I’ve failed my driving test four times, but I am a good driver. I know I am. At first, cars and I didn’t really get on, even though as a teenager keen to tick off each rite of passage as soon as it was legal (if not sooner), I signed up for driving lessons at the earliest opportunity. Nerves intervened, however, and I vomited more before the lessons than if I’d had a heavy night on rum and Coke. Then exams gave me an excuse to avoid continuing the lessons, before student poverty and good bus services provided several more. Then I moved to an area untouched by public transport and the excuses ran out. On the recommendation of a friend I signed up with an independent instructor called Beryl Fireman who was reassuring – and very understanding. When, during an early lesson, I crashed into a traffic island near a pub, she didn’t get upset, even though I’d wrecked two tyres and we had to wait three hours to be towed while being mocked by drunks. More
(AD Notes ~ Something extra to help with confidence, if nerves are are problem)
Dozens of on-duty Kent police officers have been punished for speeding while not responding to emergency calls. The figures were released under the Freedom of Information Act. Eighty seven officers were fined £60 and had three points put on their licence for breaking the limit between April 2006 and March 2009. Another 556 “notices of intended prosecution” were cancelled after officers proved they were responding to a 999 call at the time. When an emergency vehicle triggers a speed camera, no further action is taken if a blue light is visible in the image, suggesting it was responding to an emergency incident. However, if no blue light is visible then a “notice of intended prosecution” is issued. Kent Police said the figures highlighted the fact that “no police officer is above the law” More
(AD Notes ~ The Police should be setting an example to us all how to drive!)
Scientists have come up with yet another thing to blame on your parents – bad driving. A lack of skill behind the wheel is in the genes for about one in three of us, according to researchers. A study found drivers with a particular gene variant performed over 20 per cent worse on a test than those without it. The results were similar during a follow-up test a few days later. A gene variant passed from parents to children could affect their driving ability, according to the American study. In those affected, a smaller area of the brain is stimulated in response to a task compared with those who have a normal version of the gene. Dr Steven Cramer, of the University of California, Irvine, where the study was carried out, said: ‘These people make more errors, and they forget more of what they learned after time away. I’d be curious to know the genetics of people who get into car crashes. I wonder if the accident rate is higher for drivers with the variant.’ The defective gene governs the availability of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor during activity. More
(AD Notes ~ Natural for children to have similar characterists to parents, but thats not always the case)
A new European project is being launched to develop and test technology for vehicles that can drive themselves in long road trains on motorways. EU project SARTRE has the potential to improve traffic flow and journey times, offer greater comfort to drivers, reduce accidents, and improve fuel consumption and hence lower CO2 emissions. Key partners include Ricardo, which has outlined exactly how the system could work in the real world. In normal motorway driving, a row of cars would inch up to each other, travelling at normal speed in a close-formation convoy. More
(AD Notes ~ Technology is growing fast, but can machines ever replace the human brain and be able to deal with unexpected issues that might arise on the road)
A politician from Ireland’s governing party has said “jumpy” drivers might benefit from having a relaxing alcoholic drink to steady their nerves. “If drink is such a sedative, it can make people who are jumpy on the road, or nervous, be more relaxed,” said Mattie McGrath, Fianna Fail’s Tipperary South representative, speaking out in favour of a modest tipple. His comments, reported on the front page of most Irish newspapers yesterday, were met with outrage from road safety groups. More
(AD Notes ~ Crazy idea to encourage drinking and driving. Especially from elected officals!)
Leeds city council is to submit proposals to the Department for Transport for a 14-mile network, costing nearly £280 million, which would see a new generation of vehicles being introduced in the city in 2015. The first trolleybus is believed to be that which ran in Berlin in 1882. They arrived in Britain in 1909, when a trial was held in Hendon and first entered public service in Leeds and Bradford two years later. For much of the 20th century they were a common feature of the British urban landscape, although by the 1960s many trolleybuses had disappeared. They were last seen in Bradford in March 1972. They were phased out because conventional buses were seen as more flexible. Like trams, trolleybuses are powered by overhead electric cables. But while trams run on tracks, trolleybuses use the road alongside other vehicles. More
(AD Notes ~ Could ease congestion and be a greener option for some towns.)
Congratulations Sandy!
Well done on passing your driving test today, in Bedford, after taking your driving lessons in Bedford with ALPHA DRIVE.
Congratulations and best wishes from everyone at the driving school, as your look forward to many years of enjoyable and safe motoring.
For more information about the taking Driving Lessons contact ALPHA DRIVE on 0800 2118871. We also cover Sandy, St Neots and the local area for driving lessons.
And despite the proven danger, half continue to drive while under the influence, according to Auto Trader Compare. In a survey of drug-drivers, a quarter said they “feel fine to drive” after taking illegal drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy, while 7% believed they could “handle their drugs”. Meanwhile, a third said they drive slowly and carefully after taking drugs, and 15% said they would only drive short distances. Motorists most likely to drug-drive were those who had enjoyed a night out with friends, followed by those who had been to a party, gone clubbing or attended a rave. More
(AD Notes ~ Another impairment to driving safety, perhaps more can be done to educate about the dangers.)
Motorists face a huge increase in fuel duty and a £3,300 levy on new cars under plans that could see families’ green tax burden soar. A report unveiled today by experts including the Government’s environment tsar will urge £150 billion in taxes on households and businesses. Petrol could cost £2 a litre by 2020, while a tax on new cars that would start at £300 would rise by £3,000 over the next 11 years. The blitz is essential if Britain is to meet its target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by a third by that time, according to the influential think-tank behind the proposals. But critics said drivers were already over-taxed and were being used as “cash cows” More
(AD Notes ~ Sounds like motorists are going to be an even larger cash cow for the government of the future!)
Carsite.co.uk questioned more than 1000 car buyers and discovered that pink is the least desirable colour choice in the UK, meaning cars in the controversial colour are worth less on the used market. In all, 29% of those questioned considered pink to be the worst possible colour choice for a car, followed by brown at 16 per cent and gold at 13.7%. Interestingly, white was the sixth least popular colour choice with 6.5% of the vote, despite a recent surge in popularity meaning one in 12 new car sales are currently white. Silver, blue and black are by the most popular colours when it comes to the used market. More
(AD Notes ~ I can`t think that the demand would be that much for pink cars. Perhaps the novelty will wear off very quickly, and the owner still has the car for many years after!)
A safety barrier put up to protect schoolchildren from passing motorists has been moved because it keeps getting hit by cars. The 4ft high metal railing was installed to shield youngsters from cars negotiating a bend on a road outside Pensford Primary School near Bristol. But council officials decided it was dangerous after it was struck four times in two years – and moved it 18 inches back into the middle of the pavement. Parents and the local MP have criticised the decision and accused the council of putting the protection of the barrier ahead of children’s safety. More
(AD Notes ~ Council has gone mad, perhaps more could be done on this road to calm traffic!)
Male drivers who always want to act as “rescuers” are almost three times more likely to be killed or injured in an accident on a motorway hard shoulder than women, figures show. Over the past 15 years more than 2000 men have been killed or injured on the hard shoulder after breaking down compared to almost 770 women, Department of Transport figures show. Experts last night said the large gap can be explained by a man’s “ego” because many want to be seen to be the motoring “rescuer”. More
(AD Notes ~ The hard shoulder can be one of the most dangerous places to be. If you break down get to safety behind the barrier and wait for help from the experts.)
After doing more than 1,000,000 miles, a BMW 325i is close to unlocking the secrets of eternal life. The trip counter on this car stands at 41,187 miles. For a 20-year-old car that’s peanuts, and probably explains why the bodywork and interior is in such good nick. The red leather seats look as if they’ve hardly ever been sat on. You’d guess that this little beemer has been doted on by one very, very careful owner. But that’s only half the story. It has only had one owner, but far from nurturing this car, they did everything they could to destroy it. More
(AD Notes ~ Shows that you pay a bit more for quality, this car has had a good life though!)
Over one in ten people drive without a car insurance policy in their own name, a practice known as ‘fronting.’ Post Office Car Insurance has warned of the growing number of drivers being ‘fronted’ on their car insurance. The term is used to describe the dangerous trend of drivers who don’t have their own car insurance cover. Instead, these drivers are being named as a secondary driver on a parent’s or partner’s car insurance. Recent research figures have shown that a worrying one in ten people are being fronted on car insurance policies. More
(AD Notes ~ Car insurance always need to be correct, you may not be insured properly and be legal.)
For Huntsville resident Scottie Roberson, the letter X — seven of them, to be exact — led to more than $19,000 in Birmingham parking tickets. Roberson said he has been to Birmingham only once in the past five years and left without a ticket. He said city officials told him the tickets were issued by mistake because of his vanity plate — XXXXXXX. Roberson, 38, said the plate is an homage to his days of building custom cars, when he was given the nickname “Racer X.” He uses seven X’s, he said, because seven is his favorite number. When Birmingham parking patrols find cars without license plates parked illegally or at expired meters, they enter seven X’s in place of the plate number, city officials said. The parking citation form calls for a plate number, and the practice is to use X’s when no number is available. More
(AD Notes ~ A lack of common sense by the authorities is to blame, feel sorry for the guy. Its always funnier when it happens to someone else!)
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