Category: News

Driving test examiners have announced 10 days of strike action across England, Scotland and Wales.

More than 1,600 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will take rolling days of industrial action from March 6 to 28.

The strikes are the latest escalation of the union’s long-running campaign over pay, pensions and jobs.

The examiners took strike action earlier this year which the union said caused disruption to tests.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The Government must put forward concrete proposals to resolve this dispute.

“The more ministers choose to ignore members’ concerns over low pay, the more angry our members become.

“Our members cannot choose to ignore the cost-of-living crisis.

“Ministers can choose to resolve this dispute by putting money on the table.”

Around 100,000 PCS members will strike on Budget Day – March 15 – with the increasingly bitter dispute remaining deadlocked.

A Land Rover Defender first used by the Duke of Edinburgh is heading to auction this weekend.

The Defender was registered in 2010 and used by Prince Philip after being built to his individual specification. This included being painted in the rare colour of Keswick Green and finished with a black cloth interior. Heated seats and Land Rover seat covers were also fitted.

The Defender 110 County has covered just 15,623 miles and is being sold from a ‘significant private collection of special motor vehicles’, according to Silverstone Auctions, which is selling the Land Rover and describes it as being in a ‘gleaming’ condition.

Accompanying the sale is a history file containing letters between George Hassall, director of royal and diplomatic affairs at Jaguar Land Rover, to David Key, head chauffeur to the Duke of Edinburgh. While in royal possession, the Defender is believed to have been assigned the duke’s personal registration number of OXR 2.

It was sold by online auction site Collecting Cars in June 2022 for £44,000 and is now being sold by Silverstone Auctions on Saturday, February 25 at its Race Retro sale at Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry, with a guide price of £50,000 to £70,000.

Other royal-related cars are also being auctioned, including a 2013 Bentley Mulsanne that was used for royal household duties, as well as a 1942 Ford GPW Jeep that was used by King George VI on a wartime visit to RAF Chelveston that same year.

Philip, who died in April 2021, had a strong connection with Land Rover, using green Freelanders for several years. He also designed his own specially modified Defender to carry his coffin.

Remote driving of vehicles from abroad should be banned in the UK, a Government-commissioned review has found.

The Law Commission of England and Wales made the recommendation in its advice to ministers on how to regulate vehicles being controlled by individuals in remote locations.

This technology is already used in controlled environments such as warehouses and farms, but potential future applications include the delivery of rental cars to customers.

The commission concluded that “difficulties in enforcement” mean remote driving from abroad should be prohibited “until appropriate international agreements are in place”.

It recommended that remote driving in public should only be allowed if companies obtain special permissions.

There is currently no specific UK legal requirement for a driver to be in the vehicle they are controlling.

The review also stated that a remote driver should be responsible for their actions in the same way as someone sitting behind the wheel of a vehicle, but there should be no liability for faults beyond their control such as connectivity failures.

Public Law Commissioner Nicholas Paines KC said: “Remote driving is an exciting technology, but before we see remotely operated cars on UK roads we must address safety concerns through strong regulation.

“Our advice concludes that in the immediate term, the Government would be able to address some gaps in the law around remote driving using existing powers, while also providing a path for companies to use the technology lawfully provided that their systems are safe.

“In the longer term, it could set up a full system of remote driving regulation.

“Regulations must respond to other fundamental concerns around security threats and liability in the event of an accident.

“Our advice paper sets out a roadmap for how the Government can address these problems, whilst also encouraging companies to innovate.”

Transport minister Jesse Norman said: “Remote driving is already being successfully used off-road in several industries and has huge potential to provide new services and safety features for road vehicles.

“The Government needs to ensure that safety is at the forefront of the use of any new technology, and the department will carefully consider the Law Commission’s recommendations.”

Traffic lights could become obsolete in 20 years, an engineer supporting a groundbreaking self-driving cars trial said.

Thomas Tompkin of Smart Mobility Living Lab (SMLL) told the PA news agency “a seismic shift in the way our roads are laid out” is possible.

Two self-driving electric cars built by Japanese manufacturer Nissan have completed hundreds of laps around a 2.7-mile route featuring busy A roads in Woolwich, south-east London during the past two years.

This is part of the ServCity project to identify and overcome barriers to deploying autonomous vehicles in cities, which ends next month.

It is believed to be the UK’s first trial of driverless technology involving the use of roadside infrastructure as well as the vehicles’ own systems.

Around 270 cameras installed on the route by the SMLL relay information to the Nissan Leaf cars about potential issues ahead, such as buses stopped in the left lane.

This enables the cars to change lanes well before encountering obstructions, creating a smoother flow of traffic.

Mr Tompkin, head of network, infrastructure and operations at SMLL, estimated that the high-specification roadside systems cost “around one million pounds per kilometre” but claimed a wider rollout involving more basic technology could be done for a fraction of the price.

“That starts to become a bit more of a compelling business case,” he said.

“If we think about maybe 20 or 30 years time, can you start to then think about the infrastructure outside?

“Can you start to remove some of that infrastructure such as traffic signals?

“Obviously, there’s a lot of work to be done before that ever takes place.

“But that’s where you can start to see a seismic shift in the way our roads are laid out.”

Mr Tompkin said he hopes the UK will have “moved on a lot” towards “completely driverless cars” in public use by the end of the decade.

The Government has previously expressed its commitment to introducing legislation that will enable the use of self-driving vehicles.

ServCity’s cars have a qualified driver behind the wheel who can take control when needed.

A driver intervened on at least two occasions during media demonstrations earlier this week, to avoid a possible collision with a bus and to miss a chunk of road surface dislodged from a pothole.

The cars have covered more than 1,600 miles during testing, with no accidents, according to the project’s leaders.

Robert Bateman, who manages ServCity for Nissan, said there have been significant differences in London’s trials compared with those in the US and Japan.

“With London there’s more pedestrian interactions and crossings,” he explained.

“In Japan, everybody follows the rules. Not so in the UK.

“This is why Nissan has decided to do this research work here in the UK.

“Quite frankly, if you can get it right here you can then deliver an autonomous vehicle anywhere in the world.”

Mr Bateman insisted the cars are safer than those with a human in control.

He said: “The car is looking 360 degrees around it. That’s the autonomous vehicle system’s only job.

“It’s not eating a sandwich. It’s not texting. It’s not thinking what it’s going to be doing at work.

“It is 100% safer.”

ServCity is a £10.7 million consortium project involving Nissan, Hitachi, Connected Places Catapult, the University of Nottingham, TRL (formerly Transport Research Laboratory) and SBD Automotive.

Transport minister Jesse Norman said: “The Government has invested £7 million in this project to be at the forefront of innovation.

“Since then, ServCity has proven key to answer the practical questions of how to integrate self-driving vehicles into cities for the public good.”

Five Conservative-led councils said they have started a legal challenge over Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand London’s ultra low emission zone (Ulez).

The outer London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon, together with Surrey County Council, issued a joint statement announcing they have launched a judicial review into the Labour mayor’s plan.

A spokesman for the mayor said it would oppose “any challenge to this vital scheme”.

The Ulez is currently limited to the area within London’s North and South Circular roads, but is due to be extended to cover the whole of the capital from August 29.

It will then border areas of Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey.

Drivers of vehicles that do not meet minimum emissions standards are charged a £12.50 daily fee for entering the zone.

The councils said they will challenge the Ulez expansion in the High Court on the grounds that “relevant statutory requirements” were not complied with, expected compliance rates in outer London were not considered, and the proposed scrappage scheme was not consulted on.

They will also claim the overall consultation process was not properly conducted and there was a failure to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the plan.

Leader of Hillingdon Council Ian Edwards said: “Ulez is the wrong solution in outer London as it will have negligible or nil impact on air quality but will cause significant social and economic harm to our residents.

“We believe Sadiq Khan’s decision to impose this scheme on outer London boroughs is unlawful.”

His counterpart at Surrey County Council, Tim Oliver, said: “We are committed to delivering a greener future, but it must be done in a practical and sustainable way.

“We are dismayed at the lack of discussion or consideration given to these proposals by the Mayor of London.

“The impact on many Surrey residents and businesses will be significant and we will not stand by and watch that happen with no mitigations offered from the Mayor.”

Conservatives in London previously claimed City Hall officials “manipulated” the final results of Transport for London’s (TfL) consultation by excluding some so-called “campaign responses”, which lowered the level of opposition in the final count from 62% to 59%.

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “While we’re aware of media speculation that an application for a judicial review has been made by four boroughs and Surrey County Council, neither the GLA (Greater London Authority) nor TfL have been served with their claim.

“We will be defending any challenge to this vital scheme.

“Around 4,000 Londoners die prematurely every year due to air pollution.

“The Mayor is determined to protect the lives of Londoners who are growing up with stunted lungs and more at risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia due to our toxic air.

“The Mayor urges the councils involved to abandon this costly and unnecessary legal challenge and instead focus on the health of those they represent.”

Tesla is recalling nearly 363,000 vehicles with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system to fix problems with the way it behaves around intersections and following posted speed limits.

The recall, part of a larger investigation by US safety regulators into the company’s automated driving systems, came after regulators expressed concerns about the way Tesla’s system responded in four areas along roads.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in documents posted on Thursday that Tesla would fix the concerns with an online software update in the coming weeks.

The documents said Tesla was doing the recall but did not agree with an agency analysis of the problem.

The system, which is being tested on public roads by up to 400,000 Tesla owners, makes unsafe actions such as travelling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, failing to come to a complete stop at stop signs, or going through an intersection during a yellow traffic light without proper caution, NHTSA said.

In addition, the system may not adequately respond to changes in posted speed limits, or it may not account for the driver’s adjustments in speed, the documents said.

“FSD beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash,” the agency said in documents.

A message was left on Thursday seeking comment from Tesla, which has disbanded its media relations department.

Tesla has received 18 warranty claims that could be caused by the software from May 2019 through to September 12 2022. But the Austin, Texas, electric vehicle maker told the agency it was not aware of any deaths or injuries.

In a statement, NHTSA said it had found the problem during tests performed as part of an investigation into Full Self-Driving and Autopilot software that takes on some driving tasks.

“As required by law and after discussions with NHTSA, Tesla launched a recall to repair those defects,” the agency said.

Despite their names and claims by chief executive Elon Musk that Full Self-Driving vehicles did not need human intervention, Tesla said on its website that the cars could not drive themselves and owners must be ready to intervene at all times.

NHTSA’s testing found that Autosteer On City Streets, which is part of Tesla’s FSD beta testing, “led to an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety based on insufficient adherence to traffic safety laws”.

The recall covers certain 2016-2023 Model S and Model X vehicles, as well as 2017 through to 2023 Model 3s, and 2020 through to 2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with the software, or with installation pending.

Shares of Tesla fell about 2% in Thursday afternoon trading. The stock has rallied about 71% in the year to date, reversing 2022’s hefty loss.

London is the world’s slowest and second-most expensive city to drive in, according to new research.

It took an average of 36 minutes and 20 seconds to travel 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) in the centre of the capital in 2022, geolocation technology specialist TomTom said.

That was one minutes and 50 seconds slower than 2021 and represents the longest time for a journey of that distance last year out of all the 389 cities in 56 countries analysed.

TomTom traffic expert Andy Marchant said people switching to road transport during rail strikes contributed to congestion in London last year.

India’s Bengaluru had the second slowest time at 29 minutes and 10 seconds, followed by Dublin, Ireland (28 minutes and 30 seconds) and Sapporo, Japan (27 minutes and 40 seconds).

Other UK cities ranked in the top 50 for congestion were Manchester (24th place with 23 minutes and 10 seconds), Liverpool (32nd place with 22 minutes and 20 seconds) and Edinburgh (42nd place with 21 minutes and 30 seconds).

Analysis of the cost of driving – based on the price of petrol, diesel and charging an electric vehicle (EV), and taking into account the impact of congestion on fuel consumption – found that London was the world’s second most expensive city to drive in last year, behind only Hong Kong.

Also in the top 50 list was Bristol (19th), Brighton (41st), Manchester (47th) and Edinburgh (48th).

TomTom found that the cost of using fast EV charge points in London was among the highest in the world last year.

To drive 10,000 miles in London in 2022 Londoners charging their cars in this way spent around £2,055, compared with £1,969 in Paris, £1,888 in Brussels, £1,794 in Berlin and £1,220 in New York.

Mr Marchant said: “Due to the configuration of the road network in central London, travel times even without traffic are some of the highest in the world.

“This doesn’t mean that London is the most congested city in the world.

“However, there is a clear link between increased traffic congestion and London’s slowest average speed in 2022.

“While strike action caused traffic congestion levels to soar, better traffic management based on real-time data intelligence is needed throughout the year to ensure viable traffic flows and the efficient use of city infrastructure.”

A UK-built hydrogen-electric truck has driven for 350 miles on a single tank, despite wintry conditions hampering efforts.

Tilbury-based Tevva is currently in the process of developing a 7.5-tonne battery electric vehicle but has also been putting a hydrogen-electric version through its paces during some cold weather testing recently.

Four engineers undertook a ‘range test’ of Tevva’s 7.5-tonne hydrogen-electric model, driving between London and the Scottish border at Berwick-on-Tweed. The return leg saw the truck manage close to 350 miles without a single refuel, with the truck’s hydrogen fuel cell topping up the lithium battery when required.

Charlie Cordell, lead Engineer, Tevva Rex, said: “It was an amazing trip and we were so pleased the truck covered so many miles on the return leg, without the need to stop for a charge.

“The trip was a terrific demonstration of the range you can achieve in a truck that uses a blended system of electric and hydrogen. The freezing conditions were extremely challenging, but helpful too, in allowing us to gather important data about vehicle performance, meaning we could make tweaks here and there and tailor its development.”

The trucks were put through chilly conditions during the test, with temperatures barely climbing above freezing for the majority of the trip. Engineers stopped to refuel at Element 2 in Teeside as well as a site in the Midlands to top up. Only slightly longer than a petrol or diesel vehicle, the truck takes as little as 10 minutes to fully fill with hydrogen.

Motorists who pay for their insurance upfront rather than in monthly instalments could save up to £65 per year, new research has found.

Paying upfront for a whole year’s insurance costs an average of £623, compared with the combined sum of 12 monthly payments which reaches £688, as of December 2022.

Research by comparison site Comparethemarket also found that the cost difference between a monthly and annual payment has increased by £12 year-on-year.

Car insurance premiums have risen ‘across the board’ over the last 12 months, with the average cost of paying annually hiking by £71 year-on-year and the average premium for paying monthly rising by £83. Comparethemarket says that the cost of car insurance claims has risen due to the increased price of second-hand cars and higher vehicle repair costs.

Julie Daniels, motor insurance expert at Comparethemarket.com, said: “As living costs continue to rise, many motorists are feeling financially squeezed. Saving on your car insurance is always attractive, considering that the average cost of car insurance is more than £600.

“Although making smaller monthly payments might seem easier, if you’re in a financial position to be able to pay your car insurance policy annually, it could lead to savings of up to £65.”

Drivers can save up to £374 on their car insurance by switching, says Comparethemarket, while a recent survey conducted by the comparison site found that one in three motorists have struggled to afford the cost of driving recently and four-in-ten believe that they would no longer be able to keep on the road if costs continue to rise.

Speeding on rural roads with a 60mph limit has reached the highest level in six years, a survey suggests.

Nearly half (48%) of respondents to a poll of 3,102 UK drivers commissioned by the RAC for its 2022 Report on Motoring said they had driven faster than the limit on what are Britain’s deadliest roads in the previous 12 months.

That is up from 44% in 2021 and equals the highest figure recorded in the annual survey, in 2016.

In the most recent poll, 8% of drivers said they frequently broke the speed limit on 60mph rural roads, while 40% said they did so occasionally.

The most common reason drivers gave for exceeding the limit on these roads was that they were travelling at the same speed as other motorists (32%).

Department for Transport figures show 514 people were killed in crashes on roads in non built-up areas with a 60mph limit in Britain in 2021.

That was more than all other road types, including motorways.

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: “The recent increase in the proportion of drivers admitting to speeding on 60mph rural roads is extremely worrying as more people lose their lives every year in collisions on these roads than on any other.

“It’s even more concerning that this figure is now back to the all-time high of 48%.

“While the number of fatalities on our roads is no longer falling, we certainly don’t want to see an increase.

“We think the Government should address the issue of fatalities on 60mph rural roads by advising roads authorities to reduce limits on the most dangerous stretches to more appropriate levels.

“This is something half of drivers (48%) surveyed for the RAC Report on Motoring would like to see, with only a quarter (24%) disagreeing.”

AA Charitable Trust director Edmund King, said: “Drivers have to be aware of the dangers on rural roads – slow moving vehicles, mud on the road, a higher likelihood of cyclists, horse riders and ramblers, sharp bends and blind corners – and adjust their speed accordingly.

“The varied nature of rural roads means it’s very difficult to set one speed limit which is appropriate everywhere, but drivers should be aware that the speed limit is a limit, it is not a sign that 60mph is always a safe speed. Often it is not.”

Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at charity Cycling UK, said cyclists are “more at risk” on rural roads than urban ones.

He added: “Tackling the risks on rural roads has to involve a serious discussion about reducing speed limits, particularly the 60mph default speed which is clearly unsuitable, unsafe and a contributor to road deaths on many minor rural roads.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “While we have some of the safest roads in the world, we are committed to reducing road collisions by tackling dangerous driving. We will always consider what additional measures can be explored to effectively enhance road safety.

“Breaking the speed limit is illegal and puts lives at risk. Our upcoming THINK! campaign will help tackle dangerous driving on rural roads, and builds on the success of our previous campaigns which influenced attitudes towards speeding among young drivers.”

– The RAC commissioned research agency Online95 to carry out the survey between April 28 and May 13 last year.