Report into The Reasons For At-Work Drivers Speeding Offences

by admin_cheshire | Oct 30, 2025 | Fleet Management, General, Legislation, Vans

Report into The Reasons For At-Work Drivers Speeding Offences

Why At-Work Drivers Are Caught Speeding – And Why the Results Might Surprise You.

A new survey by RED Corporate Driver Training has revealed the most common reasons why at-work drivers end up speeding – but the reasons might not be as straight-forward as you think.

According to RED’s head of corporate, Greg Ford, the main issue isn’t deliberate rule-breaking – or even a disregard for the laws. It’s confusion.

Ford explained;

“In most cases, drivers are speeding on a regular basis simply because they don’t know the limit, haven’t understood how fast they should be going, or don’t know the limit for their particular vehicle,”

That lack of awareness is showing up in the numbers.

Research from Co-Op Insurance found that speeding penalties rose by 12% last year, with almost 10 million points issued to UK drivers.

For anyone driving as part of their job, the risks are huge – not just fines and points, but the potential loss of a licence, employment and income.

In severe cases, it can even bring prosecution to the employers.

Reasons for speeding offences identified in report

So, what’s going wrong?

Driver trainers say it often comes down to a mix of distraction, misunderstanding and poor vehicle knowledge.

Many people simply aren’t sure what speed applies to the road they’re on, or they drift over the limit because their attention slips.

Others don’t realise that some vans and pickups have lower limits than cars – for example, if the unladen weight is over 2,040kg, the maximum is 50mph on a single carriageway and 60mph on a dual.

It’s easy to see how these mistakes happen, especially for drivers switching between vehicles.

Variable speed limits on smart motorways are another common trap.

Many drivers miss a change in signage or assume the limit has gone back up when it hasn’t.

Even with modern tech like speed limiters and cruise control, plenty of drivers either don’t use them or don’t understand how they can help.

It’s not until they’ve had some hands-on coaching of how to use of such features that usage then tends to rise, and speeding drops noticeably.

Encouragingly, cases of deliberate speeding are now less common.

The increase in cameras and roadside enforcement has made most people think twice.

The bigger problem, Ford says, is the number of drivers who are genuinely shocked to learn they’ve been speeding without realising it.

RED believes regular driver education and simple reminders can make a real difference – improving safety, cutting costs and protecting livelihoods.

And for businesses, that can be time and money well spent…

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The Grey Fleet Quiz – How Much Do You Know?!

by admin_cheshire | Sep 4, 2019 | Fleet Management, General, Grey Fleet, Legislation

Bone Of Contention – Parking Tickets For Parking in Loading Bays

by admin_cheshire | Aug 30, 2019 | General, Industry News, Legislation

Companies hit with £1.7m of fines for parking in Loading Bays.

According to research by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, UK businesses have been issued with £1.7 million worth of fines in the last three years for vans incorrectly parking or stopping in a loading bay.

The figures show that Local Councils have issued an average of 13,000 parking fines a year since 2015. These figures have been rising by a 10% year-on-year increase – perhaps indicating how the rules around loading bays are actually becoming increasingly unclear for van drivers.

As if to further demonstrate the confusion surrounding parking in loading bays, the research also showed that nearly a quarter (23%) of appeals against Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for incorrect use of a loading bay were successful – so even the ticket issuers don’t seem sure!

What are the rules about stopping in a loading bay?

Legally, van drivers are allowed to stop at a loading bay to drop off or collect goods. The new research reveals though that still thousands of drivers don’t seem to fully understand the rules.

In terms of when can you use a loading bay, the majority of loading bays can be used to collect pre-ordered goods or unload goods that require a vehicle to transport them. If a vehicle is left unattended, it needs to be clear (through the use of hazards for example) that goods are being loaded and unloaded.

They can’t be used by drivers however for;

without loading or unloading or to use it to wait for parking
dependent on the time restrictions within each loading bay (and these vary from council to council).
for collecting or dropping off passengers.

According to the research, Glasgow, Manchester and Haringey councils have issued the highest number of loading bay PCNs over the past three years. Van drivers working in those areas need to take most care when making deliveries or stopping on red routes.

How to avoid getting a PCN for parking in a loading bay.

As part of its “Working With You” brand promise, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles advises drivers to make use of various parking apps on smartphones (obviously making sure you don’t get pulled over for using your smartphone whilst driving!)

The brand additionally offers Park Assist to ensure drivers can make the most of the spaces available and stay within the designated loading bay lines to avoid fines.

Sarah Cox, head of marketing at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, commented:

“As this research reveals, PCNs are costing businesses thousands of pounds a year when, in fact, they can be avoided completely if you understand the rules correctly. Loading bays are an essential part of the red route network as they allow businesses to access central locations to make and receive important deliveries. As the rules change between councils, it is crucial that you check before you park.”

Leave your comments

Have you – or you fleet – received PCN’s for parking in Loading Bays. Have you had yours overturned on appeal? Could there be more signs to make the restrictions clearer? Have your say in the comments below.

New – Clean-Air Zone Friendly – Mitsubishi L200 Pick-Up On Sale

by admin_cheshire | Aug 23, 2019 | General, Industry News, Legislation, Pick-ups, Vehicle Types

Following on from our recent article about the Greater Manchester Clean-Aid zone – more and more popular vehicles are getting the necessary upgrades. The latest is the ever-popular Mitsubishi L200 pick-up truck which has not only been revised to offer increased safety equipment but also comes with a new Euro 6d diesel engine – compliant with the new clean-air zones.

What are the main changes with the L200?

As well as the new Euro 6d-compliant, the new L200 comes with a new 2.3-litre turbo diesel engine and a new six-speed automatic gearbox, while larger brakes all-round are fitted to the majority of the range.

Priced from £21,515 for the entry-level 4Life Club Cab variant, the L200 Series 6 also offers an increased payload of 1,080kg (up from 1,045kg-1,060kg) and gross train weight of 6,155kg, as well as an upgraded four-wheel drive system which incorporates a new ‘off road mode’ and hill descent control system.

What else is included in the new Mitsubishi L200?

Blind spot warning system with lane change assist function
Rear cross traffic alert
Forward collision mitigation
Lane departure warning
Hill start assist
Emergency stop signal
Trailer stability assist.

Styling changes include a new front-end, a 40mm raised bonnet for easier manoeuvring, LED headlamps and LED driving lights on the majority of the range, and squared off wheel arches.

Interior updates include revised seating with improved bolstering, new instrumentation, including a full-colour LCD display, and a chunkier steering wheel.

If you would like to find out more about the different finance deals available on the new Mitsubishi L200 Pickup then feel free to contact us – or give us a call on 01543 229722.

New Aston Martin “Volante Vision” Aims to Bring Luxury Personal Air Mobility

by admin_cheshire | Aug 12, 2019 | General, Industry News, Legislation, Vans, Vehicle Types

Nearly all the old Sci-fi movies saw flying cars as an absolute shoe-in by now. Despite this, reality has always to seemed to ensure that flying cars cannot be made remotely practical.

Recently the new Aston Martin “Volante Vision” concept emerged – which is actually a light aircraft rather than a “flying car” – and despite some pretty nifty realistic looking images – it is still hard to see past it being nothing more than something for James Bond movie – or a one-off play-thing for some bored multi-multi-Billionaire rather than “the future of personal transport”.

How realistic is it?

But… Aston Martin are taking it seriously. They have worked with Cranfield University, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Rolls-Royce plc (the air engine company, not the car-making division) to look at a way of making this the future of “luxury personal air mobility”.

It is a concept designed for every-day use. For urban areas it features vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities,similar to a Hawker Harrier “jump” jet – technology that has actually been around since the 1960’s.

In true Aston Martin fashion – it’s green too, albeit in the sense that it is conceived with hybrid power, combining an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, for inter-city rather than inter-continental travel.

Will It Take Off? (Pardon The Pun!)

This isn’t the first concept like this – and it won’t be the last. Getting the technology right so that it is practical (and affordable) are the main obstacles to overcome. However – you think about any piece of technology and the same could be said of those – from personal computers and video players to the Electric Car – and we’re still only part of the way there with that with what can be achieved!

So in our opinion, we think it’s inevitable something like the Aston Martin Volante Vision will become a reality – and possibly for the mainstream. With the names getting involved in this project, you would also have to say it is probably only a couple of decades away too.

Do you think this is the future – or is it just a fantasy pipeline best left to James Bond movies? Leave your comments below.

Is Your Vehicle Exempt From The Upcoming Manchester Clean Air Zone Charge?

by admin_cheshire | Aug 7, 2019 | General, Industry News, Legislation, Vans, Vehicle Types

What Is The GM Clean Air Zone?

Most major cities up and down the UK are looking ways of becoming greener and cutting emissions. Manchester is one of them.

This means if you, or your company are making regular visits in to the upcoming Clean Air Zone you could be liable to a daily charge which is currently touted as;

Buses, coaches and HGVs – £100 (from 2021)
Taxis and private hire vehicles – £7.50 (from 2021)
Vans and minibuses – £7.50 (from 2023)

If the daily penalty is not paid, a PCN payment of £120 is proposed which would be in addition to the original daily penalty.

This could obviously have a significant impact on a small business – particularly if you have a few vehicles regularly travelling into the zone.

How To Find Out If Your Vehicles Are Compliant

We have found a tool where you can quickly establish if your vehicle is compliant or not. If you click on the button below you will be taken to the vehicle checker section of the Clean Air Greater Manchester website.

If you find out your vehicles AREN’T compliant, then if you come back to us, fill in the form below and we will contact you to advise what your options are.

VEHICLE CHECKER

If your vehicles are liable for the charge, fill in the form below...

Call - 0161 243 0299

matt@cheshirefleetsolutions.com

Report into The Reasons For At-Work Drivers Speeding Offences

Report into The Reasons For At-Work Drivers Speeding Offences