RAC

Research carried out for the UK driver’s association the RAC shows that even tougher new penalties are failing to dissuade those at the wheel from using phones. The research has shown that 60% of drivers believe being the cause of a crash would make them stop using phones while driving. According to the RAC, too many drivers remain unaware of the dangers of cell phone use while behind the wheel. And 86% of drivers admitting phone use at the wheel said they would stop doing so.

The famous Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham, central England marks its 40th birthday this week. A firm divider of opinion among the millions of motorists that use it each year, its sprawling concrete arteries at junction six of the M6 connect the A38(M) Aston Expressway into central Birmingham. Officially opened on 24 May 1972, the Gravelly Hill Interchange – Spaghetti Junction’s official name - took four years to build and cost between £9m and £10m. It was subsequently dubbed Spaghetti Junction by newspap

The UK’s Royal Automobile Club (RAC) Foundation charity has said that the country’s motorists will face road user charging in the future to avoid traffic gridlock. According to director Professor Stephen Glaister, population growth and further economic gains will result in traffic volumes expanding 33% by 2025. With UK government spending on roads being cut, the charity warns that a new strategy will have to be found.

A new study by researchers at the University of Bologna in Italy suggests that young drivers are twice as likely to have a crash if they felt sleepy at the wheel or have had problems sleeping. The study of students found that 56% who'd been involved in at least one accident said they had driven despite feeling sleepy, compared with 35% of those who had not been in a crash. According to the UK motoring organisation the RAC, driver sleepiness is estimated to account for around 20% of accidents on major roads

A major campaign is commencing in the UK with the laudable aim of reducing road fatality rates.