More penalty points for mobile phone use while driving

Using a mobile phone while driving could cause a fatal accident, whether you're driving a van or a car, so understandably a lot of people don't think the current penalty for being caught texting or phoning someone behind the wheel is severe enough.

At the moment, motorists will get three penalty points on their licence and a £60 fine, but the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, believes that six penalty points should be added instead.

That would mean that being caught using a mobile while driving twice in three years would result in being banned from the road.

Mr Hogan-Howe stated, "I would like to see [offenders] receive six points in the future. That would mean a second offence would lead to them being banned and I believe this would change driving behaviour and improve safety."

I think this is a great idea personally. The number of times I've looked across to another driver while waiting at a red light and seen them on their phone – let's just say I'd be very well off if I had a £1 each time. I've been driving a long time.

Plus, I imagine this would make the roads a safer place, and reduce the cost of van insurance as a result.

Meals-on-wheels van clamped

Some clampers have no common sense or heart. I know it's a job that someone has to do, otherwise our roads would be parked up all over the place, but really some people are taking the mickey.

A meals-on-wheels van was clamped recently while doing the rounds taking meals to elderly and vulnerable people in Poole, Dorset.

The staff member returned to their vehicle after dropping of some meals to individuals in a sheltered accommodation block, when they found their van had been clamped and apparently required £125 to have it removed.

The meals-on-wheels company had previously had problems with the over-zealous clamping firm.

One of the people who work for the meals-on-wheels delivery company stated, ""I had this guy on the phone demanding £125 for the vehicle's release so the driver could complete their rounds.

"I wanted to make sure he fully understood he was holding up meals for vulnerable adults in the community.

"Some of these people have dementia, some have diabetes and need to have food with their medication at specific times.

"This could have proved detrimental to their health."

I'm pleased to tell you that the clamp was removed free-of-charge in the end. Hopefully all the people waiting for their meals to be delivered had their food on time.

Van driver escaped serious crash

Some lucky people manage to go their whole driving careers without suffering any type of road accident, others thankfully only suffer minor incidents like scratching some paintwork on a bollard.

Many road users sadly suffer severe accidents and are seriously hurt as a result, but one van driver I read about recently probably can't believe his luck.

The precise reasons behind the accident he suffered haven't been reported, but apparently, after his van struck the central reservation of the M1, veered off and smashed through the crash barrier of a flyover, and landed on the highway below, things didn't look good.

The van was completely crumpled, having sustained two high-impact collisions and a 40ft drop, but when the emergency services got there expecting the worst for the driver within, they were in for a surprise.

The roof of the vehicle was cut off so that the motorist could be taken out of the wreckage, but he escaped with minor injuries.

This can't be said of the van, which I imagined was totalled and had seen its last van insurance quote and road tax sticker.

I don't know whether this van driver is lucky or unlucky. Maybe it's a mix of both.