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Motoring Law News: Traffic Volume Statistics

Posted on: March 18th, 2015 by steve

Traffic Volume (Department for Transport, February 2015)

Road traffic statistics recently released by the Department for Transport cover the period 1949 to 2014.

As would be expected over this broad, 65 year period, the figure for the total number of vehicles has risen from 28.9 billion vehicle miles in 1949, to 310.2 billion vehicle miles in 2014.

However, although the figures for cars and taxis has risen year after year (from an initial 12.6 billion vehicle miles in 1949, to 243.7 billion vehicle miles in 2014), not all classes of vehicles have seen a steadily rising total over time.

For example, the vehicle miles of motorcycles peaked at 6.2 billion in 1960, but has most recently fallen to less than 3 billion.

In a related Department of Transport survey, traffic volume is presented by road class in figures which date back to 1993.

These figures indicate that vehicle miles have increased across all urban and rural major and minor roads in Great Britain during the 21 years in which these statistics were collected – from 256.2 billion in 1993 to 310.2 billion in 2014.

The greatest increase in vehicle miles is on our major roads, an increase of some 43.10 billion.

So, in summary, the official statistics support our common perception that the roads on which we drive and ride are busier generally. The type of vehicles on our roads may change over time, but the trend is firmly towards more and more vehicle miles, on all types of roads.

As motorists, we would do well to heed this information and take extra care when making our many journeys on today’s busy roads.

If you are being charged with a motoring offence, call us now for expert motoring law advice on 01623 397200. Our specialist team are ready to assist.

Young Drivers Safety Report

Posted on: March 18th, 2015 by steve

Young Driver Safety – Focus Group Results (Department for Transport, June 2014)

This 94 page report (research debrief) gives the results of focus groups concerned with the safety of young drivers.

The report’s introduction makes clear the fact that young drivers are both a key issue (ie young people – particularly male – being more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a car accident) and a key opportunity (ie at a stage when interventions are possible, particularly with regard to driving tests and driving licences).

Two key interventions mentioned in the report were: (i) mandatory driving lessons covering the particularly high-risk areas, which are driving at night, driving on motorways and driving in rural areas; and (ii) graduated driving licensing, which involves a minimum 12 month learning period followed by a 12 month probationary period in which the new driver: (a) cannot drive between the hours of 11pm and 4am; (b) cannot drive a car with an engine bigger than 2.0 litre; and (c) drivers under 24 years of age cannot drive passengers under 24 years of age (other than immediate family members).

The views of three groups of people were sought during the focus groups: young drivers, the parents of young drivers and employers.

In terms of young drivers, the group was mixed by age (17-24 years), gender and rural/urban locations.

In the executive summary, it is noted that the key to being a ‘good driver’ is mostly seen as building confidence. However, it was accepted by the different groups that over-confidence can become a problem when it results in the taking of risks. This is important as it shows that less careful driving can be the result of a young driver’s attitude, and not their driving competence.

People agreed that learning to drive is a process which continues after the passing of the test. Whilst people commented that they felt the test was fit for purpose, many agreed that the test should cover defensive driving and driving on motorways.

Graduated driving licensing was resisted by all groups as it was seen to impose very inconvenient restrictions on young drivers without making a significant contribution to road safety.

However, mandatory driving lessons were supported – they were seen as being worth the investment and assumed to make a significant contribution to road safety.

In the conclusion to the report, the following points were made:-

Learning to drive is the building of confidence
Learning to drive continues after the test
Young drivers take 3 key risks on the road (speed, multi-tasking and carrying passengers)
There is widespread resistance to graduated driver licensing
There is a lot of support for mandatory driving lessons

If you are a young person charged with a motoring offence, it is vital that the court see more than your age. You will need an expertly prepared case and that’s where we come in. Our specialist team are here to help. Call us now on 01623 397200.

Police Station Representation For Drink Driving Clients

Posted on: March 13th, 2015 by steve

We recently acted for a client charged with Drink Driving at Leicester Magistrates Court. Throughout his conversations with us he maintained that he was not guilty of the offence, and that he only consumed alcohol after he had driven. In short his story to us was that he had purchased the alcohol, driven, parked up and then drank it. He had always intended to sleep where he was as had had a fight with his partner earlier so was going to stay away for a bit.

Post driving consumption is a defence to Drink Driving.

We therefore entered a Not Guilty plea and the matter was adjourned to trial. As part of the case preparation we took a statement from the client, and we interrogated all the evidence against our client. Initially it seemed to be quite a strong case – the police even had the bottle the client said he had been drinking from and we had a statement from the Police Officer involved to confirm that they had confiscated the bottle.

Unfortunately the client was found Guilty of the offence, with the court highlighting that the most damaging evidence was that of his own words. When asked under interview, our client had twice denied drinking anything after driving. Our client’s reason for this, to us, was that he was drunk and probably either misunderstood the question or didn’t want to make things worse for himself. He maintained his position that he only drank after parking up and that he had not intended to drive for several hours, not until he would have been legal to do so.

The warning when you are arrested does state that anything you say can be used in evidence in court and in this case it was and this was the evidence that the court focused on. Everyone, regardless of charge, is entitled to legal representation at the station if they are to be interviewed. We would always remind our clients to take advantage of this right, and to remember that if you have nothing to hide then be open and honest about this. Saying No Comment when you have a valid defence can be just as damaging as the courts will ask why you didn’t tell the police important facts at the time.

If you are arrested for an offence give our team a call on 01623 397200. We can arrange for police station representation to guide you through the interview process and to try and ensure that nothing you say, or don’t say, can later be used against you to undermine your defence.

Motoring Advice Blog

Motoring Law News: Traffic Volume Statistics

Young Drivers Safety Report

Police Station Representation For Drink Driving Clients

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