Bristol mayor who spearheaded 20mph scheme is caught speeding

George Ferguson, the mayor of Bristol who spearheaded a £2.3m project to implement 20mph zones across his city has been caught speeding doing 35mph in a 30mph zone

Ferguson, who usually drives an electric-powered car or rides a bicycle, was behind the wheel of a Bristol city council fleet car at the time. He was clocked speeding on the A4 Portway road by Avon and Somerset police.

In a statement issued through the council, Ferguson described the offence as an inexcusable mistake and said he would be paying the £100 penalty charge.

“I am shocked to have just discovered I exceeded the speed limit on the Portway last month ... on one of the rare occasions when I have had to use a council fleet car.

“It serves as a sharp warning to me and goes to show that I am no exception to the rule. I am only too aware of the dangers of exceeding speed limits and commend the Avon and Somerset police for their vigilance.

“I have blemished an otherwise clean licence and shall be paying the penalty charge willingly from my own pocket.”

Ferguson became Bristol’s first directly elected major in 2012 and is an advocate of a 20mph pilot scheme run by the council.

The council voted in July 2012 to bring in the 20mph speed limit throughout Bristol in a six-phase scheme costing £2.3m. All roads except dual carriageways, 40mph and 50mph roads are considered for the 20mph speed limit, which applies to all motorised vehicles on the road.

Speaking at the time of the rollout, Ferguson said: “The new speed limit is part of a number of measures that we are introducing that will help to promote road safety, improve traffic flow, support sustainable transport and active travel and help to make Bristol a more positive place to live and work.

“We realise that the change in speed limit will take a little getting used to but I know from my own experience how little impact the reduction in speed will have on journey times.”

New Drug Driving Law - Includes Some Prescription Medicines!

People who have been prescribed powerful anxiety or pain relief drugs are being warned about a new drug-driving law.

The new legislation will includes some prescription medicines.The limit levels for which are set above  prescribed doses so most patients should still be safe to drive. Those who are unsure are advised to seek the advice of a pharmacist.

The new law, was introduced 2 March 2015 in England and Wales, aims to catch those who put the lives of others at risk while driving under the influence of drugs.

It sets very low levels for eight well known illegal drugs, including cannabis and cocaine, but also includes eight prescription drugs, where the levels have been set much higher.

Prescription drugs covered by the new law

• Clonazepam (seizures or panic disorder)
• Diazepam (anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal symptoms or muscle spasms)
• Flunitrazepam (AKA Rohypnol is a sedative) 
• Lorazepam (convulsions or seizures caused by epilepsy)
• Oxazepam (relieve anxiety, including anxiety caused by alcohol withdrawal)
• Temazepam ( insomnia problems)
• Methadone (heroin addiction and for pain relief)
• Morphine (moderate to severe pain)

Robert Goodwill MP, Road Safety Minister, says as long as they stay within prescribed levels, most people will still be able to get behind the wheel of a car.

"If you are taking your medicine as directed and your driving is not impaired, then you are not breaking the law and there is no need to worry," he said.

"We advise anyone who is unsure about the effects of their medication or how the new legislation may affect them, to seek the advice of their doctor or pharmacist.

"There will also be a medical defence if a driver has been taking medication as directed and is found to be over the limit but not impaired.

"Drivers who are taking prescribed medication at high doses [are advised] to carry evidence with them, such as prescriptions slips, when driving in order to minimise any inconvenience should they be asked to take a test by the police."

Ed Morrow, campaigns officer for road safety charity Brake said the organisation strongly welcomed the new drug-diving law.

"This much-needed progressive move by government will make it much easier for police to deal with illegal drug-drivers," he said.

"We are confident that the necessary measures are in place to ensure drivers who take prescription medication are not unfairly penalised.

"However, many prescription medications can have a negative effect on your ability to drive safely, and there is a worrying lack of awareness of this among the public."

Seatbelt enforcement checks to take place across Europe this week

Image www.tispol.org

POLICE OFFICERS across Europe will be conducting seatbelt checks throughout the week of 9 to
15 March. Vehicle occupants who do not wear their seatbelt will be issued with a penalty. The action is part of a Europe-wide operation co-ordinated by TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network.

 TISPOL President Aidan Reid says:  “Using a seatbelt is a quick and simple task; it’s also a highly effective way of reducing the consequences of a collision. That’s why wearing a seatbelt is not a matter of personal choice, but is compulsory for drivers and passengers in every European country.

“Yet there are still drivers and passengers who for whatever reason do not use a seatbelt.
 “We urge drivers to take responsibility for their own safety and for the safety of their passengers, by ensuring everyone wears a seatbelt on every road journey. After all, the use of seatbelts is the single most effective method of reducing fatalities and serious injuries in motor vehicle collisions.”

Results from a similar operation on September last year show that more than 95,000 drivers and passengers received penalties for not wearing seatbelts. A total of 27 countries took part in the operation. Of the final total of 95,553 detections, 2,944 related to children not wearing seatbelts or other safety restraints.

14mph over limit = £40,000 speeding ticket

Finnish authorities take a very dim view of speeding, as they demonstrated when they fined one driver a staggering £40,000 for going just 14mph over the limit.

The huge  sum was demanded because in Finland, fines for speeding are scaled up according to the wealth of the law-breaker. 

Unfortunately for this businessman  who was caught travelling at 64mph in a 50mph zone he is a multi-millionaire and the authorities took a peek at his tax return.

Reima Kuisla's tax return showed that he earned 6.5m euros (£4.72m) a year, so they dished out a 54,000 euro fine, the Iltalehti newspaper reported.

The fine has a logic to it, but Mr Kuisla complained bitterly on his Facebook page about the sum he was asked to hand over posting a picture of the ticket and saying: ‘Finland is impossible to live in for certain kinds of people who have high incomes and wealth. I’m considering leaving the country.’

However, sympathy levels in Finland for his plight have been fairly low. One user wrote on the Iltalehti website: ‘He should stop complaining and hang his head in shame instead.’

New driving licence service

The DVLA is shortly due to stop issuing the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence. As of the 8th June 2015 it will be no more.

If as a business or organisation you need to check someone’s driving record you can do so using Share Driving Licence.

There are 2 steps to this new service.

1. The driver licence holder will need to log on to the View Driving Licence service and click on Share Driving Licence. This will generate a unique one-time use access code that the driver will need to share with you, along with the last 8 digits of their driving licence number. Here the driving licence holder will also have the option to download a summary of their driving licence information and access code.
2. Once in receipt of the access code you may use this in conjunction with the last 8 digits of the driving licence number to view the latest driving licence information from the DVLA. This free, 24/7 service will be available at www.gov.uk.

Drivers with old style paper driving licences issued before 1998 can also use the Share Driving Licence service.

For more information on these changes and the abolition of the counterpart visit www.gov.uk/dvla/nomorecounterpart.

Bad driving in Europe could be punished in UK courts

British motorists caught speeding in their own vehicles on the Continent could have fines sent to their home addresses and be pursued in UK courts, under new plans to let European Union states access our motoring records for the first time.

Currently, British motorists who commit driving offences in other EU countries can be fined only if stopped by a police officer at the roadside. Those whose offences in their own vehicles are caught on camera tend to escape without punishment, while drivers of hire cars are often traced through their rental companies.

But this week the European Parliament will vote on a range of measures that will give national police forces the power to send out fines across Europe – and pursue offenders through the courts of their home countries.

Under the new rules, If a driver commits an offence in another country, that state may use their car’s registration number to access their personal data to send out a letter in the driver’s own language, demanding payment and threatening court action if they do not pay the fine.

The new Bill will be the first time that all 28 EU countries take part in cross-border information exchanges. Under the law, British police will also be able to pursue foreign motorists for traffic and speeding fines if they have left the UK.

An earlier law, which Britain had opted out of, was struck down by the European Court of Justice on an administrative technicality. However, the new directive, which was proposed by the European Commission in May, does not allow for Britain to use its opt-out.

Read the Full story by the Independent here

Driver caught speeding at 95mph on M6 toll road 'was late for speed awareness course'

A driver caught travelling at nearly 100mph Last Wednesday told police he was late... for his speed awareness course.

The man was stopped by officers who were conducting speed checks on the M6 Toll between Lichfield and Burntwood in Staffordshire after clocked him doing nearly 95mph in his Nissan Pathfinder 

The man in his 50s has been reported for summons. Another driver was also stopped who was clocking up nearly 128mph. 

Speed awareness courses are offered as an alternative to a speeding fine and penalty points.

The course, usually of four hours duration, aims to help drivers to gain a fuller understanding of why people drive above the speed limit and the potential consequences of speeding.