IAM News Releases - click here for full list.

Impending changes to the DSA driving test
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA), which conducts the basic driving test, has announced that candidates will be asked to get themselves to a location 10 minutes away specified by the examiner – either by remembering directions or by following signs, mimicking a situation where a driver gets lost. During trials, only 18% of candidates passed, significantly lower than the current average pass rate of 42%.
The IAM's Chief Examiner, Peter Rodger, said, "You take away the examiners' prompt to turn and instead have to work it out for yourself as you do in the real world. The changes will make the tests more realistic and increase the standard of those coming on to our roads."
Click here for The Independent article.
Click here for the DSA Driving Test information page.

IAM insurance scheme offers cheaper insurance for 19-year-old drivers - click here for full details. Click here for the Daily Telegraph article about it.

Extensive roadworks in Warrington town centre
Network Rail are carrying out major work on the railway bridge between Sankey Street and Milner Street, resulting in overnight closures and a one-way traffic scheme for several weeks during July. Full details in a Warrington BC document here.

£3m Traffic Scheme - Junction of Winwick Road (A49) and Long Lane (A50) in Warrington to be improved (Click here for a map of the new junction layout and here for the existing layout)
The existing roundabout controlled by traffic lights is to be replaced by a conventional traffic light junction during 2010. There will also be a new traffic light junction built near Alder Lane to accommodate traffic to and from the Orford Park project. The purpose of the improvements is to reduce congestion and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. More information here.

M56 Jct 7 - Bowdon View Bridge to be replaced and westbound carriageway widened.

15 June 2010


11 July 2010

(Click on images above for larger pictures)

The 40-year-old bridge at the westbound exit of the M56 at Junction 7 is to be replaced in Autumn 2010 at a cost of £3.2 million. The old bridge will be demolished during one weekend and the replacement bridge put into position during the following weekend. The westbound carriageway of the M56 approaching junction 7 will also be widened as part of the project. (This is very welcome as a lot of traffic leaves the motorway at this point to head for the southbound M6 via the A556 and long queues develop during busy periods.) Construction has now started on the new 1830-tonne bridge in a field to the south of the M56 between junctions 7 and 8. There's a press release about it at the Highways Agency Newsroom website. More details about the project and photos of construction progress (new photos loaded 27 July) at the Highways Agency website.


BBC publishes national road death map
The BBC has published an interactive map on its website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8401344.stm detailing every road death in Great Britain from 1999 to 2008. You can enter a postcode or the name of a police authority to display the deaths in that area for the selected year.