Month: January 2018

Braking news – Driving and the Environment.

Excessive speed often ends with excessive braking leading to accidents or as in many cases, driving licence endorsements. But what many drivers fail to consider is the impact that they are causing to health and the environment.

Under normal braking conditions, a vehicle releases tyre and brake wear material into the air, so small that the particulate matter (PM) can be inhaled, adding considerably to urban air toxicity. It has been stated as an estimate that up to 55% of total brake wear and up to 10% of tyre wear emitted becomes airborne with the remaining percentages being deposited on the road, roadside or deposited on the vehicle, such as the vehicle’s wheels and wheel arches.

New taxes are being imposed in order to try to help reduce air pollution but are targeting the types of fuel used rather than looking at the total pollution a vehicle outputs. Previously councils embarked upon traffic calming measures such as speed bumps and chicanes but there is an argument that these only lead to further air pollution due to repeated acceleration and braking. It is worthwhile considering the causes of PM and identifying ways that can help to reduce it.

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Licence Link – Stepping towards the GDPR.

Protecting Data is currently covered by the UK Data Protection Act 1998. On the 25th of May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation GDPR will replace the DPA. Licence Link, the on-line licence checking service is primed and making ready for the change.

The ownership of personal data is very clear. It belongs to the person and not to any business or organisation that holds it. This is the tenet of the General Data Protection Regulation and it makes clear that without an individual’s verifiable consent for holding and using their data, it will be considered a breakage of the law. The regulation comes into effect on the 25th May 2018 and will not be affected by the UK leaving the EU. Where can businesses and organisations go for help and information, and what steps should be taken in order to comply with the new regulation?

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Expired Photocard Driving Licences – What is the Risk?

“As at 18 November 2017, there were 3,391,737 drivers with a full or provisional driving licence where the photograph has expired.” This quote is taken from a Freedom of Information Request (FOIR6454) on behalf of Licence Link. What is the best approach to take in order to establish the number of employed vocational and company car drivers that fall into this category?

The photocard driving licence, by law has to be renewed every 10 years. The expiry date is shown on the front of the card in section 4b. Once expired the holder can be fined up to £1000. The ten-year expiry is due to the fact the appearance of the holder will change over that period of time and the requirement is that the photo must be a true likeness.

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