Latest news with #DepartmentForTransport
The Independent
5 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Main cause of distracted driving mistakes revealed – and it's not your phone
Catting with passengers and daydreaming are more likely to cause distracted driving errors than mobile phone use, a survey has found. The RAC, which conducted the poll, cautioned that distractions can lead to "catastrophic consequences." The survey of 2,691 UK drivers found that over three in five (63 per cent) admitted to making errors while driving due to distractions. Among this group, the most frequent causes were conversations with passengers (43 per cent) and thinking about unrelated topics (37 per cent). Additionally, interacting with modern touchscreen systems for functions like heating, radio, and navigation contributed to driver errors, with 26 per cent reporting such incidents. Mistakes included missing a junction, exceeding the speed limit, ending up in the wrong lane and nearly crashing into another road user. When all respondents to the survey were asked what they consider distracting, the most common responses were talking on a phone (46 per cent) and applying make-up or shaving (42 per cent). But among those who admitted to making distracted mistakes, just 8 per cent and 2 per cent of drivers respectively said those were the causes. Separate Department for Transport (DfT) figures show 940 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes on Britain's roads in 2023 where a driver was found to be distracted by something within their vehicle. RAC road safety spokesman Rod Dennis said: 'Talking to passengers or daydreaming are so common that they aren't perceived by drivers to be big distractions, but our research has revealed they are in fact responsible for most of the errors drivers admit to. 'Although your eyes are on the road, it's easy for your mind to wander behind the wheel, especially on long journeys. 'Distractions can have catastrophic consequences for both drivers themselves and other road users, especially in extreme instances like failing to stop at a junction or at a red light or crossing. 'Driving is still a very mentally demanding task, especially as we need to be able to react to what's in front in a split-second, so it's important we do everything we can to stay alert and minimise distractions.'
BreakingNews.ie
15 hours ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Driving test backlog: Where to beat the queues
The crisis in Irish driving tests rumbles on, with an average wait for a test now stretching out to 27 weeks on average, according to figures from the Department for Transport. In some cases, the wait has been known to go on for much longer, as long as 10 months. Advertisement It's leaving Irish learner drivers footing the bill for higher insurance costs as they wait to pass the test - or at least get the chance to do so. Some 68,000 people are currently waiting to take their test. The delays have now become so bad that the relevant Minister, Sean Canney, told the Road Safety Authority (RSA) - an agency currently being shut down and broken into two new agencies - to 'publish their plan, showing their projections of average wait time and numbers of tests to be carried out on a fortnightly basis to end 2025". "The Minister further instructed the RSA to report publicly and to him fortnightly on delivery of their plan, with any deviations from projected timelines to be immediately addressed with the Department of Transport,' according to a spokesperson. That plan has now been published, and includes ideas such as expanding the number of driving test centres from 41 to 60, adding yet more examiners, and expanding the working day of driving tests, starting from 7am and extending to 7.25pm — something that presumably limits the effectiveness of the plan to summer months, and indeed there RSA has said that the plan is supposed to be in place until September. Advertisement Speaking of the RSA plan, Mr Canney said: "The provision of a timely and efficient driver testing service is a key priority for me. The experience of learner drivers seeking a driver test over the last number of years has been unacceptable, and the service being offered needs to be greatly improved as soon as possible. "I welcome the RSA plan to bring wait times down to 10 weeks by no later than early September, and I expect the RSA to fully deliver on this commitment. "There can be no deviation from this timeline and I have instructed the RSA to ensure contingency plans and remedial measures are in place and ready to deploy to ensure that no slippage occurs.' Quite how the Government expects the RSA, which has failed so spectacularly in its other tasks that it soon won't exist in its current form, to fix this issue is another matter. Advertisement The Government has so far been keen to blame individual learner drivers for the problem, stating that some drivers book tests but fail to show up, thereby slowing the flow of tests taken. The issue of resources remains somewhat unaddressed — of 70 extra driving tests examiners promised before Christmas, the first tranche are only now starting to carry out tests. In the meantime, there is the potential for gaming the system somewhat, in an effort to get an earlier test. There's no onus on you to take your test in your local testing centre, and although you'd have to be confident that you can do OK on unfamiliar roads, you're perfectly entitled to book a test at any of the 41 centres around the country. Helpfully, Irish insurance aggregator Quote Devil has come up with a list of the centres with the combination of shortest wait time and highest average passing rates, so that you can maximise your chances of getting a test early, and then passing it first time. Advertisement According to Quote Devil's research, the testing centre with the shortest average wait time of those where more than 50 per cent of applicants pass first time out, with the wait at 13.3 weeks, half the national average, is Tuam in Co. Galway. That centre also manages to schedule 92 per cent of its applications within one month, so your chances of getting an early test are quite good. Ireland Driving test backlog reaches new high: Check the l... Read More Next best is Ennis, Co Clare on 13.5 weeks, followed by Thurles, Co Tipperary (14.3 weeks); Tipperary town (14.3 weeks); Loughrea, Co Galway (14.5 weeks); Shannon, Co Clare (15.8 weeks); Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim (17.2 weeks); Cavan town (17.6 weeks); and Monaghan town (18.8 weeks). What about the worst, though? According to Quote Devil's figures, the centre with the longest average wait for a test, of those with a passing average less than 50 per cent, is Dun Laoghaire/Deansgrange, with an average wait of 30.6 weeks, three weeks longer than the national average. That's a full seven months, and that's just the average. Advertisement Next worst is Naas, Co Kildare on 25 weeks, then Tallaght, Co Dublin on 24.4 weeks. The centre with the lowest passing rate? That'll be Charlestown, Co Dublin, where only 36.2 per cent of applicants pass on the first go. Mind you, Charlestown only makes you wait 16 weeks on average for a test, so at least you can get booked again quickly.
The Independent
19 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
How a massive overhaul of UK airspace promises to cut flight times and delays
Faster flights and fewer delays have been promised in the largest redesign of UK airspace in seven decades, as the government drives plans to change flight paths. New laws have been set out in Parliament on Monday 2 June to open up new and more direct flight routes for planes arriving and departing the UK's airspace. The airspace has not seen a change on this scale since it was first formed in the 1950s, when only 200,000 flights traversed it per year. Currently, 2.7 million flights use the UK's flight paths and global forecasts expect a near doubling of passengers and cargo in the next 20 years. Airlines such as easyJet have complained that inefficient use of airspace contributes to increases in fuel consumption, carbon emissions and flight times. While it said this is a universal issue, the 'greatest inefficiencies' are generated during its operations in the UK. Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent at The Independent, said: "The skies of the UK, especially in southeast England, are the busiest in the world – and yet planes are still flying on paths devised in the 1950s. 'Imagine Britain in 2025 without the motorway network, and you get the idea. 'The trouble is: airspace modernisation can't happen overnight, and there will be some noisy objections from people who fear they will get more noise." The Department for Transport (DfT) has stated that noise and air pollution will be reduced for residents who live along flight routes, as the redesigned 'skyways' could allow for planes to climb quickly during take-off and descend more smoothly. It also said that travellers can expect less disruption to flights and shorter journey times due to increased capacity in the air. A reduction of emissions per flight resulting from planes circling the airport waiting for a slot to land can also be expected. The DfT and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) established the UK Airspace Design Service earlier this year after a consultation process in 2024. The service's first focus will be on redesigning London's airspace, with the DfT stating that the expansion of Heathrow alone will create 100,00 jobs, drive economic growth and strengthen its position as a global hub. It is not just commercial flights that may benefit from a flight path redesign, as the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) could also design routes for emerging technologies such as drones and flying taxis. The DfT said this would be in aid of 'spurring British innovation and delivering highly skilled jobs in the tech space'. The new UKADS will be fully operational by the end of 2025 and will be run by the air traffic control service NATS. Martin Rolfe, CEO of NATS, said: 'The UK's airspace network is one of the busiest and most complex in the world. We handle a quarter of Europe's traffic despite having only 11 per cent of its airspace, with one of the best safety and delay records anywhere. 'However, we have to modernise airspace if we are to maintain this level of performance as traffic grows towards 3 million flights per year. 'The government's announcement to create a UK Airspace Design Service is a crucial step, building on the work we've already completed in other parts of the UK. 'We look forward to working with the government and the CAA to finalise the details regarding the best way to implement the plan and the processes required to ensure UKADS is successful.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The Knowledge is axed in Bristol after only eight taxi drivers pass 'outdated' test
The Knowledge Test, which requires taxi drivers to learn thousands of routes across the city, has been axed in Bristol after only eight drivers managed to pass this year. First introduced in 1865, the 90-minute test ensures drivers know precise road names and locations, routes to hotels, pubs, restaurants and clubs, alongside particular places of interest. But now, city council officials have scrapped the intense exam, deeming it to be a 'significant barrier' for individuals wanting to enter the profession and arguing that increased satnav use has rendered it 'outdated'. It comes after new figures have shown that just eight of the 133 people who have taken the test this year had passed. A new report published to Bristol City Council's public safety and protection committee on June 3 said that 'concerns' had been raised regarding the ongoing relevance of the test. It added: 'All private hire journeys are pre-booked, and the vast majority of drivers rely on satellite navigation devices. 'As such the current requirement to know the location of certain premises or roads is outdated. 'The level of detailed knowledge required to pass the test is significant and represents a significant barrier to entering the trade'. In November 2023, Department for Transport guidance was updated to say that topographical knowledge was no longer necessary. It said: 'Given the availability, reliability and ease of satnav systems, licensing authorities should not require any topographical knowledge or navigational tests for private hire vehicles'. This means that applicants, who typically take up to four years to master the challenging 100 question test, will now only be quizzed on broader aspects of safety that include general road safety and child sexual exploitation. The report also recommended that the test be expanded to include a wider range of issues such as disability awareness, conflict avoidance, management of racial abuse or hate speech, alongside how best to plan routes using navigation devices. In March, it was announced by Transport for London (TFL) that changes were to be made to the 'Knowledge' test required for the capital's iconic black cabs, with fewer than 15,000 licensed taxis left across the city, down a third in a decade. Widely considered one of the world's toughest taxi tests, candidates have to memorise the city's 25,000 streets and 100,000 points of interest within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. The change to the challenging exam was one of 14 pledges laid out in a new action plan under Transport for London in a bid to help support the struggling minicab and taxi industry over the next five years. It came after the Centre for London thinktank warned that black taxis were at risk of becoming extinct within the next 20 years without any changes to the current format. The number of licensed taxi drivers in London in February fell to a new low of just 16,816 - down nearly 10,000 in a decade from the 25,232 in 2014/15.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Bristol axes the Knowledge after only eight taxi drivers pass
Bristol has axed the Knowledge test for taxi drivers after only eight passed the quiz. Council officials said the 'outdated' test, which requires drivers to learn road names and locations to get their passengers to their destinations quickly, had become a 'barrier'. Figures revealed that just eight of 133 people taking it in Bristol this year managed to pass. Drivers have to answer at least 75 out of 100 questions correctly and must also achieve a minimum pass mark in all 10 categories – four or five out of 10 questions in each. A report to Bristol city council's public safety and protection committee, the 90-minute test was described as 'outdated'. Test 'should prioritise safety' In November 2023, a decision was taken to update Department for Transport guidance, with the committee report making it clear that topographical knowledge was no longer needed. It said: 'Given the availability, reliability and ease of use of sat nav systems, licensing authorities should not require any topographical knowledge or navigational tests for private hire vehicle drivers.' Instead, the report recommended that the sections that should stay in the test should prioritise safety, including child sexual exploitation, general road safety, along with how to calculate change, policy and legislation, and equality. The committee further suggested the test needed to be strengthened with a wider range of questions and topics which protect public safety, including disability awareness, planning routes using navigation devices, conflict avoidance, and also what steps to take if they face racial abuse, abusive comments or hate speech. The Knowledge was first introduced in 1865 as a requirement for taxi drivers, and it takes between three or four years to master the test. Drivers are taught precise locations and routes to hotels, pubs, restaurants and clubs, along with places of interest or the district of a particular road.
