By autumn 2014, insurers will be able to access DVLA records online due to a MyLicence initiative as part of a government pledge to transfer services online. This will lead to cheaper insurance. At the moment, insurers cannot check licence records when selling policies which leads to insurers adding in risk facts such as mistakes or lies made by drivers. This often results in premiums being slightly higher.

Once the MyLicence initiative is in place, license numbers will be used by insurers to access the necessary driving records to process their car insurance cost. An automatic check will be made to the DVLA database, giving insurers access to information such as driving points, entitlement to drive, speeding endorsements and the type of licence held.

The advantages of this system is that most customers would be able to save money on their insurance and less questions will need to be asked of them when obtaining a quote. In addition, the likelihood of mistakes being made during application will be severely reduced.

The paper counterpart to the driving licence is also turning digital and is set to be phased out by the end of 2015. The tax disc is also set to be abolished as part of this new move.

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For many young drivers, one of the best experiences they can have is passing their driving test, and pulling up outside a friends house to pick them up, and take to the roads with a car full of friends, fully enjoying the freedom driving your own car can grant you.

However many younger drivers may not be aware of the potential risks of having passengers in the car with you – particularly when they are of a similar age to yourself. Research shows that driving with peers in the car can render you up to four times as likely to have an accident, something that you certainly don’t want to be increasing the likelihood of this early in your driving career.

As the driver you are responsible for the passengers in your vehicle – make sure that everyone is wearing their seatbelt and behaving themselves in your car, otherwise you are simply putting yourself and your passengers at risk.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Most of us will prefer driving in the summer to any other time of the year – the bright nights, the hot days, no rain or snow to contend with, and of course, glorious sunshine beaming down on us, it certainly is much better than driving during the winter months.

However one aspect of summer driving many people will be aware of is the sudden onset of hay fever. Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, which tends to be at it’s highest volume during the summer months. Approximately one in five people suffers with severe hay fever, although many more may experience mild to uncomfortable symptoms of this.

It has been suggested that driving with hay fever can impair your driving skills just as much as driving under the influence of alcohol – not only can it cause itchy and tired eyes, a runny nose, and fits of uncontrollable sneezing, which can be especially hazardous when behind the wheel, but it is also reported to have a negative effect on cognitive functions such as memory and concentration – which pose a risk to any driver as well as those in the same car or around them.

A recent study at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands has concluded that drivers suffering from hay fever show symptoms similar to those in drivers after two to three units of alcohol – which is over the legal alcohol limit when driving on UK roads.

If you do suffer from hay fever, be advised to be on alert this summer. Whilst hay fever treatment may help to temporarily relieve the symptoms, they are also known to cause drowsiness and fatigue in users, so do take these with caution. If in doubt, do not get behind the wheel until the symptoms have cleared up.

What are your thoughts on this article? Do you or any drivers you know suffer from hay fever, and does this impair your driving ability? Let us know in the comments section below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

The family of a teenager who suffered life-changing injuries when a car went through a red light and knocked her down are calling for changes to made to the law after the driver merely faces a fine and points on his licence.

The crash left Miriam Parker, then 17, was left with severe brain injury and reduced mobility. The collision occurred at a pelican crossing in Selsdon Park Road, South Croydon, on New Years Day. Parker was left in a coma for a month and, despite defying doctors’ warnings she might die, will need care for the rest of her life.

The driver, from Selsdon, last month admitted to driving without due care and attention – a charge that means he may not lose his licence. A spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service highlighted that the law only considers the standard of the defendant’s driving rather than the consequences of their actions which is why the driver could not be convicted of dangerous driving.

Parker and her mother will need to be rehoused by Sutton Council since the flat they currently live in are now unsuitable due to the block’s concrete stairs.

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