Latest Fuel News

Speeds of up to 137mph have been clocked on road works on two motorways near Bristol, “lives are at risk”, a charity has said.

Work is underway to open up the hard shoulder on the M4 and M5 near the Almondsbury Interchange.

A Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents spokesman said the “excessive speeding” was “ludicrous”.

A spokesperson said, “These drivers are not only risking their own lives, they are risking the lives of other road users and the people who work in the road.

A Highways Agency spokesman said safety was its “top priority”.

“Road workers work in a dangerous environment, only feet away from moving traffic, and deserve respect and consideration from drivers, Driving through a mile of road works at 40mph takes less than 40 seconds longer than it does at 70mph but that difference can save lives.”

Between April and September, some 14,000 motorists were caught speeding by the average speed limit cameras – one driver was clocked doing 137mph.

The figures also revealed more than £168,000 has been paid in speeding fines, and that this figure was set to increase.

Police in Avon and Somerset said they were still dealing with a backlog of cases from the speed cameras.

They said, “Not all of the drivers have been identified or…court processes are still in progress if drivers have elected a court hearing rather than accept a fixed penalty notice or attend a speed education course”.

Average speed cameras record vehicle speeds by registering the time a car, lorry or motorbike takes to cover a fixed distance from which the speed can be calculated.

The system uses number plate recognition cameras to identify individual vehicles.

Some of the top speeds recorded were

137 mph – 11 August

135 mph – 11 August

131 mph – 6 June

126 mph – 16 September

125 mph – 8 July

Achieve added control over your fuel purchases. www.forecourtfuelcards.co.uk will help you to manage your account and transactions for optimum efficiency and convenience

OK, so I just heard the most appalling joke about an Amphibious Vehicle.

First guy: ‘Hey, why do you drive an Amphibious Car ?’ Second guy: ‘Because the Chicks dig it !’

Told you it was bad, but bad jokes and waterproof cars aside, Last month was the wettest June since records began.

This weekend there is more rain forecast with warm and moist air across large parts of East Anglia, the Midlands, Wales and up to northern England will cause heavy thundery rain to develop during Friday and Saturday, 20 to 40mm will fall widely with localised totals of 60 to 80mm. For Fleet Drivers in larger vehicles this means longer journeys and hazardous road conditions.

This amount of water hitting the roads will require everyone to change their regular driving habits, here are a few pointers that we can all follow to keep safe.

• First and foremost: slow down! It takes longer to stop or adjust in wet weather.

• Stay toward the middle lanes – water tends to pool in the outside lanes.

• Maintain proper following distance (3 Second Rule). This needs to be increased in wet weather to 5 seconds.

• Drive in the tracks of a car ahead of you.

• Don’t follow large trucks or busses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your vision. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely.

• Be more alert when driving in wet or slippery conditions. Watch out for brake lights in front of you.

• Avoid using your brakes; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down.

• Turn your headlights on even in a light rain, or in gloomy, foggy or overcast conditions. Not only do they help you see the road, but they’ll help other drivers see you. If your car has daytime running lights you still should put them on, so vehicles behind you can see you better.

• Before it starts to rain, replace old or brittle wipers.

• Avoid off-road driving: it’s hard to judge the actual depth of puddles and you can easily become stuck, even in an 4×4.

• Never drive beyond the limits of visibility. At night rainy roads become especially treacherous. The glare of oncoming lights, amplified by the rain on your windscreen, can cause temporary loss of visibility while substantially increasing driver fatigue. In rainy conditions pedestrians, livestock, and wildlife are extremely hard to spot and even harder to avoid.

• Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the ground through it; your car could be swept off the road.

• When driving through a puddle of uncertain depth, go slow. If it’s deeper than the bottom of your doors, turn around and find another route. Deep water can cause serious damage to a modern car’s electrical system.

• Avoid splashing pedestrians.

• If possible, stay off the road during heavy thunderstorms. Large flashes of lightning can temporarily blind and disorient drivers, and the accompanying high winds and heavy rain can create deadly driving conditions.

• Slow down! This should be obvious but it also very important. People are so used to driving certain speeds on certain roads that sometimes they forget the need to slow down when inclement weather presents itself.

We hope you have a nice weekend and whatever your doing, stay safe.

Did you know we can save you a guaranteed 3 pence per litre on diesel pump prices when using one of our fuel cards?  

Visit www.forecourtfuels.co.uk for more information.

Fleets are being warned about the importance of checking their drivers licences after revelations that a significant number of people are driving illegally.

New figures from the Licence Bureau suggest that as many as 24,000 people are driving at work without a valid driving licence.

It found that in 2011, one in every 300 licences was invalid, meaning many people behind the wheel are breaking the law.

This statistic is particularly important to fleets given the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, which passed in 2008.

It dictates that employers are responsible for ensuring safety on the road and includes the need for robust processes to check licences and undertake audits relating to road safety.

The law enables the prosecution of management for gross failures with regard to health and safety at a company when mistakes result in a death.

”Driving is the most dangerous activity that most employees undertake as part of their working day,” said Malcolm Maycock, chief executive of Licence Bureau.

”Time and time again we see drivers that have made false statements to their employers about their licences.

When you consider the number of hours and number of miles a person does when driving for business you can understand why we say that the ‘road risk’ is magnified by five-fold.”

Of those people driving for businesses without a licence, the organisation revealed that 43% were driving on a provisional licence and 31% were driving on a revoked licence.

Around 9% were still driving for work despite being disqualified.

On discovering these high statistics, the Licence Bureau submitted a freedom of information request to the DVLA. This then revealed that there are 652,380 drivers in the UK with revoked or disqualified licences.

Altogether, this represents 2% of all motorists in Britain.

”We want all companies based in the UK to help play a part in making the nation’s roads a safer place by checking the validity of their drivers’ documents.

In the long run they will be protecting their business interest as well as protecting the safety of others,” said Mr Maycock.

The most basic step that businesses need to take to ensure they are compliant with the law and to maintain the safety of other road users is to check driving licences of all employees.

Martin Howard, spokesperson at Brake, echoed this sentiment and warned about the potential repercussions for fleet drivers who do break the law.
He claimed it is “absolutely fundamental” to running an ethically responsible business and said failures can not only result in prosecutions but also huge financial and reputational ramifications.

”Brake urges all organisations to embed a comprehensive policy to ensure that all drivers have valid licences, in order to ensure the safety of their staff, and the safety of other road users.”

The study by the Licence Bureau revealed that over a thousand fatalities on UK roads each year involve someone at work.
Commenting that the figures are “shocking” the organisation said it estimated that up to a third of all accidents involve someone driving as part of their job.

These collisions are responsible for 20 deaths on the road every week and 250 serious injuries.

Businesses can do a number of things to improve the safety of their drivers and other members of the public, in addition to driving licence checks.

Training drivers in both safety and advanced techniques can not only aid the individuals taking the course, but also have positive ramifications throughout an organisation, as drivers share their knowledge.

Maintaining a focus on safety can also help garner a more responsible attitude to driving among fleet workers.

In other news, Fleet managers have just two weeks left to register for CCIA

Achieve added control over your fuel purchases. www.forecourtfuels.co.uk will help you to manage your account and transactions for optimum efficiency and convenience.

Sudden gusts can catch-out even the most experienced fleet driver

With the UK currently experiencing unseasonal, very high winds and rain, we have put together some advice for fleet and HGV drivers.
Wind rarely blows steadily, and sudden gusts can catch you out no matter how experienced a driver you are.
Expect sudden gusts at any time but particularly on open stretches of road, when passing bridges or gaps in hedges or when driving or overtaking high-sided vehicles.
Whether it’s strong winds, snow, floods or fog, if extreme weather is forecast it is always best to avoid travelling unless your journey is absolutely necessary.
There are three potential problems to be aware of if you’re driving in high winds

You can be blown off course

Keep both hands on the wheel, particularly if you’re being buffeted by the wind or the slipstreams of other vehicles and anticipate stronger winds and gusts on exposed stretches of road or when passing high-sided vehicles.
It’s important to keep your speed down too. The faster you’re travelling the further off-course you’re likely to drift in a sudden gust before you get the vehicle back under control.

Other vehicles can be blown into your path

High-sided vehicles and caravans are most affected by high winds but sudden gusts can blow any vehicle off course. Keep your distance from all other vehicles and take particular care around cyclists, motorcyclists and horse-riders.
If you break down on the motorway or on any busy road in gusty weather it’s important to bear in mind that lorries and other high-sided vehicles could be blown off course suddenly and may veer onto the hard shoulder. It’s safer to move to a safe location away from the vehicle rather than wait in the car to be rescued.

There could be trees or other debris in the road

Inevitably, some trees or branches will come down when winds are high. If you see twigs or small branches in the road there could easily be a tree or large branch in the road around the next bend. Hitting debris like this at speed could be fatal so it’s important to keep your speed down and drive with great care particularly on country roads early in the morning.
Trees can partially fall too and hang above the road, sometimes above the sweep of the headlights making them very difficult to spot.

If you do have to drive

In case of an emergency, always carry a fully-charged mobile phone and warm, weatherproof clothing.
Plan journeys carefully and check both weather and traffic bulletins regularly – low speed limits or even temporary closures may be imposed on exposed bridges and road closures due to falling debris or accidents will be more frequent.

In other news, Sat-navs could affect driving ability, say researchers.

Did you know we can save you a guaranteed 3 pence per litre on diesel pump prices when using one of our fuel cards?
Visit www.forecourtfuels.co.uk  for more information.

Hikes in Petrol / Diesel prices occur so regularly that ways to combat them should be almost second nature to Fleet owners and Haulage Firms.

Here at Forecourt Fuel Cards we know that the latest price rise brings worries for all Driving Businesses, underscoring the urgency of really following up on those money-saving moves this time.

Drivers may are having to take more drastic steps to keep costs down just to conserve the Fuel that they are using.

Short of buying a new vehicle, here are some tips on ways to shave your costs regardless of how high prices climb:

1. Drive slower and smarter

Easing your foot off the accelerator is a guaranteed way to reduce expenses. Every 5 mph you drive over 60 costs you an additional 24p per litre, the Department of Energy estimates. That’s because the faster you go, the more work your engine has to do to propel your vehicle.

The sweet spot for fuel efficiency on the motorway is about 55 mph. But slowing from 70 to 60 can help a lot. Doing so on an average 20-mile motorway commute saves about 1.3 litres of Petrol / Diesel in a five-day work week, according to the A A.

Drive more smoothly around town, too — avoid fast acceleration and quick stops. Aggressive driving can lower a vehicles fuel economy significantly.

2. Reduce idling

Warming up an engine in cold weather is one thing. Letting it idle needlessly outside stores, in slow traffic or at railroad crossings is another. That wastes fuel, costs money and pollutes the air.

Turn the engine off if you will be at a standstill for more than a minute.

While you’re at it, combine errands to conserve fuel. Several short trips from a cold start can consume twice as much Diesel / Petrol as one over the same distance when the engine is warm, according to the Trade Commission.

3. Shop smarter

Smartphones make it easier than in past years to find the best prices in a given location. Websites like WhatGas.com and some GPS devices also help. Apps from AA, MyGas and CheapFuel all can guide you to the cheapest options on your route. Just be wary of ads hawking products that can improve your mileage.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it has tested more than 100 purported Fuel saving products — Fleet Vehicle devices and oil and Petrol / Diesel additives — and found that very few provided any fuel economy benefits. Some can even damage your car’s engine or cause it to spew more exhaust fumes.

4. Do regular maintenance

Keep your vehicle running smoothly to get maximum fuel economy. Stick to the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance timeline. Taking the car in for tune-ups based on the owner’s manual’s timetable can improve mileage by an average of 4 percent, according to the Energy Department.

A simple but often overlooked part of maintenance is keeping tires properly inflated and aligned. Under-inflated tires add resistance, requiring more effort from your engine. Using the recommended grade of motor oil also can make a difference.

5. Skip premium fuel

Unless your vehicle absolutely requires premium gas, don’t spend the additional 15 to 30 pence per litre.

Consumer Reports says motorists should not waste money on premium if their owner’s manual says the vehicle takes regular — the car won’t run better. The higher-octane fuel is designed to improve performance.

“In most cases, using a higher-octane Petrol / Diesel than your owner’s manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit,” according to the Trade Commission. “It won’t make your vehicle perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner.”

An exception would be if your engine starts to knock or ping when using a lower-grade fuel.

6. Use Forecourt Fuel Cards

Forecourt Fuel Cards can cut your costs dramatically; here we explain the uses of the various Fuel Cards that we offer.

You can also you can work out how much money you can save with our Fuel Card Calculator.

Fuel Cards • Forecourt Fuels are already helping businesses throughout the UK save thousands of Pounds on their vehicles’ running costs. Our range of Fuel Cards allow you circumvent the seemingly ever-rising costs of fuel by purchasing at the best possible rates from a selection of UK networks.

As well as allowing you to make excellent savings, our Fuel Cards also help you to simplify the process of purchasing your fuel, increasing security, cutting down on administration and providing additional purchase control.

Petrol Cards • Fuel is a large outgoing for many businesses throughout the UK and it seems that the prices rise every day. Forecourt Fuels’ portfolio of petrol cards allows your business to slash these costs while not compromising on the quality of the fuel.

These savings combined with the convenience and improved security they offer makes petrol cards from Forecourt Fuels the ideal investment for your business.

Diesel Cards • As well as offering a range of excellent savings on petrol, Forecourt Fuels also provide a portfolio of diesel cards, allowing your business access to the same great savings and purchasing convenience on high octane fuels.

Thanks to our state of the art online account management service Velocity, managing your petrol or diesel cards account is as simple as can be, allowing you full control at any time of the day or night.

European Fuel Cards • If your drivers regularly travel abroad, our European fuel cards are the ideal way of saving you money and providing the convenience, increased security and lowered administration that we offer from our ranges in the UK.

Accepted at an ever-increasing 800 sites across key transport routes, our Eurofuels European fuel cards provide highly competitive prices and 24 hour a day access to secure service throughout much of the continent.

For many Fleet Companies, (some that have just a few vehicles on the road) there is potential for each vehicle to be wasting a few litres of fuel everyday. Closely tracking your fuel purchases is one way to spot where the waste might be occurring.

Forecourt Fuels and their range of fuel card solutions offer their customers integrated fuel card reporting. In short this means that our Fuel Cards will track precise information on all fuel purchases and includes comprehensive monthly and year-to-date reporting to help fleets control costs and improve vehicle efficiency. Nick Staples, Managing Director of Forecourt Fuels, explained how that helps reduce fuel waste,

‘By using Forecourt Fuels fleet management fuel purchase reporting, fleet managers are able to collect concrete data and implement changes that will have a major impact on reducing fuel expenses.’

Fuel cards can instantly eliminate the admin load of entering individual fuel receipts into company records. This increases purchase control and creates a far less complicated fuel management process.

There are other benefits of using fuel cards too, the first of which is convenience over other purchasing methods. Compared to cash or credit cards a fuel card is far more secure. The purchase restrictions that can be placed on a card can reassure that only fuel is being bought by the driver.

There are a number of fuel cards readily available on the market and therefore it is important to know there are many different price systems too. Many suppliers offer commercial priced fuel cards thus creating significant savings compared to pump prices.

By managing fuel costs the process of calculating overall expenses becomes much more controlled. For this reason a business will gain back power over finances and therefore will not have to result to damaging resorts, such as increasing the price of products to absorb inflated expenses. This makes a much more satisfied customer as prices remain at the same level if not lower than substitutes/comparable products and services.

Did you know we can save a guaranteed 3 pence per litre on diesel pump prices when using one of our fuel cards? 

Visit www.forecourtfuels.co.uk  for more information.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings across nearly every region of the UK and said that powerful gusts could cause much travel disruption many motorists.

Forecasters also predicted localised flooding in parts of Wales and northwest England and a marked drop in temperature, bringing the festive celebrations to an abrupt end.

Northwest Scotland was hit by gales, sleet, hail and snow on high ground overnight, with the wintry weather expected to engulf the rest of the UK over next 24 hours.

Billy Payne, forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: ”There is a deep area of low pressure coming in from the west, bringing strengthening winds and heavy rain with gales of up to 80mph developing in places.

”Everywhere will get some heavy rain and strong winds tomorrow, but central and south Scotland will be worse affected.

”North and western England will have significant winds of up to 70mph with gusts reaching 50-60mph in other places. They will be strong enough to cause travel disruption and damage,” he added.

Mr Payne said ”significant” rainfall would add to the weather misery, with up to two inches forecast on high ground in northern regions of the UK. He added the rainfall could turn to snow in parts of Scotland.

Weather experts also predict a marked drop in temperature from today, with the unusually mild conditions over Christmas and the New Year making way for more seasonal mercury readings.

Temperatures are expected to reach around 8C in London, compared with a high of 14C recorded on Sunday.

Issuing a yellow warning for strong winds and heavy rain, The Met Office said ”A spell of wet and very windy weather will affect the UK during Tuesday.

”The public should be aware of the possibility of disruption, including to travel, due to strong winds on Tuesday morning in most parts and during the afternoon across north-eastern Scotland.

”A spell of heavy rain will also affect many regions, with a risk of localised flooding over parts of Wales and north-west England.”

Did you know we can save you a guaranteed 3 pence per litre on diesel pump prices when using one of our fuel cards?  

Visit www.forecourtfuels.co.uk  for more information.

Fuel prices at record levels are making fleet operators more conscious of the vehicles they choose and how they run them thus prompting an even greater corporate environmental focus.

The environment is now at the forefront of fleet decision-makers’ agendas not only because by operating low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles fleets can keep fuel bills and budgets in check, but because an increasing number of organisations are seeking to demonstrate and expand their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes by reducing their carbon footprint.

It’s fair to say that the sharp increase in fuel costs has made fleet operators more aware than ever of the implications of the vehicles they run and how they run them.

One of ACFO’s (Association of Car Fleet Operators) major successes in recent years continues to be its championing of fleet causes within a wide cross-section of Government departments, including HM Revenue & Customs, HM Treasury and the Department for Transport.

On June 1, HM Revenue & Customs is expected to announce changes in the Advisory Fuel Rates. These apply where employers reimburse employees for business travel in their company cars, or require employees to repay the cost of fuel used for private travel.

Late last year HM Revenue & Customs introduced a mechanism for bi-annual reviews with a month’s notice of new rates being introduced on January 1 and July 1 each year.

ACFO played a pivotal role in bringing about the HMRC change, which was introduced this year, and expects the new rates to reflect the recent almost daily increase in pump prices.

However, following an unprecedented rise ACFO is calling for HM Revenue & Customs to introduce quarterly reviews.

ACFO director Stewart Whyte, who has been involved in discussions with HM Revenue & Customs, said: “We want an effective and fair Advisory Fuel Rate system. We are living in extraordinary times and want to see a responsive system in place that does not leave company car drivers out of pocket.

“The increasingly volatility of fuel prices, and the consistent upwards trend, means that it is difficult for drivers, employers and company car drivers to find common ground over fair rates. More frequent reviews will take pressure off corporate HR and expenses departments which often find themselves under very heavy fire from drivers when fuel prices rise and the tax-free reimbursement rates don’t immediately fall into line.”

However ACFO also recognises the need to constrain administrative requirements so that internal costs do not escalate out of control, and the need to provide clear signals that employees should drive with an eye for good fuel economy.

The AMAPs system considers any business mileage reimbursement to employees using their own cars for business at or less than 40p per mile (for up to the first 10,000 business miles per year; 25p per mile thereafter) as tax-free. These rates remain unchanged after six years since their introduction.

ACFO Ltd is a non-profit making organisation, and is the largest UK body representing the interests of businesses, which operate cars and vans as part of their normal commercial activities. There are more than 900 members, collectively responsible for well over 700,000 vehicles in the UK fleet market.

Forecourt Fuel cards give you and your fleet drivers the best way to control your fuel consumption .

Check out www.forecourtfuelcards.co.uk to see which cards work best for your fleet.