A busy stretch of the M6 motorway limited to 50mph for 2 years due to roadworks has amazingly attracted only 56 speeding tickets in that time.

A report by local newspaper the Express & Star reveals that the Police forces in the West Midlands, Staffordshire and West Mercia divisions covering the lengthy stretch issued just 56 £60 fixed penalty notices.

This is despite the section of motorway being used by 160,000 drivers a day, reports the paper.

It’s a staggering reduction that is even more eye-opening when you compare with figures for 2006, before the roadworks were in place: back then, 1,267 motorists were caught speeding through the Staffordshire section alone.

The Express & Star acquired the statistics under the Freedom of Information Act: the figures are from February 2009 to February 2011. In this period, West Midlands Police handed out six tickets, Staffordshire caught 28 drivers and West Mercia issued 22 tickets.

The dramatic fall in speeding fines is being attributed to the average speed cameras, that have been controlling speeds to 50mph through the roadworks section, that stretches from Junction 8 at Great Barr to Junction 10a.

RAC Foundation spokesman Phillip Gomm told the paper such a lack of speeding tickets being issued was “extraordinary.

“Government figures show that in free-flowing motorway traffic, half of all cars do above 70mph.”

Do you think the lack of speeding tickets is significant – and do you fear the success of the scheme could lead to more permanent speed-controlled sections of motorway in the UK?

A juvenile was arrested by police when he was caught driving whilst over the alcohol limit. He was breathalysed and taken to custody when it transpired he was only nine years of age.

Children under the age of ten are not considered to have reached an age where they can be held responsible for their crimes. Because they are under the age of ‘criminal responsibility’, they can’t be charged with any criminal offence. Therefore police had no choice but to release him without charge.

It is surprising that the child had access to alcohol but even more shocking that this young boy had access to a car and knew how to drive it.

Safety campaigners have stressed the need for road safety educations classes in schools from an early age to point out the dangers of getting behind the wheel when you don’t know what you are doing, especially if you are intoxicated.

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Dorset Police along with Dorset Council, surrounding boroughs, rescue services and the crown prosecution service have seen the lowest number of fatalities and serious injuries since they launched a new scheme called ‘no excuse’.

The message to drivers is that there is no excuse for drivers that pose a danger to themselves and others by breaking the law.
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20,000 motoring offences have been recorded since the ‘no excuse’ campaign began in January 2010 However, it didn’t mean drivers did not continue trying on their excuses, and here are a few of the best:

A driver stopped for not wearing a seat belt told officers “I just had a spray tan applied and I don’t want to smudge it.”

A driver stopped for having three children in the back without seatbelts told officers the reason they didn’t have seatbelts was because “They’re not my children.”

A man stopped for speeding told officers he was a stranger to Dorset and was confused by the road signs.

An older lady stopped for speeding more than double the speed limit stated “I have to get to the shops as I don’t have any bread at home.”

Finally a lady stopped for speeding was shocked that she was being issued with a ticket claiming that she was doing just over 30mph. The problem was she was driving at 48pmh.

There is a misconception that speeding a little won’t harm anybody but who defines a little. Speed limits are there for a reason and it is proven that travelling above these speeds could contribute to a serious accident.

Drivers may think that their offence is only minor and if they get caught it is their problem however, they are carrying out a selfish act that could cause a serious or fatal accident involving innocent victims.

‘No excuse’ was a one year scheme which due to the positive response and outcome is continuing for a second year.

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Despite impressive growth in quarter one of 2011, firms in the West Midlands including Jaguar Land Rover are trying to find ways to deal with a growing shortage of skilled labour and could turn to the public sector.

Manufacturing in the West Midlands is growing faster than in all other areas of the UK, according to reports from local engineering firms. Jaguar Land Rover for one, with its sites in Coventry and Warwick, has experienced a jump in sales so far this year. Figures released last month show a 25 per cent increase in Land Rover sales and a seven per cent increase in Jaguar sales year-on-year.

To consolidate this position, its Indian owner Tata has recently pledged to invest £5bn ($8.2bn) into the company in order for it to remain competitive in terms of quality with German car manufacturers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The investment will ses 40 new models launched over the next five years.

Richard Halstead, new director at EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, said: “The (West Midlands manufacturing) sector is in growth mode – pretty much all the businesses that I see are seeing sales growth. They are seeing opportunities and a lot of that is export, which is good news.”

However, Halstead says the skills issue is “probably number one” in the list of challenges that companies face in terms of further growth.

With many former public sector employees now finding themselves without work, plans to retrain them for the manufacturing industry are being championed by the government and UK industry representatives alike. EEF says these workers could be retrained in areas such as shop and factory floor management.

Mr. Halstead said: “We would need to do gap analysis on the skills base but from a programme and project type capability; there are certainly people in the public sector who have some transferable skills”.

However, he made it clear that no plans had been concretely agreed upon as yet.

Other barriers to growth and available skills identified by EEF include a lack of historical investment in apprenticeships as well as limited access to finance. EEF pointed out that in order for firms to carry out contracts, they need investment from banks. This investment is not always so forthcoming, ass recession has shown. However, banks reluctant to release capital say that with no guarantee in the form of saleable assets, they are put in a precarious position.

Ford sold Jaguar Land Rover to Tata, India’s biggest car manufacturer, in a £1.15bn ($2.3bn) deal in 2008. Tata Motors is famous for the design and production of the world’s smallest car, the Nano

Those that are caught speeding slightly over the speed limit now have a number of options rather than the usual fine of £60 and three points on the licence.

The National Speed Awareness Scheme which allows drivers to attend a workshop in place of a fine and points has been adopted by police forces across the country.

Drivers that have exceeded the speed limit slightly will be offered to attend the course however, the margins as to what speed is slightly over the limit differs between police forces.

The course is designed to address why drivers were speeding and the consequences of them speeding. This will include workshops, theory work and practical training sessions and lasts between 4-6 hours. The course costs anywhere between £60 to £100 and is hoped it will stop re-offending.

The course is not there to allow drivers to continually speed and not receive points on their licence and for this reason, you cannot attend this courses for a minimum of three years after attending.

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With experts fearing a gallon of fuel in the States could hit six dollars this year, these economical Fords prove that, while size still matters to US drivers, small can be as beautiful as big.

Ford’s European cars are now helping the firm to cement their recovery from their financial crisis in 2006. They posted a £1.57billion profit in the first quarter of 2011.

Selling British-designed and engineered cars in America is part of the “One Ford” master plan to sell the same models worldwide.

They believe a very good, well-priced car will sell in Britain, the States or even China with only minor modifications.

They also claim buyers now want fully-equipped models and will pay a higher price for smaller mainstream cars so long as they have the latest features.

Chief exec Alan Mulally, the architect of Ford’s revival and the decision to push small cars in America, told me: “We are seeing more and more people moving to smaller vehicles as they realise that in future they are going to pay even more for fuel. Our bonus is we have the right small cars at the right time in the Fiesta and Focus, with great fuel economy and great design.”

Melrose woman driver has been accused of causing a learner drivers death and date has been set for a trial.

Ms Aitken, denies driving dangerously, causing her vehicle to go on the opposite carriageway of the A6091 Melrose Bypass.

Ms Aitken has pleaded not guilty to the charge of her vehicle crashing into a car being driven by Miss Harkness, 22, killing her and injuring her driving instructor.

Suzanne Harkness was taking part in a driving lesson when the accident occurred.

She was taken to Borders General Hospital’s Accidents and Emergencies, but she died a short time later.

Mr Egan, her instructor, suffered a bad neck injury and was transferred to a specialist hospital in Glasgow.

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Once you have passed your driving test you can drive alone, but you must be careful, you are on probation for two years. If you get 6 penalty points, which means going past a speed camera too fast twice, your licence will be revoked and you become a learner again. This means applying for another provisional license and passing the theory test again before taking another driving test.

Another and more important reason for being careful is your lack of driving experience. To gain experience first drive on roads you are familiar with, than venture further afield, if possible take an experienced driver with you.

Map reading is another skill you will find useful as a driver that means map reading to work out how to get from where you are, to where you want to be. Sat Navs are very good but sometimes they can take you a long way round. You should practice following their direction on local roads before venturing into unfamiliar areas.

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This is the safest way of buying as you get the maximum protection of the law. But there are dodgy dealers, so look for an established firm with a good reputation. Ask friends if they can recommend anyone.

Look for a garage whose cars have been part-inspected by the AA or the RAC. Ask to see the report on the car you want to buy. It will not be as detailed as one you pay for yourself, but will provide useful information. Or choose a dealer with a quality checking scheme, such as Ford Direct, Rover Direct or Vauxhall’s Network Q.

A trade association sign may mean that the firm follows a code of practice. The Retail Motor Industry Federation’s Motorline or the Scottish Motor Trade Association can tell you which local dealers subscribe to a code of practice supported by the Office of Fair Trading.

Before buying any car, and especially a used car, it is important to check the car’s condition thoroughly and test it out on the road. How does it feel on the road? Do the brakes provide smooth, reassuring braking? Rattles and ‘clunks’ will soon reveal themselves, even on a short trip around the block. If the car is more than three years old, check that it has a current MOT which states that the vehicle complies with certain criteria at a given date – it is not, however, a guarantee that any fault which may develop will be put right by the dealer.

A full service history is also very important to ensure that the vehicle has been properly looked after, and check that the mileage is warranted in writing to avoid any potential problems in the future. Ask to see the registration document and service record – does everything match up?

Identical twin girls from a small town on the north Wales coast have passed their driving test on the same day.

The twins aged 17 first passed their theory test on the same day and then went on to pass their practical driving test within an hour of each other.

Their driving instructor is no stranger when it comes to twins passing as he had previously got another set of twins through their test on the same day.

Both girls currently share a car but hope to own their own cars one day which they feel will give them their independence.

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