We all remember our mothers, teachers, grandmothers, fathers and elder siblings saying something like, “if you’ve used it, then bin it,” when we were little. It was annoying hearing it but that advice is valuable and we all need to take it seriously. In a report released from the Highways Agency they state that 250, 000 sacks of litter are cleared from motorways every year. This figure will shock many, it certainly shocked us. It is especially shocking as litter is something that can be easily reduced. Like our elders said, all we need to do is bag it and bin it. There’s never a reason to drop litter.

And please, never ever throw litter out of your windows when driving. Not only is this lazy it’s extremely dangerous. When you are travelling at such speeds and you discard litter from your window, in can hit against another car and can cause terrible accidents.

Dropping litter also has awful effects on the environment and animals who depend on the environment to survive. Each year thousands of animals are killed through swallowing litter or getting trapped in plastic bags that have been thrown into lakes and ponds. This can easily be avoided by putting litter in dustbins.

We ask you to take pledge to not drop litter on the streets and make the roads better for everyone.

A record number of new diesel cars were sold in the UK in 2011, even more than petrol cars in fact and it is thought that consumers think that a diesel car will save them money and be the cheaper option to run.

Research shows however, that running a diesel car will only work out the cheaper option in the long run if drivers travel more than 10,000 miles per year. The vast majority of diesel car owners who use their car for personal use will not travel this distance in a year, meaning they are actually spending more on running costs.

To really recoup the costs when buying a diesel car you need to be travelling more than 10,000 miles a year and if you don’t then the petrol car is probably the more economical option.

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When the weather gets warmer it is more reason for us all to get more merrier. We light barbeques instead of lighting fires, we slip into shorts instead of long-johns, and we crack open a can of cold soda instead of switching on the kettle.

Driving in the warm weather though can have its effects. After working the whole day it can make us tired and drowsy. We must remember though, driving demands us to be alert all the time. At any moment an incident can happen and we need to able to handle it. We handle these situations when we are calm and prepared and feeling fresh. You can not, of  course, feel like this if you are tired and drowsy.

To help you stay alert during this weather, try and drink plenty of water throughout the day. Staying hydrated works wonders. If you live near other people that you work with consider doing a car pool. Check out what public transport is available to you and see what times the trains, trams and metros run. If you are driving ensure you allow fresh air into the car, have some energy drinks in your car and take a few minutes to prepare yourself for the journey.

The summer is a wonderful time but we must remember to keep safe and be alert when driving.

Scotland are set to lower the drink drive limit later this year, after the power to change them was handed to Holyrood under the 2012 Scotland Act.

The current limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood with Scotland wanting to reduce it to 50mg per 100ml.

Several European countries such as Spain, France and Germany amongst others already have the 50mg/100ml limit, with some countries dropping it even lower to 20mg per 100ml for learner drivers, newly qualified drivers or professional drivers.

Jackson Carlaw, Scottish Conservative deputy leader welcomed the proposals and said: “We believe that everything should be done to reduced road deaths caused directly by alcohol.”

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A survey conducted by Be Wiser Insurance has found that nearly half of UK motorists can’t or won’t carry out basic maintenance jobs on their car.

Jobs such as changing a wiper blade, topping up water, oil and coolant are all jobs that 46% of the drivers surveyed said they would pay someone else to do either because they didn’t know how or because they didn’t have the time.

Reassuringly, a fifth of those surveyed did say that would like to learn how to perform the basic tasks.

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With the Olympics 2012, the Euro 2012, the Jubliee and bank holidays all coming up, there will be plenty of reasons to be amongst friends and celebrate. This is of course a great thing, it is a time to be merry and to celebrate. It’s a time when many of us will feel proud to be British – and so we should.

One theme that does emerge though during times like this is: how we behave on the roads. When we get into our cars we must remember that we are in control of heavy machines, and if they are used without been focused tragic things can happen.

If you are going to be drinking during this period, remember to leave the car parked at home. Take advantage of public transport or car pool with your friends. It is never worth the risk. A little planning can be hugely helpful.

We must all remember that these are times when we should be celebrating together and sharing the joyous moments that these events bring. However,  this is sometimes not the case when accidents are involved that have been caused by drunk drivers.

You can still go out, celebrate it in a way you would want to and come back home without making life tough for others. This is the time to play our part and be part of the collective safety of everyone in this country.

We wish you a very happy summer.

Hertfordshire Council must refund £1.3m in bus lane fines after illegally placed restrictions.

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal has stated that the bus lane enforcement sign on Moor End Road in Hemel Hempstead was unclear and illegally placed.

More than 35, 000 drivers have been issued with a penalty notice and all that have paid are set to get a refund.

The council will now suspend the bus lane enforcement on this road and contact all drivers that have received a ticket.

The council are not obliged to refund those that have paid, but apologises to all drivers that have been issued with a penalty notice and states anyone that hasn’t yet paid does not have to and they will contact those that have in due course.

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“To market, to market” they say, but how do you get to the market? Before you say, “car,” we want to point out all the other alternative ways to get to market. Cars are great, we love them, they’re helpful. We can pack them with our bags, throw in our shopping, be covered from the rain, be warm and get from door to door. But so many of us are dependent on our cars. With the rise in fuel prices it’s worth looking at alternative ways to travel. And there are alternative ways, there are many. We just need to have a gander and see what we can find.
Walking more, using buses, jumping on a bike and taking the metro are all alternative options to jumping in your car. These are all  things that can be used more often. Not only will you get a bit more exercise using these things, you will be making a positive impact on the environment too. It’s always nice doing our part to help the environment. It’s worth noting that you can always find times of busses and trams quite easily. You can either look online or phone up your local companies and check with them.
Let us know what you’re doing to help the environment.

Southend-on-Sea saw the closure of their practical driving test centre back in 2008 when a new test centre in Basildon opened however, they have been given two days a week to sit their test in Southend again.

The new testing area will be situated at Tickfield Community Centre on Southend’s Tickfield industrial estate. Initially you will only be able to sit your test on a Monday or a Friday.

The DSA are continually trying to offer a more local service for candidates and areas with a high demand for tests will hopefully see tests introduced even if it is on a part time basis.

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An illegal immigrant known as Iqbal Singh absconded after being refused permanent leave to remain in the UK after arriving from India back in 2000. This chain of events lead to Mr Singh killing a father of four after falling asleep at the wheel in December last year.

Malcolm Anderson was travelling back from a wedding with his wife and son when Mr Singh struck his car which resulted in Mr Anderson suffering a fatal heart attack.

Mr Singh had no insurance or licence and claimed “I must have shut my eyes for a second or taken my eyes of the road.”

Mrs Anderson was cut free from the wreckage but suffered a punctured lung and cracked ribs. Her son suffered from a broken nose, a damaged ankle and bruises on his lung.

Mrs Anderson was shocked when the judge handed Mr Singh only a two year jail sentence, she said “Armed robbers sometimes get life because they use weapons. The van driven by Mr Singh was the weapon used to kill my husband”.

Judge Michael Cullum reduced his sentence to credit Singh for his early guilty plea. However, Mr Singh will be deported back to India at the end of his jail sentence.

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