Road safety campaigners and insurance companies have called for the law to be changed to make autonomous emergency braking (AEB) to be compulsory in all new cars.

This new technology uses radar, camera and laser sensors fitted to the vehicle to detect potential collisions. The system works by using sensors fitted to the car which can detect if the car in front is slowing down or braking sharply. The system would then judge quickly if the car needs to come to an automatic emergency stop.

Currently, this system is only fitted in approximately a fifth of new cars but campaigners are calling for it to become as common as seatbelts. However, critics are worried that the system could make drivers too reliant on the technology whilst insurance industry research suggests that 1,220 lives could be saved over the next 10 years if AEB became mandatory in cars. Critics are also concerned over the cost of the technology as prices range from several hundred to several thousand pounds.

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Whilst it is important to ensure that your driving skills are up to scratch, many young motorists seem to forget one of the basics of safe driving – that of wearing safe and appropriate clothing when behind the wheel.

A recent survey has revealed that a vast proportion of young drivers admit to wearing unsuitable footwear when driving, such as sandals or even high-heels and stilettos!

Young drivers between the ages of 18 to 30 are the most dangerous culprits, with almost one in three admitting to wearing clothing deemed unsuitable for driving, comparing to half of that amount with older drivers.

Experts have said that unless you are wearing shoes with a flat sole, and a good amount of grip, you are risking your feet sliding off the brake and accelerator pedals, which could likely result in a crash.

Don’t endanger yourself and other drivers – ensure that you always wear the appropriate clothing when driving.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Young drivers aged 18 to 30 are most likely to wear inappropriate footwear whilst driving with 29% admitting to wearing high heels or sandals whilst driving. Some motorists have even admitted to driving barefoot, putting themselves and other road users at risk.

Of older drivers, on the other hand, only 15% have admitted to donning inappropriate footwear when driving.

Experts say that drivers who do not wear flat shoes with a firm grip could find their feet slipping off the brake or clutch pedals of their cars, putting them at risk of having a crash.

57% of young drivers believe they are better drivers than anyone else; however, 59% of young drivers admit to driving with one or no hands on the wheel, 56% admit to accelerating through amber light, in addition to driving in inappropriate footwear, compared with 34% and 32% respectively for older drivers.

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For many young people, passing their driving test is a source of celebration – finally earning liberation from the monotony of public transport and constant lifts from friends and other family members, and being allowed your freedom on the roads at long last. And so, to celebrate this, many teenagers will pick up their friends and go driving as a novel new means of exploring the world.

However, studies have shown that teenagers with friends in the car are up to four times as likely to be involved in a crash than their adult counterparts. It seems that many youngsters that are in their early driving careers are still fatally unaware of the dramatic effect having their peers in the car will have on their driving ability, without even knowing it.

It has been proven that teenagers with their friends in the car pay as much as 50% less attention to the roads when driving with acquaintances, when compared to driving alone or with family members. Whether it is due to bickering over which music to play in your new car, back-seat drivers giving instructions to you or arguing that they deserved the “shotgun” seat, or shouting Inbetweeners-style obscenities out of the window, it is proven that your motoring skills are drastically impaired with friends around you. Also be aware that whilst you may be the designated driver chauffeuring your comrades to the pub, this also makes you more likely to come under peer pressure to drink and drive – which goes without saying as being illegal.

The camaraderie of enjoying your primary driving experiences with your closest friends may seem like a fun and exciting new world, but do remember that it can also be a dangerous one if you are not paying full attention.

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Under plans to help the elderly, traffic lights could be changed to stay on red for longer to give elderly pedestrians longer to cross the road. Crossing times are being reviewed by the government after concerns over pensioners struggling to cross the road before the lights change.

Traditional pelican crossings, which display a flashing green man on the opposite side of the road, are due to phased out next year whilst other types of crossings are also being reviewed.

Changes being considered include fitting sensors which hold traffic at red if a pedestrian is still on the crossing. Transport Minister Robert Goodwill has stated that updated puffin crossings have movement detectors which allow extra time to be given and that reviews on other types of crossing are being considered.

Motoring campaigners, on the other hand, have warned that the measures could lead to more traffic congestion.

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Whilst many of ours are either drivers ourselves, or are currently learning how to drive, a surprising number of people are still unfamiliar with driver etiquette – the belief that you should show courtesy, consideration and manners to your fellow drivers on the roads.

Most driving instructors will teach you only how to pass your test, however learning driver etiquette will usually only come after extensive experience on the roads. Allowing another driver to drive first through a gap when there is no explicit right-of-way, thanking other drivers for allowing you through, or even something as simple as maintaining patience behind a learner driver who may be driving too slowly, rather than overtaking, which can often intimidate an inexperienced driver.

As the old adage goes, manners cost nothing, and just because you are behind a wheel does not make you exempt from displaying them.

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The government plans to introduce tougher sentences for banned drivers, it has announced today.

Under the new ruling, a disqualified driver that causes death as a result of their dangerous driving will face up to a decade behind bars, as opposed to the previous ruling of two years.

The changes expected to be phased in from the start of next year, have been decided upon after concerns were raised by victim’s families.

Chris Grayling, Secretary for Justice, also stated that he intends to launch a review of current punishments for driving offences, to ensure that the proper penalties were in place.

“Disqualified drivers should not be on our roads for good reason. Those who choose to defy a ban imposed by a court and go on to destroy innocent lives must face serious consequences for the terrible impact of their actions.” Said Grayling today. “Today, we are sending a clear message that anyone who does will face much tougher punishment.”

What are your thoughts on the new legislation? Let us know in the comments section below!

Safe driving from Britannia!