Author archives: Carl Millar

Dorset Police Launch Operation Snap

8.08.2019 Carl Millar

Dorset Police have now launched an online service where members of the public can upload their pics dangerous and inconsiderate driving.

Known as “Operation Snap”, the police are hoping the public will do some of their work for them by keeping their eyes peeled and fingers firmly on their cameras.

dorset police operation snap

Chief Inspector Adrian Leisk, head of Alliance Roads Policing, said: “We have been receiving complaints from members of the public about dangerous and anti-social driving for some time, and there is a significant demand for a facility such as Operation Snap.

“It allows us to effectively deal with digital footage and photos of traffic offences in a safe and secure way.

“Dorset Police has a determined and robust approach to policing the roads in our force area and will take every opportunity to make them safer for everyone.”

Dorset Police have been very clear how the website is for uploading pictures of driving offences only. They have concerns about how the service may be used to upload crash footage or car parking issues.

Anyone posting a picture also needs to provide the registration number of the offending vehicle and be prepared to sign a statement and appear in court.

operation snap

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill said: “I’m very pleased there has been a sustained drop in the number of people killed or seriously injured on Dorset’s roads over the last seven years and I hope this system will provide yet another tool to help us continue to make our roads even safer, by empowering responsible motorists to help the police take dangerous drivers off the road.”

I am not too sure about this. I am never a fan of the public being asked to be the police’s eyes and ears when it is their job to patrol. It just feels a bit sneaky.

You can visit the website by clicking here.

If you have any thoughts, please add them to the comments below.

About Carl Millar

Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.

Carl has been a specialist in road traffic law for many years and represents clients from all walks of life and all over the Country. He is well known for the dogged defending of his clients and robust cross examination of police officers and exert witnesses.

With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.

Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535 or in an emergency you can call on 07732 054827.

Distracted Driving – Kids May Be The Ultimate Cause

3.08.2019 Carl Millar

Figures from a recent poll conducted by Nissan have shown a massive 72% of those drivers interviewed found it difficult to concentrate on driving whilst their children misbehaved in the car.

But the figures went further with 40% declaring how their driving was unsafe because of the distractions. It meant these parent drivers would occasionally take their eyes off the road and their hands of the wheel.

Reported driving “mishaps” included:

Running red lights
Forgetting to indicate
Breaking suddenly
Swerving across lanes
Being forced to stop the car

The highest rate of distractions include:

Loud and heated arguments between siblings/friends
Crying / screaming tantrums
Kicking the back of the driver’s seat
Undoing their seatbelts
Throwing toys around the car

It may come as a surprise when parental drivers arrive late at their destination and/or in a bad mood. Travelling with badly behaved child passengers has been cited as a cause of road rage with other road users and arguments between adults within the same car.

Some parents have taken to avoiding motorways in an event to drive on less potentially dangerous roads. Other parents admitted to using distraction methods with the children by letting them use tablets in the back of the car or bribing them with sweets.

Following this data, Nissan has come up with 9 suggestions to give parental drivers a better chance of a less distracting drive.

Plan ahead and avoid unnecessary stops
Allocate time for frequent toilet breaks
Try different types of music in the car and find out which keeps them the calmest
Use in-car entertainment
Let the kids have a small role in planning the journey
Stock up on nutritious snacks to keep the hunger pangs at bay. Avoid sugary sweets and drinks
Take their favourite cuddly toy with them as they are more likely to fall asleep with it
Drive with your children’s routine in mind. If they have a nap time, this may be a good time to drive as they are quieter when they are asleep (sic)
Make sure your car is safe to drive. There is nothing worse than breaking down at the side of the road with disgruntled children.

About Carl Millar

Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.

With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.

Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535 or in an emergency you can call on 07732 054827.

Driver Banned With Evidence They Posted On Their Own Facebook Page

21.07.2019 Carl Millar

A driver has been banned from driving following video evidence of them filming a young boy dancing on the front seat in a moving car. And the only reason the driver got caught was that she posted the video on her own Facebook page.

The video was spotted on Facebook and some viewers made complaints to the police over what they saw.

During the thirty second clip, the driver can be heard laughing, singing along and shouting “show us your moves”, all from the driving seat whilst the car is moving.

When the police finally tracked her down, she initially refused to answer any questions about the incident and pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving. However, on the day of trial, she changed her plea to one of guilty.

She was sentenced to six months custody, suspended for 12 months and banned from driving for a year. She was also ordered to undertake twenty hours of unpaid work and pay £115 as a victim surcharge.

The court heard how the boy was not sitting on a child seat and although he was wearing an adult eaglet, it was only around his waist.

In sentencing, the Judge said: “Anything could have happened whilst your attention was away from the road. He could have gone through the windscreen, so could you.”

The court also heard how the driver had three previous drink driving-related convictions, one for careless driving and one for failing to stop after an accident.

Following sentencing, Road Policing Officer Mark Patterson, from North Yorkshire Police, labelled White’s driving “highly irresponsible and incredibly dangerous”.

He said: “As the footage clearly shows, Miss White’s driving that day was highly irresponsible and incredibly dangerous and it’s only through sheer luck she wasn’t involved in a serious collision.

“Her blatant disregard for the safety of the child and traffic laws could have ended tragically and the consequences of her actions had she of lost control of her vehicle doesn’t bear thinking about.

“I’d like to thank the member of the public who reported this incident to us and I hope this message sends a clear message that this type of reckless behaviour will not be tolerated on our roads.”

About Carl Millar

Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.

With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.

Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535 or in an emergency you can call on 07732 054827.

Road Safety Action Plan Announced To Cut Road Deaths

20.07.2019 Carl Millar

The Road Safety Action Plan follows on from a number of projects outlined within the 2015 Road safety Statement, which included increased enforcements for drug driving and increased penalties for using a mobile phone whilst driving.

The idea behind the plan is self-explanatory and one of the biggest initiatives is to increase penalty points for those not wearing seatbelt s whilst travelling. Figures form 2017 showed how 27% of road deaths were caused by people not wearing seatbelts and not properly secured within the car. Currently, those not wearing seatbelts are given an on the spot fine of £100.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “The UK has some of the safest roads in the world, but we are not complacent and continue to look at how we can make them safer.

“Today’s action plan is a key milestone in our road safety work and sets out the important steps we are taking to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.”

Road Safety Minister Michael Ellis said: “Far too many people are not wearing a seatbelt while travelling in a car, needlessly putting their lives at risk.

“Increasing penalties for people who disregard the simplest of way of protecting themselves is just one of a long list of actions this government is taking to help keep people safe on our roads.”

The plan is designed to improve road safety for all ages of road user, from the very young to the older driver.

For Children

A £225,000 grant has been awarded for a nationally accredited safety training program for retailers to help with parents when fitting child seats into a car. This comes are 70% of parent drivers admitted they had difficulty in fitting their child seat.
Research is to be commissioned into the effects of young people as pedestrians using handheld devices in road traffic situations.
Funding for research to help children with special needs and cognitive disabilities to support road safety.

For Young Adults

To encourage learner drivers to broaden their experience by using country lanes and night driving.
Research to determine the effectiveness of graduated driving licensing based on road safety.
The continual reinforcement of road safety messages surrounding drink driving, mobile phones, drug driving and passenger distractions.

For Adults

Investigations into the use of alcohol-lock devices to measure the alcohol level in a driver’s breath before allowing the car to start.
An increased focus on roads policing in conjunction with the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

For Older Drivers

An award of £50,000 for a digital platform to share data on how best to reduce road safety risks for older people.

GEM road safety officer Neil Worth said: “Graduated driver licensing (GDL) adds that all-important intermediate element between learner and full licence holder, and allows new drivers to build up their skills and experience over a period of time, using clearly-marked stages.

“Where versions of GDL are already in place, the reduction in young and novice driver collisions has been remarkable. For example, research from TRL shows that 16-year-old drivers in the USA who learnt to drive through GDL systems 15 years ago had 37 per cent fewer crashes than those who followed other systems.

“Elsewhere, following the introduction of GDL in New Zealand, injuries from road traffic collisions reduced by almost a quarter for 15- to 19-year olds.

“GEM believes a graduated driver licensing system should be implemented across the UK without delay and should include the following key components:

a minimum learning period of 12 months before taking a practical test
drivers should hold ‘novice’ status for two years after passing the test
a ban on novice drivers carrying passengers aged under 25
a night-time driving curfew, unless driving to or from work
automatic disqualification for any driving offence”

Mike Brockman, the former CEO and founder of insurethebox who says: “Limits on passengers is a good idea but night-time curfews kill. If you put young drivers under time pressure to get off the road by a certain time, the high probability is that they will speed and we know the consequences of speeding. Or they end up stranded, unable to drive to get home. These proposals are poorly considered, discriminatory and impractical. Not all young drivers behave the same way, there are major differences in behaviour between male and female drivers yet these changes could be wholesale.

“We know that telematics insurance works in supporting young driver safety and can indeed work for all drivers. The UK Government needs to take a closer look at road casualty figures. The road casualty figures show casualties amongst the youngest motorists have fallen by 35% compared to 16% for more experienced drivers since 2011. And that can largely be attributed to telematics insurance.

“At the root of these proposals is a lack of understanding of what technology can do and has done to protect young drivers. We would welcome the Government to engage with the insurance sector and technology providers to understand what the industry has learnt about young drivers and what motivates them to modify behaviour rather than resort to these draconian and ill-thought-out measures.”

A further measure being considered through the plan is a ban on trees over ten years of age on buses and coaches.

About Carl Millar

Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.

With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.

Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535 or in an emergency you can call on 07732 054827.

New Drivers Could Be Banned From Driving At Night

19.07.2019 Carl Millar

It has been reported how new initiatives could see new drivers banned from night time driving as part of a graduated licensing process.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has suggested that a new drivers licence would be expanded as their skill sets and safety awareness grows. Other than nighttime driving, other limitation could also include driving with passengers.

Driving charity Brake called upon the government to introduce such a scheme last year but plans were shelved on the basis of it affecting young people’s job and educational prospects.

However, the government have stated how 20% of new drivers are involved in a crash during their first year of driving and have stated they wish to see this number fall. The DfT has now said they will be making a study over the next 12 months on the effectiveness of graduated licence scheme.

It should be noted how the UK already has a graduated licence scheme in place for motorcycles with riders needing to be over the age of 21 and has already held a “standard A2” licence before being able to ride a bike of any size or power output.

The RAC said it supported plans to improve young drivers’ safety, but any graduated system needed to consider the needs of young drivers.

“Young drivers sadly are over-represented in road traffic collisions so we welcome plans to improve their safety,” said the RAC’s head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes. “Graduated driver licensing has the benefit of providing a more controlled environment when learning how to drive, however, this must be balanced so it does not disadvantage young drivers who need to use vehicles for night work.

“We certainly would welcome a minimum learning period, or indeed a minimum number of learning hours required, while there may also be merits in restricting new drivers from carrying some passengers at certain times of the day and possibly even having a stricter drink-drive limit for new drivers. But we would also encourage the government to look closely at providing incentives for the uptake of telematics-based policies for new drivers, and consider how any new rules governing new drivers can be effectively enforced.”

About Carl Millar

Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.

With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.

Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535 or in an emergency you can call on 07732 054827.

Driving Ban Avoided At Wrexham Magistrates Court

18.07.2019 Carl Millar

Mr W appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court facing a potential driving disqualification owing to the totting-up provisions, following his latest speeding offence.

Millars Solicitors Early Return Of Licence The court heard how Mr W’s employment required his driving licence as he had to travel between 46 locations in his role as a service manager. Were he to lose his licence he would also lose his job and income. His wife only worked part-time and had she stone could not cover the mortgage payments.

The court accepted the exceptional hardship argument and drew back from imposing an immediate driving ban.

The Result

Location: Wrexham Magistrates Court

Offence: Totting Up / Speeding

Outcome: Driving ban avoided

About Carl Millar

Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.

With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.

Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535 or in an emergency you can call on 07732 054827.

1200 Prosecutions From Dash Cams Last Year

17.07.2019 Carl Millar

Data from The National Dash Cam Safety Portal (NDCP) has shown that in the last year evidence from dash cams have led to 1200 prosecutions against motorists.

Further calculations have been made which show NDCP has saved the police around 68,474 hours of collating evidence for dangerous driving charges. The figure also equates to seven years of solid work for a single officer, without a day off.

However, privacy campaigners have stated how these type of prosecutions breeds a culture of suspicion and mistrust with drivers spying on each other.

Before NDCP, each clip of dash cam footage took the police 14 hours to be processed, assessed, witness statements taken and paperwork completed. However, in 2016, North Wales Police discovered dash cam footage could be treated as video from speed cameras and be the sole evidence in prosecuting drivers.

22 police forces now use NDCP.

About Carl Millar

Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.

With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.

Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535 or in an emergency you can call on 07732 054827.

Drink Driving Ban Avoided At Salisbury Magistrates Court

16.07.2019 Carl Millar

Salisbury Magistrates Court heard how Mr H was facing a charge of being drunk in charge of a vehicle. For this offence, he faced a potential driving ban of 12 months.

Millars Solicitors Drink Driving Solicitors The charge being materially different to a straight drink driving charge, allowed the magistrates to use their discretion and draw back from imposing a period of disqualification.

A full plea in mitigation was submitted and following careful deliberation, the magistrates did use their discretion and merely impose 10 points on Mr H’s driving licence.

The Result

Location: Salisbury Magistrates Court

Offence: Drunk In Charge Of A Motor Vehicle

Outcome: Ban avoided and 10 penalty points imposed

About Carl Millar

Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.

With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.

Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535 or in an emergency you can call on 07732 054827.

How To Avoid Fines Whist Driving broad This Summer

14.07.2019 Carl Millar

As many of us take to the continent during July and August, the one souvenir none of us wants is a fine from our holiday travels.

As around 400,000 cars are due to pass through the Channel Tunnel alone it is best to be aware of the rules of the continental road.

One aspect I didn’t think I needed to write about was which she of the road to drive on. Worryingly, a study conducted by the car insurer Miles showed 62% of this interviewed thought they could drive on the left in France. Just let me get this clear, you need to drive on the right or your holiday could over very quickly.

Driving on the right is also de facto in Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal; in fact, any European county other than the UK, Malta, Ireland and Cyprus.

In France it is illegal to drive without the following; a single-use accredited breathalyser, a high-vis jacket, spare light bulbs and a warning triangle. Failure to have the above can result in an on the spot fine.

Did you know driving shirtless is Spain is an offence, as is wearing flip-flops or biting your nails behind the wheel? In France, wearing headphones or eating behind the wheel could also land you with a fine.

Please make sure you get to grips with the local road traffic laws of any country you drive through. There are plenty of websites which will give you the required information, a great one is the RAC – https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-abroad/checklist/.

Also, please keep a check on how much you have had to drink before getting behind the wheel. You can find our article on that very point by clicking here.

James Blackham, the co-founder of By Miles, said, “Holidaymakers planning on driving to Europe this summer must take the time to swot up on local driving laws or risk facing fines. Little-known rules can often catch drivers out. For example, in France, you must carry a breathalyser with you at all times, and in Spain, if caught driving without a top on you can be fined €200.

“However, every road-tripper can protect themselves by following a few simple steps before setting off. Don’t presume your insurer automatically gives you the same full cover you have at home when you’re driving in Europe. Give them a ring to make sure you have the same level of cover – some drop to third party cover only once outside the UK.”

Have a happy, safe and trouble-free holiday.

About Carl Millar

Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.

With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.

Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535 or in an emergency you can call on 07732 054827.

Driving Ban Reduced At Oxford Magistrates Court

14.07.2019 Carl Millar

Mr H appeared at Oxford Magistrates Court facing a six-month ban for totting up. he already had 9 points on his licence and a new speeding charge meant he was looking at ending up with 12 points.

The possibility of an exceptional hardship argument was discussed with Mr H, however, he was realistic in his chances and opted for a different strategy. In short, the court was persuaded to disqualify Mr H for the speeding offence alone and not for totting up. Rather than facing a six-month ban, Mr H was disqualified for 25 days.

The Result

Location: Oxford Magistrates Court

Offence: Totting Up / Speeding

Outcome: Potential ban reduced from six months to 25 days

About Carl Millar

Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.

With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.

Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535 or in an emergency you can call on 07732 054827.