Advice for motorway driving
There are estimated to be more than 30 million vehicles on the UK's roads, the majority of which are driven by people with a need to get a cheap motor insurance quote – the exceptions being people who have company cars or who drive for a living. We are proud to be one of the favourite car insurance providers covering these motorists at the best possible prices.
Motorway driving accounts for quite a large percentage of the travelling that many drivers undertake and roads such as the M25, M4 and M1 carry millions of motorists every week. However, what many drivers do not realise is that they have less chance of losing their cheap motor insurance quotes while driving on a motorway than on any other type of road.
The reason why motorways are so much safer than dual carriageways and single carriageways is the fact that they are straighter, their lanes are generally wider and there is a hard shoulder for broken down vehicles. Pedestrians, cyclists and other slow moving vehicles are also banned, reducing the frequency of hazards that might cause an accident.
However, in order to give your motor insurance quotes the best chance of coming through a motorway trip intact, there are some basic tips which you should keep in mind. As well as this practical advice on driving on motorways, you may also find our general guide to safe driving a useful supplement. Read our top tips for road safety.
Motorway driving tips
Before you even get near the motorway, it is a good idea to have your route planned out. Knowing which junction you will need to take will avoid last minute lane changes and having to worry that you have missed your turning, which can distract you from the task at hand: driving safely.
If you are on a long journey, it is important to factor in breaks from driving. Driving for more than two hours without stopping is not to be recommended, as your concentration will start to wane and you put yourself at risk of fatigue. So, keep fresh by planning to pull over at a service station for 15 minutes every hour or two.
If at any other time you feel sleepy while driving on a motorway, pull off as soon as possible, have a nap or a few cups of coffee, and do not start driving again until you feel suitably refreshed.
Once you enter the motorway, there are a number of things you must take into consideration at all times in order to stay safe. The first is keeping a close eye on the traffic around you and what you are approaching. It is vital to use your mirrors even more frequently than usual as dangerous situations can develop in a matter of seconds.
Looking far ahead is as important as being aware of your immediate surroundings, and is the key to preventing the pile ups that can happen on motorways. If you see a forest of brake lights ahead, you should probably start braking gently so that you (and all the people behind you) won't have to perform an emergency stop when you reach a slow moving traffic jam.
When approaching a junction, you can expect that there will be greater disruption hazards with motorists joining and leaving the motorway. At this point it is worth paying extra attention to other drivers who look likely to be changing lanes but who may not indicate in advance of doing so.
On a related point, leaving a suitable stopping distance is also something to remember. Whilst many people neglect to do this on motorways and may well move into any gaps that you leave, just alter your distance accordingly so that you are at least 3 seconds behind the car in front of you. You should extend this to four seconds in adverse weather conditions such as rain or fog.
Something else which many drivers do on motorways is drive above the speed limit, which on some roads can be varied depending on the conditions. This is not good practice and you should resist all temptation to try to get to your destination a few minutes sooner by putting your foot down. Speeding is against the law and even if it does not cause an accident, if you are caught you will receive penalty points that will not do your motor insurance quotes any good.
Lane discipline is another factor which must be remembered at all times. You should only be travelling faster than vehicles to the left of you, unless you are in queuing traffic in which case both overtaking and undertaking is acceptable. Also, motorists who hog the middle or outside lanes are not only considered rude but can also be a severe hazard so, once you have completed your overtaking manoeuvre, pull back in to the lane on your left.
If you are uncomfortable with driving on a motorway and you passed your test less than a year ago, you can go on a PassPlus course which has one module that focuses on motorway driving. Taking a PassPlus course also benefits you because it can improve your driving, reducing your chances of an accident, so you can enjoy cheaper motor insurance quotes.
See more about PassPlus at www.passplus.org.uk.
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CIVIL PARTNERSHIP=GAY MARRIAGE?
Marriage is “the voluntary union for life of one man to one woman to the exclusion of all others” Hyde v Hyde and Woodmansee (1866)
“Marriage requires the participation of two persons, one a man, the other a woman” Rayden on Divorce 17th Edn
Are such definitions relevant today when the Civil Partnership act comes into force?
In December 2005 the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (the “Act”) is likely to come into force. It creates a new legal status for same sex couples and is arguably one of the most significant pieces of family legislation in recent years. Civil partners will acquire a raft of new rights and responsibilities which, subject to some key differences will place them on the same legal footing as married couples. The Act adopts a model based closely on marriage. It is true to say that the model is closer to that of marriage than the registered partnership models in other EU states, whilst falling short of actual same sex marriages as is permitted in e.g. Netherlands and Belgium.
Same-sex couples can be in long term stable relationships sometimes for their whole lives, but until recently had no pension rights, often had their homes threatened or lost to inheritance tax and had no status as next of kin in the event of the death of one partner.
How are civil partnerships formed?
So how do same sex couples register their partnerships? Can they go into a church or other religious establishment and effectively “get married?” The answer is no. The registration of a civil partnership must take place in England and Wales and may not be in religious premises. “Religious premises” is defined as places that are used solely or mainly for religious purposes. Civil partnerships will be formed when two people (not of the opposite sex, not already a civil partner or married, not under 16 and not within prohibited degrees of relationship) have signed a “civil partnership document” in the presence of each other, the registrar and two witnesses. The witnesses and the registrar must then sign the “civil partnership document”. Civil partnerships will be formed without the exchange of vows. These formalities will be carried out at a registry office or any other premises that are licensed for that purpose.
How are civil partnerships ended?
The simple answer is that they are ended in a very similar manner to the ending of a marriage. Instead of divorce civil partnerships are dissolved and as with marriage, civil partnerships cannot be dissolved within their first year. Again, as with divorce the sole ground for dissolution is that the partnership has irretrievably broken down. As evidence that the civil partnership has irretrievably broken down the applicant must satisfy the court of one or more of the four facts as set out in the Act. These are in essence the same as the divorce facts; unreasonable behaviour, 2 years separation with consent, 5 years separation and 2 years desertion. However, missing from this list is adultery. This is because adultery as defined in Rayden And Jackson on divorce and Family Matters (17 edn) requires “at least partial penetration of the female by the male for the act of adultery to be proved.”
Financial provision on dissolution
The Act makes provision for financial relief for civil partners generally. The Act makes it clear that Schedule 5, which contains the financial provisions “corresponds to provision made for financial relief in connection with marriages by the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.” This is a clear indication that the purpose of the civil partnership regime is to extend the rights and responsibilities in marriage as regards financial provision to same sex couples who choose to register their partnerships.
Available orders, as in divorces deal with maintenance, lump sums, property adjustment, sale of property and pension sharing.
Children & Adoption
At present a non birth parent has to apply to court for permission to make an application for contact and residence in relation to a child. The Act now provides that any civil partner in a civil partnership is entitled to apply for such orders without having to seek the prior permission of the court.
Formally a joint application for an adoption order could only be made by a married couple. However, the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (“The 2002 Act”) provided that an adoption application could be made by a “couple”. This is defined as “two people (whether of different sexes or the same sex) living together as partners in an enduring family relationship”. The Act has amended the 2002 Act so that it is explicitly stated that this includes two people who are civil partners of one another.
Tax
Civil partners will be taxed like marred couples. For example, the inter spousal inheritance tax exemption and exemptions for lifetime gifts and transfers will apply to civil partners. In respect of capital gains tax it is envisaged that civil partners will be restricted to a single principal private residence exemption (as for married couples), but that the no gain/no loss rule on transfers between married couples during the fiscal year of separation will be extended to civil partners.
Immigration
It is envisaged that the Immigration Rules will be amended to treat civil partners in the same way as married couples. Also, civil partners will have the same rights as spouses to acquire or resume British nationality by registration or naturalisation and to renounce British nationality.
Death
If a civil partner dies without a valid will he/she will have similar rights on intestacy as a surviving spouse. For example, if the deceased leaves no children the civil partner will be entitled to receive the personal possessions, £200,000 and half the residuary, the other half of the residue going to other relatives.
Conclusion
The Act no doubt allows same sex couples to publicly express their commitment to each other and arguable remedies a deficiency in the law which was seen by many as discriminatory. According to the Government the Act is an equality measure, not to introduce same sex marriage, because of the religious connotations of holy matrimony, but to introduce a twenty first century approach, a new legal institution, equivalent and parallel to civil marriage.
The information in this article is intended for general guidance only. It provides useful information in a concise form and is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice. If you would like advice specific to your circumstances please contact us.