A fresh new warning has been sent out to warn drivers about even more driving laws changes which came into force yesterday (June 1). These new laws open the door for more clean air zones, and they give local councils more power.
Also, some new changes have been introduced in regards to the laws around electric vehicles. The changes come after a big set of Highway Code changes were revealed earlier in the year.
From yesterday, councils across England and Wales can now issue fines for motoring offences. However the RAC believe this could bring about an "avalanche of penalty charge notices", reports Birmingham Live.
READ MORE: List of people who are set to miss out on the £400 energy bill discount
The news comes as local authorities are under pressure to encourage more people out of their cars. Currently there is no clean air zone in Newcastle however talks are ongoing to change that.
Despite that there is mounting pressure to improve air quality across the country. With the latest changes they could bring about new fines.
Before now fines for driving offences such as making an illegal U-turn, driving in a bus lane, driving the wrong way down a one-way street or stopping in a yellow box junction have just been enforced by the police. That changed yesterday as councils who have applied and been accepted can now dish out the penalty charge notices (PCNs) which can total as much as £1,000.
Nicholas Lyes who is the head of roads policy for the RAC has spoken out about it. He has said: "[This] could lead to an avalanche of penalty charge notices being wrongly issued and then having to be appealed."
That is not the only change now in force as changes have been made to the laws surrounding electric vehicles, in particular the home chargers used to top them up. From June 15, all new homes and buildings will need to have an electric vehicle wall box charger installed at the building.
Also any new residential buildings which have associated parking will also need to have access to electric car charge points. Then again later this month homes and businesses that already have a charger installed will need to have smart charging capability too.
That latest change is due to concerns about the load on charging infrastructures as more people across the world move to electric cars. The Department for Transport says it's all part of the effort to promote cycling and walking, and in turn make the roads safer for all who use them.
