The research will help consumers make a better informed decision about which make of car to purchase and the motor insurance they protect it with. The people who carried out the research were quick to point out that many of the failures were down to the owner of the vehicle and were not always due to inherent faults with the vehicles. The majority of failures were down to lighting and signalling problems with a large number of failures specifically down to the positioning of headlights. A number of cars were even failed due to problems with the driver’s view of the road. The Chrysler 300C was the worst overall model with 38% failing the first MOT test. The Renault Megane was the biggest fail among family vehicles, as 29% failed the first test while the highest pass rates were Japanese manufactures: Lexus, Suzuki and Honda. Volvo was a surprising addition to the worst ten, as their vehicles have for a long time been traditionally known for their durability.

Daniel Harrison, a motor specialist, said “This is information that is being kept secret from car owners. VOSA even fought to keep it from public view, and this is the first time so much detail has been revealed in a format easy for consumers to access. Families struggling to get by can take this information and use it to make sure they aren’t failing a MOT test for something they could have fixed beforehand.”

The report from the Post Office says customers are becoming increasingly worried about their motoring future and are looking for ways to cut their costs. The survey questioned over 2,000 motorists and showed that 46% of drivers now use their cars less than they did 12 months ago. 1 in 3 drivers interviewed said they now actively look for petrol stations with cheaper fuel while 1 in 4 say they drive slower to make their fuel go further.

When asked what their greatest concerns were, most drivers answered that fuel costs were the biggest single issue, but motor insurance and the number of drivers without car insurance also figured highly, as did the state of the UK’s roads. It seems that most drivers are now equally aware of the on-costs as much as the direct costs associated with owning a car. The survey went on to ask drivers what would top their wish list and once again there were few surprises. Most said they would like cheaper fuel and tougher action taken against drivers without motor insurance, however, over 1 in 5 said they would also like to see the legal driving age raised from 17.
A spokesman for the Post Office said “For many drivers, their car is their lifeline and many people rely on their car every day. With approximately 405 trips made by every driver each year and with the cost of fuel jumping 52% in the last five years, it is not surprising that motorists are becoming increasingly worried about rising fuel prices and the general cost of running their car.”

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.

The unnamed driver, from Edinburgh, fell foul of new bus lane cameras positioned all over Edinburgh City Centre 30 times in just 14 days and managed to amass £1800 in fines. It is not known how this will affect his car insurance, but the motorist who works as a private hire driver has the support of his local union, the Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA), who disclosed that a fellow worker has also racked up almost £800 of fines in the same period. The association also divulged at least another 6 private hire drivers have collected at least half a dozen tickets.

Steve Wright, National Chairman of the LPHCA, said: “It is grossly unfair that black cab drivers can use the lanes but private hire drivers can’t. This issue is being fought all over Britain. Private hire vehicles are taxis in the common language of English and in law. Private hire drivers are being discriminated against. It’s constraint of trade.”

The bus lane cameras have caused outrage and created havoc in Edinburgh. A trial period saw thousands of motorists clearly using bus lanes on a regular basis and since the scheme went live, motorists have been picking up fines every two minutes. In the first week five cameras caught over 5,000 offenders with over 80 drivers having already amassed over 6 tickets.

Motorists are calling for their removal but the local council are unrepentant with a spokesman saying: “These figures show that there are still drivers who persistently use bus lanes during prohibited times despite extensive publicity about the new enforcement regulations. Signs and lines clearly state when drivers should stay out of these lanes. Fining drivers who use these lanes will send out a clear message that these rules are there for good reasons, to cut congestion and pollution.”

In a decision that has surprised many, the state lawmakers have given permits to “autonomous cars” that are driven by computers with no help from human beings. Internet Company Google who have tested such vehicles for many years received the first permit yesterday for a Toyota Prius and they intend to have another couple of similar cars operating in Las Vegas within a few weeks.

The Prius had to pass strict tests to get the permit, which involved it travelling down the world famous Las Vegas strip. Bruce Breslow, Director of the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, was one of the people who tested the car and was hugely impressed saying: “Autonomous vehicles are the car of the future. Though there will be concerns about the cars – and the possibility that a computer crash will lead to a physical one – there has been no evidence in substantial testing that they pose any risk. In fact, they drive more safely than humans: It gets honked at more often because it’s being safe.”

The cars will carry special number plates which will inform other drivers that the car may not be being driven by a human being and for the time being the car must contain at least two people; one in the driver’s seat who can take over in case of computer failure and another who will monitor the in-car computer that plots the route speed and recognises potential hazards. Industry experts now believe it is only a matter of time before commuters can get in their cars and be whisked home just by turning on a computer and saying “Home James.”

Vandals have been breaking into cars to steal laptops, mobile phones and sat-nav devices which in most cases have been left on display by motorists. Police officers are now issuing stickers for motorists to display in their cars bearing the message ‘Stop. There are no valuables left in this vehicle’. Plain clothed police officers will be patrolling the streets of Trowbridge day and night, in a bid to catch the people who are behind these crimes.

Trowbridge police sergeant, Malcolm Mclundie, said: “We are still coming across people who do not properly secure their vehicles and, even when they are secure, if valuable items are left on show, thieves will break in to take them. Even when you remove your sat-nav from view, if the attachment is still on the window or a marking on the windscreen can be seen, it is a good indication for these people that they might find valuables in the car.”

It is common sense to lock your car and remove anything of value from prying eyes, and the police feel that if drivers followed this simple mantra then many of the offences may not have taken place. It is because of this that the police have decided to issue a further reminder for drivers. Bradford on Avon police have been handing out information flyers and stickers over the Bank Holiday weekend when they visited the Sainsbury’s branch in the town.

The issue has split motoring groups in two, while some have backed the right of the courts to allow some drivers to keep their licence to avoid exceptional hardship; others feel this makes a mockery of the points system. The figures show that Glasgow has the highest number of such drivers at 93 followed by 31 in Edinburgh and 11 in Dundee. Scotland has a far smaller proportion of such motorists who have held on to their licences than in England, with Glasgow placed only 24th in the list of places with the highest percentages. Most 12-penalty point drivers are in the north of England, where Blackpool has the highest percentage, followed by Oldham and Manchester. Only one southern place (Peterborough) features in the top fifteen. There has also been an increase in the number of drivers with at least 12 points requesting a Car Insurance Broker to find them a policy.

Neil Grieg, policy and research director of the Institute of Advanced Motorists said: “This undermines the whole penalty point system and gives the impression you might still get away with it if you speed. Courts should have a little leeway for individual circumstances, but these numbers are much higher than we would have expected. It is concerning that motorists with so many points can legally be allowed to continue to drive. We would hope, at the very least, these drivers are having to undertake re-training to ensure they do not re-offend, but understand this is rarely the case.”

In Scotland the courts determined each case on its merits and gave full consideration to the most appropriate way of dealing with the offender and there is no doubt that geographical position is taken into consideration. A number of drivers in remote parts of Scotland will be so dependent on their vehicles that their driving licence is a vital life-line for getting to work, shops or medical supplies.

Last year, the then transport secretary Phillip Hammond claimed that 2011 would be the year the electric car finally took off. However, only 1,000 were sold last year, and figures for the first four months of this year show that registrations of new electric cars have disappointingly flat-lined. Vauxhall however are confident they will sell 3,500 units of the £30,000 car this year, or 5,000 in a full year. The car goes on sale in twenty-four dealerships throughout the UK and Vauxhall predict it will be a “conquest” vehicle that will lead to drivers deciding to buy from the company for the first time and that car insurance providers will be inundated with quote enquiries.

Marc Rinkel, senior analyst at analysts IHS Automotive, said “In 2011, the Nissan Leaf accounted for most of electric vehicles sales in the UK. However, the launch of the Vauxhall Ampera is a stepping stone to broaden the electric car offering. Buyers now have the option to go for the range extender with the Ampera. Although currently low consumer spending is not in favour of expensive vehicles, this model will become popular amongst company car buyers as the exemption of company car tax for electric vehicle drivers looks very appealing indeed.”

The Ampera’s biggest selling point is that when the battery runs out after fifty miles of electric power, a petrol engine will provide back-up power for up to 310 miles. But because the petrol will be driving the electric motor, Vauxhall claim the car should be classed as a “range extender” and not a hybrid car.

The report from the Institute of Advanced motorists (IAM) shows that on average every council in the UK is cutting spending on road safety priorities such as lollipop ladies, rehabilitation courses for errant drivers, training and information for new drivers and even safe routes to school schemes. The news will come as a setback to many motorists who believed that a recent meeting between government ministers, car insurance providers, and road safety experts had vowed to make road safety a priority.

Figures taken from councils who responded to IAM’s information request show that between them they intend to take over £23 million away from road safety initiatives in the next 12 months. IAM Chief Executive Simon Best was appalled at the information gathered in the report and said: “Austerity is forcing councils to make difficult choices, but the fact that these cuts only represent the first year of savings under the coalition’s spending review is deeply worrying. Cutting road safety so hard makes no sense. The average wage of a lollipop lady is £3,000 a year while the cost of each road fatality is £1.6 million. So the returns on investment are huge. Cuts of this scale risk lives as well as the UK’s table-topping status as the best in the world for road safety. The government needs to bring back casualty reduction targets so that councils make road safety a priority.”

Government sources said they had not actually taken any money away from local councils but had in fact given them a sum of money for them to choose how they spend it. A Government spokesman also pointed out that the Government had already made one off payments to local authorities to help them with road maintenance work after the two recent harsh winters.

The official stats show that there are less than a third of people aged under 21 in Scotland that actually have a driving licence when compared with figures from 1992. The number of people in their twenties who drive has also reduced from three quarters to just over a half in the same twenty year period. However older drivers are on the increase, with 51% of over 75’s holding a driving licence. Experts feel the advances in technology, the cost of motor insurance and inflated fuel prices are the main reasons young people are being put off buying a car.

Phil Goodwin a professor of transport at University College London said “Car ownership is no longer seen as a rite of passage into adulthood. Surveys of young people suggest the most important reason for not getting a driving license is the cost of learning, insurance and running a car. But significant numbers also say they have other methods of transport available or simply that they are just not interested. Many young people are much more interested in what sort of mobile phone to get than cars and their social life using networks, texting, music, online shopping, games and e-books is actually much more compatible with public transport use than driving a car.”

Social networking has become a substitute for a certain amount of motor travel and public transport is more conducive to being able to stay well connected to these networks while on the move. Importantly there is a ban on mobile phone use while driving. Technology is removing the need for travel, and young people now regard owning an iPhone as being cooler than having a car.