Auto Express – August 20, 2019

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk SpecialIssue 19

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Legal

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Useful

Contacts

“People who film driversleaving their engines

idling should receive 25 per cent of the fine”

Call to allow public policing of

driverswho let engines idle

Driving instructorconvictions low

JUSTtwopercentofcomplaintsmade

aboutillegaldrivinginstructorshave

resultedinaconvictionoverthelastfive

years,officialfiguresfromtheDriverand

VehicleStandardsAgency(DVSA)show.

Instructorswhotakepaymentfor

lessonsarerequiredtohaveanApproved

orPotentialDrivingInstructor(ADIor

PDI)qualification.Butdata,obtained

bycar-financefirmHippoLeasingviaa

freedomofinformationrequest,shows

thattherewere961complaintsabout

unqualifiedinstructorsbetweenthe

2014/15financialyearandtoday,yet

theseresultedinjust18convictions.

TheDVSAsaidmultiplecomplaints

mayhavebeenforthesameinstructors.

Howeveritbroughtprosecutionsfor

theoffencein-housein2018/19rather

thanrelyingonpoliceandtheCrown

ProsecutionService,soitmayhavebeen

concernedaboutlowconvictionrates.

MEMBERSofthepublicwhofilm

driversleavingtheirenginesidling

shouldbeabletouploadthefootageto

authoritiesandreceive25percentof

theoffender’sfine,saysathinktank.

Thebasisfortheproposalscomes

fromNewYork,wherebusandlorry

driverswholeavetheirenginesrunning

formorethanthreeminutes(orone

minuteoutsideschools)riskfines,

withcitizensabletouploadfootage

ofcontraventionstoauthorities.

ButBrightBlue,whichdescribes

itselfasa“pressuregroupforliberal

conservatism”wantsthesystemto

applytocarsaswell,recommending

thatmoneyfromfinesshouldalsobe

spentimprovinglocalairquality.

Theorganisationsaysallauthorities

withclean-airzonesshouldintroduce

thepolicy,whichmeansLondoners

wouldbefirstinthefiringline,followed

bythoseinLeedsandBirmingham,

whichareintroducingclean-airzones

in2020.Southampton,Nottingham

andDerbyhavealsobeenconsidering

whethertointroduceclean-airzones.

Aswellasofferingfinancialrewards

forthepublictofilmandreporteach

other,BrightBluesays20mphlimits

shouldreplaceall30mphzones.The

organisationalsorecommendsthe

currentfreezeonfueldutyshouldbe

ended,andthatultra-low-emission

vehiclesshouldbeexemptfromVAT.

Thecallforcitizenpolicingofidling

driversfollowsnewsearlierintheyear

thattheDepartmentforTransportwas

consideringtheintroductionofnew

lawstotackletheissue.

Join thedebateatwww.autoexpress.co.uk

ContactTr istan Shale-Hester

Write to:Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis

Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP

HOTTOPIC Kia’s new crossover

Latest car designs

arearight mix-up

Developerscan take

the hit on chargers

New signs arebetter

latethan never

Fantastic plastic is

the answer forEVs

FROM:Grahame KingROBERTFinn

(Issue1,585)mentionsBMW’s

currentdesignlanguage.Withthe

standard8Series,itstruckmehow

muchthesideprofileresembledthat

oftheFordMustang.Plusthenew

C8Corvettelookslikeanenhanced

Ferrari.We needtobeworried.

FROM:LeeNorth IT’Seasytocriticise

manufacturersforconstantlycoming

upwithSUVs,buttheyhavetomake

whatsells–nooneisbeingforcedto

buythem.NotonlyistheKiaXceed

great-lookinginmyopinion,butit’s

alsoquitealotofcarforthemoney.

FROM:Tim DoddIHAVEa2013Ceed

thathasservedmewellforoversix

years,butmynextcarwillbefully

electric,whichsadlyrulesoutthe

Xceed.Hybridsjustaddtothe

engineeringcomplexity.I’llwait

foraffordablebatterytechtoarrive.

FROM:Gareth Lester-JonesIHOPEthat

theplantoinstallwall-mountedEV

chargersonallnew-buildhomes

(Issue1,585)goesahead.Ifdeveloper

marginsaresqueezedslightly,thenso

beit–they’llstillmaketheirmillions

andthehomeswillbefutureproof.

We needsustainablethinkingonthis.

FROM:MervynCarroll I’Mpleased

tofinallysee“KeepLeftUnless

Overtaking”beingshownondigital

signsonthemotorway. For20years

I’vebeenforcedintotheoutermost

laneofthefour-laneM40asaresult

ofpoorlanedisciplinefromoblivious

drivers.Ihopetheyreadthesigns!

FROM:Mark WilliamsSTEELbodywork

isokayforICEcars,butEVshave

heavybatteriesandaNissanLeaf

shouldn’tweighmorethan1.5tonnes.

Factoriesarenotsetuptouseplastic-

cladspaceframes,butiftheywereit

wouldbelighter,safertoruncables

through,andofferbetterinsulation.

■“We’reoverduefor

anSUVcull–pointless

fashionaccessories

cloggingupourroads.”

ChrisTurner

■“TheXceedreminds

meoftheBMWX2.

SUVitis,butbetter

andmorestylishforit.”

KevinHigginson

■“Doesithavethe

optionoffour-wheel

drive?Withoutit,is

itreallyanSUV?”

RogerBourne

The new Kia Xceed is

pitched as acut-price

mid-range Mercedes GLA

InboxYo ur views

IDLING

Allcities with

clean-air zones

should allow

public policing

of idling

engines,says

think tank