08/09/2023
Before the start of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Road Safety Wales is reminding people to plan ahead if they intend to drink alcohol.
If you are drinking alcohol when watching the games, live in France, or in a bar or club, please make arrangements to get home without driving, before you go out. This could be by saving the telephone number for a local taxi in your phone, finding out times of public transport or arranging a lift with someone sober.
Apart from the risk of causing a collision, an injury or even a fatality, the penalties for drink driving can be life-changing. You could be imprisoned, banned from driving and face a fine if you’re found guilty. If you drive as part of your job, this could seriously affect your work prospects for many years to come.
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30/08/2023
Following a wave of seizures and arrests across the country, Road Safety Wales would like to clarify the difference between electric bicycles, commonly known as e-bikes, and electric motorcycles, as these are vastly different modes of transport.
An e-bike is an electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC) which is equipped with an electric motor to assist a rider when they are pedalling. By law it cannot propel the rider on its own - if it does, it is classed as a motorcycle or moped.
To ride an e-bike, a person must be at least 14 years old. However, you do not need a driving licence and an e-bike does not need to be registered, taxed or insured.
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25/08/2023
Powys County Council highways staff are having to deal with increasing numbers of drivers jumping temporary red lights, ignoring stop signs, and speeding through road works.
Not only is this driving behaviour illegal, it is also putting the hardworking highways teams at risk of serious injury.
Cllr Jackie Charlton, Cabinet Member for a Greener Powys, said: "I was stunned to hear of the situations that our highways teams are placed in whilst simply doing their jobs and ensuring that the thousands of miles of roads in Powys are maintained, repaired and improved.
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02/08/2023
From today (2 August 2023), motorists can opt for digital vehicle tax reminders rather than having to wait for a paper reminder to drop through their letter box. The change comes as part of DVLA’s new Driver and vehicles account service, which launches on GOV.UK today.
The new service, which allows motorists to easily access their driver and vehicle information in one place, has been launched as a public beta and DVLA are asking motorists to provide feedback to help develop the service.
The Driver and vehicles account is easy-to-use, secure, and it only takes around 5 minutes to sign up. Once an account has been set up, motorists can simply sign in using their email and password, and will be able to:
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21/07/2023
Council and police officers are working together to manage parking at Llangollen’s Horseshoe falls and the surrounding area this summer season.
Denbighshire County Council and North Wales Police are urging visitors to the hotspot to park responsibly this summer and consider planning ahead to visit other attractions that are available across the Dee Valley if the area is busy.
The Council has made a number of preparations already to manage an increase in visitors.
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26/04/2023
Work to prepare Powys roads for the upcoming default 20mph speed limit will begin this week.
On 17 September, the Welsh Government will introduce a default 20mph speed limit on restricted roads across Wales. Restricted roads are generally those where streetlights are placed no more than 200 yards apart and are usually located in residential and built-up areas with high pedestrian activity.
The move will see Wales become the first UK nation to introduce a lower speed limit following in the footsteps of European countries, such as Spain, where 30km/h (18.5mph) is already in place.
Evidence shows reducing the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph on these roads, will see a number of benefits including a reduction in road collisions and serious injury, more people walking and cycling and improvements to health and wellbeing.
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22/02/2023
Drivers are four times more likely to crash if they’re using a phone, police have warned as they support a national road safety campaign.
To crack down on the issue of people using their phone while driving, the four Welsh police forces, along with GoSafe are supporting a National Police Chiefs Council campaign.
The three-week operation, which Dyfed-Powys, South Wales, Gwent and North Wales Police will take part in, aims to remind motorists of the risks of calling, texting, using the internet or streaming music or videos while driving – and the penalties faced by those who are caught.
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19/01/2023
Written Statement:
Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change
“In 2019, I set up the independent Wales Pavement Parking Taskforce (WPPT) to help tackle anti-social pavement parking in our communities.
“All ten of the Pavement Parking Taskforce’s recommendations were accepted by the Welsh Government.
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18/01/2023
As winter temperatures bring more hazardous and challenging road conditions, Road Safety Wales is reminding employers to review their driving for work risk management policy and ensure that winter driving is properly covered.
Teresa Ciano, Chair of Road Safety Wales said, "Employees who drive for work purposes should work with their employers to make sure they are fully aware of what is expected of them during periods of severe weather and plans should be in place for identifying and preparing for essential journeys."
Employers have a duty to take all reasonably practicable measures to manage risk and companies should ensure that their drivers pay attention to warnings, either from official external sources or from within the organisation, not to continue their journeys when advised.
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22/12/2022
Fatigue is estimated to be a contributory factor in up to 20% of road collisions. These types of crashes tend to be high speed impacts resulting in death or serious injury, because a driver who has fallen asleep cannot brake or swerve.
Sleepiness reduces reaction time, a critical element of safe driving, and also reduces alertness and concentration. The ability to perform attention-based activities, such as driving or riding is impaired and decision making can be badly affected, as information cannot be quickly processed by a person who is tired.
Drivers and riders will be aware that they are feeling sleepy, and must make a conscious decision to stop for a rest. Ignoring or underestimating the risks of continuing a journey when tired is naive and irresponsible.
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