Catch up on the latest news about on fleet management, the automotive Industry and Marshall Leasing
07 June 2023
At the beginning of the year, it was announced that a combined total of almost 100,000 catalytic converter thefts were reports in the previous three years.
Sky News obtained the data, which also showed that thieves in the UK stole 75 of these parts per day in 2022.
A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles into less-toxic pollutants. They usually contain valuable precious metals which are worth up to £600 on the black market, making them an attractive...
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05 June 2023
As we progress into summer and heatwaves are predicted by the Met Office, now is the perfect time to refresh your memory of driving rules relating specifically to hot weather.
Here are some of the most common summer driving mistakes and how to avoid them.
Driving in flip flops
Whilst is it not a crime in itself to drive in flip flops, Highway Code rule 97 states: “Footwear cannot prevent you using the controls in the correct manner.”
Driving in flip flops can pose a safety risk, because they can easily become trapped underneath a pedal, preventing...
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01 June 2023
As you may be aware, keyless car theft has become a common issue in recent years and the latest figures from the Home Office reveal that car theft has increased by 50 per cent over the past five years, with around 60,000 vehicles stolen in the UK each year.
Figures from stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) specialist Tracker found that keyless car thefts accounted for 94 per cent of all car thefts in 2021.
This type of theft applies to vehicles which are unlocked using a digital fob, card or smartphone app, rather than a traditional metal key. Thieves are able to...
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30 May 2023
Electric vehicle (EVs) breakdowns resulting from exhausted batteries has halved in the past two years, according to the AA.
The figure now represents just 4 per cent of all breakdowns and, interestingly, half of these call outs are to EVs with a low battery, rather than a completely depleted one.
One third of EV callouts are caused by the same faults as seen in internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, such as a flat 12V battery or flat tyre.
The AA president Edmund King has reassured drivers that their range anxiety doesn’t match reality. As improvements...
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24 May 2023
The latest MOT Compliance Survey for 2021-22 by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) finds that 10.1 per cent of cars that were issued pass certificates, should have failed.
This means that there are now potentially around 1.3 million vehicles driving unsafely on UK roads.
A total of 12.2 per cent had incorrect MOT test results and, on the flip side, 2.1 per cent of vehicles which were failed, should have passed.
The data was compiled after 1,732 MOT tested vehicles were chosen at random for re-examination by DVSA mechanics in 2022, of which 65.9 per...
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22 May 2023
A team at the Monash University in Australia are working to create a new blood test which can detect whether a person is too sleep-deprived to drive.
The researchers believe that the successful development of such a test could allow for new laws to be put into place about the minimum amount of rest required before a person is fit to drive.
Although the Department for Transport has expressed that it is ‘not considering this type of testing’, the new test could be available within five years and blood tests are already used by police to measure driver...
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17 May 2023
A new AI speed camera currently being trialled on the A23 in Lambeth, South London can scan drivers inside their cars to determine whether or not they are using a mobile phone or not using their seat belts.
The Redspeed camera, which uses 4D radar, can also detect if there are too many people inside a vehicle.
The technology can monitor six lanes of traffic at one time and can be linked to the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) and UK police force databases to also check vehicle tax and insurance.
Concerns have been raised over the intrusive nature of the...
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15 May 2023
Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has revealed what it calls a ‘hidden epidemic’ of drug driving in which people are unaware of the legal limit of over-the-counter medication to take whilst driving.
The charity conducted a survey of more than 2,000 motorists which found that:
Almost a third of drivers are unaware of the maximum dose of a prescription medication – such as painkillers, antidepressants and antihistamines - before it impacts their ability to drive.
31 per cent of those surveyed did not know how long they should wait before driving...
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11 May 2023
A group of the largest electric vehicle charge point operators in the country have united to create a new trade body, ChargeUK, which launched on April 28 2023.
The nineteen members are: Be.EV, Believe, BP Pulse, Char.gy, ChargePoint, Connected Kerb, ESB Energy, Evyve, Fastned, GeniePoint, Gridserve, Ionity, Mer, Osprey, Pod Point, PoGo Charge, Raw Charging, Shell Recharge and SSE Energy Solutions.
Collectively, these operators will invest over £6 billion into installing and operating new EV charging infrastructure by 2030.
ChargeUK aims to double the...
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10 May 2023
Government ministers are considering proposals to prevent newly qualified drivers from transporting passengers of a young age in a bid to reduce car crashes resulting from peer-pressure.
The ‘graduated driving licence’ scheme could see drivers under the age of 25 prevented from carrying other passengers within their age group in their vehicle for the first 12 months after receiving their driving licence.
This is because it has been discovered that peer pressure – when drivers are encouraged to engage in dangerous driving behaviour such as speeding...
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