New Scheme Hopes to Improve Road Safety for New Drivers

Posted on May 14, 2012 by admin

A brand new police-led scheme aimed at improving road safety for learner drivers has been launched in the Wirral area of the North West of England this week. The ground-breaking safety initiative called “ENGAGE” is being introduced by the Merseyside Road Safety Partnership and they are hopeful of reducing accidents involving young drivers.

The scheme is collaboration between Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and five local authorities. Over one-hundred local driving instructors have been given specialist training to help learner drivers identify and deal with the hazards that are encountered on the roads of the United Kingdom each day. Among the topics to be covered in the scheme are: driver distraction, influence of other drivers and passengers, tiredness, speed, drink and drug driving, effects of medication and importance of seatbelts. These are the main factors that Merseyside Police feel contribute to the number of people injured and killed each year. The scheme is viewed as a significant step towards improving driver education and as a result seeing safer roads in Merseyside. It is hoped the new scheme will reduce the chances of new drivers having to make a claim on their Cheap Car Insurance.

Sergeant Paul Mountford from Merseyside Police said: “ENGAGE is a new, exciting approach that looks to set a higher standard for driver education to improve road safety for novice drivers of all ages across Merseyside. It also places an expectation on parents and guardians of young drivers to involve themselves in the process. As a parent myself, I know what it feels like to see a son or daughter drive away from home for the first time after they have passed their driving test and the stress and worry, waiting for them to return.”

In addition to the practical skills, learner drivers will complete exercises between lessons and attend an evening workshop held jointly by police and council road safety officers. There will also be a number of workshops aimed at parents and guardians of learner drivers to keep them updated about the scheme.

Car Thieves Cashing in on DVLA Loophole

Posted on April 18, 2012 by admin

A DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) loophole means that vehicles can be scrapped without any proof of ownership being provided, leaving the process wide open to fraud. Anyone can claim a vehicle is theirs, contact a dismantling company, arrange for it to be collected and then receive cash for the scrap value of the vehicle.

Currently there is no need for any paperwork, such as a V5 registration document, and given the increase in the price of scrap metal, it is little wonder that more and more vehicles are rapidly disappearing from the roads of the United Kingdom.

George Harrison found out how easy it is when he returned from a two-week holiday and found his Ford Mondeo missing. He contacted the police who looked into it and found that according to the DVLA records the car had been scrapped while he was away. George was told by the DVLA that a Glasgow firm, IBP Vehicle Dismantlers, had registered the car’s scrapping. He has handed this information to the police who have promised to investigate.

George said: “The car was only worth about £1000, but it was mine. I am mad at myself because I did not even have motor insurance so I am unable make a claim. I’d had the chance of another vehicle and transferred my policy to that. I couldn’t afford to pay insurance for both of them. The law in relation to scrapping must be tightened up. It’s outrageous.”

IBP Vehicle Dismantlers confirmed that the person claiming to be the owner did not possess a V5 registration document and so they were asked to fill out a form with their contact details before they took the car. They are themselves shocked to hear the car was stolen and have handed over all the information they have and are fully cooperating with the police investigation.

Danger Roads to be Targeted by Policing Team

Posted on April 2, 2012 by admin

Greater Manchester Police have launched an initiative to solve parking problems which are making two roads in an outlying district a danger for drivers and passengers alike. Deane Road and Wigan Road, in Deane, have been the scene of seventy-four accidents during the last three years and are now recognised as accident black spots.

The local Neighbourhood Policing Team is working to improve the situation after they had lengthy discussions with local residents. Police believe there are two issues, firstly taxi drivers are parking in bus lanes and secondly there are a large number of cars for sale being parked in the road opposite the Esso petrol station. Officers have already spoken to those selling the cars and taxi drivers advising them of the problems they are causing.

The first step of the initiative involved traffic police visiting the two roads to issue fines to any motorist contravening traffic regulations, while trading standards staff targeted the people who are selling the cars, ensuring the vehicles for sale complied with trading standards and that they were covered with motor insurance. Police are planning another operation at the end of April. They will also talk to the shop owners and ask them to advise their customers of the best places to park which will not cause an obstruction.

PCSO Mark Harrison said: “Here is a real problem and we have had a lot of complaints from residents. Motorists are finding it difficult to leave side streets, buses have to stop in the main carriageway and pedestrians are trying to cross the road too. We want to remind people to park sensibly. The taxi drivers often stop in bus lanes, even when there are parking bays in the area, and people have to drive around them. We want to re-educate people to park safely.”

Figures from Transport for Greater Manchester show there were forty-one reported accidents in Deane Road and thirty-three in Wigan Road in the three years up to March 30, 2012.

Police are to target females in their festive drink driving campaign

Posted on November 28, 2011 by admin

Females are being warned about the dangers of drink driving as the festive party season is fast approaching. Police feel that females in their 30s are most at risk and they will be the focus of this year’s crackdown.

At the launch of Oxfordshire’s annual operation against the drivers who ignore the law, police confirmed that they will be out on the county’s roads 24 hours a day to ensure that they can target any lunchtime drinkers, drivers who decide to take a risk and drive home after the office Christmas party and any drivers who are still over the limit the morning after drinking heavily the previous night. The police also promised to arrest any driver who is under the influence of drugs. Anyone who is arrested will find their premiums on a motor insurance quote going up once their ban has been served.

Police Inspector Peter Clark said: “We have been targeting certain age groups and we have seen a spike in drivers aged in their 30s and an increase in the women who are prepared to drink and drive. Normally it’s the young male driver who has been highlighted, but over the last year or so we’ve seen an increase among women. There were sixty-four positive tests in December last year. These are people who are still prepared to get in their cars after drinking more than the legal limit.”

Last years festive campaign saw 1,800 breath tests implemented with just sixty-four motorists found to be over the limit, the police feel this is sixty-four too many and want all drivers to consider the risk they pose to themselves and others when they drink and drive. Police will be out with speed guns in both busy and rural areas. There main message will be for everyone to have a good time and then get home safely and where possible there should be a designated driver.

GMP determined to keep the city centre safe

Posted on August 15, 2011 by admin

Police in Manchester have confirmed that they used number plate spotting technology to keep known criminals away from Manchester for three days after the riots. Police Officers were stationed at key routes on the cusp of the city limits checking registration plates against a number of national databases.

Known criminals who were caught trying to get to the city centre were intercepted and ordered to turn around. On Wednesday evening, fifty cars were stopped from entering the city by officers who were determined to keep the streets as trouble-free as possible. Seven officers were injured in Salford on Tuesday night after a mob bombarded them with breeze blocks, paving stones, bottles and bricks. Cars were set on fire and damaged; meaning residents had to claim on the policy they took out after getting a motor insurance quote.

Chief Constable Peter Fahy said: “Quite a number of those turned away had serious previous convictions. We are capitalising on the public’s mood – one of being appalled at what has happened. People are now talking to us who have never done so before. But there should not be a knee-jerk reaction away from neighbourhood policing – that is still the best way to gather intelligence and keep in touch with the community. The number of police on the streets will remain high throughout the next week. We are on top of the situation and the policy will be repeated if trouble flares again.”

Greater Manchester Police have also been showing the faces of suspected looters on huge screens as they tighten the net on the rioters and looters. The ‘Shop a Looter’ campaign has just been launched by Police who will drive round with digital images of suspected looters. The pictures will also be projected on to the cities giant screens in Piccadilly Gardens. The Police have also confirmed that everyone captured on CCTV would be getting a visit very soon.

Police ask suspected drink driver to drive to the station

Posted on July 20, 2011 by admin

A driver who was stopped by the police on suspected drink-driving was told to drive himself to the police station where he would be given a breath test. The strange request was due to the fact the police had run out of disposable straws used in breathalysers.

Because they had run out of the straws, they were unable to test Mr Jon Herron by the roadside. They then asked him to drive slowly to the station while they followed him. The route to the station meant Mr Herron went across three junctions and two roundabouts. Mr Herron had been to the pub for a couple of pints after finishing work and it was on his way home that the police stopped him. When he reached the station he was tested and his blood alcohol reading was 105 (25 over the legal limit).

Mr Herron pleaded guilty at Southampton Magistrates’ Court to being drunk behind the wheel where he was stopped but not guilty of the drive to the station. Campaign against Drink Driving slammed the decision to have a suspected drink driver continue on the roads, and said the whole constabulary should hang their heads in shame. Mr Herron was banned from driving for a year and also ordered to pay a £900 fine as well as £100 costs. He will also notice a large increase in premiums on his next motor insurance quote.

Mr Herron’s lawyer said: “The behaviour of the police was ‘bizarre’ and if this is normal practice, Hampshire Police need to stop this dangerous practice which could one day result in a fatality. I will be speaking with the officers involved to clarify how they came to make the decision and also to make sure all guidelines were adhered to.”

Campaign which targets impaired driving starts in Sussex

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin

With the United Kingdom on the cusp of another summer, the police force in Sussex are about to launch their yearly campaign which targets people who put not just their own but other people’s lives at risk by getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while impaired.

The month long campaign sees Sussex Police join fellow officers from forces throughout the country to carry out schemes to catch drivers who wrongly believe that drink or drug driving is acceptable. The fire service and all the local councils will be working alongside the police to ensure Sussex Safer Roads Partnership are successful with the initiative. The month will see targeted days of action take place throughout Sussex, as well as high visibility mobile police checks, a number of covert checks will be undertaken at all times of the day. As with every other year, the main aim of the campaign will be to cut the number of accidents where people are seriously injured or killed because of alcohol or drug consumption.

Chief Inspector Di Roskilly said: “We will also be looking to raise awareness of the amount of time alcohol remains in your body. If you have been drinking the night before please think before you get into the car the following morning – you may still be over the drink-drive limit. The minimum sentence for anyone caught drink driving, no matter how little over the legal limit you are, is a 12-month disqualification from driving and a fine. The maximum penalty is six months’ imprisonment, even if you haven’t been involved in a collision.”

Convicted impaired drivers will also be hit hard on their next motor vehicle insurance quote, and some companies may well instantly reject them. As well as carrying out stop checks, the scheme will involve visiting licensed premises in an effort to educate drinkers about the consequences of driving while impaired. Over the last five years road accidents which involved drivers being impaired has cost Sussex £197 million. So far this year in Sussex there have been 850 arrests in relation to impaired driving.

Drunk nine year old caught driving a stolen car

Posted on May 18, 2011 by admin

A boy aged just nine was apprehended in Cumbria this week for driving offences. The boy, who is too young to be prosecuted by the police for a criminal offence, was arrested in Cumbria for being drunk behind the wheel. The shocking fact is that the boy is only one of hundreds of underage drivers who commit offences on the roads of the UK every week.

He was breathalysed at the scene and when he failed the test was then taken to the police station where stunned officers discovered his age was just nine, which means he is not old enough to be held accountable for his actions. What is just as alarming is the fact the he is just one of over 2000 juveniles arrested for crimes which include car theft and drink driving in Cumbria during the last two years. Sadly the problem is not restricted to Cumbria alone, as arrests are made throughout the United Kingdom. The figures have stunned safety campaigners who say better teaching of road safety awareness should be made a priority.

Kath Hartley, from the Brake charity, said “It’s incredibly concerning that young people many of whom will have had no formal driving tuition, are risking their own and other’s lives on our roads. This must be addressed as a matter of urgency. It is a clear example of why we need road safety education as part of the National Curriculum. Youngsters who are not old enough to get a car insurance quote must be taught the dangers of getting behind the wheel without proper training.”

However, police have stressed that these figures, alarming as they are, form only part of the overall picture. There were less vehicle crimes last year compared to the previous year and juvenile offences, where a vehicle was involved, was also down. The police are also working closely with road safety organisations to educate the young about the dangers encountered on the roads.

Police make fifteen arrests in connection with vehicle thefts

Posted on May 13, 2011 by admin

Greater Manchester Police have made fifteen arrests following an investigation into the sale of stolen cars through vehicle trading websites. The cars were sold to innocent buyers, sometimes within hours of being stolen.

The police targeted twenty five addresses in Rochdale and Tameside and arrested seven men and eight women aged between 25 and 40 on suspicion of conspiracy to steal, conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to launder the money made from the thefts. They remain in custody for questioning after the police were granted extra time to interview them. During the raids police also recovered four cars worth around £100,000 and a large quantity of controlled drugs.

Police investigated the scam where registration number plates are obtained and then used to make stolen vehicles look genuine. They are then sold to members of the public using online websites such as Auto Trader.

Superintendent Alan Lyon said: “Today’s action follows a sensitive and thoroughly planned police operation into what we believe is an active organised criminal network trying to launder cash from stolen cars. Scams like this can have a lasting impact on victims. Today’s action shows Greater Manchester Police is taking a firm view on tacking burglary and its causes.”

Buyers have been urged to avoid purchasing a vehicle via a cash transaction and also to be wary of a vehicle when they come across what seems to be an appealing price. Online car websites do take fraud extremely seriously and will work in any way they can with the police to keep their users safe from scams. Anyone thinking of conducting a cash deal is advised to conduct all the necessary checks beforehand. Many innocent victims are not aware of any wrong doing until they start looking for motor insurance quotes. Anyone unsure should take a look around the online websites as they will provide comprehensive guidelines and safety recommendations to help buyers make sure the seller is reputable.

Police take tough stance on anti-social drivers

Posted on May 9, 2011 by admin

A Scottish police force are assuring members of the public that they will not allow anti-social motorists to ruin the lives of law abiding citizens, as they crack down on rogue drivers. Forfar Community Council was given an update on the policing issues regarding anti-social driving during their latest meeting, where the local police force revealed they had seized 32 vehicles as part of the ongoing operation.

The behaviour of some motorists in one local area is constantly raised at community council meetings, with the antics of “boy racers” being the top complaint. The drivers are regularly being reported and nearby residents are also complaining about the amount of noise they are making.

At the meeting Constable Smith said: “Tayside Police continues to deal with numerous complaints of anti-social behaviour on the roads and car parks. A robust stance against this type of behaviour is taken. So far Tayside Police in Angus has issued 146 warnings in relation to anti-social behaviour driving, and 31 vehicles were seized as a result of a second warning.”

The Police scheme involves giving a warning ticket to anyone guilty of Anti-social driving and if they were caught again within six months, the police seize the vehicle. Tayside Police are also taking action against anyone caught drink driving as it continues to be a significant issue in Angus. Tayside Police have officers on the roads to carry out high visibility checks at peak times which it is hoped will provide reassurance to residents and make the areas safer.

The future prospects for a driver who is caught drink driving or a young driver who has their car seized or not good. Apart from a driving ban or points on their licence they can also expect a large increase in premiums when next getting a motor insurance quote. With young drivers already facing expensive insurance quotes, this could force them off the road completely.