Asda was the first to announce the discount, which follows similar reductions towards the end of last month.

Sainsbury’s and Tesco followed suit, saying they would also slash 2p off their prices.

Welcoming the move, the president of roadside recovery group AA, Edmund King, said: “Once again the supermarkets have led the way on fuel price reductions.

He said that many people are cutting back on the number of car journeys they make because of the high cost of fuel.

“This reduction will go a little way towards helping families and businesses keep mobile,” he added.

Asda’s petrol trading director, Andy Peake, said his company was “leading the way” in reducing the price at the pump.

A Tesco spokesman said: “As Britain’s biggest petrol retailer with 490 forecourts, more motorists will make savings at the pumps at Tesco than at any other fuel retailer.”

And Sainsbury’s head of fuel, Richard Crampton, said: “With Christmas on the horizon, we know that this can be an expensive time of year so we’re delighted to announce that we will be lowering our petrol and diesel prices.”

In recent news, New tyres could save you £280 per company van!

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

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

A recent report, in The Telegraph newspaper, claimed that the average monthly motoring bill had increased by as much as £10. Initially, this might not sound like very much, but if a company hires several vans, this very quickly adds up. Over the space of a year, an entire fleet could be costing a company thousands in petrol alone, and that is before MOTs, road tax & van insurance.

For van drivers, especially those who are working as “self-employed”, this is particularly worrying. Many companies are looking for ways to reduce their costs, and often this including cutting down on the number of vans and of course van drivers that they use. The underlying problem is that even if van drivers attempt to cut down on the amount of fuel used, by doing less journeys, driving economically and organising delivery routes that are the most cost effective isn’t doing enough.

It is quite common, in the UK, for prices to hike at the beginning of the summer before the school’s break up. They will then, ordinarily, begin to reduce once summer is over. Whilst reductions do still occur, they are still not good enough.

Another issue that many van drivers must now contend with, as a direct result of price hikes on petrol is fuel theft. With rises going through the roof, the number of people who can no longer afford to run their vehicles has vastly increased, which has led to a subsequent increase in the number of fuel thefts. Unfortunately for their unwitting drivers, vans as well as lorries are the biggest targets for thieves. The question is why? There are a number of reasons, but the most popular assumptions are because vans and lorries tend to sit for long periods of time, or even that they contain larger amounts of fuel than most other vehicles

In other news,  Women’s car insurance premiums are to rise by 26%!

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.forecourtfuelcards.co.uk for more information

Our research shows that driving at 50 mph can use 25% less fuel than at 70mph; a reduction from 80 to 70mph can save 40p every 10 miles and driving at 90mph can use 60% more fuel than at 70mph.

But it is one thing preaching better, more fuel-efficient driving styles – getting drivers to follow this advice is quite another.
Incentives can be introduced to persuade staff to drive more efficiently or opt for more economic vehicles.

Keeping on top of where your fuel bill is being used can be a logistical nightmare at the best of times and regular driving tips just don’t get through to some drivers.

Offering encouragement and rewards can help reduce the overall fuel bill and a review of vehicle policy can provide savings.

Another way of taking control of your fleet fuel consumption is by using Fuelcards, a fuel card looks and works in a similar way to a credit card but with a few fundamental differences.
Firstly a fuelcard will save you money on each litre of fuel that you buy. It is also usually restricted to only allow the purchase of diesel / petrol, secondly, when it is used to make a purchase, both the vehicle registration and mileages are recorded against the respective transactions. Finally, your fuel card invoice also doubles up as a fuel management report, showing date / time / place of each sale, registration number, mileage of the vehicle collecting the fuel and of course how much was drawn. It will also then go on to separate the VAT element of all transactions for you.

Please check out this video for more information:

In other news,Saving Money on Diesel and Petrol

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.forecourtfuelcards.co.uk  for more information

This adds up to over 100 million lost working days every year for the 18 million workers in the UK who commute by car. With the average work commute covering an average of 28 miles, the average journey to work and home again takes 41 minutes with 12 minutes of this spent in jams and delays.  This up to 5½ working days lost every year for each motorist or 58 working weeks during a lifetime.

The study of 2,000  drivers for Continental Tyres established the routine and habits of commuters as well as their preferences.

Tim Bailey, head of safety at Continental Tyres said: “People are clearly concerned about congestion and rising fuel costs, but using the car remains the preferred option for most.

“With 63 per cent of workers using their car on at least four of five days in the working week, planners and government need to recognise that the morning and evening rush-hour is going to be a feature of life in Britain for some time to come.

“For individuals it means frustration but for the economy as a whole it means lost productivity and increased emissions, so it remains a key issue to tackle.”

However, there is some hope for drivers, with 14 per cent of commuters found to be car-sharing, helping to reduce congestion. With drivers desperate to make their commutes to work easier, congestion and a lack of available parking were found to be the biggest concern that prompted motorist to try and find alternative ways to get to work.

The environmental impact of motoring is a factor when workers decide how they commute however it only ranked as the fourth most important consideration. Half of all Brits say they will leave their car at home if fuel costs rise further, however 45 per cent of those using public transport now would switch to their car if petrol prices drop.

Just over half (51 per cent) of the respondents identified negative ways in which their commute affected their performance at work citing issues like feeling stressed and lacking energy due to delays.

In other news, Fleet and Haulage groups criticise the DVLA

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.

Romualdas Rocys, 48, was stopped by Kent Police at the Port of Dover on Tuesday evening after security staff saw his Scania articulated lorry being driven erratically.

Rocys’s breath test showed he had 120 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

He appeared at a magistrates’ court from the police station via the virtual court system after he was charged with the offence at 9.21am and he pleaded guilty. By 11.35am, he was disqualified from driving for 36 months, fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £85 in costs.

Detective Inspector Bob Platt, from Kent Police, said: “Under normal circumstances a person would be bailed to return to court after being charged. This means that between the date of charge and the court appearance that person can drive their vehicle.

“By using the virtual court network a defendant can lose their licence on the same day as charge and therefore the chances of them being a danger on the roads and reoffending is limited.”

“An HGV is a deadly weapon in the wrong hands and the consequences of driving a lorry whilst drunk are severe.”

The virtual courts initiative began in May 2009 in London at Camberwell Green and in Kent. It has now been extended to Cheshire and Hertfordshire.

In other  news, Institute of Highway Engineers calls for a HGV ban on Sunday motorways.

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.

There is a widespread misconception that modern cars are too complicated to do your own maintenance. That is simply not true and research shows that huge savings can be made by taking on simple tasks, like replacing windscreen wipers or changing a light bulb.

This list comes to coincide with the launch of Haynes Online Manuals which will see the firm’s 50 top vehicle care guides made available anytime, anywhere and on any internet or mobile device.

A further 50 titles will be added at regular intervals throughout 2012-13, and the electronic manuals will also be available for purchase via trade customer websites as the programme rolls out.

Vehicle maintenance is often seen as something too complex and challenging for anyone other than an experienced mechanic, but following these simple tips from Haynes could save Britain’s 31 million motorists over £200 each.

1. Change engine oil and filter at least once a year.

The engine is the heart of your car, and it’s essential that you look after it. Changing the engine oil is the single most important thing you can do to prolong engine life, and is easy enough to be done by anyone. Potential saving: £20

2. Fit your own windscreen wiper blades.

A garage could charge you £40 plus to fit new windscreen wiper blades, but they can be bought for just £10 and are very simple to fit, it’ll take less than a minute. Potential saving: £30

3. Use a proper screen wash additive.

People often try and save money on screen wash by using water, and although this will work pretty well during the summer months, that is not the case in the winter. Plummeting temperatures could cause the water in the washer reservoir to freeze and split the reservoir, so it is essential to buy a screen wash additive with antifreeze. Potential saving: New reservoir and pump, £30+.

4. Fit new front brake pads

Having reliable brakes is essential to keeping you and your family safe on the road. Fitting new brake pads is not difficult providing you are patient and follow instructions to the letter. Potential saving: £49.95

5. Fit new direction indicator bulb

You wouldn’t call an electrician to your house to change a light bulb – why get a garage to fit a new bulb to your car? How to change the light depends on the make and model, but most exterior light bulbs are easy to replace once you know how. Potential saving: £88.50

Total saving: £218.45

Haynes manuals have been helping motorists perform these simple tasks and much more for over 50 years, and the new Manuals Online include all the content from the printed manuals with the additional benefits of a glossary of terms, searchable menus, quick links and ‘how to’ videos.

In other news, Fixed Penalty Fines May Rise

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.

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.

Researchers at London University’s Royal Holloway and Lancaster University tested motorists in a car simulator.

The study suggested motorists did not drive as safely when they were trying to concentrate on the directions given.

While they could cope with simple instructions, they started to swerve, speed up or fail to notice pedestrians if they had too much information.

Volunteers were set tasks by a computer which imitated the instructions given by a vehicle’s satellite navigation system.

Lead researcher Polly Dalton, from the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, told the BBC that the gadgets needed to be kept simple and have a ‘User-friendly design’.

She said: “People are capable of following spoken instructions in a car and it’s actually a really good way of presenting information to them.

“It’s important not to make those directions too complicated because that runs the risk of asking them to keep too much information in mind when they are also trying to concentrate on the driving task.”

But she added that listening to instructions was still safer than looking at a map.

Lancaster University’s Dr Pragya Agarwal said the research could help sat-nav design to be more effective and user-friendly in the future.

The Department for Transport acknowledged that sat-navs were very useful for motorists but warned drivers to use them responsibly and keep their eyes on the road.

In other news, Revised Advisory Fuel Rates issued by HMRC

Fuel costs mounting up? Visit www.forecourtfuels.co.uk for the best deals.

Raising the motorway speed limit to 80mph will cost society an extra £1 billion a year, the campaign has said.

Fuel bills will cost up to £766 million and health costs will amount to more than £62 million, the groups have predicted.

It is also estimated that the higher limit will lead to 25+ extra deaths and 100+ serious injuries a year, as well as 2.2 million more tonnes of carbon emissions.

The government is due to consult soon on raising the speed limit from 70mph to 80mph on English and Welsh motorways.

The groups predict that an 80mph limit would result in extra annual costs of:

£62.4 million from road casualties, including costs to health and emergency services and human costs;

£180.4 million in carbon costs;

£766.6 million in fuel costs.

The groups are writing to Transport Secretary Justine Greening to request a meeting “reviewing the evidence against 80mph limits”.

Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said: “The No to 80 campaign calls on the government to listen to the overwhelming evidence that raising motorway limits is dangerous, costly and damaging.

“Experts predict it would lead to more lives being brutally cut short and more people suffering debilitating injuries. At the same time, the economic argument being used to defend the proposal does not stand up to scrutiny and the average driver will gain little to nothing in journey time savings.”

CBT campaigns director Richard Hebditch said: “There is no compelling case for increasing motorway speed limits to 80mph. While the Treasury might benefit from more fuel duty revenue as drivers used more petrol, for ordinary motorists it would just make for a more dangerous and more polluting journey.

“Any change to speed limits must support moves to cut collisions and carbon, not add to them.”

Roads Minister Mike Penning said: “The Department is carrying out work to assess the potential economic, safety and environmental impacts of trialing 80mph speed limits on motorways where variable limits are currently in place.

“This work is ongoing and no final decisions have yet been taken about which stretches of motorway would be included in any proposed trial.

“We plan to bring forward detailed proposals and start consultation during the next few months.”

In other news, The RAC announces a possible 50% rise in fuel duty

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.