Do you recognise driver location signs?

Driver location signs were introduced in 2003 and are designed to be read at speed. They all look alike, whether they are on a motorway or an A road. They have yellow lettering on a blue background with a white border.

How to recognise a driver location sign:

The information is shown in three rows:

•    the first row shows the number of the motorway or A road
•    the centre row shows the direction of travel (for example, on the M25, clockwise is shown as 'A',  while anti-clockwise is shown as 'B')
•    the last row shows the distance, accurate to within 20 metres, from the assumed start point of the motorway or A road

The information on the signs will be useful if you need to report:

•    your location during a breakdown
•    a road traffic incident
•    debris on the road


For more information on driver location signs see here.

 Download the free Good Garage Scheme app so that you are only a phone call away from a nearby garage. Now available for iPhone and Android users here.

More speed, more fuel, more accidents

Following the traumatic collision on the M5 last week, the debate over the potential motorway speed limit increase has been re-opened.With seven people killed and fifty-one left injured on the Somerset motorway on Friday evening, the reality of an 80mph motorway has to be addressed more realistically.

The current speed limit of 70mph was introduced in the 1960s and although cars of today are much more capable of reaching higher speeds, reaction time for drivers remains the same.

It is inevitable that faster motorways will cause more serious accidents. As previous government statistics have shown, someone hit by a car travelling at only 40mph is 90% more likely to be killed.

The Good Garage Scheme has always been keen to help motorists save fuel and if the new law raising the speed limit is to be implemented, motorists will be spending more on fuel and also increasing CO2 emissions.

 The consultation for the implementation of the speed limit increase begins this year with a view to raising it in 2013.

Do you have an opinion on the speed limit increase? Would you be able to increase your fuel budget due to higher speeds? Let us know by commenting on this blog.

Government reveal plans to increase motorway speeds

In recent news, the Government announced it would like to increase the speed limit on motorways in England and Wales from 70 to 80 mph. It argues that it is sensible because motorists are already driving over 70 mph and it could cut journey times.

Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond said the current limit introduced in the 1960s "was out of date", but green campaigners say it will harm the environment and cause more deaths on the road.

According to the Good Garage Scheme’s website, staying at or within the speed limit not only increases driver safety but also reduces CO2 emissions and saves money on fuel costs.

At 70 mph motorists could be using up to 9% more fuel than at 60 mph and up to 15% more fuel than at 50 mph. Driving faster may make the journey time quicker but could cost more in both fuel and the increased cost of policing the motorways.

The new ruling wouldn’t be implemented until 2013 at the earliest - provided it gets the go-ahead, but there is a lot to debate in the meantime.

For more fuel saving tips, visit http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/driving