RAC analysis of the latest official Government data shows that the number of battery electric vehicles (‘BEVs’) in private hands in the UK rose by nearly 30,000 in the 12 months to September 2020, an increase of 53 per cent on the year before, with more than a third of these (36 per cent) in London and the South East of England.
Around 40 per cent of drivers won’t be making use of the current six-month MOT exemption, a survey of 2,200 UK drivers has suggested. Just one-in-seven drivers (14 per cent) who responded to the RAC survey said they will make full use of the extra six months added to MOT due dates, with three times that proportion (44 per cent) planning on getting their car checked as normal, despite the impact of the coronavirus.
In a significant win for the roadside rescue and recovery industry, Roads Minister Michael Ellis MP today announced that the Department for Transport would be reviewing the evidence base for the benefits of recovery operators being permitted to use red flashing warning beacons, instead of the amber warning beacons current legislation allows. The announcement occurred during a Westminster Hall debate led by Tracey Crouch MP.
The RAC has joined forces with Euro Car Parts to create the biggest independent garage network in the country. Formed from existing RAC Approved Garages and Autofirst Network members, along with new sign ups, the newly created ‘RAC Approved Garages powered by Autofirst Network’ already has 500 garages on board and is expected to exceed 650 by April this year.
RAC patrols attended 11 per cent more breakdowns that could be attributed to potholes in the last quarter of 2017 than in the same period in 2016, according to new data used to compile the RAC’s Pothole Index.
The RAC has announced that scrapping the hard shoulder on busy motorways will put more motorist’s lives at risk.
According to the RAC, more than half (55 per cent) of drivers do not know where to go if they break down on stretches of the new ‘smart’ motorways and 52 per cent did not know what an emergency refuge area was.
Changes to the driving test will help save lives and improve road safety, said transport minister Andrew Jones. Learner drivers will need to pass a modern test that will include new manoeuvres and a longer independent driving section to make sure drivers have the skills, knowledge and confidence to drive on their own. The changes will also include a section where drivers use satellite navigation to find their way.
Plans to improve driver and motorcyclist training to improve safety on roads in Great Britain were announced by Transport minister, Andrew Jones on Friday 30 December 2016. The proposed changes will see competent learner drivers able to have lessons on motorways with an approved driving instructor in a dual controlled car. Allowing learners on a motorway will improve the awareness and experience of new drivers which is aimed at boosting safety on roads in Great Britain.
LeasePlan UK has reacted to the RAC’s 2016 Report on Motoring that revealed car maintenance was the second biggest concern for motorists. Jennifer Gradden, fleet risk management account director at LeasePlan UK, part of the world’s largest vehicle management group, comments, “There is a worrying level of motorists in the UK who are baffled by car maintenance. It’s hugely important to maintain the upkeep of a vehicle, not only to conserve its value and improve fuel economy, but also because poor maintenance can be dangerous and potentially cause an accident.
Nebula Systems says independent garages can “connect with the future of diagnostics” by employing its new MECH5 diagnostics system. MECH5 is a new cloud-based vehicle data analytics platform that can help garages access the wealth of data within the ECUs of modern vehicles. The system is due to be launched commercially in September.
Following its acquisition by the RAC, Nebula Systems is preparing to launch commercially its MECH5 diagnostics platform for independent garages. The platform will initially offer the functionality of Superscan 3 on a pay-as-you-go basis. With the help of the RAC investment, Nebula says it will use the flexibility of scalable cloud-based IT infrastructure to develop MECH5 rapidly.
Millions of newly qualified drivers will be better prepared for life on the road under changes to the driving test that will better reflect real life driving. The proposals announced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will help reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads, and ensure safer drivers and journeys.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has outlined a number of proposed changes to the driving test, which are being made in order to improve road safety. The changes, subject to the outcome of research and consultation feedback, will be introduced in early 2017. The changes have been trialled with more than 4,500 learner drivers and 850 driving instructors in 32 locations across Great Britain. The 6-week consultation starts today and closes on 25 August 2016.
CDL has signed a three-year deal to provide full vehicle provenance and valuation data to the RAC for motor trade, vehicle breakdown, and insurance customers. The partnership will also provide vehicle provenance information for consumers through the newly launched RAC Passport product and vehicle look-up data to support RAC’s breakdown service, call centre operations and RAC Cars.
RAC Car Passport for dealers officially opens for business at 8am on Wednesday 9 March following its launch last month. Until 30 April, RAC will make all checks available at an introductory price of £1. Robert Diamond, managing director of Motoring Services at the RAC, said: “We’ve had a very strong reaction from the market since the announcement of Car Passport for dealers and are talking to a large number of potential customers.”
