Well done for completing your Pass Plus Course today with ALPHA DRIVE.
The Pass Plus Course is 6 hours of post test tuition, to continue new driver education in roads and traffic situation not experienced before. Hazard awareness in enhanced with expert guidance and advice in many areas. The six course modules are Town driving, All weather driving, Night driving, Country roads, Dual carriageways and Motorways. On completion of the course the candidate will drive to a higher level, and the resulting qualification will lead to healthy discounts off first year premuims on car insurance policies.
For more information about the taking the “Pass Plus” Course or Bedford Driving Lessons contact ALPHA DRIVE on 0800 2118871. We also cover Sandy, St Neots and the local area for driving lessons.
Police in Richmond upon Thames, south west London have been taking valuable items from unlocked cars to encourage motorists to take better care of their property. While forces across the country have been sending warning letters to the owners of cars when they see possessions unattended, this is believed to be the first time that goods have been “stolen” to drive the crime-prevention message home. When officers remove goods, they leave a note in the car telling the owner that they can retrieve their possessions from Twickenham police station. More
(AD Comment ~ This might educate some, but will seriously annoy many others!)
An estimated 250,000 people aged between 17 and 20 continue to drive despite not having any insurance cover in place, according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). The group, which pays compensation to people involved in accidents with uninsured drivers, said people in this age group were four times more likely to be involved in claims, highlighting the significant proportion of young people without insurance cover who were causing accidents. It said part of the problem was that one in 10 young drivers claimed not to be aware that having motor insurance was a legal requirement. But the biggest issue is thought to be the high cost of insurance for young drivers, which puts off many people from taking it out. More
(AD Comment ~ Sometimes the fine imposed when caught is less than the insurance premium! Not much of a worry for some.)
Motorists waste more than £140 a year each by failing to shop around for their car insurance, a survey claimed. One in five drivers admit they automatically renew their motor cover with their existing provider each year, rather than shopping around for the best deal, according to moneysupermarket.com. Around 12 per cent of these people said they did not think they could find a better deal, while 8% admitted they simply could not be bothered to look for a more competitive one.The group found that the average motorist stays with the same insurer for 2.7 years, despite the fact that they could save an average of £141 a year by shopping around. More
(AD Comment ~ We all have busy lives, but it does not take long to look around, and it is very easy to change insurers these days!)
This week’s ITV UK Car Crime programme shockingly revealed that one car is stolen every five minutes, highlighting that more people are at risk of buying a stolen car than ever before. The leading vehicle information expert, HPI, stresses that all used car buyers need to take a few simple but effective steps to help beat the car criminals. “Last year, 14,000 vehicles were stolen in Greater Manchester alone, which illustrates just how serious the problem is,” explains Nicola Johnson, Consumer Services Manager. “The problem continues as car criminals continue to employ a variety of dirty tricks, such as car cloning, to fool innocent purchasers into buying a stolen car. Car cloning is the vehicle equivalent of identity fraud where the stolen vehicle is fraudulently disguised as a similar vehicle already on the road. “If you buy a cloned or stolen vehicle you stand to lose the car and the money you paid for it, as the vehicle will always be returned to its rightful owner. Consumers should recognise the risks and use every tool available to them to help combat the vehicle fraudsters. By conducting a vehicle history check and proceeding with caution, car buyers can uncover a fake and walk away unscathed.” More
(AD Comment ~ Just shows what a problem with car crime we have, especially when car manufactors go to great lengths to make cars as secure as possible)
MORE than four in five motorists break the speed limit, a survey today showed. Nearly 600 people were killed in 2008 in accidents where someone was driving too fast. And an astonishing 82 per cent of drivers admitted to sometimes or frequently exceeding the limit. A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We know that speed kills. Nearly 600 people were killed in 2008 in accidents where someone was driving too fast. “That is why we run hard hitting Think! campaigns highlighting the potentially devastating consequences of speeding and have recently proposed increasing the penalties for those drivers who exceed the speed limit by a significant margin. More
(AD Comment ~ We need a lower limit and more responsibility in towns. Perhaps on some motorways and dual carriageways wwe could have a higher limit as cars have moved on from when the 70 limit was first imposed!)
Catherine Lawrence’s face was badly bruised and her car written off after the collision with the horse near Tasman. Catherine Lawrence thought the airbag had gone off in her car after she crashed. It came as a shock when she realised it was actually a horse. Mrs Lawrence, 74, is nursing a badly bruised face and injured eye, but is lucky to be alive after the horse catapulted through her windscreen into her Nissan March on Wednesday night. The horse was killed instantly and ended up draped across the seats, while the roof was peeled back by the impact. More
(AD Comments ~ Shows how dangerous large animals can be to motorists. Horses can be very unpredicatable when they get frightened)
According to a survey by road safety charity charity Brake and Direct Line Car Insurance, two in three motorists in the UK do not know how to correctly position their restraints. The top of the restraint should be level with the top of the head, but a majority of people think that the top of a head restraint should be level with the neck or ears, which is incorrect. Again, as many as two-thirds of motorists said that they have never or rarely checked their restraints, with only one in seven drivers claiming to always check. More
(AD Comment ~ Good advice, but how many would get in a car as a passenger and not check the correct level of the restraint. This is one of the current vehicle safety questions when learners take their driving test, so lets hope the practice of correct adjustment carries on throughout.)
A new licensing scheme will impose limits on the maximum release fees charged by clampers and set a minimum time before cars can be towed away.The new curbs will also demand that signs warning motorists of the existence of private parking enforcement are clearly visible and, for the first time, drivers will be able to use consumer law to challenge exorbitant fines. The Government is also looking to give motorists the right of appeal against private charges after they have been imposed. One option would be to set up an independent tribunal, similar to that which enables drivers to challenge council-enforced tickets. Ministers are ready to act after repeated complaints from motorists about the antics of some clampers who have demanded as much as £700 to release a car. More
AD Comment ~ Always be careful where you park, but this will help to ave you money!)
Thousands of middle-class motorists who challenge speeding fines face having to pay most of their legal costs even if they win their cases. Reforms, which have been described as a ‘ stitch-up ‘ aimed at excluding the middle classes, will limit the costs that can be claimed back by the drivers. From October, the Ministry of Justice is cutting the current generous level of costs awarded to successful defendants to the lower rates used in legal aid cases. Legal experts say that as a result, some court victors, who currently have between 80 per cent and 100 per cent of their costs reimbursed by the legal system, can expect to have only between a fifth and a third paid back. The new rules will also affect drivers who successfully challenge drink- drive and other motoring prosecutions. Currently, nearly 400,000 drivers a year – about one in four of those who go to court – win their cases. More
(AD Comment ~ The motorists are just another cash cow for the government of the day)
‘World’s fastest kettle’ reaches nearly 140mph to beat century-old landmark for steam-powered vehicles. A British-built supercar today broke a 103-year-old world land speed record for steam-powered vehicles. The 7.7-metre British Steam Car, nicknamed the “fastest kettle in the world”, reached an average speed of 139.843mph on two runs over a measured mile at the Edwards air force base in California. The timing beat the previous record of 127mph set by an American, Fred Marriott, in a Stanley steam car at the Daytona Beach road course in 1906. Marriott’s was the longest-standing officially recognised land speed record. It was beaten by the team based in Lymington, Hampshire, with Charles Burnett III at the wheel. Burnett piloted the car for both runs, reaching a peak speed of 136mph on the first run and 151mph on the second, a team spokesman said. Record officials recognise a land speed record as the average speed of two passes made across the same measured distance in opposing directions within 60 minutes of each other. The time of the two runs is averaged to obtain the official recorded speed. More
(AD Comment ~ Thats some speed for a kettle!)
MPs today called for the agency that carries out safety checks on lorries on Britain’s roads to be given more powers after a high proportion of unsafe vehicles were found to be foreign-owned. A report by the House of Commons Transport Committee found almost half of vehicles examined in Britain and registered overseas were unroadworthy or deficient in some way, compared with 38 percent of UK vehicles. Foreign-registered vehicles account for more than 80 percent of heavy goods traffic in Britain. “Britain has some of the safest roads in Europe but more must be done to ensure compliance with our safety standards for lorries, buses and coaches,” said the committee’s chairman Louise Ellman. The worst offenders were Czech-registered Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers, 60 percent of whose trucks failed roadworthiness tests in 2007–2008, the report said. Polish and Hungarian vehicles failed more than 50 percent of safety checks, while German and Italian lorries had serious safety flaws in more than 40 percent of cases. By comparison the number of UK-registered vehicles failing safety tests was 37.5 percent. The committee was reporting back on its investigation into the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), charged with safety-testing lorries, buses and coaches. The report concluded that the agency must be given additional powers and resources to get dangerous vehicles and drivers off the road. More
(AD Comment ~ Something certainly needs to be done, as an unsafe fully laden lorry, could be a massive incident waiting to happen.)
Two friends are preparing to drive 4,000 miles drive across Europe in a 20-year-old Volvo dubbed a “sauna on wheels”. Tom Sharrad, 23, and 24-year-old Chris Wilkinson have spent months covering the outside of the Greg Volvo 240 with Scandinavian pine to resemble an authentic sauna. The pair, from Sevenoaks, Kent, aim to cross 12 countries over 14 days in the car, which has clocked 187,000 miles, while dressed in nothing more than Turkish bath towels. The friends will attempt to raise £5,000 for the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, which provides research and support for people who live with brain tumours and their families and friends. More
(AD comment ~ What a hot idea! Hope they raise their money)
Never mind speeders or road hogs, now there is a new peril facing British motorists – signpost snipers. The RAC Foundation has warned of the growing phenomenon of gunmen firing at road signs at locations across Britain. Officials there say that many of the shootings are “drive by”, with the guns fired from a moving vehicle. Analysis of the damaged signs reveals that a high proportion of shots are fired from the near, or passenger, side of the car. A dossier compiled for the motoring organisation has found evidence that illegally-held handguns, high velocity rifles and shotguns are all being used in the shootings. Philip Gomm, from the RAC Foundation, warned that it was only a matter of time before a motorist or pedestrian was killed. More
(AD comment ~ Probably wont make the next Olympics as a sport? )
Too many drivers running out of fuel on motorways, says Highways Agency. They are calling on drivers to check fuel levels before setting off on journeys after more than 15,000 drivers broke down on England’s motorways over a 12-month period after running out of fuel. Breaking down on the motorway causes disruption to journeys and road users can put themselves as well as other drivers at risk. To reduce the inconvenience and also the hazards involved, the Agency, supported by the Driving Standards Agency, is calling on drivers to check their fuel levels before setting off on journeys. Agency figures show that 15,788 drivers ran out of fuel on England’s motorways between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2009 – an average of 43 every day. The Highways Agency’s Director of Network Operations, Derek Turner, said: “The number of people breaking down simply because they have run out of fuel is alarming. It’s not only hazardous to the driver and passengers, but to other road users as well, especially if the vehicle has to stop in a live lane. We want drivers to be aware of the risks and also to encourage them to check their fuel level before they set off. It’s important that if you are travelling over long distances, that you continually monitor your fuel level.” The Driving Standards Agency’s Director for Safer Driving, Trevor Wedge, said: “Running out of fuel on a motorway can be a risky business. Stopping on the hard shoulder will place you and your passengers in a vulnerable situation that could be avoided. “Make sure you have plenty of fuel for your journey before driving on to a motorway and don’t let the fuel in your tank run too low. Fill up well before the gauge reaches empty and before the warning light comes on. Remember that driving at higher speeds, especially when overtaking, will use more fuel and there can sometimes be quite some distance between service stations. Don’t be tempted to try to complete your journey on a low tank.” More
(AD Suggests ~ Always worth keeping your eye on fuel levels, and being able to fill up before motorways as the service areas always seem to have higher prices per litre)
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