There are numerous ways fraudsters try to dupe used car buyers. Whether it’s the condition of the car itself, or the process of paying for it – you have to be vigilant at every stage.
Vehicle valuation specialist HPI has compiled a list of the methods car sales scammers use. Here are the six main issues to be aware of.
Clocking
It’s the oldest trick in the book. For as long as cars have been on the road, those selling them have been winding back mileage. Fewer miles mean more money, after all.
Clocking is less of a problem with modern cars. MOT history checks via the government website can usually show you the progress of a vehicle’s mileage over the years.
Needless to say, if it goes from 70,000 to 30,000 between one MOT and the next, drop it like a hot potato. You should expect a documented service history with any car you buy, so use this to double-check.
One of the most dangerous scams, being the victim of a cut-and-shut means your car could be unsafe to drive.
A cut-and-shut is a crashed car that has been welded together with a donor car. Needless to say, structural strength often isn’t up to par.
Inspect the car you’re buying closely. Look at door shuts and panel gaps to see if they’re tight and even, then examine the chassis underneath.
Cloning
Cloning is a bit less ‘Dagenham Dave’ and a bit more ‘organised crime’. It involves a car being stolen and given the identity of an identical model that isn’t stolen.
It likely won’t come with a V5 registration document, so that’s your first warning sign. If you’re not sure, call the DVLA to confirm the V5 is genuine.
Similarly to cloning, a stolen car is given a new identity by a scammer. The difference here is that the identity is from a car that’s been written off. Yet another reason to be cautious around cars with crash categorisations such as ‘Cat D’.
Make sure the chassis number matches the V5, and that the vehicle identification (VIN) plate hasn’t been tampered with.
Aim to match the address where you view the car with the V5, too. If you have a stolen car, the police will seize it and you’ll be out of pocket, regardless of who is at fault.
Hire car fraud
It’s as simple as it sounds. This involves a scammer hiring a car and then selling it to you.
In other words, it’s the sale of a stolen car. Carry out all the basic checks, including the V5 document, and walk away if there isn’t one.
Millions buy their first cars without checking them over
Deposit fraud
Deposit fraud is where a scammer will pressure you to send money in advance, especially if you can’t view the car right away.
It’s a technique used by long-distance fraudsters, and indeed people selling parts as well as cars. If you must send a deposit, get a receipt.
Even deposit-holding third-party services can be risky. Make sure any service you use is registered and approved by Trading Standards.
Ecotricity, the company that established the first electric car charging network in the UK in 2012, is upgrading its network. To that end, the cost of charging will increase.
The unit cost of Ecotricity’s energy will go up on 4 October 2019, with the Electric Highway rate of 30p per kWh rising to 39p. Fully Charged tariff members get a reduced rate of 19p per kWh.
Prices up, but Ecotricity makes a loss
Britain is one of the CHEAPEST places in Europe to own an electric car
In spite of the price rises, however, the Electric Highway will continue to lose money. It says, profits aren’t attainable yet because the user base isn’t at capacity.
Put simply, not enough people drive plug-in vehicles yet. The Ecotricity charging infrastructure seems ahead of the game in terms of the capacity it needs, but is due an upgrade in technology. Faster charging speeds should draw more customers, too.
Upgrading the UK’s oldest charging network
Hybrid and EVs surge ahead for second-hand sales
Electric car technology has come a long way since 2012. It’s Ecotricity’s intention that the entire network is upgraded to include CCS charging and contactless payment.
Rapid chargers will begin rolling out over the next month to replace the existing 50kW ‘pumps’. In the longer term, ultra high-speed charging facilities are coming. More than 50 applications have been submitted to secure grid capacity for 350kW charging.
Volkswagen has given a classic Beetle a heart transplant. It’s goodbye to the air-cooled chunter that defined seven decades of the original people’s car, and hello to the futuristic hum of electric power. The Beetle will be on display at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Volkswagen has teamed up with eClassics for the project. However, the powertrain, including battery, transmission and motor, is borrowed from VW’s e-Up electric city car.
The result is perhaps the heaviest classic Beetle ever made. By comparison with modern cars, however, it’s a featherweight, at 1,280kg. It’ll go more than 120 miles on a charge, and can be recharged up to 90 miles of range within an hour.
Will you be able to buy one? Well, Volkswagen is talking up the capability of its components division, so there’s a very real possibility.
“The electrified Beetle combines the charm of our classic car with the mobility of the future,” said Thomas Schmall of Volkswagen.
“Innovative e- components from Volkswagen Group Components are under the bonnet – we work with them to electrify historically important vehicles, in what is an emotional process.
“We are also providing Beetle owners with a professional conversion solution, using production parts of the highest quality.”
While Volkswagen provides the parts, eClassics is responsible for fusing car and powertrain.
“We are proud that we and Volkswagen Group Components could get the show on the road with this project. We are also looking forward to seeing many e-Beetles on the street soon,” said MD of eClassics, Dennis Murschel.
More electric classics coming soon
Britain is one of the CHEAPEST places in Europe to own an electric car
What’s perhaps even more interesting is that the Beetle won’t be a one-off. The marque is investigating the possibility of electrifying other classics from its back-catalogue. VW is even considering infusing classics with its latest Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) electric car tech.
“We are already working together to prepare the platform for the Bus,” explained Thomas Schmall. “An e-Porsche 356 could also be pursued in the future.”
Exotic, exclusive and expensive, Salon Privé is the UK’s A-list supercar show, held on the manicured lawns of Blenheim Palace. This year, no less than 11 vehicles made their UK debuts, from a Slovenian supercar to a resurrected vintage Bentley. We donned our best suits and selflessly quaffed free champagne to bring you the highlights.
Read on for details of all 11 debuts at Salon Privé 2019, plus an MR-exclusive photo gallery.
Austro Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 Shooting Grand
Try saying “Austro Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 Shooting Grand” after a couple of glasses of Krug. Back in 1910, Austro Daimler built the world’s fastest car – the 85mph Prinz Heinrich – but the company closed its doors in 1931. Fast-forward nearly 90 years and it’s back, this time attached to a plug-in hybrid loosely based on the Mercedes-AMG GT.
The headline stats are startling: 1,215hp, 1,180lb ft of torque and 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds. Combining the GT’s 3.0-litre straight-six with three electric motors, the ADR 630 Shooting Grand also offers an electric-only range of 155 miles. Top speed is ‘in excess of 200mph’ and kerb weight is a relatively modest 1,650kg.
The styling of the Bergmeister (let’s call it that for convenience) clearly owes much to the Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’ – it even emulates that icon’s trademark doors. The area usually occupied by the AMG GT’s boot is full of batteries, so a shooting break tail treatment provides added storage space. Other neat touches include a ‘double-bubble’ roof and Art Deco-inspired interior.
Puritalia Berlinetta
‘Puritalia Automobili Berlinetta’ is another name that could prove challenging to say when sloshed. If we were being cruel, we might suggest the designer of this 965hp Italian sports car also imbibed one too many. But beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
Hand-built near Naples, the Berlinetta has its roots in the 427 Roadster – a reborn AC Cobra. As such, most of its power (750hp, to be precise) comes from a good ol’ 5.0-litre supercharged V8, with the remaining 215hp via an electric motor driving the rear axle. In a 1,410kg carbon fibre coupe, that means 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds and 208mph.
HR Owen is the sole UK retailer for Puritalia and only 150 cars – each one taking 800 hours to build – will be sold worldwide. Be prepared to stump up £500,000 if you want one.
Tushek TS 900 H Apex
Slovenian racing driver Aljosa Tushek has launched his eponymous company in some style. The 1,410kg TS 900 H is billed as ‘the lightest hypercar on the road’ (don’t tell the McLaren Senna) and makes a combined 950hp from a petrol V8 and two electric motors. Performance? Yep, there’s plenty of that: 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 236mph.
The wedgy bodywork is all carbon fibre, mounted on a chrome-moly spaceframe. Upwards-opening scissor doors add some visual theatre, while the removable roof means you can ‘experience the full exhilarating symphony of the thunderous V8’. In the genteel gardens of Blenheim Palace, it sounded utterly ferocious.
In a nod to its racing roots, the TS 900 H Apex wears super-sticky Pirelli Trofeo R tyres. Can we expect a establishment-baiting Nurburgring lap-time, perhaps even with Aljosa behind the wheel? Watch this space.
Alpine A110S
The Alpine A110 was pretty much perfect from launch: an immaculate conception that marked a triumphant return for a largely forgotten brand. Now Alpine has launched the faster, stiffer and all-round sportier A110S. Has it gilded the lily?
Thankfully, the changes are subtle. The 1.8-litre turbo four has been tweaked to produce 292hp – an increase of 40hp over the standard car – while a switchable sports exhaust delivers a ‘more emotive engine sound’. Brakes, tyres and suspension have also been upgraded, with beefier Brembo calipers, wider Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber and a 4mm drop in ride height, plus stiffer anti-roll bars.
On sale from 3 September 2019, the A110S is priced at £56,810: around £10k more than the entry-level ‘Pure’ spec A110. Worth the extra cash? We’re itching to find out.
Ateliers Diva Targa
The ‘backdated’ Porsche 911 – with classic looks and more modern mechanicals – is nothing new. However, the rise of Singer has supercharged this market so that no ropey old SC or 964 is safe from a ‘restomod’ makeover. Now French company Crubilé Sport, which has decades of experience restoring 911s, wants a piece of the action.
The Ateliers Diva Targa is based on the 964-model 911, built between 1989 and 1994. Buyers can choose from a Carrera 2 or 4 drivetrain (the latter with four-wheel drive) and Coupe, Targa or Safari body styles – the Safari with raised suspension and rally accessories. Crubilé Sport will build 75 cars in total.
As ever, the heart of this 911 is behind the back axle: a race-derived 4.2-litre engine said to offer ‘the reliability of a modern 991’. No performance figures have been quoted yet, but with a kerb weight around 1,100kg, safe to assume it’s pretty swift. We want one.
Jannarelly Design-1
Designer Anthony Jannarelly first grabbed the attention of petrolheads with the W Motors Lykan HyperSport, a money-no-object hypercar built in the Middle East. Now he’s put own name on a retro-styled, rear-wheel-drive roadster.
The Design-1 was originally a one-off for Anthony’s personal use. However, “such was the enthusiasm”, he explains, “we decided to go the whole way and launch our own sports car brand. And so Jannarelly was born”. Based on a steel and aluminium tubular frame, the Design-1 weighs just 810kg with composite bodywork, or 760kg in all-carbon. Power comes from a 330hp 3.5-litre Nissan V6, serving up 0-62mph in ‘less than four seconds’.
Salon Prive debut 6: Jannarelly Design-1.
Retro roadster from the man who designed the W Motors Lykan Hypersport. A 320hp Nissan V6 and 800kg kerb weight. pic.twitter.com/9odJxicIyS
David Bagley, co-founder of Salon Privé said “I’m thrilled that Anthony and Thomas Ceccaldi, director of Jannarelly Paris, have selected our event to launch the thrilling Design-1 to the UK market. By and large, the guests who attend Salon Privé are knowledgeable, well-heeled enthusiasts and I’m confident that they will welcome this fabulous new sports car brand when it is unveiled on the lawns of Blenheim Palace.”
Rolls-Royce Ghost Zenith
Not even Rolls-Royce is immune to knocking out special editions when a car reaches its twilight days. The 10–year-old Ghost is due for replacement soon and 50 Zenith editions will mark its passing. Each car has a commemorative ingot inlaid into the dashboard, which is made from the melted-down Spirit of Ecstasy of the original ‘200EX’ Ghost prototype.
The 200EX is also remembered by an engraving on the centre console. This blueprint-inspired artwork has been divided into 50 parts, ‘allowing each Ghost Zenith customer their own personal and individual work of art, while at the same time uniting the collection as a group homage to Ghost’. So now you know.
Three different colour combinations are available: Iguazu Blue with Andalusian White, Premiere Silver with Arctic White or Bohemian Red with Black Diamond. Whichever spec you go for, future classic status seems assured. Rolls-Royce doesn’t quote a price, but if you have to ask, etc, etc….
Bentley Corniche
The original Bentley Corniche was commissioned by Greek racer Andre Embiricos and styled by Georges Paulin. Thanks to its streamlined body, it topped 100mph on the banked Brooklands circuit. Sadly, the Corniche was damaged by a bus while road testing in France in July 1939. The subsequent outbreak of World War Two then saw it damaged by a Luftwaffe bombing raid, never to be seen again.
Now, Bentley’s bespoke Mulliner division has re-created the long-lost Corniche, which makes its public debut at Salon Privé. The car has been a true labour of love, aided by volunteers who gathered information and sourced parts to assemble the chassis. Using original technical drawings combined with modern CAD techniques, the end result is simply stunning. Mulliner carpenter Gary Bedson even devised a custom steam booth to bend sections of wood for the window surrounds.
Salon Prive debut 8: Bentley Corniche.
The original was destroyed by a Luftwaffe bombing raid in 1939. This version has been recreated in-house by Mulliner using original blueprints and parts. pic.twitter.com/qVsTu8jOmy
“It’s been a fantastic team effort,” said Stefan Sielaff, design director at Bentley. “We have skilled craftsmen within Mulliner and around the rest of Bentley Motors and they all have massive pride in what they’ve achieved with this car.”
Pininfarina Battista
Pity the poor Pininfarina Battista. With a faintly ludicrous 1,900hp, it was (briefly) the most powerful production car ever until the Lotus Evija came along. Still, buyers who stump up the requisite £2 million aren’t likely to complain about 0-62mph in ‘less than two seconds’.
All that oomph comes from four electric motors – one for each wheel – providing a combined 1,696lb ft of torque. Handling has been honed by ex-F1 driver Nick Heidfeld, along with chassis guru Peter Tutzer (formerly of Bugatti, Pagani and Porsche).
Fittingly for the company that penned many of Ferrari’s finest, the carbon-bodied Battista is also utterly gorgeous. Sleek, curvaceous and devoid of aggressive aero appendages, it’s every inch the 21st-century hypercar. Just 150 will be built, after which Indian-owned Pininfarina Automobili plans to make an SUV.
Rimac C_Two
The Rimac C_Two was delayed en route to Salon Privé, hence the library pics here. To our knowledge, it’s the only car besides the first-generation Kia Pro_Cee’d to feature an underscore in its name. The Croatian electric supercar also promises the small matter of 1,913hp (yep, even more than the Battista) for 0-60mph in 1.85 seconds, 0-186mph in 11.8 seconds and a top speed of 258mph. Yowzers.
The £2.3 million Rimac also uses facial recognition rather than a key to unlock and start (don’t grow a beard or you’re going nowhere), plus it should deliver more than 400 miles range on a full charge.
Hands-down our favourite feature, though, is inside the cabin. After Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond famously crashed and burned its Concept One predecessor on camera, the C-Two has the words ‘In case of hill climb, extinguish fire’ inscribed on the leather strap that secures its fire extinguisher.
Bentley EXP 100 GT
Finally, back to Bentley. The EXP 100 GT is a celebration of the first 100 years of the British marque. It ‘reimagines the Grand Tourer for the world of 2035… a world of shared luxury experiences where passenger and driver enjoy equal status in their enjoyment of their extraordinary journeys’. In part, that means this concept EV can virtually drive itself.
A total of four electric motors produce 1,106lb ft of torque, enough to propel the 1,900kg EXP 100 GT to 60mph in 2.5 seconds and 186mph flat-out. The design, which looks stunning in the metal, hints at legendary Bentleys of old: spot the R-Type Continental rear haunches and headlights that evoke the iconic Blower. The illuminated matrix grille, however, is fearlessly futuristic.
A quoted range of 435 miles is perhaps less impressive than the batteries’ ability to be recharged to 80 percent capacity in just 15 minutes. Inside, a ‘Bentley Personal Assistant’ analyses your eye movements and blood pressure, tailoring the car’s systems to suit. A unique ‘Enhance’ mode also adapts light, sound, smell and air quality to deliver a ‘feeling of open top motoring from under the glass canopy’. Only 16 more years to wait…
It seems like only yesterday the BMW i8 was launched, looking every inch a vision of the future. Six years on, it’s signing off with the ‘Ultimate Sophisto Edition’ – the last of the i8 line.
Announcing the run of 200 cars, BMW confirmed the i8 will cease production in April 2020. In the company’s own words: ‘the Ultimate Sophisto Edition will escort the world’s most successful plug-in hybrid sports car since its launch in 2014 onto the finishing straight’.
BMW i8 Ultimate Sophisto Edition
BMW previews 2021 iNEXT electric SUV development
So what defines the Ultimate Sophisto Edition, besides that cringeworthy name? Sophisto Grey paint lends part of the car’s moniker, plus a rather attractive colour.
E-Copper accents provide contrast on the wheels, front grille and around the body, and are reminiscent of the Vision M Next concept. Look to that for clues as to what replaces the i8 next year.
Both Coupe and Roadster versions will be offered, each with a ‘1 of 200’ plaque inside the cabin. The sill plates also get ‘Ultimate Sophisto Edition’ script, while the tail lights are made from clear glass.
BMW i3S Edition Roadstyle
Hans Zimmer to help fast electric BMWs sound good
As ever, the more down-to-earth i3 follows in the i8’s tyre tracks. It too gets a special version called the ‘Edition Roadstyle’, although not to signify the end of production.
It also has flashes of E-Copper, but over Fluid Black paint. On the inside, the headrests come with ‘Edition Roadstyle’ badging.
In spite of BMW’s relative inactivity with the ‘i’ brand, the i8 and i3 have both been trailblazers. What follows the i8 will surely be something special.
A new car reliability survey ranks electric and hybrid vehicles best overall. A rating of 96.1 percent compares with 86.5 percent for the worst-performing vehicle category: luxury SUVs.
The second-best category in the 2019 What Car? survey is city cars, with a 94.7 percent rating for reliability.
When it comes to individual brand reliability, you might be surprised to see Tesla placed fourth, on 96.9 percent. In fact, the only marque that seems to be dragging down the electric and hybrid class is Renault, with the Zoe scoring a disappointing 82.3 percent.
At the opposite end of the scale, the Lexus CT and Toyota Yaris Hybrid both received 100 percent ratings.
Revealed: the UK’s most reliable cars
As for luxury SUVs, you could blame much of their dismal performance on the Range Rover. It’s the least reliable car on sale, with a 69.3 percent rating.
The Volkswagen Touareg SUV, by contast, scores 96 percent.
The small and family SUV classes perform disappointingly, given their popularity. Ratings of 93.3 and 91.6 percent respectively are just below average. Again, the family SUV class seems to suffer for the inclusion of the Range Rover Evoque, which scores just 78.4 percent.
Overall, Land Rover is the least reliable marque, with an average rating of 81.3 percent. Lexustops the table, with a 99.3 percent rating.
The What Car? survey questioned more than 18,000 car owners about their experiences This included how reliable their car had been over the past 12 months, how long it took for faults to be repaired, plus what it cost.
“With some models suffering a near-50 percent failure rate, it shows how important it is for buyers do their research when purchasing their next car,” commented Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?.
Tesla has helped create a stir in the UK new car registrations rankings in August thanks to the successful introduction of the Model 3 electric car.
The brand is listed under the ‘Other’ category by UK trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders – and, in an unprecedented result, this category came out THIRD in the August best-sellers rankings, ahead of top sellers such as Ford Focus, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Vauxhall Corsa.
It was an 847 percent increase for the ‘other imports’ category, driven largely by the long-awaited British introduction of the U.S.-built Model 3.
Following a launch ceremony on June 20th, UK Model 3 deliveries gathered pace during August, which also contributed to a 377 percent increase in fully electric car deliveries in August, to 3,147 models.
In August 2018, just 659 battery electric vehicles were delivered to UK customers.
Tesla has previously not registered enough cars in Britain to be listed as a separate brand in the rankings. The immediate success of the Model 3 suggests this may soon change.
Motoring Research has approached the electric car firm for comment.
The Tesla boost helped limit last month’s decline in UK new car registrations to 1.6 percent. That’s just 1,521 fewer cars than August 2018.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “August is typically the new car market’s quietest month so the huge increase in EV registrations is very visible but especially welcome. It’s great to see consumers respond to the massive industry investment made over many years.
“While this is encouraging, these figures also show the scale of the challenge ahead. It’s a long road to zero and while manufacturers can deliver the technology, they can’t dictate the pace of uptake.
“To support a smooth transition and deliver environmental gains now, we need a long-term government commitment to measures that give consumers confidence to invest in the latest technologies that best suit their needs.”
New research has shed some light on motorists’ understanding of how hard shoulders on smart motorways work.
The headline revelation is that a massive 56 percent of British drivers AVOID driving on the hard shoulder of smart motorways. Yes, even when signs say they’re open. That represents 23.1 million UK drivers.
Why are drivers avoiding smart motorway hard shoulders?
So why are so many of us avoiding hard shoulders even when we’re allowed to use them? Well, perhaps predictably, it’s because we’re not sure if we are. Almost one in three motorists said that they felt uncertain about whether hard shoulders were open.
One in four were reluctant to use them even when they knew the lane was open, over fears about there being stationary cars in the way.
There are other safety-related concerns, too. 15 percent said they don’t like driving so close to the verge. Another 15 percent said they were worried about debrit in the hard shoulder lane.
14 percent said they were concerned about the lack of an escape lane, should they need to take evasive action.
In terms of understanding the signage, we’re not in great shape. Less than a third said they were able to correctly identify an open hard shoulder using smart motorway signage. 20 percent of drivers said that they had no idea when a hard shoulder was in use.
Just 42 percent correctly understood gantry signs direct when you can drive in the hard shoulder on smart motorways. Only 29 percent correctly said that a speed limit sign over a hard shoulder indicated it was in use. Surprisingly, 13 percent said you can never use the hard shoulder.
Worryingly, 15 percent said that a blank sign meant that it was open. The opposite is, in fact, true.
“These findings reflect the concerns and uncertainty that many drivers have when driving on smart motorways,” said Roger Griggs, communications director of Kwik Fit.
“It’s clear that if many drivers are avoiding using the hard shoulder when it’s open, then the extra capacity which smart motorways are designed to provide is not being utilised properly and we will end up being in a worse position than with the original road layout.
“It is vital that there is a nationwide information campaign to ensure that drivers fully understand when they can and cannot use the hard shoulder if smart motorways are to be accepted by drivers and provide a way to ease congestion – something we need desperately.”
A coalition of climate campaigners says a ban is needed on all internal combustion vehicles in Scottish cities by 2030. It claims the Scottish government needs to speed up its response to air quality and environmental issues.
At present, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has agreed that 2045 is the target for net-zero carbon emissions.
And while the Scottish government has made significant investments in zero-emissions road and rail projects, CO2 reductions are yet to materialise.
“The proposal for banning petrol and diesel cars from city centres is a reasonable one given the target date of 2030,” said Andrew Llanwarne, co-ordinator at Friends of the Earth Tayside.
“This is not far short of the Scottish government’s current target of banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.”
A ban on petrol and diesel vehicles from Scottish cities is one of 12 parts of an overall plan by the ‘climate emergency response group’ to accelerate Scotland’s response to the issue.
In addition, it wants £100 million spent on the decarbonisation of farming, a PR campaign to promote a reduction of meat consumption, plus the establishment of low-carbon city investment deals.
“We are already witnessing the effects of climate change,” said Claire Mach, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, an industry body for energy companies.
“Now is the moment when we must accelerate our response if we are to avoid the worst effects and secure the many social and economic benefits of moving to a climate-neutral economy.”
Dundee, one of the cities in the spotlight for the internal combustion ban, is set to host a conference on climate change this month. Speakers and experts will be presenting at the event at Dundee University on 27 and 28 September.
Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart says young driver and passenger deaths are being ‘swept under the carpet’ in comparison with the problems of knife crime and drugs. It wants the issue to receive more attention from legislators.
“Successive governments have brushed this issue under the carpet, which is disgraceful as road crashes are the biggest killer of young people today,” said Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research.
“Yet it gets scant attention in terms of time and effort at the top level of government and in the media compared to knife crime or drugs.
“It is time that the government took this seriously at last and show that it cares for the young people of the UK by supporting fundamental changes to save these valuable young lives.”
The charity has, in response to a road safety enquiry by the government, recommended new restrictions on young drivers, to better protect them in their early driving career. In its submission to the Transport Committee investigation, it highlighted the risk factors young drivers present and face.
“The risk factors are well known; lack of experience in all traffic conditions including rural roads, darkness and poor weather, distraction by peer passengers or mobile phone use and alcohol.”
“Choosing restrictions to limit these risk factors should be the key objective of the government in creating a new graduated licensing system that is practical, affordable and effective in reducing young driver road deaths and injuries.”
The charity wants road safety education to be a part of the National Curriculum. Elements of driving theory, it says, should be taught at school. When it does come to lessons, IAM Roadsmart wants a minimum 12-month period of learning, with an online log to be completed before a practical test.
Testing
It also wants the test to cover a wider range of driving conditions, from rural to high-speed roads. This means expanding test environments to include everything from B-roads to motorways. In order to get a full licence, it also wants learners to partake in a post-test phase. This involves a refresher course as well as eco-driving lessons. Only then would a full licence be given.
Three in five young drivers admit to using their phone while driving
Post-pass limits
There is also a suggestion of new limits for new drivers: a one peer (someone their own age) passenger limit and a zero-tolerance blood alcohol policy. The latter is a blanket policy for all drivers in Scotland.
What it doesn’t want limited is where and when newly-passed drivers can drive. All conditions should be ‘available’ so that they may accrue valuable experience.
