Professor Frank Kelly, chairman of the Department of Health’s committee on air pollution, has stated that ministers have created a public health crisis by ‘blindly’ promoting diesel cars. He argues that diesel engines are potentially responsible for more than 7000 deaths a year in Britain.

More than half of UK-registered cars are diesel which had been promoted in the 1970s since they generate far less carbon dioxide than petrol vehicles. However, scientists have realised that diesel produces more particles and nitrogen oxides that can cause a variety of long-term health problems.

While catalytic converters have rapidly improved in petrol cars, advances have been slower in diesel until very recently. The toxic fumes pumped out by diesel cars were behind the smog which blanketed Britain at the beginning of April.

According to health experts, air pollution can cause strokes, asthma and heart failure.

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Although we are all expecting Spring-time to appear at any moment, it is best to accept that even in the middle of the year, the rain is still likely to appear (this is Britain after all.)

Here are our top tips for driving in the rain:

– Drive slowly. In wet weather, you are much more likely to lose control of your vehicle, but driving even up to 5 mph slower reduces the risk of this greatly.

– Plan your journey. try to avoid roads that are likely to become waterlogged or flooded, as this will delay your journey time hugely, not to mention placing you in danger.

– Watch out for puddles. Britannia has reported in the past about drivers being penalised for driving through puddles. Drive as far from the pavement as possible.

– Check your windscreen wipers before setting off. Although it sounds obvious, a lot of accidents are caused by faulty or non-functioning windscreen wipers. Without these working fully, your vision is likely to become obscured, placing yourself and others in immediate danger.

Safe driving this wet summer from Britannia!

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Almost half of all motorists have admitted to using their phone whilst behind the wheel, despite mobile use while driving being banned for 10 years.

A survey by road safety charity Brake and Direct Line found three in 10 drivers send or read texts while driving, and one in eight use apps. The charity believes that the current ban on using hand-held devices behind the wheels has left many drivers unaware that using a hands-free mobile at the wheel is just as risky. However, studies have shown the risk of being in a crash that causes injury is increased four times for drivers on both hand-held and hands-free phones, with reactions 50% slower than under normal conditions.

It has been shown that the effect of using a phone whilst driving is greater than drinking certain levels of alcohol. Reaction times have been found to be 30% slower while using a hands-free phone than driving with a blood alcohol level of 80mg/100ml blood (the current UK limit).

A recent survey has found that phone use whilst driving is the UK’s most hated habit, with it appearing as more of a nuisance to older motorists.

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An innovative solution from tech giants Apple could soon put a stop to motorists who drive whilst texting.

The Apple patent, titled “Driver Handheld Computing Device lock-Out” was published on Tuesday, and suggests a variety of ways to limit those behind the wheel from using their phones.

One of the ways it would work is by using the phone’s in-built sensors to detect movement above a certain speed that would suggest the user is driving, or by using the phone’s camera to detect if the phone is being held by the driver.

If the phone recognises that its owner is indeed behind a wheel, it would automatically disable any other functions such as texting or calling.

Another concept proposed was that the phone would be silenced by the car itself – in that once the ignition is started, a signal would be sent to jam the phone until the engine has been shut off once more.

Whilst both ideas sound feasible, this technology may be a long way off hitting the market.

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Safe driving from Britannia!

10,797 drivers with fewer than two years’ experience lost their licences in 2012 a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA has found. Drivers who receive six or more points within the first two years of driving automatically have their licence revoked.

More than half of the licences revoked were found without insurance, with speeding being the second most common cause. Approximately 0.6% of licences were revoked as a result of driving under the influence of drink or drugs.

Scott Pendry of the Association of British Insurers said that uninsured drivers are much easier to catch hence being the reason for most of the licences being revoked. Road Safety charity Brake has expressed concern in these figures stating that it seeks to protect new drivers by educating them in the risks of driving uninsured.

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As we edge into the longed-for Easter Bank Holiday weekend, whilst many of us will be looking forward to taking countryside drives, family days out or even a long weekend away, it is necessary to bear in mind that the roads will become much busier at this time of year, and therefore much more dangerous.

Here are Britannia’s top tips to avoid the Bank Holiday Mayhem:

Plan your journey. If you are going for a drive, try to avoid roads with heavy congestion, such as motorways at rush hour or main roads into town and city centres.

Prepare well. Whilst this is a vital precaution for all journeys, this goes double for Bank Holidays. Perform your pre-flight checks before any long journey – this includes oil, petrol, water, electrics, lights, brakes, the works.

Drive respectfully. While other drivers may be driving erratically in the summer sun or ignoring any sense of road etiquette, drive respectfully to other drivers and they will be much more likely to drive respectfully to you.

Safe driving this Bank Holiday Weekend from Britannia!

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