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Depot Manager killed by reversing truck – haulage company fined £2.2 million

man in hi viz clothing giving directions to reversing vehicle

Turners (Soham) and The Haulage Group have been  fined £2.2m  after depot manager was killed by a  reversing truck. Neil Roberts, 60, worked for Turners (Soham) when he was hit by the truck on 30 August 2019. The incident occurred at the premises of The Haulage Group, previously known as Howell Group, in Birmingham when […]

Newly Qualified Drivers Could Be Banned From Carrying Passengers

The government is considering a change in the L driver licensing process to stop newly qualified young drivers from giving lifts to friends in efforts to stop peer-pressure car crashes. Drivers under the age of 25 could be prevented from having any young passengers in the vehicle as part of a ‘graduated driving licence’. Young […]

Rishi Sunak Scraps 11 New Smart Motorways

The building of 11 new smart motorways is being cancelled as prime minister Rishi Sunak admitted there are concerns about their safety and cost. Fourteen planned smart motorways – including 11 that are already paused,  and three that are due for construction – will be removed from government road-building plans as a result of financial pressures, […]

Are speed limiters on the way for all new cars?

Car - Motor vehicle

From  6th July 2022, all new cars sold in the EU must be fitted with speed limiters fitted as standard.  The limiters, technically known as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) will also need to be retro fitted to any new cars currently in showrooms.   The deadline for this is July 7th 2024. Reduced Journey Times Advocates […]

HGV driver shortage made worse by lack of testing capacity

Transport - Motor vehicle

The government has published an open letter to the UK Logistics Sector and announced plans to increase lorry driving tests. In the letter from the Departments of Works and Pensions, Transport and Environment & Rural Affairs,  the shortage of drivers is acknowledged and it outlines the measures being taken to try and raise the number of […]

Smart Motorways – “not so smart” – says Transport Secretary Grant Shapps

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has told the Parliamentary Transport Committee that radar technology capable of detecting a broken down car in just 20 seconds wil be installed on all smart motorways that do not have a hard shoulder, by next year.   To improve safety,  more regular lay-bys would also be installed, and drivers who […]

Death toll on smart motorways hits new record

Traffic sign - Controlled-access highway

From Sunday Times article February 21st 2021 A delayed report by the Department of Transport reveals an increase in the number of deaths related to smart motorways. There were 14 fatalities in 2019 on motorways where hard shoulders operate as full-time or part- time traffic lanes, according to data collected by the DfT but not […]

Smart Motorways: Highways England referred to CPS over M1 death

Motor vehicle - Lane

From BBC Sheffield & South Yorkshire  12th February 2021  Highways England should be investigated over possible manslaughter charges after a woman’s death on a smart motorway, a coroner has said. A week after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps described smart motorways as “not so smart”,   a coroner has stated that Highways England should be referred to […]

Do You Know the Drivers’ Hours Rules for Your Van Drivers?

defensive driving uk power networks van on site

Van Drivers Must Follow HGV  Drivers’ Hours Rules  to Avoid a Possible £300 Fine    Many van drivers do not realise that they are subject to the same working hours and rest periods as HGV drivers.   Exceeding the UK daily driving hours limit could result in a £300 fine. Failing to take breaks and exceeding the […]