Search for:
kralbetz.com1xbit güncelTipobet365Anadolu Casino GirişMariobet GirişSupertotobet mobil girişBetistbahis.comSahabetTarafbetMatadorbethack forumBetturkeyXumabet GirişrestbetbetpasGonebetBetticketTrendbetistanbulbahisbetixirtwinplaymegaparifixbetzbahisalobetaspercasino1winorisbetbetkom
Motorist with 176 penalty points still driving on UK’s roads, DVLA figures show | UK News

More than 10,000 motorists are still driving on the UK’s roads when they would normally be banned – including one with 176 penalty points, figures have shown.

The 26-year-old driver is among three male motorists who still hold a licence despite having more than 100 points.

The woman with the most points is a 50-year-old with 96 – while 53 people have at least 30 points, according to figures from the Driver And Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Under the totting-up process, drivers are usually banned for six months if they receive 12 or more points within a three-year period.

They can still avoid a ban if they are able to convince a court this would result in exceptional hardship and impact their ability to work or care for their family.

A total of 10,056 drivers hold a valid licence despite having at least 12 points, DVLA figures revealed.

Details have not been released over the length of time the penalty points were accrued.

Nicholas Lyes, of road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: “These shocking statistics call into question whether the definition of exceptional hardship needs reviewing.

“Any driver that is on the cusp of a ban would normally take heed of the risk of losing their licence, but it seems that a minority continue to break the law without any consideration.

“At the very least, those that accrue 12 or more points on their licence should be required to take an additional training course, even if they are allowed to keep their licence because a court has deemed that losing it would cause exceptional hardship.”

Steve Gooding, of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “It would be reassuring to know that someone in authority was monitoring both the absolute number of licence holders swerving a ban and the reasons why they’ve been granted leave to keep driving.

“Exceptional hardship needs to be truly exceptional.”

File photo dated 03/01/16 of a UK driving licence shown beside a counterpart driving licence, London. More than 50 people in Britain hold valid driving licences despite racking up at least 30 penalty points, sparking calls for repeat offenders to undertake mandatory retraining. Three male licence holders have more than 100 points, including a 26-year-old with 176, according to analysis of official figures by the PA news agency. The woman with the most points is a 50-year-old with 96. Issue date:
Image:
File pic: PA

Read more on Sky News:
Cottage left teetering on cliff edge after landslip
Oasis and Ticketmaster effigy burned at bonfire night

The DVLA makes a record of information provided by the courts, but has no influence on sentences.

The agency said where the threshold of 12 points is met but a disqualification is not imposed, it contacts the relevant court to check that was the intention.

Points are issued following convictions for road offences, such as driving without due care and attention (three to nine points), drink-driving (three to 11 points), and speeding (three to six points).

They remain on licences for up to 11 years after an offence is committed, meaning some people with multiple driving convictions can still drive because they have served a period of disqualification.

Some roads in Wales to revert back to 30mph after half a million call for 20mph speed limit to end | UK News

Some roads in Wales are set to go back to 30mph after nearly half a million people called for an end to the national 20mph speed limit.

Ken Skates, the Welsh government’s new transport minister, said “there will be a change” to legislation introduced in September which changed the speed limit on nearly all roads from 30mph to 20mph.

Introduced under former first minister Mark Drakeford, the Welsh government said the reduced speed limit would save lives and help build “safer communities” by reducing the number of collisions.

A petition calling for the removal of the 20mph limit reached 469,571 signatures by 13 March – hundreds of thousands more than the 10,000 required for a petition to be considered for a debate.

Speaking to North Wales Live, the Labour MP said there is “generally universal support” for the speed limit being in place outside of schools, housing estates and hospitals, but acknowledged that many have said “routes that shouldn’t have been included were”.

Read more:
Why did the default speed limit change?
Over half of journeys break limit – report

Goats made famous in lockdown killed in crash

“We’ve put our hands up to say, ‘the guidance has to be corrected’,” he added.

“This will enable councils to revert back those routes that are not appropriate. Whether the change will be radical will largely depend on what people want.”

20mph sign at Aberthin, where a stretch of road has eight different speed limits within a two-mile distance. (Pic: Tomos Evans)
Image:
Transport minister Ken Skates said ‘we’ve put our hands up to say, ‘the guidance has to be corrected”. Pic: Tomos Evans

He added he will share more details in the Senedd on Tuesday, saying “we are working to do this as swiftly as we possibly can,” and acknowledged adjusting the speed limits will be costly but not “anywhere near the cost of the rollout”.

Mr Skates then said: “It is about making sure the application is consistent and we bring back a good degree of unity, whereas currently there is discord.”

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

It comes after a road sign showing a 20mph limit was among seven “removed illegally” in a Welsh village, which has led to “serious road safety concerns”.

Lee Waters, the minister behind the rollout, also said he would be stepping down and would delete his profile on social media platform X due to abuse in March.

Roads at ‘breaking point’ as pothole repairs hit eight-year high, report claims | UK News

Roads in England and Wales are at “breaking point” with pothole repairs at an eight-year high, according to a new report.

The annual Alarm survey by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) found that local authorities expect to fix two million potholes in the current financial year.

That is up 43% compared with 1.4 million during the previous 12 months.

And it is the highest annual total since 2015-16 when 2.2 million potholes were filled in.

The survey found that average highway maintenance budgets increased by 2.3% in the 2023-24 financial year compared with the previous 12 months.

However, AIA chairman Rick Green said: “Local authorities have a bit more money to spend this year but the impact of rising costs due to inflation means they have actually been able to do less with it.

“Couple this with the effects of the extreme weather we are increasingly facing, and the result is that the rate at which local roads are suffering is accelerating towards breaking point.”

Meanwhile, the amount needed to fix the backlog of local road repairs has reached a record £16.3bn, up 16% from £14bn a year ago.

In October 2023, the government announced it would provide £8.3bn of extra funding over 11 years to fix potholes in England.

This was part of the Network North strategy to use money saved by scrapping the planned extension of HS2 north of Birmingham.

Read more:
Pothole breakdowns hit record high, says RAC
Anger at pothole-plagued local roads reaches new high

UK spending least of 13 countries on pothole repairs

Local Government Association transport spokesman Darren Rodwell said: “This report reveals in stark terms the huge challenge facing councils in maintaining the local roads network, which nearly everyone relies on.

“The backlog of repairs now stands at almost double the extra amount that government has promised over the next 11 years.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said its funding would be enough to “resurface over 5,000 miles of roads across the country”.

Polestar 4: First car without a rear window to make its way on to British roads | UK News

The first car without a rear window is set to make its way on to British roads.

The Swedish-made Polestar 4 will be fitted with a high-definition screen that shows a real-time feed from a roof-mounted rear camera instead of a rear-view mirror.

The car manufacturer, which is owned by Volvo, has taken the back window out completely to give more headroom and replaced it with a camera.

It said it would give motorists a “unique experience” and a better view of the road behind them.

Polestar launches the first car without a rear window
Image:
Pic: Polestar

Motoring journalist Quentin Willson told Sky News: “Rear windows on cars have been getting smaller and smaller, and as more consumers want more voluptuous shapes… you have a problem, because the window gets smaller and smaller and you have to have more headroom.

“So Volvo have done a really clever thing and got rid of the rear window completely and given us this new rear window on the world.

“The car has been out in China since December and there have been no discouraging words.

“The argument is, I think, it actually gives you a better view because the camera is high definition, it’s a wider arc, and you see more than you would than through that grimy rear window.”

Polestar launches the first car without a rear window
Image:
Pic: Polestar

It isn’t without precedent. Many vans don’t have rear-view windows, and many trucks are now using cameras instead of wing mirrors.

“We see so many cars on the roads with obscured windows because the car’s full of stuff and you get one passenger in the middle, it’s hard to see out,” said Willson.

“So it’s not something we should howl in terror that we’ve lost.

“It’s just the stylistic evolutionary process of the motor car.”

He added: “It’s bold, it’s challenging – that’s what we need in car design.

“We’ve been through a stage where everything was homogeneous and boring, and this is actually very revolutionary, so let’s welcome it rather than decry it.”

Read more from Sky News:
‘My eyes!’ Cries of mother targeted in chemical attack
Three dead after ‘catastrophic collapse’ at airport

The starting price of the Polestar 4 will be £59,990 and it is expected to go on sale in the UK from August.

Maximilian Missoni, head of design at Polestar, said: “With Polestar Precept we previewed a stunning new occupant experience by removing the rear window and pushing the rear header, which plays an integral safety role, further back. This means that now, rear occupants can have a unique experience in our SUV coupe.”

UK weather: ‘Severe’ alert on the roads as freezing temperatures and snow forecast | UK News

Drivers could end up stranded or delayed this week as freezing temperatures hit the UK – with National Highways issuing a “severe weather alert” for snow.

The travel warning covers northwest England on Tuesday and coincides with four days of Met Office warnings for snow and ice.

Temperatures 5-6C lower than normal are forecast, with sunshine for many today but nearly all of the UK struggling to get more than a couple of degrees above zero.

Monday’s snow and ice warning covers the whole of Northern Ireland and northern Scotland.

On Tuesday, the area expands to cover a large swathe of northern England, the whole of Scotland, and North Wales.

The North West is affected on Tuesday. Pic: Met Office
Image:
Much of northern England is affected by Tuesday’s warning. Pic: Met Office

The yellow warning in place for Wednesday
Image:
A snow warning continues on Wednesday and Thursday. Pic: Met Office

National Highways, which manages motorways and major roads, is urging drivers to “check ahead and plan for disruption” as “widespread snow” is expected in the North West.

It warns of potential delays and stranded vehicles – with 5-10cm possible on top of the A66 and M62 – and other parts getting between 1cm and 5cm.

Some rural communities could be cut off and rail services may also be delayed or cancelled, it adds.

Check the five-day forecast where you are

“We would recommend people stick to the main roads and avoid country lanes where possible,” says Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick.

“These are the places that aren’t going to see any gritting or any road clearances for the next couple of days.

“So we recommend people take their time, make sure they have time to do their cars in the mornings, and go steady.”

A pedestrian crosses a bridge during a snow shower near Maidstone in Kent. Sleet and snow showers have been forecast for parts of the country on Monday as some regions are still trying to grapple with flooding following intense rainfall. Picture date: Monday January 8, 2024.
Image:
Drivers are being urged to stick to main roads if possible

Mr Eslick says the snow is down to a strong northerly wind bringing in an Arctic airmass.

A Met Office snow warning remains in force on Wednesday and Thursday, over a slightly smaller area but still covering millions in places such as Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Northern Ireland.

As well as possible road and rail problems, the forecaster says there could be power cuts in some places.

This week’s warnings follow snow in the South East last week, with places such as Kent getting several centimetres, and flooding from Storm Henk persisting in many other areas.

Nottingham: Roads closed as police deal with ‘major incident’ | UK News

Police dealing with a “major incident” in Nottingham have closed multiple roads around the city.

Officers and other emergency services at several locations are dealing with an “ongoing serious incident”, according to Nottinghamshire police.

The Nottingham Express Transit (NET) tram network also said it has suspended all services due to “major police incidents around the city and suburbs”.

Emergency services are present at areas including the Maid Marian Way junction of Upper Parliament Street.

Pic: West Bridgford Wire News
Image:
Pic: West Bridgford Wire News

Other roads cordoned off include Ilkeston Road, Milton Street, Maples Street, and Woodborough Road, from the junction with Magdala Road into the city.

A statement from the police said: “There are multiple road closures in place throughout the city while the incident is being investigated.

“We are asking the public and motorists to please avoid the following areas and plan alternate routes.”

Police have not confirmed what the incident is involving, but Twitter user Robbie Paul-Stone wrote someone was “being treated on the side of the road”.

“I didn’t see any cars. It’s also closed by Theatre Royal but couldn’t see anything (that was about 7.15am),” he wrote.

Longer lorries allowed on Britain’s roads despite fears over risks to pedestrians and cyclists | UK News

Longer lorries are now allowed on Britain’s roads to enable more goods to be carried on fewer journeys.

This is despite fears about the risks for pedestrians and cyclists as the vehicles have a larger tail swing – meaning their rear end covers a greater area when turning – and extended blind spots.

Lorry trailers up to 61ft (18.55m) long – some 6ft 9in (2.05m) longer than the standard size – are allowed to be used from 31 May.

The DfT has previously said the new lorries will be able to move the same volume of goods as current trailers in 8% fewer journeys.

Read more:
New laws to allow longer lorries on UK roads ‘could cost lives’ of pedestrians and cyclists

The policy is expected to generate £1.4n in economic benefits and take one standard-size trailer off the road for every 12 trips.

An 11-year trial of longer lorries has demonstrated they are safe for use on public roads, according to the DfT.

The study found they were involved in “around 61% fewer personal injury collisions than conventional lorries”, the department said.

A Government-commissioned report published in July 2021 revealed that 58 people were injured in incidents involving longer lorries between 2012 and 2020.

Roads minister Richard Holden said: “A strong, resilient supply chain is key to the Government’s efforts to grow the economy.

“That’s why we’re introducing longer semi-trailers to carry more goods in fewer journeys and ensure our shops, supermarkets and hospitals are always well stocked.”

Read more:
Road deaths rise to more than 1,500
Lorry left hanging off bridge after M1 crash

However, some organisations are concerned at the move – including Cycling UK.

Its campaigns manager Keir Gallagher said at the time of the government’s decision: “At a time when funding for infrastructure to keep people cycling and walking safer has been cut, it’s alarming that longer and more hazardous lorries could now be allowed to share the road with people cycling and walking.

“Before opening the floodgates to longer lorries rolling into our busy town centres and narrow rural lanes, further testing in real life scenarios should have been done to assess and address the risks.”

Bank holiday travel: Roads to be busy with delays at Dover as half term rush starts | UK News

Roads are expected to be busy and ferry passengers have been warned of queues at Dover as people head away for the bank holiday weekend.

Drivers across the UK are expected to make 19.2 million leisure car trips between Friday and Monday, according to estimates from the RAC, with the hottest day of the year so far forecast on Sunday.

Journeys on some stretches of the M25 could take up to three times longer than normal, transport data company Inrix has warned.

Long delays are also expected on the M5 in Somerset and the M6 in Cheshire and Greater Manchester.

Ferry passengers through Dover are being advised to allow two hours to complete border controls and check-in.

DFDS ferry company tweeted: “Please be prepared with refreshments & use facilities before arriving at the port.”

The Port of Dover said delays at French border control were due to “IT issues” with “high volumes of tourist and freight traffic on Port approaches”.

A traveller in the queue at Dover told Sky News they believed the “sticking point was French frontier control”.

“Once we got past that, inside Dover moved really well,” they added.

The RAC said it was expecting the busiest weekend of traffic since before the pandemic.

“Getting away early in the morning or delaying trips until the evening are the best way to avoid the inevitable delays,” spokesman Rod Dennis said.

While holidaymakers face the prospect of long queues, those staying at home for the long weekend should enjoy some of the hottest weather of the year.

Southeast Wales and around the Bristol Channel will get the best of the weather, with temperatures up to 24C on Saturday and Sunday.

Other parts of the UK could see temperatures reaching the high teens and low 20s.

The dry and bright weather is likely to continue for most with little rain expected throughout next week during half term.

Roads to Port Of Dover ‘flowing normally’ after days of long queues | UK News

Traffic into the Port of Dover is returning to normal following days of queueing for France-bound travellers.

The port said on Twitter that, as at 2.15am on Sunday, the system brought in temporarily to handle traffic had ended, and that freight traffic was now able to travel straight to the site.

It added that tourist traffic was also “clear” and the approach roads – the A2 and A20 – “are flowing normally”.

Travellers setting out at the start of the British school summer holidays, as well as the usual flow of goods lorries, had faced long delays because of slow border checks.

The UK government had blamed a shortage of French border staff, and the French government had argued that passport checks were taking longer now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union.

On Friday, 8,500 cars were processed, but by lunchtime on Saturday, the number processed had already reached more than 17,000.

One family with three children in the car told Sky News they were stuck for nearly 11 hours, while another said they had been queueing for three hours, but they still had a long way to reach border control.

Natalie Chapman from haulier group Logistics UK said some lorry drivers had waited “in excess of 18 hours” to cross the Channel.

Read more:
Bumper-to-bumper traffic in Dover as UK and France argue over who is to blame for disruption

Nine tips to reduce how much fuel you use
London Southend Airport offers to host flights being cancelled by bigger, struggling airports

Cars queue at the check-in at the Port of Dover in Kent as many families embark on getaways at the start of summer holidays for many schools in England and Wales. Staffing at French border control at the Port of Dover is "woefully inadequate" causing holidaymakers to be stuck in long queues, the Kent port said. Picture date: Friday July 22, 2022.

French regional prefect Georges-François Leclerc was asked by BFM TV if French customs officers were to blame for the delays seen on Friday and Saturday.

He said they were not, adding: “The Port of Dover, which is a private port, found it easier to blame the French police.”

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who is competing to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, said: “This is a situation that has been caused by a lack of resource at the border.

“That is what the French authorities need to address and that is what I’m being very clear with them about.”

Anneliese Dodds, Labour Party chair, said the government had failed “to get a grip” on the problem, labelling it “chaos”.

Fuel protests to bring roads to standstill as millions go on holiday on Friday | UK News

Fuel price protests planned for Friday are set to unleash chaos on major roads as millions of families head off on their summer holidays.

Protesters plan to cause delays with “slow-moving roadblocks” – when motorists drive really slowly – on parts of the M4, M5, M32 and A38, police warned.

Fuel Price Stand Against Tax, a Facebook group with 53,000 members, shared a post suggesting activists will assemble “nationwide” to make their voices heard.

Protests are planned in Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, London and Manchester.

An estimated 18.8 million leisure trips are planned in the UK between Friday and Monday, the RAC said, as schools across England and Wales break up for summer.

The M25 is feared to be worst-affected by traffic jams, in particular stretches between Bromley and the Dartford Crossing; Maple Cross and the M3; and the M23 to the M40.

Queues are also likely to develop on the A303 near Stonehenge, Wiltshire; the M4 between Cardiff and Newport, south Wales, and the M5 south of Bristol, according to transport analytics company, Inrix.

It is the latest in a series of protests amid mounting anger over the fuel crisis – as record prices see people across the nation battle to financially stay afloat.

Avon and Somerset Police said its protest liaison team had engaged with the protest organisers in a bid to help minimise disruption.

But superintendent Tony Blatchford warned journey times are likely to be longer than normal, in particular on motorways which are already busy at this time of year.

“We advise motorists to consider any alternative travel plans available and ensure they are suitably prepared in case they are delayed,” he said.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

A protester earlier in July had a colourful message for those he sees as benefiting from high fuel prices

On Friday a convoy of vehicles will travel north on the M5 between Bridgwater and the Almondsbury Interchange from about 8.45am, then east along the M4 and to Junction 1 of the M32.

It is expected to leave the motorway and stop “for a period of time” before completing the same route in reverse.

They are due to return to Bridgwater in the early afternoon, police said.

A second group is planning to block a Shell petrol station in Bristol Road, Bridgwater, on Friday morning.

Earlier this week protesters caused major disruption by climbing on to signs above the M25.

Motorists are also braced for long delays at the Port of Dover after three-hour waits to complete border control and admin on Thursday.

A port spokesman said: “As a result of high demand and earlier capacity issues at the border, the port system is working hard to catch up and get everyone through as quickly as possible.”

Twelve people were arrested after the same slowing-down tactics brought parts of the M4 to a standstill on 4 July.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘Anaphylactic shock’ driver stuck in fuel protests

Falling prices not passed on to drivers

New analysis by the RAC found just 4% of forecourts are charging below 180p a litre for petrol.

Four out of five of those sites are independent – with the rest owned by supermarkets or oil companies.

Traditionally, supermarkets have been the first to introduce discounts.

Read more:
Nine tips to reduce how much fuel you use
What happens if I can’t afford to drive to work?

The average price at which retailers buy petrol has fallen by 17p a litre since the start of June.

But prices at the pump have dropped by a “paltry 4p”, the data showed.

RAC believes motorists should pay 174p a litre of petrol and 189p for diesel.

But the average price of a litre of petrol on Wednesday was 187.5p, while diesel cost 196.1p, according to data company Experian.