It has emerged that the DVLA has made nearly £22 million in the past four-and-a-half-years selling drivers’ private details to parking enforcement firms. The information includes drivers’ names and addresses as well as vehicle details and is often used by companies to issue and collect fines.

A total of 31 companies have paid for data over the period, despite many facing criticism from motorists over their behaviour. These figures have been released by the DVLA in response to a freedom of information request.

The DVLA’s response was that it does not profit from the sales, rather the fees are set to recover the related administrative costs and so the applicant and not the taxpayer funds the activity. The DVLA stressed it has strict criteria for those using its electronic database, including valid Data Protection registration, probation periods and audits to monitor behaviour and use of data.

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As many as one in five motorists have admitted to driving the morning after a heavy drinking session . . . despite knowing that they may well still be over the legal drink-drive limit.

With the Christmas season upon us, and Seasonal revellers across the country indulging in late-night boozing sessions, both legal and driving authorities are advising designated drivers to stay away from alcohol, as well as warning those who have been indulging to stay in passenger seats only.

The AA has even warned that many infamous “sober-up” remedies are actually ineffective, leading many drivers to think that they are fine to drive, when in fact they are actually putting themselves and others in danger.

Drive safe this winter from Britannia!

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Scotland introduced a new legal drink-drive limit on midnight Thursday which was reduced from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. This has brought the limit in line with much of Europe but lower than the rest of the UK. Though the new limit was enforced at midnight, by 6am four people had already been arrested for breaching the level.

The new limit means that motorists could find themselves exceeding the limit after one glass of wine or pint of beer. This brings the law closer to a zero tolerance of driving after drink driving. This is something campaigners have been urging for some time, arguing that even the slightest bit of alcohol can affect driving ability and so much be avoided.

The change has resulted in a warning to drivers south of the border that they may be able to get behind the wheel legally after a drink in England but find themselves over the limit if they travel to Scotland. However, many argue that this shouldn’t be a problem as motorists should avoid alcohol altogether if they know they will be driving.

Drivers have also been warned to think carefully about driving the morning after a night of drinking. For most people, it takes about an hour to process one unit of alcohol which means it could take up to 12 hours to be safe to drive after drinking a bottle of wine.

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The Christmas Season is finally upon us; Christmas parties are in full swing, families are journeying to visit, hectic shopping has taken over the next few weekends and mothers across the country are dropping presents off to friends and family members like there’s no tomorrow.

So I’m sure we all have plans for our cars to break down this winter?

No? Then you had better read our top tips to avoid breaking down here:

– Always be prepared. You will always break down when you least expect it, so always keep a kit in your car ready for this eventuality. In this emergency kit you will want some water, some back-up fuel if you have ran out, a flash light, some blankets to keep you warm and a mobile phone with it’s battery charged full. This is also a good idea if you are involved in an accident.

Have we missed any items off? Let us know!

– Remember your Hazards. If you break down, you will need to switch on your Hazard lights to alert other drivers of your presence and your vehicle status. This is especially important on winter nights as the dark will make it harder to see you.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Chancellor George Osborne has said fuel duty is to remain frozen in his Autumn Statement. The freeze has been confirmed to last until May 2015. Many motorists have seen this freeze on duty as a very welcome relief; however, there seemed to be disappointment amongst some motorists who would rather see fuel duty reduced and not frozen.

Osbourne also announced that following the severe winter weather, he was making an extra £200 million available to local authorities to repair potholes.

These announcements come alongside the Department for Transport’s announced that it will trial fuel signs for motorway petrol stations early next year. This is to avoid drivers being ripped off by petrol prices on motorways.

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Happy December folks!

We have arrived at the last month of the year, and what a year it has been! Hopefully we have all managed to stay safe on the roads in 2014, and hopefully our new drivers have been successful in their driving test and driving theory test attempts – and if not, don’t worry, a new year can be a new start!

With Christmas looming ever nearer, it is necessary to remain vigilant, especially in the Winter conditions on the roads. With nights getting darker earlier and cold, wet conditions all over, be sure to take extra precautions when driving, and keep your speed down when driving this Christmas!

Safe driving from Britannia!

It is one of the most commonly heard phrases during one’s driving lessons: “You need to pay attention”.

But in this day and age of motoring mayhem, paying attention to the roads more is not just a method to try to help you pass your driving test faster, but potentially to save your life.

A lot of driving instructors will emphasise the importance of paying attention to road signs – which is true, after all they give you a lot of information when you’re behind the wheel, as to what to expect in the coming roads, or warning on what to watch out for. Although we here at Britannia would wager that they would 100% rather you keep your eyes on the traffic at all times, rather than road signs, if it has to be a choice.

This is because traffic is dynamic, and therefore dangerous. Many drivers are happy to pull out of junctions without due care, which outs yourself and all other road users at risk. So next time you are on your driving lesson, remember that really paying attention will make all of the difference.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Cardiff Council has just revealed plans to install a network of fixed and mobile cameras and penalise drivers who use bus lanes or stop in yellow box junctions as much as £70.

This new system similar to that which is already in force in London is due to come into effect in December.

The scheme will apply to unauthorised use of bus lanes, cars which stop in box junctions and parking that blocks access to schools.

This gives rise to the question of money-making by local authorities, something that councils in London have been under fire for. An investigation found last year that some councils in London were discussing financial targets for certain junctions.

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Motorists are calling on the government to take urgent action to stop the extortionate costs of fuel on the motorway. A new study found that three-quarters of drivers think petrol and diesel sold by service stations is too expensive, with almost two-thirds demanding that prices be capped to stop profiteering.

The report should that many motorists risked their fuel tanks running dry by only buying the bare minimum of fuel on the motorway and then hoping to find a cheaper alternative later. In 2013, ministers announced plans to introduce a system of motorway signs showing prices from all the service stations on a particular stretch of road.

A pilot is due to be run in 2015. An app has been designed to help motorists who need to fill their tanks up on the motorway. The PetrolPrices app allows drivers to find the cheapest provider of fuel within a chosen radius.

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