Health and Business

This article is based on National UK Statistics Road Traffic, the Free Flow Vehicle Speeds and Road Congestion in Great Britain during 2007. These statistics are studied by the underwriters of car insurance at the UK’s largest insurance companies.

Road Traffic in Great Britain

•It is estimated that total traffic rose by 5.5 billion vehicle kilometres (1.1 per cent) to 513 billion kilometres between 2006 and 2007. This is a 14 per cent increase over the last 10 years.

•79 per cent of all motor vehicle traffic relates to cars. In 2007, car traffic totalled 404 billion kilometres. This is a 0.4 per cent increase from 2006, and is up by 11 per cent over the last 10 years.

•Light van traffic is still growing faster than overall traffic. This continues a trend that began in 2000. In 2007, light van traffic was 68.2 billion kilometres, a 4.6 per cent rise from 2006, and a 40 per cent rise over the last 10 years.

•Heavy goods vehicle traffic was estimated to be 29.4 billion kilometres in 2007. This was an increase of 0.8 per cent from 2006 and 9.4 per cent over the last 10 years.

•During 2007, 86% of Great Britain motor vehicle traffic occurred in England. Scotland accounted for 9% and Wales 6%.

•Foreign registered vehicles accounted for approximately 1 kilometre in every 215 kilometres driven in 2007.

•’A’ roads and Motorways and account for 12% and 1% respectively of the road length in Great Britain. In contrast, 44 per cent of traffic was on ‘A’ roads and 20% on motorways.

•It is estimated that in 2007 there are 345 thousand kilometres of minor roads (i.e. ‘B’, ‘C’ and unclassified) in Great Britain. This amounted to 87% of the total national road length. These roads carried 37% of all traffic.

Vehicle Speeds in Great Britain

•In the last 10 years, the percentage of vehicles exceeding the 30 mph speed limit in free flow conditions fell for every type of vehicle. Cars had the most significant decrease… ten years ago, 70% of cars were driven at speeds exceeding the set limits; by 2007, this had dropped to less than 50%

•On Motorways, 54% of cars exceeded the 70 mph speed limit. But, 18% of cars were being driven at 80 mph or over.

•Happily on Motorways, very few heavy goods vehicles exceeded their 60 mph speed limit. However, over 82% exceeded the 50 mph speed limit on dual carriageway non-built-up roads. Nearly 3 out of 4 exceeded the 40 mph limit on single carriageway non-built-up roads.

•More than 50% of all motorbikes were driven faster than the 30 mph speed limit in built-up areas. Of these, nearly 25% of the total exceeded the speed limit by 5 mph or more.

Congestion and Traffic Speeds on the English Inter-Urban Road Network.

On the English Strategic Road Network:

•Over the last 2 years, the average traffic speed over the whole network fell by 0.8% from 55.4 mph to 55.0 mph. The average speed for the weekday evening peak fell by 1.4% and motorway speeds fell by 1.8%. On dual carriageway ‘A’ roads speeds rose by 1.2 per cent.

Congestion in English Built-up Areas

•The average peak morning speeds on key routes in the 10 biggest built-up areas vary considerably from route to route and area to area. 5% of routes achieved average speeds in excess of 30 mph, and 38% had average speeds of 15 mph or lower.

•As expected, traffic slows down on these key routes at the beginning of the morning peak (which in most areas is between 6.30 and 6.45 am), and by about 9.30 am returns to daytime average speeds.

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• Driving
• Conditions
• And
• Trends
• Affecting
• Car
• Insurance

Too many people are seriously injured or killed or on our roads each year in accidents involving drink-driving. It is currently estimate that around 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year on our roads in collisions where one or both of the drivers were over the drink drive limit. As you would expect, motorcyclists have the highest fatality rate of all road users – with current figures showing big increases in young riders killed whilst over the limit.

So drink driving is a huge problem, not only in the UK but all over the world resulting in many injuries and deaths. These drivers can’t argue that they don’t know the risks – so it’s down right irresponsibility. They’re not only putting themselves at risk but the lives of innocent motorists as well. The fact is that drink drivers have a lot to answer for and car insurance premiums generally have to be priced to cover the claims resulting from their actions.

But there might be a solution on the skyline. New technology is being tested in Europe and is already in service in the United States that could put an end to drink driving once and for all.

It’s called the “Alcolock”. It’s a revolutionary piece of equipment that prevents the car starting when it detects that the person sitting in the drivers seat is over the limit. It works by connecting a built breath analyser to the ignition. When a driver enters their vehicle they have to give a breath sample via a tube connected to the device, this is analysed and if the level of alcohol is above the legal limit, the ignition of the car is imobilised.

These devices are already in use in parts of Canada and the USA where a driver has already been convicted drink driving. This has enabled the Canadian and American governments to reduce the number of known drink drivers reoffending. In America, to avoid any cheating of the system, some devices even require the driver to provide a breath sample before the journey and at random times during the journey.

These machines have been tested sucessfully in Europe and especially in Sweden but there are a few flaws that need to be resolved. For example, one tester in Sweden reported that he had to blow into the machine 76 times before the ignition would start – and he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol! Clearly, the manufacturers must be absolutely sure that the equipment totally reliable before launching it onto the market.

Sweden, a leader in car safety, is now fitting the devices to all new cars in a voluntary code which involves all Sweedish car manufacturers. And by 2012 these devices will be compulsory for all the country’s new commercial vehicles.

We believe Sweeden’s lead will make all of Europe sit up and take notice extending to all new cars.

We know that this raises issues on people’s rights as stressed by the Association for British Drivers. But surely, if preventative measures can be taken, they should. After all the lives of fellow road users are at risk and they have rights too.

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• Preventing
• Drink
• Driving

Jeremy Clarkson recently asked everyone in his audience who considered themselves a conscientious safe driver, to put their hand up. A forest of hands appeared. But was everyone truthful?

Even the most careful driver will have broken a speed limit at some time or another. We all do it, some by lack of concentration, some by failing to notice the speed limit, some because we’re running late, and other simply because it gives them a buzz.

The fact is that if we exceed the prescribed speed limits for a stretch of road we run the risk of being punished. Whether we’re caught by a speed camera or a police officer it’s going to cost. Precisely how much usually depends on the particular speed limit you exceeded and by how much it was exceeded. And despite the proclaimed fairness of the British Courts, your fine may also be influenced by which court you find yourself in and whether the magistrate had a good lunch! Even if it’s a relatively minor speeding offence, don’t expect to come away with change out of £60. And if you were over the ton on a motorway, a £500 fine would be cheap and you’d be luck to keep your licence.

So that leads on to penalty points. All speeding offences attract penalty points. Exactly how many again depends on the circumstances of the offence but generally you can expect three penalty points for a minor speeding offence. In indirectly, penalty points can be very expensive. Insurance companies take a great interest in their clients driving record and take the number of penalty points on your licence, and the reasons for their existence, as a reliable guide to the level risk they are taking by insuring you. So penalty points will certainly result in your insurance company increasing your premium on your next renewal. And the more powerful you car is, the greater the risk and the more the insurance company becomes concerned!

Accumulating points on your licence is also a dangerous affair. If you have been driving for more than two years and have accumulated 12 penalty points in the space of three years, you can expect an automatic ban. For inexperienced drivers who have held a full driving licence for less than two years, an automatic ban comes into force with just six penalty points and you have to retake your driving test once the driving ban has expired.

The highest cost with driving fast comes with the escalating chances of an accident. If your excessive speed was a factor in an accident, not only could you lose your no claims bonus but you could get between 3 and 11 penalty points for dangerous driving. And the loss of your no claims bonus would mean that the following year the cost of your car insurance would rocket.

Are fines, penalty points and higher insurance costs the most defining costs for excessive speed? No! Don’t forget the human cost. You might not worry about injuring yourself in an accident, but have a care for the other road users and pedestrians. Injuries can ruin lives and deaths devastate families.

You might think that it would never happen to you – but it can.

Take care and remember – excessive speed kills.

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• Speeding
• Risks
• Fines
• And
• Higher
• Insurance
• Premiums
• Ndash
• And
• Accidents