not eliminate blind spots at the front, rear and each side of the vehicle.

National Highways, the Government-owned company responsible for England’s motorways and major A-roads, has launched a campaign to boost awareness of the areas lorry drivers cannot see.

Department for Transport figures show 216 people were killed in collisions involving HGVs in Britain in 2021.

Road safety minister Richard Holden said: “We have some of the safest roads in the world, but we are not complacent and are always looking at ways to make them safer.

“Making motorists aware of HGV blind spots will help prevent road collisions and support our ambitions of building a safer road network.”

National Highways head of road safety Jeremy Phillips said: “Safety is our number one priority and we all have a role to play in keeping each other safe when driving.

“Our advice to motorists overtaking a HGV is simple: avoid tailgating the HGV when considering an overtaking manoeuvre, and as the Highway Code states, do so quickly and safely to avoid staying in an area of limited visibility.”

– The survey was conducted by research company ICM in February.

Drivers leasing new electric cars are being overcharged by hundreds of pounds each month, according to a report.

Clean transport campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) accused leasing companies of failing to reflect the strong resale value of cleaner cars when setting their prices.

Charges are typically based on a vehicle’s expected depreciation over the period of the contract, which is often three or four years.

The T&E report said leasing offers for new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the UK are 51% more expensive on average than equivalent petrol models.

It gave the example of leasing an electric VW ID.3, which costs about £605 a month, while a petrol Golf is offered at £376.

This is despite analysis of 2.7 million used car prices revealing BEVs do not depreciate faster than traditionally-fuelled cars.

The report found that leasing companies still consider electric cars to be “new and uncertain products”, which is an “outdated” approach.

T&E electric fleets lead Ralph Palmer said: “Customers are being overcharged by leasing companies if they want to switch to an electric car.

“Leasing firms are too conservative when setting their monthly prices.

“Their rates reflect the state of play from five years ago.

“With this pricing strategy, their profits are obviously high and consumers are overpaying to go electric.

“If leasing companies’ prices reflected the realities of the market, more consumers would have access to affordable new EVs (electric vehicles).”

Leasing businesses – such as Lex Autolease, Arval, ALD and Leaseplan – account for a fifth of new car purchases.

Sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned in the UK from 2030.

A report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit published on Monday said the Government’s approach to electric cars means motorists risk missing out on a total of £9 billion of savings by 2043 by continuing to run petrol cars.

Drivers are being charged 20p per litre more for diesel than petrol despite there being little difference in the fuels’ wholesale prices, according to new analysis.

The RAC urged retailers to cut diesel pump prices to “fairer levels” which reflect costs.

It found that diesel’s wholesale price – the amount that retailers pay for fuel – was just 6p per litre more than petrol last week.

But a litre of diesel is being sold at an average of around 168p while petrol is just 148p.

RAC analysis found that retailers are “subsidising” cheaper petrol by taking a margin of 20p on every litre of diesel they sell.

Latest Government figures show 17.6 million vehicles licensed in the UK are diesel-powered, including the vast majority of vans.

That represents 43% of all vehicles on the road.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “Drivers of the country’s diesel vehicles have every right to feel hard done by as they’re paying a huge premium for the fuel which in no way reflects its lower wholesale cost.

“For nearly a month, the gap between wholesale petrol and diesel prices has been less than 10p a litre and in recent days it has reduced to just 3.5p, yet average diesel prices at the pumps remain stubbornly high having fallen by only 2p since the start of February.

“The fact membership-only retailer Costco has been able to cut the average price of a litre of diesel by 4p last week shows what’s possible, but we badly need other fuel retailers to treat drivers of diesel vehicles fairly.”