Drivers across England are set to benefit from Government funding of 3D laser scanning technology which aims to reduce the time motorways are closed due to crashes. The Department of Transport has provided 27 police forces across England with a total of £2.7m funding, which combined with a National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) contribution, will enable 37 3D scanners to be purchased.

The new technology allows crash investigators to use 3D to see a whole image of the crash site, rather than having to painstakingly survey multiple sections of a scene. The digital image can then be viewed on a computer screen remotely, allowing police investigators to take measurements and assess where vehicles are in relation to each other.

The roll-out of the scanners is part of the Government’s “CLEAR” initiative, which is delivering an action plan to reduce delays for motorists, caused by any incidents, and to keep traffic flowing.

Mike Penning, Roads Minister, said,”There is nothing more frustrating than being stuck in a traffic jam for hours on end. But even worse than that is the shocking £1 billion cost of those lost hours for our economy. That is why we are determined to improve the clear-up of accidents so we can get our motorways re-opened as quickly as possible”.

Mr Penning went onto say,”Today’s £2.7 million DfT funding award will see 3D laser scanners rolled out quickly where they are needed most. This will benefit drivers by reducing incident clear up times by 39 minutes on average”.   

IAM (Insitute of Advanced Motorists) director of policy and research Neil Greig commented as follows: “This is a long lasting Christmas present for all those drivers who have ever been stuck for hours while the police sort out the aftermath of crashes. The frustration caused by delays leads to erratic driving, so as well as improving journey times this will also serve to make our motorways safer.”

New motorway and walks App

If you have ever wondered how you can find great pub food, places for your children to play, somewhere nice to walk your dog and perhaps park your campervan, all within 5 miles of a motorway exit, then help is at hand with a new App relased by Veloce. 

Lezli and David Rees have trekked over a thousand miles creating walks and tracking down traditional inns for drivers, families and dogs to enjoy on their journey. The new App helps anyone who drives on the motorways of England, Scotland and Wales and features walks within 5 miles of motorway exits.  

Each section in the App features a 30 to 45 minute walk – together with a slideshow of views along the walk, and a selected pub or café along the way. Activities for children are included, from bouncy castles to nature trails. There’s also a map of the area, together with latitude and longitude coordinates for your Sat Nav.

All of the walks are also suitable for dogs, and those with assistance dogs will find details of accessible paths and disabled facilities – for example, RADAR, a key that is made available to registered disabled people which enables them to access locked disabled WCs and facilities. All of the pubs also welcome well-behaved canines.

The App costs £2.99 and here are some of the highlights.

• Voiceover introduction from the author

• All walks within 5 miles of motorway exits

• Pub/café on each walk (or at least a picnic table)

• Each walk created, tried and tested by David, Lezli and Jem

• Safe and legal parking places

• Clear route instructions from and back to the motorway

• Online updates on www.drivingwithdogs.co.uk

• Many walks near kids’ activities

• Buggy and wheelchair easy access walks, ideal for assistance dog owners

• Each walk is 30-45 minutes – healthy breaks that improve driver concentration 

• Latitude and longitude coordinates, plus postcodes

• Map of every area

• Details of RADAR facilities

• Phone number, email address and website detection enabled for immediate access

The App is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.1 or later.

DIAmond Advanced Motorists, the company that organises and administers driving tests on behalf of the Driving Instructors Association (DIA) has recommended some motorway driving tips to reduce stress and improve road safety. Motorways are statistically the safest roads but as we know, when things do go wrong, it usually involves more than one vehicle and serious injuries.

The motorway driving tips;  

1. Plan your journey a day before you travel and have an alternative route if there is heavy traffic.
2. Check out the weather forecast and leave a reasonable time for your journey, with a stop every 2-3 hours to stretch your legs. Recent research has found that 15-20% of motorway incidents is caused by driver fatigue.
3. Do the basic maintenance checks on your vehicle – check the lights are working, tyre pressures, oil level, windscreen washer and water levels.
4. If you are an experienced motorway driver remember that many other drivers around you many not be, so keep on the lookout for the unexpected.
5. When joining a motorway on a slip road try and make sure your speed is the same as the traffic on the main carriageway when you pull onto the motorway.
6. Make sure you fully understand the motorway road signs before you set out (The Highway Code has all the details).
7. Take a few minutes to get use to the speed of the motorway and always look as far ahead as possible for potential hazards i.e. “is that car likely to pull out to overtake the lorry?”.
8. Keep your lane discipline and stay in the left hand lane (number 1) for normal driving - don’t hog the middle or outer overtaking lanes.
9. Check your mirrors regularly to see what is happening behind you before giving a signal and allow your signal to flash a few times before pulling out into another lane. Don’t forget to check your blind spot by a quick sideways look.
10. When overtaking move out briskly past the slower vehicles and only return to the left once you can see the vehicle you have passed in your rear-view mirror i.e. don’t “cut them up”. 
11. Don’t tailgate the vehicle in front as this is one of the most common causes of accidents on motorways. You should leave at least a two- to three-second gap between you and the vehicle in front.
12. When approaching a junction watch out for drivers who want to exit the motorway and may have left it too late, as they may make a risky manoeuvre.
13. Be aware that other cars or vans may be joining from the same junction so allow them to join by changing your speed or changing lanes.
14. Plan to leave the motorway in good time as the first exit sign is usually one mile from the exit slip road and sometimes two miles on busier exit junctions. The exit sign is repeated at the half mile stage and at the exit, so make sure you are in the left hand lane with plenty of time to exit.
15. And finally, when you have left the motorway do check your speed. You have been travelling at high speeds for some time and 30mph may appear “slow” when in fact it is the legal limit on most urban roads.