Herald - Issue 398

Page 58 • The HERALD • 19th November 2020 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v Holbury Service Station MOT’S & SERVICING and Repairs to Cars and Vans TYRES FITTED WHILE YOU WAIT Budget and Branded Tyres held in stock Member of Good Garage Scheme Long Lane, Holbury SO45 2NZ Tel: 023 8089 3727 Web: www.holburyservicestation.com Email: holburyservicestation@hotmail.co.uk All Major Cards Accepted Long established family business • MOT TESTING • SERVICE & REPAIR FOR ALL MAKES AND MODELS • CLUTCHES • DIAGNOSTICS • CAMBELTS • SERVICE TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION • FREE COLLECTION & DELIVERY • USED CAR SALES 128-132 Calmore Road, Totton. SO40 8GQ 023 8086 4424 www.calmoreservicestation.co.uk Make Room! Drivers Need to Give Cyclists Space during Lockdown As bicycle use spikes during local lockdowns, drivers need to be aware of the 1.5 metre rule which encourages motorists to make room and protect cyclists. During the rst 30 days of lockdown in March, the Department for Transport (DfT) found that cycling fatalities were more than double the number compared to the same periods from 2015-18 even though the level of vehicle tra c had dropped to 36% of its pre-lockdown level. Of the 15 cyclists in the UK that lost their lives from 23rd March–22nd April all but two incidents did not involve a motor vehicle. Various road safety initiatives have launched to raise awareness of the Highway Code’s Rule 163 that there should ‘plenty of room’ when overtaking – o en recommend as 1.5 metre distance or roughly the width of a car. It also states that drivers should overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. Motorists who out the rule face a careless driving charge from the police, which can result in three penalty points on their licence and a £100 ne, or in some cases, a more serious criminal conviction. Undercover policemen on bicycles have used helmet-mounted cameras to help apprehend o enders. Research commissioned by Cycling Scotland found that 34% of the population don’t always leave a 1.5 metre gap from cyclists, while almost 64% were unaware of the three-point penalty on their licence if they are caught driving too close. Motorists should also bear in mind that insurance premiums generally increase by around 5% for the rst three points on a licence, shooting up to as much as 25% for six points - premium loading can continue to apply until the points come o the licence a er ve years. e latest gures from DfT show cycling use jumped 10% during the week beginning 12th October compared to a week earlier. Quotezone .co.uk is one of the UK’s largest insurance comparison websites - comparing a wide range of competitive quotes across both car and bicycle insurance – helping over three million users. Hampshire County Council will be starting work this autumn on improvements to eight junctions on the southern section of the A326 and one on the B3053 through the New Forest to increase capacity and improve access for those living and working in the area. Councillor Rob Humby, Deputy Leader of Hampshire County Council and Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, said: “ The A326 needs significant improvement at the northern end to improve access for public transport, walking and cycling and we will be submitting a bid for national funding for this major infrastructure work. “In the meantime, our team will be implementing some modest but much- needed improvements, funded through the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Fund, to increase capacity at these eight junctions, improving access for communities to areas of employment and education, while supporting the economic prosperity of the area.” e £8.1 million improvements will increase capacity at the junctions that currently experience congestion and delays and will create a more resilient network that is better able to accommodate future growth in the area. e main works will start from 1st December for approximately 18 months. e majority of work will be completed under tra c management, with o - peak tra c signals where required from Monday–Friday between 9.30am to 4pm to minimise disruption. Solent Local Enterprise Partnership has provided £5.7 million towards the scheme and Fawley Waterside Limited, which has proposals to transform the old Fawley Power Station site into a thriving residential and commercial waterside community, has provided local match funding of £2.4 million. For more information visit the scheme web pages: www.hants.gov . u k / t r a n s p o r t / t r a n s p o r t s c h eme s / a326southfawleywaterside A326 Southern Junction Improvements Due to Get Underway