High-polluting cars will be charged to enter central Birmingham under new plans which mark a major step towards reducing congestion and air pollution in the city.

The Council’s business case to tackle air pollution – which was approved by the Cabinet for consultation on Tuesday – will help lower pollution by discouraging people from driving into the city in private cars, the biggest source of harmful roadside emissions.

The Council’s decision to not charge low-emission Euro VI buses to enter the clean air zone will also help to tackle the growing problem of congestion in Birmingham. The latest Government figures show that the number of miles travelled by cars in the area reached 3 billion in 2016, compared with 2.8 billion in 2010, with a 3.4% increase in the total number of cars on the road.

Greener Journeys, the sustainable transport group, has welcomed Birmingham’s steps to reduce congestion and pollution by introducing measures to encourage people to leave their cars at home and ensuring that clean, modern buses don’t have to pay to enter the zone.

Claire Haigh, the Chief Executive of Greener Journeys, said: “We welcome the decision of Birmingham Council to include charging cars in their Clean Air Zone. Measures such as charging dirty diesel cars are a step in the right direction of reducing congestion and tackling our air quality crisis.

“If Clean Air Zones are to be effective, they must include the biggest polluters and they must tackle congestion. A modern, diesel double-decker bus can take 75 cars off the road, helping to solve both pollution and congestion problems across our cities.

“We urge the Government to do more to support Councils in their efforts to tackle pollution and congestion. It should end the freeze in fuel duty which has led to a 4% growth in traffic since 2011.”

Birmingham Council is among 33 local authorities which have been ordered to investigate and identify measures to tackle illegal levels of air pollution. They have until December to publish their final plans.

Air pollution is a growing public health problem causing up to 50,000 early deaths a year in the UK, and the World Health Organisation has calculated that people in the UK are 64 times more likely to die from air pollution as those in Sweden, and twice as likely as those in the USA.

Diesel cars are the single biggest contributor to NOx emissions on the road, accounting for 41% of all emissions from road transport compared with 6% for buses and coaches. Congestion makes this problem worse, with NOx emissions four times greater in nose-to-tail traffic than they are in free flow traffic.

Real-world testing of modern, diesel Euro VI buses – and those retrofitted to this standard – demonstrates that they are 95% cleaner than previous models and emit fewer emissions overall than the average diesel Euro 6 car despite having 15 to 20 times the capacity.

Congestion in the UK’s largest cities is 14% worse than five years ago and traffic speeds in city centres are forecast to fall by almost 5mph from 17mph to an average of 12mph by 2030, and significantly slower in peak hours, according to a recent report by Greener Journeys.

However, the Government has resisted increasing fuel duty, which could help lower congestion by discouraging motorists from driving. The Treasury’s own figures show that the ongoing fuel duty freeze cost the exchequer an estimated £46 billion between 2011 and 2019 – more than twice the amount spent on NHS doctors and nurses each year.

With the new MOT arriving this month (20 May 2018), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is reminding motorists of the changes.

Every year 30 million vehicles take their MOT. New tighter limits for smoke on diesel vehicles and clearer fail categories that set out that vehicles should not be driven until a dangerous defect is repaired, will help improve air quality and make roads safer.

Other changes include:

• new checks, including:
  • reversing lights on vehicles first used from September 2009
  • daytime running lights on vehicles first used from March 2018
  • front fog lights on vehicles first used from March 2018
  • emission control equipment
  • fluid leaks posing an environmental risk
• changing the MOT failure documents and certificate to make them clearer and to make them show the new defect categories
• making vehicles which are more than 40 years old and have not been substantially changed exempt from the MOT test

DVSA Chief Executive, Gareth Llewellyn, said:

“DVSA’s priority is to help you keep your vehicle safe to drive.

“Our 22,000 testing stations are ready to begin the new test. With just under a month to go before the changes, I’d urge all motorists to familiarise themselves with the new items that will be included in the test so they can avoid their vehicle failing its MOT.

“A properly maintained vehicle should have no problem passing the new MOT.”

MOT testing stations and testers are fully prepared for the changes. All testing stations have the final version of the new MOT Testing Manual (we’ve been sharing draft versions with them for the past six months).

The MOT is a once a year health check but motorists must keep their vehicles safe to drive all year round. To do this and prepare for the MOT, motorists should make sure that:

• brakes work smoothly and that the vehicle doesn’t pull to one side
• tyres are correctly inflated, have no cuts or bulges, and that they all have at least 1.6mm of tread
• headlights and other lights work - give them a tap to check they’re not loose or damaged and check the colours are correct and match
• windscreen wipers and washers work
• the driver’s view of the road is clear of any obstruction, such as stickers, toys or air fresheners

From this week, learner drivers can take motorway driving lessons in a law change that will help to improve road safety.

Any motorway lessons learner drivers take will be voluntary, but they must be with an approved driving instructor in a car with dual-controls displaying L plates. However, motorway driving is not being added to the driving test as part of this change.

Driving instructors will only take learner drivers on the motorway when they have the right skills and experience to drive in a high-speed environment.

Road Safety Minister, Jesse Norman, said:

"Britain’s roads are among the safest in the world, but road collisions remain the second biggest killer of young people.

“Allowing learner drivers to have motorway lessons with a qualified road safety expert will help more young drivers to gain the skills and experience they need to drive safely on motorways."

Statistics show that newly-qualified drivers are most vulnerable in the first 6 months after passing their driving test. Some avoid driving on motorways because they lack confidence, which means they spend more time on challenging rural roads with blind bends, dips and distractions. In 2015, 80% of all young driver deaths happened on rural roads.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) emphasises that motorway lessons will give learner drivers the confidence, skills and experience they need to use motorways safely. During lessons, learner drivers will get training on:

• how to join and leave the motorway, overtake and use lanes correctly
• using smart motorways correctly
• driving at high speed in motorway conditions
• motorway-specific traffic signs
• what to do if a vehicle breaks down on a motorway

DVSA Chief Driving Examiner, Mark Winn, said:

"DVSA's priority is to help you through a lifetime of safe driving.

"Allowing learner drivers to have motorway lessons was supported by 80% of people who gave their feedback on this change, with the public recognising the importance of developing these skills in a controlled environment.

“I’m delighted that a new generation of drivers can now drive on the motorway to gain valuable experience, including overtaking safely and lane discipline.”

DVSA is also reminding all drivers about the basic rules for motorway driving. As with any vehicle on the motorway, keep a safe distance from a learner driver in front of you.

On the motorway, always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you overtake slower-moving vehicles, return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past.

When you overtake, make sure the lane is sufficiently clear ahead and behind. Do not cut in on the vehicle you have overtaken when you move back over.

Since 2013, the police have had the power to issue fixed penalty notices for careless motorway driving, such as tailgating and middle-lane hogging. The fixed penalty is £100 with 3 points on the driver’s licence.

New research has revealed that almost a half (49%) of UK drivers admit to being distracted behind the wheel of their cars because of mobile phones - despite tough new laws brought in a year ago to act as a deterrent.

The survey, carried out by used car supermarket, The Car People, asked 1,500 British drivers exactly what distracts them when behind the wheel and how it impacts on their driving.

It found that getting a phone call (31%), receiving a new message notification (21%) and using their phone for directions (20%) were the most common distractions across the general population, with changing music putting off 26% of 18-24-year-old drivers.

However, while Government figures show that 18-24-year olds are the most overrepresented in car crashes, the new research reveals that when it comes to mobile phones, it is now drivers aged 25-34 that are the most distracted, with more than three quarters (77%) admitting it is a factor.

Although 66% of 18-24-year olds admit to still being distracted by their mobile phones, the fact that this lower than 25-34 year olds suggests that the change in the law, which increased the penalty for using a mobile phone at the wheel to six points, could be having an impact with younger drivers who now risk having their licence revoked if they are caught using a phone at the wheel.

The worst offending age group (25-34) confessed that they are distracted at the wheel by taking phone calls (40%), using their phone for directions (38%), changing music (23%) and sending text messages (18%). A worrying proportion even said that they get distracted by taking photos (12%) and looking for selfie opportunities (8%) and almost three quarters of drivers in this age bracket (74%) believe being distracted by their phone has led to them driving dangerously.

As a result of being distracted by their mobile phone, 8% of 25-34-year olds said they had crashed their car, 15% had experienced a near-miss, 10% had gone through a red light and 22% had been beeped at.

The survey also revealed interesting results about what else causes drivers to be distracted behind the wheel. Passengers can be a huge distraction for people when they are driving, with almost a third (28%) admitting that they chat to others when the should be focusing on the road while, shockingly, 4% get distracted behind the wheel by being intimate with a partner.

Following the new research, The Car People challenged two drivers aged 25-34 to test their driving in a car simulator to see just how easily distracted they are and how dangerous this can be to themselves and others on the road.

Ryan Robbins, Senior Human Factors Researcher at TRL, who conducted the driving simulation said: “It is difficult to do two things at once well, but when one of those things is driving it is virtually impossible. Driving is a demanding task that can suddenly require all of a driver’s attention when a hazard arises. A driver who has been distracted will be slower to anticipate and react to hazards on the road, and that delay can prove fatal. Most of us drastically overestimate how well we can drive, even when we are concentrating fully, and the evidence is clear that when we are distracted our driving is considerably worse.

Jonathan Allbones, director at The Car People adds: “It’s a real concern to hear just how distracting mobile phones continue to be for UK drivers. We were surprised to find that drivers aged 25-34 are the most likely to be distracted by their mobile, though the fact that drivers in the youngest age group were less likely to be distracted is promising and suggests that the new rules around driving with a mobile could be having some impact. It’s important that older drivers don’t get complacent though as using a mobile while driving is both against the law and very dangerous.

“Challenging some millennials in a driving simulator was a great way to really put them to the test. It allowed us to monitor their concentration and speed limit on the road in a safe environment.”

Learner drivers will be able to drive on motorways for the very first time from 4 June in plans to improve road safety.

The changes being announced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) are supported by road safety organisations, the driver training industry and the public, and will allow learners to have lessons on motorways if they are with a qualified instructor and in a dual-controlled car.

Motorways are some of Britain’s safest roads but latest figures show that in 2016, there were 93 fatalities and 803 serious injuries. Allowing learners to take supervised motorway lessons and teaching them how to drive on them safely and properly will help cut the number of deaths and injuries.

Mark Winn, DVSA Deputy Chief Driving Examiner said:

“DVSA’s priority is to help you through a lifetime of safe driving.

“Allowing learners to practice on motorways with a professional instructor gives them the opportunity be taught motorway rules and etiquette properly, practice at higher speeds and will help make our roads even safer.”

Peter Harvey, Chairman of the driving instructors’ trade body, National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP) said:

“The partners in NASP are very pleased to see that learner drivers are, at last, being allowed to drive on motorways. Driver trainers have been campaigning for many years to be able to train learner drivers on the vital skills needed on motorways before they pass their driving tests.

“We have been preparing for this announcement for quite some time and have been and continue to offer advice and training to our members on best practice when they take novice drivers on to a motorway for the first time.

“We have produced guidelines which are available on the NASP website. We are keen to emphasise to driver trainers that they should only take learners on to motorways when the learner is ready. Learner drivers should not expect their instructor to be giving them motorway training until they are ‘test-ready.”

With a month to go until the changes take effect and ahead of a busy bank holiday on Britain’s motorways, DVSA is reminding drivers of the official motorway guidance in the Highway Code:

When you can see well ahead and the road conditions are good, you should

• drive at a steady cruising speed which you and your vehicle can handle safely and is within the speed limit
• keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front and increase the gap on wet or icy roads, or in fog

You MUST NOT exceed 70 mph (112 km/h), or the maximum speed limit permitted for your vehicle.

You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past. 

Do not overtake unless you are sure it is safe and legal to do so. Overtake only on the right.

Rule 217 of the Highway Code will be especially important in relation to the new learners on motorways rule:

Learners and inexperienced drivers. They may not be so skilful at anticipating and responding to events. Be particularly patient with learner drivers and young drivers.

Schoolchildren are making sure drivers stick to a new 20mph speed limit – by dealing with speeding drivers at their very own “Kids Court”.

Drivers caught speeding in an operation outside Park Hill Primary on Friday (16 March) were given the option of a fine – or face pupils asking difficult questions about why they were breaking the limit.

The new 20mph limit has been in force since January across the whole of the Friar Park ward.

Fifteen drivers were caught breaking the speed limit – the fastest was going at 34mph. Four were given advice at the roadside and nine chose to go before the Kids Court. Two bus drivers were prosecuted for breaking the speed limit.

Twelve schoolchildren tackled the drivers for breaking the speed limit. They posed thought-provoking and hard-hitting questions to the offenders including “How would you feel if you killed one of us” and “Why were you speeding when the road is clearly signed?”.

Although road safety has dramatically improved on Sandwell’s roads over the past 10 years - with the number of children hurt in accidents falling by nearly two thirds - over the past three years, 300 children have been injured in accidents.

Sandwell currently has 43 20mph areas covering 128km of the borough's roads. Friar Park is one of five new areas with the limit and a further five will be considered for next financial year.

Friar Park is the first of Sandwell's 24 wards to have a 20mph blanket speed limit and the Kids Court operation is part of enforcing the speed limit.

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for children’s services Councillor Simon Hackett said: "We need to do all we can to keep children safe on their journeys to and from school. I've been really impressed by the court and the children at Park Hill Primary.

“I'm sure their hard-hitting questions are a powerful reminder and will stay with these drivers for a long time."

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for highways and environment Councillor David Hosell added: “The whole idea behind doing this is that the words of the schoolchildren and the embarrassment of being caught speeding outside a school is going to stay with the speeding drivers for much longer than a fine necessarily would. Every time they see a speed limit sign, or a school for that matter, we hope they remember this and slow down.”

Deputy head teacher at Park Hill Primary Kate Jenks said: "The pupils thoroughly enjoyed taking part in Kids Court. Not only did it provide them with an extraordinary experience that allowed them to develop key social skills, it has also improved their knowledge of road safety and the importance of driving within the speed limit.

"Many of them have said that they will not speed when they become drivers. It is an experience that will remain with the pupils forever. As a school, it was an amazing opportunity to take part in such an important initiative and we would like to thank everyone involved. “ Pc Steve Horton, Wednesbury police, said: "The idea of the Kids Court is to tackle drivers' attitudes towards speeding by getting them to see the potential consequences of exceeding speed limits, particularly around schools.

“It also helps schools, children and their families to work with us and take an active part in making our communities safer for everyone."

The Kids Court project is part of the Sandwell Road Safety Partnership, which sees the council work with West Midlands Police and West Midlands Fire Service. Drivers who went before the Kids Court said: “I was embarrassed”, “I felt humbled, I will remember from the conversation with the children that speed kills” and “I felt surprised, it makes you think.

Following Kids Court, West Midlands Fire Service provided education and advice regarding child car seats to parents and children on the playground.