Reports are in of fresh calls for seatbelt laws in England and Wales to be enforced with penalty points for non wearers.

Only a few of us remember the times when wearing a seatbelt was not a legal requirement of driving. In fact I remember driving in my mum’s car as a child, where there were seatbelts even fitted in the back.

Currently, the penalty for not wearing a seatbelt is a £100 fine, which can increase to £500 should the matter go to court.

When you think about how important wearing a seatbelt is, and how many lives they save, wearing one should be like second nature too us. Hands up who remembers the “Clunk Click Every Trip” campaign.

Direct Line and the Parliamentary Advisory Council For Transport Safety (“PACTS”) are now calling for Great Britain to adopt the same rules as in Northern Ireland and have those drivers not wearing a seatbelt face 3 points on there driving licence.

A poll undertaken by Direct Line showed how 70% of this interviewed would back new seatbelt wearing laws. However, 30% stated that 3 points were not enough and offending drivers should face 6 points, the same as for using amoebae phone behind the wheel.

Road Safety Minister Jesse Norman said he welcomed the research by insurance firm Direct Line, adding that the Government is “actively looking at whether to introduce penalty points”.

Gus Park, managing director of motor insurance at Direct Line, described the introduction of mandatory seat belt wearing 36 years ago as “one of the most effective road safety measures in the history of motoring”.

He went on: “It may not prevent collisions, but it can and does prevent death and serious injury.”

AA president Edmund King said: “It is surprising that drivers haven’t learnt lessons from the most high-profile and tragic car crash case of all-time, where Princess Diana, Dodi Fayad and driver Henri Paul all died without wearing seat belts.

“Bigger fines and penalty points for not wearing seat belts should be introduced as soon as possible to persuade drivers of the importance of belting up.”

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.

Reports made by the government’s National Travel Attitudes Study (NTAS) has shown how 25% of drivers are still under the impression that using a phone whilst they are in a traffic jam is still okay.

And on the flip side, 75% of drivers think the mobile phone laws are not enforced enough.

Despite campaigns and high profile reported cases, an alarming 6% of drivers claim using a phone behind the wheel is safe, even when the vehicle is moving. I know that doesn’t sound like much but when you equate to 1 in 20 cars on the road then it becomes more unnerving.

Interestingly, 62% believed mobile phone usage, even talking handsfree, was totally unsafe.

Following the report, road safety charity Brake has now called on the government to issue police with greater resources to enforce mobile phone laws.

Brake is making further calls by asking the government to make any phone usage behind the wheel, handsfree or not, to become illegal.

Brake has been very vocal in stating how distracting using a phone behind the wheel is. They have also claimed mobile phones are just as, if not more so, a large factor in the because of road accidents.

Joshua Harris, Brake’s director of campaigns, said the existing rules were giving drivers a “false impression” about phone use.

“Using a phone when behind the wheel can impair you as much as driving drunk so it’s a real concern that one in four people think it’s safe to use their phone when behind the wheel in stationary traffic,” he said. “A car is a lethal weapon and it only takes a moment’s inattention to result in devastating consequences. It’s equally worrying that three-quarters of people feel that the law is not being properly enforced, a situation which may lead some to think they can get away with using their phone behind the wheel.

“Most drivers know that all phone use behind the wheel is dangerous, but we need the law to reflect this by banning the use of hands-free devices. The current law provides a dangerous false impression about the use of phones behind the wheel and must be changed. We also call on the government to invest in roads policing as a priority so that the police have the resources they need to ensure there is a true deterrent to the menace of mobile phone use behind the wheel.”

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.

Okay, let’s drill this down a bit. A conviction for drink driving in its purest form carries a fine, disqualification, community orders and in the most serious cases, prison. So what we are looking at is a “drink driving” offence, and yes there is a distinction.

Even if you have had half a pint of beer and are clearly under the legal limit, the police can still charge you with an offence should they deem you unfit to drive. Interestingly, this type of offence does not even need evidence from a breathalyser showing you are over the limit.

Mark Tongue, a spokesman for Select Car Leasing, said: “It can be tempting, particularly in the height of summer, to enjoy a drink in a nice pub beer garden before heading home.

“But if that drink makes you impaired in any way, even though you may not be above the legal limit, you could still face heavy consequences.

“If you’re feeling unwell, alcohol can make you excessively drowsy. Meanwhile, some antibiotics, when mixed with alcohol, can cause sickness and dizziness.”

Alcohol reacts differently to each person who consumes it and just one unit can impair the driver’s vision, section or overall control of a vehicle.

It is estimated that around 85,000 people are convicted of drink driving offences each year. Every year more than 60 people are killed in accidents where alcohol was a factor across England and Wales.

A motoring lawyer said: “You have a number of potential offences where you can be charged and convicted without being above the ‘legal limit’.

“Police now tend to use the ‘unfit’ charge when they are in difficulties, perhaps, for example, when the breathalyser machine does not work properly, or if somebody fails to give a specimen for analysis.

“And by reverting to the old charge of being ‘unfit’, the prosecutor at court can simply refer to their demeanour when arrested and the standard of driving.

“It tends to be used as a sort of legal backstop.”

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.

The Mail Online has reported how embassies and diplomats have run up traffic and parking charges of £119 Million, with the US Embassy topping the lost with an outstanding total of £12.6 Million.

The top 5 international offenders are;

USA – £12.6 Million
Japan – £8.6 Million
Nigeria – £7 Million
Russia – £5.7 Million
China – £5.2 Million
Poland – £4.4 Million

The outstanding monies are generally in relation to congestion charges and parking fines. And the galling thing is how the UK may never see a penny of it.

This international loophole comes directly from the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations whereby diplomats are exempt from paying taxes in the country hosting them.

The agreement, signed by the UK, means the embassies have no legal obligation to pay the charges.

Transport For London [“TfL”] have decided to challenge the situation owing to a massive loss in revenue. To put the figure in perspective, in 2018 TfL made £155.9 Million from congestion charge payments alone. The situation is further heightened as, by law, TfL has to reinvest its revenue back into the London transport infrastructure.

TfL’s general manager for road user charging Paul Cowperthwaite said the company continue to request payment from diplomats.

He said: “We are clear that the congestion charge is a charge for a service and not a tax. This means that foreign diplomats are not exempt from paying it.

“We continue to pursue all unpaid congestion charge fees and related penalty charge notices.”

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.