The Government is giving serious consideration to plans to cut speed limits on most rural single-carriageway roads from 60mph to 50mph, it has been revealed.
Ministers believe that the potentially unpopular move may be needed in order to reduce the number of deaths among motorists and pedestrians on rural roads. Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick is said to have been struck by figures showing that these parts of the UK’s road network were more prone to crashes.
In 2007, there were 2,946 deaths and 30,000 serious injuries on British roads, with speed being a factor in 29% of them. Currently the speed limit on almost all single carriageway roads outside of towns is set at 60mph, except for at accident blackspots. Mr Fitzpatrick is looking at reducing these limits in a bid to improve the UK’s road safety record, which used to rank among the best in the world, but has slipped in recent years.
But AA director Edmund King told the Sunday Telegraph: “Rather than impose a blanket cut, the Government should adopt a targeted approach.”
Martin Bowyer was sentenced yesterday at Stoke Crown Court for duping learner drivers out of thousands of pounds by pretending to be an approved driving instructor.
From 1st July 2008, additional Safety Check (or ‘Show Me, Tell Me’) questions will be asked at the start of all learner and ADI Part 2 practical driving tests. The new questions cover the following: Use of wipers, Demisters, Brake lights, Fog lights, Head restraints, Anti-lock braking system (ABS), Warning lights and the correct operation of relevant controls and switches. The full document containing all the questions can be found 
