Don't Speed - The Police Are Enrolling Your Kids!
Well here’s a thing. Motorists are so concerned about fellow drivers using their phones whilst on the road that they believe the penalties should be tougher. Meanwhile, is there an impending Petrolgate scandal? Like the diesel one but with petrol? Oh and children might well be stopping you for speeding and then telling you off.
Tougher Penalties For Mobile Phone Users
Apparently, almost 90 per cent of motorists would like to see tougher penalties handed out to other drivers using their phones behind the wheel
These figures are based on a poll by Motorpoint, a major independent car retailer. This is a reaction to the case of David Beckham who received a six-month driving ban for using his mobile phone in traffic.
The current punishment for offenders is currently six penalty points and a £200 fine, although depending on the seriousness of the offence, David Beckham was also fined £750 for using his phone in the West End of London. Over 8,000 drivers are convicted every year of this offence in England and Wales.
Mark Carpenter, Managing Director of Motorpoint, said: “It’s clear from the results of our new poll that other road users would like to see more powers given to the authorities to ensure the message gets through to drivers that holding your mobile phone while behind the wheel is simply no longer acceptable in 2019 and anyone who continues to do so can expect to receive even harsher punishments.”
Is Petrolgate On The Horizon?
Just in case you wondered, the new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) was meant to bring CO2 emissions in line with the real world by more closely replicating actual vehicle use in laboratory tests. But while real-world diesel car CO2 emissions are now close to the latest laboratory results, Emissions Analytics has uncovered a major discrepancy between lab tests of petrol cars and real emissions.
Latest WLTP-certified vehicles show that, despite the test getting tougher and more representative of actual use, CO2 emissions for petrol cars have fallen – when they would have been expected to have risen – to a fleet average of 133g/km on an NEDC-equivalent basis yet the real-world average CO2 figure, as measured by Emissions Analytics, is in fact much higher: 185g/km.
What's more reliable - petrol or diesel cars?
The Dangers Of Speeding From A Childs Perspective
And finally, children have been given the opportunity to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding, as part of a new road danger reduction education scheme, Junior Roadwatch. This is an initiative by Transport for London (TfL), the Metropolitan Police and Kingston Council involving
Pupils from Our Lady Immaculate Primary School in Surbiton. Not only that, primary school children are given the opportunity to take part in speed awareness sessions with the police near their school.
Drivers caught speeding are stopped by police officers and given the option of receiving an enforcement option – either a fixed penalty fine and points on their licence or attending a speed awareness course – and being reported for speeding or, if drivers are deemed suitable, speaking to the children.
Should they take that option, the driver will receive an educational message from the children and the council staff member. That’s either education, for the children or possibly indoctrination. The sort of questions they may ask include “Why do you think the speed limit is 20mph on this road?” and “Are you aware of the consequences of speeding?”
If you do get interrogated by one of these kiddie cops, we would love to know how it went! Contact us through the normal MotorEasy channels.
Further Reading
Warning Lights what to watch out for
