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SAAB

One in 10 motorists...

One in 10 motorists is still ignoring the ban on driving and using a hand-held mobile phone, says a new survey by insurer Green Flag. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has called on the police to take much stronger action against the law-breakers, so that motorists get the message.



Meet the PGO Cevennes...

Meet the PGO Cevennes, a two-seater squarely aimed at TVR buyers


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Voice recognition can...

Voice recognition can be a difficult art to master, usually requiring time-consuming training to work correctly. However, with the Parrot Minikit Slim hands-free kit you can speak easy, as it is claimed to identify nearly all commands straight out of the box.

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It looks like the postal...

It looks like the postal strike might not be bad news for everyone. Auto Express has discovered that thousands of motorists could get off speed camera convictions thanks to the mail delays.

An estimated 35,000 speeding tickets are issued by post each week, according to the latest Ministry of Justice figures.

So thatò€™s how many drivers could find that their Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is caught up in the Royal Mail backlog, slowing the documentò€™s delivery and taking it beyond the two-week deadline by which it has to arrive on an offenderò€™s doormat.

Road traffic lawyer Emma Patterson of Patterson Law explained: ò€œIf the police serve you a notice of intended prosecution in the post and it arrives after the 14-day deadline, then section one of the Road Traffic Offenders Act says you shall not be convicted.ò€

Police will not simply rip up the ticket, however. Patterson added: ò€œYou have to name the driver, then argue that section one hasnò€™t been applied and ask for a court hearing to raise your defence. The magistrates would have to be convinced that the PCN didnò€™t arrive in time, but right now that is believable.ò€

However, the strike could actually cost drivers who receive their fines in time and try to pay them before the end of the reduced-rate period. Penalties are usually slashed by half if settled within 14 days, but postal payments could be delayed.




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