Informing the debate

Tens of millions of drivers in the UK will welcome the continued freeze in fuel duty announced in the Budget today, says the RAC Foundation. The Budget document says: "The government will freeze

Almost ten million MOT tests ended in failure last year, more than a fifth of all those carried out. Thousands of those failed tests were taken by vehicles that had a dozen or more fail-worthy faul

A simulator study shows the presence of a passenger can improve drivers’ focus on the road and help them to decide when manual control is needed in self-driving vehicles, but taking back control is

Offering learner drivers some level of rebate on their driving test fee if they pass first time could help cut test waiting times and improve pass rates. The incentive of a rebate could mean learne

Van traffic has risen by 8% since the start of the coronavirus pandemic to reach record levels, according to Department for Transport data reported by the Press Association. Light commercial vehi

The RAC Foundation is one of 30 organisations to sign up to a safety manifesto which it is hoped the next government will adopt to kick start renewed progress on cutting death and injury on the roads.

Car manufacturers will miss a key Government target for pure battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales according to the industry's trade body. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) told

Failure to design public chargepoints to work around Britain’s patchy mobile signal coverage means drivers of electric cars could be facing problems when they seek to ‘fill up’ at thousands of l

One in every twenty-five council-maintained road bridges in Great Britain is officially deemed as substandard, according to research by the RAC Foundation. In December 2023 the Foundation approache

Those in charge of running our most important roads must increasingly turn their attention to looking after the assets they already manage rather than seeking to add new parts to the network. That

A new study suggests "more than half of the local road network in England and Wales could fail in the next 15 years." The latest ALARM (Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance) survey published by

Five years on from the introduction of a law to help protect drivers when they park on private land and still none of the provisions have been introduced. On 15 March 2019, the Parking (Code of Pra

The average speed of traffic on England's strategic road network (SRN) is lower than pre-pandemic, latest data from the Department for Transport shows. Vehicles on the motorways and major A roads w

The level of fuel duty is set to remain as it is for at least a year, the Chancellor has announced. Delivering Budget 2024 Jeremy Hunt told MPs "the government is continuing to support motorists an

This funding is a critical step towards achieving DriveFit 2.0's aim: to enhance road safety education and address the vulnerability of young road users by redesigning and improving an established int

More than one in six jobs being advertised in the UK requires applicants to be able to drive, analysis suggests. Research by the RAC Foundation shows that in the first week of October 2023 a total

Greater sharing of collision data and medical information about crash victims could lead to a much better understanding of the causes and the costs – human and financial - of death and injury on the

There are almost one million pure battery electric (BEV) cars, vans and taxis on the road in the UK, analysis by the RAC Foundation shows. There were 993,216 such vehicles licensed as of the end of

The government has pledged £8.3 billion to help repair potholes in England over the next eleven years. The money is part of the Network North programme and has been made available from the cancell

Using ‘shock and tell’ tactics to teach teenagers about the risks associated with driving does little to improve safety and may actually make things worse. Traditional attempts to use ‘threat

The theft of petrol and diesel from garage forecourts has risen dramatically, official data suggests. In a response to a Freedom of Information request made by the RAC Foundation, the DVLA reveals

The DriveFit film and workshop aimed at pre-driving-age young people designed by Dr Elizabeth Box, Research Director at the RAC Foundation, has won a prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safe

Car makers will have to sell a growing proportion of battery-powered vehicles each year under new targets imposed by government. Having consulted earlier this year on the introduction of the Zero E

An estimated 1,711 people died on Britain's roads in 2022, according to the Department for Transport. A further 28,031 people were seriously injured. The fatality is 2% down on the 1,752 figure

Drivers received more than 11 million parking tickets on private land in the last financial year, official figures show. This is an average of more than 30,000 every day. According to the DVLA i

Ministers still intend to introduce annual targets on the volume of zero emission vehicles car companies must sell despite the Prime Minister's announcement that the ban on the sale of new petrol and

The RAC Foundation has responded to the news that the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK has been pushed back from 2030 to 2035. The original 2030 ban was announced back in Nov

Football fans travelling by car to away games are still paying a heavy price for their loyalty despite pump prices being below where they were this time last year. Whilst the price of petrol and di

Reports of vehicles being driven the wrong way on England's motorways rose by 13% in a year, figures from National Highways reveal. The data, obtained by the PA news agency through a Freedom of Inf

The Energy Secretary Grant Shapps has warned fuel retailers he will “call out any foot-dragging” over the sharing of pump price data. The comments - made in a letter to the Competition and Market

Data collected from connected vehicles can be used to help identify dangerous stretches of road before anyone is killed or seriously injured on them. This is just one of the many valuable applicati

Fatalities from drink-drive crashes on Britain’s roads are at the highest level for more than a decade, government data shows. The Department for Transport (DfT) estimate that 260 people were kill

The Secretary of State for Transport has granted an application for development consent of the Stonehenge tunnel. Despite acknowledging that the scheme will "result in an increase in carbon emissio

People who drive their own cars for work purposes are being short-changed because the tax-free amount they can receive in recompense has not changed for more than a decade. Currently, the Treasury

Drivers of electric vehicles will find much better charge-point availability and the ease of use improved under new legislation from the government. Ministers have been engaging with the charging i

Fuel retailers have been pushing up their margins on pump prices meaning higher prices for drivers. The latest findings from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reveal that between 2019 and

A think tank has called for a 6p per mile 'Road Duty' charge to be levied on electric cars to help fill the financial black hole caused by declining fuel duty revenue as drivers switch away from petro

There were 1,695 fatalities on Britain's roads in 2022, provisional figures from the Department for Transport show. This is 3% lower than the figure for 2019, the "most recent equivalent pre-pandem

Senior supermarket bosses are to be interviewed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as it continues its investigation in road fuel prices. The CMA is particularly concerned about the ris

An “overwhelming majority” of young people aged 17 to 24 expect to be driving regularly in the future. Aside from those unable to drive because of a disability of health condition, more than 8

The government decision to cancel all future smart motorway schemes has shifted attention onto the fate of those existing schemes that have dynamic hard shoulders. While public concern has centred

There will be no more smart motorways built in England  "in recognition of the current lack of public confidence felt by drivers and cost pressures", the government has said. A total of fourteen s

Drivers of the new Ford Mustang will be able to let go of the steering wheel whilst on the motorway, in a European first. The government has given permission for the company to activate its “hand

A record number of drivers caught committing a motoring offence attended a retraining course last year thus avoiding prosecution and the possibility of points and fines. Figures from UK Road Offend

There are now 1.65 million holders of full driving licences in Great Britain aged 80 or over. Data from the DVLA shows that this age group now makes up 4% - or about 1 in every 25 - of all full lic

The proportion of road bridges managed by councils across Great Britain that are classified as ‘substandard’ has fallen slightly over the past year. However, 1 in every 24 bridges (4.3%) is sti

Fuel duty will remain at 52.95p per litre for at least another 12 months, the Chancellor has announced in the Spring Budget. Jeremy Hunt said the 5p per litre reduction in duty which took place in

An extra £200 million will be allocated to help fix potholes the chancellor has announced in the Spring Budget. The chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the Government's Potholes Fund will now stand at £7

The number of new battery-electric cars sold in the UK showed a year-on-year rise in February however as a proportion of all sales the share remained the same. Figures from the SMMT show that of th

Private parking is set to become a billion-pound a year industry as the number of tickets issued by firms hits yet another high. Data from the DVLA suggests drivers are set to receive more than 11 mi

A much better understanding of what exactly a ‘rural road’ is could help cut the number of people killed and seriously injured on them each year. Government statistics – derived from police c

The reduction in total carbon emissions from cars necessary to meet the UK’s climate change goals could be achieved without drivers travelling less overall but would require big changes in other are

The point at which a car undergoes its first MOT could be pushed back from three years to four years under proposals included in a government consultation. In 2021, some 30 million MOTs were undert

Using data on driving styles collected by vehicles could be used to help understand where crashes on the road network are likely to take place before they actually happen. This would lead to pre-em

Road traffic in England and Wales could grow by as much as 54% between 2025 and 2060 according to the latest analysis by the Department for Transport (DfT). The National Road Traffic Projections 20

This year has been the "most volatile year for fuel prices since reliable records began" according to the latest research from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In an update to its Road

Tens of thousands of people are taking driving tests each year which are their sixth or greater attempt to pass. Data from the Department for Transport shows that in the 12 months to the end of Mar

Private parking companies have bought a record number of vehicle keeper records from the DVLA to use to issue parking charge notices - penalties - to drivers. Official data shows that in the first

The price gap between a litre of diesel and petrol has hit a new high with diesel now almost 25p more expensive. According to the latest government data, diesel has an average UK price of 188.9p per

There could be a 23% rise in fuel duty next March, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) appears to be suggesting. In its Economic and Fiscal Outlook, published alongside the Chancellor's Autu

Owners of electric cars are set to start paying Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) from 2025, the chancellor has announced in the Autumn Statement. New zero emission cars registered on or after 1 April 2025

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is warning drivers about fake copies of the Highway Code. According to the DVSA the knock-off books are "almost identical to the official Highway Code;

Graduated driver licensing (GDL) can improve road safety whilst having minimal impact on new drivers’ access to education, employment and social activities. GDL imposes some limited restrictions

Thousands of lorries are being parked in laybys, on industrial estates and on the verge each night because their drivers cannot find adequate purpose-built facilities. Despite a government drive to

A programme designed and evaluated by Elizabeth Box, research director of the RAC Foundation and doctoral researcher at Cranfield University, has been recognised by the Chartered Institute of Highways

There are now more than half a million pure battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are on UK roads, new figures show. Analysis of latest DVLA data by the RAC Foundation shows there were 519,266 BEVs licens

The pump price gap between diesel and petrol has hit a record high. Analysis by the RAC Foundation and the PA news agency of weekly fuel price data from the Department for Business, Energy and Indu

An estimated 1,558 people died on Britain's roads last year according to the latest government data. This was an increase of 7% on 2020 when traffic levels were down substantially because of the Co

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that work on 45 safer roads schemes up and down the country will be accelerated as part of his Growth Plan. In total the government has announced 86 ro

Fans of Premier League football teams driving themselves to away games this season face big rises in their transport costs because of soaring fuel prices. Today a Liverpool supporter, for example,

Long delays suffered by holiday makers and hauliers at the Port of Dover over the past few days are only the latest in a long list of disruption seen over many years. The current chaos is reported

The increasing margins being seen by oil refiners are a big cause of the recent record pump prices, analysis has shown. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says that "the 'refining spread'

A record number of vehicle keeper records have been bought by private companies. The information is used to pursue drivers for penalties of up to £100 a time for supposed infringements of the rules

A Road Safety Investigation Branch is to be set up for the first time, following a multi-year pathfinder project led by the RAC Foundation and funded by the Department for Transport and National Highw

Older drivers involved in serious crashes are more likely to have not looked properly than motorists of all ages, new research suggests. A Department for Transport report into older driver collisio

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is to conduct "a swift high-level review of competition in the fuel retail market." The move comes after a request from the business secretary Kwasi Kwa

Three years after a law was passed to tackle the worst abuses of private parking companies the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has backed down in respect of two legal chal

Millions of drivers are now paying £100 or more to fill up their cars, new data suggests.Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) figures show that the average price of diesel i

Fuel prices continue to climb to record highs, government figures show. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said the average price of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts was 16

The price of a litre of diesel hit an average of 178.4p across the UK on Monday, a new record, government data shows. The previous highest price - 177.5p - was seen two days before the Chancellor a

Minsters have signed off amendments to the Highway Code which mean the first wave of automated driving technology can be used safely. The changes explain that "while travelling in self-driving mode

UPDATE 28 MARCH 2022 - CLARIFICATION FROM DORSET COUNCIL Dorset council has been in touch to say that it incorrectly answered part of the FOI request we submitted to it. Instead of having 12 bridge

Fuel duty is being cut by 5p per litre to help motorists with the cost of filling up which has increased because of the crisis in Ukraine. From 6pm tonight fuel duty will fall from 57.95p per litre

The chancellor should cut fuel duty by more than the 5p per litre which press reports say he is planning. A reduction of this amount would fail to reverse even half of the increase in prices seen a

The Chancellor should consider cutting the level of fuel duty if pump prices continue to rise, the RAC Foundation has suggested. With oil prices having been driven higher by the Russian invasion of

The RAC Foundation and the Road Safety Foundation have hosted a reception to celebrate winning, along with the Department for Transport, a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for their �

The spiralling cost of oil has led to the biggest weekly rise in pump prices for at least 18 years, according to government data. Weekly fuel price information from Department for Business, Energy

More than one in six speeding offences detected by police forces in England and Wales ends up being cancelled, RAC Foundation analysis of the latest government data suggests. During 2020-21, a total

Private parking firms will soon have to abide by new rules designed to rein in the worst excesses of the industry, government has announced. A new Code of Practice will cut fines by up to 50% in En

New research has found that greenfield housing estates are adding hundreds of thousands of new car journeys to our roads, increasing congestion, carbon emissions and air pollution. ‘Building Car De

There is no "viable alternative" to road pricing, based on telematics, if the chancellor wants to continue to tax motorists as revenue from fuel duty dries up because of the switch to electric cars.

This weekend sees significant changes to the Highway Code including the creation of a 'hierarchy of road users' which places those most vulnerable in the event of a collision at the top. The new co

The Chancellor could face losing almost a third of the revenue he gets from fuel duty from cars before the end of the decade because of the move to green motoring. However, the blow to the public f

Drivers are being handed an average of more than 22,000 tickets every day by private parking firms, according to new research. Companies issued four million tickets to British motorists between Apr

The RAC Foundation has welcomed a new report into older drivers and supports its recommendations. The study from the Older Driver Task Force found that: • Older drivers (70+) do not pose a sig

There has been a surge in the number of parking firms accessing vehicle data so they can issue penalties to drivers on private land. According to data published by the DVLA 159 companies brought ve

The RAC Foundation, the Road Safety Foundation and the Department for Transport have won a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for their “fine example of collaboration” and the “outs

Three veteran cars built at the turn of the 20th century have travelled from the capital to the south coast while using the latest in connected technology in what is believed to be the world’s first

Government data shows that petrol is at a record high price. According to a weekly report published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), a litre of petrol cost 143

A new body to investigate and learn lessons from road collisions is a step closer to being established following a pilot scheme involving the RAC Foundation, the government has announced. A Roa

The RAC Foundation has told a parliamentary hearing that if the government decides to introduce a system of road user charging to replace fuel duty as more and more cars become electric then it should

Using virtual reality (VR) headsets in driver hazard perception is just as good as, and in some conditions better than, single screen tests at differentiating between safe and less-safe drivers, with

The average car or van in England is driven just 4% of the time, a figure that has barely changed in quarter of a century. For the rest of the time the car or van is either parked at home (73%) or

The price motorists are paying at the pumps for petrol has hit an eight-year high. According to government data, petrol now costs an average of £1.32 per litre across the UK. This is is the mos

Private parking firms issued 4.4 million parking tickets in 12 months despite car use plummeting during the coronavirus pandemic, official figures suggests. Companies handed British drivers an aver

The price of petrol has hit its highest level for two years. Government data shows that on Monday this week motorists were paying an average of 128.7p per litre across the UK, a level not seen sinc

Car traffic in Great Britain has reached a level not seen in more than a year as fuel prices continue to rise. According to government data, on Friday 28 May 2021 car traffic was at 101% of the ave

Drivers of older, more polluting cars, vans and taxis will have to pay £8 per day to drive into the centre of Birmingham with the introduction of a new Clean Air Zone, though the charge - due to be i

The average pump price of both petrol and diesel in the UK has increased every week for more than six months. According to government data, on 24 May this year petrol was selling for 127.89p per li

Drivers are expected to see insurance premiums drop by average of £35 a year after the introduction of a new system for whiplash claims. The new online portal will help tackle what ministers descr

Cars that can drive themselves are a step closer to appearing on the UK's roads after the government set out how vehicles with an Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) could be given type approval.

No new section of All Lane Running (ALR) motorway will be opened unless it has stopped-vehicle detection, the government has announced. Ministers also say that existing ALR motorways will be retrof

Three quarters of SUVs sold in the UK are registered to urban households according to analysis of data from 2019 and 2020 by the think tank New Weather Institute and climate charity Possible. Acco

A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has acknowledged the progress being made in the take up of ultra-low and zero emission vehicles but questioned whether enough is known about how public subs

Please note that more information on whether a vehicle is E10 compatible is available on the gov.uk website. E10 petrol will be introduced in the UK from September meaning that standard grade p

In its first year on the road a new battery-powered car bought in the UK will cost the Exchequer hundreds of pounds in lost fuel duty, VAT and vehicle excise duty. Analysis by the RAC Foundation sh

The number of substandard road bridges managed by councils across Great Britain is increasing. Local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales have identified 3,105 bridges - defined as structures

Councils in England made a combined surplus (profit) of £891 million from parking in 2019-20. This was 4.6% lower than the £934 million profit made in the previous year. The analysis by the RA

Only a small proportion (14%) of car and taxi trips on the M25 – one of the longest and busiest ring roads in the world – bypass London completely and are made by people

A data sharing framework for car clubs would shed new light on how they are used in the capital and elsewhere, according to a new report by London Councils, RAC Foundation and the Urban Systems Lab at

Steve Gooding, the director of the RAC Foundation, has been chosen as the president of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (CILT(UK)) for 2021. He will begin his one-year

The government has announced that sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will end by 2030. The announcement comes as part of a 10-point plan for a “green industrial revolution”. Orig

A new study by the University of Nottingham and the RAC Foundation suggests that behavioural training for drivers is paramount for the transition into the next stage of automated vehicles, known a

The Department for Transport has said it will not be pursuing graduated driver licensing (GDL) as a way of cutting young driver deaths despite international evidence of its success. Addressing a he

Everyday technology already installed in vehicles or added by drivers could enable a range of connected services to be developed and deployed, making driving smoother and safer and traffic management

The RAC Foundation is asking the roads regulator to ensure that Highways England is doing all that it can to protect its network from the impacts of extreme weather. In a letter to the Office of Ra

Almost one in ten (9%) of the four million vans in Great Britain are typically used for recreational/leisure and holiday purposes, a survey from the Department for Transport suggests. That compares

The RAC Foundation is supporting trials of connected vehicle technology which could reduce congestion and cut emissions. The State of the Connected Nation report from the Transport Technology Forum

The RAC Foundation has restated the case for some form of graduated licensing to help cut the disproportionate number of young drivers involved in serious road collisions. International evidence su

Official regulation of the private parking sector has moved a step closer after the government has launched a consultation on a binding Code of Practice that to replace self regulation. Amongst the

Lorry traffic on Monday this week was back to 97% of what it was pre-lockdown according to government data. Van traffic was also close to levels not seen since 23 March this year when the Prime Min

Private parking firms issued almost a quarter (24%) more tickets in 2019-20 compared with the previous 12 months. Companies handed out 8.4 million tickets to British drivers during the last financi

The government is to end the temporary scheme under which drivers could defer MOTs on their vehicles for up to six months because of Covid-19. From 1 August mandatory MOT tests will need to be take

Zero emission cars will be easily identifiable on the road from the autumn after the government confirmed plans to mark them out with green number plates. According to ministers "the plates will ma

Hundreds of thousands of residents in new garden towns and villages could be left car dependent rather than having a good choice of public transport and active travel options. Research by Transport

Creating innovative solutions to the travel problems facing those living in rural communities has been the focus of the latest challenge set by the RAC Foundation and Royal Automobile Club to students

Neville Jackson – formerly chief technology and innovation officer at the engineering and environmental consultancy Ricardo PLC - has taken over as chair of the RAC Foundation. He succeeded Joe G

The number of diesel cars in Britain has fallen for the first time in at least 25 years, government data shows. In 2019 there were 12.29 million diesels on the roads. This compares with 12.4 millio

The newest cars in Great Britain do an average of 10,377 miles in each of the first three years after they are registered. That’s the equivalent of 28 miles per day. However, there are big dif

There are now the highest number of heavy goods vehicles on the UK's roads since 1990 according to data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The SMMT says that at the

Drivers will be granted a six-month exemption from MOT testing because of the Coronavirus. It will mean key workers will be able to get to their places of employment and people can get to the shops

The cost of filling up with fuel has fallen sharply finally mirroring a collapse in oil prices. The supermarket chains Morrisons and Asda have cut the price of a litre of petrol by 12p and diesel b

Ministers are to launch a consultation on how to tackle pavement parking where inconsiderate drivers block the path for pedestrians. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "Vehicles parked on th

A Government review has concluded that all lane running motorways are, overall, as safe, or safer, than conventional motorways. However, ministers are introducing an 18-point action plan to make th

The Government is calling for evidence on whether the VED system should be overhauled to encourage the greater take up of green vehicles. Currently, cars are put into bands depending what their CO2

The Chancellor has announced in Budget 2020 that the general level of fuel duty on petrol and diesel will stay frozen for another year. It has now been levied at 57.95p per litre since March 2011.

Please note that more information on whether a vehicle is E10 compatible is available on the gov.uk website. The government has announced plans to introduce a new blend of petrol with a higher

The number of substandard road bridges managed by councils across Great Britain has fallen slightly over the past year. Local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales have identified 3,061 bridge

The fuel costs of driving a battery-electric car over a set distance can vary by as much as nine times depending when and where the vehicle is recharged. RAC Foundation analysis shows overnight ch

A record number of drivers took a speed awareness course last year. In 2019, 1,282,698 people completed the course up from 1,186,536 in the previous year. For those caught speeding the chance to

Offering higher levels of intuitive in-car technology to older drivers is likely to be more helpful in keeping them safe on the road than any system of mass retesting. There are already 5.5 million

Some 2,386,780 speeding offences were detected in England and Wales in 2018-19. This was a rise of 4% on 2017-18 when the number stood at 2,292,534. It is a 37% rise on the 1,740,217 speeding of

There are 634,000 unlicensed vehicles driving on the UK's roads according to estimates made by the Department for Transport after carrying out an observational study. This equates to to 1.6% of tot

In the last financial year English councils made a combined profit of £930 million from their parking activities. The figure for 2018-19 is up 7% on the £867 million councils made in 2017-18.

Private parking firms are on course to issue nearly two million more tickets on private land in this financial year compared with last, a rise of more than a quarter. Official information just publ

The transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced that the Department for Transport (DfT) will launch an urgent review into smart motorways. He also said that any future decisions about the scheme

The boss of England's strategic roads says some stretches of motorway where the hard shoulder is occasionally opened to traffic can be "too complicated to use". Jim O'Sullivan - chief executive of

Ministers are proposing that the cleanest cars could be fitted with green number plates so their environmental benefits are obvious to everyone. The Department for Transport (DfT) is consulting on

The House of Commons Transport Select Committee is calling for a national debate over road pricing. MPs on the committee will launch a formal investigation next year about whether pay-per-mile driv

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has called for government to put plans in place to replace the current system of motoring taxation. The Treasury currently receives about £28 billion a year

In-car cameras and black box technology that record young drivers could cut crash rates if the information is shared with parents. Evidence from America suggests the combined use of dash cams and �

An estimated 250 people were killed in 2017 in crashes in Great Britain where at least one driver or rider was over the drink drive limit, according to official data just published. This is up from

A total of 1,782 people died on Britain's roads in 2018 according to provisional figures from the Department for Transport (DfT). This is 1% less than the 1,793 fatality figure for 2017. An addi

Drivers who do not wear their seatbelt could face penalty points on their licence as well as the existing £100 on-the-spot fine if caught. In 2017, 787 car occupants died in crashes. An estimated

The RAC Foundation has welcomed the news that government is considering limitations on new young drivers to "ease them into a lifetime of safe driving". The proposal is part of the road safety acti

The RAC Foundation warn today that, in the future of driverless cars, people will  need support if they are to be well prepared to take control should the vehicle they are travelling in unexpectedly

English councils are predicting that, collectively, they will make a £913 million surplus – or profit - from their parking activities in the current financial year, 2019-20. This is 4% more than

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched his blueprint to "to cut harmful emissions and propel London towards a greener future." Amongst the proposals in the Mayor's EV infrastructure delivery p

The cost of using Britain's only privately-operated motorway will rise by up to 50p per journey from 12 July. The price for weekday journeys made between 7am and 7pm on the M6 Toll will go up to £

The DVLA released details of around 60% of all vehicles in Great Britain to third-party bodies in 2018-19. The RAC Foundation has already reported that private parking companies accessed 6.8 millio

Road users who ignore Red X signs on sections of smart motorways will soon face fines of £100 and three penalty points on their licences. The Home Office has finally type-approved cameras to detec

The number of penalty tickets issued to drivers parking on private land has leapt by more than a million in just 12 months to a new high, the latest official figures suggest. RAC Foundation analysi

Pump prices are at a six-month high. Government data shows that the UK's average price of a litre of petrol stands at £1.28, while diesel costs £1.35. [iframe class="highcharts-iframe" style="

Almost four fifths (78%) of households with a car or van now have a big four supermarket filling station on their doorstep. Of the 19.6 million homes in the UK that have access to a car or van 15.2

The council that took the decision to close Hammersmith Bridge has blamed bus companies and Transport for London (TfL) for its closure. The bridge, which owns the bridge, has been shut to motorists

At the end of 2018 there were 32.49 million cars on the UK's roads. This compares with 32.16 million at the end of 2017. The latest official figures also show that the total for all vehicles at

The petition calling for the revocation of Article 50 and the ending of the Brexit process - six million signatures and counting - is not the first time there has been mass lobbying of this kind aime

From today older and more polluting vehicles entering central London will be liable to pay a charge. The new Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) – which will be in operation 24/7 - will have the same

The number of drivers being detected for speeding is more than 160 times higher in some parts of England and Wales than others. In 2017-18 – the latest period for which data is available - 1,191

The European Parliament has provisionally approved the mandatory introduction of intelligent speed assistance (ISA) systems on new vehicle models from 2022. According to the the EU, "ISA will provi

New measures to help prevent the worst excesses of rogue parking companies have become law. The Parking (Code of Practice) bill - introduced to parliament by Sir Greg Knight MP - aims to introduce

Utility companies could be made to repair any own shoddy workmanship if road reinstatements deteriorate within five years of being done. Gas, water, electricity and telecoms companies already provi

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is leading a coalition of city leaders from across the UK in a call for £1.5 billion of central government funding to take the dirtiest vehicles off urban streets. T

The number of road users who have completed a driver retraining course since their introduction in 2010 has topped ten million. Nine million of these have attended a speed aware course, 1.19 millio

  The number of people using a hand-held mobile phone at the wheel seems to be falling. A Department for Transport observational study across Great Britain in 2017 showed that 1.1% of all d

The quickest-acting councils in Great Britain aim to fill in the most severe potholes in their roads within minutes. Cumbria, Flintshire and South Lanarkshire aim to act “immediately” to repair

The one-off cost of clearing the total maintenance backlog for the near 72,000 council-managed road bridges in Great Britain has increased by a third. Analysis by the RAC Foundation of data for the

Those on two feet or two wheels should be given priority when new roads are built or old ones upgraded, says the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). According to NICE the aim

Widespread confusion over how fast electric vehicles can be ‘refuelled’ could be undermining efforts to provide an adequate public chargepoint network. The latest battery-only cars need only fi

New data suggests that private parking firms are issuing penalties to drivers at the rate of one every five seconds. Information published by the DVLA shows that in the second quarter of 2018-19 th

Councils in England have seen their parking ‘profits’ rise by almost a third (32%) in just four years. In 2017-18, the combined surplus made by the 353 English local authorities was £867 milli

Local authorities made a combined surplus of £14.4 million on their parking activities in the last financial year. The figure for 2017-18 was 3% higher than the £14 million made in 2016-17. Th

The RAC Foundation has broadly welcomed the transport-related announcements made in this year's Budget, which included: Confirmation of the National Roads Fund which will ring fence VED income an

Almost one in five (19%) job adverts say that applicants must be able to drive. Analysis by the RAC Foundation of a snapshot of the government’s Find a Job database found that of the 182,062 vaca

Past experience suggests that across Great Britain this weekend’s clock change will herald an increase of some 20 more road crashes per day in which someone is hurt. Analysis of police data from

The RAC Foundation has voiced support for the findings of a report from Transport for New Homes which highlights inadequate walking, cycling and public transport connections to surrounding areas from

Changes to the level of government grants for ultra-low emission cars have been brought forward after a surge in sales. Earlier this month ministers announced that the grant for so-called category

A £100 million programme of works is on course to prevent almost 1,450 deaths and serious injuries over the next two decades on the riskiest council-managed A roads in England. That is the assessm

Buyers of plug-in hybrids will soon find themselves unable to claim a government grant. Ministers are also scaling back the money available for pure battery electric vehicles, from £4,500 to £3,5

Proposals for a new crossing of the Thames to ease pressure on the existing Dartford Crossing have been updated. Highways England says the whole of the route will now have three lanes in each direc

The drivers of the thirteen million diesel cars licensed in the UK have been hit with the 14th consecutive weekly increase. According to government figures the cost of diesel now averages about 136

The Prime Minister has announced that the rate of fuel duty will remain frozen for the ninth year in a row. It has been at 57.95p per litre on both petrol and diesel since March 2011. However, d

One thousand seven hundred and ninety three people were killed on Britain's roads in 2017, one more than in the previous year. Official data shows that there has now been little change in the annua

The government estimates that by 2050 traffic levels in England and Wales could rise by as much as 51% compared with 2015. Even under the most conservative of those scenarios modeled traffic goes u

Drivers are paying the price as the cost of petrol and diesel rises for the eleventh week in a row. The average cost of a litre of petrol stands at more than 130.6p at UK forecourts, with diesel co

Millions of UK drivers who travel to the continent are set to need international driving permits (IDPs) if there is a no-deal Brexit. In its latest guidance the Department for Transport says that t

The pump prices of both petrol and diesel have risen for the tenth week in a row. Petrol now averages 130.4 pence per litre while diesel is at 134.4p. These are the highest prices for four years.

There are still more than five and a half thousand miles of road in Britain where drivers would find it impossible to call for help in case of a crash or breakdown because there is no mobile phone voi

Police in the Thames Valley, Hampshire and the West Midlands are targeting drivers with poor eyesight throughout September. As part of a pilot scheme - run in conjunction with the road safety chari

Pump prices are at levels not seen for four years. Petrol now costs an average of £1.29 at UK forecourts. The last time it was this expensive was in August 2014. Diesel is averaging £1.33, a l

Please note that more information on whether a vehicle is E10 compatible is available on the gov.uk website. The RAC Foundation estimates that hundreds of thousands of family runarounds are amo

The number of private parking tickets being issued continues to soar. Figures just published show that in the first quarter of the 2018-19 financial year private parking companies requested 1,479,1

Eighty-three per cent of people doubt the effectiveness of speed cameras because they think drivers only slow down when they pass a device before putting their foot down again. There also remains

The company which accesses the most vehicle keeper records to hand out parking tickets has been sold for more than quadruple its value five years ago. ParkingEye had been bought by Capita for £58

Government has said that the newest diesel powered vehicles will be a stepping stone on the the path to zero emissions from cars. The Road to Zero document says that "cleaner diesel cars and vans c

Traffic volume in Britain is at an all-time high. The latest data shows that 327.1 billion miles were driven in 2017. This is an increase of 1.3% on the previous 12 months. Year-on-year: ca

Councils in England are predicting to make a joint surplus of almost £900 million from their parking operations in the current financial year. The official figures supplied to government by the 35

Ministers should consider whether now is the time to nationalise the M6 Toll road in the West Midlands. The road's operator - Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) - has announced that from Monday 30 Ju

The number of people who took a practical driving test in the first quarter of this year was 10.7% lower than in the same period in 2017. Official figures show that between January and March 2018 t

The Mitsubishi Outlander remains the most common ultra-low emission car on the UK’s roads. The latest data available show that at the end of Q1 2018 there were 33,964 of the plug-in hybrid versio

The RAC Foundation has received almost half a million pounds of government funding to pilot new ways of investigating road crashes. The £480,000 will be spent helping selected police forces to rec

The Mayor of London has announced that the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in London will be expanded out to the North and South Circular roads from 25 October 2021. The new ULEZ will cover an area 18 time

Learner drivers are to be allowed onto Britain's motorways. Anybody under instruction will now be able to take to the country's busiest road at the discretion of, and accompanied by, a qualified driving instructor.

The RAC Foundation has joined a taskforce established by the Mayor of London to help deliver more EV charge points. According to the Mayor's office, "London is already leading the way in this field

For the first time the human cost of crashes involving young drivers has been plotted across 49 different areas of Britain highlighting significant regional variations. Nearly one in eight (11.9%) of

Highways England has taken another step towards solving the problems caused by disruption to Channel crossings in the face of bad weather or industrial action. It has announced a change to Operatio

The EU Commission is calling for the mandatory installation of a range of safety features on new cars sold in Europe. As part of the third element of the Commission's 'Europe on the Move' strategy

Participation in a speed awareness course cuts reoffending rates by as much as 23% after six months compared with those drivers who were offered a course but turned it down. Over the same period re

There is currently no robust evidence to suggest that pre-driver interventions are effective at improving road safety, according to a report for the Scottish government. The study by TRL says that

The number of penalty tickets issued to drivers parking on private land has surged by almost a million in just 12 months to a new high, the latest official data suggests. RAC Foundation analysis of

The Welsh government has announced that there will be immediate speed limit reductions on a number of roads to help cut air pollution. Launching a £20 million Air Quality Fund to help local author

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is still the most common ultra-low emission car on the UK’s roads. At the end of 2017 – the latest data available - there were 32,048 of the plug-in hybrid version

The number diesel cars licensed in Great Britain stood at 12.4 million at the end of 2017. The figures – released today by the Department for Transport – show that this was a 3.3% increase on t

Three out of 10 hospitals charge staff for car parking, new figures show. Doctors and nurses are expected to pay at 348 out of the 1,175 hospitals with parking facilities, according to NHS data studied by the RAC Foundation.

Transport for London (TfL) wants to introduce driving tests for private hire drivers. A consultation on greater regulation of the minicab business says: "The Mayor’s Taxi and Private Hire Acti

Ministers have decided not to take forward a national scrappage scheme to help improve air quality. In its response to a consultation on "Additional measures to support individuals and businesses a

The Local Government Association (LGA) has said that the rise in online shopping is causing in significant damage being caused to local roads because of delivery vans. According to the LGA: "Ana

There are now 265 people in Great Britain aged 100 or more who hold a full driving licence. This is a 15% rise since October 2015. Among the 265 drivers the four oldest are aged 104.

The annual ALARM Survey of local highways authorities in England and Wales suggests that 24,000 miles of local roads face closure in the next 12 months without repair. The report by the Asphalt Ind

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched 100 new rapid charge points for electric vehicles in the capital. Fifty one of the points will be for taxis.

The very poorest car-owning households have seen their expenditure on motoring jump by 37% in a year. RAC Foundation analysis of previously unreleased data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests that just over a million car-owning households in the lowest of the ONS’s ten income brackets (the poorest 10%) spent an average of £58.20 per week on motoring in 2016-17.

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that in the first two months of 2018, 990 pure battery-powered cars were sold in the UK. This is 34% lower than the 1,493 sold in

Across the UK, almost 4,000 gritters are on hand to tackle the icy blast forecast to bring blizzard conditions to most parts of the country. Many of these vehicles will also be fitted with ploughs

Theresa May has pledged to explore the introduction of a graduated licensing scheme for young drivers.

Drivers were hit with a record number of parking tickets on private land in the third quarter of 2017-18. RAC Foundation analysis of government data just published shows that between October and December private parking companies received 1,576,593 vehicle keeper records from the DVLA.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed news that the government will support proposed legislation to protect drivers from unscrupulous private parking companies. Ministers have thrown their weight behind the private members’ bill introduced by Sir Greg Knight MP.

Almost 3,500 council-maintained road bridges in Great Britain are substandard. Analysis of data for the 2016-17 financial year - received from 204 of the 207 local highway authorities in England, Scotland and Wales - found that 3,441 structures over 1.5m in span are not fit to carry the heaviest vehicles now seen on our roads, including lorries of up to 44 tonnes.

The Department for Transport has dropped plans to increase the period before a car is subject to its first MOT test from three years to four.

More than 1.4 million drivers attended offender retraining courses in 2017. This was the highest number on record and almost a million more than attended in 2010, the first year courses were offered.

The use of electric vehicle charge points in Scotland has increased by 43% in a year. Charge points across the country were used 37,433 times during August 2017, compared with 26,119 times in the s

The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid has held its lead over the pure battery-electric Nissan Leaf to remain the most common ultra-low carbon car on the UK's roads. Analysis by the RAC Foundation

English councils made a record £819 million from their parking operations in the last financial year. The figure for 2016-17 is 10% higher than the £744 million made in the previous

The RAC Foundation has welcomed the Chancellor’s decision not to penalise all diesel drivers to help pay to reduce air pollution.

The DVLA sold 1,429,703 vehicle-keeper records to the private parking firms in the second quarter of 2017-18. This was 1,177% - or almost 13 times – higher than the 111,944 records sold a decade earlier in the second quarter of 2007-8.

New analysis has revealed large differences between the 43 police forces of England and Wales in the way they enforce speed limits and dispose of speeding cases. The work - by Dr Adam Snow of Liver

Research for the RAC Foundation has added weight to the argument that scrapping the oldest cars owned by people living in towns and cities would have a negligible effect on air quality. Unique analysi

The Association of Optometrists (AoP) says that one in three of its members see patients who continue to drive with vision below the legal standard. Also, a survey for the association suggests almost

Local authorities in Wales made a combined surplus – or ‘profit’ - of £14 million on their parking activities in the last financial year. The figure for 2016-17 was 1.4%

Up to twelve million driving licence holders receive a penalty notice each year, the equivalent of one every 2.5 seconds. This means as many as a third (30%) of Britain’s 40 million drivers now

Plans to extend the need for car insurance to owners of vehicles which only operate on private land risk increasing insurance premiums for all drivers, says the RAC Foundation. In 2014 the European

Plans to extend the need for car insurance to owners of vehicles which only operate on private land risk increasing insurance premiums for all drivers, says the RAC Foundation. In 2014 the European

Highways England has adjusted the scheduling of 32 of its major road schemes "to minimise congestion".

Fifty of the UK’s highest-risk local authority A-roads are on track to becoming safer, thanks to the work of the Road Safety Foundation, supported by the RAC Foundation and the Department for

Half (50%) of Britons are concerned about future driver-assistance technologies taking too much control away from the driver. This compares with just one in five (20%) who are unconcerned.

The number of people killed on Britain's roads reached a five-year high last year, new figures show. Some 1,792 deaths were recorded in road traffic accidents in 2016, up 4% on the previous year, the most since 2011.

Potential purchasers of electric cars tempted by the benefits of quickly-improving battery capacity might still hesitate if the public charge point network doesn’t keep pace with changing

The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid has extended its lead over the pure battery-electric Nissan Leaf to remain the most common ultra-low carbon car on the UK's roads. Analysis by the RAC

All newly-launched cars in the EU will face tough new emission tests from 1 September. Manufacturers will have to submit their upcoming models to an on-the-road test as well as one carried out in the

Platoons of lorries under the control of the lead truck are soon to be trialled on UK roads. The Department for Transport has committed £8.1 million of public funding to platooning tests which

Ford is offering drivers at least £2,000 to scrap their old car or van and buy a new vehicle from the company. The offer extends to owners of any make but only applies to pre-Euro 5 models. 

Motorways could be covered with canopies to contain air pollution and stop it spilling into neighbouring areas. The proposal is contained in the Highways England (HE) air quality strategy. 

The cost of learning rather than a lack of interest is the most common reason young people in England do not drive. Data from the 2016 National Travel Survey shows that almost half (44%) of those

The fact that the Government's air quality strategy still puts local authorities in the driving seat for imposing restrictions means the nation’s almost-12 million diesel owners remain in the

A Conservative MP has tabled a bill to crack down on the private parking industry as latest figures from the DVLA show a 64% surge in the number of vehicle keeper records being shared with firms. Sir

An entry backed by the RAC Foundation has won the 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize. Gergely Raccuja receives £250,000 for his idea that a per-mile charge collected by insurers replaces fuel duty and VED.

Personal injury pay outs seventeen times higher than in some other European countries are forcing up the cost of insurance for drivers, particularly young ones. Meeting the long-term care costs of

The RAC Foundation has welcomed government plans to double the strategic road network to around 8,000 miles to create a new Major Road Network which will include many routes which are under the

The RAC Foundation has welcomed the government's announcement on how £6.1 billion of already-promised road funding will be spent.

Six priorities for keeping the country moving

Fewer than one in twenty-five vans on UK roads are delivering packages to shoppers and businesses. Online retailing has helped limit total traffic growth by keeping shoppers at home.

The government's latest plans to improve air quality threaten to create a mosaic of confusion for drivers as different rules, regulations and restrictions operate in different areas.

Private parking companies obtained 4.7 million sets of vehicle-keeper records from the DVLA in the last financial year, more than ever before. Official data shows the figure for 2016/17 was just over

The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid remains the most common ultra-low carbon car on the road. Analysis by the RAC Foundation of the latest DVLA data shows there were 25,447 Outlanders on the road

The government has confirmed the route for a new Lower Thames Crossing to alleviate congestion at Dartford and add extra capacity in the face of projected traffic growth. The twin-tunnel scheme will

The cost of maintaining and upgrading UK roads could rise by billions of pounds if self-driving and connected cars are to be safe and reliable. Experience from the aviation and rail sectors suggests

Local authorities in Scotland made a £40.3 million surplus or ‘profit’ from their parking activities in 2015-16. This is 12% higher than in the 2014-15 financial year when £36.1 million was reported.

Highways England needs to take decisive action if the best value is to be obtained from the current Road Investment Strategy, concludes the National Audit Office. The NAO says that the RIS

The government is being urged to look beyond cars to reap the most benefits from the future introduction of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV). A report by the House of Lords Science and

More than 3,000 council-maintained road bridges in Great Britain are substandard. Analysis of data received from 199 of the 207 local highway authorities in England, Scotland and Wales found that

A diesel scrappage scheme aimed at taking the most polluting cars off the road is likely to be costly and ineffective.

New figures reveal that the poorest car-owning households in the UK remain deep in transport poverty. Official data analysed by the RAC Foundation suggests that around 960,000 of the very poorest car

Local authorities will be required to consult more widely before putting up their parking charges if a bill currently before parliament becomes law.

Dedicated roads police units have shrunk in all but seven forces, new figures show. The number of specialist roads officers was slashed by almost three-quarters in some parts of England and Wales

A leading member of the Police Federation of England and Wales has suggested that motorists who use their mobiles illegally at the wheel should have them confiscated.

Diesel has reached its most expensive price in more than two years. On Friday UK motorists were paying an average of 122.1 pence per litre for diesel, which is the highest since December 2014, RAC

Local authorities in England and Wales are calling on central government to invest an extra £1 billion per year into local road maintenance. The Local Government Association (LGA) argues that

Traffic flow modelling or the Department for Transport suggests that congestion could get worse before it gets better after the introduction of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

The cost of filling up an average car has risen by around £10 over the past year, reflecting the increase in the pump price of both petrol and diesel.

Learner drivers could soon be taking to motorways under proposals outlined by the government. Ministers are consulting on plans to allow those learning to drive to have lessons on motorways with

The surplus produced from council parking operations in England has reached a record high of more than three quarters of a billion pounds. In the 2015-16 financial year the 353 local authorities in

More than 7 in 10 (71%) British adults aged 16-75 say they have shopped online within the last three months. The average UK household now places around 2.5 online orders per month – the

£175 million to be spent on improving up to 50 of England's most dangerous routes.

The RAC Foundation welcomes the Chancellor's announcement in the Autumn Statement that he will freeze fuel duty for the seventh successive year.

Local authorities in Wales made a combined surplus – or ‘profit’ - of £13.8 million on their parking activities in the last financial year. The figure for 2015-16 was a 14%

Electric vehicle charge point use in Scotland has doubled in a year. In August 2016 charge points were used 26,119 times, compared with 12,939 times in the same month a year earlier. 

The government has announced that it will double the penalties for drivers who use a handheld mobile at the wheel and also deny first-time offenders the chance of undertaking a remedial course.

Responding to the jailing of lorry driver Tomasz Kroker for causing death by dangerous driving on the A34 after scrolling through music on his mobile phone, Steve Gooding, director of the RAC

Drivers made at least 31,483 claims against councils for vehicle damage caused by poor road conditions in the last financial year. This equates to a claim being submitted every seventeen minutes in 2015/16.

A coalition of road safety charities, emergency services and health groups  - including the RAC Foundation - have today made fresh calls for MPs to reduce the drink driving limit in England and Wales.

The use of average speed cameras has been found, on average, to cut the number of crashes resulting in death or serious injury by more than a third. Research for the RAC Foundation by Road Safety

The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid continues to dominate the ultra-low carbon car and van league table with 21,708 of the vehicles licensed in the UK at the end of Q2 2016. The Outlander makes

A record number of drivers are being penalised after parking on private land. Official figures reveal that in the first quarter of the financial year 2016/17, 1.07 million vehicle keeper records were

With two-thirds (66%) of the UK population now owning a smartphone the time could have arrived for a drive-safe mode for mobiles.

Despite the slump in the value of the pound against the euro, the hundreds of thousands of diesel car owners driving to Europe for the school holidays might still be better off filling up on the

The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid has extended its lead over the Nissan Leaf as the most popular ultra-low carbon car or van on the road.

More than 250 miles of roads in Great Britain are now being regularly monitored by average speed cameras.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed the publication of the Motoring Services Strategy which promises to consult on letting learner drivers go on motorways if accompanied by an approved instructor. 

Almost one in six jobs requires the applicant to be able to drive. The RAC Foundation has analysed a snapshot of the government’s employment database and found that of the 847,000 vacancies

The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid and the pure battery-electric Nissan Leaf account for well over half (57%) of all ultra-green vehicles on the road.

A scrappage scheme aimed at removing the dirtiest diesel cars from the roads would have to be on a huge scale to have any significant effect.

Local authorities in Scotland made a £36.1 million surplus or ‘profit’ from their parking activities in 2014/15. This is 6% higher than in the previous financial year when £34 million was reported.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has suggested that fuel duty may "never rise again". Accordig to media reports it argues that if the Chancellor is not prepared to increase the rate of duty

In Budget 2016 the Chancellor announced that fuel duty would remain frozen for the next year. It has now been at 57.95p per litre for both petrol and diesel since March 2011.

Three quarters (74%) of what drivers pay for diesel at the pumps now ends up with the Chancellor. It has hovered around this level since the start of the year having previously not been so high since

Drivers have only one weekend left to get a £5,000 discount on an ultra-green car. From 1 March 2016 the maximum subsidy available to purchasers of the greenest cars will be cut from

Seventy service stations on England’s motorway network now have electric vehicle charge points. This equates to 72% of the 97 total. Of the 165 individual charge points, 92% are rapid, allowing

Traffic on Britain's roads reached a record level in 2015 with Department for Transport provisional statistics showing that last year 317.8 billion vehicle miles were travelled.

Ministers have left the door ajar for cutting the drink-drive limit in England and Wales if a similar move in Scotland proves successful. In December 2014 the limit north of the border was reduced

Motorway closed for ten hours after scheduled works to remove a gantry overrun. 

Members of the European Parliament have decided not to veto measures which are intended to cut down real-world driving emissions.

The government has announced plans to fine utility companies and councils up to £5,000 for phantom road works where there are restrictions are in place but no work is going on or has in

Drivers of plug-in electric cars are to be able to use bus lanes in Milton Keynes, Nottinghamshire and Derby as part of a £40 million government initiative to increase the uptake of electric vehicles.

Asda and Tesco cut the price of diesel by 2p per litre to below that of petrol.

Three in five drivers would be happy to use a ‘vehicle safe mode’ on their mobile phones and other electronic devices they bring into their car in order to avoid being distracted.

English councils have made another record surplus from their parking activities, hitting almost £700 million.

Almost 4,600 miles of British roads have no 2G mobile phone coverage from any network provider meaning drivers couldn’t call for help in the case of a breakdown, accident or emergency. The

The General Medical Council has reminded doctors that they "must inform the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland), if a patient continues to drive against medical advice and fails to do this themselves."

Capital spending on local roads in England is at its lowest level for well over a decade. In the last two financial years £1.8 billion has been spent annually on capital works which include

Almost 2,400 council-maintained road bridges in Great Britain are sub-standard. Data collected and analysed by the RAC Foundation found that some 2,375 structures over 1.5m in span are not fit to

All speed cameras on England's motorways and major A roads will be painted yellow by the end of October 2016.

Young drivers could soon get cashback if they pass their practical tests first time. The move has been suggested by ministers as a way of making sure people only apply for their test when they are

Essex chip shop owner Barry Beavis has lost his case against ParkingEye over what he considered to be an "extravagent and unconscionable" parking charge. His case was heard in July at the Supreme

The British Parking Association (BPA) has ordered its members to introduce a 10-minute grace period before penalising motorists for overstaying their welcome in a private car park.

Almost 29,000 drivers made claims against councils across Great Britain for damage caused to their vehicles by potholes in the last financial year.

Commenting on the VW emissions scandal Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Even before this scandal there was plenty of debate about so-called dirty diesels with suggestions

New casualty reduction targets need to be introduced if the recent increase in people being hurt on the roads is not to be repeated. 

The Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid remains the most common ultra-green car on the road in the UK. However overall sales growth of the greenest vehicles slowed in the last quarter.

Diesel is being sold as twice as fast as petrol and the mismatch is set to accelerate. By 2030 it is forecast that diesel could be selling four times as fast.  This will leave the UK facing a

The RAC Foundation has welcomed the move by leading supermarkets to cut the price of petrol but believes there should be further reductions to come.

The number of lorries leaving the UK by crossing the Channel has reached an all-time high. The record volumes are putting more strain on roads in the South East of England and increasing the

Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's have all announced that they are cutting the price of diesel by 2p a litre.

Thousands of holidaymakers, hauliers and local residents have been caught in traffic jams in East Kent because of the latest introduction of Operation Stack on the M20.

Drivers heading to the continent for their summer holidays will see their fuel bills slashed as the strong pound keeps European pump prices down.

A landmark case is due to be heard in the UK’s highest court that could affect the rights of millions of drivers when they park on private land.

Diesel drivers could have paid as much as £250 million more than necessary at the pumps because retailers have not passed on plummeting wholesale prices.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed news that from 2020 proceeds from Vehicle Excise Duty will form the basis of a ring-fenced road fund to support investment in strategic roads.

A Scottish MSP has made specific proposals for the introduction of graduated licensing for young drivers in Scotland.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid is now the most common ultra-green car on the road in the UK, knocking the Nissan Leaf off the top spot.

One thousand seven hundred and seventy five people died in road accidents on British roads in 2014. This was a 4% increase on the previous year. Pedestrian casualties were up by 12% to 446.

The progress made in cutting death and injury on the roads has varied dramatically across the UK over the past five years. While the general trend has been downwards this has masked big national and

Local authorities in Scotland made a £33.6 million surplus or ‘profit’ from their parking activities in 2013/14, the last financial year for which data is available. This is just

In 2013 – the latest year for which figures are available - 234 teenage car passengers were killed or seriously injured when the young driver (17-19) they were travelling with was involved in a

Four years after the government launched a £5,000 grant scheme for buyers of the most eco-friendly cars the battery-powered Nissan Leaf is the number one green car on the road. Analysis of

The Supreme Court has ordered the UK government to come up with plans on how the UK will comply with EU limits on how much nitrogen dioxide there is in the air. The Court says the proposals must be

The RAC Foundation has expressed its frustration at a Court of Appeal decision that parking tickets on private land are not 'extravagant or unconscionable'. Barry Beavis who brought the case against

Outgoing RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister to join board of new Office of Rail and Road.

More than 120 years after the first cars took to the UK’s roads there is still no single independent body that has responsibility for investigating and learning from the collisions that take

In Budget 2015 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced fuel duty would remain frozen. George Osborne said: "Budget 2015 builds on the support provided by the government to motorists over this

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has promised to crack down on what he calls private parking 'sharks', according to press reports. The news comes just days after the Prime

Tackling the condition of roads and pavements is seen by British adults as the most important transport priority for the next government. More than half (53%) believe this should be the number one

Steve Gooding is to become the new director of the RAC Foundation. He will succeed Professor Stephen Glaister CBE who is retiring. Steve is expected to start in May 2015. Steve has been Director

A study by the DfT says that in 2014 "1.6% of all drivers in England and Scotland were observed using a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving." The 1.6% figure for England was slightly higher than

Almost half of Scotland’s electric vehicle charging units are going unused from month to month, official data suggests.

Drivers heading to the continent for the half term will see their fuel bills slashed as a plunging Euro and low oil prices combine to give low pump prices.

The government has given the go-ahead for the testing of driverless cars on public roads. Three consortiums will carry out tests of various technologies and vehicles in four locations across the UK:

Almost 50,000 drivers made claims against councils across Great Britain for damage caused to their vehicles by potholes in the last financial year. The 200 (out of a total of 207) local highways

Many or London’s electric car charging units are going unused from month to month, official data suggests. Figures for June 2014 show that of the 905 units across the capital, only 324 were

The decline in fuel prices has played a big part in reducing inflation. Six months ago it was costing around about £65 to fill up an average family car with petrol. Today it is about

Seventy percent of the price of unleaded petrol now goes to the chancellor in tax. This is the highest proportion for almost six years.

Twenty-first century car use in Wales is more in keeping with historical experience than the rest of Great Britain according to a new report published today. The study finds that, in Wales, driving

In 2013-14 councils in England generated a combined ‘profit’ of £667 million from their day to day, on and off street parking operations. 

The government has announced where much of the £15 billion road investment planned for the next parliament will be spent. 84 new schemes have been outlined.

Within twenty years there could be another seven million drivers in the UK. This means that if current trends persist, the total will leap from about 36 million to 43 million.

As part of efforts to reduce traffic at one of the most congested parts of the motorway network, the toll booths at the Dartford crossings will be removed with drivers to pay online or by phone.

Road users are now paying four times more money to the Chancellor in motoring taxation than is being spent by the government on the roads. A report for the RAC Foundation shows that in 2012,

The tumbling price of a barrel of Brent crude oil has raised the prospect of the fuel duty escalator being reintroduced. 

The dirtiest diesels will have to pay £12.50 to enter central London under plans unveiled by Transport for London.

Almost 1.4 million new cars registered in Great Britain in 2013 were exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) in their first year on the road.

Responding to media reports that the Secretary of State for Transport is considering increasing from three to six the number of points a driver might get if caught using a hand-held mobile at the

A significant majority of the British public back measures to cut death and injury on the roads through limited restriction on newly qualified young drivers. An Ipsos MORI survey for the RAC

Whether or not England finally manage a win when they play Costa Rica, fans watching the game in pubs and clubs are being urged to back the unsung heroes of the World Cup – the million plus

The government has said the maximum fine a magistrates' court can impose for speeding on the motorway will be raised from £2,500 to £10,000. There are also big incresaes for fines

Ministers should consider introducing a new scrappage scheme aimed at taking the oldest and most polluting diesel cars off the road, argues the RAC Foundation. Over the past two decades consumers

Between them the 22 parking authorities in Wales made a surplus (‘profit’) of £8.7 million in 2012/13. Cardiff had the biggest surplus at £2.6 million.

The number of vans on Britain’s roads has been rising more than 2.5 times quicker than cars. Between 2002 and 2012, the number of vans increased by 29% to 3.3 million.

The Chancellor has confirmed that fuel duty will remain frozen for the remainder of this parliament. He made the announcement in his speech at Budget 2014 with full details outlined in the budget document.

In 2012, the average UK household – car owning and non-car owning – spent £64.10 per week on buying and running a car (out of a total of £489). After many years of being the

Pump prices in the UK still routinely contain the largest proportion of tax in the EU.

The Transport Safety Commission – a newly-formed body with 16 members drawn from the UK Parliament and from the air, rail and road safety professions and related sectors – is calling for

New figures reveal the least well off families in the UK have slipped further into transport poverty.

English councils have made another record surplus from their parking activities.

A record number of people are now reliant on a car or van to go to work with dependence high even in urban areas.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed the publication by the Transport Select Committee of the results of its inquiry into local authority parking enforcement.

The RAC Foundation has broadly welcomed moves by the government to reduce insurance costs by blocking false claims for whiplash injuries.

The Department for Transport has published a report it commissioned from the Transport Research Laboratory to investigate the potential benefits of graduated licensing for young drivers.

Figures analysed by the RAC Foundation show that between them local authorities in Scotland made an annual net surplus of £29 million from their parking activities.

The Chancellor George Osborne has told the Conservative Party conference that he hopes to freeze fuel duty until May 2015 if the money is available.

The number of older people with driving licences has exceeded the four million mark.

The Highways Agency has announced an 'informal consultation' on the next stage of upgrading the A14 in Cambridgeshire between Cambridge itself and Huntingdon.

Figures analysed by the RAC Foundation show the vast majority of local authorities in England generate a surplus from their parking activities.

Barnet Council in London acted unlawfully when it increased the cost of residents' parking permits to raise revenue.

Placing conditions on the licences of young drivers could reduce fatal accidents amongst this group by more than a half.

The RAC Foundation has warmly welcomed the publication of the report by the Mayor of London’s Roads Task Force and supports the bulk of its recommendations.

Responding to the Comprehensive Spending Review, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:

On the eve of the comprehensive spending review the latest RAC Foundation audit of English road building shows that progress has been made by government in improving capacity.

Only one in 16 people believe government would spend the money raised from a new system of motorway charging on the motorway network itself.

The RAC Foundation has given oral evidence to the Transport Select Committee as part of its inquiry into local authority parking enforcement.

Analysis of data for 551 fixed speed cameras in 9 areas shows that on average the number of fatal and serious collisions in their vicinity fell by more than a quarter (27%) after their installation.

The former chairman of Ford of Britain has been appointed to lead the RAC Foundation.

A combination of more frequent and more extreme weather events will mean drivers having to change their habits and expectations.

Sales of electric cars are set to fall far short of official expectations.

The 35 million drivers in the UK are increasingly at the mercy of international traders and global events as North Sea oil reserves shrink.

Previously unpublished data from the annual Labour Force Survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics shows that in 2011 an estimated 73,000 people were seriously or slightly hurt in

The Chancellor has announced that a planned 1.89p cost of living increase in the rate of fuel duty per litre has been scrapped.

The current rate of duty is 57.95p per litre of petrol and diesel. It has been at this level since March 2011.

The poorest ten per cent of car-owning households in the UK are mired in transport poverty and are spending at least 27% of their disposable income on buying and running a vehicle.

Each year hundreds of thousands of drivers could be making the wrong decision about their ability to drive because they lack the tools or advice to adequately assess their skills behind the wheel.

The Office of Fair Trading says the rises in petrol and diesel prices over the past ten years are largely caused by increases in taxation and oil prices and not a lack of competition.

The recent bleak winter weather is likely to have reduced the number of people being killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads.

The Department for Transport has issued new guidance on the setting of speed limits.

The number of households with four or more cars has soared by 51 per cent to nearly half a million over the past decade.

The Government has announced an extra £1 billion of investment in road schemes as part of the Autumn Statement.

The Chancellor has announced that the 3p (+VAT) rise in fuel duty planned for January has been cancelled with the next scheduled rise now due in September 2013.

The largest single area of household expenditure in Britain is Transport.

At least two and a half million more women have driving licences in Great Britain today than 15 years ago.

Analysis by the RAC Foundation shows that 87% of car-owning households in the UK are located within 5 miles of a supermarket petrol station.

The roads minister will be part of the RAC Foundation team aiming to win its class in the RAC Future Car Challenge on Saturday 3rd November.

Transport for London has launched the second phase of its consultation on building two new river crossings including the Silvertown Tunnel.

Government officials are considering introducing a two-tier system of road tax, according to the media.

After more than two decades of misery for drivers the Government has banned the use of clamps on private land in most cases.

Commenting on the news that the Office of Fair Trading is calling for evidence on the petrol and diesel market, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:

The number of drivers breaking the 30 mph speed limit has dropped by a third in twelve years.

The Department for Transport makes Average Annual Daily Flow (AADF) calculations based on traffic counts on key routes.

Figures analysed by the RAC Foundation show the majority of local authorities in England generate a surplus from their parking activities.

The RAC Foundation has broadly welcomed the DfT's decision to take forward the A14 enhancement scheme while considering alternative ways to fund it.

Commenting on the call made by the Transport Select Committee for the need for Government to show more leadership on the issue of road safety, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC

The rise in the number of vehicles and the shortage of parking spaces means millions of front gardens have been paved over to make room for cars.

Two years after the Government announced major cuts in road safety funding, figures suggest fixed speed cameras continue to be used in most areas of England.

The success of the Boris bike scheme in London could pave the way across the UK for one-way car clubs based on the same idea.

After a decline every year since 2003 the number people killed on Britain's roads increased in 2011 to 1,901. This compares to the 1,850 people who died the year before.

The Chancellor has announced in the House of Commons that he is scrapping the 3p rise in fuel duty scheduled for 1 August. It will now take place in January 2013.

During her sixty year reign the Queen has presided over a motoring revolution.

Working from home could become a necessity not a choice says Work Wise UK.

Future Chancellors of the Exchequer will need to fill the hole in the public finances caused by a relentless decline in the amount of revenue collected from fuel duty and VED.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed news that the £109 million Kinskerswell Bypass in Devon has been given the go ahead.

Despite soaring fuel prices at home, UK drivers are in for an even bigger shock as they head to the Continent over the Easter break.

Nottingham has finally introduced a workplace parking levy nearly two and a half years after the City Council gave it the go-ahead.

The 2012 LowCVP Annual Conference, sponsored by Michelin, will take place at ExCel, London Docklands on Thursday 10 May alongside the EcoVelocity low carbon motor show which will run at ExCel from 10-13 May.

The Chancellor has confirmed the 3p rise in fuel duty planned for August 2012.

Commenting on David Cameron's speech that the Government is thinking of having more private sector involvement in the running and funding of the road network, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of

An estimated four fifths of the UK’s 26 million households are in what could be described as ‘transport poverty’.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed news that the Government is not to reduce the frequency of MOT testing in light of the high number of defects being missed by garages.

The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to increase the level of speeding fines to help pay for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

The RAC Foundation has given a cautious welcome to the proposed introduction of lorry road user charging announced today by the Government.

The RAC Foundation has expressed its concern that the Government is planning to go ahead with the HS2 link between London and Birmingham.

Despite three years of economic downturn the number of cars in Great Britain stands at a record level.

Only a fifth (19%) of Great Britain's 28 million cars are put away in a garage each night.

The members of a Government sponsored review into the problem of potholes on local authority roads have published their interim report.

The National Audit Office has raised concerns on just how much knowledge the Department for Transport has on the benefits to be had from spending on the railways.

Designated drivers will be rewarded in more than 8,000 pubs and student union bars across the country as part of the THINK! Christmas drink drive campaign, launched today by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning.

The RAC Foundation has received Royal recognition for its range of road safety research work.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in which he said he would scrap the proposed rise in the fuel duty due on 1st January 2012 and bring forward a large-scale

There will be at least four million more cars on the UK’s roads in the next twenty-five years as the population grows by more than ten million.

Almost one hundred high-value road schemes that could be implemented relatively quickly and contribute to the growth agenda are sitting on the shelf waiting for funds.

Only a third of councils surveyed by the RAC Foundation say they have installed public charging points for electric vehicles, and the promotion of green vehicles varies significantly between local

The RAC Foundation has responded with concern after new figures from the Department for Transport show more people are dying on the roads, though the number of overall casualties has fallen.

There is just over a week to go before presenter of Channel 4’s Grand Designs drives the official RAC Foundation entry in this year’s RAC Future Car Challenge.

The RAC Foundation has broadly welcomed the publication of the Government's Signing the Way Review which sets out a "policy framework for ensuring that the traffic sign system in Great Britain meets

The RAC Foundation has reacted cautiously to the Goverment announcement that it is to consult on raising the speed limit on motorways from 70 to 80 miles per hour.

The presenter of Channel 4’s Grand Designs will drive the official RAC Foundation entry in this year’s RAC Future Car Challenge.

The RAC Foundation and Campaign for Better Transport have joined forces to express serious concerns about transport aspects of the Government’s new planning proposals.

The CBI has called for Government to allow the private sector to fund and build new toll roads.

The LowCVP is calling for nominations for the second Low Carbon Champions Awards which will be presented at a gala reception to take place on November 14 at One Birdcage Walk, Westminster.

Drivers of cars using unleaded petrol are in for a shock when they fill up in some of the most popular holiday destinations on the continent.

Just 215 electric cars were bought under a Government scheme to encourage the take-up of green vehicles in its second three months of operation.

The RAC Foundation has joined four former road safety ministers and several road safety organisations warning government not to lack ambition in its efforts to reduce future deaths on the roads.

The RAC Foundation has broadly welcomed the Government's latest announcement on how it will promote a charging infrastructure for plug-in electric cars though it has warned that the favoured option

The Government has lanched a public consultation over its plans to increase the tolls on the Dartford Crossings from £1.50 for a car to £2.50 by early 2012.

Provisional figures released by the Department for Transport show that 1,857 people died on the roads in 2010, a 16% fall on the previous year and the lowest amount since records began in 1926.

Swindon is set to trial smart traffic lights which turn to red if approaching drivers are breaking the speed limit.

Drivers of low-carbon cars could face massive increases in their fuel bills if the Treasury is not to face shortfalls in the amount of tax it gets from drivers.

Road accidents eclipse stabbings, shootings, suicide by hanging and substance abuse combined as the biggest killer of the young, other than illness.

Six thousand lives could be saved on Britain’s roads over the next ten years if just a fraction of the money currently spent on road maintenance was used more effectively.

Four out of five motorists support the introduction of compulsory eye tests for drivers each decade.

Commenting on the 2011 Budget, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation said:

The Government has ignored the recommendations of the North Review and decided not to reduce the drink-drive limit from 80mg per 100ml of blood to 50mg.

The cost of petrol and diesel is now seen by the public as the most serious transport challenge the Government must address.

Britain should be braced for a possible increase in the number of road deaths because of cuts to the road safety budget and traffic growth caused by economic recovery.

Commenting on the launch of the Government’s consultation on a new high speed rail link between London and Birmingham, and beyond, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation said:

Ever think you are spending more time sitting at the lights? Well you probably are, because the number of sets of traffic lights in Britain jumped by some 30 per cent between 2000 and 2008.

A proposed new law aimed at banishing cowboy clampers could simply allow them to move on to other methods of enforcement unchecked.

A ‘whole of life’ approach is necessary to ensure people of all ages regularly self-assess their fitness to drive.

Government grants alone will not create the green revolution ministers want to see in the car market.

The Prime Minister has again said the Treasury is looking at how it might implement a fuel duty stabiliser to help motorists avoid the pain of record petrol and diesel prices.

The 0.76p increase in fuel duty - combined with the rise in VAT to 20% - will hit drivers hard.

High speed rail will suck money from both road and public transport schemes only to create a service which will be predominantly the preserve of the rich.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed the news that at least nine cars will soon be available to those buyers taking advantage of the government’s ultra-low carbon car grant scheme which begins in

On the eve of the Daylight Savings Bill debate in parliament on a three-year trial to put forward the clocks in the UK, the RAC Foundation has backed the Lighter Later campaign.

Eight hundred more people could be killed or seriously injured each year on Britain’s roads if all the fixed and mobile speed cameras operational before the road safety grant was cut this

Attempts to cut carbon emissions from cars are unlikely to be thwarted by a lack of technical innovation, but could be hampered by the cost of the product.

The Winer Resilience Review - led by David Quarmby, chairman of the RAC Foundation - has published its final report to coincide with the Government's release of a new 'Snow Code' for householders.

Commenting on the impact of the CSR on London, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation said:

Commenting on the Comprehensive Spending Review, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:

A former high ranking civil servant claims road user charging is the biggest unresolved issue facing transport and the coalition government must put policy above politics.

On Saturday 9 October, five cars and crews took part in a trial run of the Royal Automobile Club's new RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge, which will take place on Saturday 6 November.

On the same day singer George Michael is jailed for crashing his car whilst under the influence of cannabis the RAC Foundation has given evidence on drink and drug driving to a televised session of

The motoring research charity the RAC Foundation has become a sponsor of the Royal Automobile Club's new Brighton to London Future Car Challenge taking place in November.

A fundamental re-assessment of how road safety education is implemented and evaluated is needed to make sure schemes are delivering real benefits in terms of lives saved and money spent.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed Government plans finally to take action on clamping on private property.

Cash-strapped councils are being tempted to break the law by setting parking charges to raise money to run other services.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed the Government’s intention to install ‘drugalysers’ at all police stations by 2012 to avoid the need for blood tests to collect evidence for possible

All 72 fixed speed cameras in Oxfordshire could be switched off within days.

THE most innovative solutions to greener transport across a range of sectors were honoured at a new awards ceremony.

The RAC Foundation is pleased to announce that it will be exhibiting at the LowCVP's 2010 Annual Conference held at Twickenham Stadium.

A fundamental shift in the way England’s roads are managed and paid for is essential if the country is to avoid traffic gridlock in the coming decades.

Fuel prices are still set to rise significantly even though the Chancellor has not announced any increases in duty in the budget.

Road Safety Partnerships are facing a ‘catastrophic’ future as funding cuts bite. This is the warning from an expert involved in saving lives on the highways.

A government-commissioned review of the drink-driving law has concluded that the blood-alcohol limit should be reduced.

Drivers wrongly targeted by clampers on private land might have to wait at least another two years for an independent appeals service.

The Department for Transport has given more details of the £309 million worth of cuts being made to local authority grants in the coming months.

The Mayor of London has announced the charge for the central congestion charge zone is to rise by 25% - from £8 to £10.

An official looking sign has foxed motorists using a country road between Wheatley and Waterperry in Oxfordshire, but you won’t find mention of it in the drivers’ bible.

The RAC Foundation is backing a green travel challenge launched by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership and Energy Saving Trust.

The RAC Foundation has received the prestigious Herbert Crow Memorial Award in recognition of its 2009 report The Car in British Society.

For all the political and media debate about national insurance, it is the level of fuel duty payable at the pumps which is seen by the public as the more important tax issue at the election.

The 3.7 million drivers born before the War are amongst the safest people on our roads, and forcing them to take compulsory retests will limit their mobility, be hard to police and do little to

The state of the roads is the single largest transport issue concerning voters ahead of the general and local elections on 6th May.

Commenting on the Liberal Democrats rail expansion plans, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:

A full-scale review of the amount of time roads are closed after serious accidents is urgently needed.

David Quarmby CBE, the chairman of the RAC Foundation, has been appointed by Lord Adonis to lead an independent review into the impact of the extreme weather of last winter on transport.

Commenting on the Transport Select Committee’s report on the major road network, Professor Stephen, director of the RAC Foundation said:

Commenting on the announcement in the budget that the planned increase in fuel duty would be staggered, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:

Commenting on the fuel duty rise planned for 1st April, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:

A new high speed rail line costing taxpayers tens of billions of pounds will do nothing to improve the daily journeys of the vast majority of the country’s travelling public.

The Conservatives have turned down an opportunity to see the official, independent, report into a new north-south high speed rail link.

A new high speed rail line will cost the taxpayer billions of pounds, but benefit only a relatively small group of wealthy travellers.

As the UK braces itself for the return of wintery weather, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that whilst councils are replenishing salt stocks as fast as possible everyone would need

There has been a big rise in the number of motorists in England using hand-held mobile phones behind the wheel – despite research which shows such behaviour severely impairs reactions times.

The RAC Foundation has welcomed news that Glasgow City Council is trebling its roads spending because of the pothole damage caused by the cold weather.

After a concerted campaign by the RAC Foundation, the Government has finally agreed to introduce legislation which will give motorists clamped on private land access to an independent appeals service.

Dear Sir/Madam, If parking charges should not primarily be used to raise revenue, then what excuse might Westminster Council have for their proposed extension of parking restrictions?

Transport for London has announced that a 7.5 mile stretch of the A13 is to be covered by average speed cameras - though at the same time the speed limit will actually rise from 40 mph to 50 mph.

Commenting on the Government's proposals to introduce a £15 victims’ levy on fixed penalty notices, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:

The Government’s delay in publishing the long awaited report on a new north-south high speed rail link will undermine public debate on transport in the run up to a general election.

Commenting on the removal of speed cameras in Swindon and figures on casualty rates at former camera sites, Professor Stephen Glaister said:

The number of people holding wheel clamping licences has actually increased since the Government consulted on ways to control the industry earlier this year.

Commenting on the Chancellor’s pre-budget report, the director of the RAC Foundation Professor Stephen Glaister said:

The Taxpayers’ Alliance has today (25) published research detailing the income from parking enforcement collected by all UK councils.

A new high speed rail line in the UK may produce, at best, only very modest environmental benefits, despite the supposed green credentials often cited by politicians.

The Mayor of London is in danger of becoming pre-occupied with minority-focused transport schemes, and high-cost initiatives rather than concentrating on the fundamental travel problems faced by

Half of the lowest income households* now own a car and have to spend 17p of every pound earned on motoring.

Over half of all motorists would rather take the chance of being stuck in a traffic jam than get on public transport.

Commenting on the publication of the Transport Select Committee report, Taxes and Charges on Road Users, the director of the RAC Foundation Professor Stephen Glaister said:

David Quarmby CBE has been appointed as the new chairman of the Royal Automobile Club Foundation, the motoring charity.

Clamping companies are acting illegally by imposing an exorbitant charge for releasing cars that have been clamped or towed away.

Commenting on the news that National Express has handed back its East Coast rail franchise, transport economist and director of the RAC Foundation, Professor Stephen Glaister, said:

Commenting on a European day of action to highlight the dangers of level crossings, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation said:

Commenting on the release of the latest road casualty figures by the Department for Transport, Professor Stephen Glaister, Director of the RAC Foundation, said:

Ignoring value for money evidence and promoting rail over road schemes puts the Government at risk of failing to meet all-important Treasury targets.

It carries a third of all road traffic. It is fundamental to the social and economic welfare of this country. And it has a length twice that of the railways.

Responding to the strike on London Underground, Philip Gomm a spokesman for the RAC Foundation said:

As many as a fifth of Britain's 34 million motorists are planning to buy an electric car within the next five years or would consider doing so.

At least 1.2 million British drivers have already had their cars clamped on private land and this weekend the toll is set to rise as unscrupulous operators take advantage of unwary motorists heading

In the last eleven years 337 people have died in UK air accidents. In the same period 114 have died in train accidents. And 53 people have been killed in UK territorial waters or on UK registered vessels.

Commenting on today's [Friday 1st May 2009] Which? Car motorway survey, Philip Gomm of the RAC Foundation said:

Commenting on the launch of the 14th Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) Survey* Philip Gomm, Head of External Communications at the RAC Foundation said:

Commenting on the increase in fuel duty the director of the RAC Foundation, Professor Stephen Glaister, said:

Forget about buses and trains. The car is the real form of public transport in this country.

With a busy Easter weekend predicted on the roads it is important for drivers to make sure the tyres on their cars are ready for the getaway.

The Royal Automobile Club Foundation has today welcomed the news that the Government at last looks set to tighten the regulations on 'cowboy clampers'.

This is how the Royal Automobile Club Foundation and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders are today describing the Government's approach to pricing carbon emissions in their joint report

Professor Stephen Glaister will speak on the subject of Investing in Transport Infrastructure in Challenging Economic Times on the 30th April 2009 at Bircham Dyson Bell, London

The RAC Foundation has warned the Department for Transport that focusing too closely on building new railways ignores the economic disadvantages of doing so, when compared to new road building.

The RAC Foundation is warning millions of motorists they could be facing combined fines of almost a billion pounds because they have failed to change their driving licence details after moving home.

First came the ice and snow. Then came the damage - gaping potholes and cracked road surfaces. Now comes the big question. Is there the money to repair them?

On the day Lord Ahmed has been jailed for dangerous driving, evidence that he sent and received text messages whilst travelling at speeds of up to 60mph on a motorway before being involved in a fatal

This Saturday, young couples all over the country will be going out for what should be the most romantic day of the year - St. Valentine's Day.

Over a quarter of all fatalities on our roads happen when a motorist has driven at speeds inappropriate for local conditions.

With every political party now presenting new policy ideas by the day, lessons should be learnt from the successes and failures of past transport manifestos, according to the Royal Automobile Club

Road users deserve a new deal and urgently, according to Professor Stephen Glaister, Director of the Royal Automobile Club Foundation speaking today at the conference ‘Driving Forward Our

Many motorists will have been glad to see an end to sub-zero temperatures this week but the Royal Automobile Club Foundation is today (13) urging motorists not to become complacent about winter driving.

Top to toe in tailbacks. An all too familiar sight for drivers over the Christmas break, as they try to call by on friends and family across the country to share the festive cheer.

Petrol prices have a significant impact on the transport choices of low earners and are becoming much more important for social policy according to Professor Stephen Glaister, Director of the Royal

Our national motorway and trunk road network is a vital part of our economy and has a far reaching impact on all our lives.

The Chancellor’s plans to promote hard shoulder running is not an adequate answer to managing future growth in road traffic, according to the Royal Automobile Club Foundation, who are today (5)

On the fifth anniversary of the introduction of law making the use of hand-held mobile phones whilst driving illegal, the RAC Foundation is urging drivers to switch off their phones whilst driving

Car use reduction polices could have unforeseen economic and social consequences according to Elizabeth Dainton, Research Development Manager for the Royal Automobile Club Foundation, speaking today

All road users can support this year's National Anti-Bullying week (17 - 21 November) by brushing up on their knowledge of the rules of the road.

Road building myths and misconceptions do not stand up to close scrutiny according to the Royal Automobile Club Foundation which is today publishing 'Myths and exaggerations about roads and road

According to the RAC Foundation, a dangerous concoction of darker evenings and 'trick or treaters' running around in black cloaks and witches hats could spell out a nightmare for drivers and

A billion pounds of public transport fare cuts would reduce car travel by less than half a percent, according to the Royal Automobile Club Foundation’s latest research paper, ‘Public

A scheme to encourage the scrapping of old cars to increase the rate at which motorists trade them for newer, more fuel-efficient models, could achieve environmental benefits according to new

5th December 2008 is the 50th Anniversary of the opening of Britain’s first motorway, the Preston By-Pass, now part of the M6 in Lancashire.

Over two thirds of accidents and almost half of all road deaths occur in our towns and cities*, according to the RAC Foundation, who are today highlighting the dangers of texting whilst driving in

50 per cent of retired people between the ages of 65 and 74 volunteer* services including befriending, home visiting, and escorting patients to and from hospital.

Welsh trunk roads should be retained as roads for movement according to Elizabeth Dainton, Research Development Manager from the Royal Automobile Club Foundation speaking at the Wales Road Safety

Welcoming the news that 229 fewer people were killed on the UK's roads in 2007 than in 2006, bringing the total number of fatalities below 3,000 for the first time ever, the RAC Foundation’s

Texting behind the wheel impairs driving skills more than being drunk or high, according to new research carried out by TRL for the Royal Automobile Club Foundation, published today (18).

Car use is an important contributor to wellbeing in old age which should be recognised and planned for according to Elizabeth Dainton, Research Development Manager for the Royal Automobile Club

High fuel prices, the credit crunch and the economic slowdown have given motorists a break from congestion, with jams down 12 per cent on 2007, according to Trafficmaster and the RAC Foundation.

Seventeen million motorists* are taking a 'tread-bare' approach to vehicle maintenance, according to the RAC Foundation, who are today (15) emphasising the dangers of tired tread and wrongly inflated

Greening the fleet is vital if motoring is to meet the environmental challenges ahead, but there are other and better ways to achieve this than the measures recommended by the Committee.

Up to three million UK motorists could be risking tyre problems this summer by not checking the age and condition of their tyres, according to the RAC Foundation today (31 July) at the launch of an

The Royal Automobile Club Foundation welcomes the findings of the A12 Inquiry, launched by Essex County Council in April, and calls on Government to restore the route to 'national' strategic road

The scrapping of the planned October 2p fuel duty rise provides light relief for the struggling motorists, but it does not go far enough, according to the RAC Foundation.

Owning a car improves people's quality of life by one-third, but authorities are not doing enough to plan for increased travel demand, according to the Royal Automobile Club Foundation's new report,

Treasury plans to raise over £2 billion from Britain's road users before 2011, will cost the road user four times more than would be saved by persuading the Chancellor to drop the 2p October

Describing these results as "a great achievement for everyone working towards safer roads" the RAC Foundation welcomed the news that 229 fewer people were killed on the UK's roads in 2007 than in 2006.

Travel remains a vital ingredient for business success despite pressures including congestion, soaring fuel prices and stricter health and safety responsibilities, according to Elizabeth Dainton,

Road transport myths need to be quashed if the UK is to build a solid and realistic foundation for roads policy according to Stephen Glaister, Director of the Royal Automobile Club Foundation,

More haste, less speed is needed when it comes to implementing 20mph zones, according to Elizabeth Dainton, Research Development Manager from the Royal Automobile Club Foundation speaking at a one

Motorists could save up to three quarters* of their rising fuel bills by taking or giving a ‘lift’ and ‘sharing’ the cost of their journey to work according to the Royal

Responding to today's announcement by Secretary of State Ruth Kelly that Manchester's Transport Innovation Fund bid has been approved by the Department for Transport, the Royal Automobile Club

Motorists can cut their fuel bills by almost ten pence in the pound this weekend if they adopt smarter driving habits, according to the Royal Automobile Club Foundation,* launching its tips for

Motorists are getting poor value for money from today’s ‘high tax – low investment’ economy, according to a new analysis released today by the Royal Automobile Club Foundation (30).

The Royal Automobile Club Foundation welcomes these proposed reforms, which strike a good balance between supporting young people in their learning and making the test more representative of

The appointment of leading transport expert Professor Stephen Glaister CBE as the new Director of the Royal Automobile Club Foundation has been announced today (25 April).

The news of the death of Miss Gwyneth Dunwoody MP has been met with great sadness at the Royal Automobile Club Foundation.

Urgent and decisive action is needed to bring a halt to the motoring misery caused by over-running road works, according to the RAC Foundation, as the 2008 ALARM survey reveals today (2) for the

Almost half of motorists admit that they become "hot crossed bunnies" behind the wheel, behaving differently towards other people then when not driving, according to new poll results published by the

The Royal Automobile Club Foundation has welcomed the decision to delay the 2p fuel duty increase as "the only bright spot in a budget that seemingly does nothing positive for the motorist."

The rising cost of fuel is squeezing UK household spending according to the RAC Foundation analysis of the 2007 Family Spending Survey, published today.

Sixteen centuries on and little improvement has been made to UK roads since Roman Times, according to a new RAC Foundation paper: ‘What Went Wrong? British Highway Development before the

The Royal Automobile Club Foundation has appointed Rodney Kumar to the position of Media Relations Manager, for a sixth month period effective 3 March.

New technologies will not solve Britain's transport problems unless the public have a desire to understand and buy-in to such systems, according to Elizabeth Dainton, Research Development Manager for

Hard Shoulder running is a sensible use of existing capacity. But it is not a substitute for a long-term strategic approach to the UK's road transport needs.

A survey of 2,000 Facebook users has alarmingly revealed that 45% of UK drivers use short message services (SMS) whilst driving.

Commenting on today’s (12) announcement for an emission based congestion charge for London Sheila Rainger, Acting Director for the RAC Foundation, said;

Commenting on the Public Accounts Committee's report, which found that Vehicle Excise Duty evasion has risen to 5% in 2006, and that rising numbers of vehicles are not on the DVLA's databases at all,

The RAC Foundation is an independent charity that works to promote the economic, environmental, mobility and safety issues relating to use of motor vehicles.

New year diet fads can lead to more than yo-yo weight-loss, according to the RAC Foundation, who are today (7) highlighting the impact that food can have on driving ability.

Twelfth Night this Sunday marks the end of the Christmas celebrations, but there are still reasons for motorists to be cheerful on the roads this weekend, according to new analysis released by the

The Seven Deadly Sins of Motoring are causing havoc on UK roads which could be avoided by better behaviour behind the wheel, claims the RAC Foundation today.

Motorists could double their risk of a winter accident simply by driving home for Christmas, warns the RAC Foundation today.

The RAC Foundation announces today that its Executive Director, Edmund King, will be leaving the Foundation at the end of the year to take up a new appointment.

An illegal street racing culture is being promoted on many internet sites and will lead to escalating numbers of deaths if not stopped, according to the Royal Automobile Club Foundation.

The RAC Foundation is disappointed to learn that plans to tunnel the A303 at Stonehenge have been indefinitely shelved by the Government today on grounds of cost.

The Government has some tough decisions to make if it wants to avoid one thousand miles of severe congestion by 2041, according to a new RAC Foundation report based on research from a leading

Motorways in the UK are the most congested amongst the European Union's 25 nations, according to the latest figures in Road File 2007/08, revealed by the RAC Foundation's director, Edmund King, in a

Over half of all small businesses have opted for wired working on the virtual superhighway to reduce their business travel according to the Royal Automobile Club Foundation's Research Development

Up to one and a half million motorists could be at higher risk of being involved in an accident following the end of British Summer Time this weekend, according to the RAC Foundation today, backing

Millions of motorists risk being caught in the worst traffic congestion of the year tonight, warn Trafficmaster and the RAC Foundation.

The Government appears to have hit a brick wall in trying to convince the public about road pricing, according to the director of the RAC Foundation in a key note speech at the National Transport

Commenting on the Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review, the RAC Foundation welcomed the commitment to an increase in transport spending but stressed that a greater proportion must be

Commenting on Road Casualties Great Britain 2006, released this morning (27), Sheila Rainger, Head of Campaigns for the RAC Foundation, said:-

Seventy-one percent of UK workers commute by car, but, contrary to popular belief, those in the North-West of England are subject to the most hazardous commute, according to a new report released

Up to 70% of the signs on our rural roads are unnecessary and could be removed, according to Paul Miner, CPRE’s planning campaigner, speaking today at the IHIE Conference in Loughborough.

Politicians planning for prosperity must work with, not against, motorists, according to Edmund King, speaking at the Liberal Democrat Autumn conference today.

The RAC Foundation described the road transport aspects of the Conservative “Blueprint for a green Economy” as a “Blueprint for a gridlocked economy” which will stall economic