CHANGES COMING INTO EXTRA COUNCIL POWERS SET
A raft of new rules will come into effect that motorists need to be aware of over the course of the next 12 months - the Mirror Online rounded up some of the major changes below.
NEW LAW TO CRACKDOWN ON MOBILE PHONE USAGE
The “moving traffic” offences local authorities will be able to punish drivers for include stopping in yellow box junctions and performing bad turns.
At the moment, most councils are only able to send out penalties for parking and driving in bus lanes.
The police are typically responsible for issuing “moving traffic” offence fines, apart from in London and Cardiff.
But the new powers will mean almost 300 councils in England will be able to apply for the right to issue these penalties as well.
RAC spokesman, Simon Williams, said: “We’re fearful that some authorities may be over enthusiastic in using their new powers for revenue-raising reasons. Drivers who blatantly ignore signage or highway rules should expect penalties but there are instances which are not always clear-cut.”
It was already illegal to text or make a phone call, other than in an emergency, while driving.
However, a new law introduced this year will go further to ban drivers from using their phones to take photos or videos, scroll through playlists or play games.
This will mean anyone caught using their hand-held device behind the wheel will face a £200 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence.
Drivers will still be able to continue using a device ‘hands- free’ while driving, such as a sat-nav or PDA, but this must be secured in a cradle - check if correct.
It is understood that the loophole closed in January and the government will revise The Highway Code to explain the new measures.
There will, however, be an exemption to the new law for drivers making a contactless payment using their mobile phone while stationary to ensure the law keeps pace with technology.
NEW £70 FINES FROM COUNCILS
Drivers are set to be hit with widespread enforcement of £70 fines as councils gain more power against motorists.
84 AN INCREASE TO VEHICLE EXCISE DUTY (VED)
VED, often called road tax, is rising in line with the retail prices index measure of inflation in April, although the gov- ernment has not yet confirmed the new rates.
As before, the amount of tax you’ll pay will likely depend on your new car’s CO2 emissions. Those that emit zero grams per kilometre of CO2 are expected to continue paying zero, while petrol and most diesel-powered drivers (including hybrids) that emit between 1g and 50g per kilometre will pay £10 for the first 12 months.
You can find out how much you're currently paying, here.
https://www.gov.uk/calculate-tax-rates-for-new-cars
FEBRUARY 2022
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