A new kind of speed camera is due to hit Britain’s roads next year, the new “ASSET” speed camera can not only detect speeding, it also detects a multitude of other motoring offences including tailgating. The camera can also detect whether you are wearing a seatbelt and determine whether your car is taxed and insured!

Already in use throughout much of Europe, the ASSET camera is trailer mounted and automatically issues penalties as motoring offences are detected. The camera has a hefty price tag of £50,000 per unit and news of its introduction has prompted a mixed reaction from motorists. Some motorists welcomed the announcement stating that tailgating was often far more dangerous to other motorists than speeding.

The fact that the camera can automatically detect whether or not a car is taxed and insured is also expected to play an invaluable part in improving the safety of our roads, as if a car has no MOT, it cannot be taxed or insured under current laws.

Once you pass your test, you will obviously need to get yourself a car, but with today’s insurance premiums being what they are, this can be a challenge in itself. There are however a few specific cars that make ideal first cars for new drivers due to their low insurance costs, and good fuel economy.

Vauxhall Corsa
The Vauxhall Corsa is perhaps the most popular car for new drivers, its combination of low fuel consumption and the fact that comprehensive insurance costs just £1000 to £1300 per year (dependant on whether you are male or female) mean that this is one of the cheapest cars a new driver can own.

Peugeot 106
The Peugeot 106 is in my opinion a better choice for new drivers, insurance costs are almost identical to those of the Corsa, but the 106 is a better car to drive and won much critical acclaim in its day. The 106 is also a fairly good looking little car and drives quite nicely.

New VW Beetle
The new VW Beetle can be insured for a jaw dropping £700 to £900 per year, and being a new VW, build quality and safety are exceptional. That said, the car itself it not cheap, with second hand Beetles fetching between £3000 pounds for a 2000 model, up to around £8000 for a 2008 model.

Fiat Panda
The Fiat Panda can be insured for between £1000 and £1300 per year, however, the Panda is not well know for reliability, and my advise would be to avoid this car at all costs. Any money you do save in insurance premiums will quickly be absorbed by the cost of maintaining the Panda due to build quality issues.

Austin Mini
Last but by no means least, is the classic and iconic British car, the Austin Mini. A mini can be insured for between £1000 and £1300 per year by a young new driver on a fully comprehensive policy. The fact that there are so many of these great little cars on the road is testament to the solid build quality, and where looks are concerned, how could you not have a warm place in your heart for such a unique little car?

If you do choose to buy a mini, be aware that as some of these cars are reaching 40 years of age, rust could be an issue, be sure to check the wheel arches and front subframe, these areas are particularly prone to rust. One negative note about the Mini would be that due to its age, it does not have the same advanced safety features that the new VW Beetle possesses.

Anyone finding it hard to motivate themselves regarding revising for their theory test would do well to learn from the mistakes made by a 28 year old man form Leicester who has sat and failed the driving theory test an incredible 92 times. The man has so far spent an incredible £2852 on driving theory tests alone, lets hope its a case of 93rd time lucky!

Research suggests that the best way to learn the theory course material is by revising for short periods on a regular basis. Revising for extended periods or trying to learn the entire theory curriculum over a short period of time is far less likely to produce the desired results due to the fact that the human brain has a limited attention span.

Many people actually find the theory test harder than the practical driving test, but as long as you put in the required amount of revision and ensure that you can comfortably pass mock theory tests with the DVLA CD Rom before booking your test, you should have no real trouble.

Utility companies were in hot water yesterday over the quality of their road repairs in Scotland. John Gooday, the head of Scottish road works, issued fines to several utility companies over substandard road repairs which were carried out following the installation or repair of under-road wiring and pipelines.

Scottish water, who dug up the roads of Scotland almost 5000 times between 2008 and 2009, were charged £38,000 for sub standard repair work, whilst BT and Virgin Media also footed bills of several thousand pounds.

Motorist in Scotland welcomed the news that big utility companies were being held accountable, with motoring groups stating that the fines should have a positive impact on the overall quality of roads in Scotland, which is obviously good news for any driver.

Fuel prices have increased again within the last week, the 1p price rise which affects unleaded petrol and diesel fuels was due to the fact that one of the UK’s leading refineries has closed down. The news sparked a rush for the pumps in southern England, as motorists concerned that fuel shortages would follow, made a dash to ensure their tanks were full.

Motoring groups have expressed concern that the closure will spark further price hikes as the remaining refineries increase their prices in-line with demand. There are now eight remaining major fuel refineries in the UK, producing a combined 77 million tonnes of diesel and unleaded petrol each year.

It is expected that the cost of diesel will soon rise to a new record cost of £1.45 per litre, pushing the cost of filling the average family car to around £100.

There are currently thirty nine DVLA offices scattered across the country, the government is proposing to close all of these branches in a effort to reduce costs and provide services in a centralised manner via the DVLA website instead.

The closures, which will result in the loss of approximately one thousand two hundred jobs, and save the tax payer twenty eight million pounds per year, are planned for the end of 2013. Mike Penning, the roads minister, says that the planned closures will simplify dealing with the DVLA, however, a spokesperson from the PCS union stated that the move would not provide any economic benefit.

No news has yet being released pertaining to how the DVLA would manage driving examinations under these new proposals, which are currently both organised and run from the existing local DVLA offices. It is perhaps sensible to assume that examiners would simply specify a meeting place for the examination, presumably the actual courses which instructors use would also change, affecting those taking driving lessons in Leeds, as these are currently influenced by the designated start point (the DVLA office).