Category: News

The cost of both petrol and diesel fell for the fourth consecutive month in February, yet drivers requiring diesel continue to be overcharged at the pump, according to new data.

The price of an average litre of unleaded dropped by another penny to 147.2p, according to data from RAC Fuel Watch, while diesel fell by 3.19p to 167.9p. As a result, the cost of filling up an average-size 55-litre family car with petrol is now £81.25, down from £81.94 a month earlier.

Diesel, meanwhile, dropped by 3.19p to 167.19p, making the cost of filling up a diesel family car £91.95, down from £93.71 at the start of the month.

However, analysis of wholesale prices by the RAC shows that diesel drivers are being ‘needlessly’ overcharged at the pumps. Despite just a six-pence difference between the wholesale costs of petrol and diesel, diesel pump prices are currently 20p more than petrol.

The RAC states that this means drivers of diesel cars are paying around £7 more per tank than if the fuel was being sold at a ‘fairer’ price of around 155p a litre.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “A reduction in pump prices would normally be extremely welcome news for drivers, not least in a cost-of-living crisis that is making the price of so many everyday items and services much more expensive than normal.

“But while our analysis shows drivers of petrol cars are paying a fair price at the pumps, the same sadly can’t be said for anyone whose vehicle runs on diesel.”

The RAC says that drivers face a ‘pump price shock’ in less than two weeks unless the Chancellor retains the 5p duty cut which was put in place a year ago and cancels the annual planned hike at the Spring Budget on March 15.

Williams added: “To decide to raise prices by 5p on both fuels would prove punishing to households and businesses struggling to make ends meet, and may have a detrimental effect on both inflation – which the Government is desperate to bring down – and the wider economy.

“In the case of diesel, it would also mean the UK has the highest fuel duty rate in the whole of Europe.”

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.

A 2003 Ferrari Enzo which is still wearing much of its original factory protective wrapping is heading to auction later this month.

The Enzo came about in 2002 to celebrate Ferrari’s dominance in Formula 1 in the early 2000s, and used a new 6.0-litre V12 engine alongside much of the same technology used in F1 at the time.

The ‘halo’ model for Ferrari in the first decade of the millennium, it’s also the only model in the Italian supercar brand’s history to ever use the name of its founder, Enzo Ferrari, who died in 1988.

Just 400 examples were produced, with the majority painted in Ferrari’s famous Rosso Corsa red colour. This example, however, is one of nine painted in Argento Nurburgring (silver) and is believed to have a unique ‘Cuoio’ brown leather interior.

Of more importance, however, is the fact this Enzo is believed to be one of the lowest mileage examples in existence, having covered just 141 miles in 20 years, with nearly all of these miles coming from factory testing before the car was handed over.

Described by RM Sotheby’s, who is selling the car, as a ‘time capsule’, and still features much of its original protective wrapping, and is said to have ‘remained largely out of sight for much of its life’.

Delivered new to a ‘significant’ Japanese collector, who has owned it ever since, this Enzo has never been registered and now resides in Ontario, Canada.

It is being sold with RM Sotheby’s ‘Sealed’ online bidding platform, with the auction opening on March 15 and closing two days later.

No estimate has been given, but given far higher mileage examples have sold for £2.5m in recent months, it’s expected to make well in excess of £3m when the auction closes.

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.

A legendary classic car known as ‘The Beast’ is set to head to auction next week.

Starting off as a rolling chassis built by Paul Jameson in 1966, The Beast began life with a 27-litre Meteor engine from a tank under the bonnet. Requiring a bespoke gearbox for it, James spoke with transmission specialist John Dodd, who would later buy the chassis and engine.

However, it was Dodd who took things forward by having a fibreglass body created for the huge chassis. Sadly, a fire on the way back from a journey to Sweden saw The Beast wrecked, but rather than scrap it entirely, Dodd chose to restore it and fit a new engine – a 27-litre Merlin V12, in fact.

Car and Classic – which is selling The Beast on March 9 – states that Rolls-Royce ‘wasn’t happy’ about one of its grilles being used on the car, but that Dodd hid the car and travelled to Spain with it after a court case saw Dodd sentenced to six months in prison for refusing to pay a fine to Rolls-Royce following a court ruled that he had committed trademark infringement.

As well as featuring in an episode of Top Gear, The Beast was named in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most powerful car in 1977. The V5 is still present and John Dodd is still listed as the owner. Sadly, Dodd passed away last year.

The cabin features just two seats, while a bank of red rocker switches controls the starter functions for the huge Merlin engine. The steering wheel is bespoke to The Beast too and features a ‘JD’ boss in the centre.

In full running order, The Beast is set to go under the hammer on March 9, with seller Car and Classic stating that it ‘believes’ that it qualifies for MOT exemption. It currently has just over 10,000 miles on the clock.

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.”

Almost two-thirds (65%) of drivers believe aggressive cyclists are a threat to their safety, a new survey suggests.

The poll of 2,010 UK motorists, commissioned by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, also indicated that 60% believe aggressive cyclists are a bigger problem compared with three years ago.

A similar proportion of respondents (61%) said they would not support a law assuming drivers are always responsible for collisions with cyclists or pedestrians in urban areas.

Department for Transport (DfT) figures show four car occupants were killed in crashes involving a bicycle and a car on Britain’s roads between 2012 and 2021.

That is compared with 494 fatalities of cyclists in such incidents over the same period.

IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research Neil Greig said: “The Government has introduced a range of laws in recent years in an effort to fix the daily conflicts we see between motorists and cyclists.

“However, if our research is anything to go by, this has largely been to no avail, with the majority of respondents still reporting aggression and conflict among road users.

“There is no quick-fix to this issue, but our research sheds light on the urgent need for the Government to maintain its education campaigns on the new Highway Code, and continue to invest in safe road markings for more vulnerable road users to minimise the chance of conflict wherever possible.

“In the meantime, all road users, whether on two or four wheels, should exercise calmness and restraint to help us all use Britain’s roads safely.”

New rules came into force in June 2022 meaning judges in Britain can hand down life sentences to dangerous drivers who kill and careless drivers who kill while under the influence of drink or drugs.

Two months later, then-transport secretary Grant Shapps pledged to create a “death by dangerous cycling” law that would treat killer cyclists the same as motorists.

Nearly four out of five (78%) respondents to the IAM RoadSmart survey said people driving motor vehicles aggressively are putting their safety at risk.

Some 108 people were killed in 2021 in crashes where aggressive driving was a contributory factor, equivalent to 8% of all road deaths.

Duncan Dollimore, heading of campaigns at charity Cycling, said: “There’s no excuse for aggressive behaviour – people can behave badly no matter what mode of transport they’re using.

“The consequences are however disproportionate, with statistics showing poor driving far more likely to lead to a fatality or serious injury.

“The Highway Code changed last year to emphasise the additional responsibility those in charge of larger vehicles, because they were more likely to cause harm if there is a collision.

“Cycling UK has repeatedly called for a long-term well-funded public awareness campaign by the Government to ensure that the changes are better communicated and understood, which in turn will make our roads safer for everyone.”

The amendments to the Highway Code included the creation of a hierarchy of road users based on vulnerability.

It means someone driving has more responsibility to watch out for people cycling, walking or riding a horse.

Another change involved motorists being told they should leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at up to 30mph, and leave more space at higher speeds.

The survey for IAM RoadSmart was conducted by research company Cint in December 2022.