When the Italian police unveiled their state-of-the-art Lamborghini patrol cars, they cannot have been short of volunteers itching to take the supercars in pursuit of speeding criminals. A team of elite drivers was trained to chase down speeding motorists and deliver urgently-needed transplant organs in the futuristic vehicles, capable of reaching more than 200mph. What they apparently were not prepared for was a distracted motorist who pulled out of a petrol station without looking. Today, a bandaged and bruised police driver may have had a tough time explaining how he managed to write off one of the force’s prized Lamborghinis when he rammed it so hard into a line of parked cars that one of the stationary vehicles ended up on the police car’s roof. According to the police, the crash was caused by the driver of a slow-moving Seat Ibiza who emerged without looking from a service station, clipping the Lamborghini and sending the vehicle swerving into the parked cars. More
(AD Suggests ~ Sad end for a fine motor)
Nearly one in four motorists disqualified for drink or drug driving has already been banned at least once before, Government figures have shown. Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice also revealed that the number of repeat offenders has increased by nearly half over the past eight years Despite a series of high profile campaigns aimed at warning of the dangers of driving under the influence, Government figures showed a steady rise in the reoffending rates since the turn of the millennium. A series of high profile campaigns aimed at making drink driving socially unacceptable has made little impact on a growing hard core of motorists prepared to flout the law. In 2000 13,299 motorists received at least their second ban for driving under the influence, last year this had risen to 19,605. Over the same period the proportion of banned drivers disqualified for at least the second time has risen from 16.1 per cent to 24.35 per cent. Even this figure masked even more alarming results in some parts of the country, with reoffending rates approaching 30 per cent in the West Midlands. The results emerged at a time when the police are pushing stronger powers to tackle drink driving and as the Government prepares to unveil its Christmas road safety campaign. Theresa Villiers, the Tory transport spokesman, described the figures as “both shocking and deeply depressing.” More
(AD Suggests ~ Even punishment for first time offenders, does not seem to have any effect. Perhaps the penalties should be tougher)
On average it costs £5,731 to get a young driver on the road today, with insurance costs making up two fifths of the total bill, according to research from Gocompare.com. As a result, 13 per cent of parents say their children aren’t driving specifically because of the cost of insurance and five percent claim it has led to arguments or a falling out in the family. A survey of 1,500 parents revealed that the financial support they give to young drivers is significant. The majority of parents surveyed (70 per cent) said that they have, contributed to their offspring’s driving lessons, nearly a third (32 per cent) have paid towards the cost of a car for their child, while 30 per cent have helped with insurance costs. Typically, learning to drive can cost in the region of £680 by the time the costs of obtaining a provisional licence, lessons and test fees are taken into account. Gocompare.com’s research revealed that on average youngsters take 22.3 driving lessons before passing their test, so with driving lessons costing around £24 per hour, the typical bill for lessons alone is £536. More
(AD Suggests ~Not totally convinced by some of the figures. Generally new learners take much more than 22.3 hours, especially if no private practice suplements lesson times)
In its latest display of ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ Audi is set to return to a venue synonymous with its past motorsport successes when a “driverless” TTS Coupe quattro tackles the infamous Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the USA. The non-competitive “drive” would be 30 years after the German manufacturer’s quattro permanent four-wheel-drive technology first appeared. The Autonomous Audi TTS Coupe quattro is the direct result of work underway at the Volkswagen Group Automotive Innovation Laboratory (VAIL) – a collaborative effort set up by the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Laboratory and Stanford University USA to advance car technology. Currently in the testing phase, the Autonomous Audi TTS quattro is being developed for several still-to-be determined real-world driving challenges in 2010, including a possible drive up the legendary 12.42-mile Pikes Peak Hill Climb route in Colorado USA. This will not be a competition run, however, and is separate from the actual Hill Climb Championships being staged next June. The Autonomous Audi TTS project is not aimed at making motorists, or the thrill of driving, dispensable. Instead, it is intended to explore the best capabilities of current and future driver assistance technologies to help Audi enhance the experience behind the steering wheel for future driver generations. Dr. Burkhard Huhnke, executive director of the Electronics Research Laboratory, has noted that the technology found in the Autonomous Audi TTS quattro could help motorists respond more effectively to changing traffic conditions to reduce road congestion and allow better reactions to safety hazards. Dr. Huhnke also suggests the technology could return time to the car owners by taking care of routine driving chores, such as locating an assigned space in a car park. More
(AD Suggests ~ Sounds like SCI-FI at the moment, but in a few years the technology will be perfected)
A quarter of car owning students would blow their budget on a night out, rather than fix a tyre. That’s according to Kwik-Fit, which has looked into attitudes amongst Britain’s 300,000 car owning students – some 25% of the total student population. It shows that around one-in-five (20%) car owning students have driven an unroadworthy car in a bid to save money. The figure jumps to more than one third (37%) amongst male car owning students. But it’s not just necessities such as books, rent and food that are taking priority over car maintenance. Indeed, one third (32%) of car owning students confessed that they would choose to blow their last £50 on a big night out rather than replace an illegal tyre – even if it meant driving home on it the next day. More
(AD Suggests ~ Everyone needs to remember that an illegal tyre is more importantly a dangerous one that could give you a seroius problem at any moment, and needs to be replaced.)
Street and motorway lights should be dimmed or switched off to save energy and let people see the stars, the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution says. It says there is little evidence that such lighting significantly cuts accidents or crime. It recommends the removal of thousands of motorway lights, possibly even at junctions. Its report, Artificial Light in the Environment, also calls on councils to consider reducing street lighting. The report says that since 1993 most of the UK has become brighter, obscuring the stars, and it backs a recent paper in the scientific journal Nature that said: “Without a direct view of the stars, mankind is cut off from most of the Universe, deprived of any direct sense of its huge scale and our tiny place in it.” The commission proposes “dark- sky parks” all over Britain, with planning restrictions on outdoor lighting. The Galloway Forest Park in southern Scotland this month became Britain’s first official dark-sky park, with 7,000 stars visible there, compared with 500 in Glasgow. More
(AD Suggests ~We live in an age when the government seems to want use to be energy efficient, and yet we have many roads lit up so brightly when they are empty. Why not have reduced lighting after midnight, and switch off half the street lights)
Bad driving behaviour could influence the way your children drive in future, says the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists). Peter Rodger, IAM Chief Examiner, said: “Children learn from the behaviour of their parents. If you never wear a seat belt, it is seen as acceptable by your child, even if you insist they wear one as they’re growing up. “Doing 40 in a 30 zone, using abusive language towards other drivers and getting too close to the car in front are all bad habits children can pick up from parents or other family members at an early age, and can stay with them for life. If children grow up watching their Mum or Dad talk, text and email on their mobiles while driving, they’re going to think it’s okay to do the same thing. More
(AD Suggests ~ Young kids easily copy ther parents, and driving habits can be building up from a young age. We all need to set a good example to those who will follow our lead)
Birmingham’s ‘Spaghetti Junction’ has been voted Britain’s most intimidating road junction, according to motorists. The Britannia Rescue research revealed that one in twelve motorists (8%) avoid scary junctions, driving on average an extra 238 miles a year on detours to avoid having to use them. Some particularly nervous motorists (2%) even admitted to avoiding taking right turns at all costs, because they are so concerned about their safety. Large cities came under fire generally from anxious drivers, with one in seven (14%) saying they avoided urban driving altogether. The complex road systems in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Leeds were labelled by motorists as particularly difficult to navigate. Drivers also identified specific features of urban roads which are confusing and have a negative impact on their driving. Large roundabouts are considered the most problematic (by 30% of drivers), followed by one way systems (14%), speed humps (11%), cameras (9%) and box junctions (7%). More
(AD Suggests ~ Its easy to understand why some of these junctions are so unpopular, not just through their complexity, but also high traffic volumes that use them)
Camden has long considered itself at the cutting edge of fashion and popular culture but now it is claiming another first. A 380-metre stretch of its High Street in North London is to become the city’s only “naked” street. The clutter that it has in common with most urban highways will disappear in an attempt to make the road safer and more attractive. Railings are being removed along with bollards, bins, CCTV masts and street signs. Even the yellow lines and most white road markings are to go. The idea has been borrowed from the Netherlands and is intended to take motorists out of their comfort zone. Planners argue that this will make drivers more aware of the 6,000 pedestrians who use the street every hour at its busiest times. Pavements are being widened by up to 2.5m (8ft), reducing the road to a single-file carriageway. There will be no formal pedestrian crossings: instead people will be free to cross wherever they choose. It is advised that they make eye contact with drivers to establish the right of way. “It is on the principle of people taking responsibility for the space,” Chris Knight, Camden Council’s executive member for the environment, told The Times. “It is improving the streetscape. It will bring people into Camden by making it an attractive area.” More
(AD Suggests ~ We do have far too many signs on the roads these days, mainly those that are very petty and take attention away from the road. This is a good idea, but with perhaps a few important and neccessary signs to help and advise)
Well done Karina!
Well done for completing your Pass Plus Course today with Alpha Drive, School of Motoring in Bedford.
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.
The vehicle, complete with L- plates, was manned by members of the Light Dragoons, based at Swanton Morley. The crew was on its way to a training ground. Mr Jones, 64, and his 44-year-old wife, an opera singer, were at home when the accident happened. Mr Jones said: “We heard what sounded like a collision on the main road involving a heavy goods vehicle. “We ran around to investigate and found a military vehicle sitting astride our fence.” He said the tank had demolished a 20-metre (65.6ft) section of fence. More
(AD Suggests ~ Hate to think what would have happened if the turret was loaded!)
If your car breaks down, with luck the Queen’s motorcade will just happen to be passing – so she can repair it? That’s because according to a new poll, Queen Elizabeth II is the most trusted public figure to fix a car. More than 2000 consumers were questioned on behalf of the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme. People thought the Queen would be more likely than David Cameron to be able to undertake basic car repairs, beating the Tory leader 16% to 13%. Gordon Brown, meanwhile, languished at only 9% – beaten by even Simon Cowell, who received 11% of the vote. “We had to laugh” admitted Nigel Beaven, the spokesperson for the ATA scheme. “People may know that during the Second World War, the Queen trained to become a fully qualified mechanic. More
(AD Suggests ~ I`m sure one would help you if you were in trouble!)
FOUR months on from the scrapping of speed cameras in Swindon no increase in accidents has been reported on the roads affected. This was the message from Coun Peter Greenhalgh, Swindon Council’s lead member for transport, who said the withdrawal of the cameras meant money could now be spent more effectively. Five cameras across the town were deactivated on July 31 after Swindon Council withdrew its membership of the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership over funding issues. Asked at Monday’s Scrutiny Committee meeting what impact there had been since the decision Coun Greenhalgh (Con, Freshbrook and Grange Park) said there had been no discernible effect on speed levels. He said: “I can only speak about places where cameras have been removed. “There has been no increase in accidents at those locations. Speed is an issue but there’s no evidence speeds have increased on those roads. We often get people saying speeds are too fast on a certain road then, when we do some analysis, we don’t get any evidence of that.” Coun Greenhalgh said the £320,000 road safety budget was now being directed to other areas. more
(AD Suggests ~ Perhaps more cameras will be taken away, and the money saved can be directed to proper traffic policing to make the roads even safer)
Forget life in the fast lane: for many Britons our crowded motorways are a road to hell. Drivers in the North West of England have topped London when it comes to loathing motorway driving, according to a national ‘league table’1 produced by AA Driving School. More than a fifth (22%) of drivers in the North West – up to 900,000 in total – say they lack vital skills needed for driving on motorways. This compares with 15.5% – up to 630,000 drivers – in second-place London, and a UK-wide average of 14%. The findings form part of research by AA Driving School which reveals that fear of motorways and a lack of driving skills are causing millions of Britons to avoid the roads altogether. Nationally, one in seven motorists – nearly 5 million in total – say they lack skills needed for motorway driving. While London’s M25 is the nation’s busiest motorway, the North West fear factor appears to reflect traffic volumes in a region criss-crossed by crowded motorways – including the M60, M6 and M62, which rank among the UK’s five busiest. More
(AD Suggests ~ Does seem strange that there is no compulsary motorway training for new drivers. We educate many of our students, post test with the Pass Plus Course and Btec in Driving Science, and find those who take the advanced tuition will benefit massively with skills and confidences, leading to greater road safety)
Motorcyclists are half as likely as other motorists to take the risk of drinking before hitting the road. That’s according to the MCI, which has released new statistics to mark the start of Road Safety Week 2009. One in six deaths on our roads are caused by drivers over the legal alcohol limit. The latest analysis of drink-drive statistics show that in 2008, of the motorcycle riders tested following an accident, 1.4 per cent failed a breathalyser test. But this compares to an average of 2.7 per cent for all road user casualties as a whole. The MCI is calling for all road users to commit to not drink even a drop of alcohol before driving. And nor should they consume any other illegal drug, to help reduce the number of accidents and casualties on British roads. More
(AD Suggests ~ We chould have a no drink/drug level, then there is nothing to debate)
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